"if
the ocean
can calm itself
so can you.
we
are both
salt water
mixed
with
air."

Three days passed since Kira sent the letter to Anna Horne. That morning an owl flew into their kitchen through the open window and dropped a letter onto the counter. It was sealed with a crest that had a unicorn surrounded by a circle of some plant that she could not identify.

Her breath caught in her throat. Questions flooded her mind. Doubts. What if Anna did not want to see them? What if they never found out? She shook her head. She was being silly. The letter would contain the answer. There was no point in worrying about possible answers.

Her hand inched towards the letter. She wanted to open it. She clenched and unclenched her fist. She had to open it now. "Aurelia!" She called, far too impatient to wait. Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

Aurelia turned into the kitchen. She had a brush in her hand, her hair still wet and dripping onto the tiles. "Yes?" She felt bad. Maybe she should have waited.

Kira picked up the letter. "It has to be from Anna Horne." She had considered that it might not be from Anna, but something about it made her sure it was.

Aurelia's mouth formed an O-shape in a silent, "oh." She pushed her hair over her shoulders and moved to look at the letter. A shorter strand fell forward and a drop of water landed on the parchment.

She peeled back the paper, unfolding it. The letter was short. After scanning through it, she looked up. "She said we're welcome to visit anytime."

"We should owl the ministry then." As an Auror, Aurelia would have to notify them about the trip, but Kira's supervisor only needed to know she was out on an expedition. The perks of being an Unspeakable.

~~~

With the letters all written and sent, and permission from their respective departments in the Ministry, they gathered their things at the fireplace. They had sent letters to their families, letting them know that they were going to be away for a while. While Aurelia opted to tell her parents what they were doing, Kira chose to tell Irene that she was going on a trip for the Ministry. Her status as an Unspeakable meant her brother would not ask questions about it, nor would anyone in her department tell him. He had gotten rather curious as he grew older, refusing to stay out of her business on some days.

Aurelia looked around at their two small trunks. "Reckon we have enough?"

Kira nodded, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder. They managed to find a tavern that had access to the Floo Network. It was easier than apparating there. "I think so. We won't stay too long."

She stepped into the fireplace, picking up her trunk and dropped the Floo Powder. "Heathridge Pub." Her words were clear and concise.

She vanished in a flash of green flames and when they died down, Aurelia stepped in after her, trunk in hand. Repeating the same words, the green flames encompassed her and she was sucked into them.

She appeared in a room and stepped out onto the stone floors. Kira was at a bar to the right talking to the bartender who seemed to be giving her directions. The rest of the pub had wooden walls and was occupied by three other people. All of them older than they were. It was early, so she was not surprised at how empty it was. The walls were bare, except for two portraits, one that looked eerily like Kira with dark brown hair pulled back into an up-do.

She walked towards it and read the name on it. Dhara Horne. This was the first time she was seeing a clear picture of her. The one in Kira's family tree was small and blurred, only carrying the trademark brown hair and soft features of Kira's maternal line. She held her head high in the painting. She had an air of arrogance or perhaps it was because she knew how powerful she was. She was a powerful woman in a time where women were seen as inferior. Maybe it was right that she showed those around her that she was confident in herself and her power.

Kira joined her at the painting, finished with her conversation with the bartender.

"You look like her," she said.

"It's odd, isn't it? Centuries have passed, and still we carry the people of the past with us."

She hummed in agreement. "What did the bartender say?" She turned her head to glance at the man and then brought her attention to her.

"Anna Horne lives on the far side of town. If we go straight down the main road, we'll eventually reach the outskirts of the town. We should find it there."

Aurelia started walking to the door, Kira behind her. They stepped outside and took in the quiet town around them. The sun was setting in the sky beyond the hills that rolled out and surrounded the town. "Did he mention what it looked like?"

"Said we couldn't miss it."

"Brilliant description."

The town itself was about as empty as the pub. Few people walked the streets and nothing in it was new. There were cracks in the walls of the building and signs that looked to have been repaired multiple times. But never replaced. It was all old. Aurelia wondered if there were even any younger people who lived here.

"Let's go," Kira said, drawing her from her observations. She turned right down the street and walked along the pavement, passing shops and buildings of all different sorts.

The fifteen minute walked led them to the edge of town where the cobblestone road faded into a dirt road. Houses were scattered over the hills and like the bartender said, the house they were looking for was hard to miss. It stood at the end, an old brick house that stood strong amongst the others. Three stories, covered in ivy and overgrowth, it was vastly different from the others in size. From its perch on top of the hill it looked over the town and cast a shadow over them.

Kira looked at her, a look of careful determination covering her face and when she nodded she walked up to the door and knocked twice.

"Did your aunt say anything about the history of the town?" Aurelia asked, gazing around at the facade of the building.

She shook her head, pieces of hair falling from its place pinned on her head to lay gently against her cheeks. "No, nothing. The bartender didn't say much either."

"Don't you think it's weird? This town is never mentioned in any books about Dhara Horne."

"Maybe her descendants didn't want the knowledge out there." It would mean more privacy for them. She could not imagine the state of the town if people were always visiting to find out more about her. She supposed they were doing the same. It was different. Kira actually possessed the magic.

She hummed a response. The door opened and both of them whipped their heads towards it. A lady who looked to be in her eighty's stood in the entrance. She wore a dark green dress with a purple scarf wrapped around her.

She smiled, the corners of her mouth creasing further and put her hand to her chest, holding the scarf in place. "Oh, dearie me, you must be Kira Rose," she said, chuckling. "Come, come inside."

She ushered Kira inside and turned to Aurelia. "And you must be?" She prompted.

"Aurelia Bonneville, Miss Horne." She smiled and it was returned but Anna Horne quickly returned her gaze to Kira, her smile brightening.

She led them inside to her living room and settled them down. The house was as old as the town and though the furniture had been repaired it still had the look of something ancient. For a house so old, Aurelia expected the floorboards to creak at every step or to hear the sounds of the house. It was silent and that somehow made it worse.

Anna walked back into the lounge, carrying biscuits and tea. Kira took the teacup offered to her with a thank you and watched as Anna sat down.

"So, tell me about yourself? Your magic." Anna prompted, leaning forward. Her eyes glistened with excitement.

Kira hesitated. "I don't believe I mentioned anything about my magic in the letter."

Anna chuckled, "Oh dearie, you would not have contacted me about Dhara Horne if you had not inherited her genes." Did she even mention she was related? Aurelia had not seen the letter. She must have, otherwise why would Anna agree to let them visit if they were not distant relatives.

Her nod was hesitant but she shuffled in her seat and asked another question. "What about you?"

She shook her head, looking away. "Unfortunately it skipped me. But I was always very interested in her story."

Kira leaned forward. "Can you tell me more about her? About this magic?"

"Of course. But why don't you two settle in first and we'll talk in the morning."

She got up and walked towards the stairs, beckoning them to follow her. She led them to two bedrooms that sat across from each other and bid them goodnight before going further upstairs to her own bedroom.

Aurelia said goodnight to Kira and walked into the room on the left, setting down her trunk. She shut the door and changed into a pair of pyjamas. Climbing into the cool sheets, she stared at the ceiling and wondered what the following day would bring. She could not shake the twisting feeling in her stomach nor the eerie atmosphere of the house.

________________________________________

I wonder where it's going next ;)

Also how do you feel about the pacing?

Enjoy!

– walkingmasterpiece xx