Aspen flopped lazily on the elegant bed, closing her eyes, but soon opened them as she heard a creak of a door. She sat upright, looking around.
'Hoot hoot.' She heard behind her.
Mystic had picked his lock! His golden barred cage sat on her desk at the Malfoy Manor, the lock busted and the door opened.
"You little Houdini." She sighed, perching the owl on her arm as he nibbled the sleeve of her shirt affectionately.
"Okay, Mystic, you stay put, and stay out of mayhem. I'm going to go brush my teeth." She spoke to the owl, hopping off her bed, only to be followed to the door by the snowy owl.
She had to push the pursuing owl away, back towards his cage in order to run out of the door and close it, making sure it was secure before walking over to the bathroom. She opened the door, only shrieking as she did so, but then laughing afterwards. Draco stood over the sink, toothbrush held between his teeth... shirtless. Aspen closed her eyes, turning around to leave.
"It's okay, you don't have to go." He smirked, grabbing her arm.
She gave a slight nod, not trusting her voice, as it would probably be shaky. She picked up her toothbrush, squeezed some of the mint toothpaste on it, ran it under the water for a few seconds, then began to scrub her teeth with the small bristles, all while semi swooning over Draco, who was smirking furiously. Once she was done, she held back her hair, spitting the toothpaste down the drain and rinsing her mouth with the cold faucet water.
"Uhm... Goodnight." She blushed, finding the floor exceptionally fascinating.
"Goodnight Aspen." He smirked once more, moving to peck her on the forehead before he left the bathroom to go to his own bedroom.
Aspen sighed, wandering back over to her own. Mystic sat at the door, hooting quietly while waiting for her to come back.
"Hey buddy, I'm back." She piped, allowing him to slap up to her shoulder as she flopped back onto her bed.
She quickly changed into her sleepwear and covered herself in the expensive blankets and duvets before falling asleep. But she could have sworn Mystic crawled beside her, resting under her arm... just like Liberty did.
---------------
"Goodnight Dove." Dove's father cooed from the doorway as her mother came into her bedroom.
"Hi mom." Dove smiled.
"Hi honey."
Dove's mother was a muggle, while her father was a wizard, who went to Hogwarts and hailed in Gryffindor, the same as his daughter. Dove snuggled into the soft mattress of her comfy, homey bed, closing her eyes. She was glad to be home and not at Hogwarts for once. Her own bed was so recognizable and it just felt right.
"Anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Her mother asked.
For a second she thought about telling her own mother about Harry and her first kiss and the ball... but maybe that was meant for another day.
"I'm just happy to be home." Her voice was muffled slightly by the blankets surrounding her.
"I'm glad you're home too. You can tell me all about your year tomorrow." Her mother smiled, walking out of the room.
---------------
Mya's eyes opened as the broad daylight seeped in through her window, creating sunrise colored lines on the off-white carpet in her room. A kitten was curled in between her arms. Its small, grey figure was abruptly awakened as she sneezed. The kitten opened its pale green eyes, which reminded her of green grapes.
"A kitten?" Mya mumbled under her breath, trying to think of something.
It was her birthday! Of course! Her mom and dad had bought her a kitten for her birthday! Mya raced down the stairs quickly to thank her parents, caring the small fur ball in her arms.
"Happy birthday Mya!" Her parents leapt out of their hiding spots, flicking the lights on to reveal a decorated living room.
Mya set the kitten down on the floor, jumping on her parents in the biggest hug she could handle.
"Happy Birthday Mya." The Weasleys popped in one by one through the front door.
Ron rushed over to Mya, sweeping her up in his tight embrace. Pecking her cheek, Ron sliced through the lemon flavored cake, anxious for a bit himself.
"So, your birthday, huh?" He smiled.
"The best." She said, pulling him in for a small kiss when none of the family was watching.
---------------
"I miss you already." Lillian frowned, messing with the buttons on the phone as she called Cedric.
"Would you stop that! I can hear the beeps from all the way over here." Cedric said jokingly as Lillian stopped.
"I'm going to regret ever leaving you at that platform, aren't I." She said.
