Written for Cheeky Slytherin Lass' 100 Character Competition.
Prompt: glass
Word-count: 838
Wilhemina paced up and down her jam-packed living room. She stopped by the small window, gazed down the hill, white landscape. The wind whined, twirled snowflakes, made the trees sway. A clock ticked, her cat jumped up on the window-frame, begged and started to purr.
Wilhemina stroke the soft line of the cat's back with eyes still on the horizon. Her hands were sweaty, her armpits were all wet, flushed cheeks. She walked away from the window, fiddled with an almost dead plant, glared at the clock – they were late.
Always.
She squeezed dead leaves in her hand and paced again. Photographs on the wall stared down at her, they were all the same. Pictures of a girl and a boy, happy with hands twined together. Past and recent. She read the letter one more time, legs tingling.
The grass was dried, tickled Wilhemina's bare feet as she walked across the yellowing lawn towards an old apple tree. A soft gust made its way up her legs under her wide dress, she stopped by the tree. Underneath the crown, filled with small, green apples, sat a boy and a girl. "It's just the three of us now", Wilhemina said, "your mother and father just left."
The boy played with the girl's long, golden hair, stared at Wilhemina at the same time. "You are our favorite aunt, isn't she, Rosalie?" The girl giggled, moved closer to her brother, made room for Wilhemina.
Smiled.
Wilhemina sat down with her knees to her chest, arms around them. "You are both starting your second year soon, you must be very excited." Rosalie stroked her brother's lip with one finger, "I am, but I don't think Benjy is." Benjamin shrugged. His eyes were closed, his mouth halfway open, blood rushing.
The sky was no longer grey, but black. A slim moon tried to push through the clouds. Finally there was a knock on the door, Wilhemina rushed to the hallway, brushed against the narrow walls. On the doorstep stood a young woman and man, suitcases in their hands.
"You are very late", Wilhemina said as the young couple hurried into the small cottage. "We're sorry, Auntie Mina", Rosalie said. Benjamin helped her with her cloak, hung it over a chair.
Baby-belly.
"How far gone are you?" Wilhemina looked at her niece up and down with analyzing eyes. Rosalie shrugged, leered at Benjamin. "We think about five months", he said. Arms around her. "And your mother hasn't noticed?" Wilhemina shook her head in astonishment, waved her wand, made the suitcases disappear.
"I'm so glad you could look after them, sis", Wanda buttoned her cloak, "I know they are fourteen, but still." She dug through her large bag, took out a lipstick, "and we won't be gone that long. Thomas, are you coming?" Wilhemina smiled at her sister, kissed both her and her husband goodbye. Closed the door behind them, twisting stomach, pulse battering.
"They are gone!" Wilhemina shouted up the stairs. "Finally!" Rosalie shouted back, a door slammed closed. Wilhemina grabbed the banister, palms sweaty, a longing look up the stairs.
Want.
She walked into the kitchen, fumbled with pots and pans. Outside the window snowflakes fluttered, a sun made its way down the wall of clouds and evening arrived. Soon a pleasant smell of onion soup spread in the large kitchen, Wilhemina smiled. Ears on tenterhooks. She stared at the ceiling, pictures came rushing to her, cheeks blushing.
The three of them sat in the living room, Benjamin with the cat in his lap. "What did you tell your parents?" Wilhemina asked, stirred her tea. "That we wanted to visit our favorite aunt and see Sweden at the same time." Flames in the fireplace danced, crackled, Rosalie stroke her stomach.
"We are very thankful, Aunt Mina", Benjamin said, his hand in Rosalie's hair. Wilhemina nodded, "of course I will help you." The clock struck twelve, Rosalie stood up.
Bedtime.
Benjamin handed Wilhemina the cat, rose from the sofa. "We need our sleep", he smirked at Wilhemina, who found her mouth going dry. Her heart raced, she tipped her teacup, clattering sound. Rosalie turned around. "Do you still want to watch?"
A summer breeze through the open window, the night sky was dark blue. Wilhemina sat in her favorite chair with packing-boxes around her; she would continue her unpacking tomorrow. "I'm glad you came and visited me in my new home", she said to Rosalie and Benjamin. "Do you like it?"
They both nodded, "we like the late sun." Wilhemina sipped her glass of elder wine, smiled at her niece and nephew, "I guess you will be spending your fifteenth birthday here." They both nodded again, "that was the plan."
Celebrating.
Benjamin and Rosalie looked at each other and then turned their eyes at Wilhemina, grinned, "we're thinking about going to bed…" A grasshopper sang just outside the window, a soft smell of honeysuckle. Wilhemina wrinkled her nose, smiled weakly, sipped more wine. Benjamin's grin grew wider. "You can watch if you want?"
Note: In Sweden, one gets "sexually allowable" at fifteen...
