This story takes place well after the Harry Potter and his generation of students have left Hogwarts. ElfFlame and I had created several sets of children from the various stories we've written, and since they were all around the same age, decided to throw them into school together. So this is a story, hopefully soon to be a series of stories based on several others. To help make more sense of these stories, it may help to read my story, De Die In Diem: From Day to Day, and ElfFlame's stories, Dragon's Tears, and Lost Love. Most of the kids come from those. We've also created many original kids not from our stories to help fill the ranks. Many of their last names may sound familiar to you. ElfFlame has files of the names and basic family trees of some of the children for all who are interested in finding out more background on these kids. Email her at ElfFlamehotmail.com if you want them. We hope you enjoy these, we've been having lots of fun thinking about them!
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so excited that you liked all of Teecie's dates. Those two chapters, which I had to break up, I wanted it to be one, but obviously it was much too long, were a lot of fun to write! And Draco does rule, doesn't he! He's grown into a great brother and I'm really enjoying seeing that happen. He's in this chapter quite a bit too, playing the role of the protective older brother, I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Polgarathesorceress2: I'm happy to hear you're enjoying this story so much! I've had a lot of fun writing it so far. This story is a part of a much larger series, so not all of it might make sense to you unless you know the background behind it. However, since those stories are R rated, and looking at your profile, I see you're not 17, I wouldn't feel right recommending you read them. If you're interested in a summary though, feel free to email me and I can tell you what's led up to this story. Happy reading!
Year Three Begins
After a wonderful last night at Black Manor with her brother and his family, Teecie had returned to the property to enjoy her last weekend at home before going back to Hogwarts. The family was sitting around the dining table, enjoying a lovely meal of roast lamb with garlic mashed potatoes. While Teecie ate, she looked around and observed her family. She was pleased to see that her father was looking much better than when she'd left for Black Manor. His colour had returned to normal and he didn't look as tired as he had. Everybody else was doing really well too, it seemed.
Kali and Adriana normally had lovely olive-toned skin, but both were now a beautiful shade of dark brown, due to all the work they'd been doing outside all holiday long.
Peter Weasley was sitting with the family, next to Reni, holding Hunter in his lap. Reni was smiling at the two. Hunter was getting very big now, he was chubby and adorable. Peter was bouncing him up and down on his leg, while Hunter laughed heartily. Peter was going to be working with his father in the Ministry of Magic. He didn't seem to be looking forward to that too much, but was doing it to make his father happy.
Teecie told them all about the dates she'd gone on over the past two weeks after the party. Lucius was alarmed and displeased to hear that Teecie had fainted at the Quidditch match, yet Draco had neglected to tell them about it. Adriana made Teecie tell her all about Owen, which didn't take too much persuasion. The family smiled at each other as Teecie gushed about him. She was obviously quite taken with Owen. Lucius told her he looked forward to meeting him soon.
Teecie enjoyed the last weekend of the holiday. Adriana had done her shopping for books, and bought her new robes, for she'd outgrown her old ones. It was a simple tailoring job to adjust the new ones, which took Adriana about a minute to do. With all of that done, Teecie had more time to relax for the last three days before leaving for school.
Lucius, Kali, and Teecie were sitting out under the olive tree the night before she'd be leaving with Kali for Hogwarts. Teecie was leaning her head against one of her father's arms, while Kali rested against the other, as they looked at the stars. "Daddy, are you sure you'll be all right with us gone?" Teecie asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
Lucius smiled. "Yes, I'll be just fine here. You go and learn things. That's your job right now," He replied.
"Was it hard to leave home to go to school when you were growing up?" Kali asked Lucius.
Lucius remained silent for a minute before clearing his throat. "Well...my parents never got along too well and fought a lot. And I had no brothers or sisters, so...no, it wasn't too hard to leave home," He finally replied quietly.
"How come you never tell us about our grandparents?" Teecie asked curiously. "How come you never talk about what you were like before you met mum?" All the memories of the holiday came flooding back, with Rey and the other party guests talking about Lucius. Even Lisette seemed to know more about her father than she did.
Teecie watched as her father closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree trunk. She grew alarmed over this. "Daddy, are you OK? Are you all right? Is it your heart? Should I go get mum?" She cried.
Lucius opened his eyes again and smiled sadly down at Teecie. "No, baby, I'm all right. It's just...I...It's getting cold, and late. We should go inside now," He said quietly, struggling to his feet and retreating down the hill.
Kali and Teecie looked at each other, wondering why he seemed upset all of a sudden, before standing up and going inside the house.
Teecie had left her packing until the last minute, so she spent much of the rest of the night arranging everything in her trunk. When she finally finished, she slipped into bed and drifted off to sleep. She woke up the next morning to the smells of fresh coffee and sausages frying.
After a hurried breakfast, Teecie, Kali, Lucius, and Adriana drove off for King's Cross Station in London. Once in Platform 9 3/4, Teecie looked around for the twins or James, but didn't see them. After hugging and kissing her parents, Teecie went off with Kali to board the train.
Teecie looked out the window and watched her parents grow smaller as the train started to move from the station. She sat across from Kali in a compartment by themselves. After several minutes, Paul and the twins found them and sat down next to them. Teecie worked on her needlepoint sampler while catching up with the twins. They chatted noisily while Paul and Kali held hands and whispered to one another. After a couple hours, Teecie asked the twins if they'd seen James yet. When they said no, she got up and explored the train for a while to find him.
Teecie found him after looking in several compartments. He was sitting alone, with his arms crossed and wearing an angry expression on his face. "James, hi," She said, sitting down across from him.
James looked at the floor, not responding to her for a couple minutes. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?" He asked slowly.
Teecie's stomach clenched as she knew what he was talking about. "James, I-"
"Don't try to explain! You cheated on me! You're supposed to be my girlfriend! I thought you loved me!" James cried, looking at Teecie, his eyes flashing.
"I'm sorry, James-" Teecie was fighting back tears now.
"I don't care if you're sorry! We had fun at my house, till you turned all frigid! Now I hear you've been dancing with hundreds of boys, and going on dates with them? Did you sleep with any of them?"
"James, you're being-"
"I don't care! That's it, I'm breaking up with you! You won't give me the time of day, but go around sleeping with all the other boys! Get out of here! Now! I don't ever want to see you again!" James was practically screaming at Teecie by now. He'd clearly ended the conversation and had no interest in hearing her side of the story. Instead of feeling sad that her boyfriend had broken up with her, Teecie was angry. How dare he accuse her of such things?
