𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞 | 𝐇.𝐏.

𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟏 - 𝟔

Winter had fallen upon Hogwarts. 

Everywhere you looked, there were floating golden ornaments and magicked snowflakes that felt like warm kisses as they melted on your skin. The faint sound of slow Christmas music seemed to be just around the corner in all parts of the castle.

A couple days ago, Hagrid had dragged the last pine tree into the Great Hall, and Professor Flitwick had charmed little golden fairies to twinkle in its branches.

It was calm and happy, cozy and safe. 

But today was the day that we were leaving for Christmas break, and I was not looking forward to it in the slightest. I hadn't even spoken to Draco since the day of the Quidditch match, and mother and father would notice if we were acting distant around each other.

Hermione and I went into the almost completely empty Great Hall, where only a few students were seated, Potter and Weasley included. We wanted to say goodbye one last time before we left.

As we got closer, I realized they were playing wizards chess. Father taught me when I was very young, when I was still looked at as a child and not just a pureblood girl to marry off one day. The second I turned eleven, it was all I was worth. 

We finally reached them, and I heard Potter's concentrated voice say, "Knight to E-5."

Weasley smirked. "Queen to E-5."

The red queen slid up to Potter's white knight, and smashed him to pieces with her throne. Hermione gasped at the violence.

"That's totally barbaric!" She exclaimed.

"That's wizards chess," Weasley said, crossing his arms over his chest and still wearing that smug smirk on his face from his victory. Then he looked Hermione up and down. "I see you've packed."

"I see you haven't," she responded back.

"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my older brother Charlie," Weasley explained. "He's studying dragons there." 

"Good, you can help Potter then," I said to him. "He's going to go look in the library for information on Nicholas Flamel." 

"We've looked a hundred times," Weasley complained. 

Hermione leaned down close to them. "Not in the restricted section," she whispered, and then stood up straight again. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," I echoed, and we both left the hall. All the students leaving for the holidays, which was most, took the carriages down to the Hogsmeade platform to get onto the train. Once everyone was boarded, Hermione and I rushed to find an empty compartment.

But of course, we had to pass Pansy Parkinson on the way there.

"Alexandra!" She said happily, and grabbed my arm. "Come sit with Draco and I!" And she pulled me away.

I turned my head around hurriedly and motioned for Hermione to follow, but she just shook her head. I assumed she didn't want another scene like the last time I was with her and Draco in the same area.

"No, Pansy, I was going to..." I argued, but reluctantly let her pull me along.

"Nonsense," she interrupted. "I haven't spoken with you in ages."

Once we got to a compartment all the way in the back, she opened the door and shoved me inside, following soon after. There were four people seated there, but I only knew one, Draco. Three other boys were with him, and thankfully none of them were Crabbe and Goyle.

"That's Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Mattheo Riddle," Pansy said to me, nodding to each in turn. Blaise nodded back at me, Theodore smiled, and Mattheo just looked at me, expressionless.