Whose bright idea was it to invent holiday homework?

Yasmina pushed her books aside, a bored sigh escaping her lips. She was procrastinating. Again. Not that she was particularly focused on potions anyway. A smile slipped on her mouth and she took the piece of parchment that was lying on her work desk.

Two days ago, she had received Tom's letter, and even though she tried, she couldn't stop reading it.

She had instantly recognized the handwriting on the envelope, as the words were traced in an unmistakable elegant way. Fortunately for her, the family owl had brought the letter right to her window. It had helped her avoid unnecessary questions. Days later, the words on the parchment still brought the heat to her cheeks, and she could not start to imagine what her family members would have done if the letter had fallen into the wrong hands.

Moreover, she had only started seeing Tom about a month ago and they barely had the time to discuss anything serious at all. Yasmina didn't even know if Tom's attention would last. She wasn't ready to inform her parents about him, even less her brother. Amir was less short-tempered than her, but as a true Hufflepuff, he was protecting his little sister with all the energy he had. She didn't know how he would react to the news. Perhaps she had avoided a crisis, back on the platform. Amir could be very emotional and impulsive.

The young woman's eyes surfaced the letter once again.

"Yasmina,

It's been several days and I still haven't had any news from you. I thought perhaps it would be appropriate for me to remind you of your word. Don't Gryffindors always brag about keeping their promises? I find myself disappointed.

I'm sure you're managing perfectly well without the continued presence of Mulciber, but you'll find attached to this letter a Christmas gift that might give you the desire to see them as soon as possible. We could practice together. I certainly wish for our training session to be as unproductive as our study sessions.

I waited for your letter for days, hoping for some heated phrases, as you've had to endure almost a full week without my touch. How do you keep up without my constant attention? I certainly am yearning for your presence, as it could ease those protracted, uninteresting days.

Do I keep you awake at night? Is your skin craving for my touch? Can your thirst be quenched by your hands alone? Do you wish I was there with you, sharing your bed?

I long for our return to Hogwarts.

Tom"

His words were imprinted in her mind. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw them, the sentences, full of desire. Heat pooled in her lower belly. Her eyes couldn't focus on anything else. They were constantly drawn back to his concupiscent letter, although she now knew all the words by heart.

Tom's meaning was as clear as water. "Do you wish I was there with you, sharing your bed? I long for our return to Hogwarts." This couldn't be more obvious. Yasmina tilted her head back, trying to pull herself together by breathing deeply.

Even from afar, he was still bewitching her. She knew she would say yes if he'd ask, even though it was most improper, even though it wasn't right.

He was messing up with her rationality.

At least, Tom was caring. With his letter, he had sent her a Christmas gift. Yasmina had unwrapped the gift and laughed heartily. She was certain that the book "101 ways to curse an enemy" would help her get through the following semester.

Most of the spells detailed in the book, however, weren't as innocent as she had thought at first. Her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself in an unexpectedly interesting reading. Somehow, she didn't tell anyone about this gift. She felt it was hers alone.

Yasmina's fingers brushed against the hardcover and she refocused her attention on the letter. She had to write him an answer. She knew she had to. Yet she couldn't find the right words. Tom could put words on his desires; she couldn't. Conversely to her, he understood perfectly how all this worked and what he had to do. Yasmina merely tried to stay afloat as her body wedged underwater, overwhelmed by all the new sensations she felt with him. Lust was sinking her.

The only thing she had managed to write so far was: "Dear Tom, I hope this letter finds you well." Pathetic!

"Ugh! Why is it so difficult?" Yasmina grunted behind her hands.

"Who are you writing to?" a sweet, curious voice startled her.

Her mother, Audrey Shafiq was standing in the corridor in front of her bedroom. Yasmina quickly turned her parchment face down and tried to appear innocent.

"Er… Eve."

"Oh! Will she come here during the holidays? You should invite her for dinner."

"No, she's in Paris with her family for the whole holidays."

Her mother, who was born in the French capital, smiled in nostalgia. "How lucky she is! Tell her we all miss her. Are you almost finished? We have to go to London to buy a dress for the New Year's party."

