***Author's Note*** Please R&R! Thanks!
Disclaimer - I didn't make up the characters that are in J. K. Rowling's books although I do love them and J. K. Rowling for writing the HP books. This is just a fanfic with the plot totally and completely original. It makes references to characters and situations from the books and the descriptions are similar to those in the book but they are original as well.
Chapter Eight: The Wedding Wolf
The trip to Hogsmeade was cancelled in light of the dementors' disappearance so Oscie wasn't able to go on her 'date' with Draco so instead they spent the day together. The two paired up outside on the lawn for most of the day just talking and Oscie had to admit that she actually enjoyed herself.
"What're you doing for the winter break?" Draco asked. Oscie shrugged.
"I'd have to talk to my uncle and see whether or not he wants me to go to his house but I am going to my sister's wedding in London. She sent me an invite last Sunday," Oscie replied. "What're you doing?"
"I'm going home but I sent an owl to my family and they want to meet you. Do you want to come to my house on Christmas Eve?" Draco drawled. Oscie's stomach did a flip-flop as she thought of who his father was loyal to. Being with Draco was one thing but his father and his house were another thing completely.
"I'd like to but I'll have to check with my uncle," she said with a forced smile. He didn't notice the effort behind her smile and nodded.
"What does your uncle do for a living?"
"That's a good question," admitted Oscie. "He's never said what his occupation is. What about your parents?"
"Since my family is rich with wealth beyond spending, they don't work typical jobs," he replied. "What about you? What do you plan on doing?"
"Getting a job with the Ministry of Magic. With the.er leverage that my family has it won't be hard to get a respectable job," he drawled. "You?"
"Oh I don't know yet. Maybe I'll become a dark witch and make potions day and night for evil purposes. Or I'll become a vampire and go on a mission to rid the world of garlic. I've got to keep my options open, you know," Oscie replied with only the slightest hint of jest. Draco nodded and tilted his head.
"Sounds very noble, ridding the world of garlic. Or maybe you should become a dark vampire and make potions to keep garlic from harming you," Draco suggested as seriously as Oscie had. The way Draco now acted around her was stunning and nobody else believed it when she told them things he'd said. He was normally rude and conceited as he walked through the halls, smirking at people who he viewed as being at a lower level in society. Draco still continued to do that but when he was with Oscie he joked more and even smiled a lot with his crooked smile.
"Excellent! I have my career all set. Now all I have to do is get bitten and let nature take its course. Care to join me in my venture? It's more fun than working for the Ministry, I'm sure."
"Being a vampire would bring shame to my family," he stated. "I'll keep my job and make sure the ministry stays off your trail." Oscie laughed, unable to keep up the charade any longer with a straight face. Draco picked up a blade of grass and transfigured it into a miniature clove of garlic.
"You best start practicing," he said while handing her the little gift.
Christmas break came all too quickly for the students. Exams were now upon them and even the slightest disturbance during review sessions could result in the one causing the ruckus being taken to the hospital wing without a mouth or with their tongue tied in a knot. Hermione cracked down on those in the Gryffindor common room with her Prefect badge and kept the noise there to a minimum.
Luckily for them the exams passed by as smooth as they possibly could. Harry and Ron were able to pass the Potions exam by the skin of their teeth while Oscie and Hermione received average marks. The rest of the exams were relatively easy for the two girls since they were able to remember what they read whereas Ron and Harry had a little more difficulty but they weren't too consumed with studying anyway.
"Did you get a response from Lupin yet?" Ron asked as he and Harry celebrated after the last exam by playing a game of chess.
"Yes, he said to stay here," Oscie replied without looking up from the book she was reading about Quidditch.
"My mum and dad said the same thing," Ron stated. "I guess they don't want us around if what Hagrid said is going on. So it looks like we're all here for the break. Are you, Hermione?"
