Author's Note: Hello, all! One day I'm going to write a totally new story instead of continuing this one, but… for right now, this is where my mind is at. I was sad without a story, and this is what I wanted to write.

One thing I'll say to people who are afraid to write – fanfiction, original work, anything – be your own biggest fan. Me, I write the stories I want to read, and I share them with other people. Never be afraid to write something just because you think people may not read it or like what you wrote. Write that story for you.

Writing is one of life's greatest self-indulgences. And just like damn near everything else on the planet, it takes practice. Every time you sit down to write, you are a better writer than you were the day before.

So who wants to learn more about Athena Malfoy?

Because

Here.

We.

Go.

[SPOILERS for THE SACRED 28, THE HOUSE OF BLACK, AND BOTTLED MAGIC]

On the snowy grounds of the sprawling Zabini estate, two fat wizards with pink cheeks and heavy cloaks waited impatiently. However, when their party finally arrived, their features instantly shifted into well-practiced expressions of pleasure.

"Mister Zabini!" crowed the Italian wizard Bercelli as his partner scrambled to do the same, both wizards bowing their heads as their esteemed employer came to stand in front of them.

Blaise Zabini, now thirty-five years old, raised a brow at the two older wizards and gave them a small aristocratic tilt of his head in greeting. He did not apologize for being late.

"Afternoon, gentleman," Blaise said smoothly, before stepping aside and gesturing to the two teens behind him. "Allow me to introduce my two eldest children, Marseille and Leilette." Blaise faced the wizards again and explained, "They will each be receiving a controlling interest in the Zabini estate upon reaching legal age and finishing their educations. Now that they are both teenagers, I thought it best they begin accompanying me on important business."

At Blaise's side, fifteen-year-old Marseille stood tall and important, nearly as proud (and arrogant) as his father had been at his age. Next to him was thirteen-year-old Leilette, who was not nearly as tall as her brother but every bit as dignified. Both stood next to their father with their shoulders squared and hands poised in front of them, showing no hint of youthful uncertainty in their serious features.

Blaise paused for a moment to appreciate them, and then he looked back to the two wizards who served as his primary estate managers. "In just a few years time, Marseille and Leilette will share control of the Zabini estate. As a result, I expect you to treat them both with every respect you would pay to me – and to carry out their orders in the future with the utmost urgency and diligence."

The wizard Bercelli glanced at Leilette. "Even the girl, Mister Zabini?" he asked, clearly startled.

Blaise's eyes narrowed. "Urgency and diligence," he repeated icily, and the two foreign wizards instantly stood straighter and nodded, fumbling through rushed assurances and appeasing platitudes before Blaise cut them off again.

"Let us walk, shall we?" he said crisply, and the five figures, dark against the white snow underfoot, walked the outer edges of the Zabini estates as Blaise explained the changes to be made to their overseas ventures in Italy. The new project, perhaps the most daring in the history of the Zabini investments, involved a great new vineyard meant to create only the best new magical wines. It was a costly endeavor, and one Marseille's father meant to see through in the next year.

Behind the three adult wizards, Marseille and Leilette walked with their hands behind their backs, listening carefully to the conversations and occasionally commenting when Blaise addressed them.

Privately, Marseille felt very proud. He walked as straight as he possibly could, and he managed to replicate his father's arrogant and wise expression perfectly. When one of the foreign wizards attempted to interrupt a comment made by Leilette, Marseille needed only raise a brow at the man to silence him. Inwardly, he gloated as the older wizard immediately fumbled and fell quiet.

For the first fifteen minutes, the business walk went quite splendidly.

However, as the party rounded the magically-preserved orchard on the southwest corner of the estate, Marseille suddenly felt something poke him in the neck. He jerked, startled, and reached up a hand to his skin. No one else seemed to have noticed though, so he hurried back up behind them again.

Something poked him again, this time in the leg. This time it felt more like a zap.

