Morlec Castle, Bretagne, France.

((All of the following dialogues are in french.))

Snow covered the courtyard in an immaculate blanket, drawing awe from the little girl standing on a platform by an arch. Her blue eyes were sparkling with joy as she took in the beautiful scenery before her, making her ignore the crisp air that was slowly getting at her fingers. Today Mel was becoming a big girl. It's her favorite day, she liked her birthday even more than Yule or Samhain. Today she turned five, and hopefully Brother Serge will stop treating her like a baby. It was infuriating.

"So beautiful. I like snow so much." She was thinking, her excitement over the coming day growing by the second. It didn't take long before she turned back and returned to the warmth of the Castle. She strutted to the dining hall, "Hi Mum ! Daddy !" She greeted her Mother and Father with a kiss on the cheek before taking her seat at the table.

"Hello Darling. Happy birthday"

Lucille responded with a gentle, fond smile to this little girl that warmed her heart everyday of her life. Her little treasure. Pierre on the other hand looked up from today's edition of The Magical Times and acknowledged the girl with a smile. He drank a bit from his coffee and mumbled a "Happy Birthday" to which Lucille chuckled and laughed when she saw the flustered reaction of her daughter.

"Daddy! I didn't hear you!" She called out at her Father in exasperation.

"Happy Birthday, Melusine" Pierre only responded with a sigh. He had lost his reading and would be troubled with reading it all over again.

"When's Brother Serge arriving?"

Melusine inquired, gleefully grabbing a steaming croissant on the table and stuffing her mouth full in a content sigh.

"Manners, Melusine."

Lucille admonished her, to which she responded by slowly finishing her mouthful, uttering a nervous "Sorry" with a mischievous smile that only spelled out she wasn't sorry at all. Lucille tried to glare at her, but she just couldn't and instead barely contained a chuckle.

"Your Brother will be arriving after his day of class, my Dear."

Lucille told her daughter, after finishing her cup of tea.

"Your Uncle Louis and Aunt Marie will be here for lunch and dnner."

She added and the girl returned a nervous stare.

"Uncle and Auntie ? They could make it ?"

She asked, torn between how intimidated she felt around them, but also how deep she loved them. Uncle Louis was nice, but had an aura the unnerved her. Auntie always pinched her cheeks, which she found displeasant.

"Yes, my dear. And you will see Uncle Louis quite a bit in the coming years."

Lucille responded. Pierre was deep in his reading but he growled in acknowledgement.

"Today you are turning five, Melusine. And you will start learning under Uncle Louis. He has much to teach you."

She said to the girl, with an expression of seriousness that Melusine understood. She knew not to be a brat when her mother was serious.

"Alright Mum."

She said before focusing back to her breakfast. This day was just getting more interesting, and she was looking forward to what Uncle Louis had to teach her.

Uncle Louis and Aunt Marie arrived before lunch, Pierre greeted his younger brother with a firm handshake, and they quickly went in his study.

"Oh look at you ! Already a big girl aren't you?" Aunt Marie greeted Mel, giving both her cheeks sloppy kisses before pinching them. The girl's face flushed in response "Auntie stop it !" she said in between chuckles, trying to put a bit of distance between her and her aunt, but her grip was too strong. "Sorry, sorry" the black haired woman responded with barely contained mirth, "you are just so cute, my dear" she justified, eliciting a laughter from the little girl

"We should head to the dining room, the boys won't take too long joining us" Lucille called, a soft expression drawn on her face as she watched her sister-in-law interacting with her dear daughter.

With this, they walked to the dining room and took seats around the table. Marie and Lucille went into a light conversation about the weather and fashion in the Capital while Mel listened. Everytime someone mentioned Paris near her had the little girl listening intently. She found the Wizard's forbidden place absolutely fascinating.

Wizards weren't welcomed in Paris, well, except for a select few that were tolerated as ambassadors. Paris was Baron Valois' territory, and since the Revolution, the old vampire had the wizards banned from the city. Marie was the wizard's representative to the Vampires, and as such she was allowed to live at the capital. She always had incredible stories to tell, stories that filled Mel's mind with terror and trepidation alike.

"I would really like to visit Paris sometimes" Mel mused out, and instantly shrugged when she felt her Mother's and Aunt's gaze upon her. The embarrassing moment was cut down by Pierre and Louis entering the dining room, each taking a seat near their wives. They wore a stern expression that spelled much about the gravity of the discussion they had in private. They shared a look and their mood instantly switched, Louis smirked as he turned to Mel.

"Happy birthday, little flower" he said and Mel returned a smile. "Thank you Uncle ! I'm five today !" She said gleefully.

"Such a big girl !" Louis said with a laugh that made Mel pout. "Stop mocking me." She said but her pout disappeared the moment the table got filled with various dishes, plates with shrimps and lobster, salad and bread. Mel's eyes widened as she took in the food. "Wow ! You made my favorite foods !" She exclaimed happily while her relatives were looking at her with unrepressed joy. She began filing her plate, but a glare from her mother was sufficient to quell her ardors. She blushed and did her best to act poised and dignified.

Lunch went on for a bit more than an hour, the adults talking lightly and making jokes. Louis and Marie teasing Mel with gentle jabs, laughing at her pouting. The lunch was light enough, hinting that the birthday dinner would certainly be richer, so Melusine didn't throw a tantrum at the lack of cake. She loved cake. If no cake at lunch, then it would be at dinner. Just as she stood up from her chair, Louis stopped her with a gesture of his hand, his expression serious.

"Follow me, Melusine." He only said and the girl knew that her lessons were about to start. She nodded and walked behind him. He brought her outside in the crispy January breeze all the way to the Greenhouses. The weather was warmer there, plants in various stages of growing in lines of pots around them.

