Chapter Text
Turns out you did have something to worry about come the next morning. A heavy three-note knock on your door was the reason you had woken up so early, and upon opening, it was Merula who met you on the other side.
“Uh…hello?” You were still very groggy, and your sleep shirt hung off your shoulder as you raised an arm to rub at your eyes. Trying to focus your bleary vision on her form, you notice she has yet another irritated look on her face. Great.
“You and I need to talk.” She doesn’t wait for you to respond; instead, she shoves past into your room, reminding you of Tonks the night before. You sigh and shake your head, shutting the door quietly. It was still too early for anyone to be up, but since the girl showed up in attire that wasn’t pajamas, she had probably been up a while.
“What did you need?” Your grogginess led the words to come out a little grouchy, but Merula seemed to have ignored you completely.
“What did you tell them yesterday?” She aggressively taps her foot, crossing her arms.
You yawn, “I don’t understand.” She lets out a huff and rolls her eyes.
“That seems to be a common occurrence with you, doesn’t it, Isley?”
The jab wakes you up. You don’t raise your voice, nor do you give another barbed insult in return; you just nod.
“Alright, get out.” You turn around and walk to the door, opening it again. You look back at the brunette, who is staring at you incredulously.
“Excuse me?”
“I said get out.” You nod to the open door you’re holding. “It’s too early to be doing this, and frankly, I don’t want to deal with you right now.”
She takes a deep breath and straightens. “Close the door, Isley.”
“No, if you can’t speak to me for two seconds without throwing insults, then we don’t have anything to talk about at all. Now, out.” This time, you couldn’t help but raise your voice a little on the last word. She furrows her brows in confusion, and, seeing that you are dead serious, walks out the door, throwing out one last scoff.
You close the door behind her and run your hand down your face. You had no idea why she was ambushing you right out of your sleep, but you didn’t care to figure that out right now. You throw yourself back onto your bed and pass out.
~~~
The next time you wake, it's at a more respectable time. The sun is up and glaring into your eyes, and Hermit is lying at the foot of your bed. How did she get in here?
Although it is a normal time to be getting up, the interruption from before seemed to have messed up your cycle, because it feels a little harder than usual to get up for the day.
You use a Tempus charm to see that it is currently 8:32 in the morning; the family typically has breakfast at 9:00, so this gives you enough time to make it down there. You give a light pat to your kneazle and make it over to your wardrobe to grab an outfit for the day, then walk to your fancy connected bathroom.
This morning, you decided to try walking to the dining room on your own, since you remembered most of the path to your room the night before, you’re hoping you could do the reverse of it.
You made a good portion of the turns perfectly fine, but found yourself getting confused on some of the last ones. You stop to pout, looking around for any visual clues, when you hear loud laughing coming from your left.
Mornings were quiet with just the sisters and you, but apparently, with their children, it was much more lively. You used the noise to lead you the rest of the way to the dining room, spotting the Malfoy and Tonks family, plus Merula, already eating breakfast.
Mrs. Malfoy, as always, was at the head of the table, her son to her left and her sister to her right. Merula was on the right of Draco, and Tonks was on the left of her mother. This left you with two options on where to sit; the decision was obvious.
Pulling out a chair next to Tonks, she looks to you with a beaming smile and a mouth full of food. You wrinkle your nose at the display, but otherwise sit without any qualms. You wish the adults good morning, and eat your breakfast as you have in the weeks you’ve been here.
Draco smiles at you, but he quickly turns to Merula, getting caught up in conversation. You squint your eyes at the two of them, trying to read their body language, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. You always thought they were just friends, and if his cousin hadn’t told you anything, you would’ve still assumed that.
A hand swats your shoulder, jolting you out of your focus, and you turn to see the cousin in question, smirking at you like she had won the lottery. “Whachya lookin at?” She whispers it theatrically, and you just shrug.
You mentally try and grab for anything to excuse your staring. “Seeing what formal courting is like.” You look towards the pair for a split second, “So far, not impressed.”
She laughs into her hand, trying not to attract any attention, “Yeah, the two of them are super boring.” Then she gives you a confused jut of her lips, “By the way, has Merula apologized yet?”
“We literally only talked about this last night. Why would you think she would have?” You study her features and notice she looks a little bit guiltier than before. You give her an exasperated look, “Vulpeca…what did you–”
“What are the two of you whispering about over there?”
It was Draco who said it, because of course it was. Only he could be the one to announce it to the room as loudly as he did, the tone of your whispered conversation going right over his head.
The adults pause in their conversation, and both look towards the two of you. You send a squinted stare towards the boy, trying to think of a way out, but Vulepca saves you first.
“Gifts!” She shouts, startling you. “It’s Christmas Eve, don’t you know?”
The blood in your veins freezes at the mention, gifts. “I need to go to Diagon Alley today!” You shoot up from your seat and grimace at the screech of the chair against the floor. “I forgot about gifts!”
“Now, just wait a minute.” Mrs. Malfoy cuts you off before you can leave. “I’m not sure that’s needed. No one is expecting a gift from you. Given the circumstances, I also don’t think that’s the best idea.” She raises an eyebrow at you, probably talking about the men from the farm.
There's not an argument you could give that would win against her, but turns out the Tonks family was on a roll with the saves, because Mrs. Tonks argues on your behalf. “Let the girl get gifts for her friends, Cissa. She’s been cooped up here for the past month, maybe it’ll be nice for her to get out for a bit.”
The sisters stare at each other for a second before the blonde lets out a resolute sigh. “Fine, the last thing I want is for you to feel trapped here.” You smile brightly at her. “On one condition.” You see the brunette roll her eyes but otherwise stay silent. “I can’t allow you to go on your own. Please let somebody go with you.”
Your eyes automatically lower to the pink-haired girl next to you, who is already looking at you with childlike excitement. You nod towards her, and she stands up with as much aggression as you did, chair squeaking in tandem.
“Can I join too?” The feminine voice catches you off guard, and you look across the table to see it was Merula who asked the question. She was staring at you innocently, but you could tell from the twinkle in your eye that she didn’t ask because she was suddenly hit with the Christmas spirit.
You see Draco looking between the two of you during the stand-off, but since no one knew about what really happened between the two of you, you’d just have to play her game. Whatever that was.
So you give her the most genuine smile you could, and with a little laugh, you exclaimed. “Of course! The more the merrier.” The act causes the look on her face to falter only slightly; you just turn to Tonks. “I just need to grab my bag and coat.”
~~~
Getting to Diagon Alley this time around was much easier than your apparition stunt during the summer. You can see why the Floo was more preferred. The four of you–Draco felt left out, so he joined– arrived in the dullness of the Leaky Cauldron. People still stared, but you think it had more to do with your current company than you.
Tonks and Malfoy were from noble families, and if the stares aimed at the last companion said anything, it was that Merula wasn’t a nobody either.
Or maybe people just like to stare.
Diagon Alley seemed even busier than before, seeing as it's Christmas Eve. Patrons old and young are bustling about the aisle and going in and out of stores. It was noisy, but it was no less magical. You’re hoping that your escapades at school or otherwise have prepared you for it this time.
Unfortunately, your shake-down at Hogsmeade meant that you were quite low on funds. So before you did any shopping, you had to get some money. Seeing as you still had your left thumb and key, though, that means you could.
Mrs. Malfoy had you bring your group as a safety measure in public, but it seemed none of your group cared about keeping that condition. When you permitted them to roam while you headed to Gringotts, they all swiftly took you up on the offer. The three of them walked away to the Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Walking into Gringotts again, it was just as grand as it was the first time. Only now, you sort of knew what you were doing. You looked towards a familiar desk to see an even more familiar goblin behind it.
“Bogrod!” The goblin looks up as you walk towards his desk, startled by his name. Seeing your face, his gruff demeanor softens a little. Now that you’re to face, he offers you a warm smile.
“Miss Isley, how wonderful it is to see you here again. How are you?” He closes the book he had open and sets his quill down. You could get into the details of all the fights and arguments you’ve had over your short semester, but you figured neither of you had the time today, sadly.
“It’s certainly been an eventful few months.” You laugh, and he only smiles, understanding.
