~11 PM

Rowena was all curled up in her bed, hands wrapped around a book as big as her pillow. She'd been spending the last few minutes reading up on the history of the blood-replenishing potion, and parts of it had made her pull the blankets around her even tighter.

Her bed here was much softer than the one at school. Comfy and squishy and with almost blanket she owned piled on top of it. The Quidditch posters were old, but Mum had promised they'd go get new ones soon.

Though Mum had also gone to sleep really early. Apparently she was tired.

There was just one more blanket in the chest. She crept out from under the covers, and carefully placed her feet so she wouldn't step on the one creaky board. Then she snatched up the blanket, tossed it over the bed with some effort (it was heavy), and snuck back in there herself.

It was good to be home.

Sophia couldn't sleep, despite how much she tried, her room was too dark, or too cold. The bed wasn't soft enough, but at the same time it was too soft. The house was too quiet now without students breathing, or Professors walking the halls. She had finally got used to the ghosts, and the wind as it howled up through the tower. However, now that she was home and the only sounds were from her clock and her parents sleeping--it seemed eerie.

She couldn't stand it, and rose from her bed rather swiftly to pull on her overcoat. With a grab for her pillow to make way for her sister's room. Little feet hardly made a sound as they skimmed over the floor, and even when the door to Rowena's was open she was as quiet as a mouse.

Rowena was putting another blanket on the bed just in time for Sophia to slip beneath it.

"You couldn't sleep?" Rowena wriggled a little closer to her sister and pulled the covers over their heads. Moonmoth Hall wasn't very warm at night. "Me either."

They hadn't gotten to do this for months. She wasn't sure where to start. "I missed you. My housemates can be noisy and annoying. And sometimes they tease poor Sir Nicholas." The ghost had been very nice when she'd gotten lost before. Even if he was a ghost.

"What do you think we're getting for Christmas? Besides kittens." She wiggled her toes under the covers a little. They were a little cold. Cold feet were the worst. "I hope everyone will be there. Even if we can't talk about school." Rowena always came away from the visits wishing they could have more Muggle things. Though she could never imagine Father with a telly.

"No I couldn't sleep. Everything is so strange, it doesn't feel like home," She said with a small smile curling into her sister's side. "It's so strange to not have my housemates. I'm worried about the boys, my grades, their grades." Rowena was so excited about the kitten and Sophia wished she could share in her sister's enjoyment. She would love the thing when it came, but the thought of taking on another responsibility almost did her in.

"Maybe some new clothes. I've almost filled up my journal. It will be time for another. What do you think?" Talking about Christmas helped, but when the topic of their extended family came up her attention turned to them. "I hope so too, I can't wait to see everyone."

"I know. It all feels and sounds different, almost as if we don't belong here anymore." Rowena snuggled up closer to her sister. "And you worry too much. It's Christmas, we can go play in the garden and convince Mum we need more dresses."

A little giggle. "She missed us, I don't think it will be hard. And then presents...well, you need new journals a lot. And they always buy us books." There were always books. So many books. "Think I'll get potion ones?" Rowena liked those.

She wiggled her toes and grinned. "Aunt Teagan will spoil us, I'm sure.What do you think she'll get us this time? Muggle books? Cookies? She always brings cookies." Aunt Teagan even knew about magic, unlike most of their relatives. Was nice to have someone who knew about school and everything.

Rowena was something, and it was a comfort how much school hadn't changed her too much. With a laugh she shook her head, "Yes, Rowena, presents. I bet you will get that potions book. I have a feeling that you will get all of the potion books that you want when they see your grades. You did so well in that class."

Sophia bit her lip as she worried through the thoughts of seeing their muggle family, and struggled with the idea nearly every day. It wasn't that she didn't love them, but she knew what having them meant. Her mother who couldn't help how she was born, made sure they had plenty of lessons for both worlds, but after being at Hogwarts for so long it was hard to think of a world where Muggles even existed.

"I just hope that the parties go swiftly. I've enjoyed having our parents to ourselves. Don't you?" She snuggled down under the blanket further and ran her fingers through her sister's wild hair. Where in the world had it come from? "You should braid your hair before you go to sleep, Rowena. Would help the tangles."

"I was worried I wouldn't do well in anything." Rowena looked down at her feet. Her toes were still cold. "But I like potions. We're always doing things, rather than just sitting." Sitting wasn't something she was good at. Even though she tried really hard. Seeing some of the other students made her feel better about it, though. They were so unruly sometimes!

She folded her arms across her chest. "We have months to make up for. I'll take all the time with them I can get. Maybe we can get Father to read us more of the library." There were so many books. Big ones and tiny ones and new ones and old ones and even Muggle ones.

"And I haven't had anyone to help me braid my hair. It starts falling out before I get halfway done." This was followed by a slightly plaintive look. "You were always much better at it."

