/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟒.𝟚.𝟣

"It's perfect," she said softly, trying hard to sound excited. "Really, I'd love to wear it."

Jane practically jumped up and down for joy. "Oh, I knew you'd like it! I'll get your measurements later, and you'd better not grow before the wedding."

"I'll try my best," said Artemis with a dry smile.

They spent the next hour or so flipping through magazines, circling the things they liked and showing each other their favorite styles of dresses, decorations, and flower arrangements. Jane got up and pulled down a recipe book. "Now, I'm really having trouble coming up with a menu, so I was hoping you'd help me decide. Everything just sounds so good!"

Artemis couldn't help frowning at the sight of the recipe book. It brought her back to the day in the kitchen with Aunt Isobel, which her ribs were still aching and bruised from- a constant reminder. Artemis had been having trouble all day really getting excited for her mother about the wedding. She didn't like the fact her mum was getting remarried, but even aside from that, she'd been having trouble feeling happy about anything lately. She'd hoped it was just the darkness of the Goyle manor that was making her feel helpless and despondent, but she couldn't even shake the feeling in her mother's brightly lit dining room filled with afternoon sunlight.

Jane noticed a shift in Artemis's expression instantly and sat down beside her. "Artie..." she said softly, "Is everything alright?"

Artemis nodded silently, then bit down on her lip and looked up at her mother, tears finally filling her blue eyes. She hadn't cried all summer, but something about her mother's gaze and the tone of her voice made it impossible for Art to hold the ache in her throat back. "Everything's fine," she said hoarsely.

Jane reached out and brushed the hair out of Artemis's face with all the lovingness only a mother can express. "Artie, baby, what's wrong? Are Gregory and Isobel giving you trouble? Is everything alright at school?"

It took Artemis a moment, but she finally swallowed the lump in her throat down and blinked the tears away, forcing herself to stop crying. "No, Mum," she said, lifting her chin and putting on a brave face. She thought about something her father used to say sometimes when Artemis was small and would cry over little things like going to bed and eating foods she didn't like. Keep your chin up, Artie. We cry when there's something to cry about, love, he'd say. And that's okay. But sometimes we have to conquer it for the sake of bravery. She felt like she was fighting now, fighting a losing battle between herself and the rest of the world. She forced a small smile, reminding herself to conquer the feeling- not for the sake of bravery but for the sake of her mother. "No, mum," she said, calm once again. "It's nothing, really. I've just missed you."

The rest of the day passed with ease. Artemis and Jane spent hours flipping through magazines before making themselves a simple dinner of cheese and tomato sandwiches and eating them on the back porch because the house was too hot from the midday heat. When it was finally time for Artemis to wait outside for her aunt and uncle, she found that saying goodbye to her mother was the hardest thing she'd done all day.

Jane never did well with goodbyes. She stood in the foyer with her daughter and reached out to give her one last hug, holding her close and tearing up emotionally. "You don't have to go back there," she said when she'd released Artemis, her eyes shining brightly. "You could just stay here. I know there's a lot of... problem... but we could work through it."

"No, Mum," said Artemis, sounding more harsh than she'd meant to. The truth was, she wanted to stay with her mother more than anything, but she knew she couldn't for a million reasons. She needed her aunt and uncle to pay for her school things, she didn't want to get in the way of her mum and Alfie, and she always had the crawling hope that perhaps staying with her aunt and uncle would heighten the chances that Percy might visit her. She had to stay with Goyles... for her mother's sake if nothing else. Jane couldn't afford to support Artemis, especially with the wedding so close. "Aunt Isobel and Uncle Gregory aren't that bad, really. And I'm starting to come around to Greg. Really, I don't mind it."