The early mornings of Diagon Alley was usually never quiet, but today? It was the quietest day of the year. With children going back to Hogwarts, adults starting their 9 to 5 jobs again, and the rest enjoying the howls of the warm winds. These where the mornings she missed the most when she first started Hogwarts, a moment of silent relaxation.
Like every other year, but her first, she was the first to arise from her bedroom and creep into the kitchen. Finding her glass of water from the night before, she sipped on that until she heard the creaking door from her brother's room open up. He was always a morning person, waking up to see the sunrise.
Florence took a seat on the orange velvet couch, directly opposite to the seat Antonella sat on at the dinning table. They stayed in the whimpering silence until Florence spoke.
"I will be taking you to the platform..."
Antonella's eyