A/N: I know there isn't a lot of plot in this chapter, but I promise Winter Hols pt2 will have Bellatrix returning and the following consequences. I just needed to write some neutral fluff after last chapter.

Anya spent the train ride back to Platform 9¾ alone in her own compartment. Hermione had tried to join her at first but went to sit in Neville's compartment after she realized that Anya was- in her words- shutting down. Looking out the window, Anya sighed. She hated going back to the Manor, it was nearly as gloomy as Grimmauld Place. She wished she had signed up to stay at Hogwarts, but she knew that it would be worse than what was to come if she did. Once the train ground to a halt, Anya stepped off, glaring at her mother's despicable house-elf, Wrechy. The elf grabbed her arm, and with a CRACK, they apparated to Lestrange Manor.

"You will go to your room. You will not leave unless we allow you to. Your mother will return in three days. Wrechy will bring you water every morning and night."

"Father, please-"

"Be grateful it's not the cellar." Anya quieted, thinking of the pitch-black cellar, the spiderwebs, the rats, and the shadows that seemed to move. "To your room, before I make you."

Laying on her bed, Anya fiddled with her wand. She had nearly drifted off when a crack of apparition startled her awake, causing her to fall out of bed. Standing up quickly, Anya aimed her wand at the intruder.

"Please don't hurt me, Miss! Dobby didn't mean to scare Miss!"

Lowering her wand, Anya breathed a sigh of relief. "What do you have for me, Dobby?"

"Mistress Narcissa sends this-" Dobby held out a small package, which Anya gratefully took from him, "- And Master Draco sends this." Dobby held out another package, which Anya regarded suspiciously. "Dobby, is Draco's package going to harm me in any way?"

"No, Miss!"

"Are you lying?"

"No, Miss. Master Draco's package only has a message and some food!" Relieved, Anya sat back on her bed.

"Thank you, Dobby. You may go now if you'd like." Dobby bowed before disapparating.

Crossing her legs, Anya put Narcissa's package in her lap, tucking Draco's under her bed for later. Delicately opening the plain-colored box, Anya grinned when she saw a wrapped package of food and a large jar of soup. Picking up the note that was in the box, Anya read it.

Anya,

First off, welcome back. Draco told me how you were sorted into Gryffindor. I won't hold that against you. I trust you know warming charms (for the soup). I've kept Bella away from the Manor for as long as I can. Enjoy your four days of reprieve.

-Narcissa Black Malfoy

Burning the note out of habit, Anya hid the package of food under a loose floorboard that was under her dresser (She had to levitate it to get it to move). Hopefully, Narcissa had put non-perishable food in the package, otherwise, Anya was screwed. Although, Narcissa was certainly smart enough to realize that. Flopping back onto her bed, Anya rubbed her eyes, sighing. It had barely been two hours since she'd been home, even though it felt like two days.

Actually, it could've very well been two days, since it was hard to tell time in a room with no clocks, and the forest outside blocking any light from coming through the window. Realizing that she still hasn't changed out of her uniform, Anya dragged herself over to her closet. Scowling a bit at all of the Slytherin green, Anya proudly hung up her Gryffindor robes right in the middle of the closet, before changing into a simple shirt and pants.

Pulling her homework and textbooks out of her trunk, Anya wiped the dust off of her desk and got to work.

About a half an hour and two rolls of parchment later, she set her quill down/ Twirling one of her curls around her finger, Anya leaned back in her chair, scowling at the Transfiguration essay as if it had told her she was failing.

This was not a healthy thought, so Anya stood up, stretched, and walked over to her trunk to find the muggle book Hermione had let her borrow. Curling up in the window seat, Anya opened Bridge to Terabithia and began to read.

Closing her book, Anya reached for her wand, casting the Tempus charm.

It was nearly 7 o'clock. Shit.

Throwing her book under her bed, Anya raced to her closet, pulling on formal dinner robes, finger-combing her hair, and tucking her wand in her sleeve before racing down the stairs to the dining room. Stopping right in front of the door, Anya was relieved to see that it wasn't open yet, meaning her father had yet to come downstairs.

Idly braiding her hair back as she waited, Anya suddenly remembered that the Nott family was supposed to be coming over for dinner today, to "celebrate" their children coming home for the holidays. Groaning, Anya leaned against the wall, wrapping the end of her braid in an elastic she kept on her wrist.

