Colder than this home

It wasn’t the best form for a prefect to be seen breaking the rules of the castle. It tended to raise more questions than answer them. Theo just made sure no one ever spotted him, or more truthfully, they never had enough pieces to incriminate. Fixing his tie as he followed Isobel MacDougal out of the prefects’ bathroom wasn’t entirely damning. Just, painfully obvious. She hadn’t believed him about the pool. You can’t just describe the pool. You have to show the pool. There was nothing in the rules that he knew of that forbid more than one person from using the room at the same time. It was an education endeavor! A real learning experience. 

The slytherin said a quick goodbye to Isobel. Tried to. A deep kiss turned into two or three that left Theo with a once again untied tie and a whispered promise of that they’d investigate for a rosewater tap the next time. Soon enough, Theo was left alone still looking quite unkempt. He took a moment to tuck in his shirt and continue fiddling with his tie before noticing movement further down the hallway. “I’ve heard a picture’s worth more words than staring. More words? A lot of words? Do you need something?”

Millicent Bulstrode was known for many things but her patience was not one of them. As she sat in a corner of the Common Room, the unceasing tapping of her foot echoed, prompting anyone in her vicinity to take at least two steps backwards. The first week back at the magical school always passed by painfully slow. Professors gave very little homework — if any at all — and it was far too soon to practice for the Quidditch Cup. During this time she had more time in her hands than necessary. A problem she would normally be able to fix quite easily, but it was difficult to escape boredom when Blaise was nowhere to be found and Theo wasn’t back yet.

Abruptly, she got up from her chair and quickly walked out of the Common Room. She could always kill time feeding the creatures that lived on the school grounds, but first she would find her friends. Well... just Theo, since Blaise was likely dealing with his fiancé. A quick glance at her bracelet had led her up the stairs, only stopping once she had reached the fifth floor. Once individuals walked out of the Prefects’ Bathroom, she almost burst out laughing. It was so stupid of her to not have realized what Theo was doing. Millicent leaned agaisnt a wall and crossed her arms, only letting a small chuckle at his poor attempt of using a famous saying.

“Oh you know, I was looking for a friend. About this tall, brown hair, Prefect, goes by Theo-Whore. Have you seen him?”

“Don’t mention it.” Dean said, offering a small but sincere smile to the girl. He shifted from one foot to the next, generally feeling relaxed in most conversations, but if he was honest with himself he had absolutely no idea what to say to Millicent. Again, generally Dean was fairly hard to intimidate. He dated Ginny Weasley for fuck’s sake, but here he was, talking about first years as a mean’s of discussion.

It seemed like a good enough topic, however, with the way that Millicent seemed to have quite the opinon on the matter, it seemed like a pretty good choice. “At least there’s that.” Dean agreed, shaking his head. “I’m ready for that day. I know they’re excited, I know that I was, but if it could be at a lower decibel that would be ace.”

Although they were talking about how loud First Years could be, Millicent had no intention of leaving the Feast early. She wanted go back to the Great Hall and spend the last part of the dinner with her friends — it was her last Welcoming Feast, after all, she might as well try to enjoy it. Still, the conversation wasn’t boring enough to urge her to leave, yet, so she was currently in no hurry to walk back to the Great Hall.

“I wouldn’t expect that to happen tonight or even in the next few days. They are free from the weight of coursework or exams and, as for tonight, also full of sugar.” She said, knowing that while they spoke, First Years were probably currently trying to eat every dessert within their reach. “The excitement lasts until they become acquainted with Mr Binns. That’s usually when decibels stop being a problem.” Millicent had no problem with the subject itself, but Mr. Binns’ reputation was well know around the corridors of the castle.

Millie’s quip made it hard not to laugh, and Blaise ended up compromising and grinning as large he could, which may not have looked very reassuring to the young student who was now staring at the two of them one after the other. He was even too dazed to react, simply opening and closing his hands nervously. Someone else would have cared, poor thing, upon noticing his unease. All it did for Blaise was get on his nerves that little bit more – did Millicent and he look so inviting that kid wouldn’t scram? Looking at the young woman by his side, Blaise smirked as he nodded his agreement. “He very obviously is. Whatever should we do? Do you have any idea, Millie?”

