moon cycles and raven feathers [r. lupin]

| 20 |

december 10th, 1976

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

the holidays at hogwarts seemed to be marked near exclusively by an influx of letter owls and today seemed to be no different.

catherine, who just wanted to enjoy a peaceful breakfast, was barely listening to lila droning on and on about some new boy who 'inconveniently had a girlfriend' when jennings dropped three letters on her plate, just barely missing her eggs. she decided that reading her mail would be a much more enjoyable experience than listening to lilas boy problems so she opened her first letter.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

'to my lovely daughter catherine:

hello there kitty-cat, i trust school is doing you well? i'm sorry i haven't kept up with you but working over here has kept me much busier than i was back home.

regardless, i'm writing you today to see if you're going to be coming around mine during the holidays. i know your mother is going to want you home but if you'd like to skip out on heading back to the states you're always welcome here.

if you are coming though, please write. i'm having company over for the holidays and i need to know to know if i should to prepare for my lovely daughter as well.

p.s.  whether you come or not i have the perfect gift picked out for you

love you lots, your father,

alister nightshade'

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

cath rolled her eyes and slipped her fathers letter back into its envelope. as much as she loved her father, and as much as she'd rather a nightshade christmas to a webster one, she knew exactly what kind of company he would be having over.

it was the kind of 'company' that he would have when him and her mother would go on 'breaks' before their divorce, the kind of company that involved women a lot closer to her age than her mother's and she most certainly didn't want to be around for that.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

"cathhh" lila whined, pulling the envelope out of her hand.
"you aren't even listening to me!!"
"sorry lila, what's up?"
"soooo, you know that girl that i told you about the one who's-" she glanced around the hall before dropping her voice to a barely audible whisper, "- who's boyfriend i uh, you know, spent time with. well she found out and i don't know what to do, i'm not a very good duelist."