"What the – "

Leilette looked over at him, brows furrowed. "What're you doing, you git? Stop twitching!" she whispered.

"I'm not!" he whispered back fiercely. "Something stung me."

Leilette rolled her eyes. "It's winter, there aren't any bugs out here!"

Blaise looked back at the whispering teens with a sharp stare, and they both fell silent.

However, Marseille couldn't help but look around and wonder what was going on. The group was now at the edge of the tree-filled orchard, and in front of them was a half-built structure meant to be the newest – and finest – greenhouse on their property. Several lattices stood about, some only partially completed, and the whole structure was yet in its infancy with support beams built high but no real walls. There were miscellaneous piece of wood about as well, and Marseille had to tread carefully to make sure he didn't step on one.

Blaise was still talking, waving at the structure as he explained its importance to the two men.

For a few minutes, things returned to normal. And then it happened again – only this time, the zap caused Marseille to shriek aloud and swat at his own face, which he smacked with the palm of his hand.

Somewhere a few feet away, hushed snickers sounded from a tree. Marseille did not hear them.

Blaise whirled to face his son, eyes narrowed, and Marseille balked. "Sorry, Father," he mumbled, looking his best to look composed again. However, it was only seconds later when another zap hit him in the back of the leg, and this one caught him so off guard that Marseille yelped, whirled around, tripped over a beam, and fell right on his face.

This time, the sniggers from the tree were audible, and he snapped his head up in a fury, looking in the direction of the tree. Before he could do anything however, Blaise snatched him up from the ground by the collar of his cloak.

"Marseille," said Blaise flatly, "do not make me look into the return policy on children please."

"I'm sorry," hissed Marseille in a hushed whisper, "but there is something going on – "

Huffing, Blaise let go of him and returned to the two foreign wizards, ready to continue their tour. As soon as he turned away, though, Marseille got hit with another stinging sensation, and this time he saw them.

"DAMN IT!" he shouted as soon as he spotted Athena Malfoy and Parvartus Nott hiding in a tree, sniggering wildly and holding blow-darts filled with magical zappers. Without thinking, Marseille raced after them, and Athena and Parvartus shrieked before jumping out of the tree and flying into the half-finished greenhouse. Unable to catch them, Marseille stopped, picked up a small potted plant and hurled it at their backs.

Instead of hitting his friends though, the potted plant soared right into a large tool shelf, which was unevenly settled on a piece of wood, which fell back into a support beam, which snapped and fell, and as Marseille watched in open-mouthed horror, all the wood above the support beam groaned, splintered, and then – as Athena and Parvartus went screaming in the opposite direction – collapsed with a loud echoing boom, smashing into the powdery white snow and creating a billowing cloud of very expensive destruction.

The entire party present simply stared.

At last, Parvartus appeared nearby and gave a low whistle, running his hand through his hair. "Well," he said, rocking on his heels. "Would ya look at that?"

Blaise shoved his shaking hands over his face, and the teens all fled.

Exactly twelve minutes later, Blaise showed up on the steps of the Malfoy Manor. As soon as Ginny opened the door, a stone-faced Blaise shoved Athena, Parvartus, and Marseille in her direction.

Parvartus looked sheepish. Marseille was furious. And Athena appeared wonderfully unconcerned.

"I'm done with them," was all Blaise said, and then he slammed Ginny's own door in her face.

As a result of the catastrophe at the Zabini estate, the three teens spent the next few days of Winter Break at the Malfoy Estate.

"We really are sorry," Parvartus said to Marseille for the fiftieth time.

"Though to be fair," pointed out Athena as the three teens walked to the dining room, "your gross overreaction was what initiated the collapse of your father's greenhouse. Our part was minimal at best."

Marseille glared forward, not looking at them, jaw clenched. "I hate you both," he said simply. "With every fiber of my being, I wish a plague upon both your houses."

"Dram-atic," whispered Parvartus in a sing-song voice, and Athena nodded in agreement.

