"Er -"
"What do we…"
"It's not - I mean - well -"
Io poked a fairly large green package with her wand. There were two of them, one on Io's bed and one on Aster's. They looked like a comically accurate Christmas present paired with a silver ribbon on top with each girl's name written in clean script in the corner.
"Did anyone else get one?" Io asked, still uneasy. "They're huge. I can't imagine an owl dropping these off. It must've been one of the house elves."
"I have a sneaking suspicion that Blaise got one, too, if it is what I think it is." Aster started to tug.
The second the ribbon fell off the box, the lid shot up, levitating a few feet above the box to reveal snow falling from the inside. In the main portion of the box was a miniature Christmas tree with a banner that had a date and time.
"You've got to be joking." Aster jumped on the box, doing her best to keep the lid down with much difficulty. "This is Slughorn's idea of a party invitation?!"
Io pushed hers towards the end of the bed, hoping one of the cats would mangle it. "Y'know, I don't think I'll open mine."
The younger of the two gave up trying, and flung the lid across the room before turning the box over and shaking it. Maybe something would fall out. With a couple of aggressive motions, a handful of treats started thumping on her bed - a chocolate frog, a couple of licorice wands, several sugar quills, and some caramels wrapped in gold foil. This quickly convinced Io to retrieve her box which was already being inspected by someone's tabby cat, casting Arresto Momentum as soon as the lid shot up, so she could find the sweets. Hard as she tried, she couldn't resist a good caramel - or three.
"I'll trade my caramels for your licorice -"
"Say no more." Io tossed the candy wands over her shoulder as Aster began aiming for Io's pillow with the caramels.
Aster started opening the licorice wands, hastily taking a bite with a smile. "I take it all back. I welcome Slughorn's invitations any day of the week."
The eldest finally found the small card in her box.
Please join me for the Slug Club's Christmas party.
Students must be dressed accordingly,
and you will be allowed to bring someone
- Slug Club member or otherwise -
to accompany you.
Io handed the card to her sister who raised an eyebrow before commenting. "We can bring dates? Well, who are you considering?"
"I, uh… I don't think I'll bring anyone," she responded, shaking her head. "Seems like a lot of unnecessary debating."
Aster tapped the card in her hand. The two still hadn't completely reconciled their hesitation over sharing secrets, and she wanted to be supportive by suggesting Io ask Draco if only to further their interactions and maybe fan the spark they'd shared. Tonight would be the night to have this conversation - no more waiting or being petty. Aster was tired of holding back, and there was every bit of a chance that Io felt the same way. Maybe then, her sister could give some advice about how to approach her complicated feelings for a certain bright witch who she'd been trying to avoid ever since. If she couldn't skip Herbology, the most she could do was avoid any conversations that had anything to do with this party or Hermione's crush.
Now that the invites were officially here, all of these conversation topics seemed to be inevitable.
Shoveling the treats into her robe, Io left the dormitory with a little more energy than usual thanks to the mounds of sugar in her pockets. Aster followed behind her, neither of them expecting the sudden roar in the hallways that would disrupt the positive mood of the day.
"This is ridiculous! Give me that -" The pleasantries came to an end as the twins heard the signature shrill of Pansy Parkinson who was in the process of trying to wrangle another one of Slughorn's invites from Hestia Carrow. Hestia let the angry girl finally have it while her sister Flora stood at her side, clutching her box against her chest.
The rest of Slytherin house was gathered in small groups in the common room, all of them pausing their conversations to witness the battle between Pansy and the box. Apparently, the boxes had also been charmed, so that only the person who was meant to receive it could open them.
"Oi, Parkenson, give it a rest!" Theo yelled from one of the couches. He was sitting with the usual suspects - Draco, Goyle, Crabbe, and Blaise who of course hid his relief because he left his box locked in his trunk back in the boys dormitory.
"Bugger off, Nott." Pansy's voice was especially like a screech owl today. She was still trying to force the lid off Hestia's package. "I'm so sick and tired of this Slug Club nonsense -"
"Give it back to her, Pansy." Aster stepped forward. Slowly throughout the months, Pansy had become somewhat of a nemesis - more so to Aster than Io. The younger of the two was more than willing to push buttons and force the bully to the edge of sanity. "If you want to be in the Slug Club so badly, maybe you should be asking Hestia to take you as her date instead of this embarrassing nonsense."
