Disclaimer: I do not own Moriarty the Patriot/Yuukoku no Moriarty or Harry Potter.
A/N: And here is the sixth chapter of Once Upon a Prophecy Vol. I! There's nothing else to say other than I hope this chapter is an enjoyable read.
Once Upon a Prophecy Vol. I
First Year
Chapter SIX:
"Trill"
Once December rolled around and the entire grounds of Hogwarts was covered in the majestic white that was freshly fallen snow, the students realized that the Christmas holidays was coming closer and closer as each day continued to pass.
While meandering up and down the corridors and stairs, they chatted amongst themselves about what they were going to do either outside of Hogwarts or while inside of the castle. A professor at the beginning of the month had gone around to see which students were staying and which ones were going home for the holidays.
It was an even split with some going home and some remaining at the school.
While the idea of staying to hang out more with their friends and to partake in the famous Christmas feast that would take place on Christmas day itself crossed their minds, for quite a few it was because a very special ball was also scheduled on the 25th of December before the feast.
As she walked down a corridor with her books held tightly in her hands, Rion heard whispers and murmurs about the ball. From what she could garner, it was specifically called the Yule Ball and happened every year at the school starting from two centuries prior. Originally the ball had been created in order for Hogwarts and the other two wizarding schools of Europe to interact and get to know each other better.
Eventually it became a Hogwarts tradition while the tournament that started it all was infinitely cancelled due to the high-risk of death upon all three schools' students.
Rion felt curious about this ball. Her parents had talked about it once when they relayed to her about how they had in fact been each other's partners one time at the Yule Ball: an event that would push their relationship closer to a more romantic overtone.
Now, after remembering this, the Gryffindor became excited.
What if she also met her future significant other at this ball? What if it became a very strong memory for both herself and her romantic partner? A time that they could look back on and believe that it was the best choice they could've made picking each other as one another's date for the ball.
The thing was, though, only fourth-years and above could attend. They could invite someone of an earlier year to the ball, but it wasn't guaranteed that you'd be picked nor was it possible for first-years and second-years to probably be asked given their ages.
Lost in her imagination, Rion had no idea she was setting herself up to bump into, or to be bumped into by, someone when she continued to walk while staring wistfully at the corridor's stone flooring.
The contact was mild at best but there was still a slight pain from when her shoulder collided with that of the other person's. When she looked up to apologize, Rion's lips clamped shut when she saw just who it was.
Lionel stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost. He wasn't expecting to see the child of Thorne and Winters while he was moseying down the corridor. Flanking him on either side was Pearson and Tiffen with Monica and Castleberry behind him, all who brandished exceedingly different expressions upon noticing Rion's presence.
Pearson immediately squinted his dark green eyes at her, his body tensing as if readying for a fight. In all honesty, Rion had more of a reason to get herself ready for a possible duel than the Slytherin did.
Tiffen's face was stoic but a tiny hint of repulsion could be seen tilting one side of her mouth downward.
Monica stared with wide blue-greys, body frozen like she'd been inflicted with the Freezing Charm since she remained still and unmoving. Next to her was Castleberry who appeared greatly put off while looking at the Gryffindor.
Rion felt the air change significantly, growing more and more suffocating as she allowed her gaze to flutter from each of them starting with Lionel and then followed by the other Slytherins to finally land on each of the Ravenclaw girls.
She stood still, face apologetic.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."
Lionel moved his eyes from her own to her head before letting them go lower. He looked like he was appraising her, but found nothing of value as he snorted a bit. "I'm sure you are. Apology accepted."
Before he officially departed with his entourage, the first-year Slytherin leaned in to her ear and whispered: "Blood traitor spawn."
Rion stood there, transfixed in her spot as the quintet sauntered off. Unlike her companions, Monica threw a glance over her shoulder at the other girl with her expression communicating emotions that the others didn't even feel.
After those five had turned the corner, Rion was met with the welcoming presence of someone she was hoping to see.
With the previous event having promptly flown away from her mind, a smile of unbridled happiness took hold of her features.
"Will!"
Said boy gave a smile of his own. "Rion. Are you on your way to your next class?"
"Yeah, I was."
"Which one is it? If it's the same, we can go together."
Rion quickly revealed her schedule where all of her classes and their information was once more written on it. Starting from the first which she had just left not too long ago, the next class was said to be Charms starting at ten on the dot.
After being informed of this and even being given a glance of it, William smiled but noted that it wasn't one she shared with him. Seeing the disappointment replace the hope that had been shining in her twin greens, the boy went on to say that the next one after that was one that would have both Gryffindors and Slytherins attending.
Immediately, Rion perked up with her happiness back in full force.
The two parted ways, William traveling down the corridor where Lionel and the others had gone while Rion continued onward with her books securely in both arms.
It was the day before the start of Christmas holidays and the corridors were slightly less chaotic than they usually were on a typical school day but still chaotic nonetheless.
Those that were scheduled to go home for the aforementioned holiday for a whole fourteen days before coming back to Hogwarts to resume their education were walking down the main corridor to leave the castle and head toward Hogsmeade Station. This was where they would catch the Hogwarts Express to return to London.
The students that would be heading home were wearing their civilian clothing and some of them had minimal luggage to bring back with them. Among the massive crowd was Rion who only had one bag slung over one of her shoulders and the deep blue pet carrier that Sonata was currently resting in held in one of her hands.
Well, "resting."
The kitten would periodically meow sadly inside the carrier which would immediately prompt Rion to whisper soothingly to try and calm Sonata down. It worked for the time being as the latter settled down. It was to be expected for Sonata's anxious state given the activity that bustled up and down the corridors at the moment.
The Winters estate was a lot more quiet and the sounds that abounded on a daily basis were tolerable.
Walking with Rion was Amity and the latter's sisters who were also wearing casual clothing while lugging around their bags that held important items to bring back home for Christmas holiday. The girls each held their respective pet carrier and cages. The owls that Serenity and Verity had brought along tried their best to get as much sleep as possible regardless of all the noise.
However, Amity's kitten was yowling and hissing in his own carrier garnering the attention of the other students. The girl ignored him, not even attempting to calm Midnight down as she was aware that that would only result in him hissing at her instead of what was surrounding him.
Bending down to be eye level with him, Rion started to whisper in much the same way as she did with Sonata not too long ago. Like some form of miracle, Midnight ceased his yowling and hissing completely and effectively switched into a calm, tranquil silence.
Amity snapped her head in his direction, eyes wide. She then looked at Rion, her expression unchanging. "How do you do that? Every time I try to calm him down, he sees me as the enemy instead of all this."
She said the last word while gesturing to their current surroundings with her free hand.
Rion shrugged. "I don't know. I've always been able to calm animals down, maybe it's a Winters thing? Maybe a Thorne thing?"
"Sorry, Rion, but, setting Uncle Magnus aside, I don't think it'd be a Thorne thing to magically calm animals with words alone."
Along the way they were met by the sight of William and Albert. They appeared to be conversing with each other as they stood close to the wall on the left leaving the castle, the cages that held their owls situated atop their luggage. Both owls were fast asleep despite the loud noise that surrounded them.
Rion picked up her pace but kept it to a calm trot as she didn't want to disturb Sonata or hurt the kitten in anyway with her movement. She was followed dutifully by the Quinnell triplets.
Upon arriving at her destination, Rion smiled and lifted up a hand in greeting.
"Will, Al!"
Upon hearing their nicknames being called, both boys looked over in unison to see Rion approaching them. Smiles of equal proportion took hold of their features, and they each waited patiently as she continued to close the gap between them.
