Chapter 8:
"two days later"
ANNA'S POV
"I have to visit my Nan's today, you wanna come?" I asked Lore as we got ready in my room.
It was pretty cold for America, so I had wrapped my self into a light blue Christmas sweater and dark blue jeans and threw a grey cardigan over it. I could almost hear Rox's voice in my ear telling me I was supporting other houses. She was a true Gryffindor. Her closet full of red and gold.
"no, it's okay, I think I will spend the day alone" she told me, pulling a black leather jacket over her grey full sleeve top and boots over her black jeans
"oh, what are you going to do?" I asked her interested, combing my hair
"I'm thinking of visiting Luke" she whispered, biting her lip. I froze, before returning to brushing my hair.
"I can cancel Nan's today, come with you?" I suggested, watching her cautiously
"no, its okay, you miss your Nan... plus, I think.. I think I need to do this on my own. No offense" she rushed
"none taken" I smiled at her "but if you need me, just call okay? And don't do anything stupid'-"
She cut me off "Anna, dont worry" she laughed "besides, I am going to see Emily afterwards, so I don't have time to do something stupid" she joked
"you are going to see Mrs Bishop?" I asked her, shocked
"yeah, she invited me round for tea, and I miss the girls" she responded, pulling her hair into a bun
"okay, great. Just, call me if you need anything?" I checked with her
"I will" she smiled, bouncing down the stairs, calling out to mom and asking her what the amazing smell was. Charmer.
America was doing good for Lore so far. She seemed... happy. But I still was worried, going to Luke's grave could mean two things, she either manages to find peace with his death, or goes back to closing herself up. I hope it's the first.
Finn's POV
"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT, JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!"
for such a small girl, Lily Potter sure had a pair of lungs on her
"I didn't mean to I swear! It's Quidditch, Lils, what do you expect?" James defended himself, dodging the fists of his sister.
"NOT FOR MY OWN BROTHER TO THROW A QUAFFLE AT MY FRICKEN ARM!" she screamed
"What on earth is going on?" Ginny asked, running to us
"James threw a Quaffle at my head!" Lily accused, pointing at her brother
"it was an accident mum! I swear, I aimed for the hoop, but Lily flew in the way!" protested James, standing a bit further away, as if to shield himself from the red heads. Wise move mate, wise move
"oh Merlin" sighed Ginny, pinching her forehead. I had a feeling she dealt with this a lot.
"James, apologise to Lily, and be careful next time. And Lily, don't call your brother an idiot, and don't say fricken." she commanded, before walking away and muttering under her breath. I heard the words "Merlin" "what did I do?" and "I would rather fight dragons", and held in a snicker
"I am sorry Lils" James apologised, stepping closer to her, but still leaving some space
"Me too, I guess I over reacted" she replied, and pulled her brother into a hug
siblings.
"oi, West, you up for a round of Quidditch?" James asked, pulling away from his sister and ruffling her hair, much to Lily's dismay
"sure, if you don't mind getting your arse kicked" I responded, running to the pitch
MARCUS'S POV'
"you would think that I would get cupcakes after being away from three months" after a day of quidditch, Ginny called us in for food, shivering and cold, Fred, Finn, James, Albus, Lily, Rox and I sat down to eat. I turned around as I heard a mans voice and saw a tall man with blue hair standing in the doorway, trailing a trunk behind him
"TEDDY!" squealed Lily, running to hug him. Oh, so this was the famous Teddy
"Teddy, mate!" James grinned, fist bumping his godbrother
"Teddy, you should of told me you were coming home today! You said tomorrow!" scolded Ginny after Teddy had hugged his god siblings and cousins. She glared at him, but hugged him, nonetheless
"look at you! All bones! Come, sit, so I can feed you!" she commanded, James and Albus exchanged faces behind their mothers back, snickering at her motherly instincts
"sorry Gin, I got out early, I would've told you, but I thought it would be easier to just visit" he explained, taking a seat next to Lily and I.
"Oi, which one of our crazy family members reproduced while I was away?" he joked, staring at Finn and I
"Teddy" scolded Ginny, flicking his head "these are the kids friends, Marcus and Finn, they are staying with us for the holidays"
"it's nice to meet you. Let me apologise for you having to suffer with James" Teddy grinned, shaking our hands
"hey! Like you are any better, I swear, would it kill ya to make the bed once in a year?" James protested
"sorry mum" smirked Teddy.
Even though I had only been staying her for two days, I felt like I was more at home than I did at my own place, and I knew that Finn felt the same. The Potters had been more than welcoming, and made us all feel at home. But, the fact still stood, that the Potters were extremely different from our families. I still found it weird how they would joke and laugh at the dinner table, in our family, dinner was spent with mom hounding the house elf for preparing her salad wrong, and dad scarfing down his food so he could get away from his crazy wife. No noise came besides the scraping of spoons and forks.