Millicent’s smirk grew slightly wider and she tilted her head at Blaise. “Well, it’s our duty as older students to help him, isn’t it?” Her gaze then shifted from the other Slytherin to the boy. “I’ll ask, even if I’m starting to doubt you ever learned how to speak. Do you plan on moving within the next minute or do Blaise and I need to show you the fastest way down?” Normally, Millicent would end there, letting the words sink in until the other person understood the threat for what it was. Looking at the kid in front of them, she wasn’t sure he was be able to. “I’m sure our favourite local ghost, Myrtle, would love some company.”

“I can imagine you nice and comfy eating bon bons somewhere if that’s what you mean.” He couldn’t. In his educated opinion, Millie need room to run, explore, learn and the more he thought on that the more he realized his best friend sounded like a horse than a person. Maybe not the best thing to tell her. “I’m trying to be stuck with you for life but you don’t want to marry me on a decaying train. Astronomy tower then? Great Hall? We could have it in the common room when we get back.”

“If in that scenario I’m bored to death, it would be plausable.” Millicent retorted back. It wasn’t that Millicent couldn’t enjoy the finer things in life, but if a marriage led to a life full of comforts but also stillness, then it wans’t for her. “The Astronomy Tower is for those who want to hook up or drink without getting caught and there are too many noisey people at the Great Hall. The Common Room is so impersonal.” She looked at him pointedly, but it wasn’t long before she burst out laughing. “Besides, you already gave me a bracelet, now a ring too? Are you trying to spoil me, Nott?”

“ Do you plan on sleeping here, in the middle of the corridor, or is there hope yet that you will wake up and get a move on ?”

Not the nicest words to throw at some random soul, but Blaise was tired and so decided to throw politeness out the proverbial window. Some people got impossibly sluggish once they had their stomach full – which was why he always made sure to leave the table only mainly satiated – and seeing how dreadful the general population already was, right after meals Blaise could have tested out his ability to use Unforgivables on the lot of them, he was that frustrated.

Getting up from the Slytherin table and leaving the Welcoming Feast — her last one — was almost a relief. The day had been long enough and she felt herself slowly relax as she made her way towards their Common Room, walking besides Blaise. When they came across another student — a First Year? A Second Year? She couldn’t tell — she stood back and watched amused the scene. Stifling a laugh, she couldn’t help but join in. “My grandfather has more life in him. May he rest in peace.” She tilted her head, before taking two step forwards and resting her arm on Blaise’s shoulder. “Maybe he’s lost,” she guessed, the amused grin never leaving her face.

Recognizing the witch almost immediately, Dean held out the quills with the caution of someone feeding a stray dog. He was unsure whether or not his kindness would be rewarded with his hand getting torn off. Dean didn’t have an issue with Millicent by any means, but he was more than aware of her more temperamental behavior and was not looking to be caught in the crosshairs of her ire. He believed wholeheartedly in avoiding conflict where you could and dealing with it once you couldn’t.

“Ah, yeah. I know.” Dean said, looking back over his shoulder to where the Great Hall sat at the base of the staircase they were on. He was well aware that the feast was still in full swing, but he had needed a moment. “Was it extra loud to you, or was that just me?” He asked the girl with a small smile. He had left because he couldn’t deal with the loud crowds of people right then, not with the issue of it being their last year in Hogwarts looming over his head. Usually, the energetic masses didn’t phase him being a Gryffindor who was best friends with one of the loudest in the lot, but that evening it had been a bit overwhelming.

As she took back her quills, Millicent noticed a certain caution in Dean, something she had seen more than once in other people approaching her. It never bothered her; she much preferred to be treated as a volcano ready to explode rather than having to endure again those looks people gave her and that she wished she could forget. “Thanks,” she simply said after a moment, not actually out of genuine gratitude, but as a way to show him she had no intention of hexing him. 

She scoffed. That felt like an understatement. “That’s First Years for you.” Millicent could understand being a new place, she could understand the novelty surrounding the castle — she herself had never encountered a ghost before Hogwarts — but that didn’t justify the annoying ability that FIrst Years had of being loud in any given situation. Her ear almost fell off when some Muggleborns screamed at the sight of Nearly Headless Nick, earlier. “At least, it can’t get worse than this. Their voices tend to lower the more coursework they get though the year.”

Theo grinned, liking the phrase ‘best cushion of the castle’. It was just the kind of thing he needed to hear from Millie on a day like today. He busied himself running a hand over her hair as she leaned closer. Snuggled close to Millicent, he could stare out the window of their compartment and pretend it was just another year back. If Blaise was here drawling on about some annoyance, it’d be almost perfect. “A french boy?” He raised his eyebrows. “Are you even going to consider it? You’d move to France and I’d never see you again but I’d get to vacation there, right?” Theo’s Aunt and Uncle hadn’t even mentioned marriage to him though he knew with the political climate he’d be hearing sooner rather than later. “…Do you wanna get married?”

