Dinner at the Magefords
It was Saturday afternoon, and Philip had been home from school for less than twenty-four hours. He was now in the small downtown district of Godric’s Hollow, a block of shops and restaurants. He wore a grey wool coat and a fedora that had once belonged to his grandfather. Around his neck was a black scarf.
At his side was Morwena Felwich. Her coat and scarf matched his. She wore tan leather gloves, and on her head was a wool cap that was Slytherin green. They looked like a couple, the way they walked closely together, how Philip opened doors for her, how her hand rested on his arm as they walked.
“I’ve turned on the cell phone that my father gave me,” said Philip. “It’s all charged up, and I’ve put a handful of phone numbers in the directory. Problem is, I can’t get a signal.”
“Typical anti-Muggle security, most likely,” said Morwena.
“Liam gets calls from Sadie in the summer. How can she get a signal way out in Druid’s Grove, when I can’t get one right here in the village?”
“Professor Thompson has many Muggle contacts. There must be some arrangement. Perhaps, a signal tower is near their house.”
“I want to call Pauline. I told her I would call her.”
“Go with your father the next time he’s in Town,” she told him, meaning London. “You’re bound to get a signal there, even at Ministry.”
“I used to hate going to the office with my dad. I’d be stuck in a corner reading while he had meetings or reads through his papers.”
“Well, next time you’re there, don’t get stuck in a corner,” she told him firmly. “Go to the meetings! Act like you’re already one of the team. Make your hiring feel inevitable, and it will become so.”
“Impeccable advice, as usual,” said Philip. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I need your advice just as much,” said Morwena. “I need to buy a gift for Cy, and I better have something ready in case I get another bundle of cookies from Wren.”
“You’re likely to,” said Philip. “Once one’s on Liam’s list, one tends to stay on it. Unless there’s a big falling out, of course.”
“You don’t think he still sends cookies to Ables, do you?” she asked.
“I don’t know, honestly,” said Philip. “Though, I doubt it.”
“What should I get Cy? He’s not much of a reader, not like you are.”
It felt odd to Philip to help select a gift for a boy who used to pick on him. Morwena was helping Philip win over Pauline, so he felt he owed her the favour in return. “What about a scarf? You said yourself, it was a practical enough gift for Pauline. Not too forward. Enough to let her know I was thinking of her.”
“I’m sure he has plenty of winter clothes.”
“Didn’t you say he was into sailing?”
“Yes. Sailing is quite the thing at Durmstrang.”
“Sailors need gloves, too. Not decorative leather gloves, but sturdy work gloves that will stand up to abuse and foul weather.”
“Dragon-hide, do you think?”
“Let’s go into the Mans’ Shoppe and ask. I bet the proprietor will have a recommendation for us.”
“And what about Wren? My House was furious with me for buying him that Quidditch book. They blamed our defeat on it.”
“That’s nonsense. If you don’t buy Wren that book, I would have. Or he checks it out from the library. He didn’t just wake up last Christmas and say, ‘You know, the Badgers ought to do a bit better at Quidditch this season.’ It’s been an obsession of his for years.”
“I suppose your right.”
“We could buy another wool scarf.”
“That might just be the thing.”
That same afternoon, Pierce and Tess sat in the Covenshire’s front room on a mauve loveseat. A Persian rug lay over the hardwood planks. Opposite them, there was a long table of dark wood on which sat a Nativity set. A tall red Nutcracker provided additional protection to the Christ child. Beyond the table was the large plate glass window with a view of the front walkway and the narrow lane beyond, covered in a light blanket of snow.
There were some other decorations in the room – boughs of holly lay beside the lamp on the side table in the corner of the room; a teddy bear with a red Santa hat sat on Tess’ other side. The bulk of the Christmas décor, including the tree, was in the family room, deeper into the mansion.
From where she sat, Tess could hear her mother in the kitchen, and if she looked up suddenly, she was sure she would catch a glimpse of Aylie spying on the couple from the upstairs landing.
“These cushions feel like rocks,” said Tess.
“Oh, it’s not so bad,” said Pierce, blithely. “I’m sure we have a room in our house just like this one.”
“I never come here at all. I don’t think I’ve sat in this room in the whole time we’ve lived here.” Forcing herself not to look up, she turned and pointed behind her. “The tree is in the family room, down the hall there. It’s by the hearth. That’s where I wanted to take you, but Mum said we should be out here.”
“I guess I have to work my way further into her good graces,” said Pierce.
“God knows how Daddy is going to react to you.”
“You’ve had boyfriends before,” said Pierce.
“Yes, but I never brought any of them home.”
“Speaking of bringing someone home, my family is having a big dinner on Sunday. Everyone will be there. I told my mum I was going to invite you.”
“Oh! I would love to meet your family,” said Tess, brightly. “Are you sure it’s alright? I mean, I don’t want to intrude on a family gathering.”
