Unworthy

Third Year - 10

Chapter Warning: Blood, Neck Laceration.

Yuletide is here, and the students are getting ready to go away for the holiday. Erica is usually very excited to go home, but judging by the lack of letters and the way her parents looked at her over the summer, as if conflicted, she decided to write a short letter letting them know she's deciding to not come home. It goes on to detail that she thinks her parents need more time to come to terms with the fact that she's a part of this new and scary world, and she shouldn't be around for a little while longer.

"I'm staying this year." Erica had said when Malorn asked about her plans. "My parents think I'm a freak, and the Slytherins think I'm an abomination, but at least most of them will be gone and I'll have the Common Room mostly to myself. I don't think I should be home for the rest of the year.

"Same." Lucille said. "My family is staying at the Malfoy's for the holidays and my mother cannot help but try to get Draco and I together. It's infuriating. What about you, Malo? Want to stay here with us?"

Malorn smiled. "Wish I could stay for the sleepover, but I'm going away with Theodore and his mom for the holidays."

So, that was that. Lucille and Erica are to stay at Hogwarts together while Malorn is to enjoy the awkward dynamic between Theo and his highly reactive mother.

On Yule morning, the girls decide to save the gift opening for nighttime - and not because they woke up late and were half an hour past breakfast time already, oh goodness no. The feasts are as grand as they always are, the few students being left to pig out at their heart's content. Erica notices that Harry Potter keeps straying away from his conversation with Dean Thomas to stare at her and Lucille. They don't know why, as they haven't done anything particularly malicious or odd recently.

After breakfast the girls throw on a coat, hat and gloves, and grab a broom to go flying. Lucille is surprised to see how much Erica has improved as they race around the field. Now very tired, they go on a walk around the school grounds to cool down, before returning to the Great Hall for dinner as the sun begins to set. By nightfall, the girls are sat by the fireplace with Alfie resting on the couch behind them, boxes of wrapped gifts sitting around them.

"Here." Lucille pushes a large box into her hands. "I know you don't like to rep Slytherin that much, but I thought you'd like this seeing as how you're on the Quidditch team now and everything."

Erica opens the box and pulls out a very expensive looking Letterman jacket. The body itself is wool dyed dark green and the sleeves are black leather. There's an "S" on the right side, and on the back is her last name in silver, and a light green snake entangled in the letters. "Oh my gosh - Lucille, you didn't have to do all this!"

"Hey, everyone deserves to own at least one Letterman." Lucille says. "And it was my pleasure to deliver your first one."

"Aren't Letterman jackets very... Muggle?" Erica asks. "Didn't think you liked Muggle things."

"The first Letterman jacket was created by a No Maj who was married to a witch." Lucille shrugs. "So therefore we both have claim to it. Besides, they look cool."

"Thank you so much, Lucille." Erica smiles. "I love it."

Lucille waves dismissively. "Eh, it was nothing. My mom has a clothing business and she loves tailoring custom orders."

"This is yours, from me." Erica hands her a box. "I'm a little nervous now, I'm not sure I can outdo you."

"You got me something?" Lucille looks surprised, then crinkles her nose. "But you didn't know if I was gonna get you anything in the first place."