Closed Holiday With the Harringtoms Finished

"....and if I catch you doing that again, I'll have your head!" cried Bridgit. She sunk back into her chair, fixing Dean with a final stern look, and sighed in exasperation when she saw his amused smile. "Bloody hell, you didn't take a word of that seriously, did you?" He shook his head, and they both laughed. When he was finished, Dean put his feet up on Adam's empty seat and lazily turned his wand around in his fingers. It was fortunate that they had most of the car to themselves, or the family would have been much more restricted. Looking back at Bridgit again.

"Quite the girl he's got there, huh?" he asked, and Bridgit smiled.

"She's sweet," the Scotswoman replied, "and you can tell she's been through a lot. I'm just glad Adam's making friends. You know how hard it can be in the first year."

"Yeah," Dean answered, and then raised his eyebrow. He'd heard something interesting the other day, but hadn't remembered it until now. Honestly, he probably wouldn't have made the connection if it hadn't been for Eris's arrival during break. "Did you know that she's a Rowle?"

Bridgit sat up straight and stared at him, all seriousness. "She's a what?" Everyone had heard of the Rowle family, and the actions they had taken during the second rise of Lord Voldemort. Even now, almost twenty years in the future, the Rowle name struck fear in some hearts of the wizard community. For Bridgit Morrey, the name was enough to put her on instant high-alert. "You've got to be bloody kidding me."

"'Fraid not," Dean replied. "Heard some prefects talking about it a few weeks ago. That there was some girl in Gryffindor descended from a Death Eater family. Didn't take long to figure out who it was."

Bridgit sighed, set on edge by this disturbing piece of news. After a moment's pause, she made up her mind. "We can't let her past affect how we think of her, at least not openly. For all we care, Eris is descended from the most noble of lines. Not going to change how she's treated. But stay aware, Dean. We can't afford to make any foolish mistakes." Massaging her temple, Bridgit sat back tiredly and wondered how on Earth this situation could have ever befallen her.

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Adam walked alongside Eris, crossing cars and enjoying the feeling of the train moving underneath their feet. Away from the prying eyes and ears of his family, safe from Dean's intrusive sarcasm, he could talk freely with his friend. He'd learned a lot more about Eris and her family over these past few weeks, and he was glad that she was the person he had grown close to at Hogwarts. Despite her troubled background, she seemed to be having a good time with Adam and his family, and he hoped that they wouldn't let her down. She'd already met his brother, his "aunt"; now all that they needed to get past was introductions to his parents. He hoped she liked their neighborhood, too. There wasn't much around, but in the winter there was so much more to do. He realized he hadn't actually let Eris herself get her own opinions in, though, and now he turned to her as they walked.

"So, what do you like to do in the winter?" he asked. "Whatever you want to do, I'm there for it. There's a whole lot Nottingham has this time of year." It was only too bad that Avalon or Kaegen weren't here, or their friend Michelle. But he was delighted that Eris had become his closest friend at the school, and he couldn't wait to spend more time with her.

Eris was blissfully unaware of the interaction going on between Dean and Bridget. She may of been the heir of a violent pure-blooded family, with a history messier than the feasts in the great hall , but Eris had no idea. The young Rowle girl was skipping, definitely not acting like a menacing member of pure-blood society. Of course, she also had no idea how her mother's last name would effect people's outlook on her, nor did she know that there were rumors about who she was slowly spreading around the school.

Right now Eris was trying to stand upright, as she and Adam attempted to walk around the train. Eris hadn't ever been on a train before the Hogwarts Express, and the differences in this train and the magical Hogwarts Express were clear to the eye. There were no owls, toads, or even extremely large trunks anywhere to be found. Eris had a feeling that there wouldn't be a trolley filled with strange treats, or a black haired girl to end up buying the trolley. Eris smiled fondly, thinking about her first train ride. It had been incredible, and nothing like this trip. This train trip was far less magical, but so far it had been quite fun.

Eris had to think for a second. What did she like about winter? Last winter had been spent struggling to stay warm, hidden under a bridge in the park like a troll of some sort. The winter before that had not been spent doing anything, mostly just hiding inside the Elcan family house, waiting for a busy father to come home. The winter before that had been spent in the same fashion, but this time waiting for a mother busy with work to return home. Now Eris doubted if her mother was even working, knowing about the small fortune hidden in the Marble Wizarding Bank known as Gringotts.
Eris couldn't remember an enjoyable winter, but she really did like throwing snowballs and just watching the snow. "Um, maybe we can have a snowball fight?" Eris said with a shrug of her shoulders, as she placed a hand on an empty seat to steady herself. "I haven't really ever done many fun winter things. Last winter I spent under a bridge." She let slip, releasing her arms from the chair long enough to shrug again, before putting her hands back on the chair.

