Elisabeth resolutely set down the owl from Thomas and leant back into the chair cushion. She had been avoiding thinking about what her cousin had said until she could find some time alone to think privately, but she didn't have any further excuses to put it off. Astrid had thought that Bill Weasley seemed extremely reluctant to leave the house after staying to tea the day before. Astrid also had a theory about why Bill had been so unaccountably willing to sit and talk to his sister's friends.
Elisabeth looked round the common room to be sure that she was alone. Gwen and Ginny had gone to sleep hours ago and the three of them were the only ones in any of the Gryffindor rooms. Since the only students in the castle were the local Scots students and those who had remained at school during the holidays, Elisabeth knew she could reasonably expect not to meet anyone in the halls if she took a walk. She was a prefect after all, so she shouldn't have any trouble if a professor saw her. Elisabeth picked up her cloak from the floor and hurried out of the common room and into the corridor outside.
As she wandered down the dark stairway to the storey below, Elisabeth began thinking about what Astrid had suggested. Not only did Elisabeth feel certain that Gwen's mother would never approve of a British wizard for her daughter, Elisabeth also felt it unlikely that Gwen would find Bill Weasley an attractive option.
Elisabeth pulled open the door to the arithmancy classroom and settled herself on the top of one of the desks near the window. There was a very new moon outside, so the landscape surrounding the castle was almost completely unlit. She could see a slight glow on the lawn below, which probably meant that someone else was awake and sitting in the room below her. Resolving to stay quiet, Elisabeth leant against the windowpane and pressed her nose to the glass as she returned to her thoughts.
Regardless of what Gwen said about honouring the traditions of her family, Elisabeth knew that Gwen loathed what had been planned for her. For several weeks Gwen had been receiving regular owls from her mother, which contained information about the four wizards that the family had selected for formal negotiations. Although Elisabeth was sure that Gwen dutifully read them at some point, neither Ginny nor Elisabeth had ever seen Gwen even open the thick, wax-sealed parchment scrolls.
Elisabeth frowned as she considered how much her own mother would like to have the ability to require Elisabeth to obey her like Breton mothers could. Mother hated Aurelius and thought that Thomas was a "very nice sort of wizard." Luckily, Mother had no idea that it was not Thomas, but Aurelius who had sent most of the owls that Elisabeth had received over the holiday break. Not that Elisabeth had read any of them. They'd all gone straight into the fire.
Elisabeth pulled herself back from the cold glass of the window and shivered slightly as she debated with herself whether she should mention what Astrid had said to either Gwen or Ginny. Astrid might have been wrong. It did seem odd that Bill would be so interested in a witch that he barely knew. Perhaps he had managed to catch something of the fiery personality that she and Ginny saw every day, which would go a long way towards explaining his interest. But although Gwen's extremely ethnic looks were striking, on her best day Gwen was not beautiful.
Shoving her hand in the wand pocket of her robe, Elisabeth slid from the top of the desk onto the floor. Then, walking very softly so as not to catch the notice of whoever was in the room below her, Elisabeth exited the classroom and cautiously began to return to the Gryffindor dorms. Having decided that it would do no good to tell Gwen, and feeling that if Bill didn't want Ginny to know then it wasn't right for Elisabeth to tell her, Elisabeth now felt that she could devote her mind to deciphering Thomas' latest owl. She had to come to some sort of decision about him, since Aurelius would be returning with the other students tomorrow. She just knew he was going to try to talk to her alone. Yet if she couldn't make up her mind about Thomas first, then being alone with Aurelius might be dangerous. As she placed one hand on the railing to a slowly shifting staircase, Elisabeth admitted that she wouldn't really mind that so very much after all.
Looking up from the owl she had been reading as Ginny burst into the bedroom, Gwen asked with interest, "You look happy. What has happened?"
Ginny settled onto the edge of Elisabeth's bed, which was closer to Gwen's, and breathed out excitedly, "I've finally convinced him that we should fly in the face of danger and get married this summer."
Gwen's expression changed immediately into one of pleasure as she shoved a thick scroll with heavy black seals under her pillow and moved to sit next to Ginny. "That's wonderful, Ginny! I know you'll be so happy together. Harry really loves you."
"Oh I know he does. That hasn't been the problem, you know. The trouble is that he's terrified that the moment we marry then someone will hex me into my grave.
"What changed his mind?"
Ginny touched her finger to the stone on a thin, silvery ring and said calmly, "Well, nothing. He is still afraid of something happening to me. However, I reminded him that being engaged means that we actually do have to get married, else the engagement has to end."
Gwen's eyes widened. "You know he really wants to be with you, Ginny."
"Yes, I do. That's the really wonderful thing about Harry – I do understand him. Unfortunately he has a bad habit of trying to make decisions for me when he thinks he is keeping me safe. On the other hand he wants a family with me more than anything. He will have to learn that I don't like to be managed any more than he does."
"So you are going to be married this summer then?"
"Yes. I want us to have some time together before I begin training. I think he'll need that, especially."
Gwen asked a little uncertainly, "He won't want you to leave off training will he?"
Ginny snorted with amusement, "I'd like to see him ask."
"I'm glad. He doesn't seem that sort but you never know with wizards."
"Harry isn't like that, Gwen. He has no ideas of me being a housewitch, since he knows that I wouldn't be happy."
Gwen sighed, "You're so lucky, Ginny." Gwen had pulled out her wand and was now absently transfiguring the little figurine on the top of her trunk into a series of progressively uglier hags as she stared at the wall ahead of her. "You deserve to be happy, both of you."
