Author's Notes: First chapter after having read book 5, Order of the
Phoenix. As promised, the story continues as outlined, and no spoilers
from the upcoming book in this chapter or the remaining chapters. A
somewhat fluff chapter, setting up plot lines in coming chapters. No sex,
violence, or other warnings.
Disclaimers: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me, if you recognize any of it here; it's merely being borrowed.
Chapter 53: A Girls' Day Out
The next morning, Mira slept in until her shop assistant, Maddie arrived. While Maddie was readying the shop for the day, Mira dressed in her muggle clothes and packed a small bag for her trip to London. At a quarter of ten, she bid Maddie a good day, and explained to her that she need not attempt the security charms and wards. The locks on the door were generally charm-resistant, and the special wards were for Mira's own peace of mind, not to protect the store. Maddie could just keep the spare key until next time Mira saw her.
Mira left via the floo fireplace, and arrived at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley before her cousin and Tricia or Hermione. She had barely taken a table and ordered a pot of tea when Hermione walked in through the front door. Mira waved the girl down, and asked a serving boy to bring some extra cups and saucers. Hermione and Mira spent the time waiting for Susan and Tricia chatting and sipping their tea.
Always one to make an entrance, Susan emerged from the floo fireplace with Tricia in tow. She swept across the room, giving exaggerated apologies for being late. Once every eye in the room was on her, Susan made a big show of taking her cloak off and draping it over an extra chair. Mira recognized the robe as new, most likely French, and very expensive.
Hermione complimented Susan's robe, and Susan feigned mock modesty.
"Why this thing? I picked it up on a whim when we went to fetch Tricia from Beauxbatons."
Mira looked away and rolled her eyes. Picking Tricia up at school was merely the excuse to go robe shopping in France. The robe was no whim. Whims don't come at that steep of a price. She also noticed that Tricia had a new muggle style outfit on, complete with a new coat, under her wizarding cloak.
Tricia was bubbling over with excitement about spending a day in muggle London with her "auntie" and Hermione. A regular "girls' day out", as the muggles called it. Susan discussed a few things with Mira regarding Tricia, and what she was allowed and not allowed to do. The ground rules firmly in place, Susan took Mira's overnight bag and Tricia's wizarding cloak. As she left, she bid them all a good day.
Mira paid for the tea, and the trio decided how they would spend their day together. Mira hadn't been out in muggle London much, and decided to appoint Hermione as the leader for the day, as she had spent much of her life in and around the city.
Tricia wanted to go shopping in trendy boutiques, and Hermione wanted to visit a large used bookshop. Mira devised a compromise; they would go to two of Tricia's shops, Hermione's bookshop, and then to the large entertainment and shopping complex Mira frequented to see a movie after lunch.
Tricia told her "auntie" that her mum had given her money for cab fare, as she didn't want Mira taking the girls into the subway. Whether Susan felt it was unsafe or beneath her social standing, Mira couldn't decide. Tricia explained that they were late because of the line at Gringott's. It took longer than expected to exchange Tricia's wizarding coins for muggle currency.
It was already half past ten, so Mira gathered up her muggle style wrap and ushered the girls out the door of the tavern, where they hailed a cab to the shopping district.
That morning, at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Snape enjoyed the rare treat of sleeping in. He had been up most of the night, walking patrols of the school grounds. Not a task he particularly enjoyed, but with the rumors of serious pranking going around, it was a necessary task.
He rose, dressed for the day, and summoned for a house-elf to deliver tea to his office. On the way from his private chambers to his office and laboratory, he picked up the early morning postal delivery from the small table in his sitting room.
He sorted through the post, and found a small scroll addressed in Mira's handwriting. It said that she would be returning home from London later in the evening, and she would drop the security wards at exactly midnight, so that he could apparate directly to her chambers between patrols of the school grounds. But regretfully, she had family obligations for New Year's Eve, and would be spending the night at her cousin's house outside of London.
The professor replied, letting her know that he would be arriving just after midnight; but could stay only a short time, as he had to walk another patrol at one in the morning. And, that if she would send an owl to him when she returned home on New Year's Day, they could meet for a little while then as well. He summoned a house-elf and sent the scroll on it's way to the owlery.