When she arrived, William was the first to speak. "Rion, you made it on time."
"Yeah," said Rion just as she stopped before the boys. "It didn't take long, just needed to grab a few things to bring back for the two week holiday."
Suddenly, her attention was taken by an unfamiliar owl who was still sleeping away in her cage. The one in question was distinctly seen to be a short-eared owl.
Pointing with her finger, Rion asked, "Who's that?"
Albert and William looked over to see who she was referring to, and the older boy smiled.
"That's my owl: Metis. It's understandable that you'd be confused by her appearance, after all, she was staying here while I was back home for the summer holiday."
The look in Rion's eyes clearly communicated that she was eager to know the reason why.
The smile never left Albert's face. "Metis was wounded by another bird that frequents the trees that are within the Forbidden Forest, and it was bad to where the Headmistress advised to keep her here so Metis could be taken care of."
"And she's all better now, right?" Rion's voice held the hopefulness she felt.
A small laugh escaped the fourth-year Slytherin. "Yes, as you can see, she's fully recovered. Enough to bring her back to the manor for Christmas."
Rion exhaled a breath of relief. "That's good."
"Also, I'm surprised," Albert said. "I thought you had a hard time getting up in the mornings, Rion."
She smiled. "I usually do, but today is a special day so it was a bit easier."
A tap on her shoulder caused her to whip her head around, bewildered green meeting mischievous yellow. "You know you wouldn't have been able to catch the train on time if Amity hadn't have woken you up."
"It's not a big deal," said Amity quickly when she saw Rion open her mouth to speak. The latter promptly clamped her lips shut upon hearing the other Gryffindor's words. "Same goes for you too, Serenity. Verity was practically hollering your name in order to wake you."
Serenity's smile matched the look in her eyes. "I had a difficult time falling asleep."
"Is that why you were downstairs in the common room with some of the boys from our year?"
"Yep. I was collecting money, and by money I mean sweets."
To emphasize her words, Serenity reached into one of her bags and produced another one that was smaller in size. She moved it from side to side and the sound that was generated signaled that there was in fact candy lying inside of it.
Verity's eyes were wide. "How did you manage to get those?"
"The boys were playing a game and I asked them if I could join," supplied Serenity. "They were betting sweets that they had gotten from home; in fact, some of it is Muggle candy, and guess what, Amity, some of your favourites are in here."
In response to that, Amity's expression shifted to one of interest.
Upon feeling someone's gaze on her, she looked over just in time to meet Albert's deep green eyes before he glanced away when he heard his name being called.
The voice was distinctly feminine and the interest the girls had garnered for Serenity's winnings was washed away almost instantly. Multiple different coloured eyes centered on the person who had called out to Albert, and the appearance of her baffled the Gryffindors.
She looked like she was a fellow fourth-year, or probably a third-year—who could really tell?—and from an objective point of view, she was undeniably pretty. Brown that looked like it was of a chestnut shade fell down her back without restraint, some of the strands also situated over her shoulders, while her eyes were a deep purple that almost completely blended with her pupils.
Due to the fact she was wearing civilian clothing just like most of the students occupying the corridor, it was difficult to determine what house she was from. Not that that was relevant, but there were questionable people residing in certain houses that one was best to distance themselves from fully.
Upon making eye contact, a smile appeared on Albert's face. Though, if one looked closely and paid attention, it held a detached politeness to it like he was only doing so out of formality.
The girl was the first to speak. "Albert, I'm glad I caught you before you left."
Albert.
Referring to the boy so familiarly made the girls wonder just how close the two were to each other. But while Rion and Serenity continued to hold this curiosity, Amity and Verity decided to leave it alone and drop it.
Whatever those two's relationship entailed wasn't any business of theirs.
"Really?" said Albert, his voice holding a tinge of wonder. "What did you need?"
"Well. . ." she began, tone feigning contemplation and even having the distinct sound of coyness to it. "I wanted to ask you something that's a bit. . . private."
Amity raised her eyebrows, arms crossing over one another at the older girl's choice of words. Upon seeing the latter send a pointed look to the younger children, Amity grabbed the backs of Rion and Serenity's shirts as she started to backpedal. The Gryffindors in question were surprised by this but complied nonetheless.
Verity went along without a hassle and William did the same, the boy refusing to get involved in any way with whatever was going to transpire between his brother and the unnamed girl.
Due to being a good distance away, the voices of Albert and the girl were low and the words spoken went unheard. After she posed her question, a smile was once more on the fourth-year's face.
His voice was polite as he said, "I'm sorry, but it'll be a small gathering with just family this year."
"Oh. . . okay," the girl's voice was undeniably disappointed at the rejection.
Without another word she scampered off with her head down, passing the first-years swiftly. The momentum created a bit of wind that rustled the children's hair. They watched her leave, Rion's face showing concern at the older girl's abrupt departure. Amity felt a slight twinge of sympathy but otherwise didn't feel like concerning herself any further.
As the group gathered their belongings and trekked out of the castle to make their way to Hogsmeade Station together, Rion asked: "Was that girl a friend of yours, Al?"
"Not exactly," said Albert. "She's the daughter of another well-known pure-blood family. Her father knew mine, but we hardly interacted before we both came to attend Hogwarts."
The snow crunched under their feet as they treaded through it. Footprints from the other students that had already left the castle created a trail straight to where they were guided to go. Along the way a familiar woman could be seen acting as a personified guidepost for everyone.
When they arrived at the midway section where she stood, a happy smile brightened her features which were dusted a light pink due to the cold.
"Hello, everyone!" said Fianna. "On your way home for Christmas, are you?"
Rion mirrored the woman's smile. "Professor Alden! Good morning!"
"Good morning to you, as well! My, such enthusiasm so early in the morning. You didn't strike me as the morning type, Rion."
"I'm not. Am had to help wake me up and I was more eager since it's a special day."
"Ah, makes sense. Christmas is a very special holiday and it's a majority favourite, with Halloween typically a close second."
"What's your favourite holiday, Professor Alden?"
"My favourite? I don't know if anyone's ever asked me that before," said the woman, veering her eyes upward. Her tone of voice suggested the opposite of what she'd just said. "Well, to answer your question. . . I believe Christmas is a favourite of mine, as original as that sounds."
A bell sounded just then, breaking past the friendly conversation that had abounded between the occupants of the small group.
With a quick gesture, Fianna said: "All right, lovelies, run along now. It is quite cold out here and I don't want any of you to catch your death of it."
After saying their quick goodbyes and Happy Christmas's, the children followed the footprints laid out before them in the snow to continue on their way to the horseless carriages which would then take them to the train station.
Once the train had arrived at platform nine and three-quarters, the occupants all but leisurely left the steam locomotive. Carrying their bags, cages and or pet carriers, they all departed so their feet touched the pavement that was the platform's foundation. The parents or guardians of the children were already waiting for them, and broke out into smiles of happiness as they reunited.
Amongst the crowd, Rion stood with her luggage in hand as her eyes peered around the many bodies taking up space on the platform. It was obvious that she was looking for her uncle and cousin. The man had informed Rion that they would be coming to pick her up and take her to the estate, though it seemed they hadn't arrived yet.
Behind her the Quinnell triplets flanked her on either side with their own belongings situated either over their shoulders or in their hands. Unlike Rion, the sisters would have to pass through the barrier first in order to see their parents.
Two of the Moriarty brothers joined the girls, and eventually announced their departure as Jack would either be just arriving, waiting for them or about to make his way through the barrier any time now.
