"Truce"

Mica led Circi back inside where Leslie and Francis were the only living bodies in the hall. They were perched against a wall, ducked behind a bench, as Leslie wound a bandage around Leslie's hand. Taking a seat in front of them on the bench, Circi and Mica greet them and share the news.

"It's over?" Francis asked. Circi nods, smiling. "Is Hagrid okay? He said he would be but he also said Clarence would be as well and..." The Ravenclaw girl looks down at her silver-stained knees.

"The unicorn was called Clarence?" Circi regretted asking when she saw Francis' defences go up. She hadn't meant any offence, she'd seen the creature and would have been honoured to see it living. Her question had been genuine, she didn't know a witch could gain the trust of such a creature and had only heard rumours of Francis' affinity for creatures. The girl was closing up, tugging her sleeves down and over her hands despite her injuries.

Everyone was starting to file back into the hall to finally rest properly and Circi looked around.

The Riers had gathered on one of the front benches where Erin could comfortably sit while Madame Pomfrey tended to her ankle. She briefly saw bone where her foot had once been connected and felt her dinner stir once again.

Serenity dropped onto the bench a little way away from her family, taking time to be away from everyone but inadvertently sitting in front of the Malfoys. Circi could see that Lucius had seen her first. He frowned, looking at Narcissa who merely nodded at him and turned back to Draco. Leaning forward, Lucius tapped Serenity's shoulder and she raised a fist as if she was about to punch him. Her arm faltered as she turned around and Circi hated that she could not see her mother's face. But, her father's usual stone-hard face softened.

Christian was watching them carefully from his seat next to Erin, eyebrows knitted close together and eyes narrowed.

Excusing herself, Circi approaches her parents, climbing over the benches to approach on the path between them. She could see Serenity chuckle slightly and her heart leaped in her chest as Lucius' lip twitched upwards.

"Oh, Circini," Serenity said softly upon seeing her and shifted so that Circi could join them.

"What are you talking about?" Circi's eyes flitted between them, feeling her nerves jittering as she remembered Lucius kicking her out of the greenhouse the last time the three of them were near each other. She wondered if they would shut her out anymore.

"Your mother and I were discussing how brave you were today," Lucius said matter-of-factly, sitting straighter and Circi only just realised he no longer had his cane- only the wand and the cane-head attached to it.

"Yes," Serenity agreed, "we're so proud of you."

Tears welled up in her eyes, a never ending stream as it seemed, but Circi sat straighter and allowed herself a moment to hear those words. We're so proud of you. Her mother was proud of her. The woman she had yearned to know about her entire life, a woman of legend in her family... proud. She was drawn from her thoughts when Serenity caressed her chin with a soft smile.

The three of them looked up when someone cleared their breath. Christian stood above Serenity, rocking on his feet as he nodded to Lucius in greeting.

"Malfoy," he greeted in a tone none of them could not quite place.

"Mr Rier," Lucius greeted.

"I just wanted to thank you for looking after my Granddaughter." Christian looks down at Circi, who smiles up at him but gripping her hands between her knees and leaning forward slightly.

"My daughter has proven more than capable of looking after herself," Lucus admitted and Circi looked at him, mouth slightly agape. Finally, some recognition. "But, I will do better." He said this directly to her and she felt her joy falter slightly.

"Actually," she began, hesitating as it wasn't just the three of them listening to her now. Narcissa and Draco were spectating the conversation, equally baffled at how well the confrontation was going, "I think I want to stay with my mum for a while."

Lucius looked taken aback and she saw how quickly he shielded his hurt. But his hurt was there nonetheless.

"Circ..." Draco piped in now, trying to imagine readjusting to life without his sister.

"I mean it," she said, looking only at her brother now, "there's nothing at the manor for me," she looked at Lucius briefly before looking down at her hands, "not anymore."

Everyone was silent, looking at her and then at each other. But, in truth, the only blessing they required most was Lucius'. His mouth was opening and closing, entirely at a loss of how to respond to her request. Looking over at Narcissa, Lucius accepts her smile and nod of encouragement as support before looking back down at his daughter.

"Okay," he said, surprising her and making her look up in shock.

"Okay?"

Lucius nods and Circi, with a growing smile, stands and hugs him. They're both grimy, aching all over, but allow the hug to linger. She wouldn't say goodbye to her father, but the man he was posing as in those clothes.

"Well," Christian said, glancing over his shoulder as Erin was using Théo and Dexter's shoulders as leverage to lift herself and swing her good leg around now without the use of her other foot, "we should get going soon before Erin injures herself anymore." He nods to the Malfoys and gives Circi and Serenity a brief look before heading back over to supervise his niece and nephew.

"Circ," drawing her eyes from her retreating Grandfather, Circi stands to sit in front of Draco and Narcissa. Taking her wand out of his pocket, Draco hands it over and collects his wand from the bench to put away, "thank you."

Accepting her wand, she smiles at him and nods. She fights the urge to hug him again as he turns to say something to Lucius and looks at Narcissa when she clears her throat. With a brief glance at Serenity, Narcissa leans over the space to come to Circi's height and smiles faintly.

"I just wanted to say that I understand why you're going, Circini. And I want you to know that I am sorry I treated you terribly, I allowed childish jealousy to cloud my judgement and was cruel to a child. You should have been a daughter to me. Only now do I think I can be the stepmother you need, if you can accept my apology?" The two of them turn their heads, feeling Serenity watching and listening closely. Upon being caught, she looks away but that only earns amused smiles from the two witches.

"I can accept your apology," Circi says, reaching over to squeeze Narcissa's hand. A moment too long and the connection brought a curtain of discomfort around Circi and she stands to brush off her skirt, noticing her scraped knees and cursing the school uniform. Serenity sensed that the goodbyes were finishing and stood, too. She nodded politely and left while Circi slowly drifted away, waving awkwardly and unsure on when to leave. "See you around, then."

As she was walking away, Mica approached her and pulled her out into the corridor, out of sight.

"That looked awkward," she announced, squeezing Circi's hands as she held them by their sides.

"Yeah, I told them I'm not going to the manor... and Narcissa apologised."

Mica raised her eyebrows but grinned in amusement nonetheless. "Must be awful," she said.

"It was dreadful," Circi countered.

"I've been meaning to ask," Mica began slowly, "since we'll have an extra year here anyway... I was wondering if you wanted to try-" Her voice was trailing off, shaking with nerves.

"Girlfriends?" Circi asked, smirking as she finished the sentence for her. Mica smiled and nodded. "Yes?" Circi prompted.

"Yes, Merlin, Yes," Mica said in one low breath as she backed Circi up against the wall behind a wall and kissed her once again. They pulled apart but, eventually, one of them would lean in for more. Their back-and-forth ensued until Circi heard her name being called down the corridor. Serenity.

"I have to go," Circi said quietly, pressing her forehead to Mica's before pulling away, "see you in a few months, I guess."

"Yeah..."

Backing away slowly, waving goodbye, Circi turned and approached her mother.

"Come on, Circi," Serenity said her name as though it might be the last thing she would ever say, "let's go home."