Annie stared wistfully around her bedroom for the last time.
There was a slight smile lingering around her mouth as she remembered that all of the chips in the sea blue paint came from an experiment of Belles that had as usual, gone catastrophically wrong. And the stains in the woodwork of her desk, where Pierre spilt the perfume potion he'd been brewing for her as a romantic gift. She let out a brief chuckle that was at once quietened by the ache in her chest, which had been her constant companion since her dad announced that they were relocating back to England.
"ANNIE THOMAS, GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT! WE'RE LATE!"
Annie grimaced. So much for a peaceful departure then. She surveyed the room one last time before sending her trunks and boxes downstairs , and for the final time closing her door. She headed down the hallway glancing at the now empty halls and stopped at the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath before she had to face her usually peaceful, but now manic mother.
"ANNIE, SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU TO TRYING TO MAKE ME STRESSED?"
"Coming mum" she called, "Just literally heading down the stairs now so no need to get your wand in a knot".
Katie Thomas appeared at the bottom of the stairs, with her face red and her hair tangled. She looked almost wild.
"I'll tie your wand in a knot if you're not careful! NOW HURRY UP!" Katie yelled before retreating to the kitchen.
Mumbling under her breath about child labour, Annie trudged down the stairs. Heading into the kitchen she saw her dad shrinking into a corner at the back of the room as he received a lecture on the proper way to pack cutlery.
"Dean if you packed it correctly in the first place, then none of it would be scattered across the floor now, would it?" Katie ranted whilst waving her wand, sending all the cutlery flying into the nearest box.
"You knocked the box over" Dean muttered under his breath, causing Annie to snort.
"What did you say?" Katie said as she turned on Dean, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Nothing dear!" he said hurriedly, before picking up the newspaper beside him and hiding behind it.
"Annie, are you ready to go?" asked Katie, turning on her impatiently.
"Yes ma, I'm ready. Do you need any help?"
"No, no, I think we're all sorted, no thanks to your father." Katie said pointedly. The newspaper quivered in response, and a shifty cough came from behind it.
"Anyway I'll send the last of the boxes through, the Portkey leaves in three minutes, so make sure you have everything, we shan't be coming back." and with that Katie stormed out of the kitchen with a load of boxes following her.
Annie slowly made her way across the kitchen to stand beside her father, she sighed and leant against him, taking in his comforting scent.
"Dad, promise me that when she gets like this in England, I can come and see you at work, I think I might need an escape route."
"Of course you can twiglet, though you'll have your friends to escape to."
"True I'll have Niamh, that might not be much of a relief though… and who's to say that the others will even remember me" she sighed.
"Of course they'll remember you! How could they forget, you probably traumatised half of them when you were younger with your endless bloody pranking… you'll be fine twig"
"Well they'll definitely be one person who won't be happy to see me" she mumbled.
"What did you say Twiglet?"
"Nothing dad, don't worry, I was still thinking about the others." She assured Dean.
He patted her arm reassuringly before retrieving his newspaper and continued to read. They sat in comfortable silence, side by side.
"10 seconds, everyone" cried Katie, rushing into the room and grabbing hold of the grubby candlestick lying on the table.
"Hurry up" she scolded, as the candlestick began to glow blue.
Annie walked over to the table and at the same time as Dean, and grabbed hold of the Portkey. She only just had time to briefly look at the kitchen before she felt a strong tug from behind her navel. She was spinning sickeningly fast trying not to focus on the kaleidoscope of colours surrounding her, until with a jolt her feet collided with solid floor, causing Annie to stumble slightly. Before she had had time to retrieve her balance, she was sent flying by what felt to be a human cannonball, which was accompanied by a loud squeal.
"ANNIE YOU'RE HOME!" Niamh squealed, very close to her ear.
"Hi Niamh" Annie gasped, trying to force air back into her lungs after it had been forced out by the impact.
"It's a good job you're a Beater Niamh, I think you're actually starting to turn into a Bludger now" Annie teased, a large grin on her face as she hugged Niamh.
"That's probably why I'm so good, because I understand them" Niamh joked, stepping back from her best friend.
"Hello Mr and Mrs Thomas, lovely to see you again" Niamh smiled, walking over and giving both a hug.
"Hello trouble" Dean said with a smile, "Where's your dad, I thought he'd be here with you?"