"Melusine Morlec. As a second born of the Morlec, you are to uphold a duty. A duty I accepted back when I was your age. Do you understand?" Louis said, locking his eyes with Mhis niece. Her mind was running wild with fantasies about the so-called duty, and her curiosity took the best of her.

"I understand Uncle. What do I have to do ?" She asked, "Is this related to flowers ?".

Louis laughed at her innocent question.

"Yes, but not only flowers. In the next years you will learn how to breed magical plants, how to take care of them. You will learn everything about them. When the time's come, you will have to teach your Brother's second born with the knowledge."

He said solemnly. Mel's eyes opened wide at the realization, she loved plants, and she was really excited at the prospect, even though a bit intimidated at the sheer amount of work and studying.

"But that isn't all, Melusine. You will do the same with my knowledge of Potions. I will teach you how to brew, do you understand your responsibility?" He asked, studying her face intently. Mel shrugged and trembled with a bit of nervousness, that was a lot, but she trusted her Uncle, and if that was her duty to her family, then she would step up to it.

"I understand, Uncle. Thank you for your guidance." She responded with a solemnity that belied her young age.

"Great." Louis concluded, before spending the next few hours showing Mel around the greenhouse.

Mel grew up as seasons passed, Louis was a strict teacher, demanding nothing less than perfection from his student. There were quite a few times where Mel bent under the pressure, where she broke down in tantrums and fits of anger against her Uncle, but that always was short lived. And whenever he left the Castle to go back to his wife, she found that she missed him. It was different from her relation to her mother and father, more like a model she wished to follow. She found out quickly that her Brother Serge's antics didn't infuriate her anymore, her mind filled with information about herbs and plants, her days were spent taking care of the greenhouses, of attending to the plants.

She was six and a half when Uncle Louis deemed her knowledge of botany enough to teach her about potions. It has started with tests about specific interactions between plants, about their effects, and then proceeded to process them adequately. She was seven when she stopped wasting almost everything she touched, that she managed to mince, to crush, to crumble plants adequately. That's when she started brewing under her Uncle's supervision. By the time she turned nine, she was fully able to brew basic potions with ingredients that she grew herself. She spent most of her time outside, looking after the plants and brewing, running and moving heavy crates around. She didn't mind the winter cold, she liked summer heat, she became toned and fit as she grew in height.

Her birthday again, "Today I'm turning Nine" she thought, standing on the platform, by an arch. Her blue eyes sparkling with joy and awe as she admired the immaculate snow blanket covering the courtyard. Her thought drifted back to four years ago and she chuckled as she remembered it all. That day had started exactly like today. She turned away and headed to the Dining room. "Hello Mum, Daddy" she greeted her parents with a kiss on their cheek, before taking her seat at the table. She was met with a "Happy Birthday, Dear" from both her parents, her father not engrossed in his usual reading of The Magical Times.

Mel grabbed a steaming croissant, putting it in her plate before pouring hot chocolate in her mug. She took a few bites, and then noticed her parents' expressions were strange.

"What is it ?" She asked, raising an eyebrow while looking in her Mother's eyes. She saw a flicker of doubt glinting in her eyes which intrigued her. "Is there something wrong, Mother ?" She asked, confused between different feelings.

"Mel." Lucille responded, her expression serious. "Your father and I" she said, while Pierre put his hand on his wife's in a supporting gesture, "have decided that you won't be attending Beauxbaton, like your Brother Serge." She said with reluctance.

"What now ? They can't be serious, can't they ?" Her emotions sparking in waves that quickly overwhelmed her. "It's a joke, right ?" she uttered, here eyes darting from her mother to her father as she grew restless.

Lucille, seeing her Daughter's inner turmoil, grabged her hand and squeezed it gently. "You will go to Hogwarts, dear."

She said and Mel jerked her hand away from hers.

"Why? Why Hogwarts? It's in England!"

Mel erupted in a fit of anger.

"You don't want me around anymore? Did I do something wrong ?" She asked, tears welling up her eyes. Lucille and Pierre's hearts melted a bit as they took in their daughter's reaction, and it's Pierre gruffs voice that sliced through the outburst.

"Of course not. Stop being a child."

He admonished her, giving her a stern gaze.

"You are our daughter and we love you deeply. You will attend Hogwarts because of the school's results over the past decade." He explained as his daughter had become silent, tears still rolling down her cheeks, glaring at him in defiance.

"What is so good about this school anyways?" She retorted with a pout.

Pierre left out a deep sigh. "We only want the best for our kids. Given the school's graduates actual performances, I'm ashamed we didn't sent Serge there back then."

"So you're not mad at me? It isn't a punishment?" Mel returned, her face still frowned. "I… I don't want to be far away from you." She admitted, her shoulders slumping. Lucille grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "Here, dear, here. It will be in two years, you will be fine enough."

She said to soothe her, gently rubbing her back. "We love you, dear. Don't ever doubt it." She added, her voice trembling slightly.

Feeling the sadness creeping from her mother's voice at her last words made Mel feel like she had just been splashed with cold water. "Sorry…" the girl said, burying her face in her mother's shoulders, letting her emotions wash over her in the tender hug.

"Mum's right, two years is like ages away. four years ago I was just starting studying with Uncle." she thought, her nerves calming. She finally broke away from her and wiped her tears. Deep in thoughts as she took a few sips of her chocolate, making her feel better.

"There's something more, Melusine."

Pierre's deep voice cut against the silence. "We have hired a tutor. She will teach you to speak English, as well as proper etiquette." He said, which made Mel respond with a scoff.

"Do not scoff at me, young lady." He admonished her once more.

"Miss Theresa Nott will be arriving at the Castle by tomorrow. I expect from you nothing less than adequate behavior. Have I made myself clear?" He added with a rumble. Mel straightened her back and nodded in response.