“What can I help you with today, child?”
You straighten up, getting back to business. “I need to access my vault today.”
He nods. “Do you have your key?”
You reach into your side bag and pull out your vault key. “Yes, sir!”
“And your thumb?”
You raise your left hand, giving him a thumbs-up. He nods. “If you could wait right here. I will be right back with everything we need.” He steps down from his desk, disappearing from view.
You awkwardly step back and wait patiently for him to return. You’re looking around the building again, analyzing the little things about the bank, like the grand chandeliers that rival Hogwarts, and the pillars that look as if they had frozen huge boulders in resin.
You were humming to yourself, minding your own business, but a sharp tap on your shoulder surprises you into turning around. Staring at you with a smirk and entirely too close for her own good is Merula. Again.
“Uhh.” You look over her shoulder, but don’t see the others. “What are you doing here? Where are Tonks and Draco?”
She gives you a deadpan look. “We’re not attached to each other's hips, you know? Besides.” She steps closer to you and raises an arm to slyly dust your shoulder; another attempt to agitate you. Despite knowing this, you can’t help but stiffen at the contact. “I’d rather visit your vault with you.”
You take a step back, leaving her hand floating in the air; your back now firmly against Bogrod's desk. “Yeah, no thank you.” You turn your head to see if the goblin has come back, but it looks like you’d have to fend for yourself for right now. “I don’t think I need any extra company.”
She steps towards you again, but unfortunately, you don’t have any more room to get away, so you cross your arms to try and put as much distance between the two of you as you can. Your only saving grace was the fact that you were a couple of inches taller than her, so you weren’t exactly face-to-face.
“Oh, come on, Isley. What’s the big issue? Can’t a girl tag along to get to know you better?” She sends you a sweet smile; if you didn’t find it so sickly, you almost would’ve been convinced by it.
“Since when do you want to get to know me? Last time we actually spoke, you were just hurling insults, remember?” You look at her vindictively.
The brunette straightens up with an innocent pout of her bottom lip, but you could see the underlying frustration from your refusal. “People can change, Isley. Merlin, and you’re supposed to be the compassionate one!”
You’re not sure who she got that information from, but it makes your eyebrows furrow. If a spark of warmth lights in your chest, that’s solely between you and yourself.
“Miss Isley.” You spin around, seeing Bogrod back at his counter. Thank everything. “Can I have a word with you for just a moment?” He eyes Merula standing behind you, but otherwise just waves you a couple of feet down the line of desks. The other girl raises her eyebrow, but doesn’t follow.
You turn back to Bogrod, who is still giving the side-eye to Merula; his attitude makes you smile. “Is it about my vault contract?”
He focuses back on you and speaks quietly. “I do not wish to assume, but is that young lady attempting to coerce you into allowing her access to your vault?”
Your eyes widen at the accusation; it’s an accurate one, but still. You open and close your mouth like a fish, stuttering for words to say.
“If she is, just say the word, and we’ll activate the appropriate security measures. We’ll make sure she does not attempt anything like this again.” The threat was supposed to reassure you, but it only makes you panic.
If Gringotts uses a dragon to guard their vaults, you can’t imagine the protocols in place for something like coercion.
“No!” Bogrod looks at you with a disbelieving stare. If you let something happen to Merula while you’re out, Mrs. Malfoy will never forgive you. Let alone Draco. “There is no coercion, I swear!” You shake your head vigorously, hoping the overcompensation will save you.
“Are you sure, Miss Isley?”
Now, you nod quickly enough to hurt. “Absolutely! The two of us are actually quite close!” You spare a glance back at Merula, who is busy inspecting her nails with a bored look. She’s such a prick. “We’re spending Christmas break together and everything!”
Not necessarily a lie, but not the entire truth either. If you had known she’d be at the Manor, you would’ve just stayed at your house, evil men be damned.
The goblin finally seems convinced. “Alright, if that’s the case, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.” You give him a small smile, aware of how serious he has to take these things. “So will she be travelling with you to your vault?”
You stop yourself from letting out a disappointed sigh. If you backtracked now, he’d be suspicious all over again. “Yes, she will be.”
He nods and waves you back to his desk, where he places your vault contract for you to verify. Just like the first time you stamped your finger, the paper flutters happily at the contact before it furls up and flies away to somewhere unknown.
The goblin thanks you and points you towards the elevator again before settling back at his desk to continue his work.
You spin on your heel quickly to give a stern look at Merula, trying to keep a light tone in your voice in case Bogrod is still listening. “Come on, Merula.” You grab her by the forearm and drag her towards the far end of the bank.
Halfway there, though, she tugs her arm out of your hold and pauses in her walking. “Get your hands off me! Who do you think you are?”
You see a goblin at one of the desks, look up from their work, eyeing you suspiciously. You take a step closer to her and lower your voice. “Bogrod almost called security on you because he thought you were trying to break into my vault.”
You grab her arm again and continue walking. “The only reason you’re going with me is because I don’t need all that unnecessary commotion. Now, let's go.”
She otherwise lets you tug her along. “Hah! Looks like I win again.” The two of you reach the elevator entrance. “Wait, what’s a Bogrod?”
~~~
The ride to the lower vaults goes the same as the last. Svish is the one taking the two of you again; this time, it's Merula sitting in the front seat. You reach the stone platform right after the waterfall, where another goblin stays patrolling the rails.
“Where ya’ off to?” The security guard asks stoically.
“Vault 943!”
Merula’s head swings to look at you, her eyes wide in shock, and the guard stays staring at your group.
“Alright, go ahead.”
The dragon was another sore sight, its meek pallor causing you to feel ill on its behalf, the noisemaker doing nothing to calm anyone; you’d really need to ask about that when you got the chance.
The widely spaced set of vault doors was a nicer sight, the grand interlocking mechanisms making you reminisce on the time you spent here with your mother.
Svish hops down from his seat and moves to run his finger down the door, the first half of the looks falling out of the way. He motions you towards the door, and you pull out your key again, raising it to the door.
Your vault creaks open, and you don’t hesitate to push the doors open. You step inside, and in the moment, you realize you weren’t even thinking about what was kept in your vault. Before touching anything, you step back outside, aiming your question at Svish.
“Are random vaults ever combined at Gringotts?”
He seems baffled at the question, as if you had insulted his mother. “What? Of course not! Unless a patron has multiple vaults they wish to combine, Gringotts would never, ever, put someone's legal tender with another's.”
“I thought so.” Looks like your mother lied about that, too. You’d have to start making a list of all the slip-ups so you can look into them at Hogwarts.
You step forward into the vault again and quickly crouch to begin loading up your coin pouch. Your mother had already set an example for how much an acceptable amount was for shopping, so you tried not to be too prudent.
You were focused on collecting when you heard Merula from the other side of your vault. Somehow, she had gotten in and around you. She was staring down at the chests of treasures as she passed them and inspected the shelves of books on the wall. “What’s all this?”
In the privacy of your vault, this time, you could sigh in exasperation at the girl. “Please, don’t touch any of that.” You hear more than you see, the scoff that Merula lets out.
“I’m not an idiot, who knows which ones could be cursed to hex my fingers off.”
The image makes the corner of your lip turn up, but you stay crouched.
“Huh…” Merula lets out a confused noise, still looking at the books. “For Jean?” Your head snaps up from the piles of coins. “Who’s Jean?”
“No one.” Merula looks at you, unbelieving, but quickly moves to the weapons on the other far wall.
Seeing her walk away, you quietly make your way over to the bookshelf, scanning for the right title. The other works you don’t care to remember when your eyes fall on a faded mahogany-colored book with the words ‘For Jean’ written on the spine.
You pull the item off the shelf and stuff it inside your coat, not wanting Merula to see. Luckily, she’s still distracted snooping in your vault.
You make haste after you grab the book, though, forcing the girl out along with you. The coins weighing heavily in your pocket, the book weighing even heavier.
~~~
Back on the noisy streets of Diagon Alley, you use the moment away from the cousins to think of gifts to give them. “What do you suggest I get Tonks and Draco for Christmas?” You ask the other Slytherin, looking at the different shops for ideas.”