After parting ways, with Rion asking William if they could exchange letters for the entire two week duration of the holidays and the latter giving his assent to the proposal beforehand, the girls were the only ones left now that the brothers had gone off to find Jack.
And then within the crowd, towering over a good portion of the other occupants on the platform, Rion managed to catch sight of her uncle who was securely holding one of Octavia's hands in his own. His sky blues peered around, obviously in search of his other niece. After calling to Amity and her sisters, the four hurried over to where Boris stood, passing through the crowd as they did.
Strings of polite apologies left them as they continued to make their way forward.
Upon breaking through the sea of people, Rion hurriedly closed the gap that had once been a chasm between her and her relatives. She stopped just shy of bumping into them, Boris's eyes widening as his body tensed up in preparation for impact and his hand tightened its hold on Octavia's own.
The younger girl released a yelp of pain and Boris immediately loosened their hands embrace, quickly apologizing for accidentally hurting her.
Rion was quick to apologize as well knowing full well that both reactions were caused by her and her carelessness.
A sigh escaped the man, his eyes closing for a millisecond before reopening. "It's fine. So, you have everything ready to come back home?"
Back home. . .
She really loved hearing those words even though the place she was going back to wasn't the one she'd much prefer to go back to.
Regardless, Rion smiled. "Yep! I have everything, including Sonata."
At the sound of her name, the kitten in question meowed as though to prove that she was indeed right there and nowhere else. Octavia meandered closer, her free hand coming to gently pat the carrier where Sonata was still settled in. Tiny claws appeared at the threading, lightly making contact with the soft, easily breakable skin of the younger girl's hand.
Upon hearing footsteps approaching, Boris looked over his niece's head with ease and saw the appearance of Amity and her sisters slowly closing the gap. "Ah. Amity, Serenity, Verity. Hello, girls."
"Hi, Mr. Boris!" Serenity waved with great enthusiasm. "It's been a while, huh?"
"It has," said Boris. "The last time we saw each other was the day before the start of the first school term. How have you three been doing?"
"Great!"
"Fine. Thank you for asking, Mr. Boris."
"Just like usual."
Each girl that spoke was Serenity, Verity and then Amity, in order.
Boris smiled. "That's wonderful! Oh, and your parents are just beyond the barrier too. They're making light conversation as they wait so they don't draw unwanted suspicion."
"I guess that's our cue to leave then," said Amity. She looked over at Rion. "I'll see you later, most likely we'll be spending Christmas together again this year."
Rion beamed brightly. "That'd be great! It'd be just like all the previous years!"
The group made their way to the archway that read Platform 9¾, talked to the guard stationed at the place, and left one by one to get to the other side. When they finally did, they were met with the bustling activity of King's Cross, people walking up and down along the platforms.
Among the sea of people, those within the group blended in seamlessly. And upon passing through the barrier, two very familiar people were there to greet their daughters, one with a lot more enthusiasm than the other. The woman's loud voice garnered an immense amount of attention to them, and her eldest was quick to try and calm her mother down in hushed tones.
"Mum! We're not supposed to attract suspicion, please don't be so loud!"
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm just so excited to see my precious girls again."
After splitting into two groups, everyone discussed their plans for the Christmas holidays where Rion was happy about the possible prospect of the two families spending another Christmas together again like Amity had all but basically predicted.
Eventually, after engaging in some more light conversation that revolved around other things besides the holidays, the family of five began to make their way outside of the station where they became engulfed by the crowd and eventually disappeared out of sight.
Boris was quick in informing his nieces that they should go ahead and board the train that was headed for Darlington. Grabbing each of the girls' hands, the man lead them to the steam locomotive in question and, after providing tickets to show proof that the three could take it to their destination, climbed onto it.
The doors soon closed and the train languidly began to move along the tracks.
As soon as they walked through the door, it was as if Father Christmas and his elves had personally paid them a visit.
The entire sitting room was decked out in colour, bright and vibrant. Mostly red, green and white, the traditional colours of Christmas, with some blue thrown in as well. A huge, graciously decorated tree was settled in one corner. Its branches were filled with all kinds of small objects and trinkets, and they were also covered in what looked to be snow.
It didn't melt despite the fireplace being lit, alluding to the fact that it was indeed magic that had been used to conjure it.
Along the mantel of the fireplace were more items, such as a sleigh with a figure of the supposed mythological Father Christmas inside being pulled by his reindeer. He moved all on his own accord as did the reindeer, though the movements were in a loop and therefore started from the beginning all over again once the last action was committed.
Globes that had snow free falling and figurines moving inside were planted in various spots throughout the room, both on the mantel and on other surfaces of wooden furniture. Garlands hugged the top of the walls and looked like a huge train of green with periodic dots of red and white along with shapes of trees, stars and snowflakes.
The Christmas theme certainly gave more colour to the calming sitting room with its beige walls, white trimming and dark wooden floors.
From the swinging door leading into the kitchen, a figure appeared covered in what looked to be more garlands. With a blinding smile, the woman said: "Oh, welcome back, Masters Albert and William, Mr. Renfield!"
After taking a step into the sitting room, the woman tripped with her entire body sailing forward as if she had suddenly been hit with the Full Body-Bind Curse. A noise of pain escaped her instantly upon impact with the floor.
The trio quickly made their way to her.
"Miss Erica, are you hurt?" asked William as he approached her.
The woman named Erica gave a smile of gratitude, her hands on the floor to help herself to her knees. "A little but I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Master William."
Jack extended a hand in her direction and she took it with the same smile she had offered William. "Thank you, Mr. Renfield. I'm sorry for being so clumsy."
"What were you doing? You're covered in garlands from head to toe."
"I was finishing up the decorations. It seems some of the housemaids forgot to put garlands in the kitchen and so I was taking care of it before Christmas Eve arrives in four days."
"Erica, there's a reason we do not put garlands in the kitchen."
Silence prevailed and then: "Oh. Of course, stupid me not being smart at all."
As the woman began peeling off the decorations from her person with Jack providing assistance, Albert said: "Did Mr. Rockwell request all of this, Miss Erica?"
"Of course!" the woman beamed, positively glowing. "Master Rockwell said that he wanted the house to be decked out like those pictures of the inside of Muggle households during Christmas, and so the rest of us have been working to make it exactly like he wanted."
"And from what can be seen, you all have done a wonderful job to finish it up," said Jack, his eyes sweeping over the room once more.
"Thank you, Mr. Renfield, that's very kind of you to say!" Erica turned on her heel to make her way to one of the closets inside the house. "I'll put these extra garlands away. If you're hungry, Masters Albert and William, there's food tucked away inside the icebox that was made not too long ago."
Albert was the one to speak. "Thank you, Miss Erica, but Will and I had breakfast at Hogwarts before catching the train back."
"Well, if you're ever in need of something, it'll still be there for the both of you."
The boys voiced their gratitude for her kindness, and Erica waltzed away to finally do the task of putting the garlands away.
It was like a dream.
As if captivated by the sight before her eyes, Rion didn't look away for an instant, and didn't even seem to allow herself one moment of respite to blink. She stared in a way that alluded the possibility that she was afraid the little being before her would vanish into thin air if she did.
The aforementioned being was a baby, his light blond hair extremely short and almost non-existent on his head. His eyes were closed but from the information given by her family, he had the same ones as his mother. Those icy blues that didn't hold a hint of cold in them, instead nothing but warmth and vitality.