The Potters house wasn't dirty.. but it was more lived in there were toys on the floor, and brooms on the chairs. Whereas in our house, everything was gleaming and house elves polished the ornaments 24/7
I definitely preferred this place and I knew Finn did too.
Lorelai's POV
After I left, I grabbed a cab that took me too Edinburgh, the town in which Luke and I lived. I walked down the familiar streets, breathing out and watching as my breath frosted.
As I neared the graveyard, I could feel my body resisting. I was ready to turn on my heel and run for it, but then I thought of Luke, and Gemma, and Emily, and Anna, Finn, Mark, and I felt my feet walking towards the graveyard.
Luke's tombstone was located very far from the gate, so it was quite a trek, I could tell someone had been here before, as the path was no longer covered with snow, like everywhere else. I reached his tombstone and gasped, there were various flowers and other presents covering the tomb, I knew people knew Luke, but I never thought they would bother to remember him on Christmas. I picked up one of the flowers and read the card
Dear Lucas,
thank you for always helping me. You will forever be missed, and remembered.
Xoxo,
Amanda Friar
I remembered Amanda, she was a year below us, and Luke and I pranked her boyfriend after he cheated on her and left her crying in a hallway. I even heard that after that Luke tutored her after finding out she was weak in DADA.
There were some flowers from various first years, well, they must be older now, thanking him. Luke used to tutor them on how to fly and if they were weak in a subject, he was really great that way. He would go around, helping anyone in need, even if they didn't want it, and not expect anything in return.
Hell, even his ex girlfriends had sent him flowers.
"Hi Luke" I swallowed, staring at his grave, etched on the stone was "Lucas Troy Bishop, protective brother, loving son, and loyal friend, watching over those left behind"
"I am sorry I haven't been here to visit for so long, it's hard, ya know, what with the whole moving country. But, I talked to McGonagall, she gave me permission to visit you monthly, I think... I think it was be good for me, you know? To see you, I mean. Keep my grasp on reality" I chuckled quietly "hell, what am I on about? I have no f-cking grasp on reality, at all. I just... Merlin, I miss you Bishop, so damn much. You really suck, leaving me with all this shit" and suddenly, all the anger, sadness, and frustration I had felt the past few months, just came flying out
"you had to leave, didn't you? You promised me you wouldn't, you promised me you would always be there for me. 'Screw dads, and your mom' , you told me, 'it's just me and you, Katy, dealing with shit, but we will always have each other' and then what? That lasted what? 6 years? Then you die? And you leave me. You know what really sucks? I believed you, my whole f-cking life, I have had people tell me that they will always be there for, and I never believed them, you know why? Because I knew, I knew, that when everything got f-cked up, they would bloody run! But you! I f-cking trusted you! I always trusted you! And then you left!" by this point, I was crouching in front of the tombstone, my knees damp from the snow, but I didn't care, it felt so good.
"and you know what sucks?! I still f-cking blame myself. For that night, for what happened. I still blame my self. And that's what makes it worse" I took a shaking breath, and let out a low chuckle
"look at me? For months, the guys have been trying to get me to open up, to talk, and three minutes here, and I am babbling like a pathetic shit or something" sighing, I gave up, and sat in front of his grave, legs crossed, and hands shaking "I miss you, so damn much. And I keep on waiting, for it to stop. Stop hurting, stop making me feel empty, and sad. But it won't"
calming down, I gestured to the gifts I brought "Finn and Mark are saying hi, they miss you too, and wanted to come, but Finn's father has been giving him a lot of shit lately, so I don't think he could handle coming here. They told me to buy you the latest Witch Broom magazine, and swimsuit edition of the American Witches, idiots. Anna sends her love, shes going to come round tomorrow, and asked me to buy you the Tutshill Torandos latest sweater. And I got you some fine wine and gobstoppers. Just cuz you are dead, doesn't mean tradition can't continue" I laughed. Every winter, Luke and I would climb into the tree house we had made in the forest, and eat gobstoppers as we watched the sun come up, in our second year, we added some fine wine that I stole from my parents.
"You are probably wondering about everyone. Mark is good, so is Finn, Ginny offered to get them a spot on the Tutshills. You don't know Ginny, she's James' mom, who you won't know either. I will tell you all about them, don't worry" "Anna is great too, she was slightly screwed up at the beginning of the term, but I sorted it out, she's worried about all of us. But I told her it would be okay. She's set on making this year the best of our life, seeing as next year we will have NEWTS to focus on. Your mom is great, ever so in love with Seth, I am going to go see her today. Gemma is loving Ilvermorny. And is dominating the school now we have left. Olivia and Madison are now ever so energetic, but which 4 year olds aren't? And apparently Hazel can speak now, and crawl, she's an adorable two year old, I am seeing them today. And I will make sure they remember you, don't worry. I send letters to your mom all the time, so don't worry, she's in good hands. I wouldn't leave her. I couldn't do that to you, or her. She's like my mom" rambling, I changed the subject "Hogwart's is good..." I paused, and laughed "who am I kidding? It's shit. You would of hated it, they are so uptight, and strict. Finn got detention after getting to class five minutes late, apparently that's the time limit. Which makes his whole four minute rule even bloody worse, but he won't give it up, the idiot. I guess I can't speak, seeing as I joined him a couple of days ago" Finn had this rule that he would always get to class four minutes late. It started as a way to piss his dad off, as it meant more letters home, but now I think he liked the reputation he got.
