Chapter 7 ~ Christmas Holiday
Owl post arrived, and Muriel was surprised when a letter fell into her lap. It was from her mother. She looked up to see Severus staring at her. He held up a letter as well. Muriel swore. Two days before Christmas holiday this could mean only one thing. One of them was hosting the party, and she would have to go. Maybe she could talk her parents out of inviting the Averys.
She was anxious to get to Potions to ask Severus what his letter said, but was disappointed when she arrived to find their desk empty. She looked back out into the hallway just as the marauders walked passed, sniggering. 'Great, I suppose Sev is in the hospital wing, then,' she thought angrily. She calmed herself when she noticed Macnair, who sat behind her, staring at her. She winked at him and he smiled.
What she really wanted to do was dash out into the hallway and hex the ears off Black and his cronies, but instead she pulled out her mother's letter. Unfortunately she still didn't dare open it. It smelled faintly of something she couldn't place, and she wanted Sev to be with her when she opened it.
When Professor Warrington placed the potion ingredients before her, she began, following the instructions carefully. She fully intended to write Sev's name on the bottle too, so he wouldn't lose points for not being in class. She wanted the potion to be up to his standard.
They met after classes in the library. Severus had opened his letter on the way to potions, which is why he'd been distracted and managed to get himself hexed. Potter had hit him with a jelly legs curse, and it'd taken him most of the class period just to get up the stairs to Madam Kinnison. Mur thought he was still walking a bit funny, but decided not to comment.
"Smells like lilacs," he said, taking the letter from her and smelling it. Muriel made a face. Since when had her mother been interested in girly things like that? She tore it open, and was pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. She pulled another face as she scanned it, though.
"Looks like it's me, then. Maybe they'll let me stay at your place so someone can have my room."
"Doubt it. It looks from my letter to be a joint thing. Father says they're building a pavilion out by the lake and casting heating charms on the whole thing. We'll probably have guests at our house too." He fiddled nervously with his books, digging out the dream journal that he was keeping for Divination.
"You know this means Riddle will be there," he whispered suddenly, leaning forward. "They wouldn't go to all this trouble for a regular old party."
"Then I guess we can be glad that we're still underage." She looked back at her letter. "Mother says there will be a separate place for us. I think she's a little concerned about me meeting him, since I'm a blood traitor and all." She winked at Severus, who looked about to smile. But before he could do so, his eyes narrowed, and she turned to see that Black had come out from behind a shelf in the library. He was busy looking for something, however, and didn't seem to notice them.
Wordlessly, they gathered their things to leave. Mur was sure that Black was still upset about the duck incident, especially since she kept conjuring feathers and letting them float down to his desk during the classes they shared. More than once she'd seen him burn them to ashes with a spell.
It didn't take long to pack up her best robes. She made sure to get Marisa to write down those hair styling spells for her. It would please her mother not to have to help her this year, she knew. The train ride home with Severus was tense, and it only got worse when his father met them at the station.
They rode home silently in Mr. Snape's car. It was a long trip, but Muriel didn't dare talk to Severus about anything. It always seemed that no matter what Mr. Snape heard, he used it against Severus later. Mur couldn't count the times she'd regretted talking in front of Mr. Snape.
Nevertheless, she thanked him politely when they arrived home, and dragged her trunk inside. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Severus followed his father into their house, his head down. Her mother greeted her coldly at the door before charming her trunk to ascend the stairs. It was unusual for Mrs. Deesia to greet her daughter, and Muriel wondered where Papa was.
Mur closed the door to her room and began to unpack. But a movement near the woods caught her eye and brought her to the window. Mr. Snape and Severus were on their way down to the lake. Of course! Her father must already be working on the pavilion. Normally, when she and her mother were alone in the house, she would cloister herself in her room. She'd already been lectured on the way up the stairs about her request for blue jeans (which she had wisely left at school), and an owl that Dumbledore sent home implying that she was using other students to practice her transfiguration skills. Mur had just smirked. He didn't have any proof, which meant Black and Remus hadn't told.
Now, however, she did up her hair and changed into royal blue robes. They were a year old and a little short, but she had newer ones for the party. Her mother would appreciate the effort. She asked a house elf where her mother was, then went to find her in the family library.
"Mother? Might I go and watch the pavilion go up?" she asked cautiously when her mother looked up. She tried not to look nervous while Mrs. Deesia studied her. It had only been a few short months ago that Mur had first seen the dark mark on her mother's arm, and she didn't want her mother to know she'd seen it, though the memory was burned into her mind.
"I suppose you want to see your father. He is there. You may go." She waved her hand in dismissal as Mur murmured her thanks and ran to throw on a heavy cloak. Mur knew her mother had been impressed with her hair. She hadn't expected the woman to comment, but she'd known it would get her what she wanted.
