Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Folklore Task 3: Write about recovering something that was lost

Word Count: 1,324

Summary: Daphne's lost an important piece of jewellery and she's determined to find it.

Started with the place you grew up

Daphne gripped her wand tightly, the ridges of the handle dug painfully into her palm. It had to be here. It was the last place they'd seen it.

She stared at the small beach cove. It was empty save for the three seagulls running away from the crashing waves when they came in, the water wiping away their little footprints as it pulled back. Not many people knew the cove was here. Only the occupants of the tiny village Daphne had grown up in.

It really did have to be here. Why hadn't they tried looking harder?

"Accio," she whispered, pointing her wand out towards the beach. It was risky using magic like this when it was still daytime. The Greengrasses had been the only magical family in the village. Anyone could've stumbled upon her, but she needed to find it. "Accio bracelet."

Her eyes moved quickly, searching every bit of the beach for movement. Nothing except for the seagulls and sea going backwards and forwards, like a weird game the birds and the water were playing.

Daphne called for the bracelet again. Manically. She shook her wand vigorously at the beach, which only served to shoot out dark green sparks.

"Please," she whispered to no one in particular. "Please be here." She sniffed and rubbed the back of her hand across her nose. Tears blurred her vision for a brief second before she blinked, forcing them to fall down her cheeks. They were hot then cold as the icy wind blew relentlessly against her.

Fine. If magic wouldn't find it, she would dig up the entire beach by hand if she had to.

She started with the last spot they'd sat in; the little nook in the rocks on the other side that hid you from everyone on the beach. It was their place. The wand was jammed into her dress pocket, nearly getting snapped in half.

Daphne dug and dug. And dug.

Sand got in her socks and trainers. It got in her hair and eyes. It was under her nails and rubbing her knees raw as she knelt. Daphne didn't care, she needed to find the bracelet.

She was still going as the sun dipped below the horizon. Even when her fingers were numb from the cold. Even when the beach ended up being littered with dozens of little holes.

"Please… please be here," she begged the darkening sky.

"Daphne?"

She jumped violently at hearing another voice, her eyes searched quickly in the direction it came from. Lucius strode over to her with purpose, the sand not hindering him at all. She remained knelt on the beach, near the waves, which had long begun to soak her legs, and watched him come to a stand before her. Even with the lack of light, she could still see the pity in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," she said quietly. Her throat hurt. She looked at her hands, covered in wet sand; everything hurt now that she thought about it. "How did you find me? Draco doesn't even know about this place."

"I started with the place you grew up in." He pointed to the hill.

And if you went over the hill, followed the path cut into it, you would come to her childhood home in ten minutes.

Lucius knelt down. She watched as a wave come up to them and went over his knees. He didn't flinch as the icy water wash over his knees and thighs. "Finding it won't bring her back," he said gently.

"But she'd be with me. That's what she said when she gave it to me." Daphne looked around the beach. "I hated her for having Scorpius. For stealing time away from herself."

"Then he arrived and you met him?" Lucius lips curved into a small smile. "He's irritatingly loveable, isn't he?"

"He's like her. Every bit of her. Even as a teenager," Daphne said with a laugh. Then she cried, crumping in on herself. Lucius caught her. He held her tightly and let her cry.

"Come on, love," he whispered after a few minutes and her tears stopped coming. "Let's get you home."

Daphne pulled away. She nodded as she took one last look around the beach. She pulled her wand out, giving it an odd wave, and it was like she'd never been digging for hours. She looked back to Lucius, his hand still on her shoulder, as she pocketed the wand. "You go. I want to walk through the village before I leave."

He cupped her cheek. "I'll come with you."

She nodded silently. Gratefully.

When they hit the path, Lucius pulled her to a stop and did some work in drying them and ridding Daphne of the sand covering every bit of her. She felt an odd relief as it disappeared from between her toes in her socks and the creases of her eyelids. He shrugged his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.

"Astoria was always saying you'd die from the cold," he said with humour in his eyes.

"She made it her mission to suffocate me in layers instead," Daphne admitted as they started to walk down the quiet path. The village of little mismatched cottages was already in view, her old childhood home at the other end of the row.

They walked in silence, Daphne taking in all the places her and Astoria had played as children, the only children that lived there. She didn't know it then, but it was probably the best childhood anyone could've asked for.

"Daphne?" Mrs Rose called from the front door of her cottage. "Is that you, love?"

"Hi, Mrs Rose," she croaked, giving her a wobbly smile.

She came racing to the end of the garden path, glancing at Lucius with shrewd eyes, but when she looked back to Daphne, she had her arms open wide and a warm smile on her face. "I'm ever so sorry to hear about Astoria."

Daphne accepted the hug off her old neighbour over the closed gate. She smelt of something sweet and outdoors. She'd probably been gardening, getting her bulbs ready to be planted. She rested her cheek on Mrs Rose's shoulder and relaxed into the hug. Apart from her father, Mrs Rose gave the best hugs.

"I'm so lost, Mrs Rose."

"I know, dear. You will be for a while." She made Daphne stand up straight, holding her face gently between her hands. Then her eyes widened a little. "I've got something for you. Found it a while ago." She went racing off back into her cottage.

Daphne looked at Lucius, who was stood a couple of steps away. "Mrs Rose used to look after us when Mum and Dad went away with the Ministry," she explained quietly.

"Here you go, love," Mrs Rose announced from inside the cottage, her voice dulled by the walls. When she appeared at the door, she had a strand of silver dangling in her hand.

"You found it!" Daphne said breathlessly. She felt like the world had been taken off her shoulders as the simple piece of silver jewellery was placed in her hand.

"I tried to go after you both, that last day you were here, but you were gone so quickly." She gave Daphne a knowing smile. Like she'd guessed long ago there was something more to the Greengrasses, but nothing was said.

"Thank you, Mrs Rose. You don't know what this means." Daphne turned to Lucius for him to put it on.

"Now you take care of her. She'll need all the help she can get," Mrs Rose said with a pointed finger at Lucius. He was nearly twice as tall as the elderly woman, but even he didn't look like he'd dare refuse.

"I intend to."

Daphne ignored them both for a moment. She stared at the bracelet like it was a lifeline. Now Astoria would always be with her.