"James, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how! But you can't just expect to sleep with me so soon, I'm not ready for that. And I didn't do that with any of the other boys. I had the dance to make my brother happy. And yes I did go out with some other boys..." Teecie's voice trailed off as she thought of Owen. "Oh, I don't care if you do break up with me! I have plenty of boys who'll go out with me! They gave me presents and were perfect gentlemen to me! Goodbye!" Teecie shouted, standing up and leaving the compartment.
Teecie knew she should be upset over breaking up with James, but she instead she felt free. Free to write to and see Owen. Teecie thought about this while she walked back to her compartment. She was startled when Lisette appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. "So...James found out about your dating adventures this holiday, eh?" She said, sneering at Teecie.
Teecie sighed. She should have known Lisette had something to do with this. "Yes, somehow he was told. I have no idea who could have done that though. But I don't care. I had fun with most of the boys and I'll be seeing them again, so I'm set. Actually, it's a blessing, not having him hanging all over me anymore. I think this is going to be my best year yet! I mean, there are so many boys out there to choose from. I really enjoyed myself at the fair a few days ago, and the boy who took me there was so sweet, and very cute! And he did ask me out again, I'll have to take him up on that soon!" Teecie said, smirking. Lisette's eyes flashed, yet she didn't speak. "What's the matter, Lisette? Cat got your tongue? Well, I must be off, ta!" Teecie walked off to her compartment, leaving Lisette's anger smouldering.
Teecie was thinking about the letter she'd write to Owen as soon as she got to school when she sat down next to Paige. Daniel had joined the group and was talking to Patty. "What do you mean Chaser is the best position in the game? Everybody knows Beaters have the most fun job!" Patty said, snorting in disgust.
"That's crazy! Chasers make all the points! That's fun!" Daniel cried.
Kali, who'd been talking to Paul, joined in. "And don't forget Seekers! We make the big points!"
The three continued their friendly bantering until Patty threw a chocolate frog at Daniel's head. Daniel bit the frog's head off and scarfed down the rest in one large mouthful. Crossing his eyes at Patty, he stuck his tongue out before slowly meandering out of the compartment, laughing the whole way, uncaring that Patty kept throwing other objects at him as he went.
Paige tried to calm things down by changing the subject to the party at the lake that they'd had the year before. "Last year's was so much fun, we have to have another one!" She said. Everybody in the compartment started talking loudly about how much fun the party from last year had been. It was a mutual agreement to do it again this year. They spent the next several hours planning the party.
The day passed quickly, and soon the train was pulling into the station at Hogsmeade. While Teecie was waiting to get off the train, she saw a group of first year students gathering off to one side while they waited to take the boat ride across the lake. She spotted Peter Lupin in the crowd. He looked so small and scared with the other small children. Teecie decided she'd have to invite him personally to the party.
Kali and Teecie sat side-by-side in the carriage on the ride to school. "I hope they have spaghetti tonight, I'm starving," Teecie said as they made their way to the school.
Once at the school, the kids walked into the Great Hall and sat at their house tables. Looking up at the professor's table, Teecie saw Draco and Uncle Sev sitting in their chairs. After they'd all been seated, Professor Lupin entered the Great Hall with all the first year students behind him. One by one, they all took their turns on the stool with the Sorting Hat. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor. Teecie cheered loudly for him and waved as he walked past her to sit with his brothers. She didn't recognize any of the other names of the students and soon lost interest.
Uncle Sev stood up and made his usual welcoming speech. He talked about not going into the Forbidden Forest. She smiled at him as he looked directly at her while making this point. It was so nice of him to pay attention to her during his speech!
Soon enough, the speech ended and the food appeared. There was no spaghetti, but Teecie enjoyed her roast beef, mashed potatoes, and carrots. She enjoyed a slice of treacle tart, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream while talking to her classmates. They lingered long after the meal ended, until the prefects called for them to follow them to the common rooms. The new password to get into the room was "Aperio," and as a group, they entered the common room. Teecie barely listened as the prefects droned on about the rules and regulations of the school. After a while, they were dismissed to go to their rooms.
Teecie lounged on her bed and read one of her Amaris Bradford books before changing into her nightgown and going to sleep. She fell asleep feeling excited for the school year, something she wasn't used to.
The next morning, Teecie got her timetable from Professor Lupin. She had her first class of the day with him, followed by Care of Magical Creatures, then Herbology, and History of Magic. She was excited to see Charlie today, she'd ask him about getting food from Hogsmeade for the party like he did the year before.
Professor Lupin greeted his students as they sat down in their seats as class began. He told them that they'd be learning about monsters and bigger creatures this year in class. He planned on beginning with a unit on werewolves and werewolf awareness. "I think I know a thing or two I can share with you all," He said, smiling, though sadly. Teecie knew this was going to be a lot of fun this year. She might even get good marks.
Charlie was teaching Care of Magical Creatures. They met in a classroom where he acted much more formally than Teecie was used to him being. He told them the sorts of creatures they'd be encountering this year and how the class would be run. The first few classes of each week would be spent studying the creature during lectures and book reading and essays. The last half of the week would be practicum, spending time with the actual creature. As a way of getting used to creatures and the class, he'd be starting them off on an easy animal: Puffskeins. Many of the students were excited, for they knew about puffskeins, a few had even had some as pets as young children. Teecie had never seen one before and turned to her book to see what one looked like. They looked like giant cotton balls. She thought they were adorable and looked forward to holding one soon.
After lunch, Teecie went to her Herbology class where she enjoyed her time with Professor Longbottom. She loved his class, and him. He was the best professor at the school. This year they'd be working on producing plants for the potions classes.
Once that Herbology was over, it was time for a nice, relaxing nap in History of Magic class. Teecie felt drowsy and drifted off to sleep while Professor Binns droned on about the departure of Salazar Slytherin from Hogwarts a thousand years ago. She woke up to the rustling of students walking past her.
Teecie walked to Charlie's office and asked him about getting food for the Lake Party again. He gladly agreed. She told him about being excited to be in his class, and how she couldn't wait to hold a puffskein.
During dinner, the students divided up the tasks for the party as they had the year before. Paige volunteered to talk to Professor Snape about getting permission to have the party. Teecie would arrange with the house elves again to have them prepare the food. Robert would set up the collection box, while Carl collected the music. Daniel and Patty were in charge of decorations, and were already fighting over the theme. Kern and James would be gathering tables, chairs, and all the other equipment that would be needed.
Once the tasks had been assigned, the students went off to work on homework. There were no club meetings during the first week of school, so Teecie took advantage of the extra time to get ahead with the work and reading for her classes.
