Behind The Mask

Chapter 9: Letters

A/N: Again, sorry it took so so so so so very very very very long (you get the picture). Also I'm afraid this is just a filler. Please review anyway.

Dessi groaned as she was awoken from her long slumber. There was an owl tapping at the window with its beak, and she didn't know why Xandra hadn't already let it in. Then she remembered; her Uncle Lucius was ill and Xandra had been kicked out in order for other family members to stay in the mansion.

Almost all of the family had been summoned. Even Aunt Narcissa's sister, Andromeda, had come. Although he had been a former Death Eater, the family was very close and everyone was fearful for his condition. Any morning they could awake to find him lying there, dead.

The owl's hooting brought Dessi out of her depressing thought trail. Grumbling, she opened the window and let the bird in. She could see the thick parchment with the school crest stamped on. Cursing the school for sending the letters so early in the morning, Dessi practically yanked the cord around the owl's leg, freeing the letter.

Not bothering to open it just yet, Dessi threw on a dressing gown over her pyjamas and trudged downstairs for breakfast. The main kitchen was empty, except for Aunt Andy and Draco's house elf, Ceril.

"What have you got there?" Andy asked, nodding towards my letter.

"Oh, just the normal crap from school. It woke me up! Can you believe that? It bloody woke me up!" Dessi moaned, temporarily forgetting Andy's severe dislike for swearing. However she just gave her a wry smile.

"Well, I'm guessing when they sent it, it wasn't morning. And it's already 9 o'clock, so you should be awake." She paused whilst Dessi started clattering around the kitchen, preparing her breakfast. She was glad the girl was eating properly again- well, not quite enough, but it was better than before. "Oh, and Dessi? I'd appreciate it if you could refrain from such foul language. I'll have to ask Draco to stop as well, it really is vulgular."

Rolling her eyes, Dessi slit open her letter. Scanning the first page, she stared in horror at the second. After a minutes peace for Andromeda, Dessi started shaking her head and muttering, "No, no, no, they can't do this, they can't do this, no, no, no, they can't do this, no, no, this is not happening, please tell me this isn't happening" and stuff like that over and over again.

"Dessi?" Andy asked, concerned. "What's wrong?" In response, Dessi just shook her head furiously and exclaimed vehemently,

"No, I will not accept this, this won't happen to me. I won't let it"

"Dessi?" This time, Dessi glanced up, a fearful look in her eyes, as well as one of incomprehension. Silently, she handed the parchment over and swiftly left the room, ignoring the toast that had just popped up. Andy ignored it too, instead she discovered what had her almost-niece in such a state, and felt her own eyes bulge out of their sockets.

Teddy was brushing his teeth when his letter arrived. He emerged from the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth, to find a screech owl swooping down at him. Startled, he ducked, accidently spraying toothpaste over the floor.

Looking around, he noticed that the bird had come to rest on his own owl's cage. The snowy owl hooted indignantly, before flying out the window of his flat. He was supposed to be staying with Grandma Tonks, but her brother-in-law was fatally ill and she was trying to be there for her sister. So he was alone in the flat he had rented for the summer, with just Hedwig II for company.

After quickly rinsing his mouth out, Teddy hurried over to the majestic bird and unattached the letter tied on its leg. As soon as it was free of its delivery, the school owl spread its wings and flew off.

Slitting the parchment open, Teddy was shocked when a small badge fell out and onto the floor. Frowning, he bent to pick it up. He almost had a heart attack when he saw what it said. Prefect. Him, a prefect? If he had thought about it, he would have picked Donald McCree as the most likely candidate. Terry and Dirk hadn't seemed to have matured at all since they'd arrived and he messed around too much with Joe, Karl and Francesca for anyone to seriously consider him. Or so he had thought. He wondered whether Francesca had received the same shock as him. The other girls in her dorm (Brooke, Ally and Ivy) were too giggly and girly in his opinion and Svetlana was very open about her contempt for all things non-magical and muggle-born. She also had a very direct and harsh way of speaking to people who annoyed her, or who she simply didn't like. That left Alexandra Calpine.

Alexandra Calpine would have made a fine prefect, Teddy supposed, as long as she hadn't hung around Svetlana so much. The girl was extremely loyal and surely some of Svetlana's beliefs had rubbed off onto her. So Teddy didn't think Alexandra would be chosen. Which meant it had to be Francesca. Which was good, because out of all the girls in their year, he got along best with her.

Grabbing a spare piece of parchment, Teddy began to draft a letter to Francesca. He didn't know how to feel about the badge, other than shocked. He supposed he was proud and wanted to prove that he deserved it, but then again, it was O.W.L. year and he would be busy enough without all his prefect duties. Finally, he managed to produce a decent letter.

Francesca,

My Hogwarts letter arrived today, so I'm guessing you either have yours or are going to receive it soon. Fancy going to Diagon Alley on the Friday before school? I have to go to London that day with Harry and I was planning on getting my school supplies then.

On another note, aside from the usual booklist, I got a letter saying I've been made a prefect. Is this one of your jokes or is it for real? I can't believe that anyone in their right mind who pick me as a prefect, and certainly not Prof. Jordan. She seems to be of the idea that I'm a trouble-maker and nothing more, especially since I'm friends with Joe. However, I do think that you'll end up with one, so I don't suppose being a prefect would be too bad.

Get back to me about Friday,

Teddy L

Teddy would have sent a letter to Grandma Tonks and Harry as well, but he wasn't entirely sure whether or not it was a hoax. So he set his quill down and returned to the book list. This year there was only a couple of new ones- The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk and Dark Arts Defence: O.W.L. Level by Rachel Benoit.

In a week, he would meet up with Francesca and he would ascertain whether or not it was all just one big practical joke.

A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the delay. Although the next part probably won't come any quicker. Sorry, I'm just really busy