Flora. {Credence Barebone}

Chapter Six.

With another loud crack, Flora Cuthbert and Queenie Goldstein appeared in the living room of a small apartment. Flora looked around her in confusion to see that she stood in a room quite a similar size to her father's study, yet it was more of a living room, a dining room and a kitchen all together in one space. Flora turned to find a couch right in front of her, and a window directly behind it. Out of the window Flora could see the familiar pavement of West 24th street, and realised that this must be the Goldstein sisters' home.

"Welcome to the Goldstein residence!" Queenie answered Flora's unasked question, smiling widely. Flora frowned at her. "Okay, okay I'll stop," she giggled, and Flora sighed with a smile.

"Queenie?" A hoarse shout emitted from somewhere below.

"Yes Mrs Esposito?" Queenie replied, smiling sheepishly at Flora.

"How many times have I told you? No apparating on my premises!"

"Sorry Mrs Esposito!" Queenie tried not to laugh as she responded to the woman's agitated shouts. Her response was met with incomprehensible grumbles from downstairs, and Flora half smiled before returning her eyes to her surroundings.

As Flora continued to look around, Queenie pushed her gently back towards the couch, and Flora flopped onto it with a sigh. She didn't think the stress of the morning would have taken such a toll on her, but it did.

"Now honey," Queenie said softly, sitting beside her on the couch. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"

Flora raised her eyebrows and looked at the concerned witch sitting across from her. Honestly, she was surprised Queenie was being so nice to her. Yes, she had met her and her sister many times on the street, maybe given them a flower once or twice, but that was as far as their relationship went. She was also sure that the Goldsteins knew that Oleander Cuthbert looked upon them with disdain.

"Queenie, you can read my mind... Why would I have to tell you?"

"Sometimes Flora, saying something out loud is a lot more helpful than just thinking it."

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As morning turned into noon, Flora couldn't help but notice that Queenie seemed to become fidgety and more and more restless. She was constantly glancing at the clock on the wall, and the vegetables which she was chopping with her wand were beginning to look more like lumps than the perfectly shaped strips which she had started out with. Flora, of course, had offered many times to help, but each offer was shot down with an incredulous remark on how guests in the Goldstein household do not work.

"Flora!" Queenie eventually screeched. "Ask one more time to help and I'll magically glue your butt to that couch!" Soon realising the sharpness of her tone, she added in a "honey" at the end, to sweeten things up to her normally sugar loaded personality.

"Queenie..." Flora treaded the water after a few moments of silence. "If you don't mind me asking... Is everything okay?"

Queenie looked to the young blonde girl that sat on the couch in the middle of her and Tina's flat. Tina should have been home by now, Queenie had come home on an early lunch to be there when Tina returned, but her early lunch had extended into a full day off. She sighed before pulling out one of the dining chairs and flopping down into it. Maybe she shouldn't tell Flora what was going on, she didn't really know her that well, but she needed to tell someone. She was worried about Tina, being an auror was her whole life, and it was something she was very close to losing.