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OOOOO

A Well-Earned Break

OOOOO

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I woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve, feeling not quite right. The castle, for all its oddities, had become like a second home to me. I wandered the many corridors with a familiarity that made me smile each time I remembered that this was all real. But that would all come to an end… for a time at least.

The day of my departure to London could be described as an odd one for me. I was so used to the routine I'd followed for the last four months that most of the morning felt like a fever dream. I hopped out of bed, my head already feeling a little light. After a quick shower, the first thing I did was slip on my shoes and head out of the common room, whispering my good mornings to the few seventh-years awake.

Travelling just to the other side of the corridor, I tickled the pear on the fruit bowl. Its giggle echoed down the corridor and the painting swung inwards to grant me access to the kitchens. The familiar sight of elves standing on podiums, peering over large silver pots was one I'd grown used to. Even now, the bubbling of the pots was like a sort of music to my ears and the scent of cooking food drew a growl from my stomach.

Dippy rushed towards me in an instant, grinning from ear to ear. "Cyrus! Is you excited for the Christmas Evening feast?"

"I sure am." I smiled. "And it's 'Christmas Eve', Dippy." the young elf lightly slapped his forehead. "I'm also here to say goodbye for now."

Large grey eyes angled upwards. "You is going home for Christmas?"

I nodded. "It's been a while since I've seen my older sister. We've been exchanging letters every week but I miss her."

The juvenile elf gasped, his leathery skin flushing. "You is having older sister?!"

Dippy was practically vibrating with excitement, only being stopped by a light slap to the shoulder.

"Dippy." Codger rumbled, his beard twitching. "You must get back to work. The students will be up for breakfast in two hours and we will be ready for them."

Dippy hung his head, his ears wilting a little. He trudged back to his pot. "Dippy is understanding, Codger."

The older elf nodded at me by way of greeting and then moved to follow him. "It's 'Dippy understands', Dippy, not 'Dippy is understanding'."

Sensing that I'd only be a bother if I stayed, I slowly retreated out of the kitchens, shutting the door as gently as I could. I had no idea if the noise would disturb the elves over the bubbling of the pots and general clamour of the kitchen, but if their ears were as sensitive as they looked, then I'd rather be safe than sorry. Now finding myself with more time than I knew what to do with, I wandered about the basement level of the castle for a while before deciding to head to the library.

If I was going to be away for a while, then I'd at least take note of anything interesting to ponder on over the winter break. But it was on my way to the library that I realised I was a muggleborn. In other words, I'd be unable to practise magic for about three weeks. Just the realisation alone filled me with annoyance. I'd grown so used to being able to twirl my wand around my fingers, clean or levitate random objects so absentmindedly that imagining life without doing so was impossible.

And to my shame, a small part of me wished to stay. It voiced sweet whispers and promises into my mind, only to be squashed under the weight of my shame and by the time I'd arrived, it had all but turned into resignation. The library's blinds were still closed, small motes of light slipping through the parts that they could not cover. Even as early as it was, Madam Pince sat at her desk, sipping from a mug of what smelt like coffee. I walked over to her with a smile, despite knowing that she'd be as prickly as she always was.

Months of being around her could attest to that.

"Good morning, Madam Pince." I smiled.

The librarian looked up from her drink, her dark eyes more confused than annoyed— progress. She set it down. Her voice was hesitant, but it still lacked any sort of warmth. "What is it?"

"Since it's my last morning here, I thought I'd stop by." she looked like she wanted to say something, but held her tongue. "Take advantage of all the reading and practice I can before I have to stop using magic for three weeks…"

Her gaze was a little kinder now. "Is that so?"

I nodded. "Though I'm also here to wish you a happy holiday."

"Me?" her eyes widened.

"You keep all the books we read in amazing condition." I said. "Especially considering how old the castle is. In my book, I'd say that makes you a pretty cool person."

A small smile slipped across her face at the praise— though perhaps it might've been the pun. Not missing a beat, I followed up on my compliment— it was time to go for broke. "Honestly ma'am, you should smile more. Not only do you look nicer—and smiling is proven to make you feel better—but it would also make the library a much more comfortable space for everyone, don't you think?"