"We can go now! I'll continue when I come back. I can't find the words."

0o0o0

A knock on her door startled her. Yasmina bent over to pick up the ring she had dropped. "Yes?"

Her brother, wearing a splendid robe, entered her room. "The Lestranges have arrived. We are waiting for you downstairs."

"I'm coming in an instant."

Amir left her as Yasmina finished getting ready. The young woman looked at length at her grandmother's ring before putting it on her finger, sadness creeping on her. Her grandparents couldn't make it tonight. They were still stuck in Cairo, a thousand miles away, alone for Christmas. If she could, she would've apparated in their living room and dined with them instead of eating with Theodore and his parents. She missed them.

At least, the ruby on her finger gave her the courage to walk down the stairs.

She had known them all her life, but facing the Lestrange was always challenging. They were intense and opinionated, – more than her – especially Theodore's mother.

"Ah Yasmina, finally!" His father handed her a hand she caught as soon as she entered the living room.

Theodore's parents, Cassius and Araminta Lestrange were looking divinely rich, with their diamond jewels and their embroidered robes. Her brother and Theodore were hanging out in a corner, both wearing mischievous smiles on the corner of their lips. Even though they had a relative age gap, the two men have been inseparable since their youth. They made quite the pair, the two of them.

Theodore slightly bowed, acknowledging her. He was good-looking, wearing formal attire with a satin lapel, his shoes shining under the chandelier. He looked like a completely different person, so far from his gloomy friends. Yasmina looked at her reflection in the large mirror over the fireplace. Her long hair was tied up in an elegant updo and the long, golden dress fell at her ankles.

She was a different person here too.

Yasmina kissed Theodore's mother on the cheek as the eldest detailed her from head to toe. His father greeted her with a nod and Theodore, as was the custom, slightly brushed his lips against her hand. Their parents stared at them in approbation.

The conversation was light. Theodore and Yasmina were questioned about their last semester at Hogwarts, while her brother Amir had to recount his latest adventures in Egypt. When their parents started discussing the latest news at the Ministry of Magic, Amir poured the two students a glass of hydromel.

"I heard you made up with Prewett and his girlfriend," Theodore said, delicately touching his crystal glass with theirs.

"Yes. Mary and I had the chance to talk. I'm relieved this is all over. It was Hell, Gryffindors aren't supposed to be that divided."

He seemed disappointed. "I was getting used to having you hanging around with us. You'll spend all your time in the Gryffindor Tower, now."

"Perhaps I can do both. We'll see. If Mulciber stops acting like a prehistoric man, I might, "she added, to which Theodore replied with a complicit nod.

Amir stared at her with utmost incomprehension. "You? Spending time with Slytherins? What happened to you?"

Yasmina stopped Theodore from answering with a threatening look. He pouted, but she didn't flinch. There was no way he would tell his brother about Tom and her. "Theodore and I have agreed on letting our acquaintanceship known. We've hung out a few times."

"Really?" Amir asked, bemused. "I would never have thought that possible."

Yasmina thought about her very Slytherin boyfriend. She smiled mysteriously.

"Things change."

When eight o'clock struck the grandfather's clock, Yasmina's mother made a grand, smooth gesture toward the dining room, the sleeves of her silver dress hanging low. "The dinner is ready. Let's take place in the dining room."

The long table could seat ten people comfortably. Yasmina took place right beside her brother, and in front of Theodore. Of course, places had been assigned previously.

Christmas dinner was as usual incredible. Vegetables had been glazed with honey and turkey was filled with the best stuffing in town. Yasmina helped herself with a bit of everything and poured herself a large glass of wine. She had known Theodore's parents all her life, yet she was still nervous around them. Everything she said or did was scrutinized and wine helped her relax.

Just as she thought that Araminta Lestrange raised her chin proudly and addressed her father. "So, Karim, why haven't you found a proper match for your daughter yet?"

Again? How come marriage was the only subject interesting purebloods?

"We're in no hurry, Yasmina will get married when she is ready," her father answered and Yasmina felt a pure rush of love towards her dad.

"She's getting old," the woman answered with her usual tact.

