Entreaty Ⅳ

The winter storm had raged all night long mostly blowing itself in the morning. Light snow was still falling and would possibly fall all day. The previous paths through the piles of snow on the ground had been completely covered by the foot of snow that had fallen blanketing the entire grounds. It was still dark when Hagrid got up to clear paths in the snow especially the one leading down into Hogsmeade. Hagrid liked to mind his own business, but he had to admit that even he had noticed that something was going on between Ronan, the centaur, and the other Divination Professor, Sybill Trelawney. It wasn't any of his business, but it was hard to ignore the long moonlight walks or the fact that Ronan had not all minded carrying Professor Trelawney on his back across the snow-covered grounds with the excuse to study the starry skies.

Hagrid had almost had a heart attack the first time he witnessed such a scene. He knew that centaurs disliked carrying anyone on their back for it was a symbol of their oppression by humans forcing them into slavery in ages past. He had almost blurted something impolite out, but he'd seen the shy, reserved expression on Professor Trelawney's and thought better of it. That and well Ronan had a rather equally besotted expression on his face.

Hagrid knew that he wasn't very good at always noticing these types of things, but he'd gotten better after meeting his beautiful Olympe. He knew that there was something there, but t'was not his place to speak on. However, he knew that if the two decided to remain together it would be hard on them. The centaurs would likely not accept a witch into the tribe, while wizarding society looked down upon such marriages/relationships. And if they wanted to have a child, it would be a very dangerous and difficult affair. Witch's bodies were simply not designed to carry centaur children. Their bodies would often naturally abort such a child unless the fetus conceived was in the form of a human-like their witch mother.

Hagrid scratched his head and shrugged. It wasn't his business to worry. Things would be as they were just meant to be. With a wave of his wand, he happily began to clear a path in the snow. In the olden days, he would have to use a shovel, but now he didn't. He simply couldn't imagine how he had lived so long without a wand! With such happy thoughts, Hagrid did his job as the groundskeeper with Fang happily playing and rolling in the snow.

The castle inhabitants inside Hogwarts began to slowly rouse with among them the first being the Prefects as it was going to be a very long day. Loud purring in her ears roused Rowan as she sleepily opened her eyes to find the long-haired form of Alchemy laying on her pillow. The beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat had soft, silky fur in shades of brown, gray, white, and black. His ears were adorable with a small pink nose with matching paws. His large greenish, yellow eyes blink warmly at her before he licks his soft white paws.

"Alchemy," Rowan said with a sigh, before leaning over to pet the purring cat. "Why are you down here?" She wondered out loud as typically Alchemy did not wander into their warm beds until they were about to get up. He and Brahms liked to nestle in their still warm blankets after they got up.

As if in answer Alchemy shows her his soft belly to be rubbed. "Of course," Rowan said, before rubbing the soft furry belly of Alchemy. After petting, Alchemy for a while, she rises out of bed and begins to dress leaving Alchemy to snuggle in the middle of her still-warm bed.

Rowan wasn't even halfway dressed when a loud popping noise causes Rowan to go for her wand and the rest of the girls to sleepily hold their wands pointed at the source. They were Slytherins, of course, they slept with their wands under their pillows. Peeking through the bed curtains, Tiffany's strawberry-blond hair is sticking up like a bird's nest, while Sylvia's dark, sleek hair is all messy and tangled. Bethanie's long, wavy auburn hair on the other hand is neatly tucked into a very matron-like nightcap to maintain her hair clean and knot-free.

Standing in the middle of the room is a very old female house elf with a button-like nose, short, bat-like ears, a wrinkled face, and a crooked smile. Tiffany blinks and says, "Molma, what are you doing here?"

"Molma?" Rowan said slowly lowering her wand as did Sylvia and Bethanie in recognition of the old house elf belonging to the Topsy family.

"Moma is the nanny house elf who raised, papa, my older brother, me, and my nephew, Christopher," Tiffany explained as recognition appeared on Rowan's face as well as a grimace. Rowan recalled the house elf along with Tiffany's nephew. She was not fond of Tiffany's nephew and neither was he. Apparently, their dislike was mutual.

"Molma, what are you doing at Hogwarts?" Tiffany asked with great concern. "Has something gone wrong?"

"No, Molma is here to see little tiff-tiff," Molma replied to the girl that she raised. "Molma brings a letter from the master and mistress. Molma is so very happy!"

