Disclaimer: I do not own the cover photo, or anything at all in the story. It is JK Rowling's.
A/N: This round of QL was really difficult for me, not going to lie. I haven't written either of these characters besides little cameos in Arms of the Angel before. I think I got it, though. Written for: (skip)
QL rnd 12: harpies' seeker: incorporate the little mermaid; disney character comp: jane porter: write about someone curious; open category comp: riddle era; hogwarts fair advance classes: charms lesson one: word prompt - protection; hp chps comp: number twelve grimmauld place: write about any of the blacks; hunger games comp: quote at the top; one of every letter challenge: y; as many as you want comp: weasley, Festival, Sky, don't listen, "Where are you going?", Diagon Alley, First, blue eye, smile, point, cloak, invisible, Not romantic, Vividly colored, Color, Flowers, Flower, Dance, Childhood, Uncharted waters, Sobbing hysterically, It shimmered like butterfly wings., Hiding her face, Mumbling incoherently, Springtime, Muggle;
Kind people have a way of working their way inside me and rooting there. - Suzanne Collins
Young Enough
The first time Cedrella Black met a Muggle, she was seven.
It was a subject rarely spoken of in the Black Household. Muggles, that is. But mostly, she heard her father speak of them in the same tone used when speaking to their house elf. When she had asked her mother, just two years ago, she had been told that they don't do magic, and she wasn't to speak of them, and certainly not speak to one.
That did not mean she didn't want to. Her parents were protective, she knew that. She was rarely allowed to play outside with the other children, and was stuck longingly staring out the windows with her sisters. She was just a child. She was young enough to want to explore, and young enough to want to have fun, and she was young enough to want to know a Muggle.
Cedrella was certainly young enough to be curious. She wanted to know what it was like to not have magic; this world was a mystery to her. And certainly not one that her parents approved of, not in the slightest.
When spring came around every year, Cedrella grew a little more excited. Her eighth birthday was in a month's time, but she grew especially excited as the seasons changed because with spring came new, beautiful weather, blooming flowers, and children, like her, playing in the streets.
In Diagon Alley, of course.
Today was such an occasion.
An annual children's festival, held in the heart of the Alley. The colors around looked so vivid the scene may have been painted, and in the air was fun and excitement. The sky was the clearest blue she'd seen in months.
And Cedrella danced through it as if it was made for her. She wasn't listening to what was around her, only her heartbeat and the colors of the sounds. She felt as if she were invisible, in the midst of pointed hats and billowing cloaks, only in touch with her mother, whose hand she was grasping tightly.
The sun shimmered like butterfly wings, and she stared at it, soaking in that first, warm spring sun and the fun it had brought her. This was, after all, the first time she had ever been allowed to go, never mind that she, Charis, and Callidora had been begging their parents since they had first learned of its existence.
Cedrella's parents were not, exactly, the kind of people who enjoyed fun nor excitement.
"Now, girls," her mother was saying, but she wasn't listening, "you're going to stay right with me. If I let go of your hand and you shoot away, you won't be leaving the house for a month." Tentatively, her mother let go of her hand.
She stayed with her parents and sisters, looking around and thriving in the festival air, but more than anything, she wanted to leave, and have fun.
With those children, only a few paces away. But her parents wouldn't stand for that.
And she shot straight away.
"Where are you going?" called out Charis, but Cedrella ignored her. Father and Mother were yelling, but she didn't care. They were shooting spells, she knew it, to summon her or something, but she was fast and she wanted to explore and what was the point of coming if she wasn't going to do anything at all? She hid her face behind the adults and became invisible.
So much so that she wasn't keeping track of where she was going. She danced through the crowd, exploring uncharted waters, loving the feeling of not having to listen to the rules, even though she was young enough to have them.
And before she knew it, she was in the dark. She had gone through a hole in the wall and was all together disoriented, until she spun around and saw the light again. She headed toward it, and the other side was not the festival from which she had come.
A group of parents stood around a group of boys and girls her age, who were wearing something funny and playing something funny in the street. It looked like a Quaffle, and they were kicking it around and trying to score against each other.
She loved Quidditch.
"Hi," she announced, quite loudly. They all turned to look at her, scrutinizing her in different forms.
"Why is she dressed like that?" said one of the boys.
"Who cares?" said one of the girls. "Let her play. Hey, can you kick?" The girl's eyes flashed with excitement, and Cedrella beamed.
"Sure!" So she came to them and joined the game, and one of the parents asked,
"Who's this?"
"A friend," said the same boy from before, kicking the Quaffle towards her. She passed it between her feet and wondered why on Earth they weren't playing Quidditch. That is, until one of the boys other team pulled on his mother's arm.
"Mummy," he said, "why does she look like that?"
Cedrella ignored him and continued to play. That is, until another boy joined them, one with hair on fire and eyes the same color as the sky. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Dad! Dad, look at this! Look at the game these Mug—" he broke into a whisper, mumbling incoherently.
"Septimus! Septimus, where are you?" A tall man came into view, running after the boy who had just passed her the ball. The one with his hair on fire. He had a wand in the pocket of his robes, and this man caught the other parents attention. "I'm so sorry about that," he said, holding Septimus's hand and extending the other to shake to the group of mothers and fathers collectively. Only one had the courage to speak up.
"No trouble," he said, shaking Septimus's father's hand, "I'm sure he was just excited. You don't happen to be this one's father, do you? She's only been here for a few minutes, and we were all just about to stop the game and find out." She was nudged in the side, and Cedrella realized they were talking about her. She looked up and the man turned to look at her, and his and Septimus's eyes widened.
He shook it off and smiled. "No, but I know her parents. We'll get her back, don't you worry."
With that, he ran toward her, dragged her and Septimus back from where they came, both quickly waving goodbye to their new friends.
Once they were in Diagon Alley, her parents were there immediately. Her mother embraced her, sobbing uncontrollably, while her father yelled at Septimus's for what seemed like ages. She cried until the tears were gone because she hated when he yelled, and hated when he was mad at her even more.
She was punished for one month, exactly, past her birthday.
But her childhood didn't last forever, and she kept that day in her heart for all those years. Because she knew, without a doubt, there was more to that story. To Septimus. To Muggles. And then she was old enough to understand, and she was scared.
But when she danced with Septimus at their wedding, in a garden that was not magical, that was truly magical. And she was in love, and free.
I'd love to hear how you liked that!