Daisies • HP Next Generation

The Art of Distraction

Chapter 20

The Art of Distraction

Poppy was at the end of a rather normal week. She had gone to school every day, did homework, went to softball practice, and talked with her numerous friends. The only small difference in her week was that Daisy wasn't there. Daisy hadn't been there for a month now, but Poppy still felt the emptiness her absence brought.

Poppy doubted that anyone, including Daisy, understood how big a change that was for her. Poppy had friends, and lots of them, being pretty popular at school, but she didn't feel that any one of them was very close like Emma and Daisy were. But she had looked up to her sister, trusted her with her secrets and feelings that most people shared not with a family member, but with an outside best friend. Without Daisy there, Poppy felt abnormally alone. She didn't have anyone to express her true feelings to, which left her feeling drained at the end of the day. She didn't want to hang out with friends as much after school, so much as stay at home. The thought that it might be this way for the rest of their lives if Poppy didn't get into Hogwarts was - well she tried not to think about it that much.

Slinking quietly through the house, Poppy attempted to get a snack from the kitchen without having to talk to either of her parents. She was unsuccessful.

"Oh, there you are Poppy," Anna Dursley said, picking a bottle of juice from the fridge. "I have an important meeting to attend in half an hour, would you clean up the wash room while I'm gone? And make sure to get any homework done."

"Yes of course mum," Poppy said with false brightness, taking a biscuit from the cupboard.

The door to their basement opened, and Dudley Dursley came out. "Where are you going?" He asked Anna.

"A meeting. Why do you look dressed to go somewhere?" She asked, her eyes landing on his polo shirt and jeans. Casual, but not what he would wear around the house on a Sunday morning.

Dudley tilted his head, and scratched behind his ear self consciously. "Er, I was just going to meet Harry. We still have a lot of catching up to do."

Both adults turned to look at Poppy. They'd never left her home by herself before, but now Daisy was gone, and Emma's sister off to college.

"If you're planning to be gone long, I'll call your mother and see if she'll come," Anna said.

"I think that would be best, thank you," replied Dudley, before exiting out the kitchen doorway and walking off down the street.

Poppy left as well, back to her room where she had been working on building a tiny castle for Albert to explore. She continued to glue together popsicle sticks, fabric, and wire together, even after her mother called up reminding her to do her chores, and telling her that Gran Petunia would arrive in twenty minutes.

Poppy was a bit annoyed that she hadn't just been left by herself, feeling that she was old enough to do so. However she was extremely thankful that it was her gran who was coming, and not Anna's stepmother, who had been lovely the first few years of Poppy's life, but turned out to be extremely strict. Once Daisy and Poppy were old enough, Nana had insisted they take lessons in music, which suited Daisy just fine, but that Poppy absolutely loathed. Since then, Nana had not given up, and had the girls perform for her on each of her visits. Now that Daisy was gone, Poppy would be performing on her own, she realized.

"Poppy?" Petunia called up the stairs.

"I'm here," Poppy called back, before coming to meet her grandmother. Petunia smiled at her as she walked down the staircase in denim shorts and a T-shirt. A braid twisted neatly from the front of her hair to a bun in the back.