Pulling Strings - Theodore Nott

4. No longer a secret

The next few days couldn't pass fast enough. The environment in her house had finally become unbearable. If her mother was not talking about all the things that she would've done differently regarding the previous party, she was already planning which things she felt couldn't miss for her impending wedding, as she called it.

A wedding that was two years away, mind you.

So, Ophelia tried her best to ignore her, politely nodding without really listening to her and Cordelia —for all she cared—, didn't even notice that her daughter was in no way interested in discussing this. Her 'party' the other day had ended on a low note for her when both her mother and Lord Nott had forced them to bid their guests goodbye, together. For twenty minutes they stood next to each other, smiling and thanking everyone for coming while deep down, at least for her, she was considering pulling out her wand and apparating out of there. If only she knew how.

She hadn't seen Theodore, thankfully, right until this point, when their eyes met across the platform before boarding the train that would take them to Hogwarts once again.

"Remember that we're having Christmas properly this time," her mother's voice forced her attention back to her. She had been fussing about her brother's lack of tie for quite some time and finally seemed to be done with it. "So, I want both of you home this year, no staying at school, you hear me?" she specially fixed her stare on Ophelia.

"Yes, mother." they chorused.

She smiled then. "Well, off you go now–Oh, is that Narcissa? I didn't think she would come all this way..." her voice trailing off. "What?" She asked, looking defensive at both Ophelia and Phineas stares. "She's my dear cousin, can't I—?"

"You have spoken three times, that I can count, don't know how dear that makes her..." Ophelia murmured, not to mention the fact that she didn't think that being 'third cousins' qualified as being cousins. But, unfortunately, her mother heard all the same.

"So? Can't I be worried about her?" Ophelia rolled her eyes. "I am going to go talk to her, see if she needs anything...if she knows about the betrothal..." and there it was. Cordelia Macmillan didn't do anything nice, without an agenda. It didn't surprise her that she would want to flaunt her new 'status' with the people that were always above her, but it did amuse her a bit. Ophelia doubted that Narcissa Malfoy would ever feel threatened by the fact that she was set to marry a Nott. They were still Malfoys after all, no matter how momentarily diminished the name had become in their circle as of late.

"Sure, mother. Send her my best, would you?" She turned around, without much delay and started dragging her trunk over to the train entrance. Her brother was long gone, already reunited with his friends so that left her all alone to hoist the blasted thing up the train's platform. On top of her trunk, lay a cage with Philomena, her british shorthair cat. She was a lazy little thing, mostly unnoticed since her favourite activity was to sleep whenever she had the chance. Back in her home in Suffolk, she usually found an empty room to make her stay and didn't leave until she was hungry. Bless her, she was not much for company at all but they had an understanding, Ophelia didn't bother her and in return Philomena agreed to be petted once in a while.

Now, as a result of all the noises and the not so soft pounding of the trunk on the steps of the train, she was wide awake and giving her what Ophelia guessed would've been a scowl if she was a human instead of a cat. She didn't worry, as soon as she settled on a compartment, she would surely fall back to sleep. Finally, on top of the train, she began to make her way to the carriage that Anna usually filled with the rest of their housemates when a hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing her arm and yanking her to an empty compartment. In the haste, she almost toppled over the person before she had a chance to steady herself. When she lifted her view to cuss at them, she found her cousin wearing an alarmed expression.