Empty Gold • d.meadowes

-05-

A sweet sound of singing was drifting through the air amidst the snowflakes, and the small, pretty house that stood isolated among the hillside – surrounded by rows of bushes that were once adorned with white wildflowers, but were now covered in a thin layer of snow – seemed to stand a little taller today as it looked just a bit proud to inhabit someone who could sing so sweetly. The birds and creatures that didn't migrate or hibernate seemed to stop in their tracks just to listen to the song that was twinkling through the air, competing with the whistling wind for control.

A small, tentative knock was heard, and the singing ceased abruptly. The air temperature seemed to drop several degrees, and the activity in the surroundings increased as the creatures got over the trance that had fallen over them. The wind that was slowed down by the song now rushed past the pale white hillside with increased ferocity.

Dorcas looked with curiosity as the knock became sharper and faster, and Jenna left the room to open the door. Her flute was lying on her lap, but it was just as cold as it had been when she had picked it up from her table, for she hadn't played it. This was the first time that she had left her flute alone, which, not having her warm hands to hold it, was enveloped in an unusual coolness as though mourning its abandonment.

Her mother entered the room a minute later, her face grim and indifferent, and following behind her was Robert, a small smile on his face that looked so alike Dorcas's. She allowed a smile to break over her features, and stood up to hug him, stowing her flute inside the pocket of her pants. His hand came up to rest on her head, running gently through her hair, and when she looked up at him, she saw a curious, yet amused look on his face.

"I've never heard you sing before," he stated in mild surprise, and she noticed the hint of pride tracing his voice.

Dorcas laughed softly and looked at her mother, who was seated on the sofa and scrutinising her ex husband, arms crossed over her chest. Dorcas chuckled slightly at her expression. "Mum persuaded me to take up singing along with playing the flute."

"That's good," Robert smiled. "You have a wonderful voice."

Dorcas smiled shyly, before holding her father's hand and leading him into the room. She had a close relationship with him, for, even after the divorce, he had continued to visit her. Whether it was to make up for the guilt he felt for leaving them, or because he genuinely cared for her, she couldn't tell, though Jenna would insist on the former. Dorcas, however, was old enough to see and process both sides and she knew that none of the sides were solely at fault. She knew that Robert felt guilty for falling out of love with his wife, but Dorcas wouldn't blame him. Jenna was irrational and her inexplicable fear of wizards had made him grow tired of their relationship.

Therefore, she chose to remain neutral, giving an equal amount of love to each of her parents, and she was grateful that her mother had shaken off the grudge against him and had accepted the fact the he was no longer hers.

"Would you like to go with me somewhere for Christmas?" he asked once they were seated and Dorcas had taken out the flute from her pocket, playing with it absently. She frowned at the question and looked at him.

"What about your family?" she questioned, which made him immediately uncomfortable.

"They won't mind having you," he shook his head, determinedly avoiding looking at Jenna. But Dorcas's frown only deepened.

"Are you telling me to leave Mum alone at Christmas?"

He let out a deep sigh, speaking hesitantly, "I just thought, since you're already an adult, and I never got to spend a proper Christmas with you. Of course, you probably don't remember the Christmases before you were six, but it's okay, it was just a thought."

There was an uncomfortable silence that seemed to crawl around them. Finally, Dorcas broke it. "Are you hungry? Let's eat something."

Jenna, though she refrained from speaking much, remained defiantly seated at the dining table, as though her fears of her ex husband putting an evil spell on Dorcas were still awake and nagging. Robert looked uncomfortable, but Dorcas found the action amusing.

"Could you pass the jug, please, Dorcas?" asked her father. She normally kept herself from using magic at home in the fear it would make her mother uneasy, but now that Robert was here, she momentarily forgot about the caution, and muttered "Accio." The jug flew gracefully toward her and she gripped it between her fingers, before passing it over to him.

When he didn't accept the jug from her, she frowned and looked at him. He was staring at her with his mouth slightly open, a look of immense shock in his eyes. "Uh, Dad, are you okay?" she inquired.

"How did you learn wandless magic so quickly?" he exclaimed, eyes widened.

Jenna looked up from her plate for the first time, gazing at both of them alternately. "Wandless magic?"

"Um – Professor Flitwick was surprised too," Dorcas smiled demurely. "He said that while some people need ages of training, these kinds of magic are sometimes gifted to some witches and wizards since birth. Wandless or non verbal magic, legilimency, occlumency. I only needed two weeks of practice to perfect it. Professor Flitwick helped me a lot."

Jenna looked incredibly confused. "I don't get it, is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

At times, Jenna would lower her walls against otherworldly things and allow herself to listen to Dorcas about her Hogwarts lessons and activities. Nevertheless, she was still very ignorant when it came to magic, and was usually at a loss when Dorcas tried to talk to her about them.

"Are you joking?" Robert laughed. "Obviously it's a good thing, you should be proud of her."

"There's nothing to be proud of," said Dorcas quickly, a light shade of red creeping up her cheeks. "It's just something I've had since birth; I only developed it further."

He laughed at her response, before placing an affectionate hand on her head. "Neither I, nor your your mother, is modest. I wonder where you got that from."

When he left half an hour later, Jenna turned to Dorcas with a worried expression framing her features, brows creased up. "What was all that about?"

Dorcas smiled and began to explain, slowly and patiently, because she didn't need her mother to fear magic more than she already did. She didn't know much about it, and it was her duty to make her open up to the wizarding world like many muggle parents were.

"So," Jenna said confusedly, after Dorcas was done explaining, "you can perform magic without a wand, and it's not common?"

"No, it usually takes years to fully learn it," answered Dorcas. "And so does non verbal magic. Since they are kind of related, I can do both."

This didn't seem to comfort Jenna much; she continued to chew on the side of her thumbnail, looking like she was still trying to accept the fact that her sweet innocent daughter was a witch. Dorcas smiled sympathetically, deciding to change the subject.

"So you are coming to Silver's place, aren't you? For Christmas?"

"I don't know, I have so much work piled up," she waved her hand to gesture to her surroundings.

"No, it's Christmas, Mum. There's no work. I knew you would say this, but Mrs Saunders insisted for you to come."

Her mother looked uncertain, but finally she nodded her head to show affirmation. "Okay, I'll come if you promise you'll sing on Christmas Day."

Dorcas was taken aback by the request, but she nodded and agreed, before pulling her mother into a hug. "I promise."

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i've added the cast for Silver and maeve, if anyone's interested.

thank you so much for reading! i love you ♥