"Well he was… but as we were leaving he got distracted by mums cooking, he should be here in a second, you know him he's not exactly a slow eater" she said with a grimace.
Dean chuckled before heading into the lounge and calling over his shoulder "Well tell him I'm in the lounge when he arrives…"
"AREN'T YOU EVEN GOING TO CONSIDER HELPING ME UNPACK" Katie shrieked and Dean immediately spun round on his heel and headed over to the boxes, pulling out his wand.
"Of course dear, just a little joke of mine" he replied, but fell silent after a murderous look from his wife.
"Honestly, if I wasn't here nothing would get done" she grumbled before saying "Annie take your boxes upstairs and if Niamh doesn't mind maybe she can help you unpack?"
"I'd love to Mrs Thomas" Niamh said whilst sending a load of boxes labelled 'Annie's Stuff' up the stairs and following them to Annie's old room.
Annie looked round at her old home, smiling at the familiar cosy kitchen before heading out the door after Niamh.
She passed a few spare rooms on the way to her bedroom, looking into each and carefully considering it, the third room was next to her own room and as she looked inside she paused. Deliberating the proportions of the room, she visualised what it would become. The floor to ceiling mirrors covering three walls, the wooden springboard floor… Yes, this would make an excellent dance studio.
Smiling to herself she turned to leave the room, deciding she'd transform it later, when she had some peace.
As she went into her old room a strong sense of nostalgia hit her. This had been her childhood, France had been her teenage years, but now she was back in England to begin her life as an adult.
Niamh was sat on her bed, merrily rifling through her boxes, casually chucking items on the floor that didn't interest her.
"Yes Niamh, of course you can go through my boxes, it's not like there would be anything private in there" Annie drawled sarcastically. Niamh looked up grinning from ear to ear.
"Annie we tell each other everything, what exactly would you have in here that would be private" She said smugly.
"Well I don't know… like my underwear or something" Annie mumbled.
Niamh smiled knowingly before turning back to the boxes.
Annie went and slumped on the bed next to her friend, and stared at the ceiling lost in thought.
"Who's this?" Niamh asked, pulling out a photo frame from the box.
"Well maybe if I could see it, then I could tell you…"
Niamh leant over and shoved the picture under Annie's nose.
"Well, who is it?" Niamh demanded.
"Oh him, that's Pierre" Annie smiled fondly, gazing at the grinning boy sat next to her, who would occasionally turn round and smile at the picture Annie with warmth and put his arm around her. The picture Annie smiled lovingly back at him and leant against his shoulder.
"Oh so that's Pierre…" Niamh said whilst studying the picture. "Well you got yourself a right ugly one there Annie" Niamh teased.
"Niamh!" Annie exclaimed, before playfully swatting her friend and taking the photo back.
She looked at the boy who smiled back at her, with his tanned and muscled figure, sun-bleached hair and electric blue eyes, he was certainly attractive. It made her heart flutter to just look at him.
"So how did you nab that one then? Did you bribe him into the relationship with chocolate or something?" Niamh joked.
"No he didn't like chocolate so I used honey instead" Annie joked back.
"You don't need any bloody honey you're annoyingly pretty" Niamh grumbled whilst playfully nudging her friend. "So how did you guys meet?" she asked.
"Oh he was my dance partner" Annie said casually, before carefully placing the photo on her bedside table.
"Well my opinion of him has decreased" Niamh said bluntly before turning back to the boxes.
"What? Why?" Annie cried pulling her best friend round to look at her.
"Because boys should play Quidditch! Or be rolling around playing that muggle game, Oh what's it called again… Bugby?"
"Rugby" Annie corrected before continuing "Oh Niamh don't be sexist, boys actually make very good dancers."
"Well if you say so… But I still prefer boys to be rolling around in the mud, that's much more attractive" Niamh said dismissively.
"Ooh which reminds me Annie, when are you going to show me your dancing?"
"Niamh, how did boys rolling around in the mud remind you of my dancing?"
Niamh shrugged her shoulders and stared expectantly at Annie, as if she was expecting Annie to immediately break out tap dancing.
Annie shifted uncomfortably; she hated dancing in front of people unless she had to, it was just plain awkward.
"I promise I'll show you before school starts again" Annie sighed. "I can't now as I have to set up the dance studio anyway"
"As long as I get to see it, then I'm happy" Niamh chirped in a sing-song voice.
"You will, I promise".