Correspondence complete, he set about finishing his lesson plan for the advanced Potions classes. With the rest of the students returning from the holidays in less than two weeks, he wanted to get the paperwork done and out of the way. After supper, he would start walking patrols of the school grounds. With any luck, he hoped to catch Crabbe and Goyle getting up to some rule breaking after curfew, so that he would have an excuse to confine them to their dormitory on New Year's Eve.
That afternoon, at the Malfoy family estate, Narcissa sat alone in her chambers, regretting her involvement in her husband's plan to return the Dark Lord to the physical realm. Lucius had been in earlier in the day, to deliver the last of her fertility potions. He had spent the past few hours in his basement workroom, creating a charm to alter Narcissa's voice just enough for her to pass herself off convincingly as Mira.
Narcissa's housemaid, Cassie, delivered the bundle of items she had stolen from Mira's above-shop apartments while she was at the tavern, having her study session with Hermione. Cassie had taken a robe, some assorted personal items, and a pair of slippers. She had tried to find a cloak, but was warned away by the groundskeeper before she had a chance to locate one. Narcissa sent her to fetch a plain cloak from the cook.
Narcissa sorted through the pile of clothes and other personal effects and sneered as if they were contaminated. Her husband delivered the voice charm to her. He explained that the little silver bauble tied on a ribbon against her throat, would alter her voice enough to pass herself off as Mira, as long as she didn't talk too much or too loudly. Lucius also gave her a piece of parchment with the incantations for the security wards which blocked apparition into or from the building. An advanced unlocking charm would be needed to gain access to the front door as well. Satisfied that his wife would be able to master the wards, and that the voice charm did indeed work, Lucius left his wife to her thoughts and returned to his secret workroom.
The housemaid tried to deliver supper to Narcissa's chambers; she took the glass of wine from the tray, and chased the girl away. Narcissa locked the doors to her chambers and rummaged through the drawer of her dressing table. She removed two small vials of potion. The blue one was a mild sedative; the violet one was an emotion-dulling potion. She added a few drops of each potion to her glass of wine and drank it down quickly. She lay back against the pile of pillows at the head of her bed, and waited for the drink to take effect.
Mira, Hermione, and Tricia headed to the movie theater, weary from a day of shopping. Mira bought tickets for a popular romantic comedy that she felt both girls would enjoy. After the movie was over, they took a cab back to the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione thanked Mira for the fun day, and wished Tricia a good spring term at Beauxbatons. Mira paid the cab driver to drive Hermione on to her house. She and Tricia went into the tavern, and shared some cocoa while waiting for the appointed time when they would take the floo fireplace to Susan and Albert's house.
They just had time to finish their cocoa when the hour arrived for Mira to take her cousin's daughter home. She sent Tricia on through the floo network first, and followed up behind her a few seconds later. They arrived in the main drawing room at the Treadles' new home, just outside of London. Susan was sitting and listening to the Wizarding Wireless, and awaiting their arrival. Albert, she explained, would be home shortly. He had a business meeting with a wool merchant in Scotland that afternoon that was expected to be a little late.
The Treadle family housekeeper, Prudencia Trount, was busy in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. "Pru" was a fairly new addition to the family. This house was significantly larger than the one Susan and Albert had lived in outside of Hogsmeade, and with a bigger house, came bigger chores. Because they weren't an old noble wizarding family, the Treadles didn't have a family house-elf. The tailor-elves were passed down to Albert from his father, who purchased them along with the workshop back in the 1920's. But, Prudencia was a content little old witch, who served the family with pride.
Susan sent Tricia upstairs with her and Mira's shopping, and told her to wash up and change into her robe for supper. Susan asked Mira how their day went, and whether Hermione make a good impression on Tricia. Mira assured her that Tricia and Hermione hit it off quite well despite Tricia's disdain for old musty bookstores, and Hermione's discomfort with trendy fashion boutiques. Susan offered her cousin a sweet from a large crystal bowl on the tea table.
