Chapter 9
Hogsmeade is disappointingly small and will not feed her shopping addiction that she has accumulated throughout the years. Estelle must keep reminding herself not to buy anything for herself and focus on Yule gifts for others. She has a set list of presents and she is trying desperately to stick to it. Especially with the time limit she has as she is meeting up with her fellow Slytherins in two hours.
So far, she has bought Barty black and green nail polish that are charmed to create designs on his nails depending on his mood, Evan a ruby rose pin he likes to collect and put on his muggle denim jacket he is obsessed with, Dorcas an emerald green vine earing that wraps around the length of her ear. She is about to buy Pandora a charmed tea set that will fill with the desired tea the person making the tea wants. She also decided to get James some chocolate as he has somewhat proved himself but refuses to get Lupin anything especially before his much-needed interrogation.
Leaving the store Estelle is at a loss of where to go as the three people she cares about most are the people she has no idea what to get for. Buying for rich people is always extremely hard but shopping for a Black is near impossible. Heading back to the jewellery store in hopes of finding inspiration she surprisingly finds one Remus Lupin lurking through the store.
‘Hello’ she drawls, the boy jumping in surprise almost dropping the cheap looking necklace in his hand.
‘That is not for Sirius I hope.’ Glaring at the ghastly thing.
Running his hand through his already messy hair he sighs in frustration ‘Well I don’t know I guess not’ putting the thing down ‘Shopping for Sirius is just too hard.’
‘Tell me about it, at least you only need to shop for one Black brother I have to shop for both.’
‘I just don’t know everything is so expensive.’ He mutters
Studying him closely Estelle remembers that Lupin is not a pure blood and looking at his hand made sweater with holes throughout she can assume he does not come from money. Sighing as she didn’t want to be nice to the boy just, yet she decides to help the teen out.
‘Sirius doesn’t want something expensive he won’t care about the price tag. Being a pure blood means you will receive a multitude of nice gifts yes, but they don’t mean anything. What I am trying to say is maybe instead of a useless gift you could give him an experience like a nice date or something you make that he will cherish and feel love through the gift.’
‘Like?’
‘Well, I don’t know do I have to do all the work!’
‘Right yeah sorry.’ Remus looks away seeming in thought before his eyes widen in newfound excitement. ‘Ok yes I have an idea thank you so much.’
‘Yeah, yeah I’m amazing but just remember if you hurt him your dead.’ The boy nods in seriousness before he departs leaving Estelle once again lost on what to get her family.
Looking through the aisles full of expensive jewellery Estelle realizes she is not taking her own advice and starts thinking what her family would want outside of a price tag; something useful and meaningful.
Gasping at a truly brilliant idea she runs up to the counter and puts in a very specific and hopefully special order.
…..
It is once again another family therapy Thursday, but Estelle is not sure she can call it that tonight. As, they have changed the session to be a Yule gift exchange instead so all of her and Regulus’s friends are present and Lupin, James and Pettigrew.
The astronomy tower has been created into a quite comfortable space by the blankets and pillows brought and the transfigured couches and seating. Although even with all the seating areas Regulus and Sirius still seemed to have found themselves draped over their distinctive boyfriends. Said boyfriends do not seem to mind whatsoever.
Looking to her right Barty also seems draped over Evan on the floor leaving the couch to the girls and Pettigrew leaning on the couch to her left. In conclusion everyone has made themselves at home in the tower.
‘Can we please open the presents already I’m dying in anticipation.’ Sirius complains way to loudly
‘I agree I must open a present or I might combust.’ Barty continues trying to reach for a present amongst the quite large pile in the centre. Only stopped by Evan yanking him back from the waist.
Estelle already regrets letting Sirius and Barty in the same room from how similar the two seem to be. Either the boys will get on like a house on fire or they will hate each other and honestly Estelle thinks them hating each other will be easier to deal with.