The next day, Teecie had a new set of classes to go to. First off was Charms, then Transfigurations. After lunch came Runes, and Potions. After her bacon and cheese omelet, she went off to her Charms class. Professor Boot told them about the course for the year and answered questions before assigning homework to the students.
In Runes class, Teecie spotted Zeren and smiled at him, though she sat next to Kern. Professor Creevey was a lot of fun. Teecie really enjoyed her and the exercises they started the year off with. They'd be studying the history of runes from around the world, both Muggle and magical, and would also be practicing writing and translating them.
Lunch came and went quickly, and Teecie was off for her Transfigurations class. Professor Weasley began the year in her usual fashion by loading the students down with homework. They'd be working on transfiguring larger objects this year. Teecie had finally gotten caught up to where she should by the end of the last year, with Stephen's help, but she was nervous that it would be too hard for her to keep up this year.
Her last class of the day was Potions. This had never been a very hard class for Teecie. She enjoyed working on the potions that Draco assigned for them to do. She and Carl sat and chatted while they worked on a simple potion to help get them back into the habit of working in class. Paige told them that she was meeting with Professor Snape after class to discuss the party with him. Teecie wished her luck, but knew there shouldn't be a problem.
When the class ended, Teecie stayed after to help Draco clean up. Lisette had also chosen to stay behind as well and was making dove eyes at Draco. "So, Professor Black, did you have a good summer holiday? I heard about the huge party you had for her," She said, stabbing a finger in Teecie's direction.
Draco took a slow, deep breath before responding. "Yes, Miss Crabbe, I had a good holiday," He said in a quiet voice.
Lisette smiled before sauntering over to Teecie. "So, Teecie...what do they call girl bastard children?"
Teecie's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. How dare she call her that? Sure her parents weren't married, but that was none of Lisette's business! "I don't know Lisette, what's your mum's name?" She replied flippantly.
Lisette's eyes flashed as the colour drained from her face. She took a step towards Teecie, trying to look imposing, though she was several inches shorter, before Draco walked over and pushed the girls apart. "Miss Crabbe, I believe it's time you left, before I have to take disciplinary action against you," He said, narrowing his eyes in a threatening manner at her.
When Lisette had gone, Teecie turned around and looked up at Draco. She was trying not to cry over what Lisette had said about her. She was far too old to cry over being teased, even though it was very painful. She couldn't exactly go to Draco for comfort over those words, because they were true, and because she knew that even though he loved all of his sisters very much, a part of him resented them for being borne of the woman Lucius had left his wife for. Teecie didn't know any of the circumstances under which all of that had taken place, but knew her brother had been kind of stuck in the middle of it all. For a fleeting moment, Teecie thought about asking Draco about their father's past, but chose not to, because, as curious as she was, it felt safer not to know. She had the feeling that Draco would tell her, and really didn't want to know the answer, so she didn't ask. After taking a deep breath, Teecie said goodbye to her brother before leaving the room and going to her common room to work on her homework.
Once Teecie had finished her Runes homework, Paige came into the common room with a smile on her face. She told Teecie that Professor Snape had given his permission for them to have the Lake Party. Teecie was excited and the two spent the rest of the day working on party plans.
The rest of the week sped by quickly. Charlie showed them the puffskeins in their Care of Magical Creatures class on Friday. Teecie thought they were so cute, she wanted one of her own. They were just like big cotton balls that purred when they were happy. Teecie stayed behind after class to make sure Charlie was going to go to Hogsmeade for all the food and drinks they needed. They'd collected 300 Galleons over the week and she wanted to buy all sorts of things and have Charlie go get them for her. She left him with a long list of items for tomorrow's party.
Draco called Teecie to his office after dinner that night. He told her he'd be chaperoning her tomorrow, following her like he did on her dates. She was not to wear her bikini, unless it was covered. She was not to go swimming with the boys, nor was she to flirt with them. She had been presented to society and was now expected to act like a proper young lady, and he'd be making sure she did.
Teecie moaned and groaned about how that would probably ruin her entire day, but in the end, agreed to it because she wanted to attend the party. Draco wouldn't allow her to go unless she agreed to do what he said.
She was pleasantly surprised, and soon forgot her complaints when she reached her room and found a letter waiting for her on her pillow. It was from Owen. He told her about his first week of school and asked her all sorts of questions about her week. The second half of the letter was quite steamy, telling her how much he wanted to see her again. Owen wrote about enjoying their kisses, and wanting to kiss her again. He told her how he longed to run his fingers through her curls and press his lips to hers. Teecie felt light-headed while reading this. She closed her eyes and imagined kissing Owen again. She wanted to do more than just kiss him, and it made her feel bold while she wrote her response to him.
Teecie blushed when she thought of the comment she chose to write down, because it was quite suggestive. She asked him to which curls he was referring that he longed to run his fingers through. Then she proceeded to tell him exactly what she'd like to do with him the next time they got to see each other. Teecie's heart pounded as she folded the letter up and walked to the owlery to send the letter off to France. She chose a brown barn owl to be the lucky owl to take the letter to Owen.
That night, Teecie dreamt of Owen and what she wanted to do with him the next time they met. The next morning, Teecie woke up refreshed, and ready for the Lake Party. After breakfast, Teecie and her classmates began to prepare for the party. Teecie went to the kitchens to check in with Nili and the rest of the house elves. They had prepared a feast for the students. Teecie gave Nili a big hug to thank her for all of her help before leaving to go help set up outside.
The weather was perfect, it was unusually hot that day, and all the students were quite excited to be going. Teecie helped set up tables and chairs for an hour before going up to her room to change her clothes. She slipped into her red bikini, then looked around for something light to wear over it. There was a navy blue sarong that she wrapped around her waist. She couldn't find anything good to wear for a top, so she decided that her parasol would cover her up enough. After slipping her feet into her sandals and finding her handbag, Teecie left to stop at Draco's office for his approval, which he insisted she do, before leaving for the party.
Draco really didn't like the fact that her top half was so exposed to the world, and wouldn't let her leave for the party until she'd unwrapped the sarong and retied it around her chest. After he'd transfigured a light-weight black cloth belt for her, Teecie tied it around her waist, so it looked like she was wearing a dress.
Finally satisfied, Draco let her leave, though he reminded her that he'd be there the entire time, as would most of the other professors, and she was to be on her best behaviour. Teecie blushed and smiled as she walked to the lake, thinking about what her brother would think if he'd read the letter she'd written to Owen the night before. He'd probably send her to a convent.
