(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Fifty

Pixie carries a stack of books toward the Gryffindor common room. A bag slung over her shoulder filled with more books and maps. She's heading up to the red and gold tower to study. Hermione, Harry, and Neville have their detention tonight and Ron would be on his own, studying. He's not stupid, Pixie can see that he is smart, he just has trouble sitting down and concentrating on studying. She's going to try and help. Harry's invisibility cloak is wrapped around her to keep her hidden from prying eyes. She's not technically allowed to be here or in the common room. Especially not this late at night. She makes it to the portrait to find that the Fat Lady has disappeared for the night. As have most of the other portrait occupants. She wasn't expecting her to be here though. The portrait swings open and Ron pokes out his head, eyes shifting around the hallway looking for her, but of course, she is hidden. She smirks a little and leans closer to him.

"Ron" He jumps, and stumbles back a few steps as she chuckles, lowering the hood to show her face. Ron gives her a look back.

"Not funny, Pixie" He scolds and then ushers her in through the portrait before they get caught. Stepping into the common room, Pixie pulls off the cloak and adjusts her clothes as she peers around. The common room is silent and dark, only lit by a couple of candles. On the floor close to the candles are a number of books set out. Ron's books. He seems to be taking the whole concept of revision seriously. He's not dumb, just easily distracted.

.....

Later, Pixie and Ron are huddled over a potions book, but neither of them is really paying attention to it. there is a far more interesting chess board set up on the floor between them. She set it up to try and get Ron to work on potions revision. If he gets something right, he can make a move. Only the game became rather intense and both of their attention turned to trying to beat one another. There are several candy wrappers around them, empty cans of soda. Pixie had brought her entire stash to keep them occupied through the night.

"Hello?" Ron sits up straight hearing a voice from outside the little blanket shield they'd set up. Pixie narrows her eyes as she listens to the footsteps that approach their blankets. "Is someone there?"

"Percy" Ron complains and scrambles to get to the entrance of the blankets, to intercept his brother. Percy stands in his PJs, staring at Ron as he stumbles out of the blankets.

"Ron" Percy greets, unsure what's going on here. He then raises an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?" He asks. Ron shrugs a little in response.

"Revising" Ron admits, Percy narrows his eyes a little.

"In a blanket fort?" Percy draws out as he looks over the blankets all set up over the armchairs.

"Stops distractions" Ron mumbles, shifting on his feet, trying not to glance back at where Pixie is. It also stops people from spotting the Slytherin student that's infiltrated the lion's den.

"On your own?" Ron nods and pulls a face. Percy tries to peer around Ron to see if he is actually studying alone. But there is no sign of Pixie beyond.

"Harry and Hermione have detention" Ron points out, trying to keep his brother's attention on him instead of on who he might be with.

"Right...well, don't stay up too late" Percy warns and then heads back upstairs. Ron lets out a breath and turns back around just as Pixie pulls off the invisibility cloak with a chuckle. Ron flops back into the pillow fort, and onto the pillows, he lets out a long sigh. They might just be better off asking Dumbledore for permission to allow Pixie in here. It might serve their nerves better. Pixie is talking about something, going through the charms questionnaire she made for him to fill out, that she's now marked.

"Are you even paying attention?" She asks. Ron blinks and lowers his head to look at her. She raises an eyebrow at him in question.

"Yes," He argues, quickly. "Why?" He then asks, unsure what he missed because he wasn't paying attention to her.

"For the answer to this charms question, you put thirteen" She points out, he narrows his eyes at the question and then raises an eyebrow at Pixie. "The question is what charm is used for levitation" She continues. He frowns at her. Trying to think of the answer. But his brain is mush from all the studying. "You upset Hermione right after we learnt this spell" Pixie offers.

"Oh," He realises. "Wingardium Leviosa" He answers and then scrubs at his eyes. "All words are a blur. Pix, we've been doing this for hours...."

"We only have a couple more subjects to get through....and then we're done..." She tries but he just groans at the concept of a couple more. "Herbology and Transfiguration. They're easy" He gives her a look.

"For you" He argues, she nudges him with her foot.

"You know this stuff" She counters and picks up a book to set in his lap. "One more hour and then we can play chess" He smirks at her and then picks up the book. He can drag one book out for an hour. He can take an hour. With the promise of a decent challenge in chess. He likes playing with Pixie. Because she knows how to play. She gives as good as she gets. Harry is still learning, so Ron has to go easy on him. Not with Pixie though.

............

It is still dark outside the tower windows when Harry and Hermione return with Neville from detention. Neville grumbles as he shuffles straight off to be, leaving Harry and Hermione to wake their friends. Pixie and Ron are both fast asleep inside the blanket fort. Ron's snoring is loud enough to wake the dead. Pixie is curled up among her books and Ron is spread out against the pillows, a chess piece clutched in his hand. Harry and Hermione share an amused look before Harry moves to Ron and Hermione to Pixie.

.....

A short time later, Hermione, Pixie, and Ron are sitting on a couch in the common room, each of them watching Harry who can't sit down, too worked up, too alarmed. He paces up and down in front of the fire. Pixie leans against Hermione's side as she threatens to fall asleep again. He's explaining to them what happened in the forest during their detention. Why anyone thought sending four children into the Forbidden Forest was a good idea. When they were all specifically told not to go into it at the beginning of the year.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort..." Harry rambles. "And Voldemort's waiting in the Forest...and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich..."

"Stop saying the name!" Ron hisses in a terrified whisper.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done...Bane was furious...he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen...They must show that Voldemort's coming back...Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron warns again.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry continues as if he hasn't heard Ron. "Then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off...Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around" Hermione tries to make him feel better about being here. "You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic." Hermione then looks at Pixie at her side. Harry relaxes only slightly. Ron yawns into the back of his hand. Everyone is exhausted and ready for bed. "Pix" Hermione starts. "You should get back to the dungeon before someone comes down the stairs" Pixie hums in agreement.

"You know...I still don't think this is Snape..." She argues as she stands, stretching slightly. "He might be a serious grump, but he's no child killer" Harry looks at her softly. "Believe me, I would know one when I saw one...." She lets out a shudder thinking about Killian. He was ready to kill a child. He had a certain look in his eye. Snape doesn't. "Oh, urm, I found this" Pixie hands the cloak over to Harry. "In my bed" Harry frowns at her, she shrugs a little and digs around in her bag for a crumpled piece of paper. "With this note" She hands it over to Harry who looks down at it. Just in case. Pixie shrugs a little before leaving them to sneak back to the Slytherin dungeons. It is easier to sneak around in the morning, fewer restraints on students who are early risers. Plus the library is just about to open up, she can get away with lying if she has to.