Save for summer vacations and the holidays, they had never been separated for very long. That was the beauty of sharing a dormitory with your best friend for seven years, the bond surviving even after school. Lucinda had always been an owl away, and while Emma knew that she could have, in theory, written at any point during Christmas - she hadn’t. No, she had never met Lucinda’s family but then, Lucinda had never met hers either. It was the one thing Emma couldn’t talk about, but the holidays were time with them, all the same. Much as she’d missed her and desperately wished to not be alone, pulling her best friend away from home wouldn’t do either of them much good. That didn’t mean Emma hadn’t missed her something horrible. Quite the opposite. Especially in the midst of everything that had happened.
Emma’s eyebrows raised at the sight. Lucinda Talkalot, red hair in a wild mess, climbing through her window and into the snow. Absurd as it was, it was the epitome of who she was. “Oh, we’re hating on my scarf now, are we?” She called, the laugh obvious and loud in her words. Whatever public face Emma had to put on with the rest of the world, it didn’t exist where Lucinda was involved. There was no reason for it.
“Don’t tell me you’re underestimating me n – ” Emma barely got the words out before the snow collided with her face, eliciting a shriek. That was what she got for standing still, she figured, the amusement of watching Lucinda jog barefoot through snow more distracting than her reflex time. “Oh, you’re wicked!” She gasped, a gloved hand wiping at her face as arms went around her, and then hers did the same. Emma hugged her tight, letting out a deep breath. “My nose may be frozen, but I’m so happy you’re back.”
Lucinda loved people. She wanted to please and wanted to receive that and acceptance terribly. Her time at Hogwarts wasn’t miserable by any stretch, but she was an odd one out. Simply looking at her personality people questioned the sorting hat’s quick decision to put her in Slytherin. There were such stereotypes for each house. Lucinda tried to fit in with her housemates but didn’t always succeed. She also had to be careful about who to get closest to since many Slytherins were, unfortunately more concerned with blood status than other houses — a stereotype that was true. She couldn’t have them asking about her family. It was complicated. Her family was the Talkalots, but they were muggles. However, her birth parents were pure bloods. But they gave her up. Then she and her birth mother Aisling grew to know each other through owls, keeping it secret from the cold man she couldn’t believe was part of her blood. But she had Quidditch. Lucinda knew she would be Quidditch captain no matter her house, but that was the one thing she was recognized for among the green and silver. She had total control of the team. She knew how to bring them together. She knew how to win. And win she did with Emma coming out of those seven years. She had hit the best friend jackpot.
Climbing out the window is something Lucinda would do no matter who was there but seeing Emma’s face made it that much more fun. They had distinct personalities and they magnified when they were together. It was easy being with Emma. Lucinda didn’t feel like she was putting on a show or like she had to act a certain way. Or, more importantly, Lucinda being unabashedly herself and not being self conscious after the fact. Merlin, she had missed Emma. Time truly did make the heart fonder. A snowball to her face was the perfect, Lucinda-type way to say how much she missed and loved her best friend. “You bet I’m making fun of your scarf, Miss. And those gloves? So proper,” Lucinda spoke through a tight-lipped smirk. Lucinda was far from proper so it always amused her when others presented themselves in certain ways. She understood everyone had their reasons and that included Lucinda, but Emma wouldn’t be Emma without being more put together than Lucinda ever could be.
The arms encircling Lucinda were strong yet soft and beautifully familiar. She was at home with Emma. Any coldness she may have felt melted away during that hug. She didn’t want to let go. So she didn’t. Instead, she leaned into the hug and held on as hard as she could. Lucinda didn’t realize she was holding onto emotions and just needed a hug. Yes, she’d gotten the hugs, kisses on the cheek and love from her family before she left but Emma was different because she knew and understood the world they shared. Lucinda’s eyes squeezed shut. “I missed you, Em,” she whispered.
Lucinda began to let go of Emma while asking, “Well, what are we going to do to celebrate my finally being back?”