"You know that I will braid it whenever you wish. I know that I may seem busy, but I will always make time for you...especially when it comes to your hair." Sophia smiled, her little freckled face shinning like the moon against her sister's pillow, and the topic would shift when she gave a small yawn.

"Mother is unwell. Do try to stay out of trouble while you are home? I would not expect Father to have too much extra time for reading. Not with the holiday visits and all." She snuggled against the pillow fluffing it a little as she went, thinking back of what her sister said about her potions class.

"I'm not as fond of potions as I thought I would be. I do enjoy identifying them, but I have little interest in mixing them. I rather like  Muggle Studies." Sophia wound her fingers up through her sister's hair to pet it gently, perhaps she should braid it now...or it might choke her somewhere in the night with that life it had of its own.

"Thank you. I wanted to ask, but we were all busy and I know how much you worry about school. It takes forever to brush it in the morning if I leave it like this." Rowena tugged on a loose strand of it, and leaned in towards her sister with a conspiratorial look. "Don't tell Father, but sometimes I wish I could just cut it short and not worry about it. It'd look weird like that, though."

And she liked her hair, annoying as it could be at times. "I'm not oblivious! They're always busy around Christmas. But they still missed us. Mum especially, with all those letters." There was a nice big box of letters under her bed at school, and Rowena furrowed her brow a bit thinking about them as well as her mother's current state. "I hope she's better soon. Father will take care of her, though." The words didn't come out quite as reassuring as she'd hoped. Mum was stubborn sometimes.

School was an easier topic. "You don't have to be perfect at every class. And I can always help you with potions." She raised an eyebrow at her sister. "You're already studying for Muggle Studies? I can't wait to study creatures. And Runes. Maybe Arithmancy, not sure yet."

"I don't think you need to cut your hair too short. It looks good on Raine, but your hair is so curly Rowena. You could do with a trim though, maybe even to your shoulders if you just simply had to. But I love your hair, and would mourn it if you did. We just need to learn to braid it, get our time worked out so I can." She smiled and ran her fingers through her sister's wild locks, and listened to what else she had to say.


"You don't have to be perfect at every class. And I can always help you with potions."


"I don't need any help, but thank you. I just need to take it a little more serious. I let myself get too involved in student life, and friends. I'll be better next term. I shouldn't worry over the boys so much, but man...Frank is going to get himself beat up soon if he doesn't stop correcting everyone, and Lucas...let's not even get started on Lucas." Sophia turned into her pillow, curling up around her sister,

"I am looking forward to Runes too, but more so Muggle Studies. I can't explain how much I want to take that class, but I think it has something to do with the way Father's family treats our Mother. Maybe if I studied both sides enough I could find a solution."

"It's all settled then! You'll help me with braiding, and I'll leave it long and be the second-prettiest girl in the school." It was easy for Rowena to smile at her beautiful little sister. "We could study then too, if you'd like. I've been taking lots of notes to read." It helped to keep her hands busy in class so she didn't fidget. Much.

She shook her head, or at least attempted to do so, at the mention of the boys. "If they want to be smart they'll listen to you. But I know you worry." About classmates, about Mum, about Father, and certainly about school. Sophia was quite the worrier.

Rowena tugged at her pillow a little, then leaned back against it. "I'm sure you'll find something! Have you asked Father at all? I'm sure he worries about her too." And Father knew everything, or just about. There were just so many things out there to know.

"I plan on it. But after Christmas. I don't want him to worry anymore than he normally does, and I've started a chart actually to help track her symptoms. I don't want to miss anything so if you will help me keep track I'd appreciate it. I'm looking mostly for times of the day when she seems the most tired, and her eating habits."

Sophia kept a journal by her bed with just this, it was one of the older books she'd only half filled when she was younger and by now stripped it of the poetry she kept there. Now it was a perfect chart that she put little symbols inside when she noticed things were wrong with her mother.

"Father is so busy, I do hate to bring it to his attention if it's just something as simple as her menstrual cycle, you know how she gets closer to the end of the month." With a small yawn she wrapped her arm around her sister and snuggled in beside her, "And I think that is a good idea, getting some studying done while we braid your hair. I'm sorry I was so busy last term. I never imagined it would be this tough, but I do enjoy the challenge."

"Of course I'll help! Mum's too good at pretending to not be sick otherwise. Remember last year when she kept falling asleep all day while Father was working late?" That had been bad and had lasted until their Mum had had several weekends of just sleeping and taking whatever it was the Healers had given her.

She giggled a little at the comment about menstrual cycles. She hadn't been sure if Sophia was paying attention to that lesson. Other people were so awkward about such things, unlike Mum. Except for when not being awkward was awkward.

"I think she's sick, though. Or not sleeping again, there were sleeping potions in the library. Do you think we can study some there too until school starts? Then we won't forget anything!" The garden was still a little chilly, even with the charms. She rested her head against Sophia and closed her eyes.

End