“Tonks loves pranks, Draco loves Quidditch.” That was very surface-level information; you were hoping for something more complex from a close friend of one and the suitor(?) of another.
“Thanks. Could you distract them while I get their gifts?” You start walking in the direction of the Quidditch supply store, but Merula follows you.
“It’s not like they’re with us. Just buy the stupid gifts while they’re off doing whatever.” The two of you step into the store, and you look around, hoping the two of them moved on in the time you were at the bank. To your delight, you don’t see a head of pink or platinum.
You eye the rows of Quidditch gear, not understanding the differences between all the products on display. Merula, on the other hand, seems to be in her element, already inspecting the merchandise, grabbing a pair of gloves. Since she was with you, might as well take advantage of her knowledge.
“Uhm–” The girl raises an eyebrow at your stuttering. “What position does Draco play?” If Quidditch were like any other sport, there would be different positions with different jobs.
“Seeker.” Yeah, you had no idea.
You awkwardly pop your fingers, needing a distraction from the curt response. “And what do they do?” She doesn’t answer, she only places the pair of gloves in her hands back on the shelf and walks away. You follow her worriedly. “Can’t you tell me? I don’t know anything about the sport, and I’d like some help getting a gift–”
“In Quidditch, there are four positions.” You almost run into her back when she stops suddenly, you have to tiptoe to stop yourself in time. You see her pointing to something on the wall above your heads, and when you look, you see it's a poster guide labelled ‘Quidditch’. However, it was mostly images and not words.
At the top of the poster, you see three rings on sticks; in the middle, there are two spheres on each end, one labeled a Quaffle and the other a Bludger. In the center of them is a smaller sphere with wings. At the bottom of the poster are two bats crossed in an ‘x’ shape.
You can’t connect any of the information, so you just listen to Merula.
“There are three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker on a team.” She points to the ball labelled ‘Quaffle’. “A Chaser's purpose is to take and shoot the Quaffle into one of the three goals.” She moves her hand upward to the three rings.
“Then a Keeper, who defends the goals. Next, there are Beaters, who use bats to hit Bludgers towards enemy players, trying to disturb the other team's flow by causing fumbles or knockouts.” She then points to the other ball labeled ‘Bludger.’
Are knockouts allowed in this game? What kind of deadly sport is this?
“Lastly, are Seekers.” She points to the small winged object in the center. “Whose only job is to catch the Golden Snitch before the other team does.”
“What happens if you catch it?”
“Once it’s caught, it automatically ends the game, giving 150 points to the team that caught it.”
“150 points!? Isn’t that unfair? What’s the point of even trying to score if catching the Snitch is practically an automatic win?”
Merula turns to you, furrowing her brows angrily. She must take this game very seriously. “You can still lose even if the other team catches it; you just have to get a wide enough point gap.”
You wonder how common that much of a point gap actually is, but for now, you guess the explanation is enough.
“So what do you recommend I get for Draco?”
She doesn’t answer again, only takes you back to the shelves full of gloves.
“He lost his favorite pair of Seeker gloves the other day. You should just get him another pair.” She points to a pair on the top shelf, which you also notice are one of the more expensive ones.
“What makes these Seeker gloves?” You have no qualms about getting them if these are the ones he wants, but you’d at least like to know why the money is going to these in particular.
“Seeker gloves are thinner for better dexterity. Keeper's gloves are thicker to defend and block better. Beaters have added padding along the knuckles to protect against Bludger hits to the hands, and Chasers have ridges on the fingers for better grip.”
You nod, staring at all the gloves, which seem to make sense. If she was lying, then you still didn’t know enough to tell. It was for Draco, so you’d believe that Merula wouldn’t want to trick you into getting something he didn’t like.
“Thanks for all that, I really appreciate it.” You send a genuine smile her way. “You’re on the Quidditch team too, right? What position do you play?” You say as you take the gloves to the counter, the experience reminding you of the time the two of you visited the Quidditch shop in Hogsmeade.
The memory saddened you for a split second; even if the two of you didn’t necessarily get along, there were always small moments where the two of you were almost relaxed with each other.
“You don’t need to know anything about me, Isley. We’re not friends.”
But every time, you’re reminded of why it would never work out between the two of you.
~~~
Getting a gift for Tonks was a little harder.
There was a joke shop in Diagon Alley called ‘Gambol and Japes,’ but you were worried Tonks was just as well versed with everything here as she was at Zonkos.
You tried your best to get Merula’s input, but she only wished to give you attitude instead.
“Just pick something, won't you, Isley?” Was her favorite line so far, along with many variations of it.
You went around picking up traps and tricks alike, but you weren’t sure if anything would do. You reached for some fireworks on a shelf, intending to inspect them, but Merula slaps your hand away.
“Ow! Why did you do that?” You turn to see her with the usual look of disinterest.
“She’ll like anything you can buy here, but you’re missing the point.”
“What point?” You move your eyes around the room, as if trying to find said point.
She crosses her arms and plants her feet in a wide stance. “Why are pranks funny to Tonks?”
“Uhh…because of how people react?” You trail off confusedly.
“And their reactions are…?” She questions, getting annoyed at having to walk you through it
“Surprised?”
Merula rolls her eyes, “Yes, Isley. Pranks are funny to Tonks because they freak people out, not just because of the prank itself.”
You nod to yourself, looking around the room again for something to get. “Okay, I’ll have to surprise her then. Got it.”
You did end up getting some fireworks along with the other pranks for Tonks, partly to annoy Merula after she had slapped your hands away from them. Both the Quidditch supply and joke shop box up your gifts for you, which does half of the work. You’d add your own twist on Tonks' gift, perfect for her to open on Christmas.
You’d get her back for the Fanged Frisbee incident. Those teeth were sharp.
The two of you walked out of the shop back onto the bustling street, but Merula’s comment about Tonks stuck with you. She is wandering in a random direction, probably looking for Draco and Tonks, but you’re looking at her.
“How did you figure she loves the people behind the pranks more than the pranks themselves?”
Merula is silent for a few seconds, and for a moment, you don’t think she heard you. Or, maybe she’s just choosing to ignore you again. You don’t interrupt, though; you only wait to see what happens.
“You can’t learn about someone solely by their actions.” She starts, still not meeting eyes. “You have to think about motives, and look deeper into why someone acts or does something a certain way.”
The insightful words seem to hit close to home for the girl; even if she doesn’t look at you, you can tell her words come from a personal place.
You think back to the history between the two of you, how the other Slytherin would throw barbed words or all the malevolent actions aimed towards you.
“Can I ask you another question?” She huffs quietly, but you move on before she can tell her irritation verbally. “Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t hate you.” Merula refutes quickly, the speed of it making the corner of your lip quirk.
“But, you definitely dislike me.” You look ahead at the crowd around you. The two of you have made it to the bank again, but you continue. “I’d just like to know the reason why.”
The girl sighs. “You’re a threat.”
“To what? Your position as the first in class? Your reputation for authority? Trust me when I say I have no intent to take anything from you.”
“No, not–”
“Rula! Delphi!”
The shout startles you even over the noise of the shops.
Suddenly thrown out of your bubble, you turn around to see the pair of cousins walking towards you, Tonks waving with her whole arm, and Draco nodding with a bright smile, each of them holding a few bags of their own.
The other two weave around the crowd and basically bum-rush you and your shopping partner. The pink-haired girl practically tackling you for the fun of it.
“Careful! I’ll drop your present!” You laugh, fumbling with the boxes in your arms. She tries to grab at them, but you manage to finesse yourself out of reach with a disapproving tut.
The four of you decided to do another lap around the alley. You and Merula didn’t visit many shops, but the other two seemed to have the opposite strategy.
You’d think that with Christmas being tomorrow, they would hold off on the personal shopping, but you guessed it’s best to do it if you’re already at the shops anyway.
Just as the group was going to call it quits, Tonks had the idea to visit the Magical Managerie. The same shop you had gotten your kneazle from all those months ago.
The shop was exactly how you remembered, a variety of owls hanging about the front, and the inside a flood of sound and smell; cats and toads all milling about. The inside even stored some of the smaller owls on various perches.
It was actually quite humorous when you walked inside, each person in your group going in different directions at once.