"and they only have like six matches a year! It's so lame. But we met the Potters, and Weasleys. They call themselves Wotters. Don't ask. They are cool. I am pretty close with Rox, Dom, James and Fred seeing as they are in my grade. Rox is cool, she's really smart, and loves Quidditch. Literally, she's like the Garret Hodges of Hogwarts. Then there is Selena, she's in our dorm, she's really sweet, a good girl, but has a right mouth when you piss her off, it's so funny watching her go off at James. Dom is awesome, she's a 'take no shit' kinda girl, wants to be an Auror, so we usually study together. She's definitely the least nosy out of the lot, which is saying a lot, those Wotter's are bloody nosy. Then there is Fred, Rox's twin, he's a prankster, like his dad, makes bloody corny jokes, but Anna gets along with him for some reason. Dom has a brother, Louis, I dunno him that well, he keeps to himself, you don't see him often. She's got a sister, Victoire, but I haven't met her, cause she graduated. There's Ben, he's what you call an Honourary Potter, James and Fred have been close friends with him since they were firsties, I think Ben keeps them in check. Molly is the headgirl, bit strict, but she's nice enough, the mother of the group really. Her sister, Lucy, is the complete opposite of her, really bubbly, and loves to dye her hair, and sing, I have a feeling shes going to be a musician when she graduates, or drops out. Rose is a fifth year, dead smart, got a proper temper on her though, she can help Fred with his homework, which is funny, as they end up fighting a lot. She's got a brother, Hugo, who's bloody great at Chess. Hugo's friend and cousin, Lily, she's cool, got a mouth of her, must be a Weasley thing. Lily's got two brothers, Albus, whose pretty quiet, but loves a good prank. And James, you would love James, he reminds me a bit of you. Really nosy, quidditch captain, and doesn't know when to shut up. But he's actually really great when you get to know him, we fight a lot, I guess because he tries to butt in too much. I like him though, hes a great friend" I sighed again, fiddling with my hands, "you would of loved all of them. They are pretty great batch of kids. I am going to the Burrow, their Grandmothers house, for Christmas. Finn and Mark are staying at the Potters." glancing at my watch, I realised I had been talking for about an hour, about complete nonsense "shit! I promised your mom I would be there in fifteen minutes. I should go. But I promise I will visit more, I miss you, and I love you" standing up, I glanced one more time at the tomb stone and empty wine bottles and gobstoppers I had eaten, and turned away.
Hopefully, this would help me.
"LORIE!" was all I heard before I was attacked by two blonde haired midgets. With the force of two tots, I tumbled over onto the grass and watched as they climbed all over me
"we missed you!" grinned Olivia, her blue eyes peering at my face
"this much!" smiled Madison, opening her arms wide
"I missed you too, squirts!" I grinned, pulling them both up with me, they were pretty light, so it was easy to hold them both with one hand each
"your hair is so long!" admired Maddy, fingering my red hair which had opened when I fell, and was now reaching my mid back
"thanks Love" I said, kissing her cheeks. I loved these guys, and missed them while I was in England
"Lorelai! Darling, there you are!" called Emily, bustling around in the kitchen, she put down her ladle, and gave me a giant hug, before putting me at arms length distance
"you have gotten even skinnier! I don't know how you do that! You and Lucas used to eat a whole turkey between just the two of you!" she rambled, stirring her soup which was bubbling violently
"Don't worry Emily, I have been eating just fine, the house elves make some epic food" I assured her, putting the twins on the kitchen slabs and sitting in between them, my feet dangling off the side
"you better be!" she responded, and turned around, giving me a good time to inspect her, her brown hair was still short, but better kept than the last time I saw her, and her blue eyes were shinning bright, she looked happier, since the last time I saw her
"how are you doing, Emily?" I asked her softly, tickling the twins who were begging for my attention
"I am good" she smiled softly "It's getting better, I still miss my boy, but now, I am remembering him with a smile"
"that's good, I am glad" I responded, the twins glanced at me questioningly, noticing my morbid expression, I smiled at them slightly, and tickled them some more. They knew about their brother, but not too much, as they were still young
"and what about you?" she asked me
"I am... good. An, Finn, and Mark have been really helping me... I just miss him" I told her honestly
"you and I both" she replied "how is Anna, and the boys?"