Before she left the school, Teecie stopped at Professor Lupin's office. She decided she still wanted to be friends with him, even though she'd broken up with his son. Teecie made sure he'd be attending the party. Lupin assured her he was quite looking forward to it and would be there soon.
Remus wasn't looking forward to it nearly as much as he'd let Teecie think he was. Too many scantily clad females, and hormonally-unbalanced teenagers tended to get the best of Remus, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his wolfish side. He suspected his day would end by flooing home to Nym, not that she'd mind a visit from him in the least.
Once she'd reached the lake, Teecie set her stuff down and walked around, making sure everything was set up. Patty and Daniel had decorated the tables and surrounding trees with Quidditch-themed items. Miniature broomsticks hung off the branches while small Snitches, Quaffles, and Bludgers were set up around the tables. There was a large pile of wood set up in the middle of the lawn for a bonfire when the sun set that evening. There were marshmallows for toasting and hotdogs for roasting later on too.
The students were arriving for the party now, along with several teachers. Charlie arrived with all of the things Teecie had told him to get. Smiling, she went to help him carry it all over to the tables. There were barrels filled with ice that they'd put bottles of butterbeer and pop in.
Before Teecie could have too much fun, Draco arrived. Opening up two bottles, Teecie handed one of them to him before taking a sip of her own. She could see him trailing her slowly, far enough away that he couldn't interfere too much in who she talked to.
The party was crowded with people now. Teecie laughed and chatted with everybody. June Lindon and Robert Bones were standing together, holding hands and talking to friends. Teecie smiled and waved as she walked past them.
Gabriel Winthrop, the boy that Teecie had gone out with first, but had decided to be friends with, was sitting with his fellow 7th year Ravenclaw friends. She was going to sit with them when James walked past her. "Is he one of the boys you slept with?" He hissed at Teecie.
Teecie whipped around and stood close to his face. "Yes he was! And he was incredible!" She snarled. "I mean, I've slept with so many boys that I'm quite an expert, you know!"
James narrowed his eyes and stepped even closer to her, their noses were practically touching. "I-" He started, but was cut off when Draco came over to them.
"Mr. Lupin, I think it's time you moved on from here," Draco said quietly, taking Teecie's arm and starting to lead her away from James. "Was he harassing you?" He asked her.
"I'm fine, Draco," Teecie replied, feeling self conscious that her brother had interfered. "I think I'm going to go for a swim now," She said, taking her wrap off, folding her parasol up, and placing both in Draco's arms. Draco didn't have time to protest before Teecie was up to her waist in water.
Teecie swam around by herself for a while, before going over to a couple of people who were treading water and talking to each other. Rey and Zeren were talking quietly when Teecie swam up to them. "Hello, boys," She greeted them. They boys smiled and said hello to her. They began to talk about their classes and how much fun they were having at the party. Teecie could see Draco standing under a tree by the refreshment table. He was staring in her direction, though not looking at her.
The three kids talked for an hour before leaving the water to eat lunch. Paige and Carl joined them at the table while they made sandwiches for themselves and together, they all sat and ate. June and Robert joined them, and soon afterwards, Patty and Daniel sat and bickered while eating.
Hours passed before Teecie went back into the water, where Professor Lupin and Charlie were setting up a game of volleyball with a beach ball. Neither Zeren nor Rey joined in the game, but many of the others did, and soon, Teecie was jumping up and down in the water, tossing the ball back and forth to them. Ashford Creevey had teamed up with Peter Lupin and they were swimming around, grabbing the ankles of the opposing team members and dunking them under the water before they could make their shots. When Peter attempted to do this to his father, Remus lifted his leg up, picked Peter off of him and proceeded to toss him over the net, to the other side, making a huge splash when he landed in the water. This only inspired the other students to attempt the same thing, and soon, the other students were trying to get Remus to toss them over the net, into the water, though he refused, saying it wasn't safe.
Teecie took the opportunity to get a piggy-back ride from Charlie during this break. She squealed while Charlie trotted around in the water. Once, he told her to take a deep breath. When she'd done so, Charlie bent down, dunking both of them under the water. After a few seconds, he stood back up, allowing them to breathe again. Teecie laughed when he emerged out of the water. This had gotten many of the girls' attentions, and soon, there was a line of girls waiting to be dunked by Charlie.
Draco was less than pleased to see this. He stood at the edge of the lake, calling out to Teecie to get out of the water. He even went so far as to accuse Charlie of trying to drown his sister. Teecie sighed and shook her head before taking Draco's arm and trying to lead him to a chair to sit down in. Draco was fuming and made Teecie put her wrap back on before he'd speak to her. "Calm down!" She said sternly, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "He dunked me under the water, it's not like he tried to drown me. It was a lot of fun!" Teecie cried.
"Don't you tell me to calm down, young lady! If I think you're in any danger, I'm going to act on it. Now that's it for the water today. You can have fun on dry land, where I can keep a better eye on you. Now sit down next to me for a while before you run off again to who knows where," Draco insisted, reaching out to grab Teecie and set her in the chair next to him.
Teecie sat silently next to him for about two minutes before Patty came over to her and asked her to join her over at the refreshment table. Teecie jumped up and walked off with Patty without a backward glance at Draco. Teecie thanked Patty profusely for bailing her out, to which Patty replied, "No problem, what are friends for?" while smiling.
Once at the table, Teecie saw Paul and Kali holding hands while talking to Stephen Weasley. Teecie greeted him warmly while grabbing another butterbeer.
Several more hours passed before Professor Longbottom lit the bonfire. Teecie saw Uncle Sev for the first time that day and made him join her in toasting marshmallows. Though Snape would never admit it, he did think the crunchy toasted marshmallows with their gooey, soft insides, tasted delicious, though he hated the mess they made. He had tried not to eat any of the messy puffs of sugar, but Teecie had shoved one into his mouth when he wasn't paying attention. He was quite annoyed, but forgave her when he saw the look on her face. Snape sat and watched while Teecie roasted a hotdog on a stick and ate it right off the stick. He couldn't help but think she still needed lots of time with Draco before she would be broken of such habits. While Snape loved Adriana and the girls, he did think that Lucius and Adriana should have taken the girls in hand a long time ago. They would barely get anywhere in life with the manners they currently possessed.
After an hour or so, Professor Snape told all the children it was late and time for everybody to return to their rooms. While the kids walked back into the school, Teecie and her classmates stayed behind to help clean up. It was well after 11 when they finished and went back inside.
