MELANIE HUMMED TO HERSELF as she slid onto the bench beside Angelia for dinner. "What's got you so chirpy this evening Miss Hallows?" Angelia questioned.

"Me? Oh nothing." Melanie smiled. "I was thinking, can we go for a picnic tomorrow?" She asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Yeah if you want." Angelia mumbled in between stuffing pieces of bacon into her mouth. Melanie huffed in amusement and opened her mouth to comment on her friends stunning table manners when an owl swooped down before her and dropped a black envelope on her empty plate, the Hallows' seal stamped upon it. The entire Slytherin table fell silent as their eyes landed on the envelope - it was from Drusilla and Malcolm Hallows, two of the most notorious Slytherins to have ever graduated. They were richer than the Malfoys, and rumoured to have been the Dark Lord's right hand people during his time - but it had never been confirmed.

Death Eaters or not, the Hallows' were dangerous people and hardly the most nurturing parents. "Melanie." Angelia whispered. "You don't have to open it."

Melanie felt sick, and everything around her faded away except for that envelope. "I have to go." She grumbled, snatching the envelope and running out of the Great Hall. Cedric's eyes followed the onyx haired girl as she leapt from her chair and bounded out of the Hall. He nudged Charlie who sat to the right of him and gestured his head into the direction of Melanie.

"Blimey I'm not surprised she's running, I would be too if I had her parents." Charlie shuddered before continuing to scoff down the hefty slice of meat pie he had on his plate. "Why?" Cedric pried further. He didn't know much about the Hallows family, just that they were rich and well known. Sighing, Charlie swallowed yet another mouthful and put his fork down. "Well rumour has it Drusilla and Malcolm were the highest ranking Death Eaters back when You-Know-Who was in power." 

"But-" Sam drawled, waving his knife in the air towards Charlie. "- that was never proven now was it? No word of the Hallows' having the dark mark or nothing. Absolutely diddly squat." Once finished speaking, Sam returned to his meal while Charlie just rolled his eyes at the boy and turned his own attention back to Cedric. "He's right." He began, referring to Sam's prior statement. "It never was proven. But I hardly thing every single sighting of the Hallow's family hanging around with the Malfoy's or the LeStrange's was hardly just coincidence. And, rumour has it the only reason the Hallow's were never caught was because they fled to France for a few years until the dust settled."

"Right." Cedric said slowly, unsure of how to respond, or what even to thing of the smiley and bubbly girl that so often held his attention these days. "I suppose we will never know." He chuckled, in an attempt to lighten the mood. But all he could thing of was the panic that seemed to have held Melanie as she fled from the room only moments before.

--

Melanie swallowed the bile in her throat as she slid down the bathroom wall, the cold tiles grounding her slightly. Her hands shook violently as she attempted to break her parents seal, and removed the damned letter from the envelope. She had been dreading the arrival of this letter ever since she had replied to Meliorn the week before. She was used to her brothers writing being soft and so full of the love their parents had never shown them. But that letter felt like he had written it at gun point. 

'Melanie. Hope you are well. Big plans are to come this year. Study hard and listen to Mother and Father. 

Kind regards, Meliorn Hallows '

Not to mention, it made no sense. Melanie had only parted with her brother a few weeks before and all seemed to normal. But yet, this letter felt ambiguous and even insidious. She felt as though her brother was trying to give her a sign, if only she could read between the lines and figure out what it was. But alas, frustrated and bewildered, Melanie had simply written him a reply directly questioning his words and writing style. And now as she gazed at the folded letter in her hands, she deeply, deeply regretted questioning anything. Breathing deeply, Melanie slowly unfolded the parchment and began to read the words inked upon it.

' Melanie, your father and I are writing to inform you primarily of your brothers intended arrival. The Triwizard tournament is occurring at Hogwarts this year and we have kindly offered the support of your brother to the school should they require any aid of any sort. Furthermore, we would like to remind you of the unfaltering loyalty that you must hold to this family at all times. You have a duty to uphold our gracious name and if you dare bring shame upon it you will be punished. Your brother will guide you in the coming days, he knows what is expected of him and we suggest you know the same. Meliorn shall explain.

