Let the sunshine in

Charity Burbage - 6th year - hufflepuff Daydreamer, believer and eternal optimist

[charity-whoisleft]

going back II

[charity-whoisleft]

remus-whoisleft‌:

Remus was feeling a bit out of sorts, though it was becoming quickly apparent that ‘out of sorts’ was simply going to be the permanent energy with, well, a war going on. On one hand his break had been excellent considering how rocky and emotionally it had started, and he hadn’t been anywhere near the Ministry the night of New Year’s Eve. 

Still, just because he hadn’t been there didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the effects. The entire wizarding world was, surely; it was hard to escape such palpable feear.

The journey to Hogwarts was always an optimistic one, however. It was impossible for him to not feel that excited energy in his stomach as the castle got closer. That, too, seemed to exist on a precariously balanced scale with the other, looming fact that this would be one of his final journeys to the castle as a student.

Doing patrols was always a welcome distraction from the fear of what was coming after, though, and train patrols were no different. The mood on the train was appropriately somber, which meant there were little to no shenanigans he had to break up. Stepping into a compartment he was surprised to hear the request so quickly, but he dutifully shut the door behind him before registering who was in there with him.

“Hi, Charity.” Remus greeted the younger girl kindly, nodding at her explanation with a soft smile. “Sure thing. Gives me a good excuse to sit down a for a bit, make sure he doesn’t sneak out with me.” He glanced over at one of the empty seats before adding quickly: “If you don’t mind, that is.”

Charity gave Remus a little smile as he stepped inside, a hand hovering over her owl until the door was closed behind him. Seeing a familiar face from school helped settle the unrestful feeling inside of her a little bit; early for the train, she had settled for the first free compartment that she had found, and after the train started she had decided to stay rather than go look for friends. Something about the way the countryside whooshed past was oddly calming and felt fitting for her mood. 

But now that someone else was here, it felt a bit like being snapped awake. They weren’t the same year or house, but Hogwarts was a small school and it was inevitable to notice those around. Seeing him gave a sense of the normal she associated with staying there. Hopefully, she would settle even more so when she got back. 

“Please, sit down,” she said, smiling at him again. “Company sounds nice.”

Charity figured that talking to someone else might help as well; someone from the part of the wizarding world that she thought of as safe. Talking about good things, safe things, like Christmas and the upcoming semester, might ease her mind. Make it feel more like she was going back to the safest place she knew- even if her family was left behind. She tried not to worry about that. They were far from the fright and her parents would take care of everyone. Of course they would.

“Did you have a nice break?”

[charity-whoisleft]

going back II

Charity always had mixed feelings about going back to Hogwarts after Christmas. On one hand, she was always excited to go back to the school she loved; catching up with her friends after weeks apart, spending more time in the cosy common room and falling asleep curled up in her dorm-bed. On the other hand, break always flew by and she had felt the inevitable homesickness looming for a few days now. 

After hearing about what had happened at New Years, it had only gotten worse. The Burbage household had been unusually sombre up until her departure, all of them thinking the same and none of them saying it. It felt hard leaving her family when the world didn’t feel quite as safe as it should. Charity was chewing in those feelings on the train back to Hogwarts, quietly watching the world zoom by outside. Tiny, in a fit of unusual good mood, had been let out of his cage and was snoozing next to her, even letting her pet him. When the door opened, both owl and girl glanced up.

“Please close the door after you,” Charity said, half ready to catch Tiny should he decide to make a run for it. He wouldn’t get far but the last thing she wanted to do was chase after the small owl through the entire train. “I don’t trust him not to escape.”

[sebastian-whoisleft]

wonderland ||

The party had seemed a little too perfect, which is why Sebastian was relieved when his dog Nellie started chewing on the couch leg. Normally, he’d be put out about such a thing – not for his own sake, but because it meant only days before Antonin or his mother pointed it out and expected him to do something like fix or replace it – especially since he knew the dog had been the happy recipient of about fifty horderves from the sneaky palms of guests that night. But he was a superstitious man, Sebastian Nott, and he preferred his misfortunes to be small. 