Her mother cut a piece of glazed carrot. "Araminta. Karim and I got married at 25. She has plenty of time to find someone she likes."

"Well, I heard the young Nott is going to get engaged this holiday. With Yaxleys' and Travers' families already taken, I'm afraid there won't be anyone left in the 28 for your dear girl. Perhaps the Rosiers' boy could be a great match?"

Yasmina choked on her food. Rosier? She met Theodore's amused eyes, as he visibly knew what she was thinking about. The young woman rolled her eyes at him, accentuating his smile.

"Don't you want to get married, dear?" Cassius Lestrange asked her and she turned away from the Slytherin. "Surely it would help you ensure a good future."

"I haven't thought about it, really, Mr. Lestrange. I've been so taken at school as a Head girl. Great responsibilities demand great dedication."

He nodded in approval. "You are right. You've always been very hard working. I'm sure being a Head girl takes a lot of your time."

Her parents eyed her proudly. She was proud indeed of what she had accomplished in the first part of the semester. Her smile faded, however, when Theodore snorted.

"Yeah, Yasmina spends an awful lot of time "working" with the Head boy." He had an unpleasant smirk on his face when he discreetly air quoted.

The Gryffindor's jaw dropped, shocked about his betrayal.

Amir quickly turned his head and stared at Yasmina, question marks in his eyes. She ignored him and took a precarious glance at her parents. Fortunately for her, both of them were eating and hadn't perceived Theodore's air quotes.

"Ah yes," Cassius Lestrange nodded again, miraculously oblivious about what had just happened. "Isn't he your friend, Theodore? He's in Slytherin also, right?"

Theodore's smile widened to Yasmina's dismay. "No," she mouthed to him silently, shaking her head. This was not the way this conversation was supposed to go. Theodore ignored her warning. "Yes, Tom Riddle. You know about him, father. He's the best student in our year. Professor Slughorn thinks of him as the next minister for magic."

Yasmina's dad smiled at her. "How lucky you are, at least you get to work with a good student! I feared that you would be stuck with some fool and do all the work alone."

"I don't think that it's his grades Yasmina's interested in…" the Slytherin casually said, half-hidden behind his cup of wine. He took a sip, his eyes shining.

There was no mistake this time. Theodore's meaning was well understood by every attendee. Yasmina opened her mouth again as she stared at him, frozen with consternation.

There was a fire on his features and he looked ready to fight. He kept staring at her, taunting her, and behind his well-known grey irises, Yasmina could see all the slyness that had kept them apart for so long. Her blood boiled.

"What do you mean, Theodore?" her father inquired after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"I merely meant that Tom and Yasmina are surely…"

"Will you shut your damn mouth, you dumb idiot!" Yasmina yelled before putting her hands on her mouth. She didn't mean to lose her temper like this.

"Yasmina!" her mother exclaimed, shocked at her daughter's language.

The table fell silent. The Slytherin appeared as shocked as the others, but he couldn't conceal the slight smirk at the corner of his mouth that slipped out inadvertently. What the hell was he playing at? She knew things about him that would make his mother faint. Revenge would be sweet.

Amir was stunned. "Mina, you have a boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend?" Araminta Lestrange frowned, putting down her fork. "You should be flirting around or you'll have a reputation of a promiscuous girl."

For Heaven's sake!

"Can I be excused?" the Gryffindor attempted. She had to go away or else she would stab Theodore with her kitchen knife.

"You stay here, young girl," her mother dryly commanded.

Yasmina resisted the urge to reply – and to attack the man in front of her – and pour herself another glass of red wine. She drank as adults were discussing her private life as if they knew a single thing about it. The Gryffindor glared at the Slytherin. That untrustworthy cretin! Ugh! She longed for her wand, more discreet than a knife, but it was upstairs in her room.

Yasmina focused on her plate and ate quietly, as her mother and Cassius discussed the Head boy, without having met him at all. She sighed, irritated.

"Perhaps we could ask the main interested party," her father suggested, annoyed by his wife's deductions.

"Yes, let's ask Yasmina about her boyfriend, we all want to know." Amir suggested and Yasmina glared at him.