"So anyway," said Athena, brushing past Marseille's simmering fury, "we only have four days left of break before we return to Hogwarts. What should we do?"

"Oh!" piped up Parvartus. "We could go to the Magical Animal Menagerie!"

"What're we, five?" asked Marseille disdainfully, indignation forgotten. "Besides, we're not allowed there anymore. Complete ban, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Again," said Athena as they crossed into the dining room, "a totally unwarranted reaction in my opinion. And now they know the full strength of their manticore fences, don't they?" She nodded in response to her own question and raised a finger. "If anything they should thank us."

The three teens took seats at the long Malfoy table just as Ginny Malfoy and Atticus, now aged five, took their places. Also at the table was Athena's twenty-two year old sister Maggie, as well as her fiancée, Edwin Prince.

At last, Athena's father Draco Malfoy joined the others, smiling as soon as he saw his family and kissing all three of his children on the head as he passed them. Once he sat down, a luxurious meal appeared on the silver serving platters, elevated from the kitchens below.

The family had only been eating for a few minutes when Draco looked to his wife. "Love, how many children do we have?" he asked.

Ginny glanced up, chewing on her pasta before swallowing. "Uh, three at last count."

"That's what I thought," said Draco placidly, before he settled a glare at the two teen boys at his table. "So then why are there always so many bloody children in our house?"

Edwin looked up from his plate and glanced at Maggie. "Is he talking about me?" he asked.

"No, love," muttered Maggie with a grin.

"Oh," said Edwin.

Marseille speared some pasta with his fork. "Well clearly, it's because of all the warmth and affection we receive here," he said dryly to Draco, who leaned forward.

"You'd better watch your mouth you little Blaise clone," Draco whispered heatedly. "I swear to Merlin, when you reach seventeen, you have a reckoning coming your way."

"I welcome the attempt, old man," hissed Marseille lowly in reply.

"Draco, stop threatening the children," said Ginny with an eyeroll, before she became distracted with Atticus, who was attempting to hide his veggies down the front of his robes.

Parvartus glanced at Athena and smirked, and they both giggled some.

"So Maggie," said Ginny, once she had fished the broccoli out of Atticus' trousers, "what time is the fitting tomorrow?"

"Oh!" said Maggie, beaming. "Ten in the morning, so be ready at Madam Malkin's. I can't wait for you all to get fitted for your dress robes for my we-e-e-dding!" She bounced happily in her seat, and Edwin chuckled, flushing some when Maggie leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're going to love my wedding robes," she told him earnestly.

"I'm sure I will," he said.

"Athena," said Ginny, sipping at her chocolate milk even as Draco shook his head at her, smirking, "don't forget, you have to get fitted too, so be ready."

Athena sucked a noodle off her fork. "Wha – ?" She blinked. "What do I need to be fitted for? Can't I wear my regular dress robes?"

"I already told you, Athena," said Maggie. "You're a bridesmaid. You have to wear what the other bridesmaids wear!"

Athena made a face, and Edwin leaned over. "At least I managed to talk her out of the pink," he said consolingly to Athena, who twisted her head in his direction and gave him an appreciative look.

"You have my gratitude," she said. "On the day of retribution, you alone will be spared."

The others all stared, but Edwin simply smiled and nodded. "Oh, good," he said lightly.

"Are you sure you only want three bridesmaids?" asked Ginny as they all continued to eat. "You're going to have a lot of disappointed friends."

"I know, I know." Maggie waved a hand. "But that's exactly why I only want three – Athena, Mayra, and Gretchen. My sisters, right? Besides, it only makes sense. Edwin has three groomsmen, after all."

Draco looked down the table. "And who are they again?"

Edwin set his fork aside. "Ah, well – my mate Reggie, from school, and then my two brothers – Henry and Charles."

At this, Parvartus looked up sharply. "Charles is going to be in the wedding?" he asked, speaking up for the first time since sitting down. Edwin looked to him in surprise.

