Susan's Cafe stood at the corner of Castle Street and Market Street, the plucks of an acoustic guitar soothing the mood of everyone who entered. Warmth covered those inside the quaint shop like a blanket; a most welcome reprieve from the crisp, cool air that lay just outside its doors. The chattering voices of customers were sometimes drowned out by the hissing and gurgling of the fancy espresso machines lining the counter.

From behind the register, a young blond girl flashed a smile. "Is there anything else I can get for you today, Sarah?"

"No, dear, not today." The elderly woman returned the smile, paying for her drink. "Are you off to school again soon, Diana?"

Diana's smile faltered for a moment. "Tomorrow morning, actually," she replied, ignoring the nervous fluttering in her belly. "Today's my last shift. But, I should be back around the holidays, so you won't miss me for too long."

Sarah tutted softly. "I never hear of children being sent off to boarding school these days. In Scotland, no less!" She took a sip from her cup, shaking her head. "Are your parents really that busy that they need to send you away?"

The bell above the door jangled as a woman and child entered. Praising the distraction, Diana waved off Sarah's question with a shrug and grin. "They travel a lot, yes. Besides, I really do love my school, so it's no nuisance to me. It feels like another home."

Sarah tutted again, but said no more on the subject. From her coat pocket she removed a 20 note, and she tucked it into the half-full tip jar. "For a new book," she explained at Diana's surprised expression. "I know how much you read, and that train ride of yours is sure to be long. Safe travels, dear."

With a wave, Sarah said goodbye. As Diana rang up the mother and son for their hot chocolate and blueberry muffin, she couldn't help but feel sad. For the past two years, her school breaks were mostly spent inside the cafe, earning money for whatever future lay ahead. Regulars, like Sarah, always seemed to brighten her day when they came by, and leaving for school meant not seeing them for months at a time.

Diana tried to shake the melancholy thoughts away; the last hour of shift seemed to come far too quickly for her liking. The bell jangled again, and a portly middle-aged man bustled inside, throwing a forest green apron over his balding head. David was the owner of Susan's Cafe, and he always seemed to have a smile on his face. If he was there, it meant it was already 4 o'clock.

"Good day?" he asked jovially, passing the tip-jar over.

"A great day, actually. There was a big rush around 11 o'clock that didn't stop for an hour." As she smoothed out bent notes and counted coins, David set to restocking the milks. They were definitely depleted after her busy morning. "We're sold out of every muffin except blueberry, by the way. And no scones left, either."

David eyed the almost empty food-case with happy eyes. "You're my golden employee, you know that? Even when I work, I never sell that many baked goods."

"I'm persuasive with junk food, what can I say?" Diana laughed, rummaging for her purse beneath the counter. She tucked the tips safely inside her wallet. "I sure will miss it here."

"And the cafe will miss you, too." David patted her warmly on the shoulder. "But, you'll be back in no time! You're still on for December holiday, yeah? I always need all hands on deck in winter. Place turns into a madhouse with Christmas shoppers," he complained, his face twisting into a rare look of irritation. "You handle them well."

A snort left Diana. "Sometimes I wish I didn't. But, I'll definitely be back for holiday… I can always use the extra money around then."

"Glad to hear it, Di. You're always welcome back here. Hold on just a tick." In a flash, David hurried to the back room, and was back in no time. He passed over a crisp white envelope with her name hand-written on front in his loopy scrawl. "I threw in a little extra for your good work," he explained, "along with your paycheck."

"You didn't have to-" Diana tried handing the 50 note back, but David held his hands up. After a few more attempts and still no success, Diana swallowed her pride and accepted the gift. "Thank you, David. It means a lot."

"Anytime, Di."

Diana grabbed her gold and black scarf from her bag, and wrapped it around her neck. With a last hug to David and glance around the shop, Diana pushed her way out into the chilly wind. The cobblestone streets were still busy that day, and she nodded to a few regulars here and there that she recognized.

