Chapter 9

Christmas vacation came sooner than she expected. Never had Shanara been so glad at the thought of going home. She found herself experiencing an almost physical ache of longing to see her parents, Marya and her two brothers, Alejandro and Robert.

True to Montgomery tradition, the girls had attended Hogwarts while the boys did their schooling in a military school in Spain.

As Shanara sat under a tree beside the lake, she found herself contemplating her family and their history.

The Montgomery's were a family well established in both their native Spain as well as in England. Their power and prestige was legendary as well as their secretiveness and mystery. Shanara remembered well the first time she had realized that her family was different from any other, more so than even Draco's or Blaise's though they too belonged to extremely powerful pure blooded families, she had been six, impulsive and curious. She had followed her eldest brother, Robert, to one of his lessons held in the depths of the family mansion. Her uncle, Marco had been his tutor at that point. Fascinated, she had watched as Marco had taught her brother spells that no school would ever teach, old blood magic, songs of sirens, subtle methods of gaining information…things that her family, the Montgomery's, were famous for.

She had never told anyone about that day. But it had sealed her future. She wasn't like any of the other Montgomery women. Her father would often laugh at her, half proud, half sorrowful and say that she had the ancient Spanish blood dancing through her veins, the same fierce independence and passion, the zest for life. It had nearly killed him to see her buried in the sorrows and rigid boundaries enforced upon pure blooded women in society but they both knew that it was the way of the world, one adapted to survive.

A usually strict man, Beren Montgomery, adored his younger daughter and could not help but indulge her in some ways. He allowed her to learn to fight with a sword as his sons did and to learn how to ride. He even allowed his sons to teach her the rudimentary arts of battle dueling. He watched over her from afar, merely smiling with quiet pride when she easily trounced Alejandro at sword play and out rode Robert. He allowed it all because he recognized the same spirit in her as in him and he knew that she needed some outlet or the consequences would be dire.

So every summer she was allowed to run wild on their estate, throw caution to the winds and be herself on the condition that she would behave herself when she returned to Hogwarts.

Shanara found herself thinking about her brothers in particular. Her eldest brother, Robert was the epitome of Montgomery good looks, tall, dark, with fine features and a quick smile, he charmed all who met him with his quiet intelligence and good manners. Robert had been raised to be the head of his house and he was the apple of his mother's eye.

Alejandro on the other hand was completely different. Passionate, impetuous and dramatic, he was quick to anger and quick to laugh. He dimpled his way out of scrapes and used his incorrigible charm and good looks to get of trouble. Shanara loved him the most fiercely as he did her. They were twins, born within two minutes of eachother. Alejandro was the elder and all their lives had been her champion and her best friend. When they had been separated to go to Hogwarts, they had both been devastated and even now, 6 years later, wrote to eachother everyday.

She hadn't been able to bring herself to write to Alex (as they called him) since her break up with Draco. Alex had been extremely fond of Draco, looking on him as a second brother. She knew that the split had hurt her whole family. Her mother was miserable that she would not be marrying Draco and that her father was upset as well. Marya was incensed and she was sure that Robert was too. But she knew that Alex would be the most hurt and would feel her pain as acutely as if it had been his own break up. She also knew that he would be worried sick about her if she didn't answer atleast one of his letters.

Walking back to her dorm, she ignored all her peers, who were all still gossiping about her spectacular break up and her consequent self exile from the most powerful group of friends in the school. She had repulsed all attempts at reconciliation with Blaise, Pansy and Theo and had cocooned herself in her own world, talking only to Seamus and occasionally Ginny. She dreaded the day that she would have to break out of her shell and return to the harsh world around her.

On her bed, she saw an envelope printed with her brother's familiar writing. She noticed that Alex's handwriting was erratic, he was undoubtedly worried about her.

Opening the letter and reading it, she found herself wishing that the earth would swallow her up. Her brother was obviously being the messenger of ill will. The annual Montgomery ball (she was reminded) was being held, as per usual, on Christmas eve. Due to recent circumstances the Malfoys were being invited to stay a week at the manor to 'mutually rebuild their bridges' and reconnect as families. Pansy, Theo, Potter, Granger and Weasley would be residing there too as they were to be guests of the Malfoy's and therefore included in the invitation.

Alejandro and Robert were coming to escort them to the manor. They both knew that their sister needed them now more than ever.