Amelia and Thya were sharing one of the giant bean bags while the draught of living death boiled. Amelia was writing her Ancient Rune's essay while Thya read up on the history of Fye the Ferocious and her giant carnage. Neither of the girls noticed as the time trickled by. Eventually, the room chimed and they both looked up to see a clock on the far wall indicating the time was midnight.

"Bloody Hell." Amelia cursed. She put a stopper on her pot of ink.

Thya went over to the potion and put a flower into it. It burned up immediately. "Well, the potion came out okay." She used a vanishing spell. "How am I going to get past the prefects or Filch?"

"What floor is your common room located on?"

Thya eyed the Slytherin suspiciously. "The fifth."

"It will let us out near the portrait of Henry the Harmless and the dancing fae." Amelia said. "Think you can make it back to your common room from there?"

Thya nodded. Amelia focused on the need to let Thya out on the fifth floor and a stair case appeared in the corner. Thya sighed in relief.

"My hero." Thya smiled. Amelia began to pack away the equipment she had brought in. "Amelia, um. I had a lot of fun tonight. Do you think we could do these study sessions more often? I mean I'll need to learn a lot more potions by the end of the year. I know the holidays start on thursday and I don't know if you are staying but we could pick things up aft-"

"Thya," Amelia put a hand on the girls shoulder. "Yes, I'll help you and I'm not leaving for the holidays so if you want to study or just hang out I'd be more than happy to."

Thya blushed and smiled before walking down the staircase. Thya heard the door at the bottom close and the staircase disappear. Amelia let a huge smile break out across her face.

**

"Oh Merlin's beard," Cal gasped. "She is so into you!"

The two friends were sitting in a secluded corner of the library. Cal had just forcefully dragged every detail of last night out of Amelia. Amelia just rolled her eyes and shook her head hiding her face in her Arithmancy book. Just then two chairs were pulled back.

"Who is into Amelia, little brother?" Lee asked teasingly.

Opus grinned, "That little blonde third year."

Lee laughed, "True!"

Cal cracked a soft smile.

"None of your business." Amelia spat and glared into the Arithmancy book.

"We are here to clear the air a bit," Lee said. "And by we I mean Opus."

Amelia slammed her book closed and fixed Opus with a pointed glare. The Slytherin male looked uncomfortable before turning to Cal.

"I'm sorry for how I've been treating you. Both of you, but you most of all, Cal." Opus began to explain how his family had set him up with Pansy to keep the line pure. He then explained more. "After realizing how much I hurt Cal, I left. I left the family completely. I had just turned seventeen so I bought a house from my aunt and left Pansy. I broke off the engagement. As I left I sat my parents down and explained that I was bi. They've disowned me now. I'm sorry for pulling away from you both. Amelia, you were and always have been my little sister. Cal started to scare me because my love for him was so different."

Cal looked down. "I forgive you. But that doesn't mean we go back to what we were. You want to be a part of this family again you have to work for it. And if you ever want to be more than that with me then you better show me you're worth it. I don't care if my sibling stands by you, you hurt me or Amelia ever again, I will not hesitate to push you out of my life."

Opus nodded. Amelia stared into his eyes and opened up her text book again. "I will be studying up on the worst hexes just in case."

Lee clapped. "Well this has been amazing now, Amy, can I steal you for a second? No? Good." Amelia was forcibly pulled behind several bookcases. "I noticed you weren't back until very late last night and a little eagle told me that Thya wasn't either. Details."

"Lee, it's nothing. Just studying late." Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Sure, now just so you know I have some denta-"

"Nope, no no I'm not having the talk with you." Amelia started sprinting back to Cal. She rounded a corner and hid behind the Hufflepuff. "She's trying to have The Talk with me."

Cal and Opus burst out into laughter.

**

By Thursday everyone was rushing out of the school. Cal and Lee gave a rushed goodbye to Opus and Amelia before leaving. Amelia left the other Slytherin immediately. She began walking slowly up the stairs, not really having a destination. She passed the portraits that were decorating their spaces with Christmas attire. Amelia ran her fingers over the tinsel wrapped around the banisters. Her feet eventually took her down to the Room of Requirement. 

"Amelia!" Thya called from behind her. "Just the girl I wanted to see. Are you doing anything right now?"

Amelia shrugged and smiled at the Ravenclaw. Butterflies filled her stomach. "Not really. What's up?"

Thya flushed, "Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out? Listen to some music and just kind of chill?"

Amelia held back a laugh, "You hang out in Muggle towns during the summer, don't you? I'd love to 'Chill' with you."

