December 21, 1894 — 12 Grimmauld Place

Phin wondered if anyone would really complain if he decided to spend the holidays at school. He didn't think anyone was particularly enthused about him being at home, but to be fair, he hadn't actually asked. Sometimes the path of least resistance was just... easier. And if he did it once, maybe he wouldn't feel bad about staying behind later on. What he felt and what his family actually cared about probably wasn't the same thing, but Phin had to at least focus on what he could control, he supposed.

He was already regretting the decision after the better a part of the day on the train, and by the time he dragged himself across the threshold of the house, he thought that at least he'd get to go to bed in his own bed tonight. So, at least there was that. Phin found his way into the parlor under some semblance of not simply spending the entire holiday break locked up in his room, and found his aunt already there. "Hello, Aunt Ella."

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Elladora Black

  

Phineas – the older, wiser variant – never really gave much indication of when, or indeed if he would be home for Christmas and as such over the years she had largely forgotten that there was, theoretically at least, a day when termtime ended and Hogwarts students came home. Usually the first indicator she had of the end of term was when Sirius appeared and so it was with a little surprise that she found herself in the company of Phineas, the younger, less petulant variant.

“Phineas,” she said by way of greeting, glancing at the boy over her book. “You’re home,” she added, though it was of course quite evident. “We weren’t sure whether to expect you. Your mother and I, I mean.”

  

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fabulous set by Lady <3

Phin shrugged, unsurprised by his family's uncertainty--he hadn't been entirely sure, after all. To be perfectly honest, he'd half-expected to wake up that morning and decide he wasn't leaving after all. "I thought it might be nice to have a break at home." Christmastime was supposed to be a time for miracles after all, wasn't it?

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Whether she had been at home or at Hogwarts Elladora had seldom been out of the company of her brother – when he was not otherwise occupied – or her younger sister – who, unfortunately, had never followed their brother’s excellent example – and as such it had been neither here nor there to her as a youngster where she spent her breaks from school. Still, it was good that he was making decisions for himself.

“Other students can be quite a tax on one’s resources. I suppose that’s even more true for Ravenclaws than Slytherins?” She asked, folding close her book but not yet letting go of her page.

  

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fabulous set by Lady <3

Phin nodded. "Some of my roommates are staying the holidays. I thought if I wasn't going to get quiet at school, there was no reason to not come home." That was more or less the truth, even if Phin wasn't actually sure about the bit about his roommates. He'd figure something out later if this turned out to be a terrible idea. Probably.

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