"By the way, Mira. I forgot to tell you. Albert and I are hosting a little party here on New Year's Eve, and we were so hoping that you would be able to join us. It's nothing fancy, just cocktails and dinner for around twelve people. It'll be mostly wizards that Albert does business with, and their wives. But a couple of the men are widowers, and it wouldn't do to not have a female tablemate for them to chat with, now would it?"
"I don't think so, not this time at least. I have plans for late that night already."
"Oh. I see. Well, I already promised that sweet old Danforth Fletcher that you'd be there. He's a fan of the United States wizarding culture, and was looking forward to discussing a trip he took to New Orleans once with you. Couldn't you just come for drinks and supper? You can leave early enough to meet your gentleman friend if your plans weren't 'till late anyway."
"I don't know. I'm in a relationship already, and we wouldn't want to give any of Albert's gentleman associates the wrong idea, now would we?"
"Well, you're not engaged to him; so in my book that means it's perfectly appropriate for you to socialize unescorted, and to share some pleasant dinner conversation with other gentlemen. Please, just for drinks and dinner? You'll be gone by ten or eleven."
"I don't know Susan. I thought we've been through this before, I'm very happy with him."
"Mirabelle, it's not a date, it's dinner. Why are you being so difficult? Besides, it'll do you good to socialize with a better element of wizarding society. You spend way too much time in those taverns and hanging around with other shopkeepers."
"I don't know. We'll see. If I come, it's just for a drink and dinner, and then I'm outta here."
The floo fireplace flared to life, and Albert stepped off of the hearth, and into the drawing room.
"Albert! Good news! Mira is coming for New Year's Eve. She can only stay through supper, but she'll be here."
Mira shot her cousin a nasty glare and smiled wanly at Albert.
"Jolly good Mirabelle! I'll be sure to let old Danforth know. After Susan told him how much in common the two of you had, he's been very eager to meet you."
Susan smiled innocently and shrugged her shoulders at Mira.
"I think I'm going to go upstairs and freshen up and change for supper now."
Mira got up from her chair and flounced out of the room and up the stairs to the guest suite. She caught Tricia hurrying back to her room. The girl had been eavesdropping on the staircase landing. Mira found her robe laid out on the guest bed, and her other items had been stored away in the guest suite wardrobe. She hung the fleece wrap in the wardrobe and pulled her muggle clothes and boots off. She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with water, to cool down from her confrontation with Susan over the dinner party. Susan had left a tray of grooming potions and fancy toiletries out on a small stand next to the sink. Mira picked a few items up from the tray and carried them into the main bedchamber, where she sat in front of the dressing table in her slip and stockings, trying to do something with her hair.
She had just finished pulling it back with a pair of combs, when she heard a faint knock at the door.
"Who's there? Pru?"
"It's me, Auntie Belle. Can I come in?"
"Sure, come on in."
The girl entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her. She had on one of her velvet-trimmed wizarding robes, with her hair back in a matching velvet ribbon. Tricia sat on the edge of the guest bed, behind Mira.
"I heard you and mum talking in the drawing room. You're coming for New Year's Eve?"
"Well, I suppose I am, aren't I. Your mother pretty much decided for me."
"You don't want to spend New Year's Eve with us Auntie Belle?"
"Oh no, Tricia. It's not that at all. I would love to spend New Year's Eve with you and Albert and Susan. I just don't want to be set up with any of your father's business associates. I'm sure they're nice men and all, but you know I'm already seeing somebody, and it's just not right for your mother to keep setting up introductions like that. It's not fair to the men, it's not fair to me."
Mira opened one of the small potion vials marked "blushing bloom for the cheeks and lips" and applied a dab to her lips. The potion did what it promised, a rosy blush appeared instantly on her lips and caused a pleasant tingling sensation. The potion tasted faintly of berries. A dab of perfume, and she was ready to dress for dinner.
Mira got up from the dressing table and sat next to Tricia on the large four-poster bed. Tricia turned to her "auntie" and noticed the diamond brooch on the ribbon around her neck.
"Wow! Auntie Belle! Where'd you get that? Is it real?"
"What? Oh. You mean my brooch. It was a present. And that's a rude thing to ask, whether somebody's jewelry is real or not. I mean; does it really matter as long as it's pretty?"