Tiffany nods her strawberry-blond hair warily as the last time she had received such joyous news she had found herself betrothed to Vasco Vespucci. Her parents had told her they would not betroth her again, but she had rumors that Villem Selwyn, a distant cousin of theirs was interested in her. This was the same wizard that had once been very interested in Bethanie, a widower with already two dead wives, and a very bad reputation. If that truly was the case, then she would refuse and run away. She would rather sell her body to make a living than to marry her distant cousin!

With a hint of trepidation, Tiffany accepts the letter fearing the worst. Her parents had recently politely declined the suit of her mother's distant cousin, Villem Selwyn. However, Villem Selwyn was persistent despite being a widower with two mysteriously dead wives. And with being viewed as a Bride of Death, she strongly feared her parents would finally cave under the persistence of Villem Selwyn.

Tiffany's hands tighten anxiously around the parchment wrinkling the letter, before beginning to read. The sleep from Bethanie and Sylvia's eyes fly away as they intently see the anxiety on Tiffany's expression. Rowan finishes putting on her robes, before leaning about the bedpost waiting for Tiffany to speak. The silence grows more intense until Tiffany puts down the letter from her parents with a genuine smile on her face causing all three girls to gaze at her in sincere surprise before the puzzle falls into place. A beaming smile appears on Bethanie's face as Siliva sighs in relief, and Rowan nods her head at Tiffany.

"Molma, please let mama and papa know that I will accept the invitation from the Black family, and I will proceed with caution," Tiffany carefully instructed Molma.

Molma hears, tiff-tiff," Molma squeaked, before vanishing with a pop.

"Let me guess, Sirius asked for you to accompany him, and the word no doubt reached his parents," Rowan drily said knowing full well that Sirius had already asked Tiffany as Tiffany had shared the news with them during dinner last night.

"Yes, they have formally requested that I be permitted to be his companion for the presentation ball," Tiffany replied with a coy smile.

"I still can't believe it," Sylvia said rubbing her dark, tangled hair. "I mean, this is Sirius we are talking about, he's well-, Sirius if I am being nice about it."

"Now, now, Sylvia," Bethanie said in her usual manner. "Sirius is a Black and the firstborn heir of a great family. He certainly may be a Gryffindor, who wears his heart on his sleeve, but he is still a pureblood. And well, unlike Vasco Vespucci, Sirius very much likes Tiffany if his lovestruck gaze during dinner in the Great Hall was anything to judge by," causing Tiffany to blush shyly at Bethanie's words.

"Touché," Sylvia murmured with a disgruntled sigh. "It's just that he's so very Gryffindorish at heart, it offends my very sensibilities."

"Mm, I cannot tell you the times Regulus has said the very same thing to me," Bethanie muttered with a sigh. "Still, I believe Tiffany will be good for Sirius, and Sirius in turn will be good to Tiffany."

Tiffany seeing Rowan remaining silent says, "And what do you think, Rowan? You know Sirius the best out of all of us; you've been friends since our first year at Hogwarts."

"I would hazard to say that Sirius is already in love with you, he just doesn't know it yet," Rowan honestly replied to causing Tiffany to turn bright red, and Sylvia and Bethanie to pointedly stare at Rowan.

"Why would you say that Rowan?" Tiffany stammered with a hopeful and wary gaze.

"Sirius has always been so suave around all the girls he's ever been seen with," Rowan plainly explained. "But he turns into a fool whenever he's in front of you. I am afraid that can only mean that his heart is doing all the talking for he is a Gryffindor after all. Sadly, for you, my dear, it would appear you will be saddled with him from henceforth, Tiffany. You have my sincerest condolences for having to put up with his all of his idiocrasy."

A genuine hopeful smile appears on Tiffany's as she hugs her pillow to her chest. "I truly hope that is the case," she whispered out loud to herself.

Rowan's expression softens as Sylvia and Bethanie stare with sympathy at Tiffany. "Yes, well only a Slytherin could be cunning enough to capture the heart of such a Gryffindor."

Tiffany begins to giggle including Sylvia and Bethanie. The girls begin to chat about their plans at Hogsmeade, while Rowan carefully builds a nest for Alchemy on her bed. She could always do her bed later, but Alchemy needed to have a warm nest to rest in. The precious must be protected!