"He is, yes." Edwin finished his food and put down his wine glass. "Why?"

Parvartus cleared his throat some and shrugged, but Athena – who had never met a social cue she didn't completely miss – announced quite plainly and loudly, "Parvartus doesn't like Charles."

At her side, Parvartus grimaced and Marseille rolled his eyes. Athena glanced at their dismayed expressions. "I thought that was relevant," she murmured to Parvartus, confused.

"It was," he explained gently, "it just wasn't appropriate."

Athena bit her lip. "Oh," she said, pausing for a long time before saying quite pointedly to Edwin, "You may forget I said that."

Parvartus made an apologetic face to Edwin, but Edwin merely gave a small chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright, Parvartus," he said to the younger wizard. "Charles can be a bit trying. Believe me, I know."

Parvartus gave a small smile. "S'not a big deal," he said, but then he continued to eat without saying much else. When the dinner was over, the others all got up and dispersed, but Edwin came to stand in front of Parvartus and the younger teen stopped, looking uncertain. Even though Edwin was quite friendly, Parvartus could not help but stand awkwardly, feeling cowed. It must have looked terribly strange, considering how sixteen-year-old Parvartus towered over Edwin, who was six years older than him.

"Parvartus," said Edwin kindly. "I wanted to ask you something if I could."

Parvartus stopped and gave a stilted nod. "Sure."

Edwin hesitated before asking, "Did Charles… do something to you? Or say something he shouldn't have?"

Parvartus quickly drew in a breath and shook his head. "No, no."

"Are you sure?" asked Edwin, looking concerned. "Because if he's misbehaving in school, I'd like to know about it. My parents can be a little soft on him." He cocked a brow. "But I'm not."

The younger wizard remained silent for a few seconds, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. At last, he shook his head, doing his best to look unbothered. "No, it's – it's fine. Really. Just – different personalities, I think."

Edwin watched him for a moment before nodding, but he kept a close eye on Parvartus, which made the younger boy rather nervous. He liked Edwin, but sometimes Maggie's fiancée was too sharp. Parvartus wondered if his future kids would ever be able to get away with anything. Probably not.

"I just thought," said Edwin after a few seconds, "maybe it had something to do with Athena."

Parvartus stiffened a little, but he tried not to show it.

"I know Charles has a little crush on her," Edwin went on, his tone gentler now, "but I think it's harmless, really."

Parvartus slid his hands into the pockets of his robes and shrugged awkwardly. "Doesn't matter. Athena and I aren't dating."

"Really?" asked Edwin, looking surprised. "I thought…"

"No."

Edwin seemed a bit caught off guard by Parvartus's curt tone, but he wisely let the subject drop. "Alright," he said, before nodding to Parvartus. "Just – let me know if Charles does anything too out of step. I don't want him being bothersome to anyone."

"Sure," said Parvartus, and at last, the other wizard left him alone. As soon as he turned away, Parvartus sighed deeply and left the dining room.

Later that night, the awkward dinner conversation already forgotten, Parvartus reclined with his two best friends at his side.

The three teens were now lying on Athena's large bed, with Athena in the middle and the boys on either side of her. Outside, the evening was cool and dark. The room itself was dimly lit, as Athena was supposed to be asleep. Parvartus turned his head in Marseille's direction.

"So You and Dev have been dating for a few months now. When are you going to introduce him to us?"

Marseille made a face. "I suppose he'll have to meet you two morons soon. I've been trying to put it off. He already thinks I spend too much time with you."

"Does he?" asked Athena in wonder. "How strange."

Marseille sighed heavily. "Yes, he's always going on about – how we're all too close or something." He stretched his arms behind his head and peered up at the ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the deepest and darkest corners of the night sky. "Little does he know I hate you."

"Too close?" repeated Athena curiously. "What does he mean?"

"No idea."

