Slumber Parties
Chapter Two:
Slumber Parties
Aiden Thompson had no premonition that Reginald and Jason were scheming against him. Had he been told, he would not have been surprised. The three boys were in Slytherin together. Aiden desired to challenge Reginald for dominance but he was out-numbered, so he made an uneasy alliance with his rival. If Aiden knew that Reginald had stolen a book of Dark Magic curses, he would not have doubted for a moment that Reginald intended to use them.
In any case, Aiden had other things to worry about at that moment. As Reginald had suspected, Aiden’s interest in Claire Quillan was just a ruse. Aiden’s true crush was spending the weekend with him. She wasn’t there to see him, of course. The girl Aiden loved most was his sister Sadie’s best friend, Gillian.
The Thompsons lived on an estate in the village of Druids Grove, an elite enclave hidden in the countryside north of Godric’s Hollow. Gillian’s parents had brought her to the estate midday on Friday.
Aiden spent the day with his best friend, Terrill Reese, arriving home just before dinner. He tried to act cool, but he could hardly hide his affections from Gillian’s bright blue eyes and her telepathic brain.
Seeing her without her school uniform was enough of a shock. The unusually warm weather brought out clothes Gilliian would never have worn at Hogwarts, even on the weekend.
She was wearing a light blue tank top and denim shorts. Her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her bare arms, like her cheeks, were covered with freckles. He wondered for a moment how far over her body those freckles extended.
“Oh, hey Jill,” he stammered. “How’s your summer?”
“Fine, thanks.” As she turned away, he heard her voice in his head. I know what you’re thinking. She turned her head and looked back at him. Her laugh echoed off the high entryway ceiling.
During dinner, whenever Aiden’s parents would engage Gillian in conversation, Aiden took the opportunity to gaze at her hair, at her slender, athletic arms, and listen to her low velvety voice. After dinner, he retreated to his room to read a book.
Right before bed, he had passed by Gillian in the hallway on his way to the bathroom. She was wearing a pink camisole with a ruffled bodice. The shorts were the same shade of pink and were ruffled at the edges. He couldn’t keep his eyes on her face as she sauntered past him.
Immediately, he heard her voice in his head. You’re such a perv, Aiden. Her laughter both shamed and thrilled him.
In the morning after breakfast, Gillian took a shower in the hall bathroom. Instead of promptly going to Sadie’s room to change, she lingered in the bathroom, combing out her hair, a blue towel wrapped precariously around her. Aiden walked slowly past her, ogling her and hoping the towel would fall away. Of course, she kept it magically in place.
When he was safely back in his room, he exhaled. He thought of his friend Claire Quillan, Umberto’s super-spy Q, how she had all but confessed to having a crush on Gillian, also. God, he thought, what Q would do to see what I just saw.
To his horror, he heard Gillian’s voice again in his head. Who?
He tried to shut his mind to her, but Jill pushed his bedroom door open. She stood there, still wrapped in her towel, her red hair straight and damp. Her eyes bored into him. “Who?” she voiced aloud.
“I can’t tell you!” he pleaded. “I promised I wouldn’t.”
She ignored his plea. With a swift swipe of her arm she grabbed him by the hand. This created an instant telepathic link between them. Her bright blue eyes shined like stars. Though Aiden tried to think of anything else, the image of his shy, observant friend, Claire Quillan, popped into his head: the moment, sitting on the steps in a shadowy part of the library, where she had questioned him about Gillian.
Gillian’s brow furrowed as she perceived the memory. “She likes me?” she asked.
“Yes, but you can’t tell her that you know,” Aiden pleaded again.
Gillian let go of his hand. “I don’t even know who that is.” As she walked away, she added telepathically, You’re still a perv.
Thought Aiden: I have got to learn Occlumency.
Miles to the east, in the village of Tookborough, Benedict Took was having a similar experience, multiplied by twelve. To celebrate her thirteenth birthday, his twin sister Belladonna had invited twelve girls over for a slumber party. Two of the girls were his Brandybuck cousins, Chloe and Grace. They went to school there in Tookborough, for they were Muggles. The other ten girls were Hogwarts Third Years like himself: his four Hufflepuff sisters, Katie, Trish, Ava and Sophie; two Ravenclaw girls, Camille and Elanor; two Gryffindor girls, Penny and Star; and from Slytherin, Alyssa and Freya.
Friday morning at breakfast, the twins mother, Mirabella asked, “Bennie, are you planning to go to Uncle Ham’s tonight with your father? This house is going to be overrun with girls in a few hours.”
“I’d rather stay here,” said Benedict. “If it’s alright with you and Bell, that is. These girls are my friends, too.”
Mirabella looked skeptically at Bell, who responded dryly, “Ben is in love with Alyssa Pitchfork.”
Ben’s cheek flushed, and he shot back, “I’m friends with Freya, too! All the girls know me. I’ve even practised Defense with Ellie and Cammy.” Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs generally did not mix, but Elanor and Camille were quite friendly. They were not as haughty as Ravenclaws tended to be. They made great study and practise partners.