Millicent frowned. She hadn’t wasted even a second mulling over it. The idea of marrying a stranger picked by her mother was simply too absurd to even consider. “Of course not. Could you imagine, me married to a Beauxbatons prat? Maybe living somewhere like Paris or Avignon.” It was unlikely that she would ever move to another country. If, once out of Hogwarts, she managed to get a job as a Magizoologist and move out of her parent’s house, she would be able to travel, but ultimately she wouldn’t leave her homeland. There was just something about it, she couldn’t picture herself leaving it permanently. “I’m afraid your are stuck with me for life, Nott.” She closed her eyes and kept them close even as Theo ‘proposed’. She chuckled. “On this decaying train? No, thank you.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at Millicent, her arms crossing over her chest, before rolling her eyes again. “So mature of you to pick on a cat, Bulstrode.” She said, scoffing. “Crookshanks has a tendency of wandering about, and likes going to the dungeons to mess up Snape’s potions cabinet. I belive that Pepper is an accomplice in these cat-burglaries.” She said, feeling both proud and annoyed with herself over her pun. 

“I’ll have to agree with you, though.” She said, shaking her head slightly, making a slightly face as if those words physically pained her. “First-years are terrified of everything.” She spoke, rolling her eyes as the memory of a particularly annoying first-year, feeling a little bit of guilt enter her body at acknowledging her thoughts aloud.

“Me? I was merely asking for a confirmation.” Millicent shrugged, a smirk never leaving her face. She truly couldn’t be bothered to remember the name of Granger’s cat; if anything, she was commenting on the Gryffindor’s name choosing skills. “That sounds more like Pepper...” She muttered absentmindedly and only rolling her eyes at Hermione’s pathetic attempt at a pun.

The fact that Granger agreed with her and that it clearly annoyed her to do so was hilarious. Millicent’s smirk grew wider. “Hermione Granger agreeing with me and daring to say something—” she let out an exaggerated gasp, feigning shock— “not nice?” She kept the fake surprised expression for a few moments, before bursting into a humorless laugh. “The world must be ending.”

Flora smiled at Millicent as she shut the door. For the first time, she found herself grateful that Hestia was sick. “That sounds lovely. I wish I’d gotten out of the country for a bit.” Instead, she and her sister had been made to stay home where the house elves and their father (but mostly the former) could keep watch over them. “I’ve spent most of it working on my painting and on some new tricks for quidditch. Nothing too exciting, though I’ve gotten a bit faster at the Double Eight Loop.”

“What do you paint usually?” Millicent asked, tilting her head. Her question prompted by an uncharacteristic genuine curiosity. “That’s great. Any bit of training can help the team. Isn’t that basically what Potter always says?” She then bit her bottom lip, pondering whether she should voice what she was thinking. “If you ever need a chaser to help you practice the Double Eight Loop, I’m available.” She offered, once she had decided.  

“Start naming people and I see if I have one in my files. My many, detailed, uh, accounts? Ledger?” Theo laughed, happy to revert back to their more relaxed nature. Well, until Millie’s mother was brought up. He had a hatred for that woman close to his heart for at least six years. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear anything her mother had to say but if it was important for Millicent to tell him he’d listen. “You didn’t.” Theo tugged light on a lock of her hair before brushing it back behind her ear. “Are you getting married too? Am I going to be the last single person on the planet?” 

Millicent raised an eyebrow. “Many detailed accounts? A ledger?” She scoffed. “Doesn’t matter, actually. I aready know you are the best cushion of the castle.” She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. She wasn’t surprised that Theo had almost guessed. Nowadays her mother approached her only those times she remembered she had an unmarried daughter. “No, but wanted to let me know that she knows someone who knows someone whose son goes to Beauxbatons. She also made sure to repeat plenty of times that, whoever this twit is, he is single and tha arranging a marriage would be quite easy.” She ended the sentence rolling her eyes. Undoubtedly, her mother was just interested in the connections and the possible trips to France that the marriage would bring. “Oh, please. We will be the last two single people on the panet.” 