She walked carefully down to the lake, following her father's footsteps in the snow. The woodland around her house really was beautiful as she followed the worn path toward the water. Each tree branch glittered with ice right to the tip. As the sun warmed the air, she could hear the plunk of dripping water all around her.
She couldn't help but gasp when she reached the lake. They had obviously heated it, as it wasn't frozen, and tendrils of white mist rose from it lazily. Only a thin layer of ice graced the water near the banks. In the center, a rotating pavilion floated several feet above the water. Obviously guests would apparate from the shore. Muriel chuckled. They certainly didn't want the children bothering them this year.
With a crack, she appeared beside her father, momentarily thrown off balance by the movement of the pavilion beneath her. He smiled. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. And it was. House elves from both houses were running about putting up decorations of all kinds. White pillars and a low rail ran around the outside of the circle, holding up a high ceiling draped with mistletoe garlands. A huge tree stood in the center. Severus was standing near it, wand in hand. He turned at the sound of her voice.
"Help me with these, will you?" he asked. She hugged her father, then went to help Severus with the cage of live fairies that had to be bound to the tree. It was a shame they couldn't just ask them to live in the tree for a few days, but fairies were fickle, and it wouldn't do for them to decide to leave right before Riddle showed up.
Mr. Snape's warming charm worked well enough that Mur had to take off her cloak as they worked, in spite of the fading sunlight. By nightfall, the place was just about ready. The house elves would take care of the rest before tomorrow night, so they all headed back to the houses.
Muriel walked beside Severus with a smile on her face. He hadn't said anything, but she knew he'd noticed her hair, which made her unaccountably happy. She would do it this way for the party, too, since he liked it.
They spent the next day putting together a smaller pavilion for the children. Once the decorations were finished out on the lake, the house elves came to help them trim their own tree. It went quickly, and Mr. Snape even stopped by to cast his warming charm, though Mur had already told the house elves to build several fire pits around the pavilion and make sure they burned all night.
When they got back to the house, Muriel listened to her mother's instructions on greeting guests. The Malfoy and Avery families had been invited, but Malfoy was now considered an adult, so she wouldn't have to put up with him this year. Mur thought she could choke out a welcome to Avery if she had to, as long as he stayed away from her after that. She and Severus were expected to handle the children and make sure there was NO INTERRUPTION of the adults' party.
Owl post arrived, and Muriel was surprised when a letter fell into her lap. It was from her mother. She looked up to see Severus staring at her. He held up a letter as well. Muriel swore. Two days before Christmas holiday this could mean only one thing. One of them was hosting the party, and she would have to go. Maybe she could talk her parents out of inviting the Averys.
She was anxious to get to Potions to ask Severus what his letter said, but was disappointed when she arrived to find their desk empty. She looked back out into the hallway just as the marauders walked passed, sniggering. 'Great, I suppose Sev is in the hospital wing, then,' she thought angrily. She calmed herself when she noticed Macnair, who sat behind her, staring at her. She winked at him and he smiled.
What she really wanted to do was dash out into the hallway and hex the ears off Black and his cronies, but instead she pulled out her mother's letter. Unfortunately she still didn't dare open it. It smelled faintly of something she couldn't place, and she wanted Sev to be with her when she opened it.
When Professor Warrington placed the potion ingredients before her, she began, following the instructions carefully. She fully intended to write Sev's name on the bottle too, so he wouldn't lose points for not being in class. She wanted the potion to be up to his standard.
They met after classes in the library. Severus had opened his letter on the way to potions, which is why he'd been distracted and managed to get himself hexed. Potter had hit him with a jelly legs curse, and it'd taken him most of the class period just to get up the stairs to Madam Kinnison. Mur thought he was still walking a bit funny, but decided not to comment.
"Smells like lilacs," he said, taking the letter from her and smelling it. Muriel made a face. Since when had her mother been interested in girly things like that? She tore it open, and was pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. She pulled another face as she scanned it, though.
"Looks like it's me, then. Maybe they'll let me stay at your place so someone can have my room."
"Doubt it. It looks from my letter to be a joint thing. Father says they're building a pavilion out by the lake and casting heating charms on the whole thing. We'll probably have guests at our house too." He fiddled nervously with his books, digging out the dream journal that he was keeping for Divination.
"You know this means Riddle will be there," he whispered suddenly, leaning forward. "They wouldn't go to all this trouble for a regular old party."
"Then I guess we can be glad that we're still underage." She looked back at her letter. "Mother says there will be a separate place for us. I think she's a little concerned about me meeting him, since I'm a blood traitor and all." She winked at Severus, who looked about to smile. But before he could do so, his eyes narrowed, and she turned to see that Black had come out from behind a shelf in the library. He was busy looking for something, however, and didn't seem to notice them.