"I'm sorry Auntie Belle. Is it rude to ask who gave it to you?"
"No sweetie, that's not a rude question at all. Professor Snape gave it to me when I spent Christmas with him at Hogwarts."
"Wow. Has mum seen it?"
"No, she hasn't. But maybe she should."
"It's beautiful. Mum doesn't have anything like that."
"Doesn't she? Well then, I definitely have to wear it where she can see it."
Mira pulled her robe on over her head, and adjusted the cuffs and collar. She unpinned the brooch from the ribbon, and pinned it to the front of her robe, beneath the collar. She slipped on her slippers and tucked the green ribbon into her pocket. There was another knock on the door. Prudencia called out that dinner would be served shortly.
"Come on kiddo, let's go eat."
Tricia bounced off of the bed and took Mira's hand, and the two went downstairs to supper. Susan and Albert were already at the smaller informal round dining table. Mira took a seat across from her cousin. Susan glanced up and looked at a smirking Tricia and to Mira. Her attention caught by the jewel Mira was wearing.
"Mirabelle, that's quite a fancy little brooch you've got there. Did you get it at one of those stylish little boutiques that Tricia loves so much? They've got the most precious costume jewelry, don't they?"
"Actually, it was a Christmas present. The professor from Hogwarts that I've been seeing gave it to me. It's apparently an old family piece, belonged to his mother."
"Oh. I see then. How lovely."
Susan looked away with a pursed look on her face, and made pleasant small talk for the rest of the meal. Afterwards, she curtly made her excuses and retired to her chambers for the evening. Albert went to his study for an after dinner drink, and Tricia led Mira back upstairs to show her the presents she had received for Christmas. They sat and played a wizarding version of jacks for a while. The jacks were enchanted to jump around, which made the game much harder. At ten o' clock, Prudencia knocked on the door and told Mira that it was Tricia's bedtime, Susan wanted her to have a good night's sleep. Mira kissed Tricia on the head and returned to the guest chambers. She sat up and read the latest issue of Witch Weekly before extinguishing the lamps and crawling into bed. After a day of keeping up with two teenaged girls, she was quite ready for a sound sleep.
Disclaimers: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me, if you recognize any of it here; it's merely being borrowed.
Chapter 53: A Girls' Day Out
The next morning, Mira slept in until her shop assistant, Maddie arrived. While Maddie was readying the shop for the day, Mira dressed in her muggle clothes and packed a small bag for her trip to London. At a quarter of ten, she bid Maddie a good day, and explained to her that she need not attempt the security charms and wards. The locks on the door were generally charm-resistant, and the special wards were for Mira's own peace of mind, not to protect the store. Maddie could just keep the spare key until next time Mira saw her.
Mira left via the floo fireplace, and arrived at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley before her cousin and Tricia or Hermione. She had barely taken a table and ordered a pot of tea when Hermione walked in through the front door. Mira waved the girl down, and asked a serving boy to bring some extra cups and saucers. Hermione and Mira spent the time waiting for Susan and Tricia chatting and sipping their tea.
Always one to make an entrance, Susan emerged from the floo fireplace with Tricia in tow. She swept across the room, giving exaggerated apologies for being late. Once every eye in the room was on her, Susan made a big show of taking her cloak off and draping it over an extra chair. Mira recognized the robe as new, most likely French, and very expensive.
Hermione complimented Susan's robe, and Susan feigned mock modesty.
"Why this thing? I picked it up on a whim when we went to fetch Tricia from Beauxbatons."
Mira looked away and rolled her eyes. Picking Tricia up at school was merely the excuse to go robe shopping in France. The robe was no whim. Whims don't come at that steep of a price. She also noticed that Tricia had a new muggle style outfit on, complete with a new coat, under her wizarding cloak.
Tricia was bubbling over with excitement about spending a day in muggle London with her "auntie" and Hermione. A regular "girls' day out", as the muggles called it. Susan discussed a few things with Mira regarding Tricia, and what she was allowed and not allowed to do. The ground rules firmly in place, Susan took Mira's overnight bag and Tricia's wizarding cloak. As she left, she bid them all a good day.