Pansy shoved the box back at Hestia who nearly fell over from the force. Walking over to the twins as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Why - is that suddenly acceptable here because you are going to this party with another witch?"
Io's eyes flashed over to her sister. Another witch? What was this all about? The fury in Aster's eyes was unmistakable. In fact, it very much resembled the way Io looked when she was angry, but maybe a little scarier. She'd never seen her twin this way. It was actually quite terrifying.
Across the room, Blaise's eyes narrowed, also noticing Pansy's use of the word 'witch' and Aster's less than positive reaction.
"Theo -" Aster didn't respond to the jab which had triggered many a whisper around them and instead cast her voice over to the boy who was just barely able to hide his amusement. "Sunset - clock tower courtyard." She turned to face him with her lips turned upwards.
As if he could read her mind, Theo stood up in a huff, clapping his hands slowly to get everyone's attention. "You heard the woman! Sunset, clock tower courtyard - we've got ourselves a duel. Place your bets now or forever hold your peace."
"Aster -" Io grabbed her sister's arm, pulling her off to the side. "What the hell are you doing? You're angry, just -"
"She can't get away with saying things like that, sis." Aster responded with the adrenaline on her tongue. "It's not right! You know it's not right. I'll duel Pansy tonight, and you can find a way into the Gryffindor common room since everyone will be rushing to watch."
Io had never seen Aster like this before. Of course, Pansy's comment was very suggestive and offensive, but this duel was either an act of heroism to defend everyone or it was a battle to defend Aster's own pain.
Realizing very suddenly that there was no convincing her of an alternative, Io brushed Aster's hair from her cheek. "Very well. Do what you have to do." She nodded. "You don't… Do you want me there? With you?" She grabbed Aster's cold hand firmly. "I can find another time to do this because if you need me -"
Aster smiled weakly. "I'm serious - do what you must, find out what Harry's been doing with Dumbledore. I can handle this."
I can handle this. The Visage twins loved their time apart, but during confrontations like this, they were always there for each other. Io almost teared up at seeing the baby of the two approach this with confidence - it could have been cockiness, but she trusted her all the same. Aster clearly felt a sense of valiance against that comment. The explanation will have to wait.
Theo sauntered in front of the two girls before turning to face Pansy. "Well, Parkinson? A duel for all the marbles?"
Pansy strengthened her stance, straightening her back. "What are we dueling for?"
"The satisfaction of me hexing you until you can't walk straight is good enough for me." Aster said firmly from behind Theo.
Pansy grinned. "Fine."
"There we have it!" Theo declared before summoning all the first years to run to the other houses to spread the word.
The Great Hall was buzzing with gossip of the impending duel. The sun was still ablaze by dinner time, and everyone just sat in anticipation, taking bets, and casting their predictions down to the injuries received. Io's stomach felt uneasy at the thought of her sister getting hurt and could barely muster enough appetite to finish one small roasted potato. Unlike her, Aster seemed a little too calm, lost in thought.
How did Pansy know?
Aster thought she did well to hide her secrets. Had Pansy seen her and Hermione walking after that dinner? She was too weak to be a Legilimens, so that was out of the question. Instead of drowning herself in anxiety, Aster ate her dinner without a word, every now and then nudging her twin to get her to eat just a little bit more.
"It's time." Io placed her utensils down.
The sun started to fall behind the edges of the castle, turning the sky a deep shade of orange. Students of all ages hurried back to their houses, wanting to change out of their robes before the duel began.
Io and Aster made their way back to the common room.
Dawning the leather jacket she'd worn the night of their arrival, Aster fastened her wand to her thigh with a leather strap before putting on her boots. Io sat on her bed, watching in silence, now sporting an old denim jacket.
The twins exchanged dark yet determined looks as they separated - Io to the Gryffindor common room and Aster to the clock tower courtyard.
Io hurried up the staircase, ducking into a closet to change into her cat form before waiting on the landing below the portrait to Gryffindor house. She knew there was no chance of getting the password, but just as planned, the buzz about the duel was riling up a lot of people.
Right on cue, a stream of students held the portrait open as they all filed out, now in casual clothes instead of robes. One particular girl, ushered out her group of friends, providing an easy minute for Io to skip right in. Aside from some glances and a couple of "awes," no one paid her any mind.
This common room was a lot brighter than the dungeons - obviously. But the grandness of red and gold almost made her envious. It was an entirely different mood than what she was used to. It was still safe, but it was comforting.