Mirabella gazed kindly back at him. “Alright son, you may stay. But when the girls are swimming or changing, you will make yourself scarce.”
“Of course,” he said forcefully.
The first two girls to arrive were Chloe and Grace, as they lived nearby. Grace was fourteen and Chloe was twelve. “We’re going horseback riding later,” said Bell. “I’ll need you to help the girls who haven’t ever been around horses.”
The cousins laughed. “You’re learning about magic,” asked Chloe, “but they don’t teach you about horses?”
“I’m taking Magical Creatures next term,” said Bell. “We may see a unicorn! But we aren’t allowed to ride them. They’re more like wild animals.”
Chloe and Grace laughed again. They didn’t entirely believe that their cousin was a witch who was learning about unicorns in school. Bennie and Bell scrupulously followed the rules and did not perform magic around their non-magical relatives.
The Gryffindor girls arrived next, followed quickly by Katie and Trish. Bell was busy with introductions. Katie’s hair was still mostly blue, but now it had streaks of bubble-gum pink. “Cool hair!” commented Chloe.
“Thanks!” said Katie. “I just added the pink last night!”
Ava, Sophie, Elanor and Camille all lived in Godric’s Hollow, and they arrived together. Ava’s mother lingered and talked to Mirabella for a while before heading on her way.
Ben greeted each girl, getting a quick hug from some and waves from others. While the girls talked, he leaned against the wall of the living room and waited. Finally, Freya arrived with her mother and older sister. With them was Alyssa.
Morwena and Freya wore sun dresses, as it was expected to be quite warm even that far north. The dresses were yellow with patterns of flowers. The flowers on Morwena’s dress were blue and orange, while Freya’s were red and pink.
Morwena went straight to Bell and extended her hand. “Happy birthday! Are you looking forward to next term?”
“Yes, I am! I can’t wait to take Magical Creatures! I heard Year Five is the toughest. Are you worried?”
Morwena smiled. “A little, I must admit. I’ll have some extra responsibilities this term, also. I just received notice that I’ve been elected Prefect.”
“Oh! Congrats, that’s great!” said Bell.
Morwena turned and gazed curiously at Benedict. “You must be Belladonna’s brother. I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” she said.
“All good things, I hope,” said Benedict.
“Of course!”
Bell was talking to Freya. “Did you bring a change of clothes? We’ll be horseback riding, later. I don’t think you’ll want to be up there in a dress.”
Benedict watched Freya. She seemed deeply uncomfortable in the crowd of girls, as she often did at school. “I have a change of clothes,” she said meekly.
Alyssa came to Benedict’s side. Her blond hair was full and bushy, tied back in a pink lace ribbon. She wore a pink t-shirt over jean shorts. “Oh Ben, I’m so glad you’re here!” she said happily. “This will be so fun!”
“Of course, I’m here,” stammered Ben. His cheeks were hot and he knew his mother was watching this exchange with interest.
Alyssa gave him a hug before darting off to greet Chloe and Grace. Freya’s dark eyes were on him now. Her hands, clasped in front of her, twitched nervously. She looked glum.
Benedict approached her and gave her an encouraging smile and a pat on the arm. “Thanks for coming,” he said. “We’re really glad you’re here.”
“Thank you,” said Freya softly.
Freya and Morwena’s mother said to Mirabella, “This is really a marvelous estate. How many acres is it?”
“Five, but it’s nearly eight to the nearest neighbor’s house. There’s plenty of privacy.”
“Come on!” said Bell, her voice rising above the din of voices. “Let me show you around!”
Bell led the group through the living room and out the back door of the house. To the left was a stable of horses and a corral marked with a wooden fence. To the right was a gently rising hill, lined with trees. The sound of rushing water was audible from the back deck.
“We’re going horseback riding, and just over the hill, there’s a natural pool for swimming. Bennie and I, and our cousins, climb trees and swim and ride horses all summer.”
“It’s so rustic here,” said Morwena. “There are rural places at the edges of Godric’s Hollow, too, but most everybody lives in town. Where is the nearest house?”
Bell pointed to the right. “It’s not too far. If you go up the hill, you can just see the roof.”
“That’s where we live,” added Grace.
Morwena and her mother said good-bye to Freya. Mrs. Took showed them to the front of the house, where their black Land Rover was parked on the gravel driveway. Bell turned to her group and said, “Let’s go horseback riding!”
Freya quietly excused herself to go and change. The paddock held three horses, one with a deep black coat, another that was reddish- brown, and a brown and white palomino. While Bell worked out who would ride on which horse, Ben fitted the saddles, bridles and bits. He then helped Ava mount the reddish-brown horse, while Bell helped Sophie mount the palomino.
For the next hour, Ben was a ranch hand, helping girls on and off the horses, and coaching them on how best to prod and guide the horses. Freya turned out to be the most experienced rider among them. “I’ve had some equestrian training,” she admitted. “Me and Wennie both.”