Pince picked up her mug, her eyes evaluative as she drank from it. "I'll… take it into consideration."

Satisfied, I waltzed over to the shelves, not searching for anything in particular. Hopefully I'd make life at the library a little better for everyone staying here for the holidays— and maybe for every student in the future.

With my suitcase already packed, there wasn't much else for me to do. I was more interested in just absorbing the atmosphere through the books. Every once in a while, I'd spot an interesting title, or an eye-catching cover somewhere and would follow up on my curiosity. And until breakfast began, that's how I spent the remaining time until I was forced to leave.

OOOO

The train back to London had set off well over three hours ago, taking with it all the students who wished to go back to their families for Christmas. Which was to say the majority of the students at Hogwarts.

"Snap!" Lily cheered. She lashed her wand out, tapping it on the card. Snape's own wand hand froze just as hers reached the deck. "I win, Sev!"

His eyes burned with annoyance, though it quickly melted once he saw the joy blooming across her face. Remus peeped over the top of a book, hiding his smile. This was the fifth time Snape had lost to Lily in the last hour.

Amused, I got out of my seat and stretched. "I'm going to the bathroom." I announced, sliding the compartment door.

I stepped out onto the carriage, the rumble of the train drowning out all other noise. To my surprise, Madam Pince had allowed me to borrow a single book for my time at home— maybe out of pity, though I'd like to think that my compliment really had worked on her. Either way, I was grateful that I'd get to start off on something completely new over the holidays.

It was an introductory book on duelling complete with basic duelling techniques. Nothing too fancy, just the most optimal stances as well as basic conditioning. Apparently, duels could last from anywhere between one minute to half an hour depending on the skill of the wizards involved. Though the time limit really depended on the type of duel taking place. For instance, Formal Duels were often ones fought over lost honour or as some kind of vengeance. Rules were agreed on beforehand by both parties. So long as the rules were obeyed, everything else was completely fine.

Competitive duels worked a little differently and were sanctioned by a referee. They ended if a combatant was either disarmed, knocked unconscious, or fifteen minutes were up in which case the judges would come to a decision as to whether the duel results in a win, a loss, or a draw. Death wasn't a common occurrence as far as I could tell, though at the world stage, you had to sign waivers in case you did die.

Breaking out of my thoughts, I stepped back a little as the compartment just ahead of me opened up. Out stepped a pale-blonde haired girl in Slytherin robes. She was a little shorter than I was. When she noticed me, her eyebrows rose before she masked her surprise under a sneer. "Well, well."

She seemed familiar. I was the first to break the tense silence between us. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Her eyes glimmered in both derision and amusement as she covered her mouth. "Know me? Merlin no! But I've heard of you."

"Oh?"

"I doubt that there's a second-year who hasn't." she folded her arms. "Cyrus Azar, Quite the talented first-year. But you're a Mudblood regardless so I suppose you won't really amount to much in the end."

The amusement on my face swiftly fell and though my right hand itched to hex her, I stopped myself from gripping my wand. Something told me that this girl wasn't as two-dimensional as she wanted me to believe. But perhaps I was reading too much into it. I let my hand relax and it fell limply to my side.

"Yes." I replied simply, my voice measured. "But enough of myself. Tell me, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

She blinked at my change in tone but indulged me, her voice smug. "Narcissa Black. Slytherin second-year and daughter of House Black."

I stared at her, certainly not expecting her to be Narcissa of all people. I thought she'd be a little older than that. She could pass for a first-year if she wanted to. Regardless, I was very much still annoyed at what she'd called me, but unlike Mulciber, I couldn't hit her with a spell and walk away as if nothing had happened.

Her sister was the girl who had hexed me to hell and back during my first week. And her family was even more terrifying. Eric's warning from the start of the year rang through my head.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"They're pretty much Wizarding Britain's Mob. Dark as hell, and they practically control half the Wizengamot— that is to say the government." he'd said.