A used bookstore was squeezed between two boutique clothing stores around the corner from the cafe. It was one of her usual haunts in town, and everyone who worked there knew her by name. For as far back as she could remember, Diana had always been in love with books. There was something about falling into a different world, experiencing someone else's thoughts and feelings, that brought her immense pleasure. She enjoyed everything from the classics, fantasy, horror, and the occasional non-fiction book, too.

Deciding to follow Sarah's wishes, Diana perused the multitude of colorful book-spines in the small shop. What was supposed to be an in-and-out trip became an hour long browse, and soon the shopkeeper, Julie, had to warn her of the time. Truncheon Books closed at 6 o'clock, which was suddenly five minutes away.

Without delay, Diana settled on copies of H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, and Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, the perfect mixture of classic and terrifying. The sun was getting lower and lower on the horizon as she unlocked her bicycle from outside the cafe.

Scarf flying along with her golden hair, Diana took her time leisurely biking down the streets towards home. The Stevens's lived on the outskirts of town, in a small white cottage with a thatched roof. Margaret Stevens, Diana's mother, had a love of nature and plants, which was noticeable within a glance of the house. In spring, the front yard was full of blooms of all colors, one side of the house even covered by a bit of ivy. The backyard was just as lush, with green grass and tall, expansive trees. A bench was settled beneath the largest oak, and it was Diana's favorite place to read when the weather was nice.

Soon, the two-bedroom cottage came into view. The cozy, warm feeling of home nestled inside Diana as she hopped off her Schwinn, storing it safely in the small wooden shed in the back. With school so close, she probably wouldn't be riding it again for a long time. Another wave of homesickness washed over her, and Diana rolled her eyes at herself. She wasn't even gone yet, and she was already not wanting to leave.

Barely stepping inside the cottage, there was a sudden WOOSH and crackle from the fireplace. Green flames burst to life, Jacob Stevens sighing as he came swirling into view. He glanced down at his suit, grumbling as he shook away some soot that clung to his arm. "Damn fireplace needs to be cleaned again? Didn't we just clean it last month?"

"It hasn't been cleaned since I got home for summer, dad." Diana held back a laugh as her father sighed again, eyeing the fireplace with disdain. "You can always apparate instead of flooing every day, you know," she admonished.

"Yes, but I always scare your mother when I apparate." He smiled a little at the memory. "Poor thing has never been able to get used to the sound."

It was true. Magic was as normal as breathing for Diana's father, but her mother was a completely different story. Margaret was pure, 100% non-magic. She was finally comfortable with most things after being married to Jacob Stevens for 18 years. But every now and then, magic would still startle the daylights out of her. Diana had been trained to apparate the previous school term, but had made it a point to not do it while at home. The last thing she wanted was to give her poor mum a heart attack.

Jacob stooped down to untie his shoes. Setting them beside the brick fireplace, he glanced at Diana's arms. "Di, more books? Really? Don't you want to spend your work money on something else?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "If you must know, one of my regulars gave me a bit of money as a going away gift. She told me to buy a book for the train ride north."

"Then I officially need to add-on a room to this house specifically for your books." Her father wandered into the kitchen, and Diana trailed behind him. He opened the refrigerator and produced two butterbeers from its depths. With a wave of his wand the lids popped off, and he offered one to Diana. "Between you and your mum, there's no more room on any of the bookshelves for those."

"I know, I know…" The butterbeer slid down easily, warming Diana's belly. Ever since she had turned 17 last year, if Diana and her father were ever alone at home, he would always procure butterbeer for the two to share. She smiled around the lip of the bottle as she brought it to her lips again. It was a bonding moment she would always cherish in its simplicity.

Jacob Stevens was an auror at the UK branch for the Ministry of Magic. It was a stressful job that kept him on the move or in the office for long, grueling hours. He would never complain for a second though. Once he had graduated Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he had made it his goal to enroll in the auror program. Ever since, he had worked his way up to some of the highest ranks of the branch, and was sought after for many difficult, dangerous cases.

Ever since the previous school term when Hogwarts had hosted the Triwizard Tournament, her father had been busy almost non-stop. False leads were thrown around like candy; people were paranoid from their own shadow, and the Ministry had to deal with every bit of the chaos.