"Yes. I don't want to be anywhere near my parents to keep the attention off of them since having a witch in their house could be bad news for their safety. But.Oscie, how are you going to get to your sister's wedding?"
"I talked with McGonagall and she arranged to have a Ministry car pick me up and take me there that morning. Apparently they're faster than regular cars. Not surprising," Oscie replied. "But I'm going to be staying the night there and I'll be back late at night on Christmas Eve."
"Is Ginny staying?" Harry questioned.
"No. She's going to her friend's house again. Mum and Dad are adamant about me not seeing her much."
"So it's just the four of us for Christmas," Hermione said. "At least we'll have this common room to ourselves by the looks of things. It seems everyone is packing."
"More families probably want to be together since Voldemort is active once again," Harry surmised. There had been a few attacks since the attack on Azkaban. In one attack a few giants smashed a neighborhood before the Ministry could get on the scene and stop them. Hagrid had been especially upset at that news knowing that giants now didn't have a chance of ever being accepted by wizards and he was facing an inquiry because he's half giant.
"Where are you going to stay after you sister's wedding?" Hermione questioned. Oscie hadn't told them about going to the Malfoy's for the evening and wasn't planning on it either. She knew the responses she would get; Hermione would lecture her about the dangers and tell her she couldn't go, Ron would be apprehensive and most likely agree with Hermione on this one, and Harry would want to go along to attack Lucius Malfoy.
"I'll be at her house that night since they're leaving in the morning for their honeymoon," Oscie replied.
"Who's she marrying?" Harry asked as he took Ron's knight.
"She said his name is Thanatos Nott. I've never heard of him of course," Oscie said.
"Nott was one of the Death Eaters there after the Triwizard Tournament," Harry stated in a low voice. "Your sister is marrying a Death Eater or the son of one." Oscie's mouth hung open slightly.
"Do you want one of us to come with you? It might be safer that way," Ron said to Oscie. She thought for a moment.
"No.my sister doesn't know anything about me and I don't know about her and neither one of us may know totally about him and she won't know that I know anything about her husband and maybe she doesn't know anything about him or he isn't a Death Eater," Oscie said in one quick breath.
"Wait, slow down," Hermione exclaimed and Oscie collected her thoughts.
"Well there are a few options; my sister might not know that her husband is a Death Eater, she won't know that I know he is, maybe it's his dad that Harry saw and he's not one at all, or maybe she'll try to recruit me," Oscie explained, laying bare all the situations she could think of. "It's not like Maggie will know what I've been up to."
"Still, maybe one of us should." Hermione began.
"No. That might attract more attention," Oscie cut in. "Besides, I can hold my own in a duel." She stood up and gave them all a sly grin. "Now if you'll excuse me I must be off to say farewell to my Slytherin boyfriend and if I can handle him, I can handle a crazy sister."
The ride to London was faster than Oscie had anticipated and she soon found herself outside a small church. It seemed only big enough for a few people to fit inside and she began to wonder if she was in the right place.
"Have you ever been to a wedding here before?" the driver asked. He was an old wizard and was very kind to her, talking with her the whole drive from Hogwarts.
"No," she replied.
"Well just make sure when you walk up to the doors you tap them with your wand. You see, to Muggles this looks just like an old dump of a building but to our kind we can see the true beauty of the building. If you don't tap on the door with your wand then the doors won't open since they won't know you're a witch and you're allowed to be there. It's quite a good trick," the man explained.
"Well thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it," Oscie said. She got out of the car with the gift she had for her sister and walked up to the door. On the door was a mirror and it appeared to be the place to tap the wand. Before she did she looked at her reflection to see if the spells Hermione had done on her hair were holding. Hermione had dyed strips of her hair a blood red, the same color as her dress robes that she was now wearing, and helped to curl her hair and keep it in place. Everything looked fine and she tapped the mirror with her wand. Immediately the doors opened inward and she found herself in a gorgeous reception area of the church that must have an enlarging charm on it since it was larger than the entire church appeared to be from the outside. Candles lit the space and there were white decorations everywhere, held up by pixies that were sprinkling sparkling dust. A few wizards and witches were standing around talking and a few turned to look at the newcomer. She set the gift on the table with the other gifts on her right and walked up to another set of doors that appeared to lead to the church. Two wizards stood there in fine black dress robes.