I chewed the inside of my cheek and decided that it was better to vent my frustrations in a way that wouldn't get me killed. "You seem to be mistaken of something. You think that calling me a Mudblood will do something to me— that flaunting your blood status will somehow make me feel some type of way. I'll tell you right now that it won't, because either way, I'll still be as accomplished as I was before meeting you. Me, a Mudblood."

I stressed the last word, enjoying the mix of annoyance and grudging respect on her face, as I walked past her. Though before I'd even cleared a few steps, a thought occurred to me.

"And Black?" she turned. "The only thing you have over me is wealth and I'm sure that deep down, you know it. You seem smart, and I'm not being arrogant when I say that I've got both the talent and drive to work hard— I'm a Hufflepuff for Merlin's sake."

Not wanting to waste a second more, not even to wait for her reply, I walked back to my compartment—which coincidentally wasn't all that far from hers—and slipped through the gap.

"Oh!" Lily said. "You're back."

I nodded, picking my book up from the table. "I am. Who won between you and Remus?"

"I did." Remus waved. "Though I lost to Snape just before you got here."

I smirked. "So it's Snape and Lily. Again?"

The Slytherin shot me a warning glare, but I chose to ignore it.

Remus caught on pretty quickly and shot me a smirk of his own. "It's almost as if someone is losing on purpose."

Lily's head shot up instantly. "What? Sev, is that true?!"

Snape looked like a deer caught in headlights, but managed to reply with some grace. "No, Lily. You're just that much better than me."

Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Is that so? But surely you'd at least win once out of five times. Based on your reactions, it's certainly a possibility. You've beaten both Cyrus and Remus at least twice."

The boy stuttered for a response and I bit down on my index finger to stifle my laughter, my face hidden behind the covers of my book. I honestly hadn't intended on exposing him like that, but I sure as hell was enjoying him squirm.

He shot me a look that promised retribution and readied himself for the game. I had a feeling that this time, Lily wouldn't be the winner.

OOOO

The train hissed as it entered King's Cross station. We'd left a lot earlier than eleven, meaning that the sun had only just begun to set by the time we got back. I rolled my slightly stiff neck, craning it up as I slowly brought down my suitcase from the luggage rack.

"Any plans for the holidays?" I asked.

Lily slung her backpack over her shoulders. "Sev's staying over with Tuney and I for the holidays so that should be fun."

Snape simply nodded.

"What about you, Remus?" I asked.

"I think I'll have a quiet holiday with my parents for the most part." the boy said thoughtfully. "Though we might visit my grandparents if we can."

"That sounds pretty nice, honestly." I smiled. "And as for me, I get to see my sister at last."

Lily smiled. "The older sister you've been going on about for months?"

"The sister with the feather duster?" Remus laughed.

"The very same." I smiled back. "In fact, I think we'll run into her once we get off the train."

We slowly filed out of the compartment and joined the line of students leaving the train. Ignoring my rumbling stomach, I stepped onto the platform and waited for the children to join me. One by one, they separated from the crowd and took a moment to look around for their respective families.

"I think I see my dad!" Remus smiled. He paused for a moment. "Let me introduce you all."

I looked back at my two remaining companions. Lily's eyes brightened as she smiled and followed Remus whilst the quiet Slytherin merely shrugged and went after her. My eyes scanned the platform, not finding my sister's familiar figure so I decided to follow the three of them. There were a lot of people around. Nothing comparable to how the platform was on the first day of the year, but there were still enough people that I had to take care to not run into anyone.

Remus' father was a tall man. He towered over us, blotting most of the light from view. He was dressed in a wolly black turtleneck and jeans under a trench coat. His stern face warmed once he saw us— or rather, Remus.

"Da—!" Remus was brought into a tight hug by his father, whatever he was about to say being smothered in his father's embrace.

"I've missed you, son." his dad sighed.

"Me too, dad." Remus replied, his voice small.

He stepped back and rubbed his eyes. "I've made some friends too. This is Lily."

The redhead smiled at the older man. "Hello Mr. Lupin!"

