Circi | 2

FIVE

"Mother"

December 1993, 3 months later

My darling Draco

It pains me to write this letter, but it is necessary. Your father and I were looking forward to a quiet Christmas with just the four of us and your Grandfather, but your father has been tied up with work for months now. He is fighting the School Board of Governors on how they should discipline the Professor and the creature that wounded you and we fear it will consume your time at home.

I am aware that you are due to come home next week but I must ask you and your sister to remain at Hogwarts for the holidays- I will ensure any and all of your presents are mailed to you in time.

Stay safe, darling, especially after that business with Sirius Black. You should be safe because he appears to be attacking only Gryffindors but you can never be too safe. Take care and don't use your wounded arm too much, we will see you soon, my boy.

Lots of love,

Mother

Dear Father,

Draco just told me that we have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas instead of returning to you, Cissy and Grandfather? Is this true?

I discussed this with Cissy when I first received my letter, I told her I would always come home for Christmas but now I'm being told I must stay here? Do I not get a choice here? I appreciate you are busy helping Draco, but what about me? All I need is to see you again and tell you about everything that has happened to me so far but now I can't even do that?

Maybe Draco should have lost his arm, at least the School Board of Governors wouldn't be debating on the Hippogriff's treatment.

~

I have had to use a second piece of parchment because Draco tried to take my quill away and ripped my parchment instead. You are treating this incident as though he has been completely disabled, but just now, when he fell onto his arm (which is still in a sling!), he hardly winced and even moved his hand to push himself up. His injuries are not fatal, they are not even life changing, he is being a big baby about it, and the decision to make regarding the situation should not have to take away from precious family time.

I haven't told you this because I thought I would see you soon, but I am missing home, Father. Only last night did I cry at the idea of not seeing you or my old bedroom for another few months.

As a young, impressionable and friendless girl, I shouldn't be denied the opportunity to see my Father.

Is this decision for us to remain at Hogwarts really your idea? Are you really that busy or are you simply glad to be rid of us for longer? I must know,

Love, Circi

Lucius had not responded to Circi's letter yet, and they are now a week into spending Christmas at Hogwarts. Unlike Draco, who had convinced Crabbe and Goyle to remain at Hogwarts as well, Circi had no friends and spent most of her time refining her homework due when lessons start again.

At first, she had hidden away in her bedroom and emerged only to eat, but the silence in the absence of the four other girls she shared with began to weigh heavily on her. The room, filled to the brim with dark-wood furniture and dark green drapes covering the grey stone walls, was much colder without the additional bodies. She often fell asleep with a candle burning next to her bed but, after a brush with arson, her Head of House Professor Snape confiscated all of her remaining candles.

The mere cold of the room repelled her, bearable only when she was fast asleep under her blankets. She began to spend more time in the library and there she noticed that the fourth year, Carmen Breckinridge, was also spending Christmas at Hogwarts. Often, Circi found her eyes drifting over to her and felt a familiar urge to get to know her.

And one day, she found the courage to approach this older, prettier, stranger. Madam Pince was absent most days, checking in during lunch and dinner to make sure everything was in place. But the day she decided to approach Carmen, a robust Ravenclaw student with curly ginger hair cut in front of the path. She avoided eye contact but remained in place, clutching a copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Can I help you?" The girl shifted her weight and finally met Circi's eyes.

"You're Circini Malfoy, right?" Crossing her arms, Circi nods and shifts her gaze over to Carmen who is covertly listening to them.

"Last I checked, yeah."

"I'm Francis- Twigger... Ravenclaw, muggleborn." Narrowing her eyes, Circi glanced back at Carmen and then back around the room. Nothing good ever came from seeing a newspaper recently and now a muggleborn of all people was approaching her with one. "I, uh, I heard that your mum is Serenity Rier. She's in the news-" Francis' voice drowns out as Circi finds herself paying attention to the front page of the newspaper to see the face of Serenity, her mother, and the bold headline reading 'RIER SPOTTED IN RYDE'. Circi had never heard of the place before, but part of her is comforted knowing that 'spotted' didn't necessarily mean 'caught'.

Her hand bunched in the paper and her other dragged Francis closer by the shoulder, hushing her rambling.

"Let go of the paper and leave me alone." The girl stuttered, letting go and fiddling with a hole in her knit cardigan.

"I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"Well, stop thinking." Circi pushed her away, holding the paper in her fist as though it would disappear otherwise.

"Sorry, I was just trying to help." A frown etched itself onto her face as Circi looked to and from her balled fist. Slowly, she opened her hand and let the newspaper fall to the ground, vaguely aware of someone leaving the library.

"As if I need help from some mudblood." Francis scowled, her eyes glistening as though she was on the verge of tears before nodding a leaving the room hastily.

Circi glanced around, noticing she was now alone. She crouched down and flattened the paper out against the floor. Her face flushed red, and she dropped her face into her hands, leaning on her knees and swaying lightly, a dry sob choked her, but she soon composed herself. Dragging her hands down her face and taking deep breaths. Tearing the front page from the rest of the paper, she ignored the image of her mother crying and screaming at the camera, folded it and stuffed it deep into her pocket before collecting her bag and leaving the room.

A/N

Yes, Circi is a brat, she was raised in the same environment as Draco.