Perched on a chair, she waited.
Ron Weasley was the first one down the stairs followed by Harry, and after Hermione came down the right staircase, they all left, briefly making eye contact with Io. They'd, of course, never seen all the cats in the dorm, but this one was more of a stranger than they thought. Hermione reached for her head, and she responded with a purr before leaping down and running up the left staircase, straight up to the boys dormitory.
The tricky part was figuring out which room Harry stayed in, and thankfully, there was still a student in most of them, each door that was cracked open indicating who was present.
Trotting down, Io spotted a great flash of white zooming down the hallway and into a room only a few spots down. It was Hedwig, Harry's snowy white owl, returning to her perch.
Io pushed the door open, making it creak. She sat near the door, another boy approaching her with an admittedly goofy grin.
"Who are you?" Neville Longbottom greeted her with a very wide smile, clearly entertained by the new guest.
Another boy poked his head out from what she assumed was the bathroom. "Who're you talking to?"
"Dean, look, someone's cat is here!"
The other boy, Dean, leaned over and cooed. "Is that Hermione's cat?"
"No," Neville continued putting on his jumper. "Crookshanks is that lion-looking thing with the flat face."
Their conversation quickly ended as they left, also talking about heading to the clock tower courtyard.
Aster wouldn't allow herself to feel nervous. Not now. Her nerves were replaced with rage, and she let the adrenaline set in.
The boys from Slytherin all stood in different spots around the courtyard. Theo was doing his best to get as many bets placed as possible. Draco was surprisingly there, sitting on the steps with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle, so they had a full view. Blaise stood up, watching Aster pace back and forth.
"You're mad, you know that?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a corner, dispersing a small crowd to give them privacy. "This isn't DADA -"
"Bugger off, Blaise." Aster avoided eye contact with him.
Releasing her arm, Blaise gave her a look of concern. "What's going on with you? All because of a joke?"
The blonde girl wondered how much she should reveal. He was a friend, but just barely. Maybe in this case, the truth would best be saved for later. "She started it, remember? She's the one who said we should duel -"
"Yeah, over two months ago!" He raised his voice. "What are you gonna do if she hurts you?"
"She won't. I got this, really."
Blaise let one last sympathetic breath out before realizing this conversation was going nowhere. He wished her luck and went back to join his friends.
Pansy stood on one side of the courtyard, talking to another girl from Slytherin named Adalinda Quinn. Aster recognized her from the common room, but they'd never spoken because it was obvious she was friends with Pansy and would rather not. After a few mutters hidden behind their hands, the two separated. Adalinda left, and Pansy took her spot.
Aster walked over, standing directly across from the other.
Theo divided the room, some standing neutrally on the sides, while others stood behind whoever they placed a bet on. Raising his arm up, he cleared his throat.
"Pansy." He bowed to the left. "Aster." He winked, bowing to the right. "Here are the rules, and I promise you, your lovely housemates, myself as well as Goyle, will not only be spectating, but we will be here to enforce them.
"Firstly, no spells that intentionally cause open wounds. I don't think any of us would like to involve Madame Pomfrey. Second, if you are going to deflect, do your best to deflect upward. The clock can take the hit, but I'm not sure if the rest of us would be as sturdy. And finally… first one to hit the ground and stay down for ten seconds or can't find their wand loses."
Their commentator bowed out and began his countdown.
"Wands at the ready -" Theo started, commanding the room quite well. "Three -"
Aster gritted her teeth, wand directed straight towards her opponent.
"Two -"
Pansy slowly raised her arm.
"One!"
Pansy was first to cast. The stunning jinx pushed Aster back a few steps back, catching the barrier of her protection spell. Sprinting forward, she whipped her arm towards Pansy's head, the hex meeting her chest.
Aster continued, not hesitating to cast again before Pansy could recover, but the second blow was deflected - not upward as warned - but into the crowd, making them scatter.
"Watch it, Pansy!" Goyle grunted.
Ignoring him, Pansy aimed her next spell at Aster's legs.
Aster pivoted her ankles to avoid it, but she suddenly felt her feet lock up. What was happening? She started to panic, and knew she only had mere seconds to react. Doing the only thing she could, she leaned closer to the floor to deflect the jinx.
Pansy's grin was too suspicious. Aster had no time to tell Theo something was happening.
The leg-lock hex on her let up within the next few seconds, and Aster continued to cast.
