Slytherin House Common Room

[Edwin Albanore]

Sitting alone by the fireside, the Christmas tree decorated smartly over his left shoulder the sixth year student sat reading a book of spells. The fire crackled and his eyes moved towards it's warm glow and away from his book. The crackling of the fireplace would remind some of home he thought, some who had families to spend Christmas with he supposed, not that it mattered. He reached for his goblet as he set his book down. He slowly slipped the glass of red wine that he had snuck in early in the term and hidden away amongst his things, it was tart but there was just a hint of mellow sweetness that evened it out, it truly was delectable and worth the wait. He placed the goblet next to the book on the table beside the chair and fixed his tie. He then got up and stoked the fire a bit, watching the orangish red embers spark and glow before returning to his seat. He leaned back and retrieved his goblet as a black cat scurried across the floor and leapt into his lap. He offered the cat a polite scratch on his back before the dainty feline curled up on his lap and purred. Edwin took his hand and scratched the cat under his chin, the animal seemed most content with this display of affection on his terms of course.

"Ahhh Merlin..."

He took a sip of his wine again.

"...You truly are my only friend aren't you?"

The cat craned it's neck and looked into the eyes of the boy who had been his companion for his entire life and once more purred contently as his chin was scratched, the feline closed it's yellow eyes and soon made himself comfortable on Edwin's lap warm and cozy by the fire and went to sleep.

As Edwin picked up his book and set his goblet down once more. Just then the door to the room opened and in came and in came the idiot. He of course too was here during the holiday break, but not because he lacked family or those who cared about him but because he was a Gryffindor and had ideas of heroism in his head, ideas that had been implanted there by some grandiose vision of who he was in the grand scheme of things instead of the cold dark reality that he was in fact no one.

Merlin raised his head and stared at the intruder, Edwin felt his companion's body tense as the cat let out a hiss at the other boy who entered the room.

"I know what you're up to Edwin and I am going to stop you."

Edwin let out a sigh and tucked his book close to his chest and his gaze moved to the intruder.

"Now now Merlin, no way to greet our guest."

He picked up the bottle of wine and motioned for the Gryffindor come in.

"Now what might that be exactly Felix? Enjoying a book of potions and a goblet of wine by the fire with my cat curled up on my lap? Speaking of which could I offer you some?"

Felix tensed as he moved further into the room between Edwin and the fireplace.

"Don't play games with me, you're here by yourself plotting. I don't know what at, but it's clear to me that you have something up your sleeve."

"My word, you are such a bore. Would you like the wine or not? It is rare vintage from my father's cellar."

Not that he had explicit permission to take the wine, but not that his father cared much about what he did anyway. In truth he did have a family, but he was not what one would consider the prized child, he was an after thought at best, not that he cared.

"Sit down, make yourself warm. Never mind Felix's hiss, he is wary of other felines, you being a Gryffindor perhaps makes him feel a bit territorial and protective of me. We can discuss your accusations over a glass, it is after all Christmas Eve dear Felix."

Felix grit his teeth and pulled up the chair across from Edwin. The fire was indeed nice, but he trusted nothing about the moment.

"I'll take a glass. I know you stole a book from the restricted section of the library on rare on obscure magic."

Felix reached to the lower shelf of the end table and pulled a second goblet up. Slowly and carefully he filled the goblet with the silky red liquid and reached across the distance between the two and handed it to Felix with a faint smile on his face. His eyebrows raised in unison at the direct accusation.

"Well I think borrowed is the more appropriate term, it is after all a library and I do indeed intend to return it. Ahh the penny drops. Is that what this is all about?"

Edwin sipped his wine once more if for no other reason to put Felix's mind at ease that there was no poison in the bottle. In fact...he reached over and topped his own goblet off. No use in saving the bottle, it would become corked and the taste ruined if it was not all finished his evening anyway. A much easier task with a companion to share it with, even if it was...him.

Felix watched as Edwin topped off his own glass before he dared to take a sip of the wine. He nodded in approval, not his first glass of wine, but he was typically not a rule breaker.

"You have no business with that book, but...you need to give it back."

Edwin leaned back in his chair but did not break eye contact with Felix. Merlin slowly closed his eyes when he realized how at ease his human companion was with the situation.

"I will give it back when I am done with it. The restricted section rules exist for narrowminded fools who do not have the mental capacity to understand what they are reading from an academic purpose and take things literally. For example..."

He opened the book.

"This potion here is powerful, it can be slipped into one's drink and makes them extremely open to the power of persuasion. What's more it is tasteless and odorless. The victim does not know anything until it is far too late, the first sign is a slight tightening of the throat and a dry feeling in the mouth as if one had consumed an overly salty snack and needed water at once to satiate their thirst...You see, to me this is good knowledge to attain for a worst case scenario, but not knowledge for the faint of hearted who would perhaps misuse it's content for more...nefarious purposes..."

Edwin offered Felix a polite smile and raised his glass.

Almost instantly Felix felt his throat tighten and his eyes widen as he looked across at Edwin. He licked his lips but his mouth felt dry.

"You...you poisoned me...?"

Edwin chuckled and then took a long sip of his wine.

"You see? The power of persuasion needs no potion, I did not poison your wine Felix, I am much more subtle than that, nor would I dare ruin such a rare vintage. This is my bottle and I wouldn't ruin it just to get one over on you, I don't need to. I have already used your own mind against you...now. Enough of this nonsense. Tell me, why waste Christmas Eve here away from your family to spend it with me? Someone who you seem to loathe..."