His face was chubby, and it was so cute that the eleven-year-old had the urge to poke one of his cheeks but she managed to refrain from doing so since it would undoubtedly wake him from his peaceful slumber.
After having put all of her things away inside her room, Rion didn't waste any time in finally meeting her baby cousin but she was disappointed to find him taking a kip inside his bassinet. With him asleep, the girl had to content herself with at least being able to see him.
Sonata had joined the girl and was currently sitting by one of her legs, her small tail coming to curl around her companion's ankle as a form of affection.
Rion peered down at the kitten, the smile she had while looking at her baby cousin being gifted to Sonata too.
From her right, Rion could feel the presence of someone approaching. And when she looked over, she saw that it was none other than her beloved aunt who was brandishing a smile of pure and utter happiness.
"Gorgeous, isn't he?" Rebekah's voice was a whisper for a very special reason.
"Yeah," agreed Rion, mindfully keeping her voice low as well.
The redhead peered down at her son, her eyes shining. "I've been waiting for him to arrive and he finally did: the day after you left for Hogwarts."
"Wasn't he supposed to be born much earlier than that? Why did it take him so long?"
"I guess he wasn't ready. But he's here now, and I couldn't have asked for more."
Turning her attention back to the sleeping infant, Rion leaned her arms on the edge of the bassinet where she then rested her chin atop them. In a low voice, she said, "I want one when I grow up."
Due to being within a close proximity of the girl, Rebekah heard the words and was surprised by this information. "You want to have children when you grow up, Rion? This is the first I'm hearing about it."
"I've always wanted a kid of my own. Two, actually. I'd want the oldest to have a sibling, something I wanted but never got. I wouldn't want them to be lonely."
"But you're not lonely, are you? After all, you have Vivi and Ami as well as her sisters. Aren't they all like siblings to you?"
Rion's answer was immediate, no need for any contemplation. "Of course they are."
Rebekah smiled. "So, that means you've always had siblings even if it didn't look like that on the surface. A person's relation to us isn't so easily defined, Rion. Family, whether by blood or not, are still family to us, and that's the beauty of knowing people."
The woman wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, the embrace loving and gentle. "That is the beauty of loving them."
A smile of bright proportions took hold of the eleven-year-old's face. Rion brought her hands up to clasp onto Rebekah's arms, her eyes closing to bask in the warmth that belonged to her wonderful aunt.
Inside the large library where the tops of the shelves almost reached the ceiling, a boy was standing with a particular book in his hand.
With his extraordinary recollection, William was aware that this one was a new addition especially when he had read every single piece of reading material that lined the shelves. The cover and the words plastered on it weren't recognizable, and the little sneak peak granted on the back didn't sound familiar either.
Making his way down the staircase, William walked over to one of the sofas that were placed in the center of the room as convenient sitting areas. Once he took a seat at one of them, he opened the cover of the book to begin reading.
A quarter of the way through, the sound of the library doors opening tore his attention away to see who had entered. The person who did was his younger brother. Louis closed the doors behind him before he ventured further into the room.
"Here you are, brother," said Louis, smiling as he approached the older boy. "I figured I'd find you here in the library if you weren't in your room."
William returned the gesture, the book in his hands temporarily forgotten and now settled in his lap. "You were looking for me, Louis? Why?"
"Mr. Jack wanted me to tell you that dinner will be done soon."
"Thank you, Louis, for letting me know."
"You're welcome, brother."
Upon coming to sit next to him, the younger boy asked his brother more about Hogwarts. While William was at the aforementioned school, he'd written letters to Louis to inform him of what the establishment was like which essentially gave Louis a heads-up before he would be attending the 1st of September of the upcoming year.
However, William kept a particular piece of information from Louis. He didn't do this out of malicious intent or because he just wanted to be deceptive. William believed that the other boy didn't need to know something that he wouldn't be able to do anything about.
Besides, whenever there were people visiting the estate, Louis most likely already had some problems whether blatant or not. So, it was best to keep him in the dark and, even if William figured that there was something nefarious happening under the surface, he wasn't entirely sure as nothing had happened so far.
The keyword being so far.
And then, just like the days before they were adopted into the Moriarty family, the two brothers spent quality time together while reading books and discussing various topics.
The light shined bright as it filtered in past the window panes.
It illuminated the room beautifully unlike some of the other days she'd been in the room. While sitting at the stool, Rion's eyes were captivated by the gorgeous sight of the grand piano and overjoyed that its majesty was once more at her fingertips.
She traced them along the shiny surface, lightly touching the black and white keys that looked as if they were imploring her to play them, to put a bit more pressure against them. Rion heeded the call, a short yet melodic sound ringing out. A smile of bright and wide proportions lit up her face.
This was different, in a good way. This piano was different from the one she'd found abandoned at Hogwarts, and the one that her father had prized above all other kinds of pianos no matter if they were, in hindsight, the same type. That one in particular she'd never get back, she knew this acutely ever since she came to live with her uncle and aunt.
But, this piano was wonderful. Amazing. It outshined the one at school, though that one was also pretty in its own way.
Rion placed one of her hands in her lap while her other proceeded to glide over the keys, creating a small musical piece to grace the air around her. This continued for a while as she allowed herself to drown happily in the music.
One of the double doors to the ballroom opened, the sound washing over the one that Rion was still making with the piano. Hearing it due to the loudness, the girl looked over to see who had entered where she was graced with the sight of her cousin standing there.
"Tay!" said Rion, her voice echoing all around. With her free hand, she gestured for the younger girl to come closer.
Octavia smiled, moving further into the room where she then closed the door behind her. The soft flaps that her slippers made along the shiny floor could barely be heard even as she drew closer and closer still to Rion.
When she finally arrived next to the piano, Octavia brought her hands together and started to twiddle her fingers with one another in that nervous habit of hers. Her eyes of sky blue trailed along the lines of the grand piano before moving her line of sight so she ended up meeting Rion's bright emeralds.
Said girl canted her head. "Do you need something, Tay?"
"No," said Octavia. "I heard you playing the piano and I just wanted to watch."
"Okay," Rion said while sliding more to one side and then patting the free space. "Sit down with me. Do you want to try playing it, too?"
As she sat down, Octavia's features contorted in worry. "Um, I don't know. I'm not really. . . I've never played before."
"You did. But you probably wouldn't remember because it was a long time ago."
"I did. . .?"
Octavia's brows furrowed as she tried her best to recall the moment when she actually did play the piano years ago. Reacting as though she'd been struck by something from out of nowhere, a sound of realization escaped the younger girl as her eyes grew big.
"Uncle Magnus taught me how!"
"Yep! You'd sit in his lap as he played."
"But, still, I'm not really good at it."
"That's because you haven't played it for a long time. Do you want to do a duet with me?"
The shine that appeared in Octavia's eyes at the suggestion made Rion smile wide.
Positioning her fingers over the keys again, Rion waited for Octavia to do the same. The younger girl observed her cousin's movements, mimicking them over the keys that were in front of her.
Slowly, the older girl lowered her hands toward the keys and allowed them to make contact where a drawn out sound rang out. Octavia followed suit, a different one proceeding after the other.
It sounded disconnected since she randomly pressed down on the keys. Octavia drew her hands back, brows pinched together as she looked at the piano as though it had betrayed her.
Rion glanced from the keys to her cousin. A small, soft smile fluttered to her lips. She suggested performing a little piece so Octavia could follow along with her.
When the younger girl nodded in assent, Rion began to lightly drum her fingers against certain keys where a particular rhythm shot up and into the air.