The rule of threes, the fortune teller – who had taken up shop toward the back of the house – had reminded him that morning, as they were stepping out of the shower and the hired party planner had been leaning on the doorbell downstairs. All bad things happen according to the rule of threes. Then a period of good luck follows.

She could have been making it up, of course, but he didn’t see what reason there was for it. She’d already been hired, and he’d even let her stick around the whole day between her stay the night before and the party’s kickoff and half-eight. Unless the first bad thing had been some failure of a birth control potion, nothing had gone wrong until nearly ten, when a table of wine glasses had been knocked over in its entirety. If onlookers were puzzled by Sebastian’s delighted grin upon being told the news, they were polite – or drunk – enough to not mention it.

The couch leg was number two. 

Only one more ‘bad thing’ to check off the list tonight and, if his limited understanding was correct, it would be guaranteed smooth sailing from there on out. His fingers were crossed for another minor inconvenience. Perhaps someone would throw up on an Oriental area rug. He’d be glad for it.

In the candy room, where Sebastian had taken up temporary residence, everything was made of candy. The wallpaper was flavored, strange trees grew fruits that were really just fruit gumdrops, and tables upon tables were stacked high with the brand name stuff. Cauldrons in the corners emitted a sugary-sweet steam and contained tooth-rotting, bright pink punch that was far too delicious for how alcohol it was. The ‘clouds’ up above were made of freshly spun candy floss, and they reached down just low enough for most everyone to reach; a few enterprising short people had dragged a stool in for easier harvest.

Turning his head, Sebastian caught sight of someone standing on their own – and he would have walked on over to them even if he wasn’t secretly hoping they were about to inform him that the entire house was out of paper towels in the wake of a massive spill. Or that the fortune teller had been caught taking a break – yet again – with one of the bolder guests who’d compared her crystal ball to something unsavory. 

“If you’re caught wandering alone, you have to take a shot,” Sebastian proudly informed his target, strolling up. It was a party where many, many guests had peeled off on their own to explore the elaborate decorations, a phenomenon he’d been counting on. “House rules.” 

[charity-whoisleft]

Although Charity hadn’t been to many parties, this one was the most astounding one she had been to. 

Her version of Christmas parties usually involved her family, way too many baked goods, enough crackers for everyone to end up with a hat and the radio’s top holiday songs playing in the background after Hannah had solemnly sworn to not howl along as to not upset the dog. The Burbage family practically went into a seasonal hibernation once everyone had come home from uni and magical boarding schools. 

It was what Charity had expected to happen this year as well, once they finished all the big errands. At the most, she imagined maybe doing a secret Santa with some of her friends from before she started Hogwarts, or having dinner with the family friends down the street. When a friend had invited her to ‘the greatest party of the season’, Charity had figured it was a slight hyperbole and had been about to turn it down until Hannah found out. Her cousin, always trying to convince her to join her group of friends going out, had equipped Charity with what she declared suitable clothes and shooed her off. 

It wasn’t the kind of thing Charity usually attended but walking through the house of wonders, she was happy she had listened to Hannah. The vague anxiety about showing up to a party she technically wasn’t completely invited to melted off quickly as she aimed to find what every room held. This was very different from Hannah’s kind of party where the main goal was to get pissed as quickly as possible on as little as possible. 

At the moment, she had lost her friend but had found her way to a room reminding her of the children's book she had once read where there was a room made of candy, and everything was edible. She pondering the etiquette of trying, well, the room when someone walked over to her and she perked up as she recognized her former housemate.

“Oh, hello,” she said, giving him a smile. Her first instinct was to turn it down, but a voice inside her head -that sounded suspiciously similar to Hannah’s- wondered what was the harm of actually trying out something new? In the last year, she had found that new experiences were quite thrilling so what was one more? “Are there any candy flavoured ones?”