Adam stopped abruptly in the aisle of the car, turning back and staring at Eris. She spent her last winter...under a bridge? He hadn't realized how bad Eris had until just this moment. Sitting down, meeting her eyes, Adam said seriously, "Eris, I'm so sorry. I hope you know that you can come visit us whenever you want, whenever you need to spend some time with family. I know it'll never be a replacement to having your family, but it's something. And everyone should have something. Right?"

He couldn't believe how casual she sounded when she discussed her past. Adam suspected that if it was anyone else, they would have fallen to pieces by now. But not Eris -- she was still going strong. It was incredible, really. Adam had only known her for a short amount of time, but she automatically soared to the top of his "People I Respect" list. Pausing a minute, making sure she knew he was entirely sure of what he was saying, Adam smiled sadly at her. "You've got me, you've got Kaegen, you've got Michelle and Avalon. People love you, Eris. And no wonder! So anytime you feel like you need something, come to one of us. We'll do everything we can to do it for you."

A murmured, muddled announcement came over the loudspeaker system on the train, and though Adam couldn't tell exactly what it said, he got the basic gist: they were almost at the station. Stupid Muggle technology, he thought. Why make it so hard to know what you needed to know? Standing up, finding his balance again on the rocking train, Adam looked down at Eris and offered her his hand. "Come on, we're almost in Nottingham. And we've got a snowball fight to prepare for."

Eris blinked, looking extremely confused. Yes, it was better than nothing. She was greateful for Adam's offer, but didn't understand why he was sorry. It wasn't his fault that her family was horrible, or that she had lived under a bridge for six months. Why was he sorry for it? It really wasn't his fault. Clearing her suddenly dry throat, Eris smiled faintly at Adam, shrugging again. "There's nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault." Eris didn't understand why on earth he was sorry, although it felt nice to save somebody care about her. It had been a while since somebody had said kind things to her.

She did have to nod in agreement when Adam mentioned all her friends. She was extremely lucky to have such amazing friends at school. Honestly, Hogwarts was more of a home to Eris than her own home had been in recent years. She couldn't even imagine her life without great friends like Kaegen, Adam, Michelle, and Avalon in her life. Maybe this summer she could come hang out with Adam. She couldn't help but smile, thinking of how much fun that would be.

Just as Eris started thinking about a future for herself, and enjoying herself with her friends this summer an announcement came over the loudspeaker. Turning to grin at Adam, Eris took her friend's hand. "Let's get ready for this snowball fight."

As the train slowed to a halt, Adam led Eris back to their seats. He hadn't realized that they had spent the better part of an hour out on the walk, but the trip to Nottingham had flown by. Say what you would about Muggles, but they knew how to travel fast. Collapsing back into his seat next to Dean, he smiled at Bridgit as she greeted them again. Dean barely looked up from his reading, but said, "Well, you two took your time. Thought we were going to have to leave you behind." Adam scoffed, not bothering to reply. Something seemed a little off about the other two members of their group; it was just barely discernible, but it was there. He'd have to ask about it later. Clearing her throat, Bridgit smiled warmly at the two of them.

"How was your walk?" she asked, packing away the book she had taken from her bag and making sure that nothing had been lost between the seats or on the floor. "I'm glad you took so much time to explore. Kids don't seem to do that much anymore." Realizing what she was saying, Bridgit laughed mirthfully. "Listen to me! I sound like an old bat. Regardless, I really do hope you have fun. We'll certainly keep you busy in Nottingham, Eris. Just you wait." While the three of them talked, the train finally stopped inside the station and the doors slid open. Dean rose, grabbing his bags from beneath his seat, and addressed the rest of the party.

"Come on, kiddos, home's-a-waitin'. If we don't show up soon Mum's going to flay us alive. Except you, Red. She'd probably make you dinner while we rotted in the back."

Bridgit rolled her eyes but stood up as well. "Hey, that's my line, Harringtom. Watch your step. But he's right, you know. Kristine's not fond of tardiness. Shall we?"

The four of them stepped off of the train, blinking into the afternoon sun. They had finally reached Nottingham. Winter break was about to really begin.

Eris didn't notice the odd mood that Dean and Bridget were radiating, as she smiled brightly and grabbed her trunk from the floor where she had left it. Eris had learned the hard way not to put her trunks in the over head rack ever, because she really didn't have the height or the strength to pick them up, or even put them on the over-head rack. She swung her trunk over her shoulders, and turned to look at the three taller people. Her smile faded ever-so slightly, as she noticed the less-than happy look on Dean and Bridget's faces, but she decided not to say anything.

When Bridget grinned and asked about the walk, Eris grinned back, tactfully not mentioning their short walk and conversation, and picking up on the last part of the conversation. "I'm so happy that I'm coming with you guys to Nottingham! I look forward to being kept busy." She said, with a slight giggle. Was that an okay thing to say? Oh well, there wasn't time to reflect, as Dean had called the little red-head 'red', and her face had gone bright red, at the nickname from the older boy.