Whilst sitting in one of the chairs that made up one of the many rooms on the first floor, Albert was positioned across from William and Louis who sat on the sofa together. In front of them on the table between the trio, three cups of tea were settled where steam wafted up and into the air signaling that the liquid wasn't quite ready to be drank as of yet.
It was still daytime, though the sun was slowly making its way down to eventually be replaced by its nightly counterpart: the moon. Dim lighting illuminated their surroundings but the boys didn't mind. It felt oddly perfect for this particular moment as they discussed a certain topic of interest.
With his eyes focused on his untouched cup of tea, William said: "Hogwarts was exactly as you'd described it, Albert."
Even before the boy had taken over the identity of the true second son of the Moriarty family, William was told about the grand and well-known British school of witchcraft and wizardry by the eldest son. And even before that, he'd heard talk and gossip about it from the other wizards and witches that walked the streets. While they thought they were talking amongst each other, William had been listening in to their conversations as nothing more than an unassuming child.
Even now while under the guise of William James Moriarty it was exceptionally easy to overhear bits of conversation that were both intriguing as well as mortifying to discover. Albert had confessed that most adult wizards and witches, specifically those with ill-intentions, had no qualms in being very open about certain matters pertaining to their world and the world that was for the Muggles.
At least, to an extent, they had a mind to be, well, mindful of the possibilities of Muggles hearing about things that were not considered to be within the latter's jurisdiction.
"The professors are also quite charming, especially Professor Alden and Thorne."
Louis, who was listening intently up to this point, posed a question. "Thorne? As in Winters's paternal family?"
William gave a nod before saying: "That's correct. In fact, Professor Thorne is one of Rion's uncles."
"'One of'? How many uncles does she have?"
"Three," answered Albert. "She has two paternal uncles and one maternal. I remember meeting them at a social party many years ago before Professor Thorne became my teacher at Hogwarts."
Louis furrowed his brow, tone curious. "Were they nice?"
Albert smiled. "Yes, at least that's how they portrayed themselves to be."
The conversation continued on while veering off toward other topics of interest. A specific piece of information that William decided to relay to his brothers caused said boys to stare at the blond with an undeniable feeling of shock as it permeated their systems at the same time.
The sun finally descended past the treetops where it was now replaced with the glowing fluorescence of the moon.
The first night back for Christmas holidays was really, really cold.
Even as Rion sat at her desk where a piece of blank parchment paper was placed in front of her, she was bundled up in fluffy and comfy pajamas to keep the chill away from seeping into her skin. Her feet were clad in socks that stretched all the way up her calves, providing more warmth.
With the help of her wand which she had used the Wand-Lighting Charm on and attached to a stand to keep it upright, Rion could see ample amounts of her surroundings as she went about writing a letter the very moment she had gotten a moment of reprieve.
Which happened to have been at night with everyone else fast asleep in their beds.
Atop Rion's bed, Sonata could be seen and heard sleeping away peacefully, her tiny body snuggled underneath the plush covers. Every now and then, if it were loud enough, one could hear the soft snores escaping the kitten as well.
Rion smiled at the cuteness that was her animal companion.
Switching her attention back to the paper, she took her quill and began to dab it into the inkpot not too far away. With the tip now sufficiently drenched, the girl took it across the parchment where words appeared on the once blank surface.
She didn't stop writing until quiet knocks came to her bedroom door. In her panic, Rion set aside her quill where ink ended up accidentally staining the wood of her desk in order to grab her wand. Quickly, and quite sloppily, she performed the Wand-Extinguishing Charm while whispering the incantation.
The light flickered out of existence, bathing her in a pool of darkness with only the pale moonlight outside the small slit of her curtains to give any form of illumination.
Rion remained silent, not a peep escaping her as she waited for whoever was on the other side of the large, wooden object to speak first. If they ever did, that is.
The person did, and it was quite a surprise to hear who the voice belonged to.
"Rion? Are you awake?" it was Octavia, her voice quiet but not enough to be completely drowned out by the barrier that was separating the cousins.
Feeling a sense of rushing relief wash over her, Rion lit up her wand again. After leaving the comfort of her chair and trotting over to the entrance, she slowly opened the door where she was met with a familiar pair of sky blues that glistened and shined in the light.
Octavia was dressed in her pajamas: a long sleeve shirt and trousers with socks and slippers adorning her feet. In her arms was a cat plushie, the very same one that Rion had been enamoured with when she was younger than she is now.
The very same one that she had been gifted by her father when she was five years old.
Rion smiled. "Hey, Tay. What's up?"
"I was wondering if I could stay over and sleep with you tonight. But if you're busy then I don't want to bother you."
"You're not bothering me. Come on in. I'll finish up my letter and then I'll join you."
Rion moved away to allow Octavia room to enter. The younger girl stepped one foot inside before stopping, her features showing her worry that her cousin wasn't being truthful in her words.
"Are you sure? I can go back to my room."
"I said it was fine. Come on."
The eleven-year-old grasped Octavia's free hand, lightly pulling the latter further into the room. She allowed herself to be pulled, her hesitance blown away thanks to Rion's double assurance. The sincerity that laced the older girl's words was heard with a crystal clear veil.
As Rion went back to her desk to finish her letter, Octavia walked over to the bed where she began to crawl onto it with one hand and both knees. She got to the top and pulled back the covers to slink underneath them, her small body barely taking up the entire space of the left side.
Hugging the plushie close to her chest, Octavia looked over at Rion. "Is that another letter for. . . William, was his name?"
"Yep!" Rion smiled once more, specifically her signature one. "I wanted to tell him all about my first day of Christmas holidays. I hope he lets me know what his first day back at Mr. Rockwell's estate is like, too."
Octavia was quiet for a moment and then she said: "You seem to really like him, Rion."
The words in response were swift, no hesitation at all in their delivery. "I do. I'm not a hundred percent sure if he really thinks the same way about me, but I see him as a friend. A really close one."
Eyes of bright emerald peered up at the night sky, the clouds appearing grey against the dark expanse. "I really hope it's not a one-sided thing. . ."
These words were the last ones spoken for a while. Rion went back to finishing her letter, and when she did, she set about to put the paper aside and close the inkpot so the ink inside didn't dry out. She cleaned off the quill's tip of any excess ink before laying it down.
And then after disabling the Wand-Lighting Charm again, Rion walked over to her bed where she placed her wand on the nightstand near the picture of her and her parents. She climbed into the bed on the other side, covering her body all the way up to her neck and around herself like a cocoon.
In the very middle of both girls was Sonata, still lying there asleep. Having woken up a bit from the new shift in the bed, the kitten stretched her body out from the round position she was in before. With her eyes still closed, Sonata moved her arms toward the headboard where she was now lying on her back so her belly was exposed.
Rion and Octavia watched this play out in its entirety and smiled at the black and white kitten's obliviously cute display.
With a smile that could rival the rays of the sun, Rion said: "Good night, Tay. Sweet dreams."
Octavia smiled, face coloured pink in her happiness. "Good night, Rion, and sweet dreams to you too."
With the moon watching over the pair, the girls fell fast asleep while holding each other's hands.
Moonlight crept in from the opened window while the occupant in the room was sitting in his bed, a book situated in his hands. William's eyes moved across the pages, soaking in every single word that was written. Next to him on the nightstand was a lit candle that helped provide more light where the moon's own couldn't reach.
There wasn't a digital clock anywhere to be found and so the determining of the time was difficult. It was certainly nighttime, that much was obvious, but it could've been before ten or even after that.