Teecie found another letter from Owen on her pillow after she'd changed into her pyjamas. After laying down and pulling the curtains around her bed, she tore the letter open. The things Owen wrote made Teecie blush and feel light-headed. It seemed he was very interested in her in the same way she was in him. When she'd read the letter through the third time, she folded it up and put it under her pillow. That night, Teecie fell asleep dreaming of Owen, feeling his lips pressed against hers, and his hands touching her body. It was the best dream she'd ever had in her life.
Disclaimer: You know the usual, all of this world is JK's, and we thank her for letting us borrow it. Only the original characters are ours!
Arsinoe de Blassenville: I'm so excited that you liked all of Teecie's dates. Those two chapters, which I had to break up, I wanted it to be one, but obviously it was much too long, were a lot of fun to write! And Draco does rule, doesn't he! He's grown into a great brother and I'm really enjoying seeing that happen. He's in this chapter quite a bit too, playing the role of the protective older brother, I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Polgarathesorceress2: I'm happy to hear you're enjoying this story so much! I've had a lot of fun writing it so far. This story is a part of a much larger series, so not all of it might make sense to you unless you know the background behind it. However, since those stories are R rated, and looking at your profile, I see you're not 17, I wouldn't feel right recommending you read them. If you're interested in a summary though, feel free to email me and I can tell you what's led up to this story. Happy reading!
Year Three Begins
After a wonderful last night at Black Manor with her brother and his family, Teecie had returned to the property to enjoy her last weekend at home before going back to Hogwarts. The family was sitting around the dining table, enjoying a lovely meal of roast lamb with garlic mashed potatoes. While Teecie ate, she looked around and observed her family. She was pleased to see that her father was looking much better than when she'd left for Black Manor. His colour had returned to normal and he didn't look as tired as he had. Everybody else was doing really well too, it seemed.
Kali and Adriana normally had lovely olive-toned skin, but both were now a beautiful shade of dark brown, due to all the work they'd been doing outside all holiday long.
Peter Weasley was sitting with the family, next to Reni, holding Hunter in his lap. Reni was smiling at the two. Hunter was getting very big now, he was chubby and adorable. Peter was bouncing him up and down on his leg, while Hunter laughed heartily. Peter was going to be working with his father in the Ministry of Magic. He didn't seem to be looking forward to that too much, but was doing it to make his father happy.
Teecie told them all about the dates she'd gone on over the past two weeks after the party. Lucius was alarmed and displeased to hear that Teecie had fainted at the Quidditch match, yet Draco had neglected to tell them about it. Adriana made Teecie tell her all about Owen, which didn't take too much persuasion. The family smiled at each other as Teecie gushed about him. She was obviously quite taken with Owen. Lucius told her he looked forward to meeting him soon.
Teecie enjoyed the last weekend of the holiday. Adriana had done her shopping for books, and bought her new robes, for she'd outgrown her old ones. It was a simple tailoring job to adjust the new ones, which took Adriana about a minute to do. With all of that done, Teecie had more time to relax for the last three days before leaving for school.
Lucius, Kali, and Teecie were sitting out under the olive tree the night before she'd be leaving with Kali for Hogwarts. Teecie was leaning her head against one of her father's arms, while Kali rested against the other, as they looked at the stars. "Daddy, are you sure you'll be all right with us gone?" Teecie asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
Lucius smiled. "Yes, I'll be just fine here. You go and learn things. That's your job right now," He replied.
"Was it hard to leave home to go to school when you were growing up?" Kali asked Lucius.
Lucius remained silent for a minute before clearing his throat. "Well...my parents never got along too well and fought a lot. And I had no brothers or sisters, so...no, it wasn't too hard to leave home," He finally replied quietly.
"How come you never tell us about our grandparents?" Teecie asked curiously. "How come you never talk about what you were like before you met mum?" All the memories of the holiday came flooding back, with Rey and the other party guests talking about Lucius. Even Lisette seemed to know more about her father than she did.
Teecie watched as her father closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree trunk. She grew alarmed over this. "Daddy, are you OK? Are you all right? Is it your heart? Should I go get mum?" She cried.
Lucius opened his eyes again and smiled sadly down at Teecie. "No, baby, I'm all right. It's just...I...It's getting cold, and late. We should go inside now," He said quietly, struggling to his feet and retreating down the hill.
Kali and Teecie looked at each other, wondering why he seemed upset all of a sudden, before standing up and going inside the house.
Teecie had left her packing until the last minute, so she spent much of the rest of the night arranging everything in her trunk. When she finally finished, she slipped into bed and drifted off to sleep. She woke up the next morning to the smells of fresh coffee and sausages frying.
After a hurried breakfast, Teecie, Kali, Lucius, and Adriana drove off for King's Cross Station in London. Once in Platform 9 3/4, Teecie looked around for the twins or James, but didn't see them. After hugging and kissing her parents, Teecie went off with Kali to board the train.
Teecie looked out the window and watched her parents grow smaller as the train started to move from the station. She sat across from Kali in a compartment by themselves. After several minutes, Paul and the twins found them and sat down next to them. Teecie worked on her needlepoint sampler while catching up with the twins. They chatted noisily while Paul and Kali held hands and whispered to one another. After a couple hours, Teecie asked the twins if they'd seen James yet. When they said no, she got up and explored the train for a while to find him.
Teecie found him after looking in several compartments. He was sitting alone, with his arms crossed and wearing an angry expression on his face. "James, hi," She said, sitting down across from him.
James looked at the floor, not responding to her for a couple minutes. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?" He asked slowly.
Teecie's stomach clenched as she knew what he was talking about. "James, I-"
"Don't try to explain! You cheated on me! You're supposed to be my girlfriend! I thought you loved me!" James cried, looking at Teecie, his eyes flashing.
"I'm sorry, James-" Teecie was fighting back tears now.
"I don't care if you're sorry! We had fun at my house, till you turned all frigid! Now I hear you've been dancing with hundreds of boys, and going on dates with them? Did you sleep with any of them?"
"James, you're being-"
"I don't care! That's it, I'm breaking up with you! You won't give me the time of day, but go around sleeping with all the other boys! Get out of here! Now! I don't ever want to see you again!" James was practically screaming at Teecie by now. He'd clearly ended the conversation and had no interest in hearing her side of the story. Instead of feeling sad that her boyfriend had broken up with her, Teecie was angry. How dare he accuse her of such things?
"James, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how! But you can't just expect to sleep with me so soon, I'm not ready for that. And I didn't do that with any of the other boys. I had the dance to make my brother happy. And yes I did go out with some other boys..." Teecie's voice trailed off as she thought of Owen. "Oh, I don't care if you do break up with me! I have plenty of boys who'll go out with me! They gave me presents and were perfect gentlemen to me! Goodbye!" Teecie shouted, standing up and leaving the compartment.