"Are you friends of the witch or the wizard?" one of the men asked.
"Maggie, the witch," she replied. The wizard opened the left door and bowed slightly as she passed. The inside of the church was just as grand as the foyer and Oscie looked around in amazement. Candles were floating by themselves along the middle isle and a piano was playing softly at the front of the church without a pianist. The church was already almost full and she took a seat in the second to last row. She didn't want to stand out too much and knew this row would be perfect.
After a little while the piano changed its tune and Oscie noticed that now an old bald wizard was now standing at the front of the church with a book in his hand. Next to him was a young man who looked to be in his twenties with wavy brown hair and velvet black dress robes. A white rose was pinned on the breast of his robes and Oscie realized this man was who her sister was going to marry. He wasn't extremely handsome but had very pronounced features and seemed marginally rigid.
The doors to the back of the church opened wide and a woman dressed in fine silk dress robes stood there. She had her black hair up on the top of her head with a veil attached at the back and flowing down behind her. A few faeries were holding the edges of the veil and fluttered behind her making her appearance quite stunning. Her face was soft and her blue eyes were fixed on the man with wavy brown hair. She looked just as Oscie remembered her, beautiful. A slight smile was on her lips and as she walked down the isle flowers magically appeared around her as she stepped.
The wedding took Oscie's breath away as she saw how much the two cared for each other and a silent tear rolled down her cheek.
After the wedding they moved into the entrance hall for the reception. There weren't a large number of people there and Oscie noticed her own parents weren't even in the room. She went to a table and got a glass of the butterbeer and sat at an empty table, waiting for a chance to talk to her sister even though her stomach was in a knot at the thought of doing it.
A witch and wizard who appeared to be husband and wife came over to Oscie and sat down with her. She had noticed earlier that they were the parents of the groom and was slightly shocked they chose to sit with her.
"You must be related to Margaret. You have the exact same hair," the woman said.
"I'm a.a distant relative," she replied. It was the truth since she and her sister were very distant and hadn't talked in over seven years. "And you are the parents of the groom?"
"Yes, we're proud of our Thantos. He's following in my footsteps actually and definitely knows how to get things done," Mr. Nott said in a slightly raspy voice. His wife shot him a warning glance as though she thought he was saying too much.
"Have you met Thantos?" Mrs. Nott questioned with a polite smile, although slightly crooked.
"No, not yet. I plan to talk to Maggie in a little bit once others are done congratulating them. Oh and where are my manners? Congratulations to you two as well," Oscie replied. She felt so out of place and was having trouble keeping a grasp on the formalities or on the situation.
"Why thank you," Mr. Nott bowed his head slightly. "Would you like to be introduced to some of the guests? The Macnairs? The Averys? All fine familes. Or perhaps the Goyles?"
Oscie had to hold back her shock at the name Goyle. She knew from talks with her friends that Mr. Goyle was in fact a Death Eater. She spotted him in the room talking to Thantos and both were laughing.
"Oh, no. Thank you for the offer. I'd really just like to wait to talk to my si.Maggie," she said almost revealing the relationship. Mr. Nott's eyebrows rose for a moment as though he caught what she was about to say. "Excuse me," she said and left the table since she noticed Maggie was by herself getting a drink.
Oscie took a deep breath and then approached her, "Maggie?" The woman turned and her mouth dropped open a little.
"Oz? You look so old!" she exclaimed. Neither sister made an attempt to hug.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you. I met Thantos in England on a trip here and just fell in love. His parents are really extraordinary people and I really admire their commitment to a cause," Maggie replied, choosing her words carefully.