Wordlessly, they gathered their things to leave. Mur was sure that Black was still upset about the duck incident, especially since she kept conjuring feathers and letting them float down to his desk during the classes they shared. More than once she'd seen him burn them to ashes with a spell.
It didn't take long to pack up her best robes. She made sure to get Marisa to write down those hair styling spells for her. It would please her mother not to have to help her this year, she knew. The train ride home with Severus was tense, and it only got worse when his father met them at the station.
They rode home silently in Mr. Snape's car. It was a long trip, but Muriel didn't dare talk to Severus about anything. It always seemed that no matter what Mr. Snape heard, he used it against Severus later. Mur couldn't count the times she'd regretted talking in front of Mr. Snape.
Nevertheless, she thanked him politely when they arrived home, and dragged her trunk inside. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Severus followed his father into their house, his head down. Her mother greeted her coldly at the door before charming her trunk to ascend the stairs. It was unusual for Mrs. Deesia to greet her daughter, and Muriel wondered where Papa was.
Mur closed the door to her room and began to unpack. But a movement near the woods caught her eye and brought her to the window. Mr. Snape and Severus were on their way down to the lake. Of course! Her father must already be working on the pavilion. Normally, when she and her mother were alone in the house, she would cloister herself in her room. She'd already been lectured on the way up the stairs about her request for blue jeans (which she had wisely left at school), and an owl that Dumbledore sent home implying that she was using other students to practice her transfiguration skills. Mur had just smirked. He didn't have any proof, which meant Black and Remus hadn't told.
Now, however, she did up her hair and changed into royal blue robes. They were a year old and a little short, but she had newer ones for the party. Her mother would appreciate the effort. She asked a house elf where her mother was, then went to find her in the family library.
"Mother? Might I go and watch the pavilion go up?" she asked cautiously when her mother looked up. She tried not to look nervous while Mrs. Deesia studied her. It had only been a few short months ago that Mur had first seen the dark mark on her mother's arm, and she didn't want her mother to know she'd seen it, though the memory was burned into her mind.
"I suppose you want to see your father. He is there. You may go." She waved her hand in dismissal as Mur murmured her thanks and ran to throw on a heavy cloak. Mur knew her mother had been impressed with her hair. She hadn't expected the woman to comment, but she'd known it would get her what she wanted.
She walked carefully down to the lake, following her father's footsteps in the snow. The woodland around her house really was beautiful as she followed the worn path toward the water. Each tree branch glittered with ice right to the tip. As the sun warmed the air, she could hear the plunk of dripping water all around her.
She couldn't help but gasp when she reached the lake. They had obviously heated it, as it wasn't frozen, and tendrils of white mist rose from it lazily. Only a thin layer of ice graced the water near the banks. In the center, a rotating pavilion floated several feet above the water. Obviously guests would apparate from the shore. Muriel chuckled. They certainly didn't want the children bothering them this year.
With a crack, she appeared beside her father, momentarily thrown off balance by the movement of the pavilion beneath her. He smiled. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. And it was. House elves from both houses were running about putting up decorations of all kinds. White pillars and a low rail ran around the outside of the circle, holding up a high ceiling draped with mistletoe garlands. A huge tree stood in the center. Severus was standing near it, wand in hand. He turned at the sound of her voice.
"Help me with these, will you?" he asked. She hugged her father, then went to help Severus with the cage of live fairies that had to be bound to the tree. It was a shame they couldn't just ask them to live in the tree for a few days, but fairies were fickle, and it wouldn't do for them to decide to leave right before Riddle showed up.
Mr. Snape's warming charm worked well enough that Mur had to take off her cloak as they worked, in spite of the fading sunlight. By nightfall, the place was just about ready. The house elves would take care of the rest before tomorrow night, so they all headed back to the houses.
Muriel walked beside Severus with a smile on her face. He hadn't said anything, but she knew he'd noticed her hair, which made her unaccountably happy. She would do it this way for the party, too, since he liked it.
They spent the next day putting together a smaller pavilion for the children. Once the decorations were finished out on the lake, the house elves came to help them trim their own tree. It went quickly, and Mr. Snape even stopped by to cast his warming charm, though Mur had already told the house elves to build several fire pits around the pavilion and make sure they burned all night.
When they got back to the house, Muriel listened to her mother's instructions on greeting guests. The Malfoy and Avery families had been invited, but Malfoy was now considered an adult, so she wouldn't have to put up with him this year. Mur thought she could choke out a welcome to Avery if she had to, as long as he stayed away from her after that. She and Severus were expected to handle the children and make sure there was NO INTERRUPTION of the adults' party.