Tonks had booked it over to the toads, Draco towards the cats, and Merula to the owls. You swiveled your head about, weighing your options. You decided to head to Tonks.
The girl was making funny faces at the amphibians, none of them reacting with anything but a croak.
“Tonks, do you have a pet? I don’t remember you mentioning anything.” The girl throws her head back with a laugh.
“Merlin, no! They’re cute, but that’s too much work.” She waves a hand over the many pets around the place. “I just like seeing them from time to time.”
“What about Draco and Merula?” You nudge your head in their general direction, the pink-haired girl looking over your shoulder.
“Draco has his owl, but he’s interested in maybe getting a little feline companion once he graduates. Merula, though…” She crosses her arms over her front, shifting her weight back and forth on each foot. “She’s not really allowed to have a pet.”
Your eyes widen, eyebrows shooting to your hairline. “Not even an owl?”
Although you preferred pets with paws instead of wings, the efficiency of owning an owl was not lost to you. Even if Hogwarts had an owlery for students without owls, at least those people had the luck of another companion instead.
Tonks just purses her lips and silently shakes her head. “Her aunt doesn’t want ‘any distractions’ or whatever.” The girl speaks in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes; clearly, this woman was not well-liked.
You turn your head to find the girl in question, seemingly engrossed in the birds surrounding her. Merula is quietly petting one while she feeds another a small treat. You smile sadly to yourself, but otherwise stay silent.
The rest of the time spent at the Magical Menagerie was with you and Tonks at the toad tanks. The girl even convinced you to try and hold one.
It quickly jumped out of your hands when you tried to pet its back, but the feeling was different from what you expected. They were dry and bumpy, instead of the slimy feel you’d assumed.
After everyone seemed content for the day, the four of you made your way back outside, heading back to the Leakey Cauldron. Your arm was intertwined with Vulpeca’s, the other two walking just ahead, laughing quietly with each other.
On the way there, you had passed the Quidditch Supply again. Your eyes landed on the sign, and then shifted to the brunette girl walking in front of you. You look beside you.
“Can you do me a favor?”
~~~
Christmas Day for you was always a quiet event. With it being just you and your mother, you were usually the main focus. You were not ashamed to admit that you begged your mother for money to buy her gifts when you were younger, but she always denied needing anything.
Your younger self rarely listened to that, but with no money, you instead focused on handmade gifts. So you opened your handful of gifts every year– usually books or small knick-knacks- and then the two of you sat together with warm mugs and watched Christmas films all day.
Christmas morning at the Malfoy Manor was anything but a quiet event.
As soon as there was a hint of light through the curtains, you were woken by a loud banging at your door. It caused you to shoot up from your bed, breathing heavily in panic. You strided towards the door and opened it wide to see Tonks with a hand still raised and a beaming smile on her face.
“Merry Christmas! Come on!”
She doesn’t care for your less-than-enthused face, or the fact that you’re still in your pajamas, a baggy shirt, and dark green gingham pants. She grabs you by the wrist and begins to race down the halls.
“I’m still in my pj’s—where are we going?”
She didn’t answer, only led you to the main living area, the one with the ginormous Christmas tree next to the fireplace and dozens of presents underneath. Well, all the living rooms had trees, but this was the tree.
Already there and settled was the rest of the Black family, including Merula. You didn’t have a chance to question because Tonks had quickly dragged you to the nearest couch and shoved you onto it. You face-planted for a quick second before straightening up and running a hand down your face.
The two of you had a small loveseat to yourself, Merula and Draco sitting side by side on another larger couch. Mrs. Malfoy and Mrs. Tonks were standing in the center of the room. Now that you looked around, you noticed that everyone else was in pajamas as well.
Well, at least you weren’t alone in that aspect.
“What’s happening?” You question nobody.
“Gifts!” It was Draco who responded, wearing a black set of pajamas with long sleeves and pants. His hair was unruly, but the hyper-smile on his face let you know that it wasn’t a big deal.
“Gift.” His mother interrupted. “As in singular, only enough to get you through breakfast without whining your pants off.” Mrs. Tonks laughed, and you smiled at Draco’s disbelieving pout.
True to their word, each child received one present to open, although you were sort of surprised to be handed one as well. You stuttered through your gratitude, but were kindly brushed off with another nudge to open the small gift in your lap.
It was beautifully wrapped in a dark blue paper with a tasteful bow. You politely untied and opened the gift, still unsure of receiving one, revealing a maroon velvet box.
Delicately opening the top reveals a silver ring of two intertwining snakes. You force down a gasp as you grab at the ring. Now that it's in your hand, you notice that it's actually two separate rings that can be combined to make one.
Everyone else was absorbed in their own gifts, Tonks having left to gossip with Draco and Merula. Mrs. Tonks, though, notices your silence and walks over to inspect your gift too.
“The rings are enchanted.” You look up from the gift to see her smiling down at you. “If you lose one, you can find it with the other.” She lowers her voice, “If you choose to give one to someone else, you can easily track them with it too.” She winks at you and then walks off to her daughter and nephew.
Breakfast was later than usual, but still an antsy affair; everyone was still giggling about wanting to open gifts as soon as possible, but the adults were set on being patient. Towards the end of the meal, the doors to the dining room burst open, and a middle-aged man with long curly hair strode in, arms wide.
“Who’s your uncle!”
Your friends all got up quickly to greet the man, shouts of ‘uncle!’ ringing about. Mrs. Tonks and Mrs. Malfoy both went to say hello, so you got up as well to be polite.
You stood a couple of feet away from the family, reuniting with hugs and laughter. Once the man had thoroughly finished teasing his family, he noticed you standing a bit awkwardly just watching. His smile grew softer for a few seconds before growing again.
“Well!” He weaves his way through the family crowding him. “Who do we have here?” He sticks out a hand for you to shake. “Sirius Black, wonderful to make your acquaintance!”
His handshake is aggressive, but good-natured. “Delphini Isley, I’m a friend of Draco and Tonks from school. Pleasure to meet you, Mr.Black.”
He lets out a loud guffaw, and you’re reminded of Tonks for a moment. “Please! Call me Siri! Mr. Black was my uncle.” He lets out a dramatic shiver and lets go of your hand. He turns back to his family, who were watching the introduction take place, and claps. “Now, who’s ready for gifts?!”
~~~
While spending the day with Sirius, you learned he had a very playful personality; he lived to annoy and did a very good job of it, if Mrs. Malfoy's furrowed brow had anything to say. He apparently was the sisters’ younger cousin and was sorted into Gryffindor during his time at Hogwarts.
‘Oh, I was quite the troublemaker.’ He had told you when recounting his time there.
It was mid-afternoon when everyone got settled with their gifts, having changed into more acceptable outfits for the weather. You’re used to being the sole child opening presents, but it was refreshing to see everyone go crazy opening gifts all at once.
You had received a new set of scales and potion equipment from Mrs.Malfoy, thankfully replacing the set you had to leave behind. Draco thanked you for the new goggles with a quick hug, and you watched Tonks open the gift from you. She took off the lid, nose already in the box to get a peek, when a small explosion happened right in her face.
Her face becomes covered in soot, her eyes looking eerily bright against the grey. Everyone goes silent for a split second before the girl begins laughing uncontrollably. She uses the sleeve to wipe off the dust along with her tears, still laughing.
Her mother scolds her for ruining her outfit, using a quick spell to clean up her appearance, but otherwise smiles at the trick.
“Man! That was so good!” The pink-haired girl shouts. “You really got me!” She looked in the box again, noticing the actual gift, and thanked you.
Everyone stayed laughing for a few minutes before going back to the gifts.
Mrs. Tonks had given you the pair of rings earlier, but this time, she handed you a letter and a small box.
“From your mother.” She had said.
Your heart dropped, and you grabbed the items. “She’s not coming?” You sounded pitiful, but the disappointment you felt was immeasurable. The whiplash from laughing to this hurt. She just shakes her head.
You unrolled the letter and sat back to read in silence.
Dear Dollie,
I’m sorry I’m not there to spend Christmas with you this year. I know it’s selfish to leave again. Know that I am always thinking of you when I am away, and I will be back soon once everything is dealt with.