Teecie knew she should be upset over breaking up with James, but she instead she felt free. Free to write to and see Owen. Teecie thought about this while she walked back to her compartment. She was startled when Lisette appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. "So...James found out about your dating adventures this holiday, eh?" She said, sneering at Teecie.
Teecie sighed. She should have known Lisette had something to do with this. "Yes, somehow he was told. I have no idea who could have done that though. But I don't care. I had fun with most of the boys and I'll be seeing them again, so I'm set. Actually, it's a blessing, not having him hanging all over me anymore. I think this is going to be my best year yet! I mean, there are so many boys out there to choose from. I really enjoyed myself at the fair a few days ago, and the boy who took me there was so sweet, and very cute! And he did ask me out again, I'll have to take him up on that soon!" Teecie said, smirking. Lisette's eyes flashed, yet she didn't speak. "What's the matter, Lisette? Cat got your tongue? Well, I must be off, ta!" Teecie walked off to her compartment, leaving Lisette's anger smouldering.
Teecie was thinking about the letter she'd write to Owen as soon as she got to school when she sat down next to Paige. Daniel had joined the group and was talking to Patty. "What do you mean Chaser is the best position in the game? Everybody knows Beaters have the most fun job!" Patty said, snorting in disgust.
"That's crazy! Chasers make all the points! That's fun!" Daniel cried.
Kali, who'd been talking to Paul, joined in. "And don't forget Seekers! We make the big points!"
The three continued their friendly bantering until Patty threw a chocolate frog at Daniel's head. Daniel bit the frog's head off and scarfed down the rest in one large mouthful. Crossing his eyes at Patty, he stuck his tongue out before slowly meandering out of the compartment, laughing the whole way, uncaring that Patty kept throwing other objects at him as he went.
Paige tried to calm things down by changing the subject to the party at the lake that they'd had the year before. "Last year's was so much fun, we have to have another one!" She said. Everybody in the compartment started talking loudly about how much fun the party from last year had been. It was a mutual agreement to do it again this year. They spent the next several hours planning the party.
The day passed quickly, and soon the train was pulling into the station at Hogsmeade. While Teecie was waiting to get off the train, she saw a group of first year students gathering off to one side while they waited to take the boat ride across the lake. She spotted Peter Lupin in the crowd. He looked so small and scared with the other small children. Teecie decided she'd have to invite him personally to the party.
Kali and Teecie sat side-by-side in the carriage on the ride to school. "I hope they have spaghetti tonight, I'm starving," Teecie said as they made their way to the school.
Once at the school, the kids walked into the Great Hall and sat at their house tables. Looking up at the professor's table, Teecie saw Draco and Uncle Sev sitting in their chairs. After they'd all been seated, Professor Lupin entered the Great Hall with all the first year students behind him. One by one, they all took their turns on the stool with the Sorting Hat. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor. Teecie cheered loudly for him and waved as he walked past her to sit with his brothers. She didn't recognize any of the other names of the students and soon lost interest.
Uncle Sev stood up and made his usual welcoming speech. He talked about not going into the Forbidden Forest. She smiled at him as he looked directly at her while making this point. It was so nice of him to pay attention to her during his speech!
Soon enough, the speech ended and the food appeared. There was no spaghetti, but Teecie enjoyed her roast beef, mashed potatoes, and carrots. She enjoyed a slice of treacle tart, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream while talking to her classmates. They lingered long after the meal ended, until the prefects called for them to follow them to the common rooms. The new password to get into the room was "Aperio," and as a group, they entered the common room. Teecie barely listened as the prefects droned on about the rules and regulations of the school. After a while, they were dismissed to go to their rooms.
Teecie lounged on her bed and read one of her Amaris Bradford books before changing into her nightgown and going to sleep. She fell asleep feeling excited for the school year, something she wasn't used to.
The next morning, Teecie got her timetable from Professor Lupin. She had her first class of the day with him, followed by Care of Magical Creatures, then Herbology, and History of Magic. She was excited to see Charlie today, she'd ask him about getting food from Hogsmeade for the party like he did the year before.
Professor Lupin greeted his students as they sat down in their seats as class began. He told them that they'd be learning about monsters and bigger creatures this year in class. He planned on beginning with a unit on werewolves and werewolf awareness. "I think I know a thing or two I can share with you all," He said, smiling, though sadly. Teecie knew this was going to be a lot of fun this year. She might even get good marks.
Charlie was teaching Care of Magical Creatures. They met in a classroom where he acted much more formally than Teecie was used to him being. He told them the sorts of creatures they'd be encountering this year and how the class would be run. The first few classes of each week would be spent studying the creature during lectures and book reading and essays. The last half of the week would be practicum, spending time with the actual creature. As a way of getting used to creatures and the class, he'd be starting them off on an easy animal: Puffskeins. Many of the students were excited, for they knew about puffskeins, a few had even had some as pets as young children. Teecie had never seen one before and turned to her book to see what one looked like. They looked like giant cotton balls. She thought they were adorable and looked forward to holding one soon.
After lunch, Teecie went to her Herbology class where she enjoyed her time with Professor Longbottom. She loved his class, and him. He was the best professor at the school. This year they'd be working on producing plants for the potions classes.
Once that Herbology was over, it was time for a nice, relaxing nap in History of Magic class. Teecie felt drowsy and drifted off to sleep while Professor Binns droned on about the departure of Salazar Slytherin from Hogwarts a thousand years ago. She woke up to the rustling of students walking past her.
Teecie walked to Charlie's office and asked him about getting food for the Lake Party again. He gladly agreed. She told him about being excited to be in his class, and how she couldn't wait to hold a puffskein.
During dinner, the students divided up the tasks for the party as they had the year before. Paige volunteered to talk to Professor Snape about getting permission to have the party. Teecie would arrange with the house elves again to have them prepare the food. Robert would set up the collection box, while Carl collected the music. Daniel and Patty were in charge of decorations, and were already fighting over the theme. Kern and James would be gathering tables, chairs, and all the other equipment that would be needed.
Once the tasks had been assigned, the students went off to work on homework. There were no club meetings during the first week of school, so Teecie took advantage of the extra time to get ahead with the work and reading for her classes.
The next day, Teecie had a new set of classes to go to. First off was Charms, then Transfigurations. After lunch came Runes, and Potions. After her bacon and cheese omelet, she went off to her Charms class. Professor Boot told them about the course for the year and answered questions before assigning homework to the students.
