There are some asterisks throughout the story to explain what certain thing mean, and there will be a list at the bottom if you would like to check the information. Thanks!
There was nothing more that Marie wanted than her holiday break, which gladly came shortly after a week of rigorous work with the hippogriff situation. She had spent nearly every day out with the hippogriffs, helping setting up quarantine centers, while also trying to protect the other hippogriffs from getting ill, or from getting another sickness from the extreme cold. It was hard work, especially when she was spending half the time avoiding her partner, despite his presence in the project.
There was one occasion where they made eye contact on complete opposite sides of a work tent, but Marie kept it brief and headed on her way to continue work. By the end of the week, she was glad to announce to her office that she would be back as normal once her holiday was over, since the hippogriff situation was being neutralized and there was no significant spikes in more sickness. With the British and Italian Department of Magical Creatures Regulation and Control working together, they managed to whip up a few potions to help the hippogriffs. Once all the hippogriffs were back to peak condition, it would be about another month or two before the anti-hunting law was passed in Britain, and then the extraction forces could take the hippogriffs back to Britian, where they would then be safe again. It would definitely be quite a story to tell her family.
The first couple days of her holiday was spent sleeping, since she didn't get much sleep anymore. Between tossing and turning over work, or her encounter with Draco, it certainly didn't make it easy to get comfortable. On Christmas Eve, Marie had packed her things and made her way to her parents' house, the old-fashioned way, which was by bus. She wasn't really used to being in the Babanno* parts of Italy, but since her father was a Babanno, her mother sacrificed her job as a teacher at Beauxbatons to be with him. Nonetheless, she was overjoyed to see her parents, and not only them, but her younger sister and brother, who were attending Beauxbatons as a sixth year and fourth year. She remembered her years at Beauxbatons with fondness, as she stared out the window of the bus.
When the bus stopped around the neighborhood of her parents' house, she hopped off and practically ran to the baby blue home, which was being swallowed in pristine, white snow. Knocking on the door, grinning widely, Marie stood there, waiting anxiously. When it swung open, it was her mother, her graying hair pulled back in a bun, her apron wrapped around her with her wand slightly sticking out of the pocket. "Marie, mio amore! Sei a casa! Giovanni, Marie é a casa!" Her mother squealed, wrapping her in a tight embrace, since they only saw each other on Easter and Christmas, and sometimes for Carnevale*. Marie's father came rushing out of one of the room, going through the same ritual her mother just went through.
"It seems we haven't seen you in millions of years! My daughter is growing into such a beautiful young woman!" Marie's father exclaimed, staring at his daughter with such intensity, as if he might never see her again.
"Papá, don't be so drammatico! I've always looked the same," Marie insisted before stepping inside the house. It had the same vanilla scent she had grown accustomed too since she was a little girl, with the little mimosa flowers always in extravagant vases spread throughout the house. The hallway in front of her lead directly to the backyard, which was coating their hilly terrain with a wonderful coat of white. "Mamma, where is Dante and Rosalia?" Marie questioned as she poked her heads in the rooms.
"We're right here!" She heard a voice behind her say, and she spun on her heels to see Dante and Rosalia each holding the family dogs, Taddano and Primo.
Marie wrapped her siblings in a warm hug and laughed, "Soon, I won't have to bend over a little to hug you both!" Her brother, Dante, who was a fourth year, looked as if he had just begun puberty, his black hair sprouted a little bit on his chin, and his awkward, lanky figure giving it away. He looked practically like their father, almost a spitting image, but younger. Rosalia, who was a sixth year, looked like a combination of both parents, with her father's dark hair, but her mother's light, hazel eyes.
"Marie, do you want to play out in the snow?" Dante asked eagerly, setting Taddano on the floor.
Rosalia followed his lead and giggled, "Yeah, like old times, since you're too zoppo to stay past Natale*!" Marie's mother muttered an incantation, and the duster began sweeping things off the bookcase, dust sprinkling everywhere.
"I'm sorry guys, but I've got to go back to work the 27th. I would stay the day after Natale if I could, but I just have to make sure everything is in order at my house before we go back. But of course, I'll go out in the snow with you guys, once I put my stuff in the guest bedroom."
"Meet you in five minutes!" Dante announced, and raced in the room to slip on his boots. Marie smiled, relieved that she was spending a little bit of time with her family after such a harsh week. She changed into a heavier coat, and placed a beanie on her head. After, she waddled into the guest bedroom and laid her luggage on the bed. Feeling the cool, crisp air tickle on her nose, Marie sneezed, a gust of snow blowing outwards. "Come on, Marie, you know how the rules go," Dante called, hiding behind his wall he built to protect himself. He had made all three of them a separate wall to hide behind. The game was very simple, the last one who wasn't hit with a snowball won the game.
Rosalia smirked, "You're not going to win this time, Dante."
"Yeah, well I'm the reigning champion!"
"For one year!"
Marie cut in, holding a snowball firmly in her hand and teased, "Well, I'm about to beat both of you in one second if you don't stop arguing and hide." The two both shrieked as if they were tiny children and dove behind their wall as Marie launched it at Dante. He tumbled behind his wall, the snowball landing in the space besides him. Marie launched herself behind her wall, and the fight had begun.
Snowballs were being launched in all directions, the three all in fits of laughter. As Rosalia was bent over to make another snowball, Dante pegged her right in the back of the head with a snowball. She let out a squeal, as the cold powder fell down her neck and into the back of her shirt. Dante practically keeled over laughing, and in that moment, Marie took her chance and smacked him right in the back with a snowball. He was completely shocked, falling over into the snow. "It seems as if I have dethroned the champion!" Marie giggled, helping him up off the ground.