"they are good, Anna had to go to her Nan's but sends her love, the boys stayed in England"
"you must bring Anna round at least!, how's Hogwarts going?" before I could respond, I heard a joyful squeal
"LORELAI!" and was attacked by a blonde haired blob. Gemma.
"hey Gems" I grinned, hugging her back
"I missed you! You don't write enough!" she pouted, greeting her mom and the twins
"I write you every week" I responded, laughing
"not enough! I used to see you every day in Ilvermorny! It's not the same"
"I know, Love. Sorry" I replied, playing with Olivias feet as Gem played with Maddie, these girls are going to end up so spoilt
"how are you though? How's Hogwarts? Oh! How's England?! Have you been to London?! Oh! I have always wanted to go there! The shops! The shoes!" she rambled, I grinned, same old Gemma, as jolly as ever. Even though I was closer to Luke, I loved Gemma like a sister, we spent quite a lot of time together in Ilvermorny, she was just so easy to get on with. She had super model looks, what with her bright blue eyes, blonde straight hair, killer height and elegant face, I remembered her and Luke getting into so many fights over the boys who she dated
"Gemma, darling, let the poor girl think" laughed her mom
"sorry" she muttered, ashamed
"it's okay. Hogwarts is great, way stricter than Ilvermorny, but the castle is amazing! You should definitely visit" at this, Gemma looked at her mother, hopeful, who laughed at responded with "we will see"
"I haven't managed to see too much of England, but the guys promised to take us around this Christmas, I will send you pictures" I smiled at her as she jumped around happily. It was nice to see her so happy again, last time I saw her, she looked so beaten up over her brother.
"thanks!" she grinned, plopping one of her moms cupcakes into her mouth
"Gemma! Food first!" scolded Emily, smacking her hand gently
"yeah Gemma, food first!" chorused the twins cheekily, but stopped as their mother glared at them, I had to stiffen a laugh.
"where is Hazel?" I asked, looking around
"she's asleep, I thought it would be best if she slept before all the excitement" responded Emily, going back to cooking
"Lore! Come upstairs, I got a new camera, and I wanna show you!" Gemma commanded me, dragging me to the door
"bye Emily!" I shouted, before I was whisked away by Gemma, the twins trailing behind us
"you two go play, I got dibs on Lore for a while" Gemma commanded the two, closing the door behind us
"I didn't realise I was called dibs on" I joked, sitting on her plush white bed, Gemma's room screamed elegance and girly. Light pink curtains, white bed, white carpet, light pink walls, a white dresser.
"hush you" she replied, sitting next to me
"so, how are you doing?"
"I am good, how are you?" I responded, playing with my leather zip
"I mean the whole Luke thing"
"I know, and I meant it too" I told her, raising my eyebrow
"Loreee!" she groaned "I am worried about you, I mean Luke was practically your brother!"
"and he was your brother," I pointed out
"yeah, but you and Luke had that weird connection thing going." she answered
"Luke and you were siblings in all but blood, if anyone has the right to be upset, it's you" she told me
"Gemma, I am fine, seriously" I responded, looking at her
"have you visited him lately?"
"yeah, I went today, before coming too you. What about you?" I asked, as she rested her back against the beds back
"I visit him every weekend" she informed me, biting her lip "I have been coming down every weekend, to make sure mom is okay, so I go and visit him"
"how is your mom?" I asked softly, worried.
"she's... good. I think she's trying to.. not move on, but live with it? Yeah. I mean, she's got three girls, who need her 24/7 I don't think she can let it consume her. Plus, Seth is there for her, he's been great. Through the whole thing, taking the girls to work with him if mom needs some time, and everything" I loved Seth, he was a great husband, and treated Gem and Luke like they were his kids, he loved them like he loved Olivia, Maddie, and Hazel
"good, I am glad, she needs to be happy"
"yeah" she whispered, looking at her hands
"Gem, is everything okay?" I asked her, taking in her worried expression and knitted brows, for a fourteen year old, she looked way too stressed
"yeah" she replied, shaking her head "it's just... I miss him, you know? I keep on waking up, expecting him to walk through the door, laughing at how we all fell for his latest prank, or something. But he wont'! And it sucks.. at first, I was angry, you know? And it made me feel so guilty, here I am, getting angry at my dead brother! He didn't wanna die! But then.. that anger turned to hurt, to sadness, and now, I just miss him" she rambled, taking in a deep breath at the end
"Gemma, I know. Trust me. I went from hating him, to missing him, to hating myself"
"why would you hate yourself?!" she asked, incredulously, her head shooting to look at me
"it's my fault, that's why" I whispered. This was the first time I had openly said that.