[notrodolphus]

Rabastan was not the kind of person to leer suspiciously at laughing children. For one thing, that seemed like the personality trait of someone extremely sad, and for another he genuinely loved kids. And so when he managed to squeeze himself into what seemed to be a miraculously open cabin, only to be run down by a handful of cackling fourth years, he just stared after them with (valid) confusion and a knowing smirk.

Holiday spirit was clearly buzzing all around the Hogwarts Express – he couldn’t blame the enthusiasm bubbling up as raucous behavior.

It didn’t occur to him to wonder why the younger students had been donning such mischievous grins, not until he was hoisting his luggage into the shelf and spotted a peculiar bushel of green hanging from the ceiling. And as soon as curious fingers brushed against it, a yelp and a swoosh racketed around the room. The former, of course, was from Rabastan, caused by the latter because within moments he’d found himself pelted by duplications upon duplications upon duplications of the shrub. He didn’t even have time to be bewildered, because at that exact moment he heard the door slide back open.

Good news: the geminio charm had apparently been set to have a finite limit. Better news: every square inch of the cabin now looked as if a blizzard of mistletoe had just blown on through.

“Welp, that was completely my bad,” Rabastan laughed, brushing two or twelve off his hair, “Hm… kiss me if I’m wrong, but tradition demands that we duel to the death now, right?”

[charity-whoisleft]

December had just flown away; it felt like one morning Charity had woken up to the castle transforming into a winter wonderland, and the next she found herself packing her bags, spending ages alternating between trying to make all the gifts she had gotten from Hogsmeade more compact and trying to magically expand her suitcase so everything would actually fit. 

The lead-up to the trip home always had her giddy. While Charity loved Hogwarts, the one thing above it was her little house back home and the family waiting within it. Letters did nothing to diminish the homesickness that always arrived late in the year. Luckily the school had its way of keeping her busy, both to make time fly and to lessen how much she missed home. 

So it was an excited Charity that had boarded the train, one hand lugging the finally packed and shut suitcase and the other holding her small, unusually-annoyed-owl. Not even Tiny’s sulking could dampen her spirits today. 

It was lifted even further when she walked past a cabin looking like Christmas had actually exploded inside of it. 

“I’ve heard it slightly different,” she said with a grin, holiday spirit at max. “But as my aunt says, tradition is always changing, isn’t it?” 

[gladys-wil]

Going to the Market //

Gladys needed to finish her last minute shopping–she still hadn’t gotten anything for Galvin or Davey and she was hoping that the Holiday Market would have something. It was so easy for her to shop for her parents, they would generally like anything that she got them, and while she knew that Galvin and Davey would love anything, she wanted to get them something special. Especially Davey after everything that had happened with him last month. 

She was also shopping for her friends, and she was toying with the idea of getting Amos something. But…if she got Amos something, would that be weird? Considering everything? She really wasn’t sure. She wanted to show him that things weren’t weird between them, but would getting him a gift be weird? She wished that Charity or Davina were there, then maybe they would be able to guide her. 

She spotted a Quidditch table, and she immediately beelined for it. She could definitely get Galvin something for Quidditch, it really made the most sense, after all. She picked up a pair of gloves that she thought that he might like. Quidditch players always needed gloves, right? 

“What do you think of these?” She asked the nearest person, a look of surprise when she recognized them. “Hey!”

[charity-whoisleft]

Charity was finally getting through her list. Her gifts to her parents had already been bought and hidden away under her bed, her aunt and uncle had a little check-mark behind their names and she was one third done with her cousins. Those were usually Charity’s responsibility, or at least she was the one in charge of suggestions, since they were more inclined to share their lives and hobbies with her. 

For Eliza, she had taken a chance and gotten a game of chess from one of the shops in Diagon Alley. Charity had no idea if it would work on someone not magical -or how close it was technically toying with the laws of secrecy- but at the very least it was a very nice-looking set of chess pieces that her cousin could easily bring around. The only person she knew better at it than Eliza, was her uncle, so she figured this was a great set to practise with if nothing else. 

