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ATHENA woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. She let out a groan, squinting at the light flooding her room because of the opened curtains. Using her hand to shield her eyes, she grumbled incoherent curses, kicking the body next to her.

The body fell to the floor with a thud.

And a string of curses.

Athena did not even have the energy to roll her eyes at her brother on the floor as she stood, looking around and trying to figure out where she was and what happened.

Her eyes widened, memories of the night before rushing in.

Muggle London. Her friends. Abraxas' friends.

She looked to her side, not bothering to stop the laughter from spilling out of her mouth as she saw her brother on the ground, looking disheveled in the suit he was wearing the night before. "Great way to start the day, Brax," she teased.

Abraxas, who was shielding his eyes with an arm from the light, put his arm down and narrowed his eyes. "At least I didn't fall asleep in a gown," he pointed out, voice hoarse.

He rolled his eyes fondly at the nickname she had called him when they were only kids—and the fact that she now called him it again more than a decade later...

Athena's laughter stopped. She looked down and realized her gown, eyes widening again.

Her mother would throw a fit if she found out she had fallen asleep in this expensive dress.

Still, she shook her head and looked around her room. Her eyes found the empty firewhiskey bottles on the floor, wincing at the multiple amounts of it.

"How much did we drink last night?" she mused, waving a hand and watching the bottles immediately fade into nothing.

Abraxas stood up, clutching his head with his hands—as if it would stop the headache he was feeling.

Yet, his eyes were widened with awe at the display of wandless magic.

He never understood exactly how she could do it, especially at the time she blasted Riddle to the wall that one time in Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

He shook his head, snapping out of it when he looked into the mirror of his bedroom.

His gelled hair was no longer gelled, but stuck up in weird places.

His face looked horrible, and so did his clothes—messy, reeking of alcohol—making him wrinkle his nose.

Athena was the same.

The updo she had let fall the night before made her hair now messy and tangled together—she wondered just how much time it would take to untangle it.

She stood from Abraxas' bed, remembering bits and pieces yet again.

After coming back from Muggle London, Athena and Abraxas found themselves tipsy in Abraxas's room, reminiscing and sharing stories.

As siblings, they talked about experiences they had missed out on due to their rivalry in previous years.

Athena recounted her time at Beauxbatons, while Abraxas shared tales from Hogwarts before she had arrived.

In a way, they bonded more than they ever did.

Just two siblings, sharing stories of things they missed out on and drinking, laughing at each other's drunkenness.

"Mother will not let me live this down if she sees me like this," muttered Athena right before rushing out of his room, then into hers a minute later, planning to take a shower and not be late for breakfast.

Breakfast went by better than they expected, filled with a surprisingly comfortable atmosphere. With their parents absent, the tension usually hanging over the dining table dissipated, allowing for a rare moment of sibling camaraderie—despite the persistent thrum of their hangovers.

They did not know why their parents weren't present, but Athena was not complaining.

The house elves said something about having to go to the ministry when Abraxas asked, but she had tuned them out.

Athena glanced at the empty head seat, where their father would normally sit, and then at their mother's vacant place, perfectly set but devoid of the expected scrutiny.

The absence of their parents felt liberating, allowing them to relax and enjoy the spread before them without the weight of expectation.

The dining table was lavishly adorned with an array of food prepared by the house elves: golden scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes stacked high, and a variety of fresh fruits glistening in the sunlight.

Abraxas leaned heavily against the table, his droopy eyes barely staying open. "Pass me the salt," mumbled Abraxas, dozing off for a second before jolting awake, startled by the sharp slap Athena gave the polished surface.

She couldn't help but laugh at his startled expression. "You really need to work on your reflexes, you know," she teased, sliding the salt towards him. "And also, don't fall asleep on this dining table. The house elves already do too much. I don't want Izzie also wiping your drool off of the surface."

He snatched the salt out of her hand, glaring at her through bleary eyes. "I wasn't sleeping! Just... meditating on the culinary delights of this breakfast," he replied, trying to sound dignified but failing miserably.

"Right, because contemplating the merits of burnt toast is truly enlightening," Athena shot back in the same fake-dignified manner, raising an eyebrow and pointing to his plate, which was indeed a sad pile of overcooked bread. She leaned back in her chair, grinning. "Next time, I'll let you meditate in peace while I eat all the bacon."

"Hey! Not fair!" Abraxas protested, the corners of his mouth twitching into a reluctant smile. "You know I need energy after last night's debacle."

"Debacle? More like an embarassing story I can tell your future kids," she replied, nudging him playfully. "I mean, how many people can say they got chased out of a Muggle pub by a very confused bartender?"

Abraxas chuckled, shaking his head. "I still can't believe you tried to haggle for a drink. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I could charm him!" Athena exclaimed, feigning offense. "And it worked until you started dancing on the bar!"

"Only because you dared me!" he shot back, his voice a mixture of laughter and mock indignation. "You know I can't resist a challenge."

"True," she admitted, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "But you owe me for the hangover. Next time, you're buying the Butterbeer."

"Deal," he said, raising his glass of orange juice as if to seal the agreement. "But if you get us kicked out again, I'm leaving you to face the consequences alone."

"Sounds fair," Athena said, clinking her glass against his.

And just like that, Athena dove into the plate of bacon, her eyes lighting up at the sight.

In one swift move, she snatched the crispy strip from Abraxas's hand, shoving it into her mouth before he could even react.

"Hey! That was my last piece!" he groaned, half-amused and half-exasperated.

She simply shrugged, chewing defiantly and savoring the salty goodness.

Ignoring his protest, she reached for his cup of orange juice and downed it in one go, the refreshing tang waking her up fully.

"Seriously?" Abraxas exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You're the worst!"

Athena flashed him a cheeky grin. "I'll go start packing," she said and standing up, making a hasty exit from the kitchen before he could launch into a scolding about etiquette or stealing his food.

"Wait! You can't just—" he called after her, but she was already racing out, her laughter trailing behind her like a spell. The sound of his incredulous protests only spurred her on.

Yes, she hated Malfoy manor.

But having Abraxas by her side made it bearable.