Dinner was silent.

It was a strange sight to behold, for the three sisters were each known to be charismatic in their own right. Each was highly accomplished, even Leah, though her reputation left something to be desired. However, when they were together, it seemed as though they were stepping on each other's toes. They didn't know how to talk to one another, much less work together.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Leah glanced between Shelby, who sat across from her, and Ainsley, who was at the head of the table. There was no hostility between them, but something wasn't right. It was like watching a toddler attempt to stuff a cube into a circular hole, and Leah doubted it was due to the uncanny longevity of childish feuds. Rather, they seemed to be trying to meet each other in the middle, but it wasn't clicking.

But if anything was wrong, neither Ainsley nor Shelby mentioned it. They were perfectly content with the quiet, and Leah had to wonder whether everything was in her head. Was she the only one who saw the giant elephant in the room?

"Dessert?" Ainsley said, breaking the silence. "There's a pie in the fridge."

Shelby's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes, please," she said.

"It's peach," Ainsley said as she gave her wand a swish. Three plates fluttered into the room and landed on the table.

Leah stared at her slice of pie, unmoving. The room easily returned to its equilibrium of silence, but Leah didn't feel at peace at all. There was a restlessness that gnawed at her heart, an anxiety that overtook her mind. She couldn't continue on like this any longer. She couldn't pretend that there wasn't anything wrong.

"I want to go back to Edinburgh," she blurted out.

A heartbeat.

Leah cringed at the looks she got, but she didn't shy away. She stood her ground, evenly meeting Shelby's eyes, then Ainsley's. "Someone had to start it," she whispered.

To her surprise, Ainsley didn't look too startled at the mention of their hometown. She seemed to have expected Leah's revelation. Shelby, unsurprisingly, was the opposite.

"Edinburgh?" she said incredulously. Shelby was practically shouting. "You want to go back there? Of all the places in the world!"

"I have to clear my name," Leah said. "The scene of the crime is the only lead I have. I have to go back."

"Why can't you just move overseas?" Shelby said. "Somewhere far away like Australia. They can't catch you there."

Leah chuckled humorlessly. "But they could," she said. "Besides, this place is my home. I wouldn't know how to live anywhere else."

Shelby took in a deep breath. "What good is going back there though?" she said. "The case is over ten years old."

"Shelby has a point," Ainsley said, ignoring the look of surprise that came across Shelby's face. "I doubt you'd find anything."

"But what if I do?"

"The Ministry's already searched the estate at least five times over. If there was a clue, they would have already found it."

"Are you telling me to give up?"

Ainsley and Shelby went silent. They shared a look.

"Are you sure, Leah?" Shelby said after a moment. "We've had some bad memories there."

"It was the first home we ever knew," Leah softened. "The Ministry doesn't know that place like I do. All the times we played hide and seek must count for something."

Shelby didn't look convinced. "I could… I could come with you."

"I can't ask you to do that," Leah said. She looked at Ainsley. "Or you. You both have your jobs. I can't ask you to come with me and relive those memories."

"Nothing's going to change your mind, is it?"

Leah shook her head. "Nay."

Ainsley sighed. She held her head in her hands. "What do you want, Leah? You're obviously not asking us for permission."

"This is a family matter as much as it involves me," Leah said. "I want your blessing, and perhaps your help."

"You already have that," Shelby said.

"Thank you." Leah grinned. She glanced over at Ainsley, who nodded.

"What do you need?" Ainsley asked.

"Supplies," Leah said. "Lots and lots of supplies."

Setting her fork down, Shelby pushed her plate aside. "So much for pie," she sighed. "Let's get to work."

For the rest of the night and throughout the next few days, the sisters planned out Leah's next steps. Leah mapped out the Reeves Estate, looking through Ainsley's library for all the old newspaper clippings of the investigation. Meanwhile, Ainsley searched the Ministry archives, keeping tabs on the auror patrols, and Shelby gathered all the necessary supplies, subtly shifting the attention of the muggle public away from Leah.

On one quiet evening, four nights later, Leah found herself quietly watching Shelby. Ainsley had not yet returned for work, so it was just the two of them in a house too big to ever feel full. Just like the old times.

"You've grown, Shelby," Leah said suddenly. "You've changed."

Shelby opened her eyes, sitting up. She had almost drifted off to sleep. "What?"

Shrugging, Leah set down the newspaper she had been reading. "I don't know," she said. "I've just been thinking. It's probably nothing."

Shelby moved to sit on the sofa next to Leah. She leaned back against the cushions. "Tell me about it," she said.

Leah smiled at her sister. She reached out for her hand. "It's just that I'm leaving tomorrow morning," she said, "and this still doesn't feel real. Merlin, you don't feel real and yet I'm holding you right now."

Shelby gripped tightly onto Leah's hand. "It's not too late for me to join you tomorrow. Just say the word, and I'll go with you. We can get through this together."

"I appreciate the concern," Leah said, "but you know you can't. You have your whole life here."

Shelby sighed, pulling back. "I know," she said. "I know. I just wish you didn't have to go back alone."

"It's my future on the line, my reputation. I have to do this."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

Shelby looked like she wanted to say something else, but she thought better of it. Instead, she pulled Leah in for a hug. "Don't get caught," she whispered into her ear. "And don't die."

Leah laughed. "Never," she said, her eyes shutting. "I'll come back a free woman."

Before Shelby could reply, a loud pop resonated in the room. Shelby quickly retreated, jumping up. "Ainsley!" she said. "You're back!"

Dusting herself off, Ainsley lowered her wand and looked around the room. "Shelby, Leah." She nodded. "Big day tomorrow."

