My apprentice sat on the floor by the coffee table, with a large mug and an open book, one in each hand. Every once in a while she would squint at a page, and then at the contents of the mug.
"What is she doing?" My brother asked in a whisper as he dropped into the corner of the sofa. He had his own mug and a fuzzy blanket wrapped around his shoulders, King in the North style.
"Tasseomancy." I wasn't about to make fun of him, I had been huddled in the recliner with Mister curled around my neck, both of us dozing, feet toward the fireplace. It was cold enough that you could feel it through the stone walls of the basement. The fire seemed to struggle in the hearth. "Reading tea leaves."
"Neat," said Thomas. "What do you see?"
Molly frowned at her cup. "Snowflakes?" She frowned at the book. "This is a little behind the times, it's been snowing all afternoon. Let me try with yours," she offered.
"Nope. Sticking with hot chocolate. There are no dark portents in cocoa." I took a long, noisy pull from the Thermos I held. "Only marshmallows."
"Here, do mine," said Thomas as he offered up his mug.
"Hm." She stared at the clumps of leaves in the bottom of the cup like she knew what she was doing. "Uh-huh. Oh, dear."
"What is it?"
She pointed at a glob of soggy tea and grinned at Thomas. "Says here you're a bitch."
He made a pouty face as we air-fived from across the room, and he stomped into the kitchen to make himself some cocoa. "Some Hogwarts this is."
Next: Candy Apple