Hold On
A/N: Hello! This one shot is written for day two of the Advent Calendar Challenge on HPFC (link can be found in my bio)
Prompt: Eggnog Latte
(sidenote: until today I'd never heard of an eggnog latte…)
Enjoy!
…
You would think, running for her life through the lower corridors of Hogwarts as Death Eaters and Hogwarts students and staff fired at them from both sides, that Millicent Bulstrode would have certain things not on her mind.
But as she raced after her friends, along with Theo's little brother and Daphne's little sister, all she could think of was her mother, who was somewhere outside firing at them.
…
"But I don't like coffee, mama," she'd once wined, sitting at the kitchen bench with her legs dangling from the chair that was too high for her little body. "Can't we just drink the Eggnog?"
"You have to try it mixed together." Laurel Bulstrode never smiled like that anymore.
…
"Watch out!" Blaise screamed out. A chunk of the ceiling close to the wall fell down, exploding on the ground and sending chunks of the white brick flying everywhere.
The castle was falling apart around them, taking so many hits from those outside who wished them harm. The Dark Lord himself was out there, set on getting inside. It was only a matter of time before the protective enchantments shattered.
"We need to get lower!" Daphne shouted. If they got to the dungeons, the earth and clay of their halls would be holding up much better than the stone up here.
…
"Can I have some chocolate instead?" she'd asked.
But her mother pursed her lips and pulled out a small grater. On top of the two steaming mugs she grated the milk chocolate, just enough to taste it.
"No, mama, more, please?"
Laurel just laughed and pushed one of the mugs towards her daughter.
…
Draco, Greg and Vinny left them, Tracey sent them to get some food so they could wait out the battle. Theo and Pansy both wanted to go back up and fight, but they had to look out for themselves first.
And did they really want to fight their parents?
Millicent certainly wasn't going up. Who would she attack? Not her parents, not her teachers, not her fellow students (no matter how much they may dislike her and tease her).
But who would attack her? Everyone.
…
"Why do we still make these?" she asked her mother. It was the Christmas during fifth year. They were going to the Davis Christmas Party tomorrow, and Tracey and Millicent were going to tell their parents about their relationship.
"We'll do it together," Tracey had told her, holding her tight. "What could possibly go wrong?"
"Because it's our thing," Laurel said. She didn't smile anymore, but she, like every other pureblood, was a stickler for traditions.
Everything could go wrong. Obviously.
…
When another section of the roof caved in and a giant fell through, the group was split. Everyone ran before the dust settled and it saw them, but Millicent was alone with just Tracey and Pansy.
They'd already figured out where they were going, though, one of the disused corridors a level below their common room entrance, deep in the earth where even the Black Lake couldn't light their way anymore.
Tracey held her hand as they ran.
…
"You know I love you, Millicent?" her mother had asked her. She looked sad, but Millicent didn't notice anymore because she always looked sad.
"Of course, mama." Any Slytherin could make that sound believable, and Millicent certainly needed to be in her mother's good graces for the following day, but sometimes she just couldn't do it.
Her mother just cringed, only slightly of course, a slight crinkle of the eyes, the unconscious tightening of her grip around her own mug. There wasn't any chocolate on it.
"I do, Millicent. Please."
Millicent thought about her voice. "I love you, too, mama. Please don't worry."
Her mother made a strange sort of smile and nodded, and relaxed as she chatted to Millicent about school and work.
See? Any Slytherin could make that sound believable.
…
Blaise was standing ahead of them, in a doorway through which everyone else probably was. He waved, and he no longer looked urgent or scared. He looked happy. Like they'd succeeded already.
But another vibration shook through the castle and several chunks of the ceiling caved in. They were earth and stone and clay and whatever magic was necessary to hold up Hogwarts, but it still started to collapse.
Tracey and Pansy were quick enough to conjure shields, and Blaise was far enough to be safe. But Millicent was still thinking of other things.
…
"My dearest Millicent,
It breaks my heart that things have come to this. I know your father is overreacting, but surely you realise how wrong this is? You cannot be with another girl, and your father has spent many resources of ours setting up your marriage with that Cillian Burke boy. He's nice.
Just renounce it, please come home.
Love, mama"
Tracey had burnt that letter once she'd read it. Her family were much more accepting; angry yet understanding of Connor Bulstrode's reaction. They let Millicent live with them, she had her own room with a balcony and everything.
…
The ceiling came down on top of her, and her spirit lingered long enough to watch Tracey screaming at her body to wake up.
"Hold on!" Tracey's wand, well-practiced at Healing, ran up and down Millicent's body, trying to heal the gashes and bones and stop the blood. "For me, Milli, for me!" She was crying too hard to work properly. "Hold on!"