Melissa was waiting impatiently in her family room for a blonde haired girl to pop up. Cassie had promised to send one of her sisters to pick Melissa up for Christmas shopping. Her foot tapped on the hard wood floor of the family room, as she stared blankly out the window. There was a loud pop, causing Melissa to jump, and she turned to see a tall beautiful blonde girl with flawless skin and sparkling emerald green eyes standing in the middle of the room. She stood tall and strong, her posture perfect.
“Hello Melissa,” she said with a smile.
“Hi Emmy,” Melissa said and stood up, swinging her black beaded bag over her shoulder.
“Now remember, hold your breath,” Emerson said and Melissa nodded taking a deep breath. The feeling of being squeezed incredibly tight over took her body as everything went black. They landed in the middle of a large formal room; Emerson landed softly while Melissa hit the ground hard and fell over.
“You’ve improved; you didn’t get sick this time.” A raspy voice said with a smirk. Sommer was standing in the room with Amalia, Mark, and Bianca. All had platinum blonde hair and all were attractive. Bianca’s hair had the lightest hints of white hair with fierce green eyes that could cut someone like a knife. The sides of Mark’s hair had been taken over by wise grey hair and his stern blue eyes held the conceitedness as Melissa had remembered. All the Iceleve girls resembled their mother, abnormally beautiful woman—Melissa swore somewhere along the family line there was a Veela involved but Cassie spat at the idea.
“Hello Melissa,” Bianca said with a prim and proper smiling, walking over to the girl and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hello Mrs. Iceleve, it’s nice to see you again.” Melissa said with a smile.
“We heard about your brother.” Mark said, trying to hide the disdain, though Melissa saw it clear as day and ignored it.
“Yes, it’s rather exciting.” Melissa said with a smile.
“Just what Hogwarts needs, another muggle-born,” Sommer said, with the same disdain her father was trying to conceal out of courtesy to Melissa.
“Sommer,” Emerson snapped. Melissa knew how the Iceleve viewed muggle-borns, but normally they kept it to themselves to be polite.
“It’s fine, Emmy.” Melissa said, shaking her head. She’d gotten used to the cruel comments after being in Slytherin for a week—being called the Slytherin Mudblood for her first two years there had thickened her skin a fair bit.
“Is Sommer opening her fat trap again?” Cassie voice yelled from up the stone staircase.
“Of course, she can’t keep it shut,” Amalia called back.
“Now girls,” Bianca said sweetly though glaring harshly at her daughters. “Melissa came here for help for Christmas and that’s what she will receive not this embarrassing display of sisterly infighting.” She snapped sternly and the girls quickly hushed themselves. Cassie came down the stairs and hugged Melissa tightly.
“Have you heard from Yani?” she asked.
“A couple letters,” Melissa said with a pathetic shrug. “She’s made some friends.” She said with a fake smile.
“Good for her,” Cassie said bitterly.
“Blood traitor the lot of that family!” a portrait of Mark’s grandmother yelled bitterly. “Always defending the rights of those filthy excuses for witches and wizards!” she hissed and shook her head. “You’re not any better, being raised by them. Might as well be a mudblood yourself.” She snapped at Melissa who simply shook her head.
“Shut it, Gran,” the Iceleve daughters yelled in unison and the portrait huffed and walked out of the picture.
“Bitter old hag,” Emerson said shaking her head.
“Anyhow,” Bianca said shaking her head at Mark who walked away to talk to his grandmother’s other portrait. “What is it you needed help with Melissa, darling?” she asked sweetly with a smile.
“You know that clock you have with everyone in the family on it,” Melissa said and pointed to the large grandfather clock. “I wanted to get one of those for my mother.” She said and looked back at the family.
“Very well,” Bianca said with a nod. “I shall go get one. Do you have the pictures for the hands?” she asked and Melissa handed her the four photos and a small bag with all her money in it.
“Will that be enough?” Melissa asked hopeful as Bianca opened the sack.
“Should be more than enough dear,” Bianca said with a smile and disappeared with a soft crackle.
“So he was in the rafters?” Amalia asked and Melissa nodded her head.
“Was he frightened? I would have been frightened.” Amalia said, her voice sincere.
“He was a little shaken up,” said Melissa and sat down on the white couch.
“Poor boy,” Emerson said shaking her head.
“Why are you two pretending like you care about some mudblood?” Sommer snapped bitterly and Melissa glared at her. The room went cold and silent as Cassie’s face heated red and she looked at the ground, almost ashamed of her sister.