"how the f-ck did you get that?!" Gemma exclaimed, confused and slightly miffed
"because it is!" I replied, pacing the room
"I- I was the one with him! I could of saved him! It should have been me! Not him! I was the one in front of the car! He pushed me out of the way! It should have been me!" I exclaimed, running my hands through my hair in frustration. It felt so good to get that in the open, at least now the Bishops could hate me in peace, for killing their son and brother
"don't!" Gemma replied sharply, glaring at me as she stood up. I looked at her, shocked, I had never heard her so.. angry
"do not go and blame yourself for Lucas's death. Lucas died to protect you, and I know that he would have been happy to go that way. Do not let his death make you feel guilty. If he was here, he would be kicking your arse right now. Lucas loved you, you were his best friend, his partner in crime, his sister! I know he would of jumped in too save you everyday. The only person who's to fault here, is the bastard who did it"
"I am sorry" I whispered, ashamed as I saw the anger in her stance, her eyes "I just.. feel so guilty"
"don't" she repeated, this time more softly "it's not your fault, Luke jumped in front of the bus to protect you, you would of done the same. At least he died protecting someone we all cared about"
"thanks" I whispered, staring at the ground, she smiled weakly and hugged me, as I felt a
weight lift off my shoulders. At least Gemma didn't hate me
"We all love you Lore, you have to know that" she replied, hugging me tightly
"I love you all too"
"good, now that thats out the way, may I know why I only get a letter a week from you? But my mother gets two?"
"what?" I asked, confused
"you send me one letter a week, but my mother gets two? Shes like 35! what the hell do you talk to her about?" she exclaimed, resting on her bed, pulling me next to her
"I just ask her how she and the kids are.. I didn't think it mattered" I replied slowly, still confused
"it does! Mom and I always compare our letters from you too see who gets a longer one! I always loose seeing as she gets two!" she complained, pouting
l laughed, amused "I didn't know that"
"well, you should! We miss you! I love getting letters from you!"
"you do?" I asked, oddly touched. I knew they cared about me, but I assumed it was because of Luke
"of course! Mom always waits for your letters, and when she gets them, she refusing to talk to anyone until she replies. Even when you are in another continent, she loves you more" she teased
"well, that's a given" I smirked, avoiding a pillow she sent my way
"you really need to come through for me, Beckett, don't let me look bad!"
"okay, I promise I will send you more letters" I vowed, this seemed enough for her, as she smiled happily
"good! Now, lets go down, I smell food!" she grinned, racing down the stairs. Crazy, but I loved her
"where is Seth?" I asked, as I tucked into my food, Emily had gone all out. There was three types of pies, soup, pasta, pizza, steak and vegetables, lasagne and two cakes. Hazel was on my lap, giggling as I feed her her baby food, and Olivia and Maddie were on either sides of me, I helped them eat, even though they insisted they could do it themselves
"he's at work sweetie, he really wanted to meet you, but there was an important meeting, so he said he should be back before you leave"
"oh great!" I grinning, helping Olivia cut up her vegetables
"he wants to discuss the Tutshills chances for this year" she informed me, rolling her eyes, but there was a fond smile of her face
"oh great. Personally, I think there is a 70 percent chance for them, I mean, did you see them crust the Falcons last week?" the girls raised their eyebrows at me, obviously telling me that I was talking to the wrong people, but thankfully Seth walked in, shouting
"THEIRS MY QUIDDITCH GIRL!" as he raced over to hug me, I hugged him back as I held Hazel in my hand
"hey love" Seth greeted Emily, kissing her cheek an the girl's forehead, he sat down opposite me
"I thought it was an eighty percent chance" he informed me, immediately jumping into Quidditch talk
"Seth, love, don't you want food?" Emily asked
"thanks dear" he discussed, looking at me for an answer, I grinned and replied
"well, its probably 85, but I was trying to be modest, I mean, we crushed the Falcons, and pulverized the All stars!"
"I know! Did you see Gordon's moves in the last match?! He caught the snitch in five minutes!"
"and that's only because he was laughing half the time!"
"I know-"
"Okay!" Emily exclaimed, she didn't even have to raise her voice for us to shut up, that women is scary when she wanted to be
"NO more Quidditch talk until after food!"
"but-" protested Seth, but shut up as he saw his wife's glare, smart move.
"eat fast" he mouthed to me, I smirked, and began to focus on my food
"you sure you don't want to stay for longer?" Emily asked again
"Thanks for the offer Emily, but I promised I would take Skylar out today" I replied, smiling, it was four ten, and I promised to pick Sky up at 4: 30
"how is Skylar?" she asked me, packing away the left overs
"she's good, she sends me owls, but I think she's bored, I mean it's just her brother and her at home with my parents" I responded
"I see her a lot, but she's always with your mother, so I don't want to cause a fuss, I smile at her though, and give her cookies whenever I can" she told me
"thanks, I appreciate it" It stilled touched me how Emily treated Sky and I like family
"no problem dear, I just wish I could do more" she smiled softly
"thanks, seriously, but I need to deal with this" I smiled, following her into the living room
"Girls, Lore is leaving, say goodbye?" Emily smiled at her children who were all watching shows on their TV
"but I wanted to play Quidditch with you!" protested Maddy, pouting
"and who told you that you could play Quidditch, young lady?" asked Emily, looking at her daughter, hands on her hips. I am scared and I wasn't even her kid.