Even if I’m not there, I didn’t want to leave you with no gift, so I’m giving you this. It protected me well when I was younger; I know it’ll do the same for you.
I cherish your existence with my entire being.
Love, Mum
The tears in your eyes were hard to ignore, despite your attempt to wish them away. You blink rapidly as you reach for the small box. Opening it with shaky hands, you see it's a necklace.
A small bird skull made of silver sits on a black wire band. You don’t hesitate to pick it up, inspecting it. It’s slightly weathered from years of previous use, but it makes it all the more beautiful. Putting it on, it sits softly on your sternum.
A piece of your mother to stay with you, even when she’s not here.
You take a deep breath, and a smile finds its way onto your face. This was okay. Clearing your throat, you look to the adults again, about to thank them, but a flash in the fireplace distracts you.
Once again, Professor Granger was at Malfoy Manor with a bag around her waist. She spots you immediately, and she opens her arms when she sees you already sprinting across the space to give her an excited hug.
The two of you laugh together, and you give her some space. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a white envelope with the Hogwarts seal on the front.
“Merry Christmas.” She smiles, handing the envelope to you. You give her a confused look, but open the letter anyway.
The first thing you notice is the bold letters greeting you at the top of the page.
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS
You gasp and look back at Professor Granger. “Is this–” She nods with a knowing smile that only grows. You look back at the letter.
Candidate: DELPHINI ISLEY
Examination Period: DECEMBER 1989
Pass Grades:
(O) – Outstanding
(E) – Exceeds Expectations
(A) – Acceptable
Fail Grades:
(P) – Poor
(D) – Dreadful
(T) – Troll
Astronomy O
Care Of Magical Creatures O
Charms O
Defense Against The Dark Arts O
Divination E
Herbology O
History Of Magic O
Muggle Studies O
Potions O
Transfigurations O
You let out a disappointed sigh. “I got an E in Divination. I knew I should’ve studied on tea readings more.”
The professor laughs at your academic pain, but otherwise gives you an understanding nod. “Now, when you get back to your NEWT classes, you’ll have a proper time learning. This is the proof that you deserve to be there like anyone else.”
You give the professor another hug, grateful for all the help she’s given. Looks like those tests over the month were more than just extra tutoring, speaking of.
“What about the extra study lessons?” The ones you never did end up attending.
She hums, “Well, with these scores, there’s no need to have any extra study time. Your evenings remain free.” You let out another disappointed look. “But, you’re always welcome in my classroom.” Her eyes spot the skull around your neck, and her lips quirk up. “Lovely necklace.”
“Thank you! A Christmas present from my mother.”
“Well, you tell her I said it’s beautiful.” After that, she walks away to speak with the other adults, and you get dragged away by a head of pink hair.
She brings you to the edge of the room. If she intends to be away from prying eyes and ears, you don’t think that’s possible with how open the space is and how few people there are taking up said space.
But you suppose it’s the thought that counts.
“Are you going to do it?” She aggressively whispers.
“Do what?”
“Ya’ know! The gift!” She makes a whooshing sound and glides her hand in the air. Oh, the Quidditch Supply idea.
“Oh…I mean–” You look to the other members of her family. “Like– right now?”
Tonks rolls her eyes. “Well, when else? Next Christmas?”
You feel your nerves firing off, heart beginning to beat a little faster. You don’t know why you were suddenly so nervous. You take a deep breath and try to relax your posture, pivoting and making your way over to the other two students in a moment of bravery.
“Merula.” She looks up from where she was giggling with Draco, the sight makes you cringe a little. She just stares. “I have a gift for you.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” She raises an eyebrow, suddenly skeptical.
You clear your throat, courage wavering. “Yes, I’m suddenly realizing that– anyway, would you follow me?” At her confusion, you reassure, “It’s outside. Promise.”
She gives one last dubious stare to Draco, but with an encouraging look from the boy, she does follow you as you walk away. Luckily, the main living room was close to the front doors of the Manor.
Soon, the two of you were standing in the wondrous front garden of the estate.
The snow covered the ground in a soft blanket, and the trees and bushes were dusted in the same powder that made the scene intimate. The dark gates stood ominously in the distance, a contrast to the pure white everywhere else.
It was quiet, but the wind flowing in your ears helped distract you from the returned shakiness of your hands. Must be the chill.
“So? What is it?” Merula asks, clearly not wanting to be out here longer than necessary. Good thing everyone changed out of pajamas.
“Uhm–so, remember the conversation we had at Diagon Alley? About looking underneath someone's actions, and instead focusing on motive?” She nods along, bored.
“Well…I think that helped me gain a new perspective on our relationship. Or– lackthereof.” You wring your hands awkwardly in front of you.
“Look, Isley. If you’re about to get all emotional on me–”
“Just please, hear me out.” The girl goes silent, arms now crossed. “I don’t know if we will ever be friends, and I don’t know if I can move past everything that’s happened just yet. But I want to try.”
The Quidditch Supply Shop had given you the idea of getting Merula a gift.
You raise a hand to your mouth and blow a loud whistle into the air.
“So I’d like to give you this as a promise that I will try.”
The Quidditch Supply, however, was not where you got the gift.
Looking up, you spot a blur in the air. You raise an arm perpendicular to your body, and a small figure perches on your forearm.
“She’s a screech owl.” You stare at the tiny bird on your arm. The owl was small compared to most carrier birds; this one had accents of dark brown, but the majority of her body was copper. “They only grow up to 10 inches, and have a wing span of around two feet.”
Merula’s arms have fallen to her sides, and her mouth is parted open, but she doesn’t speak.
“Screech Owls are fierce and territorial; they’re small but rely on their size combined with stealth to hunt.” You see the corner of her mouth tilt upwards. “They’re also shy and attentive.”
You walk a couple of steps closer to the other girl, sticking your arm in her direction. “They form life-long bonds and need a pair to roost with in the wintertime. She didn’t have anyone where she was, so I thought I’d give her someone to count on.”
“I’m not allowed to own any pets.” The statement comes out as oddly vulnerable for Merula. You don’t even think she realizes it, too busy staring at the little bird you were holding.
“I know.” Her eyes meet yours, “Which is why we’ll work together. During times when you can’t have her, send her to me, and I’ll take care of her.” You smile. “I’ll be a safeguard of sorts, but in all the ways that matter, she will be yours.”
She goes silent for a few breaths, the chill now noticeably making its way over your body.
“What’s her name?” She asks, breaking the quiet and raising an arm slowly. The owl easily hops over to her owner with a small hoot.
“That’s for you to decide.” You pet the bird's chin. “I got her because she reminded me of you.” You point to the girls' frazzled bangs. “The two of you have the same colored hair.”
You giggle to yourself, but otherwise take a step back to allow Merula a moment with her new companion. After a few whispered words between the two, the little owl launched off the girl's arm and started doing laps in the air above your heads.
You follow the bird with your eyes, thinking of good name suggestions. Maybe something similar to Merula, since this owl was, in a way, her namesake. Mary? Or maybe Rula? Perhaps she’ll choose something breed-specific, like Tiny or Tuft.
You look back at the girl just in time to see her swiftly moving towards you. You weren’t sure what reaction to expect, but a tackle certainly wasn’t on the list. You were able to steady the two of you, catching her weight before setting her back down again. Her arms were wrapped around your neck, and her face was buried in between.
You weren’t sure what to do with your hands, so you decided to wrap them around her back to return the hug.
“Merry Christmas, Merula.”
The two of you stood in the embrace for a minute, letting the silence settle in the cold air. A wide smile made its way onto your face at the hug, but it became muted when you thought you heard a quiet sniffle coming from the girl in your arms.
“Are you– are you crying?” You lean your head back but don’t let her go, attempting to see her face even though she’s looking downwards.
The girl lets go of you and quickly steps back, head still lowered. She swats you in the shoulder, and this would usually upset you, but the hit was weak, unlike every other time she’s done something like this. Her heart obviously wasn’t in the hit.
“I’m not crying! You’re crying.” A lackluster argument, but you’d let her have it.
“Okay, you’re not crying.” Nodding, even if she can’t see it, “But–if you were crying, would they be happy tears or sad tears?”