When her father came downstairs, he wordlessly opened the room and sent her to pick out a wine from the cellar for him and Nott Sr. to share. Finding an old Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1800s, Anya delicately held the bottle as she made her way towards her father. Rastaban approved the wine, and one of his personal elves prepared it for Nott Sr.'s arrival.

She felt rather than heard their guests arrive. The wards around the manor were keyed into the residents so it felt like a buzzing in the back of her skull when they entered. Anya quickly made her way to greet the Notts with her father. If she obeyed the rules and customs as much as possible, she might be allowed to hang out with Theo while their fathers got drunk.

A few things about Theo: him and Anya had been best friends (along with Draco, by association), since their families were very close. (And they were all Death Eaters, but no one talked about that.) Theo was the only Slytherin Anya could honestly say she trusted. They told each other everything, and it was very convenient that their parents (mostly Rodolphus and Nott Sr.) had a marital contract for them, once they turned 17.

So when Anya saw Theo standing next to his father, she resisted the urge to break into a grin. As their fathers exchanged pleasantries, Anya and Theo ran through the typical pureblood manners expected of them. Once everyone had sat down to dinner, Nott and Rodolphus began talking.

"Quite the shame that Anya didn't get into Slytherin. Must be unbearable, being around all those blood traitors and mudbloods." Anya winced at his language, and she felt Theo tense next to her. Rodolphus nodded, knocking back the rest of his wine. "Once Bella returns, we'll be having a lengthy conversation about Anastasia's rebellious behaviour." The house elves bustled in, refilling wine glasses and clearing away empty plates. Anya muttered a quiet thank you to the elves, which earned her a subtle Stinging Hex. The two patriarchs continued their conversation, completely ignoring their children, who had begun talking quietly.

"Are you okay?"

"Specify."

"Draco incident."

"Perfectly fine."

"Yet I saw you limping," Theo said, glaring a little at her. Anya rolled her eyes, stabbing at the roast on her plate. "It doesn't hurt, and the cuts closed up." Before Theo could respond, Nott Sr. turned the conversation back to them. He mouthed 'Liar' before turning back to his father.

Later, when the men had locked themselves away in her father's study, Anya was sitting with Theo in her room. She had shown him the pictures from Bridge to Terabithia, which he had fawned over before asking to read the book. So, while Anya sat at the desk finishing that essay, Theo laid on the bed reading, occasionally answering a question Anya would randomly ask.

"The hand movement for the Flintfors spell is holding the wand to the right, right?"

"Hold to the left."

"Thanks."

"Mhm."

"Does this sound right: 'This spell is used to practice the transformation of animate objects into inanimate objects.'"

"Try 'This spell is practiced to exercise transforming animals into inanimate objects.' It flows better."

"Thank." Theo snickered.

"Welcome."

The hours wore on, and pretty soon an elf had apparated into the room to inform the kids that Theo would be staying over, since Nott Sr was "too intoxicated to safely transport them home." In other words, he was shitfaced drunk and had probably passed out. Theo simply nodded, walking over to the dresser, where they kept some of Theo's clothes- this happened often. Anya finished her essay with a flourish, setting her quill aside and cast a quick drying spell over the essay, rolling it up. "Heads or tails."

"Tails." Anya flipped a galleon, and it landed on heads. "Ha, you gotta wait. I'll be fast though." She grabbed some pajamas and went into the bathroom.

While Anya showered, Theo took it upon himself to hide the muggle book, and he may have tidied her room up a bit. Sue him, but Anya's room was, in her words, "organized chaos."

A sane person would call it a hot mess.

Once Anya stepped out, Theo took her place, leaving Anya to try and find what Theo had done with her stuff. She rolled up her completed essay, laying it in her trunk before pulling out a second pillow from the closet. Throwing it on the bed, Anya called for one of the nicer house elves to bring them more blankets and pillows. Loxy, Anya's favorite elf, brought them, plus hot chocolate. Anya gratefully accepted them, thanking the elf and setting up the miniature blanket fort/nest that Theo and Anya would be sleeping in. Once Theo finished showering, he immediately grabbed a hot chocolate, nestling into the blankets with the ease of someone who's done this a million times before.

Anya and Theo stayed up until a little after midnight, long after the last cold dregs of hot chocolate had been whisked away by Loxy. When Anya's eyes began to droop, Theo laid down, letting Anya snuggle into his side, and the two friends fell asleep.

A/N: THEO AND ANYA WILL NOT BE SHIPPED IN THIS FIC OR ANY FOLLOWING YEARS! This is entirely platonic and always will be.