Chapter 8:
The Letter
I turned away from their conversation and looked back across the street. What had caused that fire? I asked myself. Though they were talking in muted whispers, I could hear everything they were saying.
"Sorry," Maeryn said though she didn't sound like it. Her mother was silent for a moment before responding.
"I don't know where I messed up Maeryn. all I know is that I'm sorry." My heart jumped to my throat as I whirled around. They were a good 50 feet from me but I was sure I'd heard her just apologize. Mrs. Virile looked at me, surprised. My bafflement must have been written all over my face for she smiled and Maeryn looked back and laughed. I felt silly at that moment when something hit me. It must have hit Mrs. Virile too for her face lit up. Maeryn's laugh had seemed so real. For the first time since I'd met her the only time she'd laughed was at Kevin for trying to court me and at me when she'd called me a freak. But the laugh that had erupted from her just now was beyond that. It was a real laugh as though, for a change, she'd accepted me as an equal. She was heading back to me.
As she passed, she said, "So that's how you got Kevin's attention." I had a feeling she was talking about my odd baffled look. She climbed into her car and laughed again. Another real laugh. For a moment, I was left standing in the yard after she drove away. A hand came down on my shoulder and I looked back to see Mrs. Virile.
"Did you- was I-" I managed to stammer. Mrs. Virile let out a little, hearty laugh.
"Yes. She did laugh. Though it may have been at your expense," she said and winked. "I don't know what to do with that child," she sighed. A short silence followed.
"Why did you apologize?" I asked abruptly slicing the silence. It was her turn to look at me baffled.
"You heard me?" she asked. I nodded. Still looking baffled she now said, "But Maeryn could hardly hear me and you were 50 feet away!" We both thought for a moment before Mrs. Virile shrugged. "Your hearing is better than a dog's. Just be careful what you hear," she said and turned to the house again. I followed close behind, curious about what she'd just said. ~*~ At about lunch time, my father called me to the guest room where he was staying. Curiosity enveloped me as I gently pushed open the door and entered. There was a little cot set up on the floor and the covers were a jumble from where Aysel had been sleeping. He had his back to me, facing the window looking at the world outside. I wasn't sure if he'd heard me so I timidly cleared my throat. He turned and looked at me.
"Ah, Sohalia. I know that there's been a lot going on for you, but I need to talk to you. about this." He brandished a letter. Tiny emerald lettering was on the front and a little red seal on the back. "Sit down," he said, motioning to a spot on the bed. As I sat, he joined me. "I don't think you can go back to Durmstrang this year. I don't think I could handle it." I stared at him. He couldn't handle it?! What about me?!
"But Daddy," I found my voice, though it was small, "I think I need my friends. After all that's happened." Tears were gathering on my eyelashes and my thoughts fluttered to Mom in the hospital. Then I thought of how hard it would be to deal with if I couldn't turn to my friends for help. Larina and I had been best friends since our first year and when her parent's divorced, I'd been there for her. When her mother got so angry at her because of her tattoo. I always am there for her and she's always there for me. But now. I was losing my best friend!! I was angry and had just opened my mouth to speak but my father waved it away.
"Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster at Hogwarts-"
"Yes! I know! But why do I have to go?" My voice oozed with sarcasm and anger. Stories of the 'great Harry Potter' had been passed from the seventh years after the Triwizard Tournament. I had always laughed at the stories. a 14 year old boy could have faced that much and lived to tell the tale? I refused to believe it!
"Dumbledore knows this family very well and I think it'd be safest for you to go there. Please, don't argue about it. The letter has just arrived." He handed me the letter he'd shown me earlier.
"I'm not going!! I'm not leaving any of my friends!! You can't make me!!" But even as I argued I knew it would do nothing. His face seemed set in stone, as it often did when he'd made a decision. I picked up the letter and looked at it. The little green letters spelt out:
Ms. Sohalia Celestia
227 Godric's Hollow; Guest Room
London, England
"Plus," he added in a whisper, "I need you to be there for Aysel." He handed me a second letter and I saw the same thing written as on mine but addressed to Aysel. I stared at both for a moment before looking up with a start.
"Aysel?! Is a-"
"Yes. A month ago, Dumbledore told me he would like Aysel to join him at Hogwarts for Durmstrang didn't seem the place for her. I wanted the two of you to be together, so I owled him back asking for you to go. The transfer has been made. All the courses you've taken will too be transferred. You will be in your fifth year. School begins on the 1st and everything else is explained in your acceptance letter. Sohalia, I know this is hard but just accept it." Then softening a bit, "Not to mention, Kevin goes there," he added with a wink. I tried not to smile. I was overwhelmed with mingled feelings. I didn't want to be snatched from my only friends. I needed them. But as much as I needed them, Aysel needed me too and I had to be there for her. Kevin was going to be there. but he could never replace Larina and Josh.
"So, I'm going then?" I asked, defeated.
"Yes. You may borrow my owl to tell your friends but tomorrow, we will go to Diagon Alley. Leave Aysel's letter and send her in. She'll be so happy to be of wizarding type like you, me and your-" he stopped short before continuing again. "Like you and me. Well, just send her in." He tried a small smile but it didn't fit his face the way his normal grin did. Sadness was etched in his smile wrinkles and it hurt to see him try to smile. All the same, I nodded and left with my letter. I had sent Aysel in and walked into Kevin's room before something my father said had clicked.
