Ch 2: Home is where the heart is
"Helga's hippogriffs!" Elsa cursed under her breath when she finally found herself at her family's Gringott vault, this was exactly why she avoided people, boys in particular. The last thing she needed was anybody noticing the vague fluctuating nature of her hair, Dahlia and her friends were more than enough trouble for her as it was, thank you very much. Regulus was certainly a sweet boy, enough so that she had a hard time imagining his leasing bolts of red magic at her, but he was a Black and a Slytherin after all and she was a freak.
"You just going to daydream all day, blue?" the goblin called out as he scratched at the cart impatiently.
She looked up startled and found a couple of strands of blue hair had fallen into her vision. Annoyed at yet another unintentional color change, she shook herself enough to slip a few galleons into a pouch and return from the vault. A short and extremely jerky ride later she found herself once again facing the too rough crowd that consumed Diagon Alley in the days leading up to the new term. A sigh escaped her before she plunged back into the crowd, mumbling her apologies to everyone the crowd managed to thrust her into. She hurried about her shopping as quickly as possible and managed to avoid another run-in with the Blacks or any other pureblood families. In the end, she had far more bruises than she began with, all of her fifth-year supplies, and a couple treats for Alfie, the family owl. She spent the remainder of her time waiting for Dahlia in a corner of Obscurus Books reading and steadily avoiding contact with anyone who happened to find the tucked-away little shop.
The kindly old owner, Madame Thécaire, knew her well from the many Diagon Alley trips she had spent hiding there. She was a tiny little witch with a pile of dark silver hair affixed to the top of her head with a sapphire pin that caught the light in the dusty old shop, making Elsa stare enviously at it every time. When she was younger, Madame used to twirl Elsa's hair into a similar bun and secure it with the pin. They would chat over cups of tea and she would almost feel normal for an afternoon. She'd never managed to pin her hair up the same way at home, somehow, she still always felt like a freak then. After a whirlwind of demanding Ravenclaws swept through, Madame Thécaire meandered over to Elsa's back corner and settled into a plush armchair across from Elsa's own.
"What happened now, dear?" her voice sounded like the rustle of pages turning, aged and full of knowledge.
Elsa looked up sheepishly from the book she was currently hiding in, "Oh it's nothing Madame Thécaire, I'm fine."
The elderly shopkeeper was hardly swayed by the young witch's blasé tone, and arched an elegantly painted on eyebrow in challenge, "You've gone all blue again."
"What I wouldn't do for one normal interaction today," Elsa broke, exasperated, "All anyone seems to be able to comment on is my hair! Between Dahlia, Regulus, and you, you would think I'm only a mess of color-changing hair."
"Regulus?" Madame Thécaire questioned, happily ignoring the rest of her outburst, "My, my, have you finally talked to a boy ma petite chou?"
Her slight French accent added a lilt to the teasing that took much of the sting out of it, but Elsa still felt the warmth of a blush creeping over her cheeks. God, today was just her going from pink to blue and back again.
"Maybe," Elsa retreated behind the safety of her book once more, "Was that really all you heard from all that?"
"Tell me everything," Madame Thécaire demanded as she settled deeper into the comforts of the worn velvet armchair, "I don't get out much these days."
Elsa sighed and delved into an explanation of the morning, beginning with Dahlia running off with all the money and ending with her sudden flight from the Black brothers. Making sure to take great care in her description of Regulus and the sudden life he seemed to bring to everything. She mentioned his steel grey/stormy grey eyes at least ten times without noticing. All the while a soft smile managed to overtake her lips, much to the amusement of her gossipy companion.
"He sounds like quite the catch," Madame Thécaire murmured conspiratorially.
"Oh Madame, no!" Elsa cried, heat flooding to her cheeks yet again, "I would never!"
"You've gone so adorably pink little one," Madame Thécaire chuckled affectionately, "I highly doubt you would 'never'."
Before Elsa had another chance to protest another demanding customer had managed to find the bookstore and needed Madame Thécaire's full attention. She returned to her reading for the time being. When she finally left to meet Dahlia at the Leaky Cauldron once more, she noticed an unfamiliar weight in her pocket. Cautiously reaching in, she discovered a small curiously heavy envelope. She tore open the red wax seal discovering a glittering prize inside. Madame Thécaire's sapphire pin and a small note. She rubbed the hairpin while she read, the memory of Madame pinning up her hair soothing her despite the slightly ominous tone to the note.
You're perfect the way you are, my little one. I hope you learn to stop selling yourself short. I hate the thought of you all alone in the castle again. Maybe this grey-eyed boy is just the change you need. Either way, blue or pink I love you all the same, good luck at school this year. I have a feeling you'll need it.
"Daddy we're home!" Dahlia called as soon as she stepped out of the floo, "You won't believe what Elsa did."
Elsa ducked, attempting to hide from the world behind a curtain of blonde hair so pale it was almost white. It matched her face perfectly, the blood drained out with fear after Dahlia's taunts the whole way home. She really hadn't meant to bother her little sister in any way, but like usual she couldn't seem to stop messing everything up.
"Dahli please," she whispered with an anxious tug on her sister's hand, "I really didn't mean-"
"What did the Freak get into now?" their mother's cool drawl interrupted, with her glacial blue eyes flashing coldly.
If possible, Elsa got even paler. She knew what was coming, whether or not Dahlia tattled on her now, her fate was sealed. Dahlia glanced regretfully at her, running to their father was one thing, but throwing Elsa to the mercy of The Lady of the House was another entirely. However, the line of thought was already started, it had to be finished.
"Dahlia Grace, I believe I asked you a question," the Lady's crisp intonation cut through the air with a frigidity rarely achieved in such a short statement.
"It wasn't such a big deal," Dahlia's eyes had fallen to trace patterns on the carpet and her voice was soft for once, "Honestly Mother, hardly worth bothering yourself over."
The Lady cleared her throat delicately, "Do not make me ask you again, Dahlia."
"I saw her talking to Regulus Black," Dahlia let the words fall out in a rush and Elsa's heart sank.
"I see," if possible, the glacial eyes grew even colder.
Elsa didn't see her sister the rest of the week, until the night before they left for school. Dahlia slid into her bed sometime past midnight, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Elsa's arms went about her reflexively, and they lay there in the silence for a long moment.
"We haven't done this since we were kids," Dahlia finally whispered into the moonlit room.
"You haven't had nightmares since we were kids," Elsa replied softly, "At least not like the ones I know you're having now."
"I'm still afraid of the dark Else," Dahlia sighed, turning fretfully within her sister's embrace, "I don't think I've ever told anyone that, but ever since then I'm still afraid of the dark and every time you back down there…"
She trailed off for a moment as the tremors continued to wrack her tiny frame. Elsa shook with her, well aware of exactly what she was referencing. The cruelty of The Lady of the House was not something to be underestimated.
"Elsa, every time you go back down there, I relive it all and I can hardly bear it," Dahlia finally managed, "I know I'm not always the kindest to you, but I wouldn't really wish that upon anyone. I still get nightmares every time after you go down there. It's not something I'll ever forget."
"You start to get accustomed to it after a while," Elsa attempted feebly.
Dahlia shook her head violently, tangling her platinum locks with Elsa's blue strands, "No you don't."
"No, you don't," Elsa agreed.
Dahlia wrapped her arms around her sister as the continued to tremble together.
"I'm still afraid of the dark too."