Chapter 4

Holiday in Hogsmead

The trio arrived at 22:35 (10:35pm), at the Green Forest Inn. It wasn't exactly in Hogsmead, but once Mel and Nia had layed down, in their favorite silk pajamas, they realised why Mark had chosen this Inn. The beds molded to fit their bodies, the pillows were very fluffly, and it seemed 'Only the best for our costumers' was an understatement.

The night seemed to short, or at least it seemed that way to Nia. She, being the morning person of the three, woke up at 8:17. 'Awake and smelling great' she thought. But as she stretched, she caught a 'wif' of herself. 'Nasty! Merlin, do I ever need a shower...' She got up and looked out the window. It was nice and sunny outside, perfect for what she wanted to wear.

So Nia headed for the bathroom to have a nice long hot shower. About 30 minutes later she came out wearing one towel around her and another on her head.

She walked over to her trunk and picked it up. 'It's really light... oh, the elves must of put my clothes away. How nice.' She put her trunk back down and pushed it under the bed, then headed for the armoire. She picked a white blouse, a baby blue undershirt, and a black about knee lenght skirt. To finish it off she grabbed a pair of knee high zip up pleather black boots and a pair of sunglasses to keep her hair out of he eyes.

She changed and looked in the mirror, satisfied with her look and went over to Mel. "Minx, get up! Minx, MINX!" She yelled, proding Melanie with her finger. Yet, nothing seemed to be getting threw to her.

Nia smiled at this little predicament. Picking up two pillows, she attacked Mel with the pillows. "Mummy, I don't want to get up yet. Please mummy, Mummykins!" Mel began to mumble in a begging tone. "Since when am I Mummykins! Huh, Minx?" Nia began to laugh. The stunned expression on Mel face was priceless, Pure and Priceless!

Eventually, Mel got up and took a shower and changed. And seeing as to the fact of the only being witchs', they headed downstairs for breakfast. Once they were down stairs, they saw Mark sitting at a table alone, seemingly drinking coffee. "They alive! I thought you two were dead, I've been down her for hours." Mark looked at them and smiled. Stairing at the two chairs infront of him, waiting for them to sit down. As they did Nia added. "Well, I've been up for hours! I was trying to revive Minx here. You know, a dragon could have attacked and she still be snoring away in her bed!" Finishing her sentence with a mocking smile.

"Oh, ha ha, really funny!" Hitting Nia on her arm. Then continued. "Lets just eat, I want to go shopping!" Mel finished, drooling as the food was placed infront of them. And so they ate.

Later, walking in Hogsmead

"Why don't we go and look around HoneyDucks. They look like they have soom good candy, Shade." Nia looked at her brother. "We could. Then we could go to Madame Malkin's and get you two some new cloaks. Maybe, I could even get her to make some dresses..." Mark trailed off, winking at Nia, for they both knew what Mel reaction would be to new clothes. "Would you really, Mark!" Mel asked, jumping up and down excitedly. "Do you think I would of said that for nothing, Minx. I don't tease my siblings!" He said, laughing. It seemed when ever Mark was around, they laughed... a lot!

"Then can we go to Flourish and Blotts to get some books I've been dying to get my hands on. You understand, might as well while we're in Diagon Alley, right." Nia looked curiously into a window of HoneyDucks. "Of course!" He awnsered while entering the shop.

They bought some candies at HoneyDucks and then Mark Apparated them to Madame Malkin's Shop. "I've always hated that feeling you get when Apparating. The squeezing feeling and all that. But I'll ALWAYS prefere it to those reched port keys!" Nia said, rubbing her sides.

"Oh, Hello Miss DuBois. How are you? And why aren't you two in school?" She asked worriedly at the girls. "They're with me for the week Madame. That's why." Mark stepped out from behind a lign of travelling cloaks. "Oh, hello Mark. Back I see. Well that makes perfect sence then." Madame replied with a smile. After talking a little, Madame Malkin fitted the girls for some new cloaks and then some dresses. "Naomi, this would go wonderfully with your eyes. And this one, dear would go well with your, oh what are they called... lontict cenes." Madame Malkin showed her strapless black dresses. "Contact lences, Madame. Contact Lences." All three said. "Yes, well. Look at the dresses, Naomi." Madame said while handing her the dresses.

One reached to the floor and the other to her knees. They both had designs on it. One had a lign of butterflies in grass going up the left side. The design on the dress was a hazel color. The others', the one that reached to the ground, had green ivy going up the side of it. This was the one that would go with her contact lenses. Well, at least the green pair that is; the other was just a plain pair of contacts.

"Oh, they're beautiful Madame. But I don't think mother would agree about the knee high one. Can you make it as long as the other?" Nia asked politely. "Yes, of course." And with a flick of her wand, it reached to the ground. "I'll take them!" Nia smiled and began to look with them. She picked up the one that had with the butterflies and held up against her. "Can you make just one more adjustment?" She looked toward Madame Malkin. Nodding, Nia continued. "Can you put a slit at the bottom, on each please." Madame took the dresses and made the adjustment.

Mark decided to say something. "Why don't you girls buy your dresses for the PureBlood Ball. It is at the end of the school year, isn't it?" He asked looking at them. "No, they moved it to Christmas, Mark. You will be there, wont you?" Mel said, curiously. "Only if you girls want be to be there?" He said, smirking. To make his sister admite, twice in two days, that she missed him. He was loving it. "Shade, that's not even funny. You going to be there and that's final. I mean it's not fun, teasing those idiots, in french, alone. Mel hates to join in our Brother-Sister tradition. And there's two reasons as to why. 1) It's our tradition and 2) She's to busy enjoying the boys company to participate anyways!" She looked at him, a pleading expression resting on her face. "Oh alright! So we'll come and pick out our outfits a month before the Ball. Alright?" He said, a large smile on his face. "Yeah. Alright." Naomi murmered happilly. A smile on her face aswell.

The rest of the week was much like this. Waking up, eating, going shopping and filling Mark in on the changes that happened while he was in Italy. Which was surprisingly a lot. The two talked Mark into coming to about a million different ocassions that year and the next. Happilly agreeing to do things for his sister and her best friend.

"Did I ever miss a lot! And miss you two... a lot." He said, flashing them another one of those perfect smiles of his.