"How is he like?" her mother asked and, even though Yasmina knew that she was still mad at her for yelling at Theodore, she could see that she was indeed curious about that mysterious young man.

She remained silent.

"Please, Yasmina, tell us or we'll ask Theodore." Her brother threatened.

"Fine." She snapped. "He's… He's complex."

Tom was way too intricate to be merely described by a few words. He was a mystery she hadn't solved.

Yasmina's brain overflowed with memories of the past months. She thought about his wand on her throat after the first Transfiguration class and the way he had entered her mind without her even noticing. She recalled their drinks at the Three Broomsticks, their encounter in that corridor later that night, and the time he had kissed her in the kitchen. She also thought about the dark glamour that followed him wherever he went, about that darkness in his irises, whether it was due to lust or anger.

"Surely you can find something better than that," her mother asserted.

"What do you want me to say? He's adored by students and teacher alike,"

Mainly because he was polite, cunning, and ambitious. A true Slytherin.

"…talented,"

Yes… deliciously talented. She could almost feel his lips on her neck and his finger on her skin. Her face flushed.

"and clever."

Too clever for his own good, perhaps.

Yasmina met her father's eyes, but he remained quiet. Araminta loudly put her glass on the table, breaking the silence that had settled in the dining room. "Yes, yes, all this is very interesting, Yasmina. But we want to know about the blood in his veins. He's surely not a mudblood for he is Theodore's friend."

She had apprehended that question.

"He's a half-blood," Yasmina answered almost imperceptibly, but both Theodore's parents scoffed in disdain.

"You shouldn't associate yourself with such people, Yasmina."

Her father rolled his eyes. "Araminta, how many times do I have to tell you that we don't share the same point of view about that?"

"This is a disgrace for the Shafiq name!"

Theodore opened his mouth again. "Tom's mother was a Gaunt. Surely a muggle father can't destroy that whole line's purity."

Gaunt? It was one of the oldest wizards' families in England. The Gaunt family never came to pureblood events, though. They were outcasts, living by themselves, their mind affected by intra-family marriages. Hadn't the son of Marvolo Gaunt murdered a whole family of Muggles a few years ago? Yasmina remembered reading about it in the papers.

"A Gaunt, really?" her mother inquired but she was interrupted by her friend's loud exclamation.

"A muggle father is still muggle blood, Theodore. You would do well to remember it. Moreover, I don't recall approving of that friendship."

Yasmina internally scoffed. If only Araminta knew about Tom's influence at Hogwarts, she wouldn't say the same. As if Theodore had a choice; Tom was the only one to befriend in the Slytherin house. He was the only one to follow.

After dessert, the group went back to the living room for discussion. She knew her parents would never forgive her for lacking manners in front of the Lestrange. Yasmina remained silent, trying to fade into the decor, politely listening to their conversations until she it was late enough to flee.

Theodore and her brother, chatting discreetly near the fire, threw her several teasing looks. She feared what he could tell her brother since he seemed well informed about what happened between Tom and her.

Yasmina couldn't believe he had the nerve of telling everyone about her and Tom. A week ago, he was reassuring her that he wouldn't tell anyone. Slytherins were so untrustworthy.

Irritated, Yasmina stood up, the rest of her patience having faded away. She needed some air.

"I'll go prepare some tea" she announced. Of course, Yasmina could've asked her house elf, but she wanted to escape the room for a while. "Theodore, why don't you come with me?"

The Slytherin rightfully hesitated at her overly kind smile. The clever man sensed danger. "I don't…"

"Go help her," his mother commanded and Theodore jumped on his feet, following her. He couldn't argue, not with her.

Amir's suspicious eyes followed them as they left the living room. The kitchen was on the other side of the house. There, they would be far enough to talk without being heard by the others. When Yasmina closed the door behind him, she was trembling with rage.

"Yasmina-" he tried, but she interrupted him.

"You're a traitor, Theodore!" She took several strides towards him and he backed away until his back reached the wall. "I wasn't ready to discuss this. It wasn't your place to tell!"

Yasmina grabbed the wand that stuck out from his pocket and pointed it at him. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"I was merely trying to help."