But what is done is done and it had to be done sadly as when they leave school tomorrow for their break, they all know that Regulus and Estelle will be imprisoned in Grimmauld unable to reach their brother or friends. Unless they see each other at a stuffy pure blood gathering but even then, they are not able to really hang out like this having to be the perfect pure bloods they pretend to be.
‘Fine we can start opening the presents you children.’ Dorcas states floating a present to each person. ‘Estelle, Regulus, Barty, Pandora and Evan that present is from me and you Gryffindor’s that present is from Peter.’
Estelle starts opening her gift ignoring the almost animalistic tearing she hears from Barty and Sirius’s direction.
Opening her gift, she gasps slightly at the small vile of Felix Felicis that sits in the green gift box. Looking up she notices Regulus has the same potion and seems equally as shocked.
‘Dorcas where did you get this?’ he asks
‘I made it actually.’
‘You made it!’ ‘That’s insane’ Estelle just looks at her in surprise as she knows the complex process that goes into making the liquid luck. Dorcas seems pleased by his excitement as she watches him happily show James the gift going into detail about the process of making it. James just nodding along happily.
She places her hand on Dorcas’s to get the girls attention and says with a lowered voice
‘Thank you, Dorcas, this is amazing.’ Dorcas just squeezes Estelle’s hand with her other and smiles in response.
The night continues much the same as everyone happily opens present after present. Estelle receiving; a charmed never ending book bag from Pandora, chocolate from James and Lupin, A candle charmed to change smell depending on the owner’s mood from Evan and a black snake ring from Barty charmed to slither around her finger.
Luckily all the presents she brought for her friends were well received although she is yet to gift her brothers their gift.
‘This one is from me, but I want you to open it at the same time.’ She instructs while floating the small boxes in her brothers’ laps.
The boys open the jewellery boxes, and she holds her breath in anticipation. They are both silent which makes her worry, but she notices from closer inspection tears forming in both her brothers’ eyes.
‘Is this….’ Sirius mutters unable to finish the sentence
‘How?’ Regulus questions
‘What is it?’ Barty asks no longer distracted by his own gifts, when her brothers don’t answer Estelle decides to speak.
‘They are a different version of our house rings that we get given that I designed. The rings are also charmed so if you tap it once, it will alert the other ring that the other is hurt and if you double tap it will tell the other ring your location by puffing out green smoke shaped as the name of the area. It is not super precise, but it will give you the general area like if you did it now it would say Hogwarts not astronomy tower. I also made myself one and one for our cousins just in case.’ She finishes realising she has been rambling for quite some time now.
Instead of a verbal response Regulus slips the ring on while walking towards her and embracing her in a hug she did not expect but immediately melts into. He whispers a quit thank you and walks back to his boyfriend’s lap.
Now focusing on Sirius, she also notices the ring on his right hands ring finger.
‘This is truly amazing Estelle Thank you.’ He says also giving her a hug in his excitement.
Estelle is relieved by their responses feeling like she can breathe easier now. The ring is quite breath taking she thinks looking down at her own. The piece is silver and shaped as a vine that wraps around the redesigned house emblem being a black sparrow with its wings out on a silver background that is outlined with mini emeralds.
Estelle specifically chose the vines and sparrow to represent the unity within the people adorning the rings and the intelligent and cunning nature of those people also.
Sirius like an excitable puppy hands out his gift, herself receiving a poorly wrapped monstrosity.
‘Don’t mind the wrapping.’ He says like reading her thoughts, not bothering to save the wrapping she quickly opens the gifts and questionably looks at the small pocket-sized mirror in her lap. Looking questionably up at her brother she notices Regulus doing the same.
‘It’s a charmed mirror kinda like Estelle’s rings so if you say someone else’s who has the mirrors name, they will hear it and it will show up and you can then like speak to each other. James also has one so if you need him, so you can call his name as well.’ Nodding along she smiles at herself for how similar her and Sirius’s gifts are.
‘Well thank you Sirius it is wonderful and truly brilliant.’