A flash of a cold, lifeless form filled Diana's mind, and she felt a chill race down her spine and along her skin. How long would that picture haunt her dreams, awake and asleep? It had only been a handful of months since that fateful night, but still it preyed on her. Going back to school wouldn't help matters much.

Diana sat down heavily into a wooden chair at the kitchen table. "Any idea when mum will be home?"

"She has a staff meeting that might go late," her father replied, sitting across from her. He clinked their bottles together in a silent cheers. "Said we need to figure out dinner ourselves, just in case."

Diana instantly perked up. There was a tradition when her mum wasn't home to make sure they ate healthy. And from the worn, tired look on her father's face, she knew without a doubt what he had in mind. "I haven't had pizza in ages!" she exclaimed, nearly bouncing in her seat. "I wish the house elves at school would make it once in awhile."

Her father laughed heartily, setting his drink aside. "I'll just pop over and order, and I'll be back." With a grin, he waved his wand and turned on the spot, and CRACK.

Diana sipped from her butterbeer, waiting patiently. After five minutes or so, another CRACK filled the kitchen. Her father was still smiling. "Pizza will be ready in 20. I hope anchovy and artichoke was what you wanted?"

Immediately, Diana's face soured. "I really hope you're joking, dad. You know how much I hate anchovies and artichokes."

"Which is why I ordered pepperoni, because I don't like anything fancy either."

"Yay!" Diana stood and kissed her father on the cheek, clinking their bottles again.

He raised a brow. "Is your trunk packed and ready? I don't want another fiasco like last year where you nearly missed the train."

Hand on her hip, Diana smiled defiantly. "My trunk is packed and ready. All I'll need to do is put Rubeus in his cage, and I'll be set."

At the mention of Diana's beloved tabby cat, her father pulled a face. "You better wake up extra early to make sure you can get him inside that crate."

"Rubeus isn't difficult, dad. He only is for you."

"And why is that again? That damn cat will do anything you say, but he'll hiss if I so much as look at him."

"You're exaggerating," Diana replied in a sing-song voice.

As if on cue, there was a guttural meow from the living room. Rubeus, in his red and orange haired glory, sauntered into the kitchen, tail flipping as soon as his emerald eyes spotted Diana. With a graceful leap only a cat could possess, he settled onto her lap, purring.

"See?" her father said, eyeing the cat suspiciously.

Diana stroked her cat softly, eliciting deeper purrs from her best friend. "Maybe it's your mocking tone that pisses him off," she replied lightly. Rubeus's tail flicked, and he peeked one eye open to stare at her father.

"Whatever you say." Diana's father glanced at the clock that hung beside the backdoor. "I'll leave you to petting Merlin's bane, and pop over to the market before grabbing dinner. Forgot your mum needs me to pick up milk."

As if recognizing the off-handed insult, Rubeus let out a small growl of irritation. "Better go before he claws your eyes out, dad."

Her father glared at the cat. "No need for the warning. Anything you'd like from the market for the train ride tomorrow?"

"No, thank you." Diana grinned widely. "I'll get my fill of Jelly Slugs and Cauldron Cakes from the trolley."

"Your mum would kill you if she knew how much candy you eat away at school," he reprimanded. Still, he couldn't keep the proud smile off his face for long. "You are definitely my daughter." With a quick kiss to her forehead, her father apparated away.

Rubeus glanced up at her, his bright green eyes meeting her own. "Don't pay him any mind," she said, scratching behind his ear. "Soon, we'll be back at Hogwarts, Ruby. As long as you don't leave behind the head and tail like you did to dad, you can hunt all the mice you want, too..."

Hello, everyone! I've been telling myself for years that I would suck up the courage to post a story on this site, and the day is finally here. This is my first story since 2008/senior year, and I'm a tad bit rusty... Nowadays, I mostly just write for my own entertainment. Reviews would be awesome, but they're not necessary at all. I'm just happy to be writing again. :)

Thanks for reading!

-Hope