She scoffed ironically. "Yeah, you helped me much."

"I never said I was helping you." The Slytherin haughtily looked down on her. Yasmina scoffed with disdain: she strongly disliked when he was snobbish like this. He took a step forward and she took one backward. "Give me back my wand…"

"Or what? I'm not scared of you."

"Give me back my wand or... I'll tell him you've been a bad girl," he softly threatened, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"Incarcerem!"

Theodore fell on the floor as thick ropes were wrapping around him. He cursed loudly, trying to free himself from the bounds. Yasmina approached him and pointed his wand at him, her head slightly tilting. "Tom doesn't mind me cursing his friends."

Theodore's expression changed. He was completely taken aback. "What?"

She felt powerful, over him like this. Theodore was a very capable wizard, but there he lay, on the ground, as she was standing on her feet. "That's true. He told me, clear as day."

He tried to escape from her spell, but the thick ropes held on. "Get me out of this! He didn't mean… shit."

Yasmina was disconcerted by the worry in his voice. "How can you possibly know what he meant? You weren't there." Theodore didn't answer, even though he clearly wanted to. Instead, he pushed harder against the rope. "What do you mean?" she repeated while he grunted against the bounds. Yasmina had never seen him so out-of-character.

"He's testing you!" He finally spat, angry and worried. There were so many emotions on his features, but she couldn't decipher all of them, being overshadowed by the sudden murderous gaze that had appeared on his face.

She froze. "Testing me?"

The door opened and the two students turned their heads towards it. Yasmina's brother came inside the kitchen. "Are you alright, we heard a –" Amir stooped mid-sentence, studying the two of them. Yasmina was still pointing his wand at Theodore, unflinching. On the ground, the Slytherin couldn't take his eyes off her. Amir softly closed the door and put a silencing spell on the door. "That's what I thought."

Yasmina rolled her eyes. "Can't you see you are interrupting? Leave us."

"No… I'll stay. Are you still cursing everyone you disagree with, Mina?"

"It's none of your concern, leave."

"You're angry, rightfully so, which means I fear for Theo's safety. Free him and discuss like adults."

Theodore was quiet. Yasmina sighed and, flicking the wand, she freed him from his bound. The Slytherin stood up, rubbing his wrists where the cordage has particularly irritated his skin. He fiercely took his wand back from her hand.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked him, irritated at her own ignorance. She didn't understand anything that had happened tonight.

"You hexed me! That's the matter." He dodged the true meaning behind the question.

"You perfectly know why I did it! You broke the main rule regarding pureblood children: Don't tell parents anything!" Her voice broke on the last word. Anger kept flowing through her veins, yet the betrayal hurt the most. Never, in their years of friendship, had Theodore stood against her. Outside Hogwarts, they were a team, one of the strongest kind.

He swept the dust from his robe, avoiding her gaze. "I don't owe you an explanation."

"Yes, you do!"

"No, Yasmina, I don't! I don't answer to you, nor does anyone! You can't curse people around because your short-temper can't support arguments! You can't always decide how things go. You're spoiled and arrogant, and you're highly mistaken if you think for one second that everyone is going to follow you blindly. And you're messing with things you don't understand."

She took a step backward. "Theodore, don't cross the line," Amir suggested diplomatically.

The Slytherin raised a hand to silence her older brother and took another step towards her, scanning her from head to toe. His grey eyes were full of danger. "Something has already changed within you. Dating him doesn't mean that you have to forget who you are."

Theodore reached for the entrance, but Yasmina passed in front of him and slammed the door behind her, hoping it had broken his nose.

Dinner was over.

0o0o0

She was uncomfortable. Her back lying on the hard, wooden floor, her frizzy hair now full of dust. At least in this position, she could watch the stars outside the windows without being bothered by the cold outside. Here, hiding in the attic, she was at peace.

Sun had set a few hours ago and she knew she would have to renounce her solitude to get downstairs for dinner. At least this time, nobody would bother revealing her secrets to everyone since Theodore wouldn't be there. If his parents weren't so close to hers, Yasmina highly suspected that she wouldn't see him again.

