First Day of December Ⅳ

By the end of the afternoon, Rowan shooed the last of the stragglers out of the classroom, before cleaning up after them. With a relieved, but tired lament, Rowan locked the classroom door after her and headed towards the Great Hall to eat. She was starving and felt rather tired at this point. Tragically, her day wouldn't be done soon as there were still Christmas decorations left to be put up throughout the castle by the Prefects. It was basically underage exploitation!

Already seated in the Great Hall are her friends including Severus. Tiffany, Bethanie, and Sylvia were about to greet Rowan but quickly decided not to at Rowan's glowering expression. They decided to tactfully wait until Rowan had already eaten. While Severus wisely decided to wait to speak to his sister, while Terry intently reads a letter that his cousin Eponine had handed over to him in passing. It was from one of his cousins and had been delivered via house elf.

Rowan's gloom is appeased by the scent of delicious masala, naan, and other food to warm up the body and soul. She happily digs into the vegetable masala and rice, before scooping up a bit with naan bread. "So gut," she mumbled with a mouthful of food. The masala was spicy enough that it warmed up the body and left behind a pleasant tingle.

Feeling in a much better mood, Rowan licks her lips, before wiping her mouth clean and chatting with her friends about their day. They chat between bites as Severus listens and chimes in now and again. The loud crisp folding of parchment causes them all to turn towards Terry, who has a pensive expression on his face that suggested that he was plotting something.

Seeing the rather innocent expression on Terry's face everyone freezes and warily eyes the delicate-looking figure of Terry. Terry quietly begins to eat as if he had not noticed his friend's stares. He calmly chews the bite of food, before saying, "Yes, what is it?"

"What are you plotting?" Sylvia bluntly asked her courting partner while the rest of them fiercely nodded their heads in agreement.

"One of my cousins attending Beauxbaton's mentioned that Igor Karkaroff transferred from Durmstrang to their school," Terry quietly mused out loud. "A shame, I rather was looking forward to greeting him again," he said with a guileless smile that sent chills down their neck. "Still, he likely will be attending your presentation ball isn't that right, Rowan and Severus? If that is the case, I will take the time to properly greet him."

Rowan and Severus share pointed expressions as Severus tactfully replies, "Rowan and I aren't certain since the list of guests has been decided by our grandfather and our aunt nor had we had an opportunity to view it since we're at Hogwarts."

"No, I am certain that they will be invited," Terry said with such certainty. "The Karkaroff's are an old lineage that continues to hold some measure of influence on the old continent. It would be simply rude and inconceivable not to invite them considering that the ball is to be held at the maternal maiden home, the Verninac Chateau. Please do express my most sincere felt admiration towards your grandfather for such a bold and powerful political move."

"Right," Rowan lamely replied as Severus decides its best to return to eating.

Bethanie decides to tactfully change the subject and begins to chat with Sylvia and Tiffany leaving Rowan and Severus to eat, and Terry to his plotting. Although, there was just a smidgeon of pity in their hearts as they watched Terry plot out of the corner of their eyes. Poor Igor did not realize that he had earned the perpetual interest of a predator and Veela's were just that.

Soon enough dinner came to an end, and the students made their way back to their houses. Left behind in the Great Hall are the eight-house prefects. Lily and Severus noticeably stand close together with their shoulders pressing together and the tips of their hands touching. The shy couple flushes gleefully causing Rowan to roll her eyes, and the blond-haired Pandora's aqua-colored eyes to gleam with delight.

Pandora had despaired that Lily would ever get the courage to speak to Severus, but thankfully, her friend had not disappointed her! They were truly a lovely couple, but not as perfect as she and Xeno. No, Xeno and her were explorers of love and truth. That was why her beloved Xeno was fiercely studying and gathering the funds to start up his own newspaper to be called, "The Quibbler."

Rowan wasn't the only one rolling his eyes as was the round-faced, light-haired Andrew Abbott. Although Andrew shared Rowan's present sentiments, he became just as or even more goofy-eyed around Petunia, so Rowan only took his sentiments at half value. Because even he was twitterpated and lately seemed to be more and more the case with her fellow peer groups. It must be hormones….

At least, Olympia Branstone seemed to share Rowan's feelings as she frowned at the female Gryffindor Prefect and the male Slytherin Prefect. Olympia shook her head with disappointment at the sight. Fraternizing between Prefect's was greatly frowned upon because it distracted Prefect's from their duties. Really, teenagers.

On the other hand, Lupin patiently ignored his friends, Severus and Lily, because he had much acted the same way at the start of his relationship with his girlfriend, Mary MacDonald. He thought that they had earned at least the same level of space they had given him. It was the least he could do.

As for blond, shoulder-length hair and figure of David Goldstein did not seem to mind as it did not impede their Prefect duties. He had much more pressing matters to be concerned about than to worry about such trivial gossip. It was pathetic to do otherwise.

They had not waited long when a rather tiny wizard with dark hair in a sharp appeared before them, Professor Filius Flitwick, Professor of Charms. He rather enjoyed the Christmas festivities as they seemed to be his favorite time of year. To Rowan's dismay, the fact was rubbed into her face every year as Professor Flitwick decorated his classrooms with shimmering lights that always turned out to be real, fluttering fairies.

Considering that it was the first day of the month, Rowan had hoped that Professor Flitwick was running behind, but to her grand dismay that had not been the case. Sure enough, there had been nasty sharp-toothed buggers in the classroom. At this point, Rowan could only resign herself to her fate and force herself to pretend that the glittering lights are in fact Christmas lights and are in manner real moving magical creatures.

What else could she do? Kill them all? Not that Rowan had not genuinely, but briefly contemplated such an idea before. However, the hassle of dealing with the aftermath simply was not worth it.