Alyssa was less sure of herself, and the Palomino took advantage of her inexperience. He ignored her commands and stopped at the side of the corral to chew on some grass. Ben ran alongside and called out, “Alright, you lazy bum. Get going!” To Alyssa, he advised, “You’ve got to be a little more assertive. Give him a tug on the reigns. There you go. Take him around one more lap and we’ll give someone else a turn.”
After a couple hours with the horses, it was getting warm. Reddish brown dust from the corral covered their hands and clothes. “How about a swim, everybody?” asked Bell.
She brought the girls into the house to grab their towels. Then, Bell and Mirabella led the girls along a narrow path to a cleft between the hills. There, fed by a cool flowing stream was a deep pool of clear water. Bell began to undress, and the other girls followed her lead.
Benedict stayed behind. He drew fresh water for the horses and brushed their coats. He was surprised to see, after only a few minutes, Freya walking alone back towards the house. Ben went to greet her.
“Hullo. Is everything alright?”
Freya blushed. Tugging on his arm, she led him towards the house. “They’re skinny-dipping!” she whispered, scandalized. “In God’s open air!”
Benedict laughed. “That’s why I’m back here with the horses.”
“But, what about the neighbors?”
Ben shook his head. “There’s no one around to see. The next homestead is a mile in each direction. The pool is surrounded by trees. It’s quite private.”
Freya was blushing and biting down on her lip. “I couldn’t do it.”
“Would you like a shower instead?” he asked. “I’ll show you to the hall bathroom, and then I’ll clear out again so you have all the privacy you need. When you’re done, come and see me. If the other girls aren’t back yet, I’ll serve us some tea.”
“That would be lovely,” said Freya. “Except, it’s too hot for tea. Plain water would be fine.”
Twenty minutes later, Ben and Freya were sitting at the breakfast table, with a view of the path leading to the pool. Freya was back in the red and pink flower dress. They were sipping cool spring water and nibbling at Danish butter cookies. Freya asked, “So, what elective classes are you taking?”
“Arithmancy and Healing Arts.”’
“I’m taking Arithmancy, too. But I couldn’t take Healing Arts. Wennie will be there telling me everything I’m doing wrong. I’m taking Magical Creatures instead.”
Ben nodded. “Usually, when Bell says I’m doing something wrong, I’m doing it wrong. But I understand. It’s different with her and I, because we’re twins. My two boy cousins, Tom and Harry, fight constantly. I hear it’s the same way with Liam and Patrick Wren.”
“Alyssa’s taking Div,” said Freya, dismissively. Divination was thought to be the least serious of the elective classes. “She just wants to stare at the centaur for three hours a week.”
“It is pretty cool that there’s a centaur for a teacher,” said Ben. “Though I heard it’s hard to make sense of everything he says. People say it’s a fluff class, but hardly anyone gets an Outstanding.”
“And of course, Lara Guishar, the school Prophet, isn’t bothering to take Divination,” remarked Freya, tartly.
“Lara couldn’t take Divination. She wants to be a Healer, so she had to take Arithmancy,” said Ben. “There’s a ton of Arithmancy in advanced magic disciplines like Healing Arts.”
“Do you want to be a Healer?” asked Freya.
“Maybe not for my career, but I’d like to know the basics.”
Freya leaned forward on her elbows, her chin resting on her clasped hands. “Do you go skinny dipping?”
Ben blushed, but he kept his voice steady. “Sure. All the time. I go with my cousins. It’s no big deal.”
“With your girl cousins?”
“No. Just with the boys. When we were little, it wasn’t a big deal. We had Tom and Harry, Grace and Chloe, Bell and I, all in the pool together. But we don’t do that now.”
“What’s it like to have a twin? Do you fight?”
“No. Hardly ever. I know we’re fraternal, rather than identical, but I still feel we were one person at one point, and we split into boy and girl.”
“Sometimes, I think you two must be telepathic, the way you communicate without ever saying anything.”
“I’ve heard there are telepathic kids at Hogwarts, but that’s not how Bell and I communicate. We just know one another so well. We can look at one another and know what the other is thinking or feeling.”
They heard voices. Out the window, the girls were walking back towards the house. Most of the girls were back in their clothes, but Bell and a few of the others were wrapped in towels, with their clothes in their arms. Those girls came into the house and went straight to Bell’s room, while the others lingered in the family room.
Ben and Freya came into the family room. “Hey, how was swimming?” asked Ben.
“It was great!” said Penny, one of the Gryffindor girls. To Freya, she said, “You should have gone swimming with us, Frey.”
Alyssa was one of the girls who was already dressed. She was glaring at Freya. “Yes, what were you doing this whole time?”
“I took a shower instead,” said Freya. “Ben and I have just been talking.”
Freya’s lips curled into a smug smile. Alyssa tried to strike an indifferent pose, but Ben could tell she was still angry. Freya had gotten the better of her.