Yours Truly

Chapter 1

The sweet aroma of baking bread filled the air, a soft breeze contesting with the hot air of the hot oven. Aspen dusted off her apron, clearing the clinging flour off the fabric and onto the floor of the kitchen. Curtains fluttered behind her as she swished off towards the refrigerator. Piling ingredients into her arms, a voice spoke up from the other room.

"This is so cool!"

Aspen scoffed, rolling her eyes as she plopped butter and cream onto the counter.

"You aren't the one going, you know." Aspen giggled.

"I know but-" there was a dramatic sigh as a face popped up over the half wall peering into the kitchen. "Isn't the idea of going to Hogwarts just incredible?!"

Aspen snorted, ignoring her friend's cheerful face that was propped up on the pass-through. She dumped sugar and butter into a bowl and began mashing it together with swift movements.

"It's not that big of a deal. I just-"

"Not a big deal?!" Sylvia shouted. "Not a big deal she says! You're only going to the most famous wizarding school, like, ever!"

"Exactly!" Aspen laughed. "There's no reason to get so freaked out about it."

Sylvia groaned. "Oh my gosh, how dense can you be."

Aspen rolled her eyes again, returning to beating what was to be the sweet icing for her cake. The blonde quickly moved on from her dramatic episode, shifting away from the half wall and beginning to pace.

"I wonder what house you'll get! I'll bet Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor!" Sylvia squealed, twirling around. Aspen ignored her, yet the ecstatic girl continued.

"Oh! And I wonder what cute guys you'll meet too!"

Aspen lamented, "I'm not looking for a guy, Syl. I'm fine being on my own."

"Oh come on!" Sylvia continued. "I bet there are some pretty cute wizard boys there!"

"I'm sure there are, but I'm not looking for a relationship."

Sylvia huffed, whisking back to the couch on the other side. Aspen could hear her fall onto the soft cushions, yelling out to Aspen.
"If you're not going to get a cute wizard yourself, then bring me one!"

Aspen snorted, stepping out of the kitchen to do an overdramatic curtsey and say, "Yes, Your Highness,"

Sylvia snickered as the black-haired girl stalked back into the kitchen. A small oven timer beeped and Aspen opened the oven slightly and peered into the boiling heat. The cake had puffed up, not so much as to overflow the pan, but just enough to be seen over the rim of the metal. She slipped on a pair of checkered oven mitts and pulled the pan out of the burning heat. Aspen quickly set it down onto a trivet, pulling the mitts off and sliding over to work on the icing. Sylvia finally spoke up again, her voice projecting over the wall.

"Why didn't you attend the first six years again?"

"Well," Aspen hesitated, tapping the extra frosting off her spoon. "My parents were worried about me and sort of didn't think I was ready to take on magic? I mean, they said I didn't look magical. Kinda stupid, right?"

"Yeah," Sylvia agreed, falling silent once more. Aspen quickly covered the icing and slipped it into the refrigerator before scrambling into the living room and throwing herself on top of Sylvia with an Oomph. Sylvia gasped, flailing her arms.

"Get off! Get off you brute!" she shrieked and Aspen cackled, rolling off her friend and onto the floor. She plopped down and pulled a crinkled letter out of her pocket as Sylvia sat up, wheezing. Aspen slowly opened the letter, her eyes following her hand as it trailed down the worn paper. Sylvia quickly sat up and leaned over Aspen's shoulder, peering down at the paper.

"Sounds like something you would need for a cult!" Sylvia laughed and Aspen reached up, punching her shoulder lightly.

"Shut up!" Aspen laughed, pulling the hair tie out of her messy black hair. The sweet scent of vanilla drifted in through the kitchen and Sylvia lept up from her seat, dashing off towards the kitchen. Aspen followed in close pursuit, knowing what her best friend was up to.

"Oh no, you don't! Keep your sticky paws off!" Aspen screeched, shoving past Sylvia and grabbing the cake, holding it out of her reach.

"Aw, come on!" The blonde whined. "I just want a tiny bite!"

"You can have a full piece when I'm done frosting it!" Aspen squeaked, the cake pan just out of grasp.

Sylvia sighed heavily and retreated back to the couch. "Fine. I guess I can wait,"

Aspen snicker at her battle won and gently set the cake back down in its rightful place. There was a small noise from the living room and the black-haired girl slipped back in to see Sylvia staring down at her letter.

"Where do you get this stuff, anyway?" she inquired.

"Diagon Alley," Aspen answered with a grin.