Thicker Than Water- Chapter Three- Invitations
About time, right?
BEFORE YOU READ: That comment Kestrel says about gays is foreshadowing. Don't gt offended, I'm not a homophobic, it's just a part of the story!
Enjoy!
The Friday before the final Quidditch match, several events were taking place all at once. An unexpected snowstorm had cancelled all outdoor classes for the beginning of the week, granting the students with two less classes their almost last week of school. Secondly, the roster for the students who would be staying at Hogwarts over winter break went up. That always caused some excitement among students but nothing could pump them up more than the final Quidditch match.
However, Maggie was not feeling that energy at all right now. Curled up in a comfy chair at a nice table with hot chocolate, she watched the snow swirl in the howling wind. She doubted anyone could blame her for not having the motivation to move.
"I'm so glad we don't have Care of Magical Creatures today." Maggie said.
Delos, who was sitting on the opposite sides of the table, gave her a skeptical look. "Why? You love animals."
"Yeah," Maggie shrugged. "But… I just want to go home."
Delos's forehead creased. Maggie had long since learned this meant he was worried or just thinking very hard.
"I thought you said you were staying for the holidays."
"I was, but I heard your grandfather was taking you out for the holiday." Maggie frowned and blushed slightly.
"Well, yeah, but I wish you'd told me first." Delos said more sharply than Maggie knew he'd meant.
"Touché," Maggie retorted, pursing her lips.
It was times like this that really confused Maggie. Delos could be the sweetest, most caring person you'll ever meet, but then he'd turn around and make an arse of himself.
And Maggie hated that. When he made her laugh, she could feel her heart swell a little bit, but then it'd be completely deflated when he turned himself into a jerk. She found herself craving his company, and then wanting to get out of the area when he went off on someone. And yet, she still longed for his presence. But wasn't that what relationships were about; accepting your partner for who they are, no matter their faults? Well, Maggie had never exactly been in a romantic relationship before and she wasn't the biggest reader so she really had no clue. Maybe she should talk to Hannah or Thea or someone who wouldn't laugh.
Delos didn't reply. He just sipped his hot chocolate almost silently, like royalty, and was undoubtedly thinking of a new topic to discuss.
The moment dragged on, and Maggie had the idea to apologize, just to clear the tension in the air. She didn't because she didn't get the chance.
"You know, I wasn't planning on actually going home for break." Delos said. "But I guess it won't be so bad."
"You don't have to go home because I'm leaving." Maggie told him, assuming that was the reason for his change of heart.
Delos shrugged, "You were going to stay for me."
Maggie blushed; wondering if that was so obvious to everyone else. Thinking back on all the suggestive looks they'd been given whenever they left a room alone, together, it probably was.
Maggie smiled. "You're doing the same for me."
Delos raised his eyebrows. "Only different?"
"Only different." Maggie agreed.
"I'm not really looking forward to going home for the holidays this year." Blaise announced, as she and Thea made their way down towards the Great Hall for lunch.
"The grounds are so beautiful this time of year, though." Thea said, even though she agreed it would be a relief to go home.
"But we've got so much work to do. I hate the end of term." Blaise pouted, looking unfairly good-looking as she did so.
Thea could understand that. "I understand, but I want to get home to take care of Grandma Harman. You know she's not doing well."
"I know me too." She and Blaise were separated by a crowd of Gryffindor first years as they entered the Great Hall. "I keep suggesting we get a house elf, but she thinks it's my House talking."
Blaise rolled her eyes and slammed her bag on the Slytherin table with unnecessary force.
On the opposite side of the table, Quinn cocked an eyebrow and put a hand out to steady his glass. "Someone's in a bad mood."
"Understatement," Thea muttered under her breath.
"Are you sitting with us today Thea?" Gillian asked politely.
"Yes, I am," Thea smiled at Gillian as she shoved Ash over to make more room for Thea.
"You know, I don't think it's fair you can come sit over here, but I can't go sit with my girlfriend." Ash said as he lazily moved his stuff to the floor.
"Well you always get caught, you pretentious git." Morgead rolled his eyes at him.
Ash shrugged, "I can be conspicuous."
No one chose to dignify that with an answer, so Quinn asked, "What's the problem?"
Blaise sniffed disdainfully as she eyed the lunch buffet. "Grandma Harman refuses to get a house elf even though she so obviously needs one."
Thea sighed, "But we don't even know where to get a house elf anyway." She looked up at Ash, then at Quinn. They were both from powerful families; surely enough they'd know where to get one.
"Sorry," Ash said, "I don't question where they came from."
"They've probably been in the family too long anyway." Quinn said with an apologetic shrug.