"I just was talking with them," Oscie said. It was then that Oscie noticed a chain around her sister's neck with a small vile attached to it. Most of it was hidden but Oscie could just see the color of the liquid inside and it was metallic silver. The only way the color could be so intense was if.but no, it couldn't be. "Is that.unicorn blood?"
Maggie looked down and noticed the vile partially exposed and hurriedly shoved it inside her white robes. "Of course it isn't," she said with a queer tone that was unmistakably telling a lie. "It's a silver dust that Thantos gave me that just appears to look like unicorn blood." Oscie didn't believe her except for the part about Thantos giving it to her.
"So how's your life? Have any special news? A significant other?" questioned Maggie, obviously trying to redirect the conversation.
"Life is fine. I've been ditched by my parents, put in a new school, lost all my old friends, but I do have a boyfriend. Draco Malfoy," Maggie's eyes brightened. "I'm going to stay with his family for the night and be with them tomorrow for Christmas Eve."
"Oh, how wonderful about Draco! I know his family well," she replied. Oscie took a step to the side to get out of the way of someone trying to get a drink but stumbled on her long dress robes and fell to the ground at her sister's feet. She was very close to her sister's robes and noticed a little spot on the design that made her heart skip a beat. She hurried to her feet and told those who asked that she was fine and then turned her attention back to her sister.
"They should be picking me up soon so could you please open your gift from me now before I leave?" Oscie requested.
"Oh of course. Let me get Thantos," her sister replied. Her sister seemed rigid and less life-like now and Oscie felt very cold inside. The awkward situation was just about to become even more awkward and Oscie just wanted out of the church as quickly as possible.
Thantos, Maggie, and Oscie walked over to the table of gifts together and Oscie handed them the little box she had for them. Maggie unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was a diamond brooch of a wolf with black eyes.
"It's more of a gift for you, Maggie," Oscie explained. "It protects the one who's wearing it and in a way the eyes of the wolf are watching out for you."
Disclaimer - I didn't make up the characters that are in J. K. Rowling's books although I do love them and J. K. Rowling for writing the HP books. This is just a fanfic with the plot totally and completely original. It makes references to characters and situations from the books and the descriptions are similar to those in the book but they are original as well.
Chapter Eight: The Wedding Wolf
The trip to Hogsmeade was cancelled in light of the dementors' disappearance so Oscie wasn't able to go on her 'date' with Draco so instead they spent the day together. The two paired up outside on the lawn for most of the day just talking and Oscie had to admit that she actually enjoyed herself.
"What're you doing for the winter break?" Draco asked. Oscie shrugged.
"I'd have to talk to my uncle and see whether or not he wants me to go to his house but I am going to my sister's wedding in London. She sent me an invite last Sunday," Oscie replied. "What're you doing?"
"I'm going home but I sent an owl to my family and they want to meet you. Do you want to come to my house on Christmas Eve?" Draco drawled. Oscie's stomach did a flip-flop as she thought of who his father was loyal to. Being with Draco was one thing but his father and his house were another thing completely.
"I'd like to but I'll have to check with my uncle," she said with a forced smile. He didn't notice the effort behind her smile and nodded.
"What does your uncle do for a living?"
"That's a good question," admitted Oscie. "He's never said what his occupation is. What about your parents?"
"Since my family is rich with wealth beyond spending, they don't work typical jobs," he replied. "What about you? What do you plan on doing?"
"Getting a job with the Ministry of Magic. With the.er leverage that my family has it won't be hard to get a respectable job," he drawled. "You?"
"Oh I don't know yet. Maybe I'll become a dark witch and make potions day and night for evil purposes. Or I'll become a vampire and go on a mission to rid the world of garlic. I've got to keep my options open, you know," Oscie replied with only the slightest hint of jest. Draco nodded and tilted his head.