Like every year before, Dean left the Great Hall feeling more like he was going to hurl than being contently full. He never had the best control when it came to pacing himself with the table of goodies under his nose, but this year he felt that some of his nausea was brought on from the knowledge that he just walked out of his very last Welcoming Feast- ever.

The thought of life after Hogwarts was daunting for the young man whose muggle mother tried to convince him to apply for university instead of living life in the Wizarding World, that was despite the fact that Dean’s younger sister also had the chance of being magical. Dean himself had suspicions that she was and would get confirmation of that in the next year.

Taking the stairs two at a time, the young man was more focused on responding to the greetings that the painting called out than anything else. It was only when he felt something that was distinctly not a step under his sneaker that he looked down and spotted a fallen quill that was in a protective packaging, obviously newly purchased. Bending to swipe it from the ground, Dean cast his gaze around before spotting a figure further up the stairs than himself. “Oi, you drop this?”

Millicent couldn’t say that the Welcoming Feast was her favourite part of the year. The Sorting cerimony always lasted far too long for her taste and, no matter where she sat, she couldn’t quite escape the loud voices of First Years that mixed with those of the other tables. The Feast would only become bearable later, as time passed the voices would lower and it was easier to enjoy the food and her friend’s presence. She had no intention of leaving the Feast when she had just started to enjoy herself, but then she had realised that in the hurry of leaving her house that morning she had forgotten to pack her new quills — of bloody course. To have them by the next morning, she would have to send a letter home as soon as possible.

Grudgingly, Millicent had left her table and walked up the stairs, making her way to the West Tower as quickly as possible. Once she had walked into the Owlery, however, she had found her own family owl there. Apparently their house elf had found the quills and immediately sent them to the castle. She couldn’t remember the last time she had received a letter from home and clearly neither did her family owl, since it flew to the Owlery instead of the Great Hall, as it was supposed to do.

On her way back, she descended the stairs absentmindedly and forgot to jump that particular step. She found herself trapped in the vanishing step, her dark green quills landing on the starcaise below. It took a few attempts for her to free herself. Fortunately no one was around to see. She walked down to the staircase where her quills supposedly were and found a Gryffindor picking them up. Only when he looked up she recognised Dean Thomas “Yep.” She simply said, walking down a few steps, taking her quills back without another word. “You know, the Feast is not over yet.” She wasn’t really interested in knowing why he had left, but she found unsual to see a student leaving early, especially a Gryffindor.

“Oh shut it, you. It’s merely that I’m too short for this compartment. How do they expect shorter people to put their things away if the things are so high up?” Seamus was beginning to wonder where exactly it was Dean had gone off to. “I’ll be much more entertaining once I see you on a broom again, Millicent. You’ll lament over the days you called me boring as I won’t shut up about you then, now will I?”

“If only there was something that could make matters easier...” Millicent rolled her eyes. What kind of wizard forgot the magic running through their veins? “Shame-us, I know I’m an excellent chaser, but you should talk about other players too,” she scoffed. Gryffindors were known for being self-centered, but Seamus thinking that whatever he had to say about her would make her regret the opinion she had of him was a whole new level. “Besides, if you believe the blatant favoritism that you pass as commentary makes you any less boring, then you are also delusional.”

He scoffed, putting on the best posh voice he could muster. Obviously not similar to the one he had heard come out of his blond roommate’s mouth for years. “Are you doubting my ability to cuddle, Bulstrode? I could get reviews for you. References.” He didn’t have any on hand but he was sure he could ask some people to write him recommendations. “You were insufferable with Pansy? No one would believe that.” Pansy was fine but she wasn’t Blaise or him. He didn’t see why Millie needed to spend so much time with her just because she was a female. Weren’t he and Blaise good enough?

“Is that so, Nott?” Millicent snickered. She was no good at speaking in a posh voice, but she could lift her chin up slightly and imitate the expression she had seen many times on her mother’s face. “And who would these reviews be from? There are very few people whose opinion I trust.” She sighed, not surprised that he had seen through her little lie. “Alright, fine. I wasn’t insufferable. I did miss you guys, though.” Pansy was a good roommate and nice enough to spend time with. While she had vented to the other Slytherin girl about expectations and growing up as Pureblood girl a few times, it  wasn’t Pansy who she would prefer to spend the majority of her summer with. “Oh,” she said after a pause, “I didn’t tell you what my mother said this morning, did I?” With the news that had been spread that morning and the chaos of the train ride, she had almost forgotten about the whole thing.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the ever-growing smirk on the Slytherin’s face, rolling her eyes at words, knowing that she would probably run into the Slytherin once again before they reach the castle, and she wasn’t quite sure of how she would react. She shoved the thought from her mind, trying to avoid looking at the Slytherin as she scanned the area again to see if the trolley had magically appeared. Unfortunately it hadn’t, making Hermione question if magic was really that great if it couldn’t get her out of an uncomfortable situation. 