Ginny heard the slightly discontented tone of Gwen's voice, but knew the source of Gwen's disappointment. Ginny tactfully changed the subject and asked, "Where is Elisabeth?"
Gwen looked pointedly at Ginny and said softly, "I think that she has gone off with Aurelius."
"Has she? I wish someone would hex his beautiful face with pox long enough for Elisabeth to see that is his only attraction."
Gwen's face perked slightly as she said, "Do you think that pox would do it? I've done a bad-breath curse. I thought at least that would keep her from kissing him. I know a very nice boil curse though. Do you think that would modify nicely or should I look up a tried-and-true pox one?"
Ginny snorted with laughter. "You didn't! Of course you would, I don't know why I'm surprised. That is perfect, since it is subtle so she won't suspect he is being cursed."
"Yes, that was what I had decided. I had planned to add a mild sweating charm tomorrow, so his face is shiny and hands are slightly clammy. Then I was thinking of a sebum enhancing charm so his hair would clump together with grease. She'll just assume he isn't bathing. I was thinking that a body odour charm might be too much, since I believe that a vague, subtle hint that Aurelius is a slimy bastard is the goal."
Somewhat taken aback, Ginny commented, "Goodness, Gwen. You have planned it out, haven't you?"
"Of course. If she is going to make an idiot of herself with Aurelius then she needs to know what sort of wizard she is choosing. I was sorely tempted to cast a Discontent charm on her instead, but that would be like making the decision for her, which isn't fair."
Ginny frowned at her friend, but feeling herself unequal to unravelling Gwen's logic she shook her head and stroked her ring as she replied, "Why do so many witches always want the wizards who are the worst possible choice?"
"Do you think that I should have studied the Eastern defence charms more? We only spent a week on them in class, but you never know what the examiners will do."
"No, Bill says that they never test on that sort of thing. I'm focussing on standard auror defensive charms – the sort of thing they teach during the first year of training. Harry says that is what we are likely to need to know."
"But how does he know?"
Ginny raised one eyebrow and looked at Elisabeth coldly. "He wouldn't tell me something so specific if he didn't actually know."
Gwen, who had been sucking absently on the tip of her sugar quill, said, "Well anyway Bill got an impossibly high score on his defence NEWT so his advice is solid, isn't it? I am going to practise English-style defence spells only. I doubt they'll even want anything continental."
Ginny slumped back into her chair and sighed. "I wish the exams were tomorrow instead of next week. My brain is just full; I don't know how much more I can learn. I just want it to be over."
Elisabeth shook her head wildly, "Don't even say that. I desperately need more time to revise my notes. I've made Aurelius promise to practise duelling charms with me today and Wednesday, but I just know I'm going to be rubbish when the examiner is there."
Gwen, who had exchanged a brief glance with Ginny at the mention of Aurelius Beaucharme, replied soothingly, "You won't be rubbish. I've practised it all with you heaps of times, Elisabeth. There is no doubt you will pass."
"I thought so last week, but now I am not so sure. When Aurelius was quizzing me it seemed like I didn't know anything! That's why he is going to help me."
Ginny's eyes flashed as she looked angrily at the papers in front of her and said only, "Is that why?"
Gwen looked somewhat meditative as she gazed at her best friend, who was biting her thumbnail and looking hopelessly at the stack of books in front of her. "I don't know what material he was asking you, but you do know defence, Elisabeth. Why don't you try some of your other subjects and return to Defence later with a fresh mind?"
"Well I think that I remember enough of Transfiguration, Runes, History, and Astronomy. I suppose we could read for Charms a bit."
Ginny shoved a thick, ancient book towards Gwen and said, "Here. Bill sent me this to revise for Charms."
Gwen shrugged her shoulders and closed the charms text that she had just opened. "Did he? It looks rather musty, but I suppose your brother would not have sent it if it wouldn't be useful. Where shall we start? Preservation charms?"
Elisabeth nudged Gwen with her elbow and whispered urgently, "Edwin!"
All three girls turned round to face Edwin Sorrel, who had stopped at the end of their table. "Hello, Edwin." Ginny said pleasantly as she kicked Gwen underneath the table.
Edwin Sorrel took a deep breath and said, "Hi, Ginny. Hi Elisabeth. Hello, Gwen. M-may I speak to you p-please, Gwen? Just for a moment."
Gwen, after lightly kicking Ginny back, stood up as she said, "Alright, Edwin. Shall we step out into the corridor?"
Ginny and Elisabeth both watched in surprise as Gwen led Edwin out of the library with her back held ramrod straight and head high. As soon as Gwen had walked through the library doors that Edwin had hurriedly opened for her, Elisabeth said sorrowfully, "Poor Edwin, he finally got his courage together. I had rather hoped he wouldn't, so she wouldn't have a chance to crush him."
"Yes, she's in 'queen' mode, too. Why can't the poor clot take a hint? If she were interested in him she would have given him more encouragement." Ginny shook her head and sighed as she turned back to the table and pulled the charms book from in front of where Gwen had been sitting.
Elisabeth replied sadly, "She can't encourage him, you know. Her family has received four formal offers for her already and there will be more. What would be the point of dating any other wizards really?"
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "In Gwen's mind there wouldn't be any point. If it were me I'd rather go out with a bang. But then her only option at the moment is Edwin who would be less of a bang and more of a tiny little pop."
Elisabeth giggled for a moment and then her face sobered as she said, "Poor Edwin. Did you hear that he is going to be work in his uncle's cauldron supply shop after school? I do hope he doesn't mention that to Gwen."
"I don't think it matters. No matter what he says she will shut him down."