Drusilla and Malcolm Hallows '

Melanie was utterly perplexed by her parents words. The mentions of 'loyalty' and 'shame' and even of duties made no sense to her. She knew that her parents took their house name immensely serious, that was adamant when they told Melanie that if she was in fact not housed in Slytherin she could find an entirely new house to live in permanently. But here, they spoke as if Melanie must do something. What, she did not know, but according to her parents letter she would have to wait for Meliorn to explain. The girl was abruptly pulled from her thoughts as she heard the bathroom door creak open, and a cautious faced Cedric Diggory peaked his face around the door. 

"Melanie?" He questioned softly. Scrambling quickly to her feet Melanie managed to croak out a 'come in' as she smoothed down her robes and shoved the letter back into the envelope. Cedric entered in silence, standing before the girl with his hands in his pockets. "You okay?" He cooed softly, quickly adding, "you don't have to talk if you don't want to." once he saw her visible discomfort. Melanie smiled softly and shook her head as she walked to the basins, placing the letter on the side of the sink. "No it's alright." She responded as Cedric watched her turn on the tap, the running water echoing as she splashed some on her face, savouring the cold feeling. 

"Just a letter from my parents. It startled me, that's all." She feigned a dismissive laugh, but by the suspicious look in Cedric's eyes it seemed he wasn't so quick to believe her.  "Quite a niche emotion to associate with a letter from home." The boy retorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. Melanie rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the basin, minimising the distance between the two. "It's none of your concern." She smiled and Cedric saw that flash of the Hallows anger glaze over her eyes momentarily. Something about this girl caused the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he strangely craved that sensation of uncertainty and nerves when she wasn't around. Standing this close to her, her noted how she smelled so sweet, almost like lavender. It was tantalising.  "Right." He mumbled, stepping backwards. "Of course."

He wasn't sure why Melanie had reacted so badly to her parents letter. He knew the Hallows were a strange family, but he hardly could see their child being unnerved by the arrival of a mere letter. But then again he wasn't a member of said family so what could he possibly know. "After you left the dining hall, Dumbledore announced that the Triwizard tournament is being held at Hogwarts this year." 

Melanie smiled at his attempt to change the subject, and in the back of her head she noticed the comfort she took in that small gesture. She was so used to those around her - with the exception of Angelia - prying into her family's business. Wanting to know whether the rumours were true or not. And yet here stood Cedric Diggory, just wanting to speak to Melanie; not the Hallows' daughter. It was enough to make her cry at the slither of kindness. "I know." She replied quietly, leaning back to pick up the letter from her parents. "My parents are sending Meliorn."

"Your brother." Cedric added, forgetting that the two had never spoken of her family before. "Cedric Diggory." Melanie gasped, swatting him with the letter. "Have you been asking others about me." She joked, but once she realised the boy was blushing she knew it was indeed no joke. "You have been." She added softly, tilting her head. Cedric slowly raised his head, his grey eyes connecting with hers, and he watched her lips pull upwards into a smile. A genuine smile this time. "Yes, Meliorn is my brother. I actually think you would quite like him."

"And why is that?" Cedric questioned, attempting to recover from the severe dose of embarrassment he was experiencing. "He's good. Like you." Melanie answered, observing Cedric's eyebrows furrow. "Like me?" He repeated. 

"Yes. Like you. People like you and Meliorn you're just so good. And not in the people pleasing way, or in the pretend way. No, people like you - you genuinely care for others. You do everything so intensely. You love intensely, you live intensely, all of it. I think it's rather quite beautiful actually."

"Melanie-" Cedric began, beaming down at the girl. "Have you been asking about me?" He retorted, and Melanie couldn't help but chortle. "No. I haven't actually. But I do watch those I find intriguing. And I notice things. I notice a lot actually, sometimes things that others wouldn't."

"Ah, so you admit you find me intriguing. " 

"And that's another reason why I think you would like my brother." She laughed, edging towards the door, somehow subconsciously knowing that Cedric would follow her. "You are both total fools." 

"Me?" Cedric dramatically gasped, indeed following her to the door. "A fool?"

"So it would seem." She beamed, grabbing Cedric's hand. "Now come with me Mr Diggory. I am simply famished."

And as Cedric followed the peculiar girl through the corridors of Hogwarts, all he could focus on was his hand in hers. How her entire presence was completely electrifying and how his entire body felt on fire all because of a simple hand caress. 

--

A/N

Hi! Small note just to check back in, I know it's been ages since I've updated this story but I've really been missing writing and so I want to get back into it even if I am quite rusty at it haha! But hope you are all doing well xx