The Potion Princess

Christmas

She wakes up a lot earlier than she had meant to, just as the sky started to lighten.  It's brighter than it normally at this time, thanks to the sun reflecting off the snow, and the ice was slowly creeping across the window pane.  There's a stack of presents waiting at the foot of her bed, even bigger than last years (Christmas, she remembers with a start).  Emmeline's sprawled across her bed, having finally made her way back to the dorms just an hour or two ago, but Ariel was still missing in action.  (Though she suspects she might find her in the Beauxbatons carriage).

Audra's still in her dress, all wild haired and smudged make up.  She turns on the shower, hot water meeting cold air in an explosion of steam, and when she lets the dress fall to the floor, the cold air makes her shiver.  She stands in front of the mirror, taking down her hair one bobby pin at a time, wiping away every last trace of the make up Emmeline had painted onto her, feeling more and more like herself with every action.  When she steps underneath the hot water, its scalding, but she just turns her face up into the stream and lets it burn, hoping it might make her feel warm for once.

It's not that she didn't like last night.  She had fun, and she knew she looked gorgeous, but she also felt like she was playing dress up.  It's like Hermione said, she muses, turning the water off.  Like we're Cinderella and that was our chance at the ball.  Audra was never one for princesses, and when she looked in the mirror to see a face that she recognized, she couldn't help being relieved.

When she walks back into the dorm room, Emmeline's awake.  "Did I wake you up?"  Audra folded the dress, hunted down the heels, slid her jewelry back into the box.  "I was trying to be quiet."

"Could've tried harder,"  Emmeline grumbled, scrubbing at her eyes and scowling when her fingers came back smudged black.   "I'm going back to bed."

Audra ignored her, settling down beside her presents and unwrapping them one by one.  She got new boots from her mother, and a dagger from her father, for whatever reason.  Clary got her a set of new, decorative flasks and Emmeline gave her a pound of the more rare (slightly illegal) ingredients.  Hermione gave her a book on potions, and Ginny gave her make up, all of it green, hopefully as a joke.  Fred and George sent her a box full of assorted honeydukes candy, and just like always, Mrs. Weasley sent her a sweater, this time with a cauldron on it.  Like Ginny's gift, it was green, but it was the dark shade that you find on moss or ferns.

Emmeline had joined her by then, finally giving up on going to sleep with all the sun.  Since the windows looked out into the lake, they didn't have any need for curtains to block the light, but today was one of the rare exceptions where the rays seemed to make it to the very bottom.  She was staring down at Clary's present, a set of throwing knives whose handles are fashioned into snakes (Emmeline has dangerous hobbies).  "I kissed her last night."

Audra didn't hear her at first, too intent on finding the opening in the sweater Mrs. Weasley had made her.  "Good."

"Among other things."

Audra did look at her then, and the smile on her face was half proud, half embarrassed, but clearly happy.  "Took you long enough.  Spare me the details, though, alright?"

Christmas at Hogwarts meant that everything was a little less formal than usual, so Emmeline and Clary sat together, leaving Audra to go find a spot at the Gryffindor table. 

Ron grinned when he saw her.  "Mum got you one, too?" 

He seemed delighted, wrapped up tight in slightly too small maroon sweater.  "Bloody hell,"  George added, grinning.  "What's that on the front?"

There was a pause during which everyone squinted at her, trying to make out the design.  "I think it's a cauldron.  Big improvement from last years, I must say."

She settled in beside the twins, and thanked everyone for their gift.  Harry seemed especially grateful for his, whether because he didn't get her anything in return or he's still not used to getting presents, she's not sure.  She waved everyone away, even Fred, who muttered a small thanks for the new converse sneakers she got him.  George got a matching pair in a different color. 

It's a bit awkward and a little strained.  Fred wasn't looking at her, and when she speaks, he stares at the table.  They reach for the same dish sometimes, and he holds back with a frustrating hesitation, leaving her to take it for herself, and, after a few times, dump food onto his plate with irritated huffs.  Sometimes their arms brush and he flinches away like he had been burned.  Eventually, Audra scoots so far away from him that she's practically in George's lap.

The rest of the group can't help but notice.  Ginny and Hermione were watching her worriedly, their focus doubled because they were both so intent on ignoring Ron. Harry and Ron were trying to act like nothing was going on, mostly by just looking away whenever Audra turns to talk to Fred.  And George, bless him, was trying to keep the conversation going, no matter how stilted and awkward it became.

"Well, I'm done for today.  Still tired from last night."  She hugged George, and turned to Fred, who turned his back on her and struck up a conversation with a second year.  Audra stopped for a second, debating dumping the bowl of mashed potatoes on his head, but decided to let it go.  "Thank you for the presents everybody, I loved them."

She makes her way out of the Great Hall and out the front doors without question, fuming.  They've got so much to say to each other, and neither of them will, tripping over their feelings for each other and the hurt over how last night turned out and their fear that the two of them won't be able to go back to how it used to be.  They keep quiet because they're both afraid of breaking this thing they have, like it's made out of fragile glass instead of written in stone, and they're going to end up ruining it anyways.

It's not like it matters, she thinks angrily, hiking up the skirt of her robes and climbing the steps to the Durmstrang boat.  You were never together, no matter what you felt like.  And there's another guy who doesn't make his feelings about you a secret. 

She knocks on the door, trying not to feel stupid.  Audra's not sure that a Hogwarts student has ever been up here without the express permission of a Durmstrang student, and she was just considering turning back when the door swung open.  "Yes?"

Audra was suddenly face to face with Viktor Krum, who was staring down at her.  "I was, er, is Damien here?"  She felt incredibly foolish, and she had to agree with Hermione on the point that he can be slightly intimidating.  "I have his Christmas present, was hoping I could give it to him."

"You are Erminny's friend, correct?" 

"Yeah.  I mean, yes, I am."  His face brightens then, and moves aside to let her in.  It's bigger on the inside, a great room drenched in black and red that's the color of blood.  There are couches everywhere, and thick blankets, and a big fire was roaring in the back of the room. 

"Vait here, vill you?  I vill have to go find him."  He gave motioned towards the couch.  "No one is vear they are supposed to be this morning."

He limped off, poking his head in this door and that one, barking questions at the boys inside.  She had a sneaking suspicion that he was referring to both those students that disappeared off into unused classrooms and those who were too drunk off the punch to find their own beds.

Damien comes back quickly, alone and smiling.  "Vik said you had a present for me?"  His hair was sticking up on the one side, but he didn't bother flattening it.  "I didn't get anything for you."

"It's not a real present, it's sort of a little thing."  She pulls the scarf out from her robes, and then with a confidence that she did not feel, leaned over to wrap it around his neck and pull him towards her.  "I just thought that you can't leave Hogwarts without a Hogwarts scarf."

"Slytherin?"  He played with the ends of it, raising an eyebrow. 

"I know, I expect you'd be more of a Hufflepuff, but it's the only House I had."  She was teasing, and he was smiling, and even though the snow was falling thick outside, it was warm in the ship.

A/N: Super lame ending, but that's okay.  Leave a comment please!