"d-daddy did!" she exclaimed, pointing at her dad who was innocently eating some cookies,
"way to chuck me under the bus Maddie!" Seth sighed, putting his cookie down
"Seth! The girls are way to young to be playing Quidditch! Now, say goodbye to Lorelai"
"bye Lorie! You have to visit soon!" grinned Maddie sweetly, hugging me, I hugged her back and Olivia joined us "bye-bye Lorie!"
I loved this midgets.
"I will squirt" I promised Maddie
"Write me more" Gemma commanded, hugging me "I will" I repeated, hugging her back
"try to visit in the summer, I can take you to the Tutshill finals, I got tickets" Seth smiled, hugging me, I laughed "count me in"
finally, Emily came to say goodbye "have a safe trip home, and do try to come round tomorrow, I miss Anna, give the boys my love, and Skylar, do good in school, don't explode anything, don't prank any teachers-" she would of continued, but Seth placed his hand on her shoulder "Love, she needs to leave" he told her gently
"oh, of course. Take care, hunny, I love you" she finished, hugging me, tearing up slightly
"I love you too, and I will visit, definitely" I promised. I gave one final goodbye before leaving the house and folding my arms in an attempt to stay warm. I love winters, but I was used to the warm house so it was quite an adjustment, stepping out into the winter winds.
I took a deep breath and walked across the street, the familiar Victorian style house that I spent most of my childhood coming into view, cringing
I walked up to the steps and knocked the Beckett Family Crest Door Knocker, waiting. After about three minutes, the giant doors dragged along the floor, emitting a small creaking sound, and a house elf stood in the opening "Mistress Lorelai!" she squealed, her solemn expression morphing into a smile, I smiled back, Ginger was the only tolerable being in the house, beside Skylar
"Hey Ginger, may I come in?" I cringed as my mannerism changed to more uptight. This house...
"yes! Please!" she grinned, opening the door more so I could walk in
"Ginger has missed her Mistress Lorelai so much!" squeaked Ginger, having to run to keep up with me, I slowed my pace, and smiled down at her
"I missed you too Ging"
"What can Ginger do for her mistress?" she asked, blue eyes wide
"do you mind going and calling Skylar? I promised her I would take her out" I politely requested,
"of course! Will Mistress Lorelai be wanting anything? Coffee, water?"
"No, thank you, I actually do not want to stay for too long, I will just wait her, while you go call her?" I didn't even want to leave the hall way, scared that if I lost sight of the door, I would be trapped
"if that's what Mistress Lorelai wants" she bowed, before disappearing with a pop, I could see the disappointment in her eyes, and couldn't help but feel guilty, as I knew she wanted me to stay. During my childhood, Ginger was like my friend, she would bring me food after my mother grounded me and every thing
I waited, tapping my foot on the perfectly polished tile floors, praying to Merlin that I wouldn't bump into anyone while in this house
"Lorelai?" what did I ever do to you, Merlin?
"mother" I replied, nodding my head stiffly as a tall, perfectly poised, women came into view. Even after five children, Amanda Beckett looked in perfect shape, not a red lock of hair was out of place, and the pearls on her neck complimented her blazer and skirt combination flawlessly, she glided as she walked.
"what are you doing here?" she questioned, glaring at me. Oh, family love, gotta feel warm, don't you?
"I came to pick up Skylar. Did she not inform you?"
"Of course she did. She respects me" Oh that's the mother I knew, Queen of subtle jabs
"well, that's what I came here to do"
"I just do not understand" she stated, matter of factly.
Great, conversations..
"what do you not understand, mother?"
"You have not seen any of your family members since you went to England, yet, when you come to America for a visit, you refuse to spend any time with us. Its Christmas, you should be spending it with your family. Not out, gallivanting with your horrid friends"
you see, most parents hid their distate towards their childrens friends, but not my mother.
"do not put this on me, mother. You made it perfectly clear I was not welcomed back home for the holidays" I glared, anger rising into my stomach.
"I did no such thing" she replied, nose in the air
"oh, I am sorry, is there another meaning to the words 'I have no need for your presence during these holidays, and would appreciate it if you did all your relatives a favour and stayed in that horrid country'?" I laughed sarcastically
her response, no doubt twisted and full of lies, was cut short as Skylar appeared, I smiled, she really hadn't changed much since I last saw her, her long brown hair bounced behind her, and her green eyes glistened with excitement, I was the only one who had inherited my mothers hair, and fathers eyes, everyone else in the family got my fathers brown hair and mothers green eyes. It was always something I was proud of, as it meant I stuck out from my siblings, the only downside, however, was I looked eerily similar to my mother.
