Nicole gathered together a few essentials and stuffed them in a tan leather
suitcase. Most of her things were already packed and sent ahead to
Hogwarts, and one of her mother's maids went with them to make sure they
were all unpacked safely. She could have sent all of her things ahead, but
she had wanted a reason to wake up in the morning. She needed all the
reasons she could get. She headed to the bathroom to apply some makeup,
although she knew she didn't need it. Her face had always been beautiful;
she used makeup as a disguise. So no one would recognize her as the shy,
beaten child she had once been. It was just one weapon in her artillery of
the anti-social.
The task finally accomplished, she went through the rooms, seeing if she had forgotten anything. Grabbing the suitcase, she took one last look around the silent house and sighed. Her eyes argued when she stepped out into the morning sun. She had never felt so alone as she locked the door and approached her own 2003 silver convertible Mercedes Benz. Her chauffeur, now older and grayer than she had remembered, was waiting by the drivers' side to take her to the airport.
She had a few last-minute things to buy, so a quick shop on Young Street was a great idea. Stopping at Gucci, she bought a posh-looking watch. She needed one, and had decided to use as much of her parents' money as possible. She stopped in at a small private piercing store, to find jewelry less extreme than that she currently wore. She bought a few necessities for the trip, like music she hadn't got around to buying and a new CD player. Her chauffeur refused to let her carry boxes. Now she realized why she didn't like having him around as much. Feeling like the world was passing her by, she let the man drive her to the airport, and took her bags to the luggage counter himself. Saying goodbye to her car, she settled into first class, and started in on a book.
A few hours later, the plane came to a stop in London airport. It was already almost sunset. She found a dark limousine waiting for her outside. Humming softly, she carried her own bags for the first time since she'd left her house. The driver immediately got out and gave her a hand packing them in the trunk. She gave him a weak smile and thanked him. He opened the door for her, and she climbed in, seeing a nice supper laid out for her. Nicole ate hungrily, and when the cab pulled to a stop in front of the glittering Conrad Hotel, she was already very sleepy.
Her room was on the top floor, the best suite in the hotel. Comfortable chairs were scattered lovingly across the floor, and an overstuffed sofa lay lounging on the carpet in front of the TV. There was faint classical music playing, and a dozen fresh red roses were in the middle of the coffee table. Turning toward her room, a lavish king-sized bed greeted her. She set her purse on the floor, and instructed the bag boy to do the same with her suitcases. She gave him a hefty tip, and told him that she could manage to take care of herself for the night. Finally alone, she had a quick bath and walked around in the complimentary bathrobe. She made herself some tea and watched music videos until her head felt so heavy she could barley keep it up. Climbing between the satin sheets, she fell instantly asleep.
She woke at seven London time. Her flight had been booked so that she'd arrive two days earlier, so she could to some sight-seeing and shopping that could only be done in Diagon Alley. And to visit her parents. Nicole was not looking forward to the last one.
It was around noon she finally gave in to the need to see her father over the hate she felt for her mother. The house mansion loomed in front of her. Pristine and perfect, never a weed in the garden, never a shingle missing, such a stark contrast to the slums of London. It was an inviting house if you didn't know the people that lived in it.
And so she approached hesitantly and knocked on the door. The security camera swiveled to face her. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she realized that they could watch her at any time whenever they wanted to. It would never fail to scare her. The door swung in, and the shocked face of her father greeted her. He obviously disapproved of her appearance.
"Lexus? WHAT are you wearing?! Why is your hair pink? And why do you have all those holes in your face?" To greet his exclamations, she turned around and showed him her tattoos. Intertwined snakes on the back of her neck, and a very evil looking dragon perched on her shoulder blades. She wasn't about to show him the other one.
To his pale face, she simply stated, "I've changed." And stormed past him into the house. She was beginning to regret coming here but she did need to talk about things. Her mother was patiently waiting at the gigantic dining room table. When Nicole entered the room, a look of horror crossed her mom's face and she gasped "Lexus!"
"Fuck off, mom." Nicole grumbled sourly. This one trip had ruined her whole day. After her mother had finished gaping at her appearance, and blushing at her comment, she started in on business.
"Your father will come with you to the entrance of Diagon alley. You'll share our bank account, we've had a spare key made just for you." Nicole tried to look overjoyed, but only succeeded in a slight smirk she hadn't meant to show. Her mom hadn't noticed. "You will need everything on this list. I can't help but notice that you have quite a lot of items you decided to bring with you." Her mom always talked like there was a pole stuck up her ass. "So we persuaded Dumbledore to let you have just one other roommate in a very big room, with its own bathroom attached."
Nicole knew what her mother was doing. She was trying to make her want to stay at Hogwarts. At this, she knew that this school was the last. Her other stays had not been comfortable at all. She nodded to her mother to continue. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible and opening her mouth would do no such thing. "Please put up with this one? You have no idea what we've done to get you into it." She smirked again, and her mom noticed but didn't say anything. She knew that no matter how much she argued with Nicole, it would solve nothing. After studying Nicole's emotionless violet eyes for a moment, she sighed and backed off. "Bernard?" A few seconds later, Nicole's father entered the room and offered his arm to Nicole. She took it and, arm in arm, they both walked out the door and climbed into the waiting limousine.
