Cast yourself (you are the spell)

Chapter 51

Hope stands outside the familiar entrance of the vintage antique store she had visited many times before. Her father had instructed her to wander around London while he took care of some things at the Ministry, so that is exactly what she's doing.

Exactly what she has been doing every day of the summer so far. Or rather, what's left of it.

School is scheduled to start in just a couple of days, and she finally wants to purchase the ancient wristwatch she had been eyeing for quite a while now.

It sits in the display window, simple but elegant. Hope stares at it now, a pleased smile playing at her lips as she examines the thin, leather band binding the silver-colored case together. To anyone else, it probably wouldn't have been eye-catching in any way whatsoever, if not for the gold tone of the hour and minute hands within the dial. They tick forward on beat after beat, and Hope almost swears she can hear it though the glass.

Without another moment's hesitation, she opens the door of the shop and shuffles inside, shoulders visibly relaxing at the homey, old scent to the room.

"Hope!" An old, deep voice beckons her from the front counter, and a smile breaks out across her face, unbidden.

"Otto," she returns, a little less enthusiastically, with an indulgent nod of her head. She has a reputation to maintain, after all. Not that Otto cares about that, though. In all the times they've talked, he's never once mentioned her family like other witches and wizards tend to do.

"I've been waiting for you all morning," the old man admits with a tsk , and Hope smiles as he comes into view. His white hair looks just as dashing as ever, his eyes bright despite his age. "I was beginning to think you'd never come at all."

"Sorry." Hope grins, sheepish, doing away with her cool mask. She can never seem to hide her emotions next to Otto. There goes her reputation. "I had a late breakfast."

"Oh, not to worry, not to worry," Otto is quick to tell her, moving into the back room and disappearing from view. He reappears with a framed canvas in his hand, but the painting itself is covered by some sort of parchment. "This just arrived last night, I thought you might like to help me decide where to hang it. You've always had an eye for that sort of stuff."

He looks at her with a twinkle hidden inside his blue eyes, pausing for dramatic effect. Then, he rips off the paper and reveals an oil painting beneath it.

The faint image of a couple stands in the middle, but they're not facing Hope. Instead, she can only see their backs and clothes. The pair are overlooking a dark lake of sorts, sitting on top of a single jagged boulder. The sun is peeking at the horizon, but not quite enough that it brings any light to the painting. In fact, the painting itself is mixed with dark blues and blacks and greys, giving it a somber tone. Hope stares at it, chest growing tight. She wonders what the artist had in mind. Who they were trying to bring to life. Or rather, who they loved that died.

When she turns back to Otto, she finds that the man is already looking at her for her reaction.

"What do you think?" he asks, with a raise of his bushy eyebrows.

"I think..." she starts slowly, glancing off to the painting again. There's a tree on the left she never noticed before. "I think it should be the first thing people see when they walk through the door."