Pyrrhic Victory

twenty four.

Year Two
twenty four. Skeptical Times

Christmas was on the brink. As other children was joyful to leave, and already packing their stockings and buying gifts for loved ones and friends. Magnolia wasn't, she wasn't really looking forward to Christmas without her parents, and her father not playing the guitar while she and her older brothers opened gifts.

Lucille had been in a pretty nasty mood recently also. From what Magnolia had heard Lucille and Justin Finch-Fletchley got into a bad fight after dueling club.

Magnolia was sitting at her vanity in their dorm. All the girls hair their own. She had an assortment of candles, a hand held mirror, a few pins, and her perfume.

"Maggie? Are you in here?" Magnolia turned to the voice of her cousin, Daphne. Daphne and her used to be best mates, and was her only friend. Daphne was born a week and a half before Magnolia and ever since then they've been inseparable, until now.

"Uhm, yes, I'm in here." Magnolia stood up dusting her green sweater. Daphne entered the dorm where Magnolia was. Daphne was wearing jeans and a zip up jacket. Her platinum blonde hair was getting long, and her blue eyes shone beautifully with the little sun coming through the window.

"I'm guessing you're staying here for Christmas?" She asked quietly, Magnolia nodded.

"Mum offered to take all three of you for Christmas, I asked Claudius and Frankie if they wanted to come. They rejected though, they wanted to be with you." She tells Magnolia as she held her arm by her side. Magnolia was happy her brothers wanted to stay here with her. They were never as close with Daphne or Astoria as Magnolia was though.

"I have Pansy coming over two days after Christmas to hangout." Daphne adds which Magnolia just nods. It was awkward now which Magnolia hated. Her and Daphne were very very close.

"Either way, come with me... I think you'll wanna hear this." Daphne tells Magnolia. Magnolia follows Daphne out into the common room where there was a big commotion.

"What's going on?" Magnolia whispered to Daphne as they both took a seat on one of the couches. Snape came into the room looking gloomy as usual. He stood in front of the group of Slytherins.

"There has been another student Petrification... Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley. The on advice I'll give you is go with groups in the hallway, and don't be out past curfew." Snape informs the group, and murmurs and chatting start to fill the room as he heads out.

"I've gotta see Lucille." She tells Daphne. Magnolia rushes out of the common room where commotion was heard. She walked up out of the stairs towards the basement, but ran right into Lucille.

"Ow!" Both of girls said rubbing their foreheads, then their eyes widen as they say they ran into each other.

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah, Professor Sprout just told us, I went to go find you." Magnolia told Lucille who nodded. They both leaned up against the castle walls, and laid their heads back.

"We've got to stay here with THAT monster, whatever it is, over Christmas also." Lucille tells Magnolia who nods. Lucille could go home, but unless Magnolia goes with Pansy and Daphne. She'd have to stay at Hogwarts. Draco along with Vincent and Gregory were staying also. She overheard that Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and The Weasley's were staying also.

"You could go home Lucille if you really want to? You don't have to stay for me." Magnolia frowns at her, and she shakes her head and insist that she stays with me during this break.

"Well I've got to go Maggie, I'll see you around?" Lucille says and Magnolia nods. Lucille starts to head back to her common room. Instead of going back to her common room Magnolia walks up stairs towards the Great Hall. She didn't know where exactly she was going but she'll end up somewhere.

She walked a bit throughout the coldish hallway, she was a little afraid she'll get petrified, but the monster is only rumored to go after Muggle borns.

"Magnolia? Is that you?" Magnolia jumped slightly as she turned around to face a certain boy she'd had met before. It was Fred Weasley, well at least she thought. She didn't know George Weasley, so she doubt he would've known her name.
"What are you doing around here?"

"Just walking, you?" Magnolia nears the red head who head to looked at her. As she neared he grew red. Fred didn't know why he'd get so nervous around Magnolia, after all she was the same age as Ron was.

"Same, walking." He replies, Magnolia nods not knowing what to say next to add to the conversation her and Fred Weasley were having.

"How have you been? Like since the news about Justin?" He asked nervously. Fred was wondering why he was acting nervous. Fred Weasley was never nervous.

"Nervous, Scared?" She giggled slightly. Fred nodded respectfully as he could say the same. Probably everyone in Hogwarts could say the same.

"Agreed, you staying for the Holidays?" He asked, as he scratched the back of his neck. Magnolia nodded which made him smile a little.

"I am too, mum and dad are visiting my older brother Bill in Egypt!" He tells her, Magnolia smiles widely. She liked talking to Fred, it was different. She used to listening to Draco complain about everything, or Pansy and Lucille subtly fight over Draco.

Magnolia thinks it funny how Lucille doesn't know about her tiny crush on Draco. Magnolia watches her when they are ever in the common room, or at lunch, or even in class. She thought Lucille's little crush on Draco was fun to watch, especially when Pansy gets touchy over him.

"That's wicked, my mum and father are going to a conference in America." Fred nods and smiles. All the sudden his brother, George comes down the corridor we were in.

"Fred?" He asked confused. He walked up to the both of them, and looked at Magnolia with confusion on why she was talking to his brother.

"Oh, hello George. This is Magnolia Malvorseve." Fred introduces Magnolia to George. Magnolia gives a slight wave, and George just nods before facing back to his twin brother.

"Claudius's little sister? Right?" He turned back to Magnolia who nods, he takes that into count and nods.

"Fred we've got to go, say bye to your girlfriend." George says without any regret. Fred and Magnolia turn a deep red colour at what George just referred Magnolia to.

"She's not my girlfriend George, and goodbye Magnolia." Fred says to Magnolia who waves to the both of them.
"Goodbye Fred, bye George."

They both wave as they leave the corridor bickering about George said back there. In the moment Magnolia was embarrassed, but now she felt a weird feeling like butterflies in her stomach. Oh, skeptical times these were.

Author's note-

I planned on this chapter coming out this morning, but I ended up becoming sick. I feel better now though, and I hope you enjoy!