The task finally accomplished, she went through the rooms, seeing if she had forgotten anything. Grabbing the suitcase, she took one last look around the silent house and sighed. Her eyes argued when she stepped out into the morning sun. She had never felt so alone as she locked the door and approached her own 2003 silver convertible Mercedes Benz. Her chauffeur, now older and grayer than she had remembered, was waiting by the drivers' side to take her to the airport.
She had a few last-minute things to buy, so a quick shop on Young Street was a great idea. Stopping at Gucci, she bought a posh-looking watch. She needed one, and had decided to use as much of her parents' money as possible. She stopped in at a small private piercing store, to find jewelry less extreme than that she currently wore. She bought a few necessities for the trip, like music she hadn't got around to buying and a new CD player. Her chauffeur refused to let her carry boxes. Now she realized why she didn't like having him around as much. Feeling like the world was passing her by, she let the man drive her to the airport, and took her bags to the luggage counter himself. Saying goodbye to her car, she settled into first class, and started in on a book.
A few hours later, the plane came to a stop in London airport. It was already almost sunset. She found a dark limousine waiting for her outside. Humming softly, she carried her own bags for the first time since she'd left her house. The driver immediately got out and gave her a hand packing them in the trunk. She gave him a weak smile and thanked him. He opened the door for her, and she climbed in, seeing a nice supper laid out for her. Nicole ate hungrily, and when the cab pulled to a stop in front of the glittering Conrad Hotel, she was already very sleepy.
Her room was on the top floor, the best suite in the hotel. Comfortable chairs were scattered lovingly across the floor, and an overstuffed sofa lay lounging on the carpet in front of the TV. There was faint classical music playing, and a dozen fresh red roses were in the middle of the coffee table. Turning toward her room, a lavish king-sized bed greeted her. She set her purse on the floor, and instructed the bag boy to do the same with her suitcases. She gave him a hefty tip, and told him that she could manage to take care of herself for the night. Finally alone, she had a quick bath and walked around in the complimentary bathrobe. She made herself some tea and watched music videos until her head felt so heavy she could barley keep it up. Climbing between the satin sheets, she fell instantly asleep.
She woke at seven London time. Her flight had been booked so that she'd arrive two days earlier, so she could to some sight-seeing and shopping that could only be done in Diagon Alley. And to visit her parents. Nicole was not looking forward to the last one.
It was around noon she finally gave in to the need to see her father over the hate she felt for her mother. The house mansion loomed in front of her. Pristine and perfect, never a weed in the garden, never a shingle missing, such a stark contrast to the slums of London. It was an inviting house if you didn't know the people that lived in it.
And so she approached hesitantly and knocked on the door. The security camera swiveled to face her. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she realized that they could watch her at any time whenever they wanted to. It would never fail to scare her. The door swung in, and the shocked face of her father greeted her. He obviously disapproved of her appearance.
"Lexus? WHAT are you wearing?! Why is your hair pink? And why do you have all those holes in your face?" To greet his exclamations, she turned around and showed him her tattoos. Intertwined snakes on the back of her neck, and a very evil looking dragon perched on her shoulder blades. She wasn't about to show him the other one.
To his pale face, she simply stated, "I've changed." And stormed past him into the house. She was beginning to regret coming here but she did need to talk about things. Her mother was patiently waiting at the gigantic dining room table. When Nicole entered the room, a look of horror crossed her mom's face and she gasped "Lexus!"
"Fuck off, mom." Nicole grumbled sourly. This one trip had ruined her whole day. After her mother had finished gaping at her appearance, and blushing at her comment, she started in on business.
"Your father will come with you to the entrance of Diagon alley. You'll share our bank account, we've had a spare key made just for you." Nicole tried to look overjoyed, but only succeeded in a slight smirk she hadn't meant to show. Her mom hadn't noticed. "You will need everything on this list. I can't help but notice that you have quite a lot of items you decided to bring with you." Her mom always talked like there was a pole stuck up her ass. "So we persuaded Dumbledore to let you have just one other roommate in a very big room, with its own bathroom attached."
Nicole knew what her mother was doing. She was trying to make her want to stay at Hogwarts. At this, she knew that this school was the last. Her other stays had not been comfortable at all. She nodded to her mother to continue. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible and opening her mouth would do no such thing. "Please put up with this one? You have no idea what we've done to get you into it." She smirked again, and her mom noticed but didn't say anything. She knew that no matter how much she argued with Nicole, it would solve nothing. After studying Nicole's emotionless violet eyes for a moment, she sighed and backed off. "Bernard?" A few seconds later, Nicole's father entered the room and offered his arm to Nicole. She took it and, arm in arm, they both walked out the door and climbed into the waiting limousine.