Now she was fluttering through the market again, figuring after getting one gift done she deserved a break where she could glance through everything. Charity still tried to make it effective; she found herself inspecting some quidditch equipment and wondering if any of it could be converted into sports gear for Hannah. Or maybe something for Colin’s theatre. She glanced up at the sound of the familiar name, finding herself smiling before she even spotted Gladys. 

“Hey!” she greeted back, stepping over to her friend. Charity gave the gloves a glance (Hannah’s recent sport was something called handball- she had no idea what that was but hands being involved would make sense, wouldn’t it?). “They look really nice! Are they leather?”

[willowleyton]

Christmas treats

Christmas was over and it felt as though the break had flown by. She’d managed to get a lot done, but not as much as she’d wanted considering the fact that her mother had decided she needed to re-do some work that “didn’t show her best potential.” Up until this point it had been non-stop family time and working, but they’d hit the lull between Christmas and New Years and Amelia finally had a little time to herself. 

Time she’d spent in London, alone, re-stocking her supply of study aids. 

It wasn’t something she was proud of, but if she was ever going to make it through NEWTs she needed a boost. As much as she liked to tell herself it was no different than a concentrated dose of caffeine, she felt distinctly guilty for the way she’d had to sneak away to resupply. Still, a fresh stash of small, pink pills meant the next semester would be a lot easier than the last had been. 

She was contemplating taking one then so she’d be able to get things done at home, but refrained as she saw a familiar face. Smiling she offered a small wave. “Hey, how was your holiday?” 

[charity-whoisleft]

Charity loved every part of this time of year. The rush the last few days before Christmas, with seasonal music blasting on the radio as everyone fluttered between baking the last batch of holiday goods and packing up presents; Christmas itself spent nestled between her family with the entire day being just them; and this little stretch between the main events of the season. Those days before New Years when there were no expectations besides spending the days doing nothing and eating a few too many treats. 

It was one of those days when her mother had decided to take the journey to London, to make some holiday visits to old friends and charity drives that she kept in touch with. Charity, having spent the last few days in her pajamas and getting a bit itchy to move, had decided to go with. 

Again, there was no plan for the trip but that was what she liked. Just wandering around the muggle and wizard parts of town alike, looking at boxing day sales and just things in general she needed but had waited until after Christmas to get, in case she ended up with double. After the third cup of tea with the second pair of her mother’s friends, Charity had agreed with her mum to meet up later and gone on her own a bit. The other nice thing about London was that for such a large city, it was always filled with familiar faces. 

“Hello,” she greeted after catching one, recognizing one of her housemates. She gave the girl a grin. “It was great, amazing- although it feels like we came back from school just yesterday, really. How about yours?”

[alice-wil]

Have A Drink  || Open

It had taken a minute, but Alice was finally starting to embrace the holiday season. She had at least half of her shopping finished. She and Frank had found the perfect little tree for her flat and decorated it. All in all her decision to spend her day off at the Holiday Mart had been one that would allow her to finish off the last of her holiday shopping. However, when she’d popped in to see her Uncle she’d seen the overwhelmed look in his eye and her shopping was put aside to lend a hand. There was the usual holiday flavored ice creams for those like herself who thought ice cream was an all-weather treat and then more traditional cold weather treats for those who didn’t see it that way. She’d spent the last couple hours pouring and serving wassail, hot cider and a variety of hot cocoa. With her uncle and her staff seeming to have a better handle on the situation instead of ducking out to shop Alice had begun to experiment with a grander version of something she’d created for a little girl with sad eyes earlier. The rim of the mug was dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed candy canes, while the mug had been filled with her uncle’s rich, creamy cocoa and topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a candy cane peeking out through the whipped cream. As her concentration eased she realized someone was in front of her so she set the drink down with a flourish. “May I present Extreme Candy Cane Cocoa the most fun you can have in a cup….” She glanced up to confirm she wasn’t speaking to a child. “Well, without taking it down to The Leaky Cauldron and making an addition to it. Which…There are some pairings that could be downright delicious. It could be some fun research.” The last comment was more to herself than the person in front of her, but she quickly refocused herself. “Though if this doesn’t tickle your taste buds, I promise I can uncover just the thing that will put you in the holiday spirit. Everyone should walk away from here feeling holly and jolly. What can I get for you?” 