Thea slumped in her seat and nudged her lunch around her plate with her fork.
"But, maybe I could ask Jez. Her uncle Bracken just got a new house elf, I'm sure he knows someone I can refer you guys too." Morgead suggested.
Thea breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Thank you so much Morgead."
"Don't mention it; I don't want the rest of the school to think we Slytherins have hearts or anything." Morgead snorted and the rest of the table laughed.
"I didn't realize we were late for lunch," Blaise remarked after a sizable chunk of students filed out of the Great Hall.
"I guess we were studied Potions longer than we thought we had." Thea said.
"Ugh, I hate Potions." Morgead said, making a face.
"I don't mind Potions, its Charms I hate." Gillian frowned. "I just can't get the hang of it!"
"Charms isn't so bad in your first two years, then it sucks after you learn "Spongify"." Blaise agreed.
"I'm just glad we have our free period next hour." Ash said.
"Same, I'm relieved we have no Herbology either." Thea agreed.
"I bet Mare's happy about that; she hates Herbology."
"Everyone hates Herbology." Quinn said.
"And it's strange because everyone loves Professor Longbottom, but everyone hates Herbology." Gillian added.
As conversation continued, Thea glanced back at the Ravenclaw table.
Keller was talking with Hugh Davis while Rowan balanced her lunch on her textbooks. It looked like she wasn't the only one cramming in some last minute studying, but Thea could never quite tell with her House. They weren't exactly 'light readers'.
Ash excused himself from the table. Thea didn't watch him go.
Ash knew from experience the Room of Requirement was the biggest life saver at Hogwarts. He wasn't going to say how they found it, but it had something to do with Mary-Lynnette being tired of getting detentions for getting caught in a broom closet. They had been getting awfully cramped anyway.
The Room had become their private retreat. Transforming into a large, rectangular room, with a star chart painted on the ceiling and bookshelves lining the walls. On the north wall (opposite the point of entry) was a small balcony with a telescope Mary-Lynnette absolutely adored. Ash hadn't the slightest clue where it was in relation to the rest of the castle, or how she knew it was the north wall, but he never questioned her intellect.
A large, four-poster bed was on the west wall, with a light blue duvet made of silk. A chaise of the same color was pressed against the foot of the bed. On the opposite wall, two wardrobes stood one for him and one for her if they happen to spend the night there. There was also a washroom and snacks scattered in random places throughout the room, because nothing gave a man greater joy than finding food when he didn't expect it.
Whenever they needed a retreat, they came here. He knew Mary-Lynnette also came here after she'd done her prefect rounds at an obscene hour in the morning and didn't want to hike all the way back to her tower.
Speaking of, Mary-Lynnette was already there when Ash came in. She was sprawled on the bed, gazing down at a star chart of some sort. Ash didn't recognize any of the constellations.
"Hey." He said, kicking off his shoes.
She started, and pushed herself into a sitting position. "Hey!"
He noticed she had changed into her Muggle clothes that were in the wardrobe and chuckled. He loved it when she was in her Muggle clothes; she looked so comfortable and natural. Mary-Lynnette, so unlike him, was a Muggle-born. Born and raised in a completely non-magical society with a completely different fashion sense. She never found the robes very comfortable, but Ash couldn't see how baggy tee-shirts were the epitome of comfort.
"You do know you have a class next hour?" He asked, sitting beside her.
She crossed her arms over her t-shirt and said, "Yes," in a tone just daring him to say something about it.
He didn't, just chuckled again and reached for her chart. "Is this for astronomy?"
"Nope, but I found it in the library. Madame Pince let me copy it. Did you finish your Potions?" She asked as she took back the star chart and put the away in her book-bag.
"Yes, and I hated every minute."
Unconsciously, Mary-Lynnette slipped into her big-sister-lecture-mode. "Ash, you know you have to do well in Potions if you want to be an Auror."
"I told you, I don't know what I want to be. Anyway, my family would kill me if I did." Ash looked down at the duvet.
"Ash," Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes, "There are more important things in life than the honor of your family. Actually, becoming an Auror would only raise your family's honor."
Ash highly doubted it. His family was already upset with him for dating a Muggle-born in the first place. The only reason they allowed it was because they thought he was toying with her, using her. The thought made Ash sick to his stomach, but he would let them believe it placate them.
"You know how important family is, Mare." Ash said, looking back at her to gage her reaction.
Her expression softened. "I do, and I know, but you need to be your own person, Ash."
Ash nodded. They stayed in silent for a moment before an owl swooped in from the balcony. It dropped a letter by Ash on the bed then soared out again, headed for the Owlery.