You heard the smallest of laughs before she sniffles again.
(Or doesn’t. Because the girl is definitely not crying. Totally.)
She brings a hand up to her face in a wiping motion and looks up at you with shiny eyes. In the moment you realize that her eyes have a bit of a violet tint. The contrast of the purple against the white background surrounding her was captivating.
You aggressively blink your eyes, trying to shake the thought away. Zoning back in on the moment you see the girl giving you the slightest of smiles, the kind you’ve only ever seen being directed at anyone else.
Seeing it now, you think you’d like for that smile to be directed at you more often.
“Thank you.” She says.
“Of course.”
The two of you head back inside the Manor, with Merula’s new pet perched quietly on her shoulder. Walking back into the living room, the entirety of the Black family, including Professor Granger, was sitting in silence. Looking at each of them, the silence now seemed more suspicious than anything else.
You took a spot on the empty love seat, Merula going back to her spot on the couch, squishing next to Draco and Tonks. The pink-haired girl launches from her seat and sprints over to sit next to you, practically shoving the couch back a couple of spaces with the force.
She anxiously taps her foot up and down, and you can tell she’s trying her hardest to bite back a smile.
“What is it?” You smile confusedly at her. Tonks takes a deep breath, and you see the others tense up in the corner of your eye.
“That…” She begins, “Was incredible!” Everyone lets out an exasperated sigh, Sirius being the only one to laugh.
“Did you snoop on us?” You raise an eyebrow. She only nods excitedly.
“We all did! That was straight out of a fairytale!” You look around, Mrs.Malfoy and Mrs. Tonks looking slightly guilty, their cousin only smiling the way Tonks had. Draco wisely looked away, doing a terrible job at seeming distracted by Merula's owl. Professor Granger was smiling at you widely, and you looked away, embarrassed.
You shrug, feeling heat bloom in your cheeks. “Well, I suppose it wasn’t exactly a secret.”
Still quite awkward that everyone in the room had seen you bearing your heart out like that. Your eyes stray to Merula, who had let herself be vulnerable in the moment as well. She looked about how you felt, her own eyes darting around her feet.
She looks up at you for a second, and you send her a knowing smile. Both of you had been snooped on, so you could understand each other. She sends you a small smirk back, warm.
~~~
The rest of Christmas at the Malfoy Manor was spent laughing around the fireplace. Eating a hearty dinner and drinking cups of hot chocolate, today has turned out to be one of the most exciting Christmases you’ve ever had.
By the time everyone agrees to retire to their rooms for the night, you are exhausted. Not because of anything physically extraneous, embarrassingly, but because you weren’t used to spending so much time around so many people.
Your previous holidays were much shorter, with either you or your mother falling asleep early in the middle of a movie. This holiday, however, lasted late into the night. You’re glad Mrs. Malfoy was insistent on everybody heading to bed, or you feared Tonks and Draco would never settle for the day.
You were dressed in your nightwear, about to tuck in for the night, Hermit snoozing blissfully unaware on your pillow. As you dropped your weight onto the bed, you were interrupted by a knock on your door.
You sigh, frustrated, of course it would be now of all times.
Walking to the door, you had expected it to be Merula, remembering yesterday's early argument. How fast things change.
It wasn’t Merula at the door this time, but Sirius Black, smiling down at you with hands behind his back.
“Good Evening, Miss Isley.” He bows slightly in jest.
You give him a confused laugh. “Hello, Mr. Sirius, what can I do for you?” The man narrows his eyes and breaks character.
“Ugh, please! You make me sound so old,” He whines petulantly. “If not Siri, then just Sirius will do, I beg of you.”
You give him another smile. “Okay, Sirius,” He nods in thanks. “What can I do for you?”
“I have yet to give you my Christmas gift!” You tried to assure him it wasn’t needed, but he refused to hear you out. He just moves around you and settles in the center of your room. You give him a slightly disapproving look for his brash behavior, but he seems to remain unbothered.
Rushing past into your room seems to run in the family.
You leave the door open but turn to meet him, back now facing the door. He reveals the hands that he had behind his back to reveal a sheet of folded parchment.
Sirius hands it to you, and you unfold it to see that it is quite large and that both faces are completely blank. You look up at him with confusion written on your face, and his face morphs into a firm resolve. The suddenness of it all throws you off.
“To tell you the truth…” He begins. “I already knew about you being here for Christmas.”
“Okay…?” You trail off, letting the man gather his thoughts.
“I learned a lot about you from your mother.” He lets out a weak laugh.
Your mother?
He sees the disbelief on your face and backtracks slightly.
“Well, not directly from her, it was mostly off-handed comments from Dromy and Cissa.” He smiles. “Said you were hard-working and intelligent, fiercely polite, and won’t call them by their nicknames no matter how hard they try.”
That one made you smile this time.
“But speaking with my niece and nephew, I also learned that you have quite the knack for trouble. So did I when I was your age.” He raises an eyebrow teasingly. “But look.” Sirius lowers his voice like he’s telling you a secret. “Something's happening at Hogwarts, and it has something to do with you, and I know you know about it.”
You open your mouth to question, but he raises his hands in a halting motion. “I can’t say anything about it, I promised. But I know that no matter how hard my cousins wish to try, they cannot stop you from finding out more.”
Promised who? Finding more about what? This man is only giving you more questions with even fewer answers. “So what now?” You ask, bleak.
He still speaks in a whispered tone, but now there’s a hint of fight.“They think ignoring it will help it; that’s a load of rubbish. So I’m giving you something that will.” He nods to the paper in your hand, and you stare down at it. You fold it back up, and it’s just as empty as before.
“Not to sound ungrateful, but unless your goal is for me to focus on my grades, I don’t see how a piece of parchment will help me.”
The man lets out a bellowed laugh before turning his body to face the paper as well. “Not exactly what I had in mind, no. What you need to do is say the secret phrase.”
You raise an eyebrow at him, and he bends down to whisper something in your ear. Once he stands back up, he gives you a nod, and you focus on the paper in your hands again.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
The map flutters to life like the contracts at Gringotts. Ink appears on the front of the folded paper. In beautiful calligraphy, it reads.
‘MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT & PRONGS are proud to present–’
“The Marauders Map.” You breathe out quietly. You look over to Sirius, and he gives another nod.
You quickly unfold the parchment, and instead of the blank insides you previously saw, it’s now filled to the edges with ink. Different lines and words all over, you take a closer look at what it could be. Is this…
“Hogwarts!?” You see ‘Charms Classroom’ and ‘Clocktower’ along with staircases and hallway shortcuts labeled. You also see all the dormitories, and a few footprint traces. One was labelled Hermione Granger, and she looked to be heading towards the headmaster's office.
“How does this work?” You ask him, eyes full of wonder, and he gives you a knowing smile and leans in to explain.
“With a very powerful Homonculus Charm. Each fold on the parchment is a different floor of Hogwarts; it shows every room and passageway–secret or not, and it tracks the movements of every person in the castle, no matter their form.”
The paper now feels heavy in your hands, and despite your strong urge to immediately tuck it away for safekeeping– “I can’t possibly take this from you! This has to be extremely rare; shouldn’t an item such as this be kept in the family?”
He puts a hand on your shoulder and squeezes lightly. “It will be perfectly safe in your hands. I used it during my time at Hogwarts, but as you can tell, I am no longer a student there.” He lets go of your shoulder and takes a step away from you. “Besides, you’ll be needing any and all leverage for the upcoming year.”
You fold the map back up and can’t hold yourself back from giving the man a big hug. “Thank you, Sirius.” You hear him chuckle from slightly above you
“To end the spell, all you say is ‘Mischief Managed’ and the paper will go blank again.” You step out of the hug, about to do just as he said, and hopefully watch the paper return to its empty state.
“Am I interrupting something?”
The voice came accusingly from the door; you forgot it was open for anyone in the hallway to see. Spinning on your heel, you’re met with Merula, leaning against the frame with arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
You were going to tell her about what was happening, but then you realized, unfortunately, the fewer people who knew about the map, the better. “Not at all! Sirius was just saying goodnight.” You turn to the man with an expectant look in your eyes, and he immediately picks up on the message.
