✓ SHE'S A SNITCH | james sirius potter

Chapter 12

12 - HOME SWEET HOME

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WINTER Break had finally approached after the many long months of studying at Hogwarts. Thalia was absolutely relieved now that she had finally got a break and couldn't be more relieved.

The train ride home was quite ordinary. It felt weird and a tad bit unnerving seeing as that it would be her last train ride home on the Hogwarts Express to go home for Winter Break, but those feelings did not ruin Thalia's Christmas spirit.

Her mother and father were both happily waiting at the platform as they greeted their three children.

"Hey, Mum!" Lorcan greeted.

"We missed you, guys!" Rolf Scamander said as he ruffled his two son's hair before he turned his attention to his daughter and engulfed her in a tight hug.

"We are housing some new Nifflers back at home!" Luna said excitedly. "And our home is nargle-free! I managed to get rid of all of them before your return. Don't want them ruining Christmas!"

"Alright, kids. Take my hand and I'll apparate us home." Rolf said as the Scamander's held onto him.

In a flash, they all felt as they were being warped through a giant hole in space, and they landed on their feet before their lovely cottage that sat at the edge of a whimsical and enchanting forest.

Lorcan immediately sprinted into the house, excited to check out the new nifflers that awaited in the cottage with their father running after him. Lorcan was an aspiring magizoologist, just like his mother and father. He was also more on the quiet side, compared to Lysander and Thalia, not that it mattered anyway.

Lysander wasn't much interested in magical creatures at all. In fact, he was an aspiring Unspeakable-something he had wanted to do all his life.

Lysander quickly followed after his younger brother-yes younger, but literally only by a minute-and joined him to play with the new nifflers while Thalia and her mother walked towards the cottage calmly in a comfortable silence.

When Thalia entered through her cottage doors, she could smell the fresh flowers that decorated the entire house and freshly baked cookies that were practically asking to be devoured.

"I see you can smell the cookies," Luna smiled.

"You don't mind do you?" Thalia asked, wanting to demolish the cookies that sat on the plate before her on the kitchen counter.

"As long as you save some for your father and brothers."

Thalia wasted no time and immediately began munching down on the cookies.

"Let's have some girl talk." Luna said to her daughter.

"Okay," Thalia said, quirking a brow, "Is everything alright?"

"With me? Of course. The nargles have managed to stay away from the house for quite some time now. I'm completely unaffected. However, you seem to be off. It's got to be them-Hogwarts is full of them. You have an off aura about you, so what's wrong? Something bothering you?" Luna said.

"Mum, I'm completely fine. I promise," Thalia chuckled.

"It's a boy isn't it?" Luna asked, knowingly.

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and immediately James popped up into her head. "You mean James?" asked Thalia.

"I never said that I was talking about, James," Luna smiled.

"Well, I mean... he is a boy. And he has bothered me for the past 6 years, so, of course, I immediately thought of him." Thalia said. "Don't go overthinking about this, Mum. There's nothing to it. I promise."

"I am your mother, Thalia. And plus, I've always been quite good at reading people."

"Well, you're reading me wrong then."

"Well... just know that there's more to this than what you think it seems."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You will come to find out in time, Thalia Scamander."

"Mum! Stop speaking in riddles!"

Luna chuckled at her daughter's impatience. To this day, she still wondered why her daughter was never sorted into Gryffindor, but the sorting hat was never wrong, she supposed.

"You will soon come to know what I am talking about Thalia." Luna said to Thalia. "Now go join your father and brother. I am sure the nifflers would love to meet you."

Luna Scamander has always been good at understanding people. She understood Harry when no one else did, especially in 5th year, with Cedric. She understood Neville, where she saw that there was so much determination and courage in what seemed like a shy, quiet, and timid boy. She understood Draco, who was broken and in a terrible situation where he felt obligated to do his parents' bidding no matter how much he didn't want to do of what they asked.

And now, she understood her daughter, who clearly was pushing away that she had something for James Sirius Potter. Whether it was romantic feelings or even a soft spot, there was a spark between the two, and Luna knew it from the bottom of her heart.

No matter how much Thalia denied it, there was something between them. Oh, and how much Luna wished her daughter could see that fact.