“Sommer, you are being completely rude and intolerable.” Emerson said with the same look her mother had and Sommer quickly looked away from her older sister, mumbling swears to herself. “Father would be utterly ashamed of your behavior right now.” She snapped, shaking her head disapprovingly at her little sister.
“Father would agree with me,” spat Sommer almost hoping no one heard her.
“That may be so, but he’d never be so barbaric as to say it aloud.” Amalia said defensively, also shaking her head at her sister. The three girls continued to bicker and Cassie sat next to Melissa, watching her older sisters as though it were and entertaining show.
“Girls!” A loud booming voice yelled angrily and all the girls quickly shut their mouths, faces turning red, except for Emerson.
“Your daughter is being absolutely rude.” She said sternly and Mark’s gaze turned right to Sommer, not needing to know which daughter his oldest had been referring to.
“Sommer, come,” Mark said and headed up the stairs. Sommer glared viciously at the floor and walked up the stairs without a fighting word.
“I hope he hits her,” Cassie said cruelly and Emerson and Amalia turned around, shocked at their baby sister. “What? It wouldn’t be less than she deserved.” Cassie snapped, crossing her arms.
“You two are just alike,” Emerson said, shaking her head.
“I have never call Brayden a mudblood,” Cassie said defensively.
“Not yet, anyway,” Melissa said with a shrug. Emerson and Amalia laughed lightly while Cassie glared at her best friend, somewhat hurt by her comment.
“What? You’ll get mad at me and say it, you know you will.” Melissa said.
“Fair enough,” Cassie said with a nod. “But I won’t mean it,” she added quickly. Melissa laughed a little, shaking her head and looking at the searing white fire in the marble fireplace. Soon Velo, the Iceleve family house elf, came running out to the family room, where the girls sat, with a tray full of drinks and small finger sandwiches.
“Hello again Mistress Penbrooke,” he said with a low bow.
“Hey V, how’ve you been?” Melissa asked with a smile.
“Velo’s been very good yes, right Mistress?” he said and then looked at Emerson for confirmation.
“You’ve been absolutely wonderful, Velo,” she said with a soft smile and nod. The elf smiled happily and ran back off into the kitchen.
“So Cassandra has told us you’ll be going to the Minister’s Ball this year?” Amalia said happily.
“Oh yeah,” Melissa said with a nod and a fake smile.
“Not too excited, I see,” Emerson had with a kind smile.
“Draco told me not to embarrass him,” Melissa said bitterly, thinking of the boy.
“Yes, well, that’s the Malfoy family for you.” Emerson, shaking her head at the thought of the family.
“The lot of them are rather cruel and cold.” Amalia said and Melissa’s stomach sank, feeling as though she were going to be sick. The more she heard about the ball and Draco and less she wanted to go. There was a soft crackle again and Bianca appeared in the middle of the room with a large grandfather clock beside her. Melissa smiled at looked at it closely. It was made of dark ash wood and beautifully crafted. Around the clock were shimmering gold words: HOME, SCHOOL, QUIDDITCH, LOST, LOST, MORTAL PERIL, COAST, FOREST, WORK, OUT. Brayden and Kalvin’s hand were rested at home while Andrea was at work and Melissa was out. She smiled cheerfully and couldn’t help but hug Bianca. She smiled down at the girl and hugged her back lightly.
“Now your parents are probably wondering where you are,” said Bianca, pulling back from Melissa.
“More than likely,” Melissa said with a smile.
“I’ll take you home then.” Bianca said and took hold of Melissa’s arm and the large clock. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes, girls. No more fighting,” she said firmly.
“See you in a couple days, Missy,” Cassie said with a light smile and hugged her.
“Bye Cassie,” she said happily back before everything went black and Melissa quickly stopped breathing. She opened her eyes to see her family room and smiled softly. Bianca cleared a spot in the room with a wave of her white wand and set the clock there carefully and with a flick it was wrapped in sparkling silver paper.
“I will see you soon, darling.” Bianca said, kissing Melissa’s rosy cheek before disappearing with a soft crackling again. Melissa looked at the clock happily. All her Christmas affairs were in order now. The clock was here in full and the broom she’d sent away for—as a present for Brayden—arrived a couple days ago.
“Whoa,” Brayden said as he walked into the family room, starring unblinking at the sparkling wrapped present. “What’s that?” he asked.
“Mum and Dad’s present,” Melissa said looking down at her brother.
“Did you get me something?” Brayden asked excitedly.
“Of course I did,” Melissa said and looked back at the clock.
“Will Mum like what you got me?”
“Probably not,” Melissa answered quickly.
“Wicked,”