Her mind wandered slightly, hearing Millicent’s words, before slowly turning back to face her, words pouring out of Hermione’s mouth without much thought. “That happens to be the job of your precious Nott.”

Her attention fully on Millicent, she rolled her eyes again, offering a sarcastic smile. “Pepper seemed to take quite a liking to Crookshanks, so I’ll start there.” She said, rolling her eyes. “Just remember that the first-years you traumatized will be left for Nott to take care of.”

Millicent frowned, almost wondering if Granger had decided to speak using muggle terms just to confuse her. It took her a moment to realise who the muggleborn was probably referring to. “Crookshanks— that’s your cat’s name?” She was vaguely aware that Hermione had a cat, but she couldn’t be bothered to learn and remember its name. What kind of name was that, anyways? “I don’t see how you got the idea that my cat would even know yours, since in four years Pepper has never even come close to the Gryffindor tower. Unless Crookwhatever decided that wandering around the dugeouns would be better than be around you.” The Gryffindor surely knew what she was doing: mentioning Theo to possibly get under her skin. Millicent, determined to not let Granger walk off satisfied, merely shrugged. “First Years get traumatized by their own shadows, I hardly increase the amount of work.”

Amity was grateful for Millie’s interference - not because she couldn’t defend herself, but because it meant she would avoid the Howler her grandmother would have undoubtedly sent her if she had gotten into a fight before they had even arrived at Hogwarts.  Her gratitude, however, did not mean that she was any more docile and complacent than she usually was.  The girl didn’t speak often, but when she did, it was always succinct and with a purpose.

“I’m not some third year that’s easily intimidated, Bulstrode.  You can throw a hex at me, punch me, whatever.  Trust me when I say I’ve had worse.”  Between Quidditch, and the unkind tutors her grandparents had hired to catch the Muggle-raised girl up on magic she should have already known, Ami had been through the ringer more than once.  “And I didn’t insult Blaise.  I simply stated a fact, one that is commonly known, even by my betrothed himself.  If his vanity upsets you so much, perhaps you should take it up with him.”  Thinking she spotted Justin’s hair, she stood on the tips of her toes to make certain before she excused herself.  “I hope you find Pepper.”

Millicent couldn’t deny she was slightly bothered by Amity’s response, but ultimately she didn’t let it get to her. If Norwood had worse, than so did she. She might not be a patient person, but it took more than someone simply not being scared to cause in her a reaction. “Tragic.” She scoffed, but it was quickly replaced by a bitter laugh. After having used the word vain — with that tone, nonetheless — not only the Ravenclaw claimed she wasn’t insulting Blaise, but she also tried to insinuate it was Millicent who had a problem with his personality. She sure had some balls. “Right. You have and unique way to state facts. Or to use them to blame people for things they had nothing to do with.” Her wardrobe change clearly was prompted by the engagement, but it wasn’t Blaise who threw her clothes away. “Just get lost already, Norwood.”

He took a moment to shoot Millicent a hurt look, pulling away to rub at the spot she had jabbed her elbow into. “And I have to suffer you trying to rupture one of my organs.” Theo pulled her closer to him after he was done with his dramatics. “Do not leave me with Pepper. Please.” Honestly, it was if the cat knew he was allergic. She just had to sit on his lap, his jumpers, anywhere her hair could interfere. “Yes. Those. Do you know I’m still recovering from the loss of your presence? Blaise gave me calming draught ever day you were gone because I just couldn’t take the loss of your presence.” Theo gave an exaggerated sniff, giving her wide eyes.

Millicent watched Theo with an easy smile and simply shook her head at his antics. She let herself be pulled, her gaze directed upwards in feigned contemplation. “Dunno... I mean, Pepper offers me cuddles,” she then purposefully snuggled closer to Theo, “warmth and company. Are you sure you can offer at least the same?” She asked, her smile turning into a full teasing smirk. “Is that so?” She tilted her head to look at him, her smirk growing even wider. “Well, Pansy might want to learn from Blaise. I was just insufferable those days without you.”