A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Assignment #9 – Childcare - Task #1 - Create a home-safety zone:Write about someone going to a special/private place when things feel too much.
Warning: hints at anxiety, being overwhelmed
Word Count: 363
Ginny scrambled up the tree and nestled herself in a crack between two large branches. It was too loud in the house. So many sounds, she couldn't do it anymore. Here, out here, it wasn't silent, but it was softer. The sounds blended together in a strange harmony she couldn't hope to describe.
She leaned against the cool bark of the large oak tree. It was rough against her skin. She welcomed the sensation. Her fingers traced the nooks and crannies of the wood. Anything to take her mind from the noise that still echoed in her mind. She knew if she listened, she would hear birds, frogs, the chickens.
Instead, she focused on the bark, on the tree that had become her refuge as of late. No one usually came this far past the gate. There was nothing out here save a few trees. The ground didn't grow anything so it was no good for gardening. She took a deep breath, marveling at the coolness of the air as it filled her lungs. The coolness, like everything else out here, helped calm her. It helped center her. It quieted the noise in her mind.
It was getting to be late autumn. The leaves above her head were slowly changing from green to red, orange, and brown. She gently reached up and managed to reach a red one. It floated down to her, brushing against her face. She tried to grab it, but it continued spiraling until it landed on the ground.
She knew she would have to return to the house, but for now, she was content to let the sounds drain out of her mind and become just faded memories carried away by the soft breeze. The silence in her mind comforted her. She could finally hear her own thoughts again.
Looking up, she watched a flock of geese fly past and smiled. The world didn't need noise to be beautiful. Keeping the image of the geese gliding gracefully through the air, she climbed down. The leaves crunched under her feet. She started walking back to the house slowly, glad for the escape the high branches of her favorite tree granted.