Parvartus had pulled up his sleep shirt and was inspecting his stomach. "Have I always had this mole?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes," Athena and Marseille answered in unison.

"Oh," said Parvartus. He dropped his shirt and smiled. "Well anyway, that's too bad about Dev. I don't know why he would say that."

"Yeah, whatever," muttered Marseille. "He's weird."

Just then, Athena's door opened swiftly, flooding the room with light. Draco Malfoy scowled heavily, and without warning, he flicked his wand and snatched Marseille and Parvartus by the ankles. With a wave of his wand, Marseille and Parvartus were unceremoniously yanked out of the bed and dragged onto the floor.

"OOF!"

"Ow!"

"I already told you two idiots," Draco told them as he dragged them down the hall, "you aren't allowed to sleep in Athena's bed anymore!"

"But we weren't doing anything!" protested Parvartus.

"I don't care."

"And I'm gay!" added Marseille.

Draco flicked his wand, and the two boys floated up to dangle in front of him, upside-down. "Yeah, that's what your father said, too," said Draco wryly. "And now look at him. Got more kids than he knows what to do with."

Another flick of his wand, and both boys fell to the floor of a different bedroom.

"OW!"

"BLOODY – "

"Now," said Draco firmly, "Stay. In. Here."

With that, he shut the door and returned to Athena's room, where his fourteen-year-old daughter – soon to be fifteen – was sitting placidly on her bed, head tilted. Draco's expression instantly softened, and Athena bounced back into her bed and fell against her pillows as she let Draco pull the covers up around her tiny body.

"Darling," said Draco patiently, "you know what I've told you. The boys have to stay in their own room."

"But why?" asked Athena, grey eyes blinking. "They stayed with me when we were younger."

Draco sat on the edge of her bed. "Because, dear, you three are getting older. And things change when you get older."

Athena's brows furrowed. "But not with us," she said, peering up at him. "We'll be the same."

Draco looked over Athena's face for a long moment, and Athena felt a twinge in her chest. She knew that expression from her dad – and from just about everyone, too. It meant she was missing something, something obvious that "normal" people understood without discussing at length. This was one of Those Things she simply did not get, even though everyone else seemed to.

Sometimes she felt like she was colorblind – like no matter how hard she stared, the "picture" in front of her never looked the same as it did for other people.

"Athena," said Draco gently, "you remember the talk we had with you before, right? About – you know, hormones and changing feelings and all that sort of thing?"

"Mm, I'm not sure I recall," said Athena, and Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"You, Parvartus, and Marseille are all growing up. Your relationships with each other will change. Your bodies will change. And your feelings for each other will change." He looked over his daughter's face. "And the truth is, you three need to learn how to be more independent from each other. You won't be together forever."

Athena stared at Draco for a long moment. "Is this because I started my period?" she asked at last, brows crinkled.

Draco fought the urge to slap his face. Shifting further onto the bed, he curled his hand around Athena's and gently stroked her knuckles. Athena wasn't big on physical affection, but she didn't mind it from Draco as much.

"No, Athena. It isn't because of that," he explained gently. "I just want you to have every happiness in the world, that's all. And I think more people would love to get to know you, if you'd let them." He ran his thumb over her fingers. "You should try making more friends at school. Maybe some in your house."

Athena thought about this for a long moment, and then she frowned. "People don't like me at school, Daddy," she told him softly. "They say I'm weird."

Draco frowned. "I'm sure they don't all say that – "

"They do, though," said Athena, brows furrowed. Then her expression lifted again, and she smiled and shrugged. "It's alright, though. As long as I have Parvartus and Marseille, they're all I need." She really meant it, and Draco – despite his own concern – sensed this and decided to leave the conversation there.

"And us, little girl," Draco told her tenderly. "You'll always have me and your mum."

Athena smiled fully. "Yes, Daddy."

Draco smiled, too, and then he kissed her forehead and rose from her bed. "Good night, darling."