“No, it’s fine. We take all comers for Sunday dinners. Friends, stray cousins, whoever is in town. Reid and Jacqueline may show up as well.”
“Oh.” As Pierce spoke, Tess gazed avidly into his dark brown eyes, but at the mention of his brother, she looked away. She tried her best to make her face and voice show that Reid’s presence at Sunday dinner was of no importance to her whatsoever. “How are your NEWT projects coming along?”
This brought the conversation onto safer ground. Pierce rattled on for a good twenty minutes about his big NEWT Arithmancy project. Tess gaze into his eyes and nodded her head at all the right times, but it the back of her mind, she thought, This project isn’t nearly as impressive as what Reid did for his Seventh Year project.
Reid combined what he knew from Arithmancy, Herbology, Potions and Healing Arts to make a potion formula that could potentially cure Dark Magic ills. Though, when Reid was describing it to Tess, she was too young to really follow much of what he was saying, the fact that he had pulled ideas from all these different disciplines deeply impressed her. The things Pierce bragged about seemed trivial in comparison.
They talked for another hour in the front room. Later, they walked through the snowy lanes hand in hand, admiring the Christmas decorations. Someone had built a snow troll on their front lawn. It was over eight feet high and leaned towards the road. Without magic, it would have collapsed. “Nice wand work there,” said Pierce.
When at last, they were back on the Covenshire’s porch, Pierce said, “I must be going. But you’ll come to dinner tomorrow night?”
“Of course! I can’t wait.” The two kissed good-bye.
When Tess slipped in the door, she saw Aylie sitting on the loveseat, a book on her lap. “Why are you dating Zyla’s boyfriend?” she asked.
“Pierce isn’t Zyla’s boyfriend anymore,” she said. “He’s mine.”
“It’s dumb. You shouldn’t date boys like that. He’s just going to dump you like he did Zyla.”
“You don’t know anything about it,” said Tess, coldly.
The next afternoon, Tess spent time fixing her hair and makeup. She didn’t make her hairstyle as elaborate as it had been at the last Winter Ball, but it was a step up from her daily effort. This was no night for a ball gown, either. She wanted something proper and respectable, with long sleeves, which had the added bonus of being warm. She chose a calf-length dress of soft wool that was a deep navy blue, which she paired with bright white tights.
The last thing she added was a silver rope necklace with a heart-shaped pendant that her father had given her when she turned sixteen, and earrings, tiny amethyst stones cut into heart shapes, a gift from Reid from two Christmases ago.
Tess wanted to wear pumps, but she decided in the end to wear her snow boots. Her father drove her to the Magefords, though they lived only a few blocks away. Still, it was best to have her boots for the brief trek up the walkway. The snow had been pushed aside, but fresh snow was falling and the path was damp.
Pierce, watching from the front window, opened the door as she approached. “Hey, you look great!” he said.
“Thank you!” They kissed, but Tess was quick to pull away. “Be careful not to smear my lipstick,” she said. “Can I take my boots off?”
“Yes, of course.”
Tess went to the stairs and set her left hand on the banister for support. With her right, she drew her wand from her purse. She tapped the heel of each boot with her wand and stepped gracefully out of them.
Mrs. Mageford appeared in the foyer. She took one look at Tess and exclaimed, “Where’s Zyla?”
“Mum!” said Pierce defensively. “Me and Zyla broke up months ago. This is Tess.”
“Tess Covenshire,” said Tess brightly, and extended a hand to Mrs. Mageford. The woman held it briefly, gazing into Tess’ eyes. The name had definitely rung a bell.
“Are you in Ravenclaw, too, like Zyla?”
“No, I’m in Slytherin, like Pierce and Reid.”
If there was any doubt as to who this new girl was, it was now gone from the mother’s mind. Mrs. Mageford smiled, but her displeasure was clear.
“We’ll be serving dinner in a little bit,” said Mrs. Mageford. “Why don’t you two come to the living room?”
As she walked away, Pierce whispered, “Sorry. Don’t know what’s come over her.”
“She’s worried about bringing a Slytherin girl into the house,” said Tess. “We do tend to cause trouble.”
“Oh, that’s nonsense,” said Pierce. “Come on, let me show you the tree.”
In the family room, by the hearth, was a great bushy evergreen full of gold, red and green ornaments. “It’s lovely,” said Tess. As she stepped close to admire the decorations, she heard a voice that sent a thrilling shiver up her spine - deep and stern, the voice of her first love.
“Pierce,” said Reid, “may I have a word with you?”
Pierce rolled his eyes. He said to Tess, “I’ll be right back.”
The two brothers had a heated argument out in the hallway. Tess watched from behind the boughs. The boys kept their voices low, but there was much gesturing and pointing.
The doorbell rang, bringing the brother’s quarrel to a stop. Tess made her way to Pierce’s side while Reid went and opened the door.