"Sounds very noble, ridding the world of garlic. Or maybe you should become a dark vampire and make potions to keep garlic from harming you," Draco suggested as seriously as Oscie had. The way Draco now acted around her was stunning and nobody else believed it when she told them things he'd said. He was normally rude and conceited as he walked through the halls, smirking at people who he viewed as being at a lower level in society. Draco still continued to do that but when he was with Oscie he joked more and even smiled a lot with his crooked smile.
"Excellent! I have my career all set. Now all I have to do is get bitten and let nature take its course. Care to join me in my venture? It's more fun than working for the Ministry, I'm sure."
"Being a vampire would bring shame to my family," he stated. "I'll keep my job and make sure the ministry stays off your trail." Oscie laughed, unable to keep up the charade any longer with a straight face. Draco picked up a blade of grass and transfigured it into a miniature clove of garlic.
"You best start practicing," he said while handing her the little gift.
Christmas break came all too quickly for the students. Exams were now upon them and even the slightest disturbance during review sessions could result in the one causing the ruckus being taken to the hospital wing without a mouth or with their tongue tied in a knot. Hermione cracked down on those in the Gryffindor common room with her Prefect badge and kept the noise there to a minimum.
Luckily for them the exams passed by as smooth as they possibly could. Harry and Ron were able to pass the Potions exam by the skin of their teeth while Oscie and Hermione received average marks. The rest of the exams were relatively easy for the two girls since they were able to remember what they read whereas Ron and Harry had a little more difficulty but they weren't too consumed with studying anyway.
"Did you get a response from Lupin yet?" Ron asked as he and Harry celebrated after the last exam by playing a game of chess.
"Yes, he said to stay here," Oscie replied without looking up from the book she was reading about Quidditch.
"My mum and dad said the same thing," Ron stated. "I guess they don't want us around if what Hagrid said is going on. So it looks like we're all here for the break. Are you, Hermione?"
"Yes. I don't want to be anywhere near my parents to keep the attention off of them since having a witch in their house could be bad news for their safety. But.Oscie, how are you going to get to your sister's wedding?"
"I talked with McGonagall and she arranged to have a Ministry car pick me up and take me there that morning. Apparently they're faster than regular cars. Not surprising," Oscie replied. "But I'm going to be staying the night there and I'll be back late at night on Christmas Eve."
"Is Ginny staying?" Harry questioned.
"No. She's going to her friend's house again. Mum and Dad are adamant about me not seeing her much."
"So it's just the four of us for Christmas," Hermione said. "At least we'll have this common room to ourselves by the looks of things. It seems everyone is packing."
"More families probably want to be together since Voldemort is active once again," Harry surmised. There had been a few attacks since the attack on Azkaban. In one attack a few giants smashed a neighborhood before the Ministry could get on the scene and stop them. Hagrid had been especially upset at that news knowing that giants now didn't have a chance of ever being accepted by wizards and he was facing an inquiry because he's half giant.
"Where are you going to stay after you sister's wedding?" Hermione questioned. Oscie hadn't told them about going to the Malfoy's for the evening and wasn't planning on it either. She knew the responses she would get; Hermione would lecture her about the dangers and tell her she couldn't go, Ron would be apprehensive and most likely agree with Hermione on this one, and Harry would want to go along to attack Lucius Malfoy.
"I'll be at her house that night since they're leaving in the morning for their honeymoon," Oscie replied.
"Who's she marrying?" Harry asked as he took Ron's knight.
"She said his name is Thanatos Nott. I've never heard of him of course," Oscie said.
"Nott was one of the Death Eaters there after the Triwizard Tournament," Harry stated in a low voice. "Your sister is marrying a Death Eater or the son of one." Oscie's mouth hung open slightly.
"Do you want one of us to come with you? It might be safer that way," Ron said to Oscie. She thought for a moment.
"No.my sister doesn't know anything about me and I don't know about her and neither one of us may know totally about him and she won't know that I know anything about her husband and maybe she doesn't know anything about him or he isn't a Death Eater," Oscie said in one quick breath.