In Runes class, Teecie spotted Zeren and smiled at him, though she sat next to Kern. Professor Creevey was a lot of fun. Teecie really enjoyed her and the exercises they started the year off with. They'd be studying the history of runes from around the world, both Muggle and magical, and would also be practicing writing and translating them.
Lunch came and went quickly, and Teecie was off for her Transfigurations class. Professor Weasley began the year in her usual fashion by loading the students down with homework. They'd be working on transfiguring larger objects this year. Teecie had finally gotten caught up to where she should by the end of the last year, with Stephen's help, but she was nervous that it would be too hard for her to keep up this year.
Her last class of the day was Potions. This had never been a very hard class for Teecie. She enjoyed working on the potions that Draco assigned for them to do. She and Carl sat and chatted while they worked on a simple potion to help get them back into the habit of working in class. Paige told them that she was meeting with Professor Snape after class to discuss the party with him. Teecie wished her luck, but knew there shouldn't be a problem.
When the class ended, Teecie stayed after to help Draco clean up. Lisette had also chosen to stay behind as well and was making dove eyes at Draco. "So, Professor Black, did you have a good summer holiday? I heard about the huge party you had for her," She said, stabbing a finger in Teecie's direction.
Draco took a slow, deep breath before responding. "Yes, Miss Crabbe, I had a good holiday," He said in a quiet voice.
Lisette smiled before sauntering over to Teecie. "So, Teecie...what do they call girl bastard children?"
Teecie's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. How dare she call her that? Sure her parents weren't married, but that was none of Lisette's business! "I don't know Lisette, what's your mum's name?" She replied flippantly.
Lisette's eyes flashed as the colour drained from her face. She took a step towards Teecie, trying to look imposing, though she was several inches shorter, before Draco walked over and pushed the girls apart. "Miss Crabbe, I believe it's time you left, before I have to take disciplinary action against you," He said, narrowing his eyes in a threatening manner at her.
When Lisette had gone, Teecie turned around and looked up at Draco. She was trying not to cry over what Lisette had said about her. She was far too old to cry over being teased, even though it was very painful. She couldn't exactly go to Draco for comfort over those words, because they were true, and because she knew that even though he loved all of his sisters very much, a part of him resented them for being borne of the woman Lucius had left his wife for. Teecie didn't know any of the circumstances under which all of that had taken place, but knew her brother had been kind of stuck in the middle of it all. For a fleeting moment, Teecie thought about asking Draco about their father's past, but chose not to, because, as curious as she was, it felt safer not to know. She had the feeling that Draco would tell her, and really didn't want to know the answer, so she didn't ask. After taking a deep breath, Teecie said goodbye to her brother before leaving the room and going to her common room to work on her homework.
Once Teecie had finished her Runes homework, Paige came into the common room with a smile on her face. She told Teecie that Professor Snape had given his permission for them to have the Lake Party. Teecie was excited and the two spent the rest of the day working on party plans.
The rest of the week sped by quickly. Charlie showed them the puffskeins in their Care of Magical Creatures class on Friday. Teecie thought they were so cute, she wanted one of her own. They were just like big cotton balls that purred when they were happy. Teecie stayed behind after class to make sure Charlie was going to go to Hogsmeade for all the food and drinks they needed. They'd collected 300 Galleons over the week and she wanted to buy all sorts of things and have Charlie go get them for her. She left him with a long list of items for tomorrow's party.
Draco called Teecie to his office after dinner that night. He told her he'd be chaperoning her tomorrow, following her like he did on her dates. She was not to wear her bikini, unless it was covered. She was not to go swimming with the boys, nor was she to flirt with them. She had been presented to society and was now expected to act like a proper young lady, and he'd be making sure she did.
Teecie moaned and groaned about how that would probably ruin her entire day, but in the end, agreed to it because she wanted to attend the party. Draco wouldn't allow her to go unless she agreed to do what he said.
She was pleasantly surprised, and soon forgot her complaints when she reached her room and found a letter waiting for her on her pillow. It was from Owen. He told her about his first week of school and asked her all sorts of questions about her week. The second half of the letter was quite steamy, telling her how much he wanted to see her again. Owen wrote about enjoying their kisses, and wanting to kiss her again. He told her how he longed to run his fingers through her curls and press his lips to hers. Teecie felt light-headed while reading this. She closed her eyes and imagined kissing Owen again. She wanted to do more than just kiss him, and it made her feel bold while she wrote her response to him.
Teecie blushed when she thought of the comment she chose to write down, because it was quite suggestive. She asked him to which curls he was referring that he longed to run his fingers through. Then she proceeded to tell him exactly what she'd like to do with him the next time they got to see each other. Teecie's heart pounded as she folded the letter up and walked to the owlery to send the letter off to France. She chose a brown barn owl to be the lucky owl to take the letter to Owen.
That night, Teecie dreamt of Owen and what she wanted to do with him the next time they met. The next morning, Teecie woke up refreshed, and ready for the Lake Party. After breakfast, Teecie and her classmates began to prepare for the party. Teecie went to the kitchens to check in with Nili and the rest of the house elves. They had prepared a feast for the students. Teecie gave Nili a big hug to thank her for all of her help before leaving to go help set up outside.
The weather was perfect, it was unusually hot that day, and all the students were quite excited to be going. Teecie helped set up tables and chairs for an hour before going up to her room to change her clothes. She slipped into her red bikini, then looked around for something light to wear over it. There was a navy blue sarong that she wrapped around her waist. She couldn't find anything good to wear for a top, so she decided that her parasol would cover her up enough. After slipping her feet into her sandals and finding her handbag, Teecie left to stop at Draco's office for his approval, which he insisted she do, before leaving for the party.
Draco really didn't like the fact that her top half was so exposed to the world, and wouldn't let her leave for the party until she'd unwrapped the sarong and retied it around her chest. After he'd transfigured a light-weight black cloth belt for her, Teecie tied it around her waist, so it looked like she was wearing a dress.
Finally satisfied, Draco let her leave, though he reminded her that he'd be there the entire time, as would most of the other professors, and she was to be on her best behaviour. Teecie blushed and smiled as she walked to the lake, thinking about what her brother would think if he'd read the letter she'd written to Owen the night before. He'd probably send her to a convent.
Before she left the school, Teecie stopped at Professor Lupin's office. She decided she still wanted to be friends with him, even though she'd broken up with his son. Teecie made sure he'd be attending the party. Lupin assured her he was quite looking forward to it and would be there soon.