‘Yeah, thank you it’s very thoughtful.’ Regulus continues before turning to get his gifts for his siblings. While she waits Estelle notices Remus gifting James and Peter his gifts and the Slytherins laughing at Barty who is chasing after a chocolate frog. Allowing the Black siblings a semblance of privacy.
‘I hope you like them there a bit different to what you guys got.’ The wrapping is perfection forming what seems to be a wrapped book. Opening a bit slower to save the wrapping Estelle is once again slightly confused at what she finds. Opening the black book that has the word family embroidered on it she gasps in surprise at the photos inside. Realising it is a scrapbook she tries to stop the tears forming, Sirius also seeming to have that problem hearing his sniffles from his position his seat.
Flipping through she smiles at the story Regulus has created with the scrap book and the moving photos. Starting with all their baby photos and Sirius or Regulus holding their baby sibling. The three siblings together with their cousins before Estelle got sent to France. Her brothers and her cousins together at unknown times and ages. Although what surprises Estelle is the photos of herself with her grandmother while she grows up seeming as she was always a part of the Black family. The scrapbook’s last photo is the three siblings laughing at the last quidditch game after the crowd left. The sight causes a single tear to drop from her eye.
‘Where did you get these’ She whispers still in shock.
‘I sent an owl to Cissa and grandmother and then copied the photos, they were happy to help.’ Smiling and nodding she wipes her eyes and stands to hug her brothers. Sirius who seems to be ignoring the tears falling freely hugs Regulus and herself tightly into his chest.
The break apart but do not move back to their seats and instead stand in a little circle. Looking at her brothers she doesn’t understand how she was scared to tell them about the prophecy as she truly believes that she will never fear them, and they will always have her back like she will have theirs.
‘I need to tell you guys something later, so stay behind when everyone starts to leave, please.’ She whispers her brothers nodding in response.
The night continues much the same with everyone laughing and gushing over their new presents. It’s truly magical how well the two groups mesh (even if she doesn’t like Peter). Soon the teens realise the time, and everyone slowly starts to trickle out and back to their dorms. The Black family of course staying.
‘So, what do you need to tell us?’
‘Is it about the dragon because I have been dying to learn more.’ Sirius says in excitement
‘Ha, no but all you need to know about her is she is safe and amazing. No what I wanted to talk about was a prophecy Pandora told me.’ Regulus eyebrows rise in surprise while Sirius’s scrunch in confusion.
‘Pandora is a seer?’
‘Yes, and don’t tell anyone’ Regulus snaps, Sirius just raises his hands in surrender immediately agreeing to keep the secret. Turning back around contempt with Sirius’s agreement Regulus asks what the prophecy is. Taking a deep breath, she repeats the same lines told to her.
‘You will feel half empty and half full
The ground will try and swallow you whole,
The ones you love are also the ones you fear,
You will think you are done but you have only just begun
As even though you share the same tongue trust cannot be won’
Regulus and Sirius seem to be dissecting the words, trying to make sense of them.
‘Well, that makes no sense’ Sirius huffs
‘Maybe not now but it hopefully will in the future.’
‘The one about love could be about your dragon and the one about thinking you are done must be about the war or family. The tongue could also be about family or a language.’ Regulus guesses flood Estelle with relief as it makes sense for her to be afraid of a dragon that she loves and not one of her family members.
‘Parsletounge?’ She questions.
‘Maybe’ he mumbles. Sirius seeming to be too tired for this conversations yawns while standing. ‘Well, I am done for the night, and I think you should be to. We have a whole train ride tomorrow to think about it lets just go to sleep.’ Nodding in agreement they start walking back to their separate dorm rooms.
Although as she starts walking down to the female dorm rooms after saying goodnight to Regulus her wand starts flashing red. Realising the red flashing was an alarm, she set to take the mandrake leaf out she quickly turns back around to visit Professor McGonagall. Filling her with relief that she won’t have to make the potion be herself during the holidays and that she is a step closer to becoming an animagus.