And despite the window being blatantly open, the boy didn't seem to have a care at all. As though he wasn't particularly worried if someone of an unscrupulous intent decided to appear.
A figure appeared and thankfully it wasn't the person of an unscrupulous intent that was mentioned. Instead it was a barn owl who proceeded to push the panel wider so he could fit inside.
At the sound, William glanced over with his book being temporarily forgotten. "Archimedes? Are you done hunting?"
Said owl looked over at his name being said, his black eyes meeting those of a striking red hue swiftly. Without a sound escaping him, Archimedes moved further into the room but not without closing the window behind him where the locking mechanism gave a soft click in response.
The owl flapped his way over to his cage, settling himself upon the stand in the center. As it was still nighttime out, Archimedes stayed awake and due to having plenty of time before the sun replaced the moon started to preen his feathers where some of them fell to the bottom of the cage.
Silence took over once more as William shifted his attention back to the book in his hands.
It was once more taken away when the distinct sound of voices could be heard from beyond his bedroom door. He looked at the object in question, purposefully silent as he strained his ears in order to hear whatever was being said. They sounded particularly rushed and worried, the concern lining the tones heard loud and clear.
Archimedes paused in his preening, his eyes laser-focused on the door. Not even a small noise escaped, as though he was aware that keeping quiet was to his owner's benefit.
Closing his book and then setting it off to the side on the nightstand, William removed the blanket from his lower half. He then slowly and carefully maneuvered his legs so his sock-clad feet touched the cold, hard wooden floor. The boards creaked slightly under his weight, and he momentarily paused upon hearing it.
Voices continued to drift into his room, the owners of them apparently not having heard the sounds which indicated that someone, or at least something, was awake at this hour. Taking advantage of their carelessness, William walked to the door in an attempt to hear the actual conversation being heard on the other side.
After placing his hands and one ear against it, the words floating from the people in the corridor came to him swiftly and with ease.
"I don't see why we need to entertain those people—they're always so degrading whenever they visit."
"I understand how you feel, believe me I do, but we have no choice. Master Rockwell is our proprietor, the only reason we have a job that actually doesn't involve any. . . you know, is thanks in every part to him and his kind generosity."
"Yes, I know. But if we could disregard any sort of affiliation with them then I feel like it'd be even better."
"We take what we can get. And I have to say this because it's true: things could be so much worse than what they are now. They could be much better, but they could also be much worse."
"Basically, you're saying we're directly in the middle and it could change in either direction."
"Correct."
Silence prevailed before one of the two people on the other side of the door spoke again.
"I hate this. I hate this. Just because we weren't born like them—pure of blood—doesn't mean we should be treated as nothing more than cattle, as tools to be used and than thrown away when our purpose reaches its end."
"I know."
"We're human, just like them. We breathe, we think, we speak, we love. Without us, magic as we know it would cease to exist. They should know that. There aren't many pure-bloods left, no matter where you look, and I bet that most of them aren't even actually pure-blood really."
A sigh, one that was filled with a bone-crushing exhaustion that was just as understandable as the words being spoken.
Quiet permeated the atmosphere.
Soon, the sound of fading footsteps bounced off the walls before vanishing completely.
Moving away from the door, William looked over at the window where the moonlight continued to bleed into his room.
The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air. It traveled all the way from the ground floor and up toward the first, where it garnered the attention of one person in particular. Taking the staircase down to the kitchen from the first floor, Rion's arrival was accompanied by loud thumps on the steps.
Her wide, vivid green irises were full of intrigue as she witnessed the sight of her aunt standing in front of the stove, multiple burners on as multiple pots went about in helping the woman create a wonderful meal for her family.
Rion remained still, her eyes now focused on the fire blazing a few feet away. It wasn't until her presence was noticed that she moved further into the room, slowly with her hand trailing lightly on the part that was the doorframe.
"Rion," Rebekah smiled as she addressed her niece. "Lured by the smell of food, huh?"
The girl nodded, gaze still centered on the burners. "Yeah. Is it almost done?"
"Not for a little while longer," answered Rebekah, both of her hands stirring the contents of one pot each expertly. "I'm sorry, Rion."
"You don't have to apologize, Aunt Rebekah," said Rion as she made her way to the table in the center of the kitchen. She sat down at her usual place and rested her arms on top of the huge object's surface. "I can wait—anything for your cooking."
"You love it that much that you're willing to wait for who knows how long?"
"Of course! I love your cooking, otherwise I wouldn't eat it."
Rebekah clamped her lips shut so she wouldn't end up guffawing at her niece's blatant honesty.
Footsteps coming into the kitchen caused Rion to glance over her shoulder and what she saw made a smile blossom on her features.
"Uncle Boris! And you have Tor!"
Boris was indeed entering the kitchen and in his arms was his twelve-weeks-old, or three-month-old, son. Beautiful blues looked over just as the girl's voice reached his ears, and Rion immediately cooed at how adorable Torin was. Once Boris sat down at the table, Rion reached forward to place her hand atop her youngest cousin's head.
"Try to have your indoor voice, Rion," said Boris. "You might end up scaring him by being too loud."
Immediately, an apologetic expression twisted her features. "I'm sorry."
Her voice was low, more like a whisper than just an octave that was an acceptable volume between loud and quiet.
Small, tiny noises escaped the human that was of the same size. While looking at his son, Boris's face held a fond smile and his eyes shined with the same emotion. Seeing it, Rion grinned brightly. She slowly took her fingers through the small patch of hair on Torin's head.
It wasn't long before the other member of their family arrived. In her arms, Octavia held a book that looked to still be in pristine condition even though she's had it for many months now. Along the spine, with purposeful observation, one could see words written on it. The title of the work was the (Not Yet) Complete Guide to the Wonderful and Dreadful.
Upon seeing her other cousin arrive, Rion shifted her grin to Octavia. "Tay! You're joining us!"
"Rion, inside voice."
"Oops! Sorry."
Octavia walked over and took the seat next to her older cousin where she then put her book atop the table at her place. With a happy smile, she said, "I saw Uncle Boris come downstairs with Torin so I followed him. And besides. . ."
"You were also lured by the smell of food, Vivi?" Rebekah's voice held a teasing lilt to it.
"Yeah. . . I was," Octavia's smile shifted into one that very much resembled a common variation of Rion's own: a sheepish one.
"My two girls are so adorable being attracted to one place by food. Absolutely adorable."
Turning her eyes to Torin, Rion asked: "Do you think Tor will be the same when he gets older?"
"I hope so," said Rebekah, smiling. "It'd be easy to catch his attention then if that ends up being the case."
The family that once consisted of only four members engaged in conversation about the food and other things, smiles of equal proportions stretching across their faces and shining in their eyes. Jovial, happy laughter rang out as playful banter ensued between them, the spirit of the holiday beaming bright in not only their home but also in their hearts.
Eyes of deep ruby took in the scene in front them.
The grand kitchen was filled with not only wonderfully scented food but also many people who were in charge of crafting and creating the aforementioned delicacies. With their wands in hand, the witches and wizards continued to make more as though they were preparing a feast for ambassadors from every single country and continent.
The task moved quickly given the fact that they were using magic instead of their hands, though the stove that was used was an old-fashioned, wood-burning one. The windows were open to allow the smoke to exit the house and leave the atmosphere breathable for everyone inside.
On the island in the center of the kitchen was the vast assortment of goodies that had already been made and brought into existence.
Watching from the entryway which was a swinging door and through a small slit he created with his hand lightly pushing it forward, Louis took note of the movements the head cook and the latter's assistants performed with their wands. His eyes followed every single detail, meticulous in their observation.