There was Jacqueline: long tresses of silky black hair, deep, brooding eyes. Her dress was lilac with a pleated skirt. Her eyes fell quickly on Tess. A girl from Beauxbatons, she spoke English with a heavy French accent, like Pauline sometimes did. “”Allo.”
“Hi! I’m Tess. I’m Pierce’s girlfriend.”
Jacqueline’s eyes flicked over to Reid. His grimace told her all she needed to know.
Reid took Jacqueline’s coat, and Mrs. Mageford showed them into the dining room. Mr. Mageford, an older, balding version of his sons, stood at one end of a long oak table. Tess and Pierce took seats on one side. Jacqueline sat across from Tess and Reid across from his brother. A House-elf brought in the first course, and the meal commenced. There was soup, followed by poached salmon and vegetables in a cream sauce. For dessert, there was bite-sized brownies topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
The dinner scene must have been right out of Pierce’s fantasy. Reid was glowering silently. Jacqueline, too, was slow to warm up. She picked at her food while her dark eyes flicked between Tess and Pierce. Tess, on the other hand, radiated charm. With a bright smile, she turned and asked, “So, what do you do, Mr. Mageford?”
Mr. Mageford was only too pleased to tell Tess about his business dealings. He in turn asked her about Hogwarts. “What NEWT classes are you taking, young lady?”
“Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration and Magical Creatures.”
“Have you started your project yet?”
“No, sir. I’m only a Sixth Year.”
“Reid did a bang-up project for his NEWT. One some awards, he did.”
“I remember! I was very impressed.” At this she flashed a smile, first at Jacqueline and then at Reid. Reid would not meet her eye.
Tess savored every bite of food, down to the last forkful of brownie. Afterwards, Pierce led her out to the front room. Like it had been at Tess’, there was no thought of retreating to Pierce’s room.
“Tess, you were marvelous!” said Pierce. “Couldn’t have asked for a better dinner date!”
“Thanks! Your dad is really great. He seemed to know everything you two boys were up to.”
“Excuse me a minute,” said Pierce. “I better run to the loo.” He disappeared down the hallway.
Tess was alone only for a moment before Reid approached from another wing of the house. “Tess,” he said. “Why are you here?”
She gazed up at Reid’s face. He did not seem happy or in love, but sad and stricken. It was, she later reflected, the expression he had on the card in Lara Guishar’s prophecy deck.
“I’m here because Pierce invited me,” she said.
“Yes, but Pierce is a fool. Why did you accept?”
“I’m here to see you, of course! Did you notice my earrings?” She turned her head in profile and pulled back her hair. “You bought them for me, don’t you remember?”
“I remember. I recognized them right away. Amethyst hearts. Your birthstone.”
“And, I’m not the only one who kept mementos,” said Tess, stepping closer and gazing avidly up at Reid. “You have something from me as well.”
“Yes, of course I do. I have happy memories of my time with you. You don’t burn the book after you’ve finished a chapter.”
Deep creases appeared in his brow. There was pain in his eyes as he continued. “But our moment has passed! I needed it, I needed you, to get me to the next place. I’m at that place now, with Jacqueline. She is my present, my future. We’re collaborating on some projects at University. We’re making great progress in healing Dark Magic disfigurements. My love, my life, is with her.
“If you’re here to be with Pierce, if you genuinely enjoy his company, that’s fine. But if you’re here for me, you should leave right now. It’s not fair to me, to Jacqueline, or to Pierce.”
She felt her spirits crashing. She fought to keep calm, to keep from breaking into tears at that very moment. “Alright,” she said. “I’ll go.” She walked past him to the entryway, and stepped into her boots.
Pierce returned as she was putting on her coat. “Hey, where are you going? I thought we’d watch one of those hokey Muggle Christmas movies.”
“I’m going home now,” said Tess, her voice flat.
“Why? It’s still early. Come on. Stay!”
“I’m ready to go. You don’t need to walk me home. I’d rather be alone.”
She went right past him, through the door and out onto the porch. It was cold, and the snow was falling more heavily. Pierce followed her. “Tess, wait! What’s wrong!”
The tears were falling now. There was too much to tell him at that moment. She kept striding down the street, as fast as she could. He had to jog to keep up with her.
“What’s the matter? Come on. The night was going so well. Reid was flabbergasted that I had brought you home. And Jacqueline was pissed! She was spitting daggers at me all night. Come on, now. It was a great laugh. You were in on it, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I did my very best,” said Tess, though her voice was cracking.
Finally, they reached the low gate and the walkway up to the Covenshire’s mansion. Pierce touched her forearm and held it. “It’s Reid, isn’t it?” he said. “You love him more than you love me.”
“Oh Pierce,” she said. “I never loved you at all.” With a sharp turn of her shoulder, she slipped from his grasp. She strode up the walkway and into her house, leaving him standing alone in the snow.