The Pride

The day leading up to the interhouse meeting found Ginny anxious. It seemed as if the whole school was on edge, sensing something was off. Each student kept their heads down and quiet, eyeing their respective leaders and governing groups, particularly the lions.

Ginny had never seen her first-year cubs so attached to her, but that morning at breakfast they hounded around her, asking for hugs and help and attention. In between classes they swung her hand as they begged her to walk them to their next period. The older years were more subtle, a sly shoulder brush, watching eyes. Gryffindors had always been fond of each other's personal space, McGonagall had once said that out of all the houses the lions were the most similar to their respective animal.

And while it was meant to comfort Ginny, all it really did was make her feel as though they were preparing for her death.

"Ginny, darling, your curls." Lavender cooed, her pale, deft hands moving to pin them away from her face. "It does you no good to show up frazzled. Diggory and Abreo won't care, but those Slytherins are sticklers for impressions."

Ginny, Lavender, George, and Harry waited inside an empty classroom after dinner. Hermione had forced them out to ensure they'd be there first, something about showing commitment and such. "I know, Lav." Ginny leaned her head back, giving the witch more room.

Ginny had never expected Lavender to readily volunteer to become her Pride Sister. She had always seemed rather... disconcerted about such matters. But on the first night of her reign last year, that final week of school, Lavender had walked right on up and asked, before even Hermione could. Ginny knew now how grateful she was for her. Lavender was level-headed, an unmovable statue of calm, and Ginny found herself happy for her hyper feminine tendencies and love of appearances.

Harry and George were standing behind where the two girls sat, quietly discussing the latest quidditch match. But Harry often found himself looking towards Ginny, whose auburn hair was now skillfully pulled back and more luscious than ever. George had noticed, and smiled, lightly elbowing his friend.

"Ahh, I see your pride has grown, Lion Queen." The off-kilter voice of Luna Lovegood floated into the room as she did, dutifully at Abreo's side.

Ginny smiled and stood up quickly, pulling the much older girl into a hug. "Ysa, you came."

Ysabeau hummed, she enjoyed Ginny as the Pride Mother much more than she had the last one. Ginny was... more attuned to peace. "My pantheon gave me sound advice. And I see you brough extra."

Ginny sheepishly turned to her pride, "Lavender is my first Pride Sister, and the most agreeable. George and Harry are our Protectors, it would not do to ignore them." Ysabeau nodded, watching as Luna added two chairs next Ginny's.

"My favorite eagle and my favorite lion, in one place." Cedric had glided into the room, wrapping an arm around each girl's shoulder. "I was worried you both would leave me to the snakes."

"I wanted too." Ysabeau drawled, a smirk on her face, "But Luna said that would be mean."

"It would be mean, Taranis." Margaret piped up; she had moved past the three to continue setting up the circle. "But no one would blame you."

As the group settled in, Ysabeau appraised Ginny. Young as she was, she commanded respect (no doubt a product of having six older brothers) and she managed to listen just as much as she spoke. Ysabeau knew she would do well.

When the door opened next, Harry laid a hand on Ginny's shoulder, more for himself than her. Because walking through that door was his twin sister.

Acacia was surprised to see all of the other leaders already in the abandoned transfiguration classroom already. The time she had asked for was in twenty minutes. She was even more surprised to see her brother right behind Ginevra Weasley, hand on her shoulder. Pansy and Draco stood at her side, equally surprised.

"Am I late?" Acacia forces out, allowing Draco to pull up her chair. "I appreciate you all coming here to meet me."

"I must ask, Potter," Diggory began, leaning forward on his chair, "Is this about the tournament?"

Acacia sighed, "Yes and no, I suppose." She caught Diggory, Weasley, and Abreo exchanging looks. She assumed they were already familiar with one another. "First I must acknowledge that I did not learn of your respective... positions until the first night of term. I apologize if any of you felt as though I did not care for formalities."

"This is the first time is over two hundred years all four House leaders have met." Abreo murmured, though all heard it. "In another time we were called the Council."

Weasley hummed, "McGonagall was flabbergasted that I was meeting with you, Potter. She nearly transformed out of shock."

Draco stifled a laugh, but said nothing, Acacia smiled. "Either way. I thank you all for coming."

"If this is not all about the tournament, what brought this on?" Abreo's deep black hair seemed to spark as she spoke.

Acacia sighed, her head hurting again. "One of my snakes, second-year Killian Moore has... dreams that more often than not hold a semblance of truth."

"He's a seer?" Weasley's companion, Brown, spoke up. Acacia remembered how much she defended Divination the last year.

"In a sense." Pansy answered. "He comes from them, but he only has dreams, often bad ones."

"What did he dream?" Diggory asked.

"He dreamt that the tournament would bring danger," Acacia looked over to her brother. While they cordially talked during summer if they had too, both were often spirited away by their respective friends. Her by the Parkinsons and him by the Weasleys. His hair was longer, and he gripped Weasley's shoulder like a vice. "He dreamt that somehow you were involved Harry. That you would be in danger."

No one spoke as the twins locked eyes. Green on Green. No one spoke as Acacia stood up and walked over to him. "I'm worried. Killian is rarely wrong."

Ginny could no longer take the shaking coming from Harry, as her protective instinct riled up. "Harry," she said, looking up at him. "Would you like to step outside for a moment?"

Harry saw it for what it was, not a question, but rather, an order from the Pride Mother.

He patted her shoulder twice before hastily walking outside of the room. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, Acacia hissed at Ginny. "You have no right to send my brother away."

"He is my lion, part of my pride. You have no say in how I choose to care for my pride." Ginny began. "Furthermore, you should have told me that this involved the safety of one of mine, before our meeting." Ginny lightly pushed the girl away from her. "I am not someone you get to order around. You may be Queen. You may be older than me. But I am Pride Mother. A title I earned on my own. Uncontested, unquestioned in my reign. And when it comes to my lions, you have no right to withhold such crucial information from me."

Acacia and Ginny stared one another down.

Years later, Acacia would swear she saw Ginny's eyes spark with golden lightening. But that night, the two merely sat back down, and resumed discussing their problem.