The Little Pureblood [1]

Chapter 4: London

When we arrived in London, it was a week before September 1st, the day I was to start my first term.

Father had bought an apartment in Clerkenwell called the "Infinity House". It was the only one he liked that had at least 6 bed rooms which was big enough to house the entire family if wanted.

I looked down on the apartment the moment I walked in, seeing as the house was not bright, warm and colorful like Belcourt Estates. Instead it was grey, dark and cold. In fact, almost everything thing in England was grey, dark and cold. There were no beautiful colors to be found in this apartment. My anger rose but I stayed quiet as Dad gave the family a full tour of the house. After claiming my room, dad came back to find me and pointed toward the hall.

"I have something through there to show you."

I followed Dad through a small hallway filled with boxes and brown wrapping paper, passing my brothers rooms where in one, Damion and Theo were busy rough housing on the floor; probably about which one would get said room they were in.  We turned the corner and saw a large two door entrance made from panels of cherry wood that were entwined with decorative glass windows that blurred my view from behind the door.

Dad unlocked the doors with a quick tap of his sturdy wand where they both opened wide for us slowly. My jaw momentarily dropped open at the view.

A library the height of two stories was opened for me, showing lines of matching cherry wood bookshelves with matching study tables in each row. I rushed through one row of books until I reached the back of the room, showing a half circle wall that opened itself up through the many windows it held.

I heard Dad mutter a spell making me turn in time to see him light the fireplace from the opposite side of the room, the shadows of the room suddenly evaporated from the room. I walked closer to the fireplace where I saw a set of matching sofas made with blue finishing and grey throws.

"Come over here, Ava." I followed my father's voice to the opposite side of the room and climbed up the stairs to the second floor where along one wall stood large photographs of Belcourt Estate and a few of Rhode Island's beaches. I ran along the wall, finding a picture of South Shore Beach with its wave crashing quietly in the frame. I felt a wave of pride at finding it here since I had taken it over a year ago. I kept moving down the room until I stopped dead in the middle where the biggest picture hung.

It was the Fontaine Family Portrait, taken around Christmas time last year. I sat front and center in a cranberry red dress, guarded by my three brothers who stood behind me with their own personal excuses for smiles. Damion gave a charming grin; Edward gave a shy smile and Theo stood with his hands in his pockets smirking. My parents sat in front of the four of us looking dignified, and in my mother's case, graceful.

Or at least that would have been the case had the photo been no-maj made. It wasn't so there was a lot of shuffling and pushing up against one another. I could not help but chuckle at seeing Theo jam Edward out of the picture for a moment before Damion went on to kick Theo out as well. My picture self looked like she was trying her best to ignore the commotion while my parents kept looking back at the boys. While I could not see their expressions, I could visualize what my mother looked like.