A strong emotion filled her up again, for the umpteenth time today. She didn't know if it was anger or sadness this time, as both feelings had tended to mix up in the past few days. Her chest felt stuck in a vice. She couldn't breathe.

The wooden step creaked under the weight of someone – a man – and she sighed. It was the end of her tranquility.

"Yasmina?"

She didn't reply to her brother. Perhaps he would leave her alone. She knew he couldn't see her from where he was.

"I know you're here."

She sighed. "Over here."

Amir rejoined her. He looked at her lying on the floor without saying a thing. Then, the young man sat on the floor next to her, his back against an old family chest. He was staring at her, inquisitive and silent, as he always did when he wanted her to talk. She didn't.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked.

"Yes."

"You've been hiding for three days."

Her brother had always been able to see through her lies. She shrugged and sat next to him.

"I need to talk to you about Theodore," he said.

A lump formed in her throat and she looked outside the window. She had cried enough for that idiot. His words were still playing inside her mind, preventing her from falling asleep at night. She couldn't forget his grey eyes filled up with pain.

"I was supposed to go to London with him yesterday, but he canceled on me. He was also supposed to come back here two days ago but he didn't. He's avoiding you."

"I don't care."

"You should care!" Amir replied, outraged. "He's your oldest friend!"

"You've imagined things!" Yasmina rectified with the same voice. "This semester was the first one where I've actually talked to him at school! We have avoided each other for years, only speaking on pureblood events. I've never been that close to him. You were, not me."

"You and I both know that what happens in Hogwarts isn't real life. I've been watching the two of you since you were born. You are close and you are friends! Theodore knows you better than everyone. I might even say he knows you even better than me. You should go and see him."

Yasmina ran a hand through her tangled hair and shook her head, looking at her brother in incomprehension. "You were there! You heard what he told me. You heard how he betrayed my trust! How can you condone the nasty things he said?"

"That's what friends do, Yasmina! They tell you things you don't want to hear!" Amir stood up and looked down on her. "Moreover, Mina, you're not the only one who can lose her temper. Perhaps Theodore has said more than he wanted. You cursed him and he was angry. He probably regrets his words, but you'll never know if you don't go to him. You'll ruin everything."

Her brother didn't wait for her answer and walked down the stairs heavily. She heard the trap of the attic slam shut and she found herself in complete silence.

In complete darkness.

Yasmina laid back down again on the floor, both hands on her face. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to forgive Theodore and forget about all this. Amir was right: he was indeed her friend. He always had been.

Theodore's words were keeping her awake at night, not because they were hurtful, but because they were true. She knew she was arrogant and that she couldn't stand being wrong. She had deserved it. She had cursed him like he had been a life-long enemy. What was wrong with her?

Moreover, something didn't add up. He had seemed irrationally angry when he had learned about Tom's words. But anger wasn't all of it. It was also fear, and Yasmina wasn't able to make the links.

Nonetheless, she couldn't understand why he had told everyone about Tom. He said he wasn't helping her. Had Tom demanded him to reveal the truth to her family? What would that be useful for? It's not like they were seeing each other outside of Hogwarts. If Tom was serious about her, he would have the opportunity to meet her family next summer. What was he expecting of her?

Yasmina's hand reached for the book he had sent her. She opened it and read about an unknown spell that could stun someone for a few days, the illustrated purple light captivating her. She smiled, thinking about her brother's reaction if he had opened the kitchen door and saw that Yasmina had used this spell instead of a simple Incarcerem. How taken aback he would've been.

Something unexpected happened then. All her body felt numb as if it was under some kind of air pressure. It wasn't unpleasant at all, rather bewitching. Inside her hand, her wand felt warmer than it had ever done before. She wanted to curse again. She wanted to feel that intoxicating sensation of power over and over. She needed it.

The feeling left her panting, almost as luring as Tom's touch. It was like the devil's eyes were staring at her, daring her to succumb to her greed.

In an instant of lucidity, Yasmina closed the book and took her eyes away from it.

Theodore was right. Something had changed within herself.

Perhaps Tom Riddle was really testing her.