The Hogwarts express travels at full speed through the snowy fields and over frozen lakes. In a compartment sits Mallory, Blaire, Carter, Madison, and Sara. Grace was pulled out of school a few weeks prior. But the group has a feeling they'll see her again.
Still the compartment stays awkwardly quiet. Perhaps they worry too much. But perhaps they don't worry enough.
"So," Madison said, breaking the silence for the first time since they entered the compartment, "we never discussed everyone's plans for the holidays."
"My plans aren't all that interesting," Mallory states, "visiting my mum's muggle relatives. They're loud, but damn good cooks. The best macaroni and cheese, I shit you not."
Blaire laughs. "I hope so if I'm coming to visit," she adds to her girlfriend, "I just hope they like me. I still haven't met them, yet."
"They'll love you, doll," Mallory said, draping her arm on Blaire's shoulders and pulling her close.
"I'm actually meeting Lee's family," Carter said, obviously anxious, "her mom seems kind of intimidating from what I've heard from Lee."
"They'd be crazy not to like you," Madison offers.
"That's what Lee said."
"Are you staying with them the whole holiday?" Blaire asked.
"No. We're just having dinner and visiting for a bit. I'm staying with my grandmother the rest of the holidays."
"Well that shouldn't be so bad."
"Maybe not, but magic kind of freaks her out. But it'll still be fun."
"What are your holiday plans?" Mallory asked Sara.
"Well I'm actually gonna spend part of it at the dragon sanctuary," Sara said excitedly, "but it's mainly for an interview. They were impressed after my apprenticeship and would like to take me on full-time."
"That's amazing!" Blaire said, "how long have you known?"
"Well about a month actually," Sara responded, "I wanted to tell you guys sooner, but I didn't wanna mention it sooner and not get it, ya know?"
"We understand," Carter responded reassuringly, "when would you start if you get the position?"
"That's the bummer. They'd want me to start immediately. I wouldn't get to come back next semester. But with how everything has been going, it might not be a bad idea."
The group fell silent. She was right. It's become dangerous to exist in the Wizarding world. But it's not very safe anywhere anymore.
"Will we see you again?" Madison asked.
"Of course. You guys don't think I'd just disappear, now do you?" Sara responds with a chuckle.
"You have to send loads of letters," Carter demands jokingly.
"Naturally," Sara responds before turning to Madison, "and how will you spend your holidays?"
"I'm staying at the Burrow," Madison says, "it's gonna be interesting though since we haven't told his family yet about the engagement."
"Will they take it well?"
"I really hope so."
Some time passed. Mallory and Blaire fell asleep a half hour ago. Carter wandered off to visit. Sara became engrossed in a book about-(you guessed it)-dragons. Maybe now would be a good time to approach Harry about what she'd overheard the night of the Christmas party. She doesn't fully understand the situation, but an Unbreakable Vow definitely isn't a good thing.
Madison slips out of the compartment and made her way down the train searching for the boy. It didn't take very long as she saw Lavender Brown breathing heavily on a compartment window. Yes. Breathing on the window. She took her finger and sketched into the steam before giving it one final puff.
When the strange girl left, Madison approached the compartment and slipped inside. The boys looked up at her.
"Yes, you may come in," Harry said mockingly.
"Haha," she said sarcastically before plopping down next to Harry, "we need to talk."
He raises an eyebrow.
"About?"
"Slughorn's Christmas Party."
Now he furrows his brows.
"In the hallway?"
"Not ringing a bell."
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"The conversation about a particular vow," Madison said as the lightbulb finally lit in his head for the first time in ages.
"Ohh."
"Wait," Ron interjected, "how come she knew before me? That's not really fair, you know."
"What? Ron, I didn't even know she knew!"
"How?" Madison interrupts, "I followed you the entire way there and I wasn't exactly silent about it. Nearly knocked over a vase."
"You followed me?"
"Of course I followed you. Snape was being a creep and I was curious."
"She's not wrong," Ron adds.
Harry sighs.
"So what exactly do you know?" Harry asks.
"Well just what I heard that night," Madison said, getting comfy in the seat, "and I know you and Snape talked about something sketchy that night because when he caught me looking, he got all threatening-y about it."
"'Threatening-y'?"
"He came up to me saying I need to be careful about being curious because it could get me in trouble."
"Oh snap," Ron said.
"And that's all?" Harry asks.
"That's all," Madison confirms.
"Well," he began carefully, "I'm beginning to think Draco is a Death Eater."
"That slimy thing? Why would anyone do that?"
"That's what I'm saying," Ron adds.
"I don't understand it either, but I'm not sure. I mean he could be involved in something."
"But what?"
"I have no idea."
After a bit, Madison travels back to her own compartment. The girls were awake and Carter had returned from her excursion. They were getting their things together.
"We're about to be at King's Cross," Carter said.
Madison slips on a sweater and packs her things away.
Moments later, the train pulled into platform 9¾.
"So this is it?" Madison aska Sara.