"Wait, slow down," Hermione exclaimed and Oscie collected her thoughts.
"Well there are a few options; my sister might not know that her husband is a Death Eater, she won't know that I know he is, maybe it's his dad that Harry saw and he's not one at all, or maybe she'll try to recruit me," Oscie explained, laying bare all the situations she could think of. "It's not like Maggie will know what I've been up to."
"Still, maybe one of us should." Hermione began.
"No. That might attract more attention," Oscie cut in. "Besides, I can hold my own in a duel." She stood up and gave them all a sly grin. "Now if you'll excuse me I must be off to say farewell to my Slytherin boyfriend and if I can handle him, I can handle a crazy sister."
The ride to London was faster than Oscie had anticipated and she soon found herself outside a small church. It seemed only big enough for a few people to fit inside and she began to wonder if she was in the right place.
"Have you ever been to a wedding here before?" the driver asked. He was an old wizard and was very kind to her, talking with her the whole drive from Hogwarts.
"No," she replied.
"Well just make sure when you walk up to the doors you tap them with your wand. You see, to Muggles this looks just like an old dump of a building but to our kind we can see the true beauty of the building. If you don't tap on the door with your wand then the doors won't open since they won't know you're a witch and you're allowed to be there. It's quite a good trick," the man explained.
"Well thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it," Oscie said. She got out of the car with the gift she had for her sister and walked up to the door. On the door was a mirror and it appeared to be the place to tap the wand. Before she did she looked at her reflection to see if the spells Hermione had done on her hair were holding. Hermione had dyed strips of her hair a blood red, the same color as her dress robes that she was now wearing, and helped to curl her hair and keep it in place. Everything looked fine and she tapped the mirror with her wand. Immediately the doors opened inward and she found herself in a gorgeous reception area of the church that must have an enlarging charm on it since it was larger than the entire church appeared to be from the outside. Candles lit the space and there were white decorations everywhere, held up by pixies that were sprinkling sparkling dust. A few wizards and witches were standing around talking and a few turned to look at the newcomer. She set the gift on the table with the other gifts on her right and walked up to another set of doors that appeared to lead to the church. Two wizards stood there in fine black dress robes.
"Are you friends of the witch or the wizard?" one of the men asked.
"Maggie, the witch," she replied. The wizard opened the left door and bowed slightly as she passed. The inside of the church was just as grand as the foyer and Oscie looked around in amazement. Candles were floating by themselves along the middle isle and a piano was playing softly at the front of the church without a pianist. The church was already almost full and she took a seat in the second to last row. She didn't want to stand out too much and knew this row would be perfect.
After a little while the piano changed its tune and Oscie noticed that now an old bald wizard was now standing at the front of the church with a book in his hand. Next to him was a young man who looked to be in his twenties with wavy brown hair and velvet black dress robes. A white rose was pinned on the breast of his robes and Oscie realized this man was who her sister was going to marry. He wasn't extremely handsome but had very pronounced features and seemed marginally rigid.
The doors to the back of the church opened wide and a woman dressed in fine silk dress robes stood there. She had her black hair up on the top of her head with a veil attached at the back and flowing down behind her. A few faeries were holding the edges of the veil and fluttered behind her making her appearance quite stunning. Her face was soft and her blue eyes were fixed on the man with wavy brown hair. She looked just as Oscie remembered her, beautiful. A slight smile was on her lips and as she walked down the isle flowers magically appeared around her as she stepped.
The wedding took Oscie's breath away as she saw how much the two cared for each other and a silent tear rolled down her cheek.
After the wedding they moved into the entrance hall for the reception. There weren't a large number of people there and Oscie noticed her own parents weren't even in the room. She went to a table and got a glass of the butterbeer and sat at an empty table, waiting for a chance to talk to her sister even though her stomach was in a knot at the thought of doing it.