Ash picked up his letter. He immediately recognized the handwriting.
He sucked in a sharp breath and Mary-Lynnette walked back over to him. "What is it?"
"Nothing good, I guarantee it."
Thierry's brow creased as he read the envelope. Neat, sharp letters spelled out his name—spelling it correctly, which didn't normally happen. Usually his name was only spelled right by the people who needed to know it.
"Did you get a letter from your family?" Hannah asked, coming up behind Thierry and peering around his shoulder at the letter.
"No, but what is it?" Thierry tore open the envelope and read:
Dear Thierry Descouedres,
You are cordially and formally invited to the Redfern Family Galla over the winter holidays at the Redfern Manor, December 25th. Dinner and dessert will be served along with drinks (Fire Whiskey is not given to those not of age).
If you are attending, please RSVP to Hunter or Maeve Redfern by December 20th.
Present this invitation upon arrival.
Thank you and Merry Holidays,
The Redfern Family.
P.S., Please feel free to bring a plus one. Mistletoe will be hung in bunches!
"It's an invitation to a dinner party on Christmas at the Redfern's…" Thierry told Hannah.
"Why do you look so upset?" Hannah asked, gently taking the invitation from him and reading it.
"It's being thrown by Hunter Redfern. He and my father are archenemies on the Ministry council… Why would he invite me?"
Hannah's brow creased. "I don't know. Maybe he's being civil?"
Thierry shook his head and headed over to Jez, who was talking with Rashel and Daphne near the fireplace.
"Hello Jez, what do you know of this?" Thierry asked handing her his letter.
Jez took the letter. "Oh, yeah, nothing. I have no clue what Hunter's up to but it can't be good."
Thierry sighed. "That's what I thought. Thanks anyway."
"No problem. Are you going to go?" Jez asked. "You're so lucky you have a choice, Uncle Bracken is probably going to guilt me into it."
"Or blackmail you." Rashel added. "He can do either."
Jez scowled at Rashel and Daphne said, "It's your fault he has stuff to blackmail you with, you know."
Jez rolled her eyes and turned back to Thierry. He shrugged. "I doubt I'll go, but we'll see. I was going to go home anyway…"
"We'll see." Rashel shrugged.
"I wonder who else got an invitation." Daphne wondered aloud.
"I don't know if I should go." Galen bit his lip, reading his extra extravagant invitation.
Across from him, Iliana shushed him for talking too loudly—they were in the library—and was reading her own invitation. "I think you should, just to be polite and civil. You'll probably be expected to go anyhow."
Galen shrugged helplessly. He hated being the Minister of Magic's son sometimes. He didn't want to go to a fancy event because he was expected to; he wanted to go because he wanted to go.
Iliana on the other hand, didn't have such obligations. She was an adopted daughter of a powerful branch of the Harman family. She was under the care of Grandma Harman, as were Thea and Blaise, though Iliana didn't share the sister connection the other girls did.
Galen ran his fingers through his hair, and went to go find his favorite poetry book.
In another section of the library, Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade sat at a round table, fretting over their own invitations.
"This isn't good." Jade said. Her invitation had specifically told her to bring Mark, but bringing her Muggle-born boyfriend to a Redfern Galla was not going to end well.
"Rowan, we can't go. There's no way Mark is going to get any respect among those bigots once they learn he's a Muggle-born! It'll be like he's gay!" Kestrel hissed, carefully controlling her voice.
"I know, but we have to go. I don't want to, but mom will expect us to." Rowan argued, in a much calmer manner than her sister.
"She can't make us do anything." Kestrel defensively crossed her arms over her chest.
"But we can't make Mark go! He needs to be with his family anyway!" Jade said, finality ringing in her tone.
"But what about Ash? He undoubtedly got one and Mary-Lynnette's probably invited too."
"If Hunter wanted them there that badly he would've sent them an invitation of their own!" Jade huffed.
"Hey, why did we all get individual invitation in the first place?" Kestrel asked.
There was no answer.
As word spread of the Redfern Galla, a sort of excited dread spread with it. It was a Redfern Galla, which had a reputation for being superfluously fabulous, thought nothing good could come of it.
And nothing would.
I know it's a filler chapter more than anything, but tis necessary for things to come!
The next chapter will have that violent Quidditch match, I promise! ;)
Thanks to Cesca who indirectly gave me inspiration to write this and would probably give me more if she would text me back! XD (jk I know it's your phone, Cesca!)
Also a shout-out to Nessa for being my loyal and faithful beta-reader throughout all my inconsistent updates! Love you Nessa!
Thanks for reading!
-Eve