Alethea Beowulf is just starting to get used to the fact that she is the only Slytherin in her Gryffindor dominate family when it's revealed that she might have a stronger connection to the dark side of Slytherin than she previously thought. Not to...
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The concern for Thea's brother which had been taking up most of her time seemed to miraculously disappear in the following weeks. Her relationship with Draco took up all of her attention, and many others'. They were the talk of the school. Although many of the older students said it was just puppy love, very few were actually upset about the new couple.
This was mostly due to the fact that Draco acted on his best behavior and Thea rewarded him with affection. Only when she wasn't present did he revert to his old ways, which was a rare occurrence. If anything, many began to welcome it with open arms.
As always, Christmas was being welcomed just as openly. The morning after Thea's birthday, Hogwarts students woke to the muddy hills of the school grounds having suddenly been transformed into a glimmering winter wonderland. Professor Flitwick, the charms professor, lead the faculty into the time of cheer, being the first to decorate his classroom and soon followed by Professor Sprout. The only one who didn't join was, of course, Snape, even Professor Binns added a festive wreath above his chalkboard.
To add to the joyful spirit, another Hogsmeade trip was announced for the last weekend of the term. Everyone became a buzz with excitement for the coming break. Several of the professors had even given up on trying to teach and simply let the class chatter about their plans.
Thea's friends, of course, were not separated from this excitement. Inez was thrilled to have a second chance to go back to Hogsmeade since her muggle parents always enjoyed her quirky gifts from the wizarding world. Cordelia was also planning to do some holiday shopping, hoping to get to Zonko's to find her cousin's favorite stink pellets before they ran out again. Neither Leona nor Thea had expressed plans for the day, but they were happy to tag along, for the most part.
Leona was keeping her distance from Thea once again. This time she wasn't as agitated as she had been before, instead trading it for minimal words and forced smiles. Thea had the aching feeling that she was worried about going home to talk to her parents. They had to have made a decision about whether or not to stay by now; if they hadn't sent her a letter then maybe they were waiting to talk to her in person about the matter, which wasn't a good sign. Thea never got the chance to confirm her suspicions since she was either being occupied by Draco or Leona was actively avoiding her.
For a moment, she thought she'd be able to talk to her on the Hogsmeade trip until Draco once again pulled her attention away. Thea was sitting with her friends in the common room, the group crowded around the coffee table as Inez taught them a muggle card game. It was then that Draco decided to walk up to her and declare, "You're going with me to Hogsmeade."
Thea looked away from her deck of cards slowly, raising a brow. "Excuse me?"
The confidence which once put a smirk across his face suddenly vanished as he reassessed his words. "I mean... Will you go with me, please?" he added for extra insurance.