"Red? That's the best nickname you can come up with?" Eris groaned, following the three off the train and into the Nottingham station with an air of interest. Blinking the afternoon sun along with the others, Eris looked around at the snow, and shivered once in the brisk winter air. Oh yes, winter was here.

Dean laughed, surprised. "Oh, should I try harder? 'Cause I've got no shortage of material, if you really want to go th--"

"Dean," Bridgit warned, shooting him a cautionary glance. Dean seemed to get the message and clammed up right away, although he did smirk at the two younger students as if he knew something. Adam wasn't quite sure what the other members of his family were talking about, but at this point, he didn't care; as long as it kept his brother quiet for a while more. Clearing her throat and pulling her winter coat closer around her, Bridgit smiled at Eris and Adam. "Well then," she continued, smiling brightly, "let's get out of the cold, shall we?" Leading the three teens away from the train and deeper into the Nottingham station complex, she set off at a brisk pace and pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. Looking at it, an amused expression spread over her face, she laughed. "You know, I never did get a handle on these things. A few years ago we wouldn't have bothered with Muggle technology. Now, it runs the world. Crazy, isn't it?" Dialing a phone number, she held the phone to her ear and turned to Adam before her call connected. "Adam, dear, do you want to tell Eris exactly what she's in for?"

Adam nodded in agreement and grinned at Eris. "Okay, so we're almost at the house. From here it's only about a fifteen-minute trip, so to blend in with the Muggle community, we'll take a car. The wizard-run part of Nottingham is protected by all the standard spells. It might not look like much when we get there, but trust me, it's an exciting neighborhood. Hope you're ready!"

Eris tactfully chose not to respond to Dean's offer of other nicknames. Or at least it seemed like that. In truth, the little red-head was busy looking around Nottingham, as Bridget led the three children out of the mesmerizing snow, and the bitter cold and into the much warmer station complex. Eris was almost sad to leave the snow covered outside, as it exemplified that winter was really here, and that Eris was really having a winter-break outside of school, with her new good friend and his family.

Eris felt a little jolt of pleasant surprise when she saw Bridget pull out a cell-phone. It had been so long since she had seen a muggle cell-phone. Normally the wizards and witches around school communicated with owls, or the louder version called howlers. In fact, muggle technology didn't even work at school, so it was not even possible for one to check their instagram or facebook while at school.

Not that Eris had an instagram or facebook. It was quite crazy how muggle technology runs the world. Eris had to agree with Bridget on that, but she didn't really care about phones, when there were brooms and wands to use.

Eris felt her excitement for the holidays grow, as Adam talked about the bland way they would travel to his home. It might not of seemed like anything fun, but the little-red head hadn't been in a car for almost a year, and couldn't wait to ride in one again. "I can't wait to see your house." She said brightly, grinning at Adam.

"Neither can I!" he replied, just as enthusiastically. "Well, not for me to see my house, obviously. For you to see it. I've seen my house....before....." Adam trailed off, realizing that he was saying things that didn't need to be said. There was an awkward moment of silence as they walked to the cars, but luckily Bridgit covered for him with a question of her own.

"So Eris, dear, what do you think of the castle so far? I heard you're a Gryffindor like Dean and myself. I think the hat chose right." His aunt winked and smiled, finally stopping next to a black Muggle car and searching her pockets. Bridgit withdrew a keyring and unlocked the car, putting her hand on the handle of the driver's-side door and popping it open. Dean took the passenger seat, popping his feet up on the dashboard until the older woman swatted at his leg and he returned them to the floor in annoyance. As everyone filed into the vehicle and Bridgit started the engines, she swiveled around in her seat and smiled at Adam and Eris. "We'll be home soon enough. For now, why don't you three tell me all about how the school year's been going? I'm sure I have a lot to catch up on."

Still struggling to keep up with Adam's much faster strides, the shorter girl could barely catch what he was saying. She got the gist of it though, as Adam had paused a lot as he talked. Hearing the most of the conversation, Eris laughed at Adam's awkwardness. "I mean, your house must be really nice if you're this tongue tied, just thinking about it." Eris hoped he wouldn't think was she being rude by teasing him, but she had a feeling he wouldn't. They might not of always hung out, but Eris felt like she knew enough about Adam to feel confident in teasing him in a friendly way. That was what friends did, right? At least in her books.

"The castle is so easy to get lost in. I have no idea where anything is most of the time!" Eris beamed at Bridget's comment about the house choosing right. Eris hadn't wanted to be in sytherin like her mother, and was still grateful that she had been in Gryffinor, although she didn't feel brave most of the time. Still struggling to walk as fast as Adam and the others , Eris almost fell into the backseat of the car once Bridget unlocked the matte black car.

As the car took off and Bridget asked the children how the year had went so far, Eris grinned at Adam. Where to start? They had done so many crazy things already. They had been attacked by an acid salamander, stolen broomsticks, and done all of this while in different houses. "Where do we start? We've done sooo much." Eris replied to Bridget, still grinning at Adam.