“Yes! I was just about to make my way over to you and Tonks!” The girl looks at him skeptically, but he doubles down as he makes his way out of your room. “Absolutely no mischief that needs managing! None at all. Goodnight, you two!”
Merula watches the man as he leaves, and you take the moment of distraction to hide the parchment in your shirt, hoping it doesn’t fall out.
“So, what did you need?” You smile her way, and she steps into your room, shutting the door behind her. She walks languidly towards you, now with a tense look on her face.
“I just wanted to say goodnight too.” She shrugs lamely, and you give her another smile.
“Oh! Well, goodnight!”
You expected her to turn around and leave once you bid her goodnight, but her eyes and feet remained glued to the floor. She brought one hand to hold her other arm that fell limply at her side, and the two of you stood in silence as the girl refused to leave.
Your eyebrows began to furrow in confusion, the smile on your face wavering.
“Uhh…Merula?”
“Are you excited for New Year's?” She rushes out, leaning on her toes towards you. The force behind her tone makes you flinch ever so slightly.
It also confused you even more. “I guess I didn’t think that far ahead.” You purse your lips. “But I am! Christmas here was so much fun, I can’t wait to see what the family does for New Year's!”
A small spark in her eyes formed at your response, but it quickly went away when you finished speaking, the nervous look on her face returning. “That’s good! That’s good…”
“Are you alright?” You think the question comes off as a little rude, because her eyes widen slightly as she suddenly starts backing towards the door.
“Yes! I just wanted to say goodnight!” She turns around and hurriedly reaches for the handle, ripping it open.
“Wait what–”
“Goodnight!” The girl bolts through the open door and slams it shut behind her. You wince at the loud noise and see Mittie slightly jump in the corner of your eye.
You frown before letting out a big sigh. Wonder what was up with her tonight. She seemed perfectly fiery earlier.
Trying your best to move on from the weird interruption, you grab the slip of paper that luckily remained undisturbed in your sleep shirt. You read the words on the cover again before stating the incantation Sirius told you earlier.
“Mischief Managed.”
True to his word, the images on the front swiftly disappeared, and you were left with an ordinary-looking piece of parchment. You’d have to keep this safe indeed.
~~~
Although you were excited for New Year's, in reality, it was sort of boring for most of the day. Granted, the fun part doesn’t happen until midnight, but you at least thought more would happen.
For most of the day, you didn’t really see anybody except for everyone gathering for breakfast. Sirius nor Professor Granger were there in the morning, which was disappointing but not surprising. Although you didn’t see anybody for most of the day, that was partially your fault.
After breakfast, the other three students in the manor all agreed to play a friendly game of Quidditch to bring in the New Year, and their mothers made themselves scarce, doing whatever it is they do.
How they were going to play an entire game with only three players was beyond you. Tonks and Draco tried to convince you to join, but you’d rather keep all your teeth, thank you. Instead, you just walked around the house until you got bored, and then walked the grounds outside.
Now you’re bored again.
Sighing to yourself, you look around the grounds to find something to distract yourself. You are behind the Manor now, and because of this, you see the evidence of a Quidditch map happening in the distance. You can’t believe they still had the energy to play this late.
You look towards the Manor, all warmth and safety; you look towards your friends flying, in the cold, and probably down a limb. You sigh to yourself again and head towards your friends.
Upon getting to the makeshift field, you see that only Draco and Merula are whizzing about in the air. Tonks, while still on a broom high in the sky, was stiller.
You couldn’t see much from where you stood, but it looked like Draco had the ball and Merula was trying her absolute best to shove him off his broom as he got closer to the goals. You remembered from your Quidditch lesson with the girl at Diagon Alley that Bludgers were also flying around on their own, chasing the two of them.
“HEY! IT’S DELPHI!” You hear Tonks yell out from her position. Merula harshly breaks on her broom, unfortunately allowing Draco to score. Draco lets out a shout of celebration, but the girls don’t seem to care as they both rush to the ground to meet you.
“Hello.” You state calmly, though the wind makes you put in a bit more effort. The two of them greet you back as Draco drops from the sky and off his broom.
“Does this mean I won?” He remarks haughtily, hair swept wildly by the wind.
Merula shoves him harshly in the shoulder, making him almost lose his balance. “You only scored because I let you!”
“All I’m hearing is that I scored~” The two begin taking jabs at each other, but by now you’re used to it. At first, you didn’t see how the two were courting, but seeing them interact more, you realized their love language must be making fun of each other. They did it a lot,
“Are ya’ here to play with us?” Tonks says, not minding that the other two were fighting either. You aggressively shake your head and respond.
“No way, I thought maybe I’d just watch to pass the time.”
“Oh, come on! You know you want to!” You really didn’t want to.
“I don’t even know how to fly!” You reason uneasily. Your attempt to get her off the idea doesn’t seem to work; if anything, they think that’s the sole reason you don’t want to.
“I can teach you!” She exclaimed, already shoving the broom she was on into your unwilling arms. She was much less careful with her broom than Merula was, and you had no choice but to fumble with it for a few moments.
Merula and Draco were now watching you, and Tonks argue with rapted attention, having finished their previous squabble.
“Well, while you two do that, we’ll get back to the game. Just no referee this time.” Draco said, already hopping back on his broom and flying into the sky.
Merula hesitates a beat before hopping on her broom as well. She sends a nod your way with a small smile. You guess she was still getting used to your cordial existence. She follows the boy, and they quickly begin their roughhousing, dogging Bludgers and knocking into each other. The aggression nauseates you.
You look back at Tonks, who is still beaming at you.
“Don’t worry! Professor Tonks will keep you safe!” You’re worried about how true that statement isn’t.
So, here you are, broom between shaky legs and sweaty hands gripping the object.
“Alright!” Professor Tonks begins. “Just kick off the ground as hard as you can, and you’ll raise a few feet in the air.
“And then what?”
“We’ll worry about that when we get there.” You give her a borderline nasty look, but she isn’t fazed.
You didn’t really trust that was all there was to it, but if anything, you’d maybe just throw yourself off the broom before anything really dangerous happens. So instead of panicking further, you instead kick as hard as you can off the ground.
You rose into the air a couple of feet and hovered, your heart now pounding.
“That’s it! Now lean forward slightly, and you’ll go forward!”
You were only slightly higher than Tonks, but your fear of heights doubled now that you were the one in control of the broom. You lean your body forward inch by inch to gauge how much is needed. The broom must’ve sensed your fear, because it moved slowly as you leaned.
“Good! Now pull up to go higher!”
As much as you didn’t want to, you decided to get it over with and pull on the broom, lifting higher in the air. You heard your teacher whooping in excitement on the ground, but you needed to focus on the broom.
Getting higher in the air, you could get a better view of the Manor; It looked amazing in the wintertime. The wind on your face quelled your nerves a little bit, and the view certainly didn’t hurt.
You looked towards the ground to talk to Tonks, but it made your stomach drop, realizing you were already so high in the air. You had been getting higher this whole time, and it seems that was adding up.
You didn’t know how to turn, so instead, you angled your head to try and see Draco and Merula, the two of them still heavily focused on their match.
Merula had just managed to steal the Quaffle from Draco, and the two of them were now weaving around each other on the way to the goals closest to you. You were in awe of how they both moved effortlessly on the brooms. A sort of nimbleness and grace that you unfortunately didn’t have just yet.
“DELPHI! LOOKOUT!” You heard Tonk shout from under you. You looked down to see what she was on about, which was ultimately a bad idea. The moment you looked down, a large, solid object made contact with your center. The speed and weight of it fully knocked all the air out of your lungs, and because you didn’t see it coming, it managed to also knocked you off the broom.
Your first instinct was to pull your wand out and slow your fall, but with no air in your lungs, the spell came out as more of a whistle of air. The ground was getting closer at a rate you couldn’t comprehend, the wind now hurting as it whips across your face.
As cowardly as it was, you decided to just close your eyes as you got closer to the ground. As much as wizarding medicine can do for heavy trauma, you can’t imagine how much it can do for you once you hit the ground at this speed.
You should’ve never gotten on that broom.