[charity-whoisleft]

Charity loved the Burbage tradition of going into London before Christmas. If the countless decorated trees and white grounds of Hogwarts didn’t get her in the mood for the holidays, there was nothing that filled her with joy like riding a double-decker down Oxford Street, her nose pressed against the glass to catch all the decorations. Today had been spent with her parents, working down the list of family members to buy gifts for. They had been on track, about to head to the wizarding part of town, when her mother ran into an old acquaintance heading towards some charity drive, and with that, the list had been passed on to Noah Burbage while Helena went on to help out. They’d been just about to enter the Leaky Cauldron when he spotted a bookstore, and Charity could tell by his tilted head and his half-finished ‘I’ll just have a look-’ that there was no dragging him away anytime soon. She’d nagged the list off him and told him she was going to Diagon Alley. She was half sure he noticed. 

She didn’t mind taking over the shopping. The distant friends and relatives that Charity barely knew had been done and she had fun walking past stores, looking for gift ideas. Her mother’s notes ranged from perfectly planned out, down to the store, to simple question marks behind someone’s name. Some were easy to figure out; a snazzy jumper for Hannah, sweets for Colin and a book on some science for Eliza. The problem was, Charity was equally easily distracted as her parents. Soon she had abandoned the stores and just found herself walking up and down the market, taking in everything. The smell of hot chocolate drew her, and she found herself looking at a cup that suddenly made her aware of how cold it was, and how lovely a hot drink would be. She smiled up at the woman. “I think it looks amazing as it is,” she said. “Christmas in a cup. How much is it?”

[charity-whoisleft]

24, 38, 61

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)?

Muggle studies is my favourite, and probably the one I’m best at. At least it’s the one I try hardest at- it’s so fascinating and I love the classes! Not everything makes sense always but I want to learn more about the muggle world, and it makes me happy that others do too. I’m also okay in potions, and a bit in charms.

38: Is this year the best year of your life?

I think, maybe yes? I mean, I’ve never really had any terrible years but I’m liking this one so far- I’ve done so much, learned a lot and had many good moments! There’s been some, well, less than pleasant skirmishes in the magical world but I want to focus on the good things instead. I can’t wait to see what Christmas brings, and spend the remainder of the year with my family.

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby?

I haven’t really thought about it- maybe? I think pet names in general are always sweet, so I think I’ll have to go with possibly yes.

[lisvs22-blog]

[thepaperheartsociety]

[pinkiemarshmallow]

Being kind is like?? the best thing in the world?? Making other people feel loved and happy is so rewarding?? And having people actually liking you for being nice to them is the best feeling ever??

[ben-brnes]

— Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amélie Poulain.

[pltuo]

[charity-whoisleft]

gladys-wil‌:

Gladys frequently felt lucky that she had Davey in her life. After all, the doctors had been so unsure about what Davey’s life would look like when he had been first admitted to the hospital all those years ago. And while Gladys had been much to young to truly understand the situation, she still appreciated that she had her brother still, and that he was remarkably healthy, despite his frequent trips to the hospital wing and St. Mungo’s. She could handle a broken bone or two. 

She nodded her head and then grinned at Charity. “Do you think that we could get him to do it?” She asked, looking over at him, biting her lip slightly. She looked at Charity, and she had been bursting to tell her about how she had told Amos that she liked her, and to just…talk about it. But then Davey had been in the hospital, and it hadn’t come up. Would now be an appropriate time to talk about it? She wasn’t sure. 