"LAI!" grinned Sky, running to wrap her slim arms around me, I hugged her back, comfort washing through me as I heard my familiar nickname I only allowed her to use, lifting her up to hug her properly, as their was a significant height difference between us
"hey kiddo! How are you?" I asked her, ruffling her hair as I put her down
"I am fabulous, and you?" ugh, pureblood manners. I have to remember to knock them out of her while I am talking to her today
"I am good too, you ready to go?" I replied, holding her hand and gesturing to the front door
"eh hem" coughed my mother, daintily, of course. Ugh, here goes my quick and easy in and out
"yes mother?" I gritted, turning to face her
"we were in the middle of a conversation, the polite thing to do would be finish it, before you leave. And give an appropriate farewell" she spoke, haughtily.
"I am sorry, mother, I didn't identify as a conversation. The way I saw it, you were pointing out everything wrong about me, and I was listening, trying my best not to run away, screaming" I told her sarcastically. So not in the mood.
"Lorelai Katherine Beckett, I know that you think I am this evil heartless soul, but lets not forget who fed, clothed, and took care of you for eleven years, before you rushed off to Ilvermorny" yes, I was the only one of my siblings who opted out of private schooling and went to Ilvermorny. It took a lot of screaming though, my tonsils have never been the same.
"the house elves" I answered honestly. Its true, Ginger was the one who stayed up with me for two nights in a row, as I was throwing up with a fever.
"do not begin with me, young lady"
okay, mother, I really wanna leave, you were the one who kept me.
"whatever, c'me on Sky, lets go" I muttered, the only reason I didn't snap back was because Skylar made me promise I wouldn't be rude when I visited. She hated it when mother and I fought.
"what makes you think I will let you take my daughter with you?" called mother, sounding strangely.. desperate? As if she was hanging on to threads. Yeah, right, mother didn't beg, or act desperate. It would ruin her hair.
"your daughter?!" I exploded "who the f-ck am I? A f-cking monkey?! So what if I want to take my sister out? At least I try to interact with her, unlike your other, stuck up, pricks you call kids" I was shocked, I had never sworn at my mother. Ever. I don't know why, but even though I hated her, I could never bring myself too.
"Lai, please" begged Skylar. Mother ignored her and glared at me
"at least my other children had the manners to respect me enough to keep in touch after they moved out. I have not received so much as a postcard from you"
"neither have I! And thats because your children have manners! Thats all it is! They don't love you, or have any emotional attachment towards you! They keep in contact with you and father because they want the inheritance to roll in once you both kick the bucket!"
looking back, maybe I went to far. But I was furious, this was the women who used to abuse me when I was younger, this was the women who would threaten me with no food when I so much as giggled. And her she was, blaming me for our lack of communication.
"you are no daughter of mine" she whispered, stepping towards me
"I never was" I replied, my voice deathly, and with that, I turned around, grabbed Skylars hand and walked out the house, quick paced.
"Lai! Slow down!" Skylar shouted as I walked down the stone steps, fuming.
"sorry hun" I replied, slowing down, but not stopping until we had gotten out of that horrid area.
Not my home.
"what just happened?" Skylar asked me, I looked down, her eyes were full of concern and confusion, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears
"oh Sky, I am sorry" I sighed, pulling her into a hug, and comforting her as the tears rolled onto my top
"what does this mean?" she asked me after a few minutes of silence
"I dunno.. but I can't go back there. Amanda made it quite clear" I informed her, laughing bitterly. Amanda Beckett. A ruthless, cold hearted soul, who had more sins than the devil himself
"but.. what about me?" she whispered, looking up at me, I had picked her up, and put her on my lap, as we sat on a bench on the sidewalk, her eyes were level with mine, and glistening with tears
"I will visit" I promised her "but I can't go back there, I am not welcome"
"where will you go?"
"stay with my friends, until I graduate, then hopefully get a job and buy a flat. I still have my bank account, they can cut me out of the families, but I am legally allowed to have my account, no one but me can close it after February, when I become seventeen" this felt so.. weird.. I was finally, finally, free
"will you stay in England?" she whispered, and I knew she expected the answer to hurt
"Yes... but I will visit. A lot. I already got permission from McGonagall to visit America monthly, and I will definitely take you out, we can get ice cream or whatever you want" I smiled at her, hear swelling as she smiled. I loved this girl, and I hoped she never had the same problems I did
"what about that amus-amuse" she sighed, frustrated
"amusement park?"
"yeah! Can we go there? You made it sound so cool when you told me last summer!"