~~~
“What in the bloody hells were the three of you thinking!” The voice shouts.
You groggily blink your eyes open, the artificial lighting in the room making your head pound.
“Not only did you pressure her into getting on that broom, you also did not even think about her safety while she was in the air!” The voice continues, adding only more strain to the headache.
You’re reminded of your time at the Hogwarts infirmary, and you move your head around despite the pain. You feel a softness supporting your weight, and you see a cushioned wall on your left; you must be on some couch. On your right, you see a figure standing facing away from you, also the figure belonging to the voice.
“I mean–” The voice stutters, anger clearly clouding their ability to form cohort sentences. “Sending her into the air knowing there were Bludgers that would go after her! BLUDGERS!” They emphasize.
You see three figures lined up in front of the first, two around the same height on the left, and one that towers over the others on the far right. Even through your blurry vision, you see them shrink up at the tone.
You now notice an even more present pain in your abdomen; it feels as if you’ve been hit by a truck. If the voice is giving you any context, though, it must’ve been a Bludger. It hurts in a way that’s opposite of the Dementor incident.
Those creatures left you empty and cold, but this pain was all present and burning. The heat of it encompassed your entire body from head to toe, and you quickly became overwhelmed by the pain. You couldn’t feel your legs, but at the same time, the throbbing in them seemed to be the only thing you could feel.
“We’re sorry! We didn’t mean to!” Another voice speaks, hurried and full of haunted emotion. The two voices sounded weirdly similar, even though they were spoken with two very different sentiments.
“The only person you’ll be apologizing to is Delphi when she’s better!”
The confirmation of what happened, spoken with your name, was all too much.
You try and pride yourself on your ability to work through the pain, but for some reason, you just couldn’t do it this time. The room was now silent with the stirring tension, but you broke it with a pitiful cry escaping your throat.
All four of the people in the room whipped their gazes to you, the figure facing away from you now quickly making their way over, and their blurry face hovers over yours.
“Delphi? Can you hear me?”
The figure now becomes a crossed two as you try and focus. A tear makes its way down your cheek into your hairline as you try and speak. “It…hurts.”
The figure raises a hand to pet your hair, and another hand softly wipes the tear that’s already fallen. “I know, Delphi. Try and hold out, Cissa will be back with the supplies soon.”
Cissa…
The other three figures surround the first now, and despite your attempts, you can’t focus enough to figure out who they were.
But if this person wasn’t Cissa, then–
“Andy…?” You ask the figure weakly, the petting only continues.
“Yes, Delphi, it’s Andy. Cissa will be here soon, just try and close your eyes.”
“Cissa…” You reiterate, weaker than before, finally succumbing to the pain in your body. The heat disappears as your eyes shut once more.
~~~
Waking up again, it was to the morning sun shining through the curtains of your room. You felt much better than before; the headache was still sort of there, but there was only an ache in your limbs that was an ill reminder of the agony before.
Getting up, you decide to forgo changing and instead walk out of your room. Someone had changed you into a lovely set of white pajamas, the long sleeves and pants doing a well enough job at keeping you warm. Even with most of the pain going away, you noticed that you now walked with a slight limp in your right leg.
You’re lucky that you finally remembered the way to the dining room, because today there was no sound that could help lead you there.
The doors were already open, and although everyone was seated, no one was speaking. Everyone was either sitting in their own bubble or picking at their food. No one has noticed you yet, so you awkwardly clear your throat as you walk further into the room.
“Good morning…”
You don’t even have enough time to question everyone's heads snapping to you before you’re being tackled. Like always, it was Tonks who took the liberty of mowing you down, legs still slightly weak, you struggle to support the weight.
“I’m sorry!” At first, you think she’s apologizing for the tackle, but then you realize she didn’t even notice your struggle just now.
“For what?” Now, Draco and Merula are standing by Tonks, the three of them groveling with apologies like never before. “What are you guys talking about?”
You notice that Tonk's eyes are looking a little shinier than usual, and the perception of this makes your eyes widen.
“For making you get on the broom!” The girl says, still getting worked up.
“Vulpeca, you didn’t make me do anything.” You give her another tight hug, trying to calm her down. “I decided to get on all on my own, and you didn’t know those Bludgers were going to go for me.”
“That’s our fault, Delphi…” Draco interrupts. “They’re designed to automatically go after anyone on the pitch once they reach a certain height. We completely forgot to warn you about them.” He rubs the back of his head in shame.
You roll your eyes light-heartedly. “Well then, it’s my fault too.” The others' eyes went wide, and eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I knew I couldn’t fly, and I still decided to get on. I also wasn’t looking at my surroundings, which probably would’ve saved me from that fall.”
You walked around the group to sit down at your usual spot at the table. The others looked wearily at every step you took, but followed suit and sat back down. Nobody mentioned the limp.
You look around the table to each person, including the adults who watched the apology in silence, “I only remember closing my eyes, but not actually hitting the ground. What happened when I fell?”
Nobody seemed to want to speak first, but Tonks, being ever the brave one, decided it would be her.
“Well…Draco and Merula tried their best to catch you as you fell, but only Merula got close enough to grab at your robes.” You send the girl a small smile. “She managed to slow you down but–”
“It wasn’t enough.” Merula interrupts. “I couldn’t get a good enough grip, and you slipped.” She looks down at her hands, refusing to look back at you.
Draco takes the silence as a cue, “Tonks actually managed to use herself as a landing pad.” He laughs feebly. “Practically threw herself to catch you.”
“I only caught your upper half, though. Your legs still hit the ground pretty hard.” This time, there was no laughter around the table.
You look to the adults sitting at the table, who, up until now, sat in complete silence.
“I remember what you said about Cissa bringing medical supplies.” You say to Andy first, then speak to both of them. “Thank you for making sure I made it out alright.”
The two of them send sad smiles your way, Cissa speaking first. “We gave you everything we could, Dittany, Wiggenweld. We actually had to use Brackium Emendo on your leg.”
So the fall had broken one of your legs, probably the one with the limp, can’t say you were too bummed out about missing that. Thank Merlin for magic.
“We can do another check-up for anything we missed, but I’m afraid the limp will have to heal on its own,” Andy adds, trying to soften the blow.
You’re hoping it was just the soreness of a previously broken bone causing the limp, but you know that there was a chance the limp would be permanent. It would get less noticeable as it heals, but be permanent nonetheless.
You send an understanding smile her way, trying not to let the news ruin your mood. It wasn’t really anyone's fault, just a bit of bad luck.
Your injury had made everyone miss New Year's. The realization of you having slept through the night, causing everyone else to do the same out of worry, really made your day worse. After the post-injury check-up, the sisters had cleared you for the day.
You decided to just make your way back to your room; you didn’t want to admit it, but your hip was starting to get a little sore from walking around.
Instead of walking around like you usually did over the break, you decided to just lie in bed for as long as possible. Your kneazle remaining by your side, you fell in and out of sleep for the entire morning.
Throughout the remainder of the break, you typically spent your time lounging around as you did at home. Your hip still gave you issues if you tried walking for too long, but it did get better.
The family would usually find you sitting outside, letting the winter air ease the heat in your leg. Although it originally made you feel a bit lonely, there was always someone who’d come to sit with you.
Sometimes it was Andy or Cissa who chatted with you, but your friends would take up most of the time. Even if you couldn’t keep up with them physically right now, they still acted like everything was normal.
You probably were going to stay clear of any brooms, though, just to be safe.
Before you knew it, the break was coming to an end, and with it, your time at Malfoy Manor.
Even if you only spent around a month at the Manor, it still very much began to feel like home. Add that with the company around you, and this Christmas was certainly one to remember. Luckily, you’d still have your friends when going back to Hogwarts.
Speaking of the school, you still didn’t know what to expect. You hoped that the people you left would forgive you, but you’ll have to apologize to them first.
One certain thing, though, was that once you got back, you’d use every avenue you had to figure out what was happening at Hogwarts.
Figuring out who had let the Dementors in the castle, and who those men were that killed the farmer.
Whatever it was, Sirius knows it all ties back to you. The big question is why you?
You’ll have to start investigating once you return, and you can’t wait to begin.