ATLAS -James Potter-

• Chapter XXVI

There were no words following afterward, and as there were Alodies' lips, softly pressing to her daughter's forehead, the woman exit the room again. For a moment Victoria's eyes kept still on where her mother had been, till they glided to the sweater. It was big - just a bigger version of the one she already had and then, way to big for her.

One just displaying the logo of her fathers' quidditch team at the front and on the back to say, Atkinson. For most people, it wouldn't be more. For Victoria it was the comfort Alodie sometimes wasn't to spend her daughter.

•••

Dear Maman,

I am sending you this letter with a specific reason. Maybe you have seen it coming in France, or maybe not, but I lost my joy in ballet.

I know you love it that I continued an art grandmother Victoire, aunt Ivette and of course you, had so much enjoyed.

Maybe you understand me, when I say, it got more to a drill I only bare because I love you so much and I didn't want to disappoint you. But I'll still love you and I still don't want to let you down, but maybe, only maybe I can release this little part of weight on my shoulders.

But I would be very happy, if one day, we would dance together, and when not that, then just - spend time together.

You and I. Or as a family.

Love,

Victoire

The letter itself felt as strange as it could have got, the words feeling more foreign the more she read over them. But that was what she intended to achieve, the unfamiliar she had sought all her life and it felt like the warmest ray of sunshine in a long period full of clouds.

Enough sunshine to make a toothy smile appear on her face. She chose an easy first step, even if it felt like the world for her, but it was a step into a direction - that she wanted to explore her whole life.

As if the tawny owl could have sensed the happiness surrounding her owner, she chirped happily, jumping up and down in an adorable way of excitement.

Victoria's toothy smile widened at the sight, laughing slightly. After her wand moved over the piece of parchment, not only correcting it but also turning it in a french that even the girl wouldn't have been able to.

With the letter attached to her feet, Lupa let her head move loving under the comforting hand of Victoria before she flew away, for the act of happiness, doing even what seemed like a backflip when she flew up from the table and out of the window.

Victoria had always disliked the quote 'the calm before the storm'. The calm gave silly hopes, just to result in the storm bringing an even darker disappointment, but for her, the sunshine was always the worst. Not as it gave falls hope of staying for eternity, but as it made people forget the storm. It makes them lie back, letting the sun warm their body, forgetting that the burn didn't just disappear just because the sun is just so 'perfect' and made them feel oh so good.

And even then, when she had always knew about the danger about hopes, and the feeling of getting used to something good, she was just like that and missed the first lightning as a warning.

  •••

And so was it in Care of magical creatures. The subject had over the year been Victorias favorite subject, alongside with charm. But even then, in a period of time, she wasn't present mentally.