The Golden Trio and the Slytherin

Chapter 9

Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye and before Diana had gotten too lonely her friends were back. Her time at Hogwarts for the holidays had been boring. She had read three books and adventures through the entire castle. She had stumbled across a room that she wasn't able to find again. It had been filled with books and a fireplace. There were decorations all over the walls; a sword with a red gemstone inlay into the hilt, a beautiful tiara with blue gemstones, a couple different suits of armor, and a tall black cabinet. She had spent an entire day reading in there, but as soon as she had left, she wasn't ever able to find the door again.

Harry and Ron were non-existent the entire time that everyone was away. She saw them for Christmas eve and occasionally at dinner but that was it. It wasn't until Hermione had got back a day or two early that they told her about the mirror of Erised, that Harry had seen his parents in the mirror. She had been genuinely upset about it. If they had told her she may have had a chance to see who her father was in the mirror. But they hadn't even thought to share their findings with her. After some thought though she remembered that she hadn't told Harry and Ron about her family situation. She had only explained it to Hermione minus the part about her uncle being a werewolf. Harry and Ron were also boys and just hadn't even thought about it.

Selene had also come back early which had been a nice surprise. She had even come home with presents for her. She had brought her a cozy sweater, a blanket, and yet another book for her to read. She had laughed a little at that, telling her friend that everyone had bought her books for christmas. Selene then told her about her Christmas and how she found out that her mother had stopped taking her medications and had gone completely insane. Selen had done her best to try and get her mother stable on her own but after a week of screaming and crying, she had called for help. Selene's mother was now in St Mungos under observation until further notice.

Daphne had a fairly normal Christmas for her family of four. Her younger sister pestered her the entire time about what it was like at Hogwarts. Astoria was only two years younger than them and would be joining them in a few years.

Draco on the other hand had come home only a few days early, boasting about the new broomstick he had received among other expensive items. New shoes, new potions sets and ingredients, and leather bound books. Diana had just rolled her eyes, seeing that going home to see his parents had reinvigorated his posh attitude. She paid him no mind for the first two days after he came back, until she found one of the expensive leather bound books tucked into her stack of textbooks. He hadn't said anything other than a note on the inside that said 'Merry Christmas. Hope it didn't completely suck'. She'd chuckled at his disinterested comment, but when she looked up she had caught him staring at her. With a nod of acknowledgement and a mouthed 'thank you' she had tucked it into her bag, excited to start reading it when she was done with her current book.

They hadn't said anything to each other since he had been back, sticking close to his friends. With his parents being blood purists she had to wonder if he had been scolded for hanging out with her, knowing that she was of mixed blood. She paid it no mind. If he was just staying away from her for appearances sake she could understand that, though it sucked. Maybe time would give way to a different outcome.

After the first few days of everyone getting back into the swing of things Diana found herself in the library with the golden trio. The library had become a haven of quiet concentration, the scent of old parchment and dust hanging heavy in the air as students buried themselves in their studies. For Diana, the holidays had flown by in a whirlwind of family gatherings and fleeting moments of relaxation. Yet, as she returned to the familiar routine of classes and homework, she found herself drawn back into the mysteries and intrigues of Hogwarts life. They still had to unravel what was taken from the vault in Gringotts. They were all seated at a table in the far corner of the library, pouring over their textbooks, the soft rustle of pages turning the only sound in their secluded corner.