Mira paid for the tea, and the trio decided how they would spend their day together. Mira hadn't been out in muggle London much, and decided to appoint Hermione as the leader for the day, as she had spent much of her life in and around the city.
Tricia wanted to go shopping in trendy boutiques, and Hermione wanted to visit a large used bookshop. Mira devised a compromise; they would go to two of Tricia's shops, Hermione's bookshop, and then to the large entertainment and shopping complex Mira frequented to see a movie after lunch.
Tricia told her "auntie" that her mum had given her money for cab fare, as she didn't want Mira taking the girls into the subway. Whether Susan felt it was unsafe or beneath her social standing, Mira couldn't decide. Tricia explained that they were late because of the line at Gringott's. It took longer than expected to exchange Tricia's wizarding coins for muggle currency.
It was already half past ten, so Mira gathered up her muggle style wrap and ushered the girls out the door of the tavern, where they hailed a cab to the shopping district.
That morning, at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Snape enjoyed the rare treat of sleeping in. He had been up most of the night, walking patrols of the school grounds. Not a task he particularly enjoyed, but with the rumors of serious pranking going around, it was a necessary task.
He rose, dressed for the day, and summoned for a house-elf to deliver tea to his office. On the way from his private chambers to his office and laboratory, he picked up the early morning postal delivery from the small table in his sitting room.
He sorted through the post, and found a small scroll addressed in Mira's handwriting. It said that she would be returning home from London later in the evening, and she would drop the security wards at exactly midnight, so that he could apparate directly to her chambers between patrols of the school grounds. But regretfully, she had family obligations for New Year's Eve, and would be spending the night at her cousin's house outside of London.
The professor replied, letting her know that he would be arriving just after midnight; but could stay only a short time, as he had to walk another patrol at one in the morning. And, that if she would send an owl to him when she returned home on New Year's Day, they could meet for a little while then as well. He summoned a house-elf and sent the scroll on it's way to the owlery.
Correspondence complete, he set about finishing his lesson plan for the advanced Potions classes. With the rest of the students returning from the holidays in less than two weeks, he wanted to get the paperwork done and out of the way. After supper, he would start walking patrols of the school grounds. With any luck, he hoped to catch Crabbe and Goyle getting up to some rule breaking after curfew, so that he would have an excuse to confine them to their dormitory on New Year's Eve.
That afternoon, at the Malfoy family estate, Narcissa sat alone in her chambers, regretting her involvement in her husband's plan to return the Dark Lord to the physical realm. Lucius had been in earlier in the day, to deliver the last of her fertility potions. He had spent the past few hours in his basement workroom, creating a charm to alter Narcissa's voice just enough for her to pass herself off convincingly as Mira.
Narcissa's housemaid, Cassie, delivered the bundle of items she had stolen from Mira's above-shop apartments while she was at the tavern, having her study session with Hermione. Cassie had taken a robe, some assorted personal items, and a pair of slippers. She had tried to find a cloak, but was warned away by the groundskeeper before she had a chance to locate one. Narcissa sent her to fetch a plain cloak from the cook.
Narcissa sorted through the pile of clothes and other personal effects and sneered as if they were contaminated. Her husband delivered the voice charm to her. He explained that the little silver bauble tied on a ribbon against her throat, would alter her voice enough to pass herself off as Mira, as long as she didn't talk too much or too loudly. Lucius also gave her a piece of parchment with the incantations for the security wards which blocked apparition into or from the building. An advanced unlocking charm would be needed to gain access to the front door as well. Satisfied that his wife would be able to master the wards, and that the voice charm did indeed work, Lucius left his wife to her thoughts and returned to his secret workroom.
The housemaid tried to deliver supper to Narcissa's chambers; she took the glass of wine from the tray, and chased the girl away. Narcissa locked the doors to her chambers and rummaged through the drawer of her dressing table. She removed two small vials of potion. The blue one was a mild sedative; the violet one was an emotion-dulling potion. She added a few drops of each potion to her glass of wine and drank it down quickly. She lay back against the pile of pillows at the head of her bed, and waited for the drink to take effect.
