Estelle had taken the fact that the couldn't buy fire whisky's very hard, missing the flavor. However she had also befriended the Weasley twins so, now she had nearly unlimited supply if she wanted.

Lying in her bed at 3 in the morning, listening to the Fall cassette she had picked up she watched the ceiling spin. A week had passed since Hogsmead, wandering aimlessly through the town.

She found the time in early morning a bit funny. It felt like Friday, as it had been all day but know it was Saturday. She couldn't sleep, not even a blink. She just laid, staring at the ceiling.

She kicked her blanket off her and walked into the bathroom, rubbing her eyes.

She stared into the mirror as she held the sides of the sink, unsure of what to do.

She turned, back to the sink and looked around as she leaned back onto the sink.

She stared at her towel and the shower. She didn't really have the motivation to get a shower but she hasn't had that motivation in a couple days so she shrugged, figuring that she might as well sit in the shower rather than do nothing else at 3 am.

Estelle spent a half hour sitting on the floor of the shower and eventually washing her hair and body.

After drying off putting her pajamas back on she wiped off the fogged mirror and stared once again.

Estelle's hair always seemed to grow fast, it was about halfway down her back already.

Her eyes moved to the scissors that laid on a shelf, the blue handled ones that Hazel used to cut the tags out of her clothes.

Estelle picked them up and stared at her hair for a minute before grabbing a chunk and pulling it down to measure where'd she make the cut.

She often went to her shoulders and halfway down her neck. Once she had done a pixie cut. Her hair was more mature now, thicker, wavier.

She settled with chin length, making the cut below her chin so it could bounce up and still have room to even out. She added some small bangs to bounce up and frame her face.

After an hour of cutting, Estelle's hair hugged her chin and sat in the sink. Her head felt light and bouncy.

Estelle yawned, throwing out her chopped hair and stumbled back to bed, putting her headphones back of to hear army dreamers by Kate Bush. She liked this tape.

°

Hazel woke up early, around 7 to be exact. On a Saturday 7 would warrent death threats and thrown pillows if she dared to wake her friends. Heading to the Great Hall alone, she hummed some familiar song that Estelle had played out loud a few nights ago.

"Hazel, wait up, I'll walk with you." A voice called from the top of the stairs. Hazel looked to see Neville making his way down the stair. She smiled, not really used to people at Hogwarts going out of their way to talk to her.

Hazel thought the girls were kind of stuck up.

The pair continued down the stairs, quickly picking up the topic of herbology which was a shared interest.

While not considered an important class at Durmstrang, resulting in it being a neglected on, Hazel seemed to excel in it and enjoyed caring for the plants very much.

"Plants don't get the love they deserve, everyone assumes that all they need is a little water and their fine but they need so much more like-"

Neville did never get to find out what else Hazel though plants needed as she had stepped into a trick step.

Neville pulled her up as the red haired girl blushed furiously.

"It's quite alright, I used to fall through them all the time." Neville told her as he watched how shy she got.

They continued downstairs, chatting and laughing all through breakfast.

°

Back in the dorm Lucia opened her eyes due to tapping on the window. Lucia sighed, pulling herself out of bed and let in the great horned owl who promptly dropped the letter on the floor.

Lucia, seeing the neat script was quick to open and start reading the letter.

Trouble Makers,

Getting kicked out of Durmstrang and transferred is unheard of, do not screw this up, commonly witches like you loose their wands and are pushed out of our world, you better thank whoever arranged this for you as it can't have been easy.

We love Scotland, the peace here was greatly needed and Aquila can run free in the garden. Our cottage is small and secluded so when I can get the three of you, you will share a room most likely.

Send me your next Hogsmead trip and we will discuss how to make this possible, Lucia will be easy but Estelle and Hazel, you two are missing documentation that will be needed, but don't worry.

Estelle, don't call this potion master an a-hole, though he may be, it'll make your year worse. I'm shocked as to why he hasn't been fired if he was a students boggart previously.

Hazel, Estelle, even if you two have found the trouble Makers STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. The minute I get custody of you three I will be buying a bundle of howlers so I am prepared. Stay out of trouble.

Good luck befriending the poltergeist, when I was at Hogwarts it didn't go well for a group who tried, just remember, the more he knows you the more he'll do to you.

I must go, send me your next Hogsmead weekend and we'll talk then.

Stay out of trouble,

Atticus

Lucia stared at the letter, excited for the next Hogsmead weekend. She couldn't wait to have a parent who wanted her but was scared, his daughter was young, if they couldn't afford to make wolfsbane it'd be putting Aquila in danger. She sighed and went back to laying in bed, not ready to deal with the world just yet.

October 26, 2024
1012 words

Sorry just a little filler, I know it sucks.