“I’m just glad that things can get back to normal again,” she decided on. If it came up, then she would tell her. But she wasn’t sure if there would be a point in telling her…Amos clearly didn’t like her that way. But it had also felt so weird not telling anyone about her crush, especially not her best friend. “I feel like we haven’t really seen each other in ages,” she admitted. “Things have been so crazy,” she said, shaking her head. “What, having me as a sister isn’t good enough?” She giggled. “But Davey is so hard to shop for. He always gets me something ridiculous. And i’m probably a horrible sister but I haven’t bought his present yet. I just…I was so worried, you know?” She sighed. “But he will love those!”

“I’m sure of it,” she giggled, glancing through the room to see if she could spot the badger in question. With the place filling up, it was hard to find anyone in particular, so grinned back at Gladys, making a mental note to mention how great the party was if she saw him later. “Maybe if we made sure to mention how amazing he did with this, he’d be inclined to do it. But really, it’s pretty great of him to put this together- it’s just the Welcome Back and Happy Birthday party Davey deserves.”

Charity would never have been able to throw something like this together on such short notice, but then again she was unlikely to be able to do so with several weeks notice as well. Planning something and sticking to it wasn’t exactly her strong suit. The few times her cousins had let her have a go at planning someone’s birthday, they usually ended up swooping in last minute to fix it up. 

She nodded in agreement. Charity loved her house and the people within it, and changes to it were jarring, especially the scary kind. It was good to have everything back to normal. “Things have been crazy,” she agreed as well. First with Regulus and his lovely family, and then with Davey. And that was just in addition to the things outside of Hogwarts that kept happening. It felt strange to say that she’d missed Gladys when they still slept in the same room, but it didn’t make it less true. “Maybe we can meet during Christmas break? When things have calmed down, and we don’t have to worry about homework and tests.”

She giggled at the question, lighting up. “It is,” she said. “You know, my cousin did that once, when he forgot to get a gift for my aunt- put on a bow and said his gift was being a perfect child for the rest of the year.” She shook her head. “You should get him something ridiculous back. And I know he’ll understand that you haven’t had time to get him anything.”

[tordenvejr]

me seeing purple flowers on a lawn: that’s the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen

me seeing sunlight hit the waves of the sea: that’s the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen

me seeing raindrops sparkle colorfully on a bus stop bench at night: that’s the

[charity-whoisleft]

gladys-wil‌:

Gladys was truthfully overjoyed by the fact that Davey had made it out of another long hospital stay. At first, she had been worried, thinking that he may end up in the hospital for a long time, just like he had when they were kids, and he was first diagnosed with his heart problem. But now that they were on the other side of it, and it was Davey’s birthday? She just felt so truly happy. It was so amazing to know that Davey was okay. And being at a party celebrating someone that she loved, made it easy for her to be happy and to smile. 

A party, a celebration for her brother, was enough to get her out of the mood that she had been feeling the last few days. Of course, she had an excuse to be upset, with Davey being hurt, but being sad took a lot out of her. She hated it. So she was determined to enjoy today, and to have a good night.

“We should,” she giggled, nodding her head. “I’m sure if we spring it on him, last minute, he will do a great job, just like this party,” she said, smiling fondly as she looked across the room at Amos. She couldn’t help but be appreciative to Amos. He was just…brilliant. Truly. “Davey’s good! He’s excited to get back to the castle.” She paused. “I’m good. I’m feeling a lot better,” she said, smiling. “I’m just glad that Davey is coming back to this party. It’s going to be so amazing!”

Although she could emphasise, Charity knew that it was impossible for her to imagine exactly how terrible it would be to have family in the hospital. Her life had been easy, she knew that; besides a grandparent she had barely met dying when she was a baby, the closest call she’d had was one of her cousins breaking their leg, which had ended up being more as an annoyance for them than life-threatening injury. 

It was a small miracle she hadn’t seen more friends injured at Hogwarts, the way the school worked sometimes. For now, she figured it was likely best not to share that sentiment, and instead focused on the other topic. “Maybe we should have him fix up the common room every now and then, just to keep things interesting. Or keep waiting last minute to spring parties on him to see what he’ll come up with.”