"Good night, Daddy."

Draco left, extinguishing the last of the candles with a wave of his wand. The door shut behind him.

Athena lay in her bed, looking up at her enchanted ceiling once more. It had long ago been magicked to emulate the night sky. Unlike the enchanted ceiling at Hogwarts, Athena's ceiling did not reflect the weather outside, but instead remained cool and dark with distinct constellations at all times. Athena put her hands on her stomach and watched it for nearly half-an-hour.

Finally, the hidden door at the side of her room creaked open, and Parvartus peeked in. "Is he gone?"

Athena's head turned to the side, and she smiled. "Yes."

Parvartus – tall, with broad shoulders and a wide chest – bounced in rather like a much smaller child and jumped into the bed with Athena, curling under the covers with her. When he fell against the pillow, Athena's lips curled at a smile, and she shifted on her side to face him.

"Where is Marseille?" she asked.

"Already asleep," Parvartus told her, turning to face her in the darkness, his face only dimly visible in the scant moonlight. "I didn't want to wake him, since he's already mad at us."

"Probably for the best," agreed Athena. She and Parvartus curled close to each other, and when Athena reached up her hand in the semi-darkness, her middle and index fingers pressed together, Parvartus mimicked the motion and tapped his fingers against hers. This gesture, simple as it was, never failed to make Athena smile.

Sometimes, if they were with others and Athena found herself deeply disturbed by something – or if she was simply uncomfortable with the company around them – Parvartus would hold up his fingers that way, and she would touch them with her own. To Athena it felt like a hug, but better.

Parvartus was her favorite person, and he made her happier than anyone in the world. But she didn't think it made sense for her to say that, and it never occurred to her to say it aloud anyway, so she didn't. Instead she smiled, tapped her fingers against his, and then she turned on her back.

"Good night," she said happily.

"Good night," murmured Parvartus, smiling too.

Athena stayed awake for a little while longer, thinking on how her father – for all his wisdom – had been very wrong.

Things did not have to change. They had always been this way, and this was the way they would remain. Athena was confident in this.

The next morning, which dawned bright and airy, Parvartus Nott awoke to a face very close to his own. He jerked back. "ARGH – "

"Hey there," grinned Maggie Malfoy mischievously.

She straightened, raising her eyebrows suggestively at him as she rounded the large bed. "Watcha doing there, Parvartus? You wouldn't be up to any – " she ripped off the covers "- NAUGHTINESS, would ya?"

Parvartus yelped, but all Maggie found when she yanked back the blankets was two teens a foot apart on the bed, fully clothed. She put her hands on her hips, clearly disappointed. "Well, damn."

"Did you think we'd be naked?" asked Parvartus incredulously.

Athena finally picked up her head, hair mussed, and noticed Maggie. Her features instantly narrowed. "GET OUT!" she shrieked, picking up a clock and hurling it at her sister, who dodged it.

"Hey!" shouted Maggie, pointing. "Just for that, I'm telling Da' Parvartus was sleeping in your bed!"

Athena and Parvartus's eyes widened in unison, and both leaped out of the bed after Maggie, who took off in a sprint down the hall.

Meanwhile, in the sitting room, Draco was talking to Edwin. "So how is the new job at the Ministry coming?" asked Draco.

"Excellent," said Edwin chipperly, sipping from his tea cup where they stood. "I really love it."

"Good, good," said Draco. He leaned against his desk and pointed. "Now that you're at the Ministry, you can keep an eye out for me and let me know which of my lawyers are snakes."

"We're all snakes, Mister Malfoy," said Edwin with a smirk. "Some of us are just better at it than others."

A thud sounded down the hallway, and suddenly Maggie's torso and outstretched arms appeared at the edge of the doorway, gripping the carpet.

As Edwin and Draco watched, Maggie clawed at the floor in a desperate attempt to enter the room, only to be yanked out of sight by unseen hands. A scream echoed down the corridor.

