When Hera woke up, she was expecting to have a heavy body bouncing next to her. When she woke to find an arm laying heavy across her midsection, she froze. When she tried to scoot away from the body pressed up against her, the arm pulled her close, preventing her escape.

She lifted the arm off of herself and turned to find the culprit. It was Tom. She shook his shoulder, attempting to wake him up. It would not do for the matron to find him here. When he awoke, he murmured a few incoherent words before he gave her his usual greeting.

"Morning, Hera," then a long yawn, before the eleven-year-old boy rolled over and fell back asleep. Hera rolled her eyes at him before jumping up. When she realized that the only thing on her body was the short white nightgown the orphanage provided, she squealed, and grabbed the blanket covering Tom and used it to cover her own body.

He yelped at the rush of cold and flared out his Power, a draft of a warm fire, taking over a cold winter night, letting it wrap around Hera and pull her close to him. He wrapped his lean arms around her small fame and pulled her close. Pressing his face into her hair, he sighed, "darling, it is entirely too early-" A slow breath was making its way out of Tom's mouth, "to be awake and functioning." He looked over her up and down, she had let the blanket droop a little. When she noticed Tom's gaze, she flushed a bright red.

"Tom, don't do that," She stretched out the word Tom and turned away from him right before she pushed him away. "Go back to your room and get ready." she ordered, she peered over to him, "It is my birthday so matron will let us go out to town,'' Tom looked at her, winked, and left the bright red eight-year-old in her room.

She took her time getting ready, wanting the people in town to think well of the orphanage, and her. Because it was her birthday, one of the older girls lended a dress to Hera and the other girls got to work on mending it. Hera usually did not enjoy dresses, but this one was really pretty. It was a simple pale green dress with a dark green ribbon coiled around her thin waist. There were a few stains and rips, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

Hera tied her long hair up into a medium high ponytail with a beautiful green ribbon that matched the ribbon at her waist and her eyes. The matron always talked about her eyes, how they were so green that she had often wished that she had those eyes.

Hera made her way downstairs, and out the door. She was going to visit the teenager building. It would be the first time that she had ever ventured into the building where the older kids lived. They were big, and scary to most of the kids at the orphanage. Hera had never been truly frightened by the imposing size of the teenagers, she just never had needed to visit the older kids.

She arrived at the front of the building, and knocked on the door. It was a special knock that Rebecca had taught her. It would tell the older kids that she was welcome, and that she was not the matron.

The door opened, and a boy who looked about fifteen sighed, "you're Becca's little angel, right," when she nodded, he continued, "go on in, she has been so excited 'bout it," Hera thanked him and walked inside, her steps hesitant. She was then ushered up to Rebecca's room.

There were less of the older girls, so they all only had two roommates each. The other girls that roomed with Rebecca often ate breakfast with Tom and Hera as well. They all wanted to help with the preparations. Mary was on kitchen duty, so only Rebecca and Elizabeth were there to help Hera get ready.

Mary had left out some of her cheap cosmetics for the girls to use. Hera's hair was taken down and quickly pulled and twisted into two French braids with the dark green ribbon adorning the ends. The older girls seemed to have an endless supply of the things.

Mary had promised to do her makeup before the ten o'clock departure, but they only had thirty minutes left, and Hera was starting to get anxious,

"'Becca," she waited for acknowledgment, "Do you think Mary's going to be late?" Her voice was pitched quite high with worry. She visibly stiffens, and turned red when Rebecca responded,

"Awww,' she cooed, "Is the little princess worrying about her date with a certain Riddle?" She looked down at the flushed girl, and let out a soft laugh, "don't you worry, Mary will be here any moment," only seconds after the final word came out of Rebecca's mouth, a panting Mary showed up at the door, short red hair bouncing with her movement.

"Never fear," she sang, voice rough from a lack of oxygen, "Mary is here to save the day!" There was a scoff from the back corner of the room. Rebecca lifted her hands from Hera's shoulders and pushed her in the general direction of the vanity sitting next to the door. Only the older girl got vanity's. They had to put effort into their appearance so they could find husbands.

Mary soon had Hera seated in the white wicker stool that sat underneath the vanity. There was a small bowl of the cosmetic in Mary's hand, and she wielded a makeup brush with the grace of a warrior with her sword. She dabbed the brush into the cosmetic powder and used the brush to expertly tap it onto Hera's eyes.

Almost fifteen minutes later, Mary declared herself done. Turning around Hera looked at what they had done for the first time. Her twin French braids made her hair significantly neater, and the makeup that had been applied made her eyes look like those of a baby animal, with long lashes framing bright green eyes, she looked like a mythical creature.

Hera thanked the girls, and with promises of something from town, made her way back to the main building.

~~The Heirlings~~

Thank you guys, gals, others, and spoons so much for reading! I have been getting so many more views, follows, and favorites than I could ever imagine. Your support has made it so much more fun, and so much easier, to write. Every review I have gotten has been so positive and kind, and I want to thank you guys so much for supporting me. This chapter was super fun to write, but I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

I have two chapters pre- written, but unfortunately, with a mix of school, and outside of school activities, I have a lot less time than I used to. I will try and get chapters out at the same pace, but the next chapter I am writing is being a bitch and I cannot seem to get it quite right.

If you guys have any questions, feel free to PM me, I should answer within the day. I hope you enjoyed it, please comment any suggestions or thoughts you had about this chapter.

I love you guys (male, female, other, and spoons)

Bookfairy