Thya smiled and the two began to walk to the wall. Thya walked in front of it three times. The door appeared in its ornate and magical glory. Thya held the door open and Amelia walked in and promptly fell on her face. The floor was a trampoline. Thya giggled. There were pillows and the walls were cushioned. 

Thya ran in and did a flip. "I used to do gymnastics when I was younger. I miss it sometimes."

Amelia struggled to get up and once she did she grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at Thya. "Thanks for the warning!"

"Do you wanna go? I'll warn you I was the champion pillow fighter in '96." Thya said holding a pillow threateningly.

"Bring it, birdy!" Amelia laughed bouncing over to grab another pillow.

A few random pillows that were smaller began to appear all over the room. "You're on, snake? That wasn't nearly as cool."

Thus began an epic pillow fight. Their hair was messed up and there were a few feathers drifting in the air. Laughter chimed around the room. Eventually, the room produced dodgeballs and the girls called a ceasefire to construct forts that they were currently hiding behind. The room had also erected a scoreboard that was slightly faulty in the fact that Thya was awarded ten points every time she hit Amelia and Amelia was only awarded one. 

"You have wounded my pride! For this, you must be slaughtered!" Amelia called. "Charge!" She took a bouncy running leap at Thya's fortress and knocked it and Thya down. 

The two girls went tumbling down each trying to be the one on top. Finally, they came to a stop with Thya firmly pinning Amelia to the trampoline. Amelia laughed and caught her breath before realizing how intimate their position was. Thya's hands were holding Amelia's wrists down and she was sitting on Amelia's hips. There was a single piece of down hanging on her eyelash and several feathers stuck in her hair. Amelia thought she looked gorgeous.

The Room of Requirement let out a clock chime and they both looked up to see they had fifteen minutes until dinner. It was the holiday's leaving barely anyone left at Hogwarts and it would be very easy to tell that two of them were missing. Thya coughed awkwardly and got up trying to fix her clothes and Amelia did the same.

When they reached the door Amelia used a quick spell to rid them both of feathers. Just as she was about to open the door she had a sudden burst of confidence and she grabbed Thya's hand in hers and laced their fingers together. The two walked down to the Great Hall that way. 

Just before they entered Thya pulled her hand away leaving Amelia's feeling strangely empty. Thya went to sit at the Ravenclaw table and Amelia sat next to Opus who eyed her suspiciously.

"Maybe Lee was right to try to give you the talk." He laughed.

"It's not what you think," Amelia muttered.

"You're completely flushed, you look like you just played three games of Quidditch, and your hair is severely messed up," Opus said softly picking up his bowl and ladling soup into it.

"It's still not what you think."

"Maybe not right now but... soon." Opus laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, dear sister," He hid his grin in his soup. "Nothing at all."

***

Over the next few days, the two girls hung out a lot. Occasionally with Opus. The three had formed a tentative friendship and had agreed to spend Christmas day together. They had all agreed to meet up in the Room of Requirement Christmas morning to open presents and exchange gifts. Amelia had ordered Cal a broomstick travel kit with quick repair tools and a comfortable seat.  Lee received a book on how to mind your own business and a box of Honeydukes chocolate. Opus was getting a box canary creams and hair care kit. Amelia had finally finished Thya's gift last night. 

She woke up on Christmas morning to a pile of presents laying on her trunk. She gathered them all up in a blanket and made her way up to the seventh floor. Amelia passed the Bloody Baron who had a santa hat stuck on his head. 

"Happy Christmas!" Thya ran to catch up with her on the stairs. She, too, was carrying a blanket full of presents and was wearing Puddlemore United pajamas. 

"Happy Christmas to you too," Amelia said with a grin.

The two girls chatted as they walked. The door to the ROR was still there so the two of them strolled in only to find themselves unable to move their legs.

"What in Merlin's left arse cheek?" Thya cursed trying to pull her feet.

There was giggling coming from the fireplace and the two girls looked up to see Opus sitting with his load of presents and a mirror showing the reflection of Cal and Lee with their own. Amelia looked up to see a bushel of mistletoe hanging above the two girls.

"You mother-"

"FATHER!" Cal shouted over Amelia's word. 

"Come on now, you two. Just a little smooch and you two can go back to pretending like you both don't desperately want to snog the other." Lee called.

Amelia threw her load of presents at the Slytherin and the mirror. Opus quickly spelled it to land slowly. The friends giggled like schoolgirls. Amelia looked at Thya who was looking down. Neither of the girls were in Gryffindor but in that moment Thya had a surge of courage. Amelia felt a hand on the back of her neck pulling her down so her lips met the other girl's. The two of them let the world fade as they kissed. Eventually their legs were freed and they collapsed. 

"Merry Christmass, Amelia! You better have gotten me something just as good as what we got you!" Cal called from the mirror.