Draco and Edwin watched, blinking. Then Draco rounded to face him again. "So tell me more about your office…"

"Oh, right, well, it's in the west wing…"

The following day, the boys returned to their respective homes ("My father is going to disown me," moaned Marseille) and Athena was forced to accompany her mum to Diagon Alley to get fitted for her bridesmaid robes. The wintery afternoon was bright and cheerful, and Athena smiled to herself as they walked the streets. She did not like the crowds in Diagon Alley, but she did like snow, so it was a tradeoff she was willing to make.

Being fitted for her robes was an exercise in self-control, and Athena felt she did very well, only groaning and hissing some. When she was finally done, she wandered through the store while Ginny and Maggie got fitted and shopped for accessories. All of that was terribly boring to Athena, so she amused herself as best as she could.

Moving to the broad open display window of Madam Malkin's shop, Athena discovered some expensive jewelry that reminded her of stained glass. She took one of the rose-tinted ones and brought it over to the window so she could peer through it directly at the bright sun just outside the door. This made her smile, and she spent the next ten minutes looking at everything in the alley under the blood-red crystal, imagining all the ways the world might be different if it were shaded in layers of red.

As she peered down the cobblestone street, one eye squinted shut and the other peering through the red stone, she spotted Bouquets of Lavender, the shop Parvartus' mum Lavender owned. After a few minutes, Parvartus appeared with a heavy bag of potting soil thrown over one shoulder. Athena lowered the jewel and smiled, watching her best friend happily help his mother set up some potted samples outside.

Athena tilted her head, content to watch as Parvartus laughed and joked with his mum, always ready to help her with anything heavy. He was very strong, Athena noted mildly.

Behind her, chattering voices caught her attention, and Athena shifted an annoyed look in the direction of two girls from her year who were trying on hats. One of them was named Brenuin, and she was a Ravenclaw with Athena. As soon as she spotted Athena, her face twisted in an unpleasant grimace.

"Here to get fitted for your straight jacket?" asked Brenuin, and her friend – a girl whose name Athena had never bothered to remember – giggled.

Athena rounded slowly to face Brenuin, eyes narrowed and brows low. She twisted the red stone in her hand, and the jagged edges cut into her palms. Then her hostile expression melted away in an instant, and she held up the red stone again, squinting at the two girls through it so they were both bathed in red. This made her smile, and the two girls glanced at each other uncomfortably.

Athena dropped the jeweled necklace onto a table carelessly. Then she twisted towards them again, moving smoothly on the balls of her feet and ticking her head in their direction.

"Perhaps," she said at last in response to Brenuin's comment, "after all, I've outgrown my old one."

Brenuin looked uneasy, but she scowled anyway. "It's a shame, you know, that your adopted Muggleborn sister is the one who knows how to act like a real Malfoy." She scowled and tossed her scarf over her shoulder. "A good name and all the gold in the world – wasted on you."

Athena tapped her fingers on the table, and she tilted her head in an exaggerated fashion. "As is the title of Ravenclaw on you," she said.

Brenuin's eyes narrowed deeply, but she said nothing else, instead tossing aside her would-be purchases without putting them in their proper places and grabbing her friend's arm. "Come on, Lacey. Let's get out of here."

Athena made sure to watch them their whole way out, never blinking once. The girls hurried out of her line of sight.

A few minutes later, though, Athena traveled to the window once more and saw the girls had not gone far; they were standing at Lavender's flower shop, talking to Parvartus.

Athena, who had picked up the necklace again, clenched her hand around it. The jagged edges cut into her palm with enough force to draw small dots of blood to the surface. As Athena watched, Brenuin giggled at something Parvartus had said, and she touched his bare arm where the sleeves were pushed up, as he'd been working quite hard. The other young witch Lacey playfully ruffled his hair, and Parvartus said something, laughing, and waved his hand.

This time, Athena did not need the stone to see red.