Mira, Hermione, and Tricia headed to the movie theater, weary from a day of shopping. Mira bought tickets for a popular romantic comedy that she felt both girls would enjoy. After the movie was over, they took a cab back to the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione thanked Mira for the fun day, and wished Tricia a good spring term at Beauxbatons. Mira paid the cab driver to drive Hermione on to her house. She and Tricia went into the tavern, and shared some cocoa while waiting for the appointed time when they would take the floo fireplace to Susan and Albert's house.
They just had time to finish their cocoa when the hour arrived for Mira to take her cousin's daughter home. She sent Tricia on through the floo network first, and followed up behind her a few seconds later. They arrived in the main drawing room at the Treadles' new home, just outside of London. Susan was sitting and listening to the Wizarding Wireless, and awaiting their arrival. Albert, she explained, would be home shortly. He had a business meeting with a wool merchant in Scotland that afternoon that was expected to be a little late.
The Treadle family housekeeper, Prudencia Trount, was busy in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. "Pru" was a fairly new addition to the family. This house was significantly larger than the one Susan and Albert had lived in outside of Hogsmeade, and with a bigger house, came bigger chores. Because they weren't an old noble wizarding family, the Treadles didn't have a family house-elf. The tailor-elves were passed down to Albert from his father, who purchased them along with the workshop back in the 1920's. But, Prudencia was a content little old witch, who served the family with pride.
Susan sent Tricia upstairs with her and Mira's shopping, and told her to wash up and change into her robe for supper. Susan asked Mira how their day went, and whether Hermione make a good impression on Tricia. Mira assured her that Tricia and Hermione hit it off quite well despite Tricia's disdain for old musty bookstores, and Hermione's discomfort with trendy fashion boutiques. Susan offered her cousin a sweet from a large crystal bowl on the tea table.
"By the way, Mira. I forgot to tell you. Albert and I are hosting a little party here on New Year's Eve, and we were so hoping that you would be able to join us. It's nothing fancy, just cocktails and dinner for around twelve people. It'll be mostly wizards that Albert does business with, and their wives. But a couple of the men are widowers, and it wouldn't do to not have a female tablemate for them to chat with, now would it?"
"I don't think so, not this time at least. I have plans for late that night already."
"Oh. I see. Well, I already promised that sweet old Danforth Fletcher that you'd be there. He's a fan of the United States wizarding culture, and was looking forward to discussing a trip he took to New Orleans once with you. Couldn't you just come for drinks and supper? You can leave early enough to meet your gentleman friend if your plans weren't 'till late anyway."
"I don't know. I'm in a relationship already, and we wouldn't want to give any of Albert's gentleman associates the wrong idea, now would we?"
"Well, you're not engaged to him; so in my book that means it's perfectly appropriate for you to socialize unescorted, and to share some pleasant dinner conversation with other gentlemen. Please, just for drinks and dinner? You'll be gone by ten or eleven."
"I don't know Susan. I thought we've been through this before, I'm very happy with him."
"Mirabelle, it's not a date, it's dinner. Why are you being so difficult? Besides, it'll do you good to socialize with a better element of wizarding society. You spend way too much time in those taverns and hanging around with other shopkeepers."
"I don't know. We'll see. If I come, it's just for a drink and dinner, and then I'm outta here."
The floo fireplace flared to life, and Albert stepped off of the hearth, and into the drawing room.
"Albert! Good news! Mira is coming for New Year's Eve. She can only stay through supper, but she'll be here."
Mira shot her cousin a nasty glare and smiled wanly at Albert.
"Jolly good Mirabelle! I'll be sure to let old Danforth know. After Susan told him how much in common the two of you had, he's been very eager to meet you."
Susan smiled innocently and shrugged her shoulders at Mira.
"I think I'm going to go upstairs and freshen up and change for supper now."
