When the daughter is not at home
all her mother's heart can do is roam

The Prefect's compartment was quite spacious. Mia wasn't one for favouritism, but she most definitely didn't mind taking advantage of the Prefect's privileges. They got the roomiest, plushest seats, free treats off the trolley, and a mostly-quiet environment.

So, unlike the beginning of the year, she made herself at home in the special space, sitting beside Ernie Macmillian, and across from Melanie Gaye and Anthony Goldstein.

She never quite minded the latter, but she knew Melanie did.

It was like another Ernie situation, an obvious but not mutual crush. Anthony was a sweetheart and always believed in what was right. It was surprising the boy hadn't been sorted into Hufflepuff, but it made sense, his photographic memory and good work ethic landing him high among the house of the intelligent.

Mia was unsure of why Melanie didn't return the feeling...it never seemed she did with any of the boys at school. She never suffered from accidental blushes and smiles, only strong and stoic looks.

"So...I wonder how different the school is going to be once we get back," pondered Ernie, his honey eyes locked onto the shuffling deck of Exploding Snap.

Mia shrugged, quickly tapping the tip of her wand on the matching Bowtruckle cards. "Maybe she'll bring in some dementors? Come into our Common Rooms when we're sleeping? Or perhaps bring in some Muggle tech to spy on us?"

"I heard she's going to have loudspeakers placed in every corner of the castle," said Melanie bitterly. "I can't wait to hear that toad's voice in my sleep..."

"I bet we could cast some charms to make them play music instead. There's this one, I remember seeing it-"

"How about we play Patience?" suggested Melanie, snatching up the cards, ignoring Anthony's dejected look as she cut him off. She dealt the cards quickly and held her deck close. "I've never been quite good at this version...guess I need some practice."

"I can help-"

"I'm fine, Anthony. Now we all know the rules, right?"

Ernie gave a grin, "I'm gonna win, I've been playing this since I could hold cards."

"That doesn't mean a thing," teased Mia. "it doesn't matter how long, just how hard you-"

She was cut off by the boys cracking up; the yellow-clad girl arched a confused eyebrow. Melanie gave a groan. "Boys are so idiotic..."

"I don't get what's funny-"

"Okay, let's just play," said Ernie with one final giggle before he put his pair down.

The game went on for a bit until it came around to Melanie. Her fingers fiddled to get not two, but three cards. Anthony was in the middle of speaking and didn't see the hidden third card, tapping the two that were showing, as they matched. The cards exploded in his face, detecting cheating, although from the wrong person.

"Ow! Merlin's Beard it got in my eye-"

"You better wash out the ash!" exclaimed Melanie, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah...you're right," he muttered, clutching his face as he stumbled towards the bathroom.

Mia gave her friend a pointed look. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Melanie shrugged. "I don't know what you mean..." Her attention shifted to the window on the door, Katarina Hicks waving on the other side.

The Ravenclaw swallowed a smile as she motioned for her to come in and sit beside her. She did, grinning as she rushed in undetected. "Hey guys! Woah...what happened here?"

"An accident," said Melanie with a nervous chuckle, watching Katarina suspiciously eye the burned table. "Anyway, how's the ride been?"

"Eh, it's alright. I missed you guys," The girl gave a smile to her three friends. "I love Neville, Ginny and Luna, don't get me wrong but...well, I don't really fit in, y'know? I'm the only one that's not close friends with the Trio."

"Well, you're always welcome here," said Ernie with a smile. "Erm...even though you're technically not-"

"Who cares about rules anyway? Harry and the crew get away with just about anything, then get rewarded," murmured Mia.

Melanie arched a defined eyebrow. "Oh? Do I sense tension between you and scar face?"

"She stayed behind to 'talk' to him after the DA meeting!"

"Wait WHAT?!"

"Okay, Ernie, calm down," said Mia hastily, shooting Kat a cold glare. "I just...we just talked a bit is all. I was trying to help him with Cho."

"Are we just going to ignore what Hermione said about you and Malfoy?"

Mia sighed as Ernie started interrogating Katarina and Melanie. "I need new friends."

~._.~

As everyone greeted their families happily, Mia tried best to keep her head down, to go unnoticed as she trudged to the barrier with heavy bags weighing her down. Her fleeting eyes easily recognized those of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, such as the Malfoys, Notts, Selwyns and others. Chills crept down her spine at their brooding presences.

Of course, her mother never came to the platform. Any Death Eater would recognize her upon first glance. Amie was the first Muggle to ever have a child with a Death Eater. To the magical world, Isabelle Travers was dead and Amie had fled to France.

Familiar voices of her schoolmates rung throughout the station and her eyes couldn't help but be discreetly attracted to them. Hermione was with her gentle-faced parents while Ron was with the huddle of energetic Weasleys. Melanie went to her stern parents, Katarina to her glowing ones, and everyone seemed at home with their families, their heritage obvious.

But the one family she always felt her gaze lingering with was the Malfoys. She usually went by without notice, able to catch at least a mere glance at the platinum-haired family that made her heart warm slightly, the one she spent her childhood with. This time, though, Draco gave a small smirk and wave to the Hufflepuff. Lucius took no notice to this.

Narcissa did, just like the observant mother she was.

