Founders

Anywhere but here

Today was the day and it would be a lie if Rowena said that she wasn't nervous at all. She had on the dress that her mother made and the elf had placed on her head the family's tiara. She hated that thing with all her soul but yet she decided to wear it just to show it off. She was standing outside the church in which the ceremony was about to take place and her hand was sweating from the anxiety. She kept playing around with her wand as she waited for her cue to enter the church and finally set her life in stone. She was too young for this, it was horrible and she could feel her stomach twist in stress.

Her father appeared out of the entrance, he too was wearing the finest clothes he had. He had the same brunet hair and pale skin that his daughter had but he had a thick beard that gave him an intimidating look. He walked slowly to his nervous daughter and gave her a huge like he used to when ever he saw her which wasn't that very often.

"-Look at you, my little girl finally becoming a women. - Her father said proudly. - I never seen you this radiant, my lily of the valley.

-Father.- Rowena said feeling the anxiousness float to her throat. - Are you happy with this?

Her father tilted his head not because the question was difficult but because he could see that there was some sort of change in her mind. He carefully but firmly placed his hands on her arms, squizzing a them just a little too hard.

-Rowena, I am and you should be. - Her father said softly with a stern voice. - There is no greater honor in life than honoring all of us and this is how you do it. Luther Ravenclaw is a great man, he is not old nor mean. You'll be happy.

Rowena saw something in her father's eyes that she rarely saw; his father was getting angry at her and she didn't like it one bit. Unlike her mother, her father's opinion felt like a dagger plunged right into her heart. She nodded conpliently but she felt more unsure now, did her father cared about her happiness or about the life he had planned out for her? There was only one way to know.

-Father?- She said. - Do you remember what I wanted to be when I was a child?

- A bride. - His father answered confidently."

His father walked into the great hall were all the guest were waiting, her mother and Luther too. She saw him quickly through the crack of the door when her father left the anti-chamber; he was standing in front of the altar wearing the finest of his clothes. Luther did love her but she couldn't bring herself to like him at all and that would bring up the end of their relationship, she wasn't stupid.

Dingaling, the elf, stood behind her holding the long vail that fell on her back, covering her glossy black hair. This was it, it didn't feel like a walk to the altar but rather a walk to her own funeral. The doors opened and the weeding march started to resound, she hid her wand inside of the bouquet and started to walk towards the great altar and to Luther.

All the eyes in the room fell on her and she felt immediately uncomfortable, she felt like an animal being paraded in front of everyone. Her mother watched her from far away, a disapointed look flashing in her face. Her father was right next to her, a face that was now unrecognizable. Luther was looking directly at her with a hopefully gleam that to Rowena seemed like the last ingredient for misery. She dared to look back a little bit and crossed eyes with Dingaling holding the veil.

Dingaling's eyes told a whole different story; he was concerned about her and yet there was hope in that look. He mouthed something and even tho Rowena couldn't hear it she knew exactly what he had said; "escaping through the tiniest crack is still better than being here". She looked forward now and her dress felt like an anvil tied to her chest and her head felt as if it was about to buckle over from the weight of the tiara.

She clutched her bouquet further and could feel the wand between the flowers, she was almost near the altar and she could see Luther clearly. Every face in that building felt like a lightning bolt hitting her and she couldn't help to murmur what the elf had said.

Anywhere is better than here, anywhere is better than here. Luther extended his arm to help her go up the stairs of the altar. Anywhere is better than here. Anywhere is better than here. She could feel her first step reaching the first step. Anywhere is better than here, anywhere is better than here. 

"-Anywerisbiterthahnhir. - Rowena murmured out loud"

But her feet never landed on the step. The world quickly warped all around her as if it was ink dispersing in water. Her head turned and there were huge and violent movements and she felt her whole body pull in every direction possible, and then as fast as everything had happened her face hit a wet and cold ground.

Rowena felt disoriented and felt as if the whole earth had shifted around her. She couldn't hear the people from the weeding or the loud ominous music. In the contrary, she just hear the soft wind and the silence only outdoors can have. She moved all the ruffles and skirts that had found their way over her head and soon realized she was in the middle of nowhere. Around her there were trees and grass now and not guests and walls anymore.

She was in the muggle world that was for sure, she could feel it in every bone of her body. She stood up and saw that Dingaling wasn't with her and that she was still clutching her hand ferously. Had she done that? Had she runaway from her weeding by appearing like the house elves?

She started walking down the road, her beautiful dress getting filled with dirt and mud. The trees where silent and only the grass whispered as the wind blew through the country side. 

Luther, her mother and her father. What will they think of this? How had she dared to do so? They would probably chase her down and force her to marry Luther one was or another but something inside of her was pushing her to flee. It felt good to have people after her, she felt as if all the heaviness of her life had just lifted. Her whole weeding had dissipated from her view and she didn't mind a single bit. The open fields, the dark forest seemed to call her. 

She stopped in the middle of the road directionless. She tough of her heroes of which she read in her books and wondered what would they do if they were in her position but heroes in her stories were never girls in bulky weeding dresses. She looked around maybe a good night of rest would clear her mind and give her new ideas of where to leave, where to hid from the family that was sure to pursue her until the end of her times.

She couldn't help to smile a little, she was making decisions that came from her and not the other more shiny and glossy her; freedom of her choices.

She looked around for somewhere to rest and forebodingly a soft wind blew, reveling a cottage in the far distance. The two windows shone brightly as if they were great big eyes and the front door was opened like a mouth ready to swallow anyone who would enter. It was the only building in Rowena's view and the wisest decision would be go there and rest her head for one night.

Author's note : Thank you guys for being patient. With corona and my ex boyfriend walking back into my life I hadn't had the time to write but if you like it please like and leave a comment!

Please let me know if you are enjoying the story.