Suddenly, a thump from the floor above caused Louis to hurriedly shift his attention and eyes upward. When it came again, the boy moved away from the doorway and toward the staircase that lead up to the first floor. Meandering down the corridor, he listened intently for another sound and, once it came, made his way to the door where the sounds were originating from.
The door in question was slightly open, enough to peek in much like what Louis had done with the kitchen door prior. Upon taking a gander at the interior, he saw Rockwell's guests which had arrived earlier sitting at a round shaped table along with Rockwell himself.
The men and women were dressed just as you'd expect for the occasion: formally and smartly. In well-pressed and finely-tailored suits and beautiful and lavishly designed dresses.
Cards were placed in front of the lot of them along with chips in the center and glasses of either wine, red or white, whisky or scotch, in their hands with smoke trailing up and into the air from lit cigarettes and cigars in their mouths. The smoke wafted toward Louis and, in response, he wrinkled his nose but refused to move away.
He wanted to listen, just in case something of value would be said. Something he could relay back to William and Albert that would help in the trio's future goal.
More of an insight into those kinds of people's heads.
And then voices surged forth, exactly what Louis had been waiting for.
"I say, you're quite the generous man, Rockwell," said a man with black hair peppered with strands of silver. He was one of the people smoking and so removed his cigarette from his mouth in order to speak. "Not many of us take on so many servants when magic is fairly easy to use, even for those who don't necessarily deserve it."
"How true," one of the women then said, tapping the bottom of her cards against the table with her hand. "One only really needs the bare essentials—anymore than that and it's simply a waste of space."
"Unlike our. . . non-magic having counterparts, we didn't, and don't, need such a large body count taking care of everything," said another man. "Though, if they're not put to work then what's the use of those kind having magic to begin with, I say."
As though taking turns in accounting their opinions on the matter, a second woman said while smirking: "Couldn't have said it better myself. Although, maybe I actually could have."
All but two of the adults had a round of laughter together.
When the laughter died down, the man that was smoking turned his cordovan brown eyes toward another. "How about you, Casimir? What do you think?"
The man in question sat across from Rockwell and so made it difficult for Louis to have a view of his face. His hair resembled the colour of black ink and, like everyone else, he was dressed prim and neat. The aura that exuded off his body was calm, placid even, and kind but there was something underneath it all that Louis felt oddly familiar with.
When Casimir spoke, his voice held a certain lilt to it. "My opinion? Hm. . . Well, to be perfectly honest, to each their own. It is nice to give back to those who need it, after all, everyone needs a stable job to keep going, don't they? I believe Rockwell isn't wrong in what he's doing, but it's not wrong for any of you to choose to have less servants helping around your own individual households either."
The first woman to have spoken earlier then said: "You're being quite kind, Casimir, at least in words. Tell us, there's more to your opinion than just that, isn't there? I mean. . . your family is quite notorious for having a good balance of servants in their home. At least that's how it was, once upon a time."
"Well, yes, that's what it was, once upon a time. But, as you all have said, in actuality we do not need so many people in order to take care of the tasks around the house. However, Rockwell is a generous man and he wouldn't be, well, himself if he wasn't so I see no harm in either action being superior over the other."
A smile appeared on Rockwell's face, though there was a slight twitch on one corner. "You flatter me, Casimir. Please don't trouble yourself on my account, if I may say."
"Oh no, no trouble at all, I assure you," Casimir shook his head lightly. "I'm just stating my absolute honest opinion. My household isn't in need of many servants, not anymore as my brother, sister and I are very good at taking care of things. We're not children anymore, after all—not saying all of you are children, mind."
"And speaking of being generous. . ." said the first man as he crushed the still lit end of his cigarette into the ashtray. "Taking in Moriarty's two boys and the adopted son, I mean, after the death of their parents and the youngest boy's brother."
Louis's eyes widened upon hearing this. He listened much more closely, if that was at all possible, to the conversation now being had.
Rockwell traced the ridges of his scotch glass with his fingertips. "Generous. . . I wouldn't call it that. Anyone with an actual heart would've taken in three orphans instead of leaving them to fend for themselves on the streets."
"True, true," said a woman sitting three seats from him. "And it makes perfect sense, considering how close you were to the Moriartys when they were alive."
After exhaling a gust of smoke, a third man then said: "I wasn't expecting it at all: their death. The accident was unprecedented, especially when the Moriartys didn't seem to have any enemies."
"'Seem like' is different from 'actually having,' don't you think?"
"Do you really think the cause of the accident was a negligent maid instead of a pre-meditated murder?"
"Either way it happened, didn't it? No point in dwelling on something that happened months ago."
"That's true. . . but it's still interesting, the reason behind it."
They each took turns speaking, except for Rockwell and Casimir.
Then suddenly, unprompted, conversation of another couple and their untimely deaths started fluttering around the table.
"Remember when news of Magnus and Constance Winters made it to the Prophet?" said the first woman. "I was shocked to say the least. To think they were taken out by something as simple as that—they could've very well have apparated out of that situation with no problem. After all, they were pure-blood and supposedly two of the greatest among us."
A scoff came and then: "Apparently not given how easily they fell. Even though they were pure-blood, they couldn't even save themselves. A disgrace, in all honesty."
"It's such a tragedy, what happened to the Winterses," said a woman sitting next to Rockwell, her voice sad but it sounded weak to Louis's ears. "We lost two wonderful assets to our community when they left this plane of existence."
"Excuse me," said Rockwell, his eyes flitting from one to another at the table. "I'd prefer if we don't talk about the deaths of others so lightly. Especially when their daughter was orphaned due to the event, much like the boys whom the lot of you apparently have sympathy for."
Being scolded by the head of the Rockwell family caused those that were speaking to clamp their lips tightly shut, not a single sound escaping them in regards to the previous topic of discussion.
The conversation continued, however, soon veering off course and delving into other matters that apparently only those who were considered pure-blood could relate to.
Louis proceeded to eavesdrop until the sound of approaching footsteps caused the boy to back away from the door. His eyes of deep ruby stole a glance over his shoulder to see a familiar figure standing there, tray balanced with perfected poise on one hand.
With one look in his brown eyes, Jack motioned for Louis to step away from the door. After the boy did as instructed, the butler took the ten-year-old's place and rapped softly on the door with his free hand.
Immediately, Rockwell's voice came forth to grant whoever it was entry and Jack wasted no time in entering the room.
Louis noted quite acutely how the voices ceased talking as soon as there was knocking on the large object, signaling that they had gone back to talking about those in positions like Jack. Both in occupation and blood status.
With carefully quiet steps, Louis made his way down the corridor in order to find his older brothers.
Snow was everywhere.
Which was to be expected given the season and how much of it had already fallen even before she came back home for the holidays. But it was still an amazing thing to witness, the entire Earth blanketed with a soft yet cold expanse of pure white. Even the trees and their branches were covered by it.
It was truly a magical sight.
Eyes of vivid green looked out the window at the aforementioned sight, Rion's hand resting lightly on the glass of the window attached to the door that lead out toward the garden. From over her shoulder, she could hear the approaching footsteps belonging to someone and it caused her to shift her gaze from the snow.
After stealing a glance over her shoulder, Rion saw that the person was none other than her beloved cousin. Octavia was bundled up in layers upon layers to keep out the cold despite the many fireplaces in the house being lit to provide much needed warmth. Her light blonde hair was left to fall freely down her back, effectively blocking out more of the cold.