"For now," she said, "but we'll see each other soon."
"I'm holding you to that," Madison said with a chuckle as she and the others drag their things off the train.
The girls all said their temporary goodbyes and went their separate ways.
☆☆☆☆
"So Snape was offering to help him? He was definitely offering to help him?"
"Ron," Madison said, "we've been over this."
"Yes we have and if you ask that once more," said Harry, "I'm going to stick this sprout-"
"I'm only checking!" said Ron.
"I don't really understand who'd wanna help his slimy ass," Madison adds.
The three were in the Burrow's kitchen, peeling some sprouts for Mrs. Weasley.
"Yes, Snape was offering to help him!" Harry said, "he said he'd promised Malfoy's mother to protect him, that he'd made an Unbreakable Oath or something-"
"An Unbreakable Vow," Ron corrected, "but that's still a big deal. Are you guys sure that's what he meant?"
"Positive," Harry responded.
"But what does it mean?" Madison asked, throwing a freshly peeled sprout in a separate pile.
"Well you can't break an Unbreakable Vow..."
"I'd worked that much out for myself, funnily enough. What happens if you break it, then?" Harry asked.
"You die," said Ron, "Fred and George tried to get me to make one when I was about five. I nearly did it too, I was holding hands with Fred and everything when Dad found us. He was mental. Only time I've ever seen Dad as angry as Mum. Fred reckons his left buttock has never been the same since."
"Fred's left buttock is just fine," Madison said with a smirk.
"I DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW!" Ron exclaims, his cheeks going pink.
Harry sighed.
"Yeah, well, passing over Fred's left buttock please-"
"I beg your pardon?" Fred said as he and George entered the room, "aaah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."
"I'll be seventeen in two and a bit months' time," Ron retorted, "and then I'll do it by magic!"
"But meanwhile," George responded, sitting at the table and propping his feet on it, "we can enjoy watching you."
"You wait, when I'm seventeen-"
"I'm sure you'll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills," Fred said flatly.
"And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," George said, "what's is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called - unless our information is faulty - Lavender Brown
Ron turned pink before turning back to the sprouts and saying, "Mind your own business."
"What a snappy retort," said Fred, "I really don't know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was... how did that happen?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Did she have an accident or something?"
"What?"
"Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage?"
Suddenly Ron threw the sprout knife at Fred.
"Careful, now!" Fred said, turning the knife into a paper airplane with a flick of his wand.
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said furiously, having entered the room just in time to witness the scene. "Don't you ever let me see you throwing knives again!"
I won't... let you see," Ron responded, muttering the second part under his breath.
"Fred, George, I'm sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight with Tonks, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two."
"No problem," George replied.
"Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur and Tonks shares with Ginny and Madison-"
"-that'll make Ginny's Christmas," Fred muttered.
"-everyone should be comfortable. Well, they'll have a bed, anyways," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?" Fred asked.
Mrs. Weasley didn't meet his eyes. "No, he's busy, I expect, at the Ministry."
"Or he's the world's biggest prat," Fred corrected after his mum left, "one of the two. Well let's get going, then, George."
"And what are you two up to?" Madison asked, giving them a knowing look.
"Can't you help us with these sprouts?" Ron asked almost desperately, "you could just use your wand and we'll be free."
"No, I don't think we can do that," Fred said, suddenly very serious, "it's very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs-"
"-and if you want people to help you, Ron," George added, tossing the little paper airplane at him, "I wouldn't chuck knives at them. Just a little hint."
"But where exactly are you two going to cause trouble?" Madison asked.
"Well, love, we're going into the village to get a few things," Fred said, wrapping an arm around her middle and pecking her cheek.
"What things?"
"Just things," Fred said with a smirk.
"Plus there's a very lovely girl working in a paper shop that gives us discounts," George added.
"And how do you two manage that?"
"Well she thinks my card tricks are something marvelous... almost like real magic..."
"They're real gits," Ron said after the twins left, "they could have helped out and we could be going, too"
"I can't really go wandering off," Harry reminded him, "I promised Dumbledore after all."
"But-wait- Madison!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, "you're seventeen!"
"I am," she confirmed, "and this is important, why?"
"You can finish all these up by magic!"
"But I won't."
"What? Why?"
"Well it's good to actually do some work once in a while," she responded quite truthfully. She often missed cooking meals by hand at home. She even got into the habit again after moving in with the twins. "But what else could be so important that you can't finish the sprouts by hand?"
"Anything that's not this," Ron replied.
"Wow."
"You're not mad about the knife thing, are you?"
"Well I don't think a knife going through Fred's face would have been very good," she responded, "but, no, he deserved it a little. Not something to that extreme. But he occasionally needs someone to match his level."
"So in that case... will you please-"
"No."
"Ah, come on!"
A/N: finally an update after a hot minute. i hope you all enjoy and remember to feel free to drop a comment, a vote or even a message because feedback is appreciated and so are you! love ya! 💛💙❤️💚