The Thorns of Hogwarts | Cedric Diggory [2]

To Charlotte Hawthorne

Push and pull. It was all the ocean ever did, and Charlotte Hawthorne knew the dance well. Foamy waves lapped up her legs as she sat on the shore, body half submerged in the water. Wind tore at her freshly cut hair, a project she had done earlier that morning. Salty water weighed the short strands down, yet she knew if she sat there long enough the breeze would dry them in no time. She was a perfect mess as sand coated her body. It would take days for her to fully wash the grains out of her scalp.

Not that she really minded what her appearance looked like. She was all alone on her secluded island. Still close enough to home yet far enough away that she could breathe easier. Though, the island was far from being devoid of life. Patches of tall grass stood out in various spots in the sand which created the perfect cover for seagulls to build their nests. Tide pools rested closer to the shore, nestled in a group of rocks where she could faintly make out a waving starfish.

And then there was her, the young fourteen year old, basking in the summer sun. Amber eyes focused on nothing but the sparkling waves in front of her. Off in the distance she could make out the vague shape of her home. The lime green color wasn't exactly difficult to miss. She had asked her uncle time and time again to paint it a more flattering color, yet the house itself seemed too stubborn to take new paint.

Though she often visited that island without reason, that time she came with a goal. A band of netting hung across her torso as if she wore a sash. She was quick to pull it off of her body as she stood to her feet, swaying slightly with the waves pulling at her feet. Then, she began her hunt.

There wasn't a single inch of the shore that was left unscanned by her eyes as she walked along the waves. Any shell or sand dollar that poked out of the sand was promptly snatched and placed in Charlotte's netted pouch. By the time she made a full lap around the island, she had found three whole sand dollars, four whole scallop shells, one auger shell, and two tulip shells. All of them were carefully put away before the girl quickly wrapped the netting around her body again, taking care to secure it tightly.

With a final sigh, Charlotte breathed in as much of the salty air that she could before wading into the crashing waves in front of her.

It didn't take long to swim back to her home, especially if the waves were calm or the wind wasn't bad. However, every now and then the girl found herself stopping midway through her journey. She would float on her back and stare up at the sky. The waves would gently rock her up and down much like a mother does with her infant. Water would plug her ears, muting every sound around her. She could float in bliss and stare up at the clouds, or on occasion, the stars.

Charlotte could afford no such luxury this time around though, as she had a mission she was keen on completing. Soon enough she found herself on the shores that laid just outside her home. She stood for a moment on the sandy shore as she took time to run her fingers through her soaking, tangled hair. Luckily the wind made quick work of drying her clothes. Once the dripping stopped, she rushed up the stone steps that lead to the door.

The interior of Charlotte Hawthorne's home was much easier on the eyes than the outside was. Deep, moody browns covered the walls which were accented by deep greens in the drapes and chairs. The salty ocean air carried into the house through the open living room window. However, the strong scent of coffee threatened to completely overwhelm it.

"Good morning, sweetheart," a voice spoke from the far corner of the room.

The voice belonged to a man, who sat comfortably in an old, creaking rocking chair. Disheveled brown hair threatened to spill over his eyes as he sipped his mug of coffee. It appeared as if he had at least attempted to put on well looking clothes that morning, but Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle at his uneven collar.