A blinding smile lit up Rion's features. "Tay! Do you need something?"
Octavia shook her head, sky shaded blues shining like the glistening snow outside. "Not really. I just wanted to spend more time with you. It won't be long before you leave again for school."
"Yeah. Time does fly by fast sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does. . ."
A somber air took over the atmosphere, but it didn't last long. Because Rion wouldn't let it.
Reaching out her hands without a hint of warning, the eleven-year-old took the younger girl's hands into her own which startled the latter immensely as she wasn't expecting the action at all.
"Say, Tay, I have an idea of what we can do to spend more time together."
Said ten-year-old canted her head, looking alike that of a confused dog.
Standing outside amidst the white was three figures, two positioned next to each other and opposite the other. A fourth was sitting off to the side at a good distance, observing the happenings. Due to the frigid weather, the people in question were donned in warm layers to keep their bodies protected from the cold.
With his hands positioned behind his back which was as straight as a rod, Jack said: "All right, Masters Albert and William, it appears that we have some time for training before Master Rockwell and the other staff return."
Allowing his arms to casually rest by his sides, one look at Jack's right hand one would see the unmistakable shape of his wand. His grip on it was firm, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Albert and William also had their wands situated in their hands, and even though it didn't look like it, the boys were alert should Jack make even the slightest hint of movement.
Louis watched from a distance, unfortunately sitting this match out similarly to the others due to the fact he hadn't been gifted his wand as of yet. But, that would change once summer came around next year.
And it couldn't come soon enough.
"What are we going to be doing today, Instructor?" asked Albert.
Jack smiled, the action friendly with a hint of danger to it. "How about a revision of all that I've taught the two of you, as well as anything you've learned at Hogwarts in the last three months? We won't have enough time for all of it but, if we begin now, we should be able to cover as much as we are able to in the meantime
"Now," began Jack, lifting his wand hand into the air. In response, Albert and William tensed their bodies a bit in preparation. "Let's start the match, shall we?"
Instead of beginning immediately, no one moved and stayed perfectly still almost like they were nothing but statues. The wind blew past, the only thing that didn't remain stationary. That was until the flicker of movement, quick as a hummingbird and just as graceful, showed itself.
As a result, Jack sent a white ball of light in Albert and William's direction.
A sound of surprise escaped Octavia, her hands flying up to her hair as the leftover snow from Rion's snowball rested in the strands of the younger girl's long, light blonde locks. Her features contorted to show her displeasure at being caught off guard.
Rion paused just as she had crafted another snowball, her eyes showing contemplation. "Are you all right, Tay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, it didn't hurt," said Octavia, smoothing out her face to cease her cousin's worry. "I just wasn't expecting it. How do you make snowballs again?"
"It's easy!" Rion abandoned her own snowball, letting it fall out of her hands so it became one with the rest of the snow once more.
She wadded through the soft expanse much like how one would wade through a large body of water. When she arrived at Octavia's side, Rion took her hands into her own and slowly began to crouch back down to the ground. Octavia followed without any further prompting, getting the idea that Rion wanted to show her instead of just telling her how to do it.
After crafting another ball of snow in her hands, Rion looked at Octavia and encouraged the younger girl with a blinding smile that could've melted the beauty surrounding them on all sides. With careful movements, Octavia stared at the round mass that was now lying delicately in the middle of her mittened hands.
She had successfully made one, albeit a bit lumpier than the ones Rion had crafted.
The despondency she felt showed on her face but it didn't last long as her cousin was very keen on making sure happiness abounded at every turn.
At least that's what Rion strove for, even if it did appear as a difficult wish to have.
"It's all right, Tay," said Rion, smiling again. "I didn't get it right the first time I made one, either. Just pat the lumpy parts slowly and they should go away. But don't do it too hard, the snow could end up breaking apart and the whole thing would have to be redone."
The younger girl did as instructed, following along with the directions given by her cousin, and stared in silent awe at the newly smoothed snowball in her hands.
The smile never left the other girl's face. "Brilliant, Tay! It looks really pretty, and like the perfect weapon for a fight."
Octavia's head snapped up instantly at her cousin's words. "A fight? I don't want to fight."
Rion giggled, the sound echoing all around them. "It's not like an actual fight, Tay. We'd be throwing snowballs at each other. It can hurt though, so maybe we shouldn't?"
"I'd rather not fight you in any way, Rion. . ."
"Then, we don't have to have a snowball fight," Rion noted, content. Her eyes soon widened as a stroke of realization hit her. "Tay, how about we go further into the garden?"
Octavia's face communicated her reluctance. "But, Uncle Boris told us not to. That it's too dangerous with all of the snow."
"It'll be fine. Besides, I know exactly where we can go."
"Well, I mean. . ."
Rion took one of Octavia's hands into her own. "Come on, let's go and let Aunt Rebekah know about what we're going to do."
And so the girls trudged their way through the snow to arrive at the backdoor that lead into the kitchen of the house. Upon opening it, the pair could see their aunt standing in front of the stove, the smell of freshly cooked food wafting toward them invitingly.
The scent of it had almost caused Rion to back out of her plan completely but she stood firm. After all, she and her cousin would be able to partake in the food once they came back from their exploration excursion.
"Aunt Rebekah!"
Said woman whirled her head around, not at all expecting to be called by her niece who was standing in the open doorway. Rebekah's features showed bewilderment. "Rion? Vivi? What are you two doing just standing there? The cold's coming in and the heat's going out."
"Tay and I are heading further into the garden for a little bit."
"'Further into the garden'? Rion, it's really cold out there and the snow is everywhere. You both could get lost in there."
Rion shook her head. "We won't! I'm really good at finding my way back home from the garden and I'll never let Tay out of my sight."
Rebekah was still reluctant to acquiesce to the girl's plan. "I don't know. . . You know Boris doesn't like it when you girls wander off in such a huge place all by yourselves."
"We'll be okay! And if we do lose our way, we'll just follow the lights."
"Well. . ."
Pivoting on her heel, Rion sent a dazzling smile toward her aunt as she scurried off back outside while waving a hand in the air. "See you later, Aunt Rebekah! And we'll be back soon!"
Rebekah lifted a hand as a short and silent goodbye, her icy blues watching as the girls took off into the long stretch of pearly white. A sigh escaped her, an awkward smile fluttering to her lips.
"Boris isn't going to be happy about this. . . Not one bit."
Out in the snow, Rion walked with a purposeful gait as she made her way to the very place that had appeared in her mind. Octavia tightened her hold on her cousin's hand, and Rion squeezed it as a form of a reassurance.
The pathways that lead in all sorts of different directions could be seen, a minimal amount of snow covering the surface.
Rion walked along them with confidence, absolutely sure that she knew where she was going without any form of help needed in the process. And she truly did given the amount of times she had traversed these very walkways in the time she'd been living with her uncle and aunt.
And due to her unwavering belief in and loyalty to the older girl, Octavia followed dutifully while her eyes glanced around at their surroundings.
Looking up at her cousin, Octavia asked: "Where are we going, Rion?"
"Well, I was wondering, what do you think about having some fun through December's door, Tay?"
A happy smile took hold of Octavia's face, lighting it up adorably. "December's door? You mean the one where the huge Christmas tree and all the pretty lights that sing a different carol every time they change colour are? Where the air smells like freshly baked gingerbread biscuits and hot chocolate with marshmallows?"
Rion nodded, beaming. "Yep, that's the one!"
With eagerness and happy anticipation decorating each step they took, the girls continued on their way along the path laid out before them.
A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.