He clasped her much smaller hand in his own gloved one. "It's nice to meet you too, Lily."

"The broody one is Severus."

Snape shot him a half-hearted glare but wordlessly stuck out his hand. Mr. Lupin took it in his own before turning to me, his eyes curious. "Then I believe this one is that Cyrus boy you were telling me about?"

Remus nodded.

"In that case, let me be the first to tell you how grateful I am, young man." Mr. Lupin said. "Remus here has always had trouble making friends. So much that I believe that you might be his first friend. Unfortunately, my wife isn't here. She was really looking forward to meeting you, but work took priority unfortunately."

"It's fine." I smiled. "And Remus is a good friend to all of us."

The boy in question bowed his head and curled into his father's embrace, hiding his face from view.

"That's good to hear." the man said. "But I'd like to thank you all properly. There are three more that he spoke about. Do you know where they are?"

"They decided to stay at school for the holidays." Remus mumbled.

"I see…" he said. "In that case, would it be alright if my wife and I invited the three of you to our house for dinner at some point during the holidays?"

I shared a glance with Lily and then Snape. The sallow-skinned boy shrugged noncommittally. I turned back to Mr. Lupin. "I'd be alright with it, but you'd have to talk to my sister."

"Me too. My parents should be around here somewhere." Lily said.

"Then I think we should look for them." Mr. Lupin decided.

Finding a handful of people on a platform swimming with them was a harder task than I thought it'd be— especially when you had to compete with little children and pets. For the briefest of moments, I wondered if Sadie had forgotten to pick me up. That was until I spotted a familiar curly-haired individual in the distance.

Abandoning my suitcase, I ran forwards, cupping my hands over my mouth. "Sadie!"

She whirled around, her eyes widening. A grin spread across her face and she opened her arms and drew me into a hug. I stood still for a while, not saying anything, simply just absorbing her presence. It wasn't until I was in her embrace that I realised just how much I'd missed her.

Sadie separated from me and ran her brown eyes over me. "Oh my God, you've grown so much!"

I smiled, ignoring the wetness of my own eyes. "Yeah, that's what happens when you eat well and exercise regularly." I laughed. "But look at you! You're looking a lot better than you did before."

She put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're not as stressed anymore." I smiled as she ran a hand through my hair.

"Cyrus!" I heard Remus call. I turned around to see him dragging my suitcase with him. Lily, Snape, and his father weren't behind him either.

"Oh?" Sadie smiled mischievously at me. "And who are these people?"

"Hello, Miss Azar." Remus smiled, stretching out his hand. "I'm Remus."

Sadie shook his hand, giving him a warm smile. "It's good to finally meet you, Remus. Cyrus has talked about you in his letters, you know."

Remus was like a shark that had smelt blood now. He looked over his shoulder and smirked. "What did he say?"

"Hmm…" Sadie hummed and cupped her chin. "Should I really tell you?"

I wasn't all too worried. It wasn't like there was anything to embarrass me with anyways. Once she realised I wasn't taking the bait, Sadie sighed and answered Remus. "Nothing much really. Only that he'd made a good friend at school."

Remus smiled at her and wheeled my suitcase over to me. Soon, the others had joined us, and Mr. Lupin and my sister were ironing out the details of the dinner. Lily shuffled her feet impatiently.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I don't know where Tuney is." she sighed.

"Did you see her on the train?" Remus supplied.

Lily was glum. "No."

I was silent, not really knowing what to say. We'd probably find her if we looked around for a little longer but—

"I see her." Snape spoke up quietly.

"Where?" Lily asked, running over to him.

He pointed and I followed his finger until I spotted a blonde haired girl flanked by a red haired man and a taller blonde woman.

Lily sprung up and ran towards them. "Mum! Dad! I'm over here!"

She returned soon enough, her arm linked with sister's and a grin on her face. "These are my friends: Cyrus and Remus. There are three other people, but they decided to stay at Hogwarts for the year."

I met Petunia's blue eyes and smiled as they lit up in recognition. "Wait, I know him!" she pointed at me.

