The Big Dipper

The Carnival

"Ursula! You're here!"

"Lilian!"

Ursula dropped her bags as Lilian came running out to hug her. Ursula caught the brunette, laughing and exclaiming how happy she was to see her. She was at Lilian's house, a lovely cottage in the countryside in Hertfordshire, where she'd be staying for the next week. She'd managed to convince Lucius and Narcissa to let her go — a lady doesn't beg — and now here she was, hugging Lilian, while her uncle waited to talk to Lilian's parents and a dog barked at her heels.

"Hello Ursula!"

A kind-faced woman with dark brown hair came bustling out of the cottage, wiping her hands on her apron. She pulled Ursula into a hug once Lilian let go.

"And you must be Lucius Malfoy. I'm Caroline Fenharrow," she said, offering her hand to Lucius.

"You work in the Auror office, correct?" he said, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure."

"Oh please, the pleasure is all ours," said Caroline. "It's good for the girls to spend time together outside of school, don't you think? So we'll take care of Ursula this week and she'll be back home safe and sound then. Don't worry about a thing!"

"Let me show you my room!" said Lilian. Ursula grabbed her bags, bid a quick goodbye to her uncle, and dashed inside after Lilian.

The whole house was inviting, the walls covered in pictures of Lilian and her younger siblings and large windows letting the sunshine stream in. Ursula followed Lilian up the stairs and down a short hallway to her room. Lilian's room was very colorful, with light green and yellow walls splattered with accents of pale pink. She had bay windows and a window seat and her bed was covered in stuffed animals. The walls were decorated with Slytherin banners and pictures of the Wimbourne Wasps, Lilian's favorite Quidditch team.

"That's yours," said Lilian, pointing to a small couch with a blanket and pillow. Ursula set her bags down gratefully. "Daisy! Down girl!"

This whole time Daisy, Lilian's Springer Spaniel, had been jumping around Ursula. She stopped after a moment and Ursula pet her soft head.

"Good girl," cooed Lilian.

"How old is she?" asked Ursula.

"Three," said Lilian. She pointed to a door opposite the bed. "There's the bathroom."

"Your house is wonderful," gushed Ursula. "So fun and colorful. Your garden is amazing. Everything is bright — was your mom baking bread?"

Lilian nodded. "Well, what's your house like?" The only time they had been able to meet last summer was at Diagon Alley.

"Not like this," said Ursula. "The walls are all hung with paintings of ancestors — mostly Malfoys, so not even people I'm related to — and everything is sort of... cold. I love my home," said Ursula hurriedly, not wanting to give Lilian the wrong impression, "but it kind of feels like the Slytherin common room. Sort of strict, and very traditional. I love our gardens, though."

"You have peacocks, right?" said Lilian excitedly. "I'd love to meet them someday. Speaking of meeting..." she pointed out the back window, where a couple of kids were playing by a low stone wall. Lilian's house, the garden, and the lawn were surrounded by this short, crumbling wall, and beyond it the house was guarded in all directions by many tall trees. They had few neighbors, and all of them lived far away. "I want to introduce you to my siblings!"

Lilian led Ursula back downstairs and outside, calling out to her brother and sister when they got close. "Alice! Miles!"

Alice ran right over, skipping with excitement. She and Miles both had dark brown hair like their mother while Lilian's was much lighter. Ursula knew Alice had been talking about Hogwarts nonstop all summer and was thrilled that she would get to go this year.