Tossing it aside on the floor, Athena turned and went to find her mother. Her expression shifted in the blink of an eye, and when Ginny rounded to face her, Athena peered up at her mum without a hint of a hostility.

"Mum, may I go to the bookstore while you finish?"

Ginny looked down at her daughter and smiled. "Of course," she said. "Need some gold?"

"Yes, please."

Ginny gave her a handful of galleons, and Athena thanked her sweetly before leaving the robes shop. When she came to Lavender's shop, the two girls were gone and Parvartus was inside. Athena approached Lavender, who was hanging a pot.

"Hello Lavender."

"Oh, Athena!" Lavender smiled. "Parvartus is inside."

"I came to buy some flowers, please." Athena held up a galleon. "Lavender, dittany, and snakeweed."

Lavender tilted her head curiously. "That's an interesting combination."

"For my bouquet in my sister's wedding," Athena informed her with a smile.

"Oh, well – " Lavender waved her wand and gathered the items, putting them together in a bag. "What an unusual bouquet this will make! Lovely and unique, just like you."

"Thank you, Lavender," said Athena with a big smile. She took the flowers, paid the gold, and left down the cobblestone street, walking quickly.

As soon as she was out of sight, Athena crumbled up the lavender in one hand while she bit off pieces of the snakeweed in her mouth, chewing rapidly and spitting it back in her hand. Still walking, she moved forward with single-minded purpose, chewing through all the snakeweed and then rubbing it together with the lavender. Then, with quick, purposeful steps, she mixed all the flowers in her hand and rubbed them together harshly.

When she rounded the corner, she stopped at another shop and bought a small wooden box. From there, she crossed the street and got a few magical pixie sticks, which she snapped into several pieces without breaking her stride. Once all that was done, Athena turned sharply at another corner and mixed the pixie sticks and chewed flowers in the box, which she shook rapidly in sync with her steps.

Finally, she came to the end of a dead-end street and opened the wooden box, taking out one newly-formed crystal. Without a glance, she tossed the wooden box aside and continued on with the crystal, rapidly gaining distance on the walking pair of witches in front of her.

Just before she reached them, Athena snapped the crystal into two pieces. She then shoved past Brenuin and Lacey, dropping one half of the crystal in each of their pockets.

"Hey!"

"Watch it!"

Athena kept walking, not glancing back at them.

"Eugh," scowled Lacey, straightening her robes. "Ugly little imp."

A moment passed, and then something rustled nearby.

Out of nowhere, a crow swooped down on the two girls with a fierce jab of its beak. Brenuin shrieked. Seconds later, another crow did the same. Within seconds, an entire flock of birds advanced menacingly on the girls, circling overhead before dive-bombing them with feral malice. Lacey shrieked and covered her head, and Brenuin did the same.

"What is happening?" yelped Lacey, and the two witches began to panic.

That was when the rats crawled out of the grates nearby, scurrying up to the girls and trying to crawl up their legs and robes. Brenuin screamed.

But more and more animals came – from the sky and from the sewers, all manner of vermin determined to swarm the two witches, who began screaming at the top of their lungs. They could not know what the animals were so agitated by, or what they were drawn to. And they had no wands to help them, because they were underrage.

The attacks escalated in mere moments. Before long, the witches were under siege. One crow snipped at Lacey's cheek. A rat bit Brenuin's hand.

By the time Athena stopped to peer down at the two witches, they were nearly blanketed in biting and hissing birds, reptiles, and even insects. Only the whites of their horrified eyes were visible.

Adults scrambled to help them, and no doubt they would - but not before Brenuin, sobbing and bloody with scratches and bites, stopped her frantic screaming just long enough to see Athena watching.

Her face contorted with fury, but Athena was perfectly calm. Her eyes narrowed on Brenuin just as the girl received a nasty bite to her leg, and when she hit her knees, Athena looked down at her from a distance and then walked away.