Lily turned back to her. "Really?"

"Yes." Petunia nodded. "I ran into him at the start of the year on the train."

I laughed. "You really did "run into me."

Her cheeks pinkened as she spoke a little loudly. "I apologised for that though!"

I held up my hands. "And it was a very good apology! But you can't deny that it wasn't funny— not even a little bit?"

She sighed, smiling a little. "I suppose it was, looking back on it."

"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Evans." I turned to her parents, stretching out my hand and capturing their own.

"It's good to meet you too, son." Mr. Evans smiled. His face was kind, despite his gravelly voice and broad shoulders.

Mrs. Evans smiled kindly at me, and then Remus. "Thank you for looking out for our little flower here." she lay a hand on a flushing Lily's head. "I know she can be a little too forward sometimes—Severus would certainly agree—but she's a sweetheart."

The dark-haired boy gave the older woman a soft smile.

"Not a problem, Mrs. Evans." I said.

"Yeah, I'd say that Lily has been a big help to me this year." Remus piped up.

We'd left the platform a little while ago, near the station's exit. We stood off to the side as the adults—part of me wanted to laugh at that—discussed the details of the dinner that Mr. Lupin proposed earlier. I shook out my tired feet as I waited for them to finish.

"How ready are you guys for the exams once we come back?" Lily asked.

Snape sniffed a little. "I could take them right now and still get an outstanding."

Lily blinked. "Really? I knew you were smart but that's amazing."

The Slytherin's pale cheeks gained a little colour as he huffed and crossed his arms.

I glanced at an amused Remus and nudged him with my elbow. "How about you?"

"I need to go over some of my notes but I'm not too worried either." he tilted his head. "You?"

I smiled. "Do you want me to be honest?"

He looked at me confusedly but eventually nodded.

"I could take the End of Year exams right now if I wanted to." I said with a small amount of smugness.

Lily and Snape turned to me. The former's eyes were widened in shock whilst the latter's were… calculative?

"Really?!" she exclaimed, flushing a little when her parents looked over to her. She cleared her throat and spoke again. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "I am."

"Then why haven't you done so already?" Snape asked.

"Because I don't want the attention." I replied.

It wasn't an entirely untrue response either. Why would I make a show of wanting to learn more if I had the Room of Requirement? I could study ahead at my own leisure whilst not having to pay as much attention in class.

"Think of it this way," I continued. "I can carry on studying whatever and whenever I want without anybody being the wiser, right? There's no reason for me to go and spoil that."

Snape gave me a small nod.

"I also happen to like most of my year group so there's that."

It was then that we were waved over by Sadie, who had a large grin on her face. "We've talked it over and have decided that there's no harm in meeting at Lyall's house for dinner." she smirked at me. "It gives me an excuse to get you out of the house for a few hours. We both know that you don't plan on leaving the house unless you absolutely have to."

I rubbed my neck, a little embarrassed that she'd figured me out, and turned to Remus. "Lyall?"

"My dad." he whispered.

Mrs. Evans spoke up, a little regretful. "It's a shame that your other friends can't come, but there's always the summer."

Lily beamed at her. "Talking about our other friends, I can't wait till you meet Cadmus, Ellie, and Michael."

"So what now?" I asked.

Sadie walked over and pulled me along by my hand. "Now, it's time to go home."

Mr. Lupin placed his hand on his son's shoulders and drew him close. "I agree."

Snape found himself wedged between Mr. and Mrs. Evans whilst Lily and Petunia linked arms just behind them. Mr. Evans nodded at us. "I suppose we should get going too. See you next week everyone!"

They walked out of the station, all in different directions, leaving Sadie and I on our own, surrounded by Hogwarts students and their families wandering around. I smothered my yawn and blinked at her tiredly. "Can we go home now?"

She laughed and ruffled my hair. "Alright then, let's go home."

I missed it then, but a pair of eyes lingered on us as we left the station. Eyes belonging to a source of annoyance that would find more ways than ever before to piss me off once we got back to school.