Her sky blue eyes snapped to the girl and quickly met her gaze. It was easy to see her in the crowd, as she looked more exotic than most of the dull, bustling witches and wizards.

The eyes of the girl were recognizable from a mile away. The electric blue of her father's.

And in those few moments, Narcissa Malfoy felt a tsunami of second-hand fear rush through her. She desperately hoped this girl wasn't Isabelle Travers, the daughter of the infamous Daniel Travers, one of the highest-ranking Death Eaters.

'No, Amie would never be dense enough to send her daughter to the one school that was so close to the war,' thought Narcissa, forcing herself to shake the thought.

Mia felt the jolt of fear as well and quickly shuffled to the brick entrance, ignoring Draco's slightly dejected look and Narcissa's fearful one.

She took a cab home like usual, making small talk with the driver. And before she knew it, they came to a halt in front of the small house that belonged to her and her mother.

The outside was a magnificent array of yellow and pink and purple, flowers of all sorts lining the structure. The house itself wasn't in the best shape, its white paint and yellow trim peeling, the wooden steps weathered with time. Yet the flowers made it feel like a sweet home out of a magazine, and the scent upon arrival was even better. 

With a grunt, the girl pulled her trunk out of the cab, tipped the driver, and wished him well before going inside of the house, discreetly muttering 'Alohamora' instead of knocking. 

The door swung open and Mia let out a scream as her mom ran out with a gun in her hands, eyes wild. "M-mom?!" 

Amie's eyes met hers and she sighed, quickly lowering the weapon. She came forward to give her relieved and laughing daughter a hug. "I'm sorry sweetheart, you know I hate it when you don't knock! Welcome home, though." 

"Thanks," she said with a grin, happy to feel her mother's warm embrace. Her perfume smelled purely what home and love should be fragranced as, and her mother's strong demeanour made her feel safe. "Really though? The first thing you do is pull out a gun?!" 

The woman let her daughter go, a sheepish grin painting its way across her glowing demeanour. "We can never be too safe...and unlike you, I don't have a magic stick that'll save my life...here let me help you with those bags." 

"It's ok-" but the girl was cut off by the trunk being snatched by her mother's strong arms. She was left with her cat-pack containing her grey fluff, Mittens. Slinging it off her shoulder, she unzipped the bag and the cat scampered after Amie, audibly meowing and purring once she met her in her owner's room. 

Mia followed as well, smiling upon entering the familiar room. The walls were painted dandelion-yellow, her walls donned with Hufflepuff merch, drawings, and a whole wall dedicated to pictures of her with friends, the team, and so many with her mother.  

"Don't look at me like that," said Amie with a laugh as she saw her daughter's tense expression. "I don't see barely at all during the school year, so when you're home I want to take care of you-"

"I-I know, but it's okay."

Amie laughed and shook her head as she removed the contents from her daughter's trunk, setting trinkets back in place and clothes in the laundry hamper. "Well, if you want to be of help, I just got back from the market. I've got everything ready for a batch of homemade spaghetti, set it out and get the stove warmed, yeah? I can't wait, I've just been living off of TV dinners and scraps from that damn diner...it's the only perk of being a waitress, really."

Her daughter grinned and nodded, excited for her mother's phenomenal cooking. She made a beeline for the kitchen, leaving her mother alone yet again. 

Amie sat on the floor in front of the second-hand trunk, Mittens nudging her hand. She smiled, her heart warm and soul happy at the fact that she wouldn't be alone for a few weeks. 

The woman was, unfortunately, lonely. She worked two waitressing jobs to pay the bills and save for school loans to pursue her dream of being an architect. It was hard on one income, though, and she wished so badly she could allow someone into her life, her second half. 

But after what Daniel Travers put her through, she closed her heart to the many men who begged for her love, their eyes in awe upon seeing her beauty, both inside and out.

And Amie, in fact, was a gorgeous woman. With her full face, gleaming smile, and hair that somehow fell perfectly curled, it was no wonder why men fell for her. Her strong demeanour showed with her body and face, and it was evident upon a mere glance that she was a woman of power. She was the kind of person where people noticed her once she walked into a room.

Not only that, but she was a fierce mother and would fight everyone in the world before allowing anyone to put a single finger on her.

She decided her daughter was her other half, her destiny. And she tried so desperately hard to create a new, normal life for them. It was hard, and she found herself coming home after 18 hours straight of working just to collapse on her daughter's bed in her bright room, grateful that it held the same brightness her vibrant daughter held in her soul.

"Mom?!" Mia's voice rang out through the small, old house.

"Yes?"

"Can you teach me to cook this?"

A smile crept its way across Amie's face as she stood up, making her way to the kitchen. She couldn't be happier she had kept her daughter safe, that she was able to watch her fumble with measuring the herbs and stirring the concoction of sauce.

Although the food turned out awful in comparison to Amie's, the woman was proud of her daughter. She was ecstatic for these next three weeks in Mia's life.

~._.~

We love that chapter that introduces the homelife, right? Welp, there's more of that to come.

Sorry the update is late. I have, though, done some light editing on previous chapters and have updated the cast list, adding some pretty rad moodboards...check them out!

I think that's about all...yep, pretty much :)

~Question of the chapter~
Who do you live with?
(It's just me, my mom, and our two cats)

Thanks for reading! Pls vote, comment and all that jazz.

Love to all,
~Lumos