The Letter
I turned away from their conversation and looked back across the street. What had caused that fire? I asked myself. Though they were talking in muted whispers, I could hear everything they were saying.
"Sorry," Maeryn said though she didn't sound like it. Her mother was silent for a moment before responding.
"I don't know where I messed up Maeryn. all I know is that I'm sorry." My heart jumped to my throat as I whirled around. They were a good 50 feet from me but I was sure I'd heard her just apologize. Mrs. Virile looked at me, surprised. My bafflement must have been written all over my face for she smiled and Maeryn looked back and laughed. I felt silly at that moment when something hit me. It must have hit Mrs. Virile too for her face lit up. Maeryn's laugh had seemed so real. For the first time since I'd met her the only time she'd laughed was at Kevin for trying to court me and at me when she'd called me a freak. But the laugh that had erupted from her just now was beyond that. It was a real laugh as though, for a change, she'd accepted me as an equal. She was heading back to me.
As she passed, she said, "So that's how you got Kevin's attention." I had a feeling she was talking about my odd baffled look. She climbed into her car and laughed again. Another real laugh. For a moment, I was left standing in the yard after she drove away. A hand came down on my shoulder and I looked back to see Mrs. Virile.
"Did you- was I-" I managed to stammer. Mrs. Virile let out a little, hearty laugh.
"Yes. She did laugh. Though it may have been at your expense," she said and winked. "I don't know what to do with that child," she sighed. A short silence followed.
"Why did you apologize?" I asked abruptly slicing the silence. It was her turn to look at me baffled.
"You heard me?" she asked. I nodded. Still looking baffled she now said, "But Maeryn could hardly hear me and you were 50 feet away!" We both thought for a moment before Mrs. Virile shrugged. "Your hearing is better than a dog's. Just be careful what you hear," she said and turned to the house again. I followed close behind, curious about what she'd just said. ~*~ At about lunch time, my father called me to the guest room where he was staying. Curiosity enveloped me as I gently pushed open the door and entered. There was a little cot set up on the floor and the covers were a jumble from where Aysel had been sleeping. He had his back to me, facing the window looking at the world outside. I wasn't sure if he'd heard me so I timidly cleared my throat. He turned and looked at me.
"Ah, Sohalia. I know that there's been a lot going on for you, but I need to talk to you. about this." He brandished a letter. Tiny emerald lettering was on the front and a little red seal on the back. "Sit down," he said, motioning to a spot on the bed. As I sat, he joined me. "I don't think you can go back to Durmstrang this year. I don't think I could handle it." I stared at him. He couldn't handle it?! What about me?!
"But Daddy," I found my voice, though it was small, "I think I need my friends. After all that's happened." Tears were gathering on my eyelashes and my thoughts fluttered to Mom in the hospital. Then I thought of how hard it would be to deal with if I couldn't turn to my friends for help. Larina and I had been best friends since our first year and when her parent's divorced, I'd been there for her. When her mother got so angry at her because of her tattoo. I always am there for her and she's always there for me. But now. I was losing my best friend!! I was angry and had just opened my mouth to speak but my father waved it away.
"Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster at Hogwarts-"
"Yes! I know! But why do I have to go?" My voice oozed with sarcasm and anger. Stories of the 'great Harry Potter' had been passed from the seventh years after the Triwizard Tournament. I had always laughed at the stories. a 14 year old boy could have faced that much and lived to tell the tale? I refused to believe it!
"Dumbledore knows this family very well and I think it'd be safest for you to go there. Please, don't argue about it. The letter has just arrived." He handed me the letter he'd shown me earlier.
"I'm not going!! I'm not leaving any of my friends!! You can't make me!!" But even as I argued I knew it would do nothing. His face seemed set in stone, as it often did when he'd made a decision. I picked up the letter and looked at it. The little green letters spelt out:
Ms. Sohalia Celestia
227 Godric's Hollow; Guest Room
London, England
"Plus," he added in a whisper, "I need you to be there for Aysel." He handed me a second letter and I saw the same thing written as on mine but addressed to Aysel. I stared at both for a moment before looking up with a start.
"Aysel?! Is a-"
"Yes. A month ago, Dumbledore told me he would like Aysel to join him at Hogwarts for Durmstrang didn't seem the place for her. I wanted the two of you to be together, so I owled him back asking for you to go. The transfer has been made. All the courses you've taken will too be transferred. You will be in your fifth year. School begins on the 1st and everything else is explained in your acceptance letter. Sohalia, I know this is hard but just accept it." Then softening a bit, "Not to mention, Kevin goes there," he added with a wink. I tried not to smile. I was overwhelmed with mingled feelings. I didn't want to be snatched from my only friends. I needed them. But as much as I needed them, Aysel needed me too and I had to be there for her. Kevin was going to be there. but he could never replace Larina and Josh.
"So, I'm going then?" I asked, defeated.
"Yes. You may borrow my owl to tell your friends but tomorrow, we will go to Diagon Alley. Leave Aysel's letter and send her in. She'll be so happy to be of wizarding type like you, me and your-" he stopped short before continuing again. "Like you and me. Well, just send her in." He tried a small smile but it didn't fit his face the way his normal grin did. Sadness was etched in his smile wrinkles and it hurt to see him try to smile. All the same, I nodded and left with my letter. I had sent Aysel in and walked into Kevin's room before something my father said had clicked.