✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

50 | XAERN

XAERN
(v.) to enjoy something so much you begin to hate how much you like it

TESSA SLEPT IN THE NEXT DAY, THANKFUL THAT IT WAS SATURDAY AND SHE WAS FREE FROM DETENTIONS WITH UMBRIDGE. Once she was up, she lazily got dressed for the day and sat down on her desk to write a letter for Philip.

Dear Philip,

     How are you? I haven't heard from you for a while now since I've been punished in summer. Is school treating you well? I hope it's not as horrible as this one professor of mine here.

I miss you, and I hope to hear from you soon. Perhaps we can try to arrange a meeting together in Hogsmeade again like last time. I can even bring Theo or the others along too — you enjoyed their company, right?

Take care always and please be safe.

Love,
Tessie

After a quick trip to the Owlery, Tessa made her way to the Great Hall to join the others for breakfast. "Morning," she greeted the three as she slid into her usual seat, wedging a piece of toast between her teeth.

     They chirped back a good morning to her as Ron took a large gulp of pumpkin juice and said to her and Harry, "Listen . . . you don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me, do you? Just to — er — give me some practice before training? So I can, you know, get my eye in a bit . . ."

     "Yeah, okay," Harry said.

     Tessa finished her toast and grabbed another one. "Sure, why not?"

     "Look, I don't think you should," Hermione said seriously, "you three are really behind on homework as it —" She was cut off by the screech of owls as her morning paper of the Daily Prophet arrived.

     "Anything interesting?" Ron asked, steering away from the subject of homework.

     "No," Hermione sighed, "just some guff about the bass player in the Weird Sisters getting married . . . "

     Tessa nodded to herself. "I bet you anything Ginny's already heard of that news."

     "Wait a moment," Hermione gasped suddenly. "Oh no . . . Sirius!"

     "What's happened?" Harry asked at once as Tessa dropped her fork to peer over the table at the paper.

     " 'The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer . . . blah blah blah . . . is currently hiding in London!' " Hermione read in a panicky whisper.

     "Lucius Malfoy, I'll bet anything," Harry grumbled. "He did recognize Sirius on the platform . . . "

     "What?" Ron cried out in alarm. "You didn't say —"

     The three shushed him as Hermione went on reading the paper:

     ". . . 'Ministry warns Wizarding community that Black is very dangerous . . . killed thirteen people . . . broke out of Azkaban . . .' the usual rubbish. Well, he just won't be able to leave the house again, that's all," she whispered. "Dumbledore did warn him not to."

     Tessa sighed as she lost her appetite. "Poor Paddy."

ϟ ϟ ϟ ϟ

     "How was practice?" Hermione asked after their afternoon training session. Tessa had nearly died from the Quaffle Ron had thrown back to her. As Angelina watched over their game, Katie Bell the reserve Chaser played her part. Katie had the most damage with the endless flow of nosebleed, whereas Tessa received a nasty smack against her arm from the Quaffle. She already knew it was going to bruise.