“I’m so happy he’s better,” she smiled. And I’m happy to see you like this, she thought silently. It had been terrible, knowing that her friend was in pain and knowing there was nothing Charity could do to fix it. No magic wand waving, no secret spell. But here, now, in the kitchens surrounded by people, it did feel like someone had waved a wand and lifted the sadness away a bit from all of them. So Charity grinned. “Have you gotten him anything nice for his birthday? I just got some sweets- I’m so terrible at buying things for boys, but I thought they’d be good if he was still in the hospital by now.”

[regulus-wil]

clearing the air

@charity-whoisleft

Usually, when it came to avoiding people he cared about, the action would be unintentional. When he’d spent too long away from Rabastan, it was usually when he had other things on his mind. When he didn’t speak to his cousins, it was because he hadn’t realised how much time had past, preoccupied with his studies. But this time, he had been going out of his way to avoid someone. More specifically, Charity. Which was proving to be far too difficult, especially with their shared classes.

Regulus would be lying if he said there was no maliciousness in his behaviour, even if it was overpowered by fear and concern. There was irritation there, that the Hufflepuff tried to bond with his cousins, despite his insistence that the feat was impossible. After everything he had told her about his family life, he was both annoyed and flattered that she still attempted some sort of friendship. But it had led him to the confrontation with Bella, and the anger he just couldn’t shake.

Something he didn’t want to take out on her.

The painful thing about their Charms class was that they were partnered. Sitting across the other side of the room and finding an excuse was not something he could do in this lesson. And while he was still happy to see her, he only greeted her with a small smile, rather than his usual fond expression and small talk. And he attempted to stay quiet for their entire lecture, only talking to her when the lesson required him to and ending it just as quickly. It felt unusual, and it felt cruel. But his thoughts were a mess, his emotions more so.

After the lesson, Regulus stayed seated, putting his hand on Charity’s arm to indicate for her to do so also. He knew the two of them would have to talk eventually. But he was scared for her, and for himself. While plenty had made it abundantly clear to him how inappropriate and dangerous his relationship with Charity was, he’d always felt he could protect her if it came to it. But Bellatrix proved how weak he could be. The threats were real.

When the room had finally emptied out, Flitwick included, he removed his hand with a sigh. “How many people know where you live?” He asked her, his voice void of emotion. “Just your closest friends, right?”

[charity-whoisleft]

In the world of uncharted territory,  having a boyfriend ignoring her was another first in Charity’s experience folder. With the excitement of Christmas coming up, and thereby the rush of getting presents last minute, alongside the last schoolwork of the semester, it had taken her a little while to notice that Regulus didn’t seem to be around anymore. At first she had chalked it off; despite her daydreams about finding a fireplace to snuggle up in front of while snow fell outside, the reality was that December was as hectic a time as any. Then it had started dawning on her that it might be deliberate.

It had posed a dilemma- to find him and tell him that he could talk to her about anything, or give him space so he could come to her if she wanted, without being pushed. Charity had found herself at a loss. In her family, there was no silent brooding when someone was mad; the Turner side would have intense yelling matched and slam doors before silently making up, while her side would talk it out. In the end, she opted to give him room to breathe, there if he needed her. But it was hard. Once she’d noticed his absence, it was hard to un-notice. Letting him be didn’t stop her from worrying. Was it Christmas coming up? His family? Charity had first-handedly experienced them, and she could easily avoid them should she want to. It was different for him.

Class was painful. Charity had grown so used to the person he was with her, it stung when he kept his distance, barely talking to her. Even sitting right next to him, a part of her kept thinking how much she missed him. Missed her Reg. But she still smiled, not wanting to push him further away, focusing on the tasks at hand. Her heart almost jumped a beat, part excitement part worry, when he silently asked her to stay behind. Charity’s mind wandered as she waited for the room to empty; maybe she should write to Eliza, ask for advice so they could sort this before Christmas break-

Her chain of thought crashed at the last question she had ever expected. Charity frowned up at him. “I think so?” she asked, voice full of question. “I mean, address wise? People know my hometown, it’s not exactly something I keep secret. Why, where’s this coming from?”