"maybe.. your mother won't like it though" I replied carefully. Just because Amanda Beckett wasn't my mother anymore, doesn't mean Sky should have a sh-t relation with her. I knew Sky, no matter how strong she was, she loved her family, and it would kill her if they got upset with her
"pleaseee" she begged, pouting. I chuckled, poking her stomach
"fine, but if your mother asks, we went to some shitty Avery Party" I made her promise
"yeah, because thats so believable" she snorted, hopping off my lap
"now come on! Your fight cut into our time! We only have 2 hours, not 2 and a half! That means we will have to squeeze the walk in the park, and combine it with the pizza hunt!"
I laughed and followed her as she ran down the street, kicking snow as she did, I knew I was forgiven.
"I should of gotten that last scoop" complained Skylar, licking her cone
"Sky, you got six scoops, its the middle of winter. I think thats enough" I scolded, grinning lightly, that girl was really something
"yeah, but the coffee would of gone so well with the coconut!"
"yeah, cuz I would of let you put coffee on top of that" I snorted sarcastically, taking a sip of my coffee, sensible choices.
"you are mean" she pouted, staring at me
"and you are late, I should've gotten you home about half an hour ago, your mother is going to kill me"
"you are really leaving?" she asked, frowning
"sorry hun, I promise I will visit. Hopefully, I can make a trip in January, and I will write, alot" I promised, bending down as we reached her house. No way was I walking her to the steps
"now, be good, don't blow anything up, okay?" I told her
"I should be saying that to you" she smirked
"you are way too cheeky for a seven year old" I informed her
"love ya Lai" she smiled, hugging me
"I love you too kiddo" I whispered, hugging her tightly, buring my head into her hair, I was really going to miss her
"now, go on, before your mother is out and getting an elf to chase me with a shovel, because Merlin forbid she picks one herself" I smirked, letting her go
"fineee. Bye" she groaned, skipping into the garden, I watched as she climbed up the stone steps that I no longer would have to brave, giving me one last wave, she went inside, and I left.
"there you are!" Anna exclaimed, as I walked into her room
'hey Lore" I grinned, talking off my jacket that was wet with snow and magically drying my hair, perks of staying in a house with magical adults
"you are late! Its almost 9 o clock! You told me you would be back by 8!" she asked, hand s on her hips. Jeez
"Sorry, Sky kept me" I responded, changing into a warm, grey, knit sweater and black pajama pants
"oh, how is she? I miss her!" Anna questioned, her previous anger forgotten as she put my clothes away for me while I combed my red hair
"shes good, as annoying as ever" I replied, distantly. Today had been a long day.
"you okay? You seem a bit distant?" paused Anna, looking at me
"yeah- yeah I am fine. I just.. realised I am missing a lot of Sky's life, you know?" I lied, hoping she believed me
"oh, I am sorry, I didn't realise that upset you" Anna said, glancing at me with sympathy in her eyes.
"Its fine, I will fix it. I am going to visit more, its cool" I assured her, feeling guilty for lying, but relieved. She didn't have to know, not yet.
"well, I know something that will cheer you up.." trailed Anna, grinning mischeivously
"what?" I demanded, pulling my hair into a messy bun and sighing in frustration, Anna could be really annoying
"well, Nana mentioned you, and I told her she couldnt make it, but missed her and her cookies... so she gave you a christmas present" confessed Anna, smiling
"I GOT YOUR NANAS COOKIES?!" I screamed in happiness, Anna's Nanas cookies were the best thing ever. No joke.
"three dozens worth" added Anna
"I HAVE 36 COOKIES FROM YOUR NAN AND YOU NEGLECT TO MENTION THAT TILL NOW?!" I shouted, tackling her
"sorry! You got home like two minutes ago!" defended Anna, pushing me off her
"here, I get some" she said, tossing them too me
'no, go get your own" I replied, keepng them away from her
"there is no way you can eat 36 cookies before they go off, Lorelai"
"have you ever heard of a freshening charm?" I responded cleverly "besides, from previous experience, her cookies are good for three days during the winter, thats a dozen a day, it can be done"
"Lore!" she exclaimed
"no! Go get your own! Shes your Nan! I am sure she will bake you some!"
"Yeah, shes my Nan, but she likes you more! I mean shes never made any one of us cousins more than six cookies at once!" protested Anna, reaching for the cookies again
"well, if you were nicer, maybe she would" I responded, sticking my tongue out, before running as Anna lunged at me.
Yup, she definitely didn't need to know now.
AUTHORS NOTE
8000 WORDS! Thats so much for me! I hope you enjoyed. I know this chapter was mainly Lore's view, but I find shes the easiest character to write, and this chapter was manly written to show her, so yeah.
Anyways, I hope the cemetery scene wasn't too dramatic.. its just, well, I mean, the reaction was pretty justified, seeming as Lorelai lost her best friend. And Luke wasn't just her best friend, he was like a brother to Lorelai. He was the way for her to escape her family. He was all she had if you think about.
So, with that being said. Tell me what you think!