"Don't worry. The summer will come to an end eventually. And I bet you we can meet up in between." Cedric smiled.
"Yeah, I hope. Anyways, I've got to go. See you soon!" Lillian said, pressing ever so slightly on the red 'end call' button.
Lillian walked swiftly over to her closet, pulling a turquoise bathrobe out of it and wrapping it around herself to shelter from the cold of the outside before walking downstairs to grab breakfast.
"Hi mom." Lillian smiled, grabbing the bowl of Trader Joe's off brand Fruit Loops from one of the bottom shelves in the kitchen.
"Hello honey. Are you okay with staying by yourself for a while? I've got to grab some groceries." Her mother said, already snatching her purse from one of the stools by the bar.
Her father was out on at war, him being in the military. He was out on the front lines, protecting the country.
"Yeah. I'll see you later." Lillian pecked her mom on the cheek before she left, afterwards turning back to her cereal and pouring milk into it.
---------------
"Hello mother." Ember said, keeping her posture as strait as could be as she came into the same room as her strict mother: the family room.
"Ember, you left a glass on that wooden coffee table I told you not to do and you've made a mark. Clean it up before I feed you to the manticores." Her mother said sternly. "And also, go and feed Kyrian."
Ember sighed before traveling into the kitchen to grab a warm, damp cloth before returning to the table and wiping the mark off. Her parents raised and bred manticores, which was mainly how they had a fortune of money. Ember shook her head before walking out to the barn, spotting her dad milking one of the females, who was trying to scratch him away with her leg.
"Hey there kiddo." He said with his normal, cheery smile.
"Hi Dad." Ember brightened up. "I've got to feed Kyrian, but I'll help you when I'm done."
Ember opened the heat gates to the barn, walking inside and to a large, open stall that resembled the plains of Africa, warped by magic. An extremely enormous male manticore bound forward, strutting up to her with his normal, ambitious wallop.
"Hey boy." She said, rubbing mesmerizing circles on his forehead to keep him calm as she shut the door, entrapping herself in the cage with this beast.
She emptied the contents of the bucket filled with feed into his bowl, then grabbed the nearby hose and filled up his water as well, giving him a friendly slappy-pat on his shoulder before exiting his pen and closing him inside, only to return to her father moments later with another female manticore.
"The work never ends here." She sighed under her breath, and she was right.
---------------
"So, Seamus, eh?" Hermione joked with Eleara as she laughed.
"No-no-no, we were just going as friends." Eleara blushed as Hermione brought up the point that she was with Seamus at the Summer Solstice.
"Alright... suuuuuuure." Hermione left with a smirk and sly smile to go to her room.
Her loud frog croaked in his moist cage, needy for attention. Eleara smiled, picking the damp frog up and allowing him to climb all over her.
"Okay Toad, that's enough." She declared after he'd tried to take two trips to the floor.
She set the frog back into his cage, making sure 'Junior Houdini' couldn't escape by opening the latch. She set her wand on the dresser and flopped onto her small, twin sized bed. She was glad to be home from Hogwarts, but she'd never forget the endless memories she'd had there - and there would be more next year as well.
---------------
Vivid sprang forward off her bed, her hair as messy as usual as she raced into the bathroom for a cure for the bed head, her calico cat, Roxy, following as usual.
"Okay Roxy." Vivid said, grabbing Roxy off the floor as she tried to make a mad dash out of the room.
"We're going to..." She hadn't thought about what she'd do for the day.
Everything was pretty boring when she wasn't trying to keep up with her classes or studies or worry about her friends getting eaten by a werewolf. She'd tried to create a journal while she was at Hogwarts so she wouldn't forget her adventures or her hardships, but she'd always forgot to record.
"We're going to relax. We deserve it after another year at Hogwarts." Vivid declared, racing downstairs and flopping on the couch - but not before she'd already made a feast of her own - microwave popcorn, leftovers, milkshakes, you name it. This was already a great summer break.
---------------
And thus, dear reader, concludes our story. But don't worry, there will be more to come - more adventures, more highs and lows, more romance, more friends, and more losses. But so long for now.
Sequel coming out October 20, 2020:
Youngblood: Champions {Book 2, Year 4}