Shelby chuckled. "Big day," she agreed. "I suppose I should be going then." She turned to Leah. "You're going to need all the sleep you can get."

"Wait!" Leah reached for the black leather jacket on the coffee table. "Before you go… this belongs to you."

Shelby stared at the jacket. She blinked. "Keep it. You need it more than me."

"But—"

"Besides," Shelby added. "It looks better on you."

Leah paused. "Really?"

"Really." Shelby smiled. "Goodbye, Leah. And good luck."

Leah watched as Shelby turned towards Ainsley, giving her a quick nod before taking her leave.

"She's right, you know," Ainsley said, eyes trained on the front door.

"What?"

"Leather does suit you."

Leah looked down at the jacket in her hands. She clutched it close to her chest and took in a breath.

"Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah," Leah said. Her eyes were closed. "Shelby bought pizza. We saved some for you."

"You should sleep then," Ainsley said. "Get an early start tomorrow. Avoid the morning rush."

"Yes." Leah nodded. "I'll do that. See you in the morning."

And so Leah slept as well as she could have that night. Morning couldn't have come sooner, and she must have lay awake for half the time, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but she must have. Because the next thing she knew, she was walking to the bathroom to take the last shower she would have for a long while.

She found Ainsley in the kitchen, coffee in hand. She was reading one of the papers Leah had left out in the open the previous night. And from the tired look in her eyes, Leah knew instantly that her sister hadn't slept one wink.

Pouring herself her own mug of coffee, Leah sat in a chair. She grabbed the backpack Shelby had prepared for her and peered inside. There was a blanket, some clothes, a length of rope, some rations, water, a map, and various papers detailing their research.

"Leah."

Leah looked up to find Ainsley watching her. She blinked. "Yes?"

"I have something for you."

Leah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "For me?" she said.

Ainsley only smiled. She pulled open a kitchen drawer and retrieved a small rectangular shaped box. "Here," she said. "I think you'll like it."

Leah took the box gingerly in her hands. She traced the inscription etched on the box with a finger, and her eyes widened at the realization of what it was. She gasped. "You didn't."

Ainsley chuckled. "I hope it serves you well."

Leah wasn't paying attention anymore. She threw the box open. Her breath was taken away.

"It's thirteen inches with supple flexibility," Ainsley said. "Maple wood with a phoenix feather core."

"It's beautiful," Leah murmured. Her hand hovered over the wand, but she hesitated.

"What?" Ainsley said, sensing her thoughts. "You don't like it?"

"No!" Leah said. "No. I just… I haven't held one of these in so long. I don't even know if I can do magic anymore."

Ainsley snorted. "That's ridiculous," she said. She took the box out of Leah's hand, gently removing the wand from it. "You were born with magic running through your veins. It is and always will be within you. It's not a gift you can lose."

Staring at Ainsley's outstretched hand, Leah breathed in deeply. She closed her eyes and nodded. "You're right," she muttered. "I don't even know why I question you anymore."

Leah reached out her hand. She took the wand from Ainsley; her fingers instinctively wrapped around it. A faint glow emitted from it, and Leah gasped as her stomach did a three sixty. She looked at Ainsley excitedly.

The feeling was nowhere near how exhilarating receiving her first wand was, but it was a close second. Leah could have cried.

"Thank you," she said. She wrapped her arms around Ainsley, squeezing her tightly. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet," Ainsley said, holding her sister tightly. "There's more."

"More?" Leah stepped back. "What more can you possibly give me?"

Ainsley grinned. She held up a wrapped box. "A surprise," she said, "for when you're on the road. Open it later."

"But—"

"Think of it as your Christmas present," Ainsley said. "And I know I can trust you not to open it early."

Leah laughed. She took the present and held it close to her chest. It had been a long time since she thought about Christmas, and it was wild to know that the holiday was just next month. "Ainsley…"

"One last thing," Ainsley said.

Leah blinked as Ainsley slipped a golden key into her pockets. "What is it?"

"A spare key to the Reeves Gringott Vault. Just in case you need more money."

"I can't take this!"

"Oh, please." Ainsley frowned. "Half of the money in there is yours by birthright. Take it. If you withdraw anything, people will just assume that it's me."

"No's not an answer, is it?"

"I knew you were a smart girl."

"Thank you, Ainsley," Leah said. "I mean it. You didn't have to help me, but you did. I just wanted a place to lay low for a little bit, but you've…" Leah pressed her lips together as she tried to come up with the right words. "You've done so much more."

"You don't have to thank me," Ainsley said. She placed a hand on Leah's shoulder. Their foreheads touched. "You're my sister."

"Sister," Leah echoed. She smiled. "Thank you, anyways. Thank you for trusting me."

"I'll do more this time," Ainsley said. "If you're caught. I'll free you."

Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, Leah rolled her eyes. "You won't need to," she huffed. "They'll catch me when I want them to catch me."

"You were always arrogant."

"Nay." Leah shook her head. "This is not arrogance, not anymore. This is confidence you're seeing. I learned it from you and Shelby."

"It suits you."

Stepping out the backdoor, Leah turned her head up to meet the morning rays. She released a breath. Without another word to Ainsley, she cast the shrinking charm on her backpack. Magic easily flowed through her again, and she felt a warm sensation underneath her skin.

Her eyes met Ainsley's as she began to shrink with her backpack, growing feathers from her arms. If a bird could smile, she did. And Ainsley smiled back.

"I'm proud of you," her sister said as Leah took off, flying north towards Edinburgh, Scotland. Closer to Hogwarts. Closer to home.

And closer to answers.