Flora. {Credence Barebone}

Chapter Twelve.

Credence was there the next day Flora visited. And the day after that, and the day after that. Running to the wizard market to buy a bunch of flowers, and racing even faster again to the alley on 34th street made hurrying such a habit for Flora that she even found herself running from the house in the morning.

"She's always very eager to get to work," Tina speculated one morning as her and Queenie watched Flora hurry out of the door.

"I guess she just loves.. flowers." Queenie smiled knowingly to herself as she threw on her coat.

Queenie thought she knew what Flora's new-found enthusiasm was about, but she had no idea that Flora was sitting in an alley every evening with a No-Maj boy.

Tina, though having warmed up to the girl who was residing in their home, was still suspicious that Flora wasn't telling the full truth.

"Queenie," she spoke, as her younger sister began to usher her out the door. "Do you not think it's odd that no one has come looking for her? We are basically harbouring a stowaway."

Queenie turned to face her sister in the hallway with a sigh after closing the door behind her.

"Tina," she said. "You hate Oleander Cuthbert, right?"

Tina nodded her head. "He's a power obsessive bully, who just uses his abilities to-"

"Yes, I know," Queenie interrupted. "And, what would you say, if I told you that he used his strength on his daughter?"

Tina's mouth drooped open a little before her words came out in barely a breath. "He.. what?"

"Yes," Queenie replied as they began their descent down the staircase. "The day I found her, her face was black and blue and she was falling down the steps of the house in her rush to get away. That doesn't exactly sound like the best environment for a young woman, don't you think?"

"No.." Tina shook her head as they stepped onto the street. She felt terrible for being as hard with her questioning as she was on the girl.

"I don't think Oleander is in too much of a rush to find her anyway," Queenie said as they continued down their path, until she stopped suddenly.

Tina looked to her sister, to see her face scrunched up in thought, her head tilted upwards and her eyes scanning her surroundings. Knowing that her sister was hearing someone's thoughts, she pulled her beside a set of steps leading up to a front door, hidden from view from the direction Queenie was now staring.

"Queenie, what is it?"

Just as Tina asked her sister what was going on, she heard the door of a house shut. Looking in the same direction as Queenie, Tina could see the tall, intimidating outline of Oleander Cuthbert now making his way down the steps which lead up to his large brownstone. Walking beside him, almost urgently, was a young man and a young woman, both with the same dark blonde hair. They looked around the same age as Flora, and it was obvious that they were trying to have a conversation with the man whose only goal was to reach the car that awaited him on the sidewalk.

Tina had to strain to hear what they were saying, because, unlike her sister who was listening intently, she couldn't hear their thoughts.

"Mr. Cuthbert, I really think-"

The young man was silenced by Oleander as he turned around sharply to face the pair, stopping both of them in their tracks.