A witch and wizard who appeared to be husband and wife came over to Oscie and sat down with her. She had noticed earlier that they were the parents of the groom and was slightly shocked they chose to sit with her.
"You must be related to Margaret. You have the exact same hair," the woman said.
"I'm a.a distant relative," she replied. It was the truth since she and her sister were very distant and hadn't talked in over seven years. "And you are the parents of the groom?"
"Yes, we're proud of our Thantos. He's following in my footsteps actually and definitely knows how to get things done," Mr. Nott said in a slightly raspy voice. His wife shot him a warning glance as though she thought he was saying too much.
"Have you met Thantos?" Mrs. Nott questioned with a polite smile, although slightly crooked.
"No, not yet. I plan to talk to Maggie in a little bit once others are done congratulating them. Oh and where are my manners? Congratulations to you two as well," Oscie replied. She felt so out of place and was having trouble keeping a grasp on the formalities or on the situation.
"Why thank you," Mr. Nott bowed his head slightly. "Would you like to be introduced to some of the guests? The Macnairs? The Averys? All fine familes. Or perhaps the Goyles?"
Oscie had to hold back her shock at the name Goyle. She knew from talks with her friends that Mr. Goyle was in fact a Death Eater. She spotted him in the room talking to Thantos and both were laughing.
"Oh, no. Thank you for the offer. I'd really just like to wait to talk to my si.Maggie," she said almost revealing the relationship. Mr. Nott's eyebrows rose for a moment as though he caught what she was about to say. "Excuse me," she said and left the table since she noticed Maggie was by herself getting a drink.
Oscie took a deep breath and then approached her, "Maggie?" The woman turned and her mouth dropped open a little.
"Oz? You look so old!" she exclaimed. Neither sister made an attempt to hug.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you. I met Thantos in England on a trip here and just fell in love. His parents are really extraordinary people and I really admire their commitment to a cause," Maggie replied, choosing her words carefully.
"I just was talking with them," Oscie said. It was then that Oscie noticed a chain around her sister's neck with a small vile attached to it. Most of it was hidden but Oscie could just see the color of the liquid inside and it was metallic silver. The only way the color could be so intense was if.but no, it couldn't be. "Is that.unicorn blood?"
Maggie looked down and noticed the vile partially exposed and hurriedly shoved it inside her white robes. "Of course it isn't," she said with a queer tone that was unmistakably telling a lie. "It's a silver dust that Thantos gave me that just appears to look like unicorn blood." Oscie didn't believe her except for the part about Thantos giving it to her.
"So how's your life? Have any special news? A significant other?" questioned Maggie, obviously trying to redirect the conversation.
"Life is fine. I've been ditched by my parents, put in a new school, lost all my old friends, but I do have a boyfriend. Draco Malfoy," Maggie's eyes brightened. "I'm going to stay with his family for the night and be with them tomorrow for Christmas Eve."
"Oh, how wonderful about Draco! I know his family well," she replied. Oscie took a step to the side to get out of the way of someone trying to get a drink but stumbled on her long dress robes and fell to the ground at her sister's feet. She was very close to her sister's robes and noticed a little spot on the design that made her heart skip a beat. She hurried to her feet and told those who asked that she was fine and then turned her attention back to her sister.
"They should be picking me up soon so could you please open your gift from me now before I leave?" Oscie requested.
"Oh of course. Let me get Thantos," her sister replied. Her sister seemed rigid and less life-like now and Oscie felt very cold inside. The awkward situation was just about to become even more awkward and Oscie just wanted out of the church as quickly as possible.
Thantos, Maggie, and Oscie walked over to the table of gifts together and Oscie handed them the little box she had for them. Maggie unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was a diamond brooch of a wolf with black eyes.
"It's more of a gift for you, Maggie," Oscie explained. "It protects the one who's wearing it and in a way the eyes of the wolf are watching out for you."