Remus wasn't looking forward to it nearly as much as he'd let Teecie think he was. Too many scantily clad females, and hormonally-unbalanced teenagers tended to get the best of Remus, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his wolfish side. He suspected his day would end by flooing home to Nym, not that she'd mind a visit from him in the least.
Once she'd reached the lake, Teecie set her stuff down and walked around, making sure everything was set up. Patty and Daniel had decorated the tables and surrounding trees with Quidditch-themed items. Miniature broomsticks hung off the branches while small Snitches, Quaffles, and Bludgers were set up around the tables. There was a large pile of wood set up in the middle of the lawn for a bonfire when the sun set that evening. There were marshmallows for toasting and hotdogs for roasting later on too.
The students were arriving for the party now, along with several teachers. Charlie arrived with all of the things Teecie had told him to get. Smiling, she went to help him carry it all over to the tables. There were barrels filled with ice that they'd put bottles of butterbeer and pop in.
Before Teecie could have too much fun, Draco arrived. Opening up two bottles, Teecie handed one of them to him before taking a sip of her own. She could see him trailing her slowly, far enough away that he couldn't interfere too much in who she talked to.
The party was crowded with people now. Teecie laughed and chatted with everybody. June Lindon and Robert Bones were standing together, holding hands and talking to friends. Teecie smiled and waved as she walked past them.
Gabriel Winthrop, the boy that Teecie had gone out with first, but had decided to be friends with, was sitting with his fellow 7th year Ravenclaw friends. She was going to sit with them when James walked past her. "Is he one of the boys you slept with?" He hissed at Teecie.
Teecie whipped around and stood close to his face. "Yes he was! And he was incredible!" She snarled. "I mean, I've slept with so many boys that I'm quite an expert, you know!"
James narrowed his eyes and stepped even closer to her, their noses were practically touching. "I-" He started, but was cut off when Draco came over to them.
"Mr. Lupin, I think it's time you moved on from here," Draco said quietly, taking Teecie's arm and starting to lead her away from James. "Was he harassing you?" He asked her.
"I'm fine, Draco," Teecie replied, feeling self conscious that her brother had interfered. "I think I'm going to go for a swim now," She said, taking her wrap off, folding her parasol up, and placing both in Draco's arms. Draco didn't have time to protest before Teecie was up to her waist in water.
Teecie swam around by herself for a while, before going over to a couple of people who were treading water and talking to each other. Rey and Zeren were talking quietly when Teecie swam up to them. "Hello, boys," She greeted them. They boys smiled and said hello to her. They began to talk about their classes and how much fun they were having at the party. Teecie could see Draco standing under a tree by the refreshment table. He was staring in her direction, though not looking at her.
The three kids talked for an hour before leaving the water to eat lunch. Paige and Carl joined them at the table while they made sandwiches for themselves and together, they all sat and ate. June and Robert joined them, and soon afterwards, Patty and Daniel sat and bickered while eating.
Hours passed before Teecie went back into the water, where Professor Lupin and Charlie were setting up a game of volleyball with a beach ball. Neither Zeren nor Rey joined in the game, but many of the others did, and soon, Teecie was jumping up and down in the water, tossing the ball back and forth to them. Ashford Creevey had teamed up with Peter Lupin and they were swimming around, grabbing the ankles of the opposing team members and dunking them under the water before they could make their shots. When Peter attempted to do this to his father, Remus lifted his leg up, picked Peter off of him and proceeded to toss him over the net, to the other side, making a huge splash when he landed in the water. This only inspired the other students to attempt the same thing, and soon, the other students were trying to get Remus to toss them over the net, into the water, though he refused, saying it wasn't safe.
Teecie took the opportunity to get a piggy-back ride from Charlie during this break. She squealed while Charlie trotted around in the water. Once, he told her to take a deep breath. When she'd done so, Charlie bent down, dunking both of them under the water. After a few seconds, he stood back up, allowing them to breathe again. Teecie laughed when he emerged out of the water. This had gotten many of the girls' attentions, and soon, there was a line of girls waiting to be dunked by Charlie.
Draco was less than pleased to see this. He stood at the edge of the lake, calling out to Teecie to get out of the water. He even went so far as to accuse Charlie of trying to drown his sister. Teecie sighed and shook her head before taking Draco's arm and trying to lead him to a chair to sit down in. Draco was fuming and made Teecie put her wrap back on before he'd speak to her. "Calm down!" She said sternly, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "He dunked me under the water, it's not like he tried to drown me. It was a lot of fun!" Teecie cried.
"Don't you tell me to calm down, young lady! If I think you're in any danger, I'm going to act on it. Now that's it for the water today. You can have fun on dry land, where I can keep a better eye on you. Now sit down next to me for a while before you run off again to who knows where," Draco insisted, reaching out to grab Teecie and set her in the chair next to him.
Teecie sat silently next to him for about two minutes before Patty came over to her and asked her to join her over at the refreshment table. Teecie jumped up and walked off with Patty without a backward glance at Draco. Teecie thanked Patty profusely for bailing her out, to which Patty replied, "No problem, what are friends for?" while smiling.
Once at the table, Teecie saw Paul and Kali holding hands while talking to Stephen Weasley. Teecie greeted him warmly while grabbing another butterbeer.
Several more hours passed before Professor Longbottom lit the bonfire. Teecie saw Uncle Sev for the first time that day and made him join her in toasting marshmallows. Though Snape would never admit it, he did think the crunchy toasted marshmallows with their gooey, soft insides, tasted delicious, though he hated the mess they made. He had tried not to eat any of the messy puffs of sugar, but Teecie had shoved one into his mouth when he wasn't paying attention. He was quite annoyed, but forgave her when he saw the look on her face. Snape sat and watched while Teecie roasted a hotdog on a stick and ate it right off the stick. He couldn't help but think she still needed lots of time with Draco before she would be broken of such habits. While Snape loved Adriana and the girls, he did think that Lucius and Adriana should have taken the girls in hand a long time ago. They would barely get anywhere in life with the manners they currently possessed.
After an hour or so, Professor Snape told all the children it was late and time for everybody to return to their rooms. While the kids walked back into the school, Teecie and her classmates stayed behind to help clean up. It was well after 11 when they finished and went back inside.
Teecie found another letter from Owen on her pillow after she'd changed into her pyjamas. After laying down and pulling the curtains around her bed, she tore the letter open. The things Owen wrote made Teecie blush and feel light-headed. It seemed he was very interested in her in the same way she was in him. When she'd read the letter through the third time, she folded it up and put it under her pillow. That night, Teecie fell asleep dreaming of Owen, feeling his lips pressed against hers, and his hands touching her body. It was the best dream she'd ever had in her life.