"Bambini! Come inside!" Marie's mother yelled from the kitchen window, and they all practically ran inside. "Whoa, slow down, bambini, before you break something," Marie's father chuckled, taking a seat.
"I'm starved, Papá!" Rosalia moaned as she took her seat at the dining table. Dante took his seat across him her, and Marie right next to her.
"Rosalia, we go through this every year, no eating the day before Natale," Marie noted, before her mother joined them at the table. She had placed a pitcher of water with glasses on the table if anyone needed any. It was Italian tradition to fast on Christmas Eve.
"Yes, well, it is such an important time of year," Marie's mother replied.
The family was silent for a while, just enjoying the warm atmosphere when Marie's father asked, "So, how has work been?" Marie nodded, picking up a glass from the middle of the table.
"It has been good. We've been working on a project with the British to end the hunting of hippogriffs there, since they are now coming to Italy where they are safe. The project has been very successful lately," Marie explained, looking down at the empty table, a little part of her wishing there was food.
Marie's mother raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Hippogriffs? They still hunt them in Britian? How distasteful."
Dante raked his fingers across the table and stated, "They're doing unicorn races back at Beauxbatons when we get back. Each team of students have been raising a unicorn for the races, I think ours is going to win."
Marie nodded, remembering out loud, "I remember when we did that. Our unicorn lost by practically a second, but you'll have a lot of fun, Dante."
"I've got O.W.L's to worry about," Rosalia muttered, gingerly tapping her fingers on the table as her stomach let out a deep rumble.
Marie looked at her and responded confidently, "You'll do just fine, you're one of the most inteligente witches of your age. They really aren't as bad as you may think, I passed mine, no problem."
"I'm not as inteligente as you."
"No, you're more." Marie smiled, placing her hand on Rosalia's slumped shoulder.
Marie's mother coughed, and ordered, "Alright, Dante and Rosalia, you know what to do. Get cleaned up, and hop off to bed, or else Babbo Natale won't visit."
Dante rolled his eyes and groaned, "Mamma! We're old enough to know that Babbo Natale isn't real."
"Fine, then I won't put your presents under the tree, and I'll make sure to tell La Befana* that you don't want any presents on the 6th either," Marie's mother sighed jokingly, which caused the two children to spring up and raced to the bathrooms.
Marie's father continued the conversation, "So, Marie, do you think you'll be able to come for Epiphany*?"
Marie scrunched her face up and responded sadly, "I don't think so, work is very busy this time of year. Lots of Christmas events going all around, a lot of wizards want to talk to the head of Magical Cooperation."
Marie's mother stood and pat him on the back, saying, "No worries, we understand completely."
"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to go get changed and head off to bed so I can wake bright and early," Marie excused herself, heading off to the guestroom. She changed into a nightgown, and tied her hair into a sloppy bun. Her facial cleanser sat in her bag, so she picked it up and took it into the bathroom connected to the guestroom. As she washed her face, she felt a sharp pain in her face, and looked up to see the giant, purple bruise on her face forming again.
She cursed under her breath, realizing her potion had worn off. Over the past week, she had purchased a concealing potion that would get rid of the bruise, so her parents would see and ask. But now, it had worn off, and when she scoured her bag, panic hit her when she couldn't find the vial. She had left it sitting on her dresser, and there was no way she could get it now. Marie sat on her bed for a while, just thinking, and when she saw the lights go out in the living room, she wrapped herself in a coat, put on her boots, and slipped out the front door.
Much to her dismay, her mother was sitting in one of the rocking chairs, looking at the snow falling from the sky. Her mother turned towards her in shock, and exclaimed, "Marie! You scared-what happened to your face?" Marie gulped, and took a seat next to her mother.
"It's nothing, Mamma, I was just going to head back home really quick to get a potion to fix it."
"We have potions here, in my medicine cabinet."
"I know, but I didn't want you to see. It's a bit too late for that now," Marie chuckled softly, trying to lighten to mood.
Her mother, however, was very unhappy, and added, "Someone did this to you. Who hit you, Marie?"
"Mamma, really, it's-"
"Was it that Malfoy you were telling me about?" Marie's mother interrogated further, her eyes widening at the silence her daughter was giving. "Where is he? I'll go find him right now! How dare anyone lay their hand on my daughter!"
"No, it's okay, I'm handling it. It's not that big of a deal, just a disagreement and I may have said a few provoking things. It's really nothing to be concerned about," Marie insisted, trying to make the situation sound harmless.
"Amore, you can't be okay with this. He hit you," Her mother demanded, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"I'm not okay with it, and I'm dealing with the situation currently. Just don't worry, and please don't tell Pap ." Marie begged, a tear streaming down her cheek.
Placing a hand gently on Marie's bruised cheek, her mother nodded, clearly upset and suggested, "Alright, I won't tell him, but let's get you inside and get rid of that bruise."
Hand-in-hand, mother and daughter, the two carefully snuck back in the house to go take care of Marie.
First *: Italian name for Muggle
Second *: Basically the equivalent to Mardi Gras, celebrated 40 Days before Easter.
Third *: "Natale" means Christmas
Fourth *: La Befana is an old Italian tradition of an old woman going to your house and giving you presents, so basically the equivalent to Santa Claus, or "Babbo Natale".
Fifth *: When La Befana visits, which is the 6th of January, is Epiphany. It marks the end of the Christmas celebration and there are many festivals. Commonly, Italians wait for La Befana, but Babbo Natale is newer tradition.
Alright, so I hope you guys liked this chapter. There's no Draco in it, but don't worry, we've got him coming. Also, leave me some opinions on if you would prefer me to asterisk things like Italian words to make it easier for you guys, or another way to make your reading experience carefree! Thank you all again, and don't forget to leave a review to help me make the story better! Love to all, and don't forget, stay awesome, Gotham!
-April