But it happened again - except this time she felt her whole body slow down. This was the distinct effect of an Impediment jinx, but it wasn't Pansy doing it. Someone other than the two is casting, and there was no time to figure out from where.
Io pranced around the boys' room under the watchful eye of Hedwig who didn't really seem to be bothered by her presence. There were dirty socks and shoes strewn about, but after some detective work, she was able to find a stack of unfurled scrolls under a bed.
They were all addressed to Harry, some from names she didn't recognize, but one in particular was from Dumbledore, alluding to lessons that were taking place. No details, nothing. Io groaned in frustration. She didn't know what she'd find, but she thought she'd find more. Maybe a hint or two of where Dumbledore was going when he wasn't at Hogwarts.
Io's search was interrupted by a mew. There was another cat in the room - a very unkind looking Russian Blue was now hissing at her only a foot away. It couldn't have been another Animagus, but Io was still nervous because those weren't friendly sounds.
The house cat lunged towards her, and its claws connected with her neck, just above the collar.
She may have cat-like reflexes, but this wasn't something she prepared for. Dodging to the opposite side of the room and jumping on a bed, Io could feel her neck burning. Damn thing must have broken skin.
Her new enemy attempted to continue the fight, but before it could, another cat that looked more like a very small kneazle got in between them.
This must have been Hermione's cat that Neville mentioned. Crookshanks hissed at the gray cat, and it just scattered out of the room.
Io was doing everything she could not to change back now that her neck was very much in pain. Crookshanks slowly approached her, mewing in a very low scratchy tone. It sat down in front of her calmly, indicating it did not see her as a threat. She nodded in silent thanks, and her new friend simply licked its paws in response.
Taking this chance, Io scurried out of the bedroom, straight through the common room, and out the door.
She slipped into the same closet and changed back. Her denim jacket immediately started dragging across her fresh wound, but at least it was covered. There was nothing to be done now but hope no one would notice she was hurt.
This was a dead end, the only thing left to do tonight was go support Aster and pray that Pansy was now laying on her back.
Aster now sported several bruises to her abdomen and one to her shoulder. Whoever was helping Pansy by stunning her was succeeding. Her opponent on the other hand didn't look as if she was stressed at all.
The two had been dueling for only ten minutes or so, but she felt herself growing tired, only running on anger and adrenaline, but even that couldn't muster up enough energy to keep fighting phantom hexes and the blows from across the room.
She aimed, casting incendio which made Pansy jump back. As she prepared herself to petrify her opponent, it happened again. Her arm was up but it froze, and it made her completely vulnerable to Pansy's next attack.
"Looking a bit locked up there, Visage." Pansy taunted.
"What the fuck is happening -"
Hearing Pansy preparing to flip her over for a swift victory, Aster closed her eyes, ready to hit the floor.
Instead of kissing stone, Aster gasped as Io suddenly appeared, stretching her arm out protectively to deflect the jinx upward. What she did next shocked their audience.
Io shot her arm up in the air, and with a scream, Adalinda Quinn stumbled down from the platform above them. Silence fell on the room as everyone stared at the girl lying on the floor. The whispers started soon after.
"Really, Pansy! Honestly!" Io did her best not to yell.
"What's going on?" Theo walked up.
Io flicked her wand just past Theo's ear, swiftly shoving Adalinda into a door, making her stumble into a closet before it slammed shut to lock her in.
"Pansy, did you cheat?" Blaise stood up.
"What the hell, Parkinson?" Draco joined him, much to the other's surprise. It wasn't like him to be angry over an unfair fight.
Pansy's panic was clear on her face. "I -"
"Wand up." Io gently pushed Theo off to the side. Flicking her wand once again, the closet door opened revealing a very disheveled Adalinda who walked out in embarrassment. "If you're going to duel doubles, then let's." As soon as her sentence finished, Io levitated Adalinda up before knocking her back down, keeping her there while Aster started casting again.
The sun was basically gone now, and the moonlight lit the courtyard - flashes of red lights emitting like fireworks from the rapidfire spells bouncing off wands and into the walls.
Pansy was heaving now. Adalinda had already been pulled off the court by Goyle and was now quietly sobbing for having failed to sabotage the duel.
The twins both stood confidently, both pointing their wands right at Pansy's face.
"After you." Io lowered her arm.
Aster's eyes grew dark. "With pleasure."