Mira got up from her chair and flounced out of the room and up the stairs to the guest suite. She caught Tricia hurrying back to her room. The girl had been eavesdropping on the staircase landing. Mira found her robe laid out on the guest bed, and her other items had been stored away in the guest suite wardrobe. She hung the fleece wrap in the wardrobe and pulled her muggle clothes and boots off. She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with water, to cool down from her confrontation with Susan over the dinner party. Susan had left a tray of grooming potions and fancy toiletries out on a small stand next to the sink. Mira picked a few items up from the tray and carried them into the main bedchamber, where she sat in front of the dressing table in her slip and stockings, trying to do something with her hair.
She had just finished pulling it back with a pair of combs, when she heard a faint knock at the door.
"Who's there? Pru?"
"It's me, Auntie Belle. Can I come in?"
"Sure, come on in."
The girl entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her. She had on one of her velvet-trimmed wizarding robes, with her hair back in a matching velvet ribbon. Tricia sat on the edge of the guest bed, behind Mira.
"I heard you and mum talking in the drawing room. You're coming for New Year's Eve?"
"Well, I suppose I am, aren't I. Your mother pretty much decided for me."
"You don't want to spend New Year's Eve with us Auntie Belle?"
"Oh no, Tricia. It's not that at all. I would love to spend New Year's Eve with you and Albert and Susan. I just don't want to be set up with any of your father's business associates. I'm sure they're nice men and all, but you know I'm already seeing somebody, and it's just not right for your mother to keep setting up introductions like that. It's not fair to the men, it's not fair to me."
Mira opened one of the small potion vials marked "blushing bloom for the cheeks and lips" and applied a dab to her lips. The potion did what it promised, a rosy blush appeared instantly on her lips and caused a pleasant tingling sensation. The potion tasted faintly of berries. A dab of perfume, and she was ready to dress for dinner.
Mira got up from the dressing table and sat next to Tricia on the large four-poster bed. Tricia turned to her "auntie" and noticed the diamond brooch on the ribbon around her neck.
"Wow! Auntie Belle! Where'd you get that? Is it real?"
"What? Oh. You mean my brooch. It was a present. And that's a rude thing to ask, whether somebody's jewelry is real or not. I mean; does it really matter as long as it's pretty?"
"I'm sorry Auntie Belle. Is it rude to ask who gave it to you?"
"No sweetie, that's not a rude question at all. Professor Snape gave it to me when I spent Christmas with him at Hogwarts."
"Wow. Has mum seen it?"
"No, she hasn't. But maybe she should."
"It's beautiful. Mum doesn't have anything like that."
"Doesn't she? Well then, I definitely have to wear it where she can see it."
Mira pulled her robe on over her head, and adjusted the cuffs and collar. She unpinned the brooch from the ribbon, and pinned it to the front of her robe, beneath the collar. She slipped on her slippers and tucked the green ribbon into her pocket. There was another knock on the door. Prudencia called out that dinner would be served shortly.
"Come on kiddo, let's go eat."
Tricia bounced off of the bed and took Mira's hand, and the two went downstairs to supper. Susan and Albert were already at the smaller informal round dining table. Mira took a seat across from her cousin. Susan glanced up and looked at a smirking Tricia and to Mira. Her attention caught by the jewel Mira was wearing.
"Mirabelle, that's quite a fancy little brooch you've got there. Did you get it at one of those stylish little boutiques that Tricia loves so much? They've got the most precious costume jewelry, don't they?"
"Actually, it was a Christmas present. The professor from Hogwarts that I've been seeing gave it to me. It's apparently an old family piece, belonged to his mother."
"Oh. I see then. How lovely."
Susan looked away with a pursed look on her face, and made pleasant small talk for the rest of the meal. Afterwards, she curtly made her excuses and retired to her chambers for the evening. Albert went to his study for an after dinner drink, and Tricia led Mira back upstairs to show her the presents she had received for Christmas. They sat and played a wizarding version of jacks for a while. The jacks were enchanted to jump around, which made the game much harder. At ten o' clock, Prudencia knocked on the door and told Mira that it was Tricia's bedtime, Susan wanted her to have a good night's sleep. Mira kissed Tricia on the head and returned to the guest chambers. She sat up and read the latest issue of Witch Weekly before extinguishing the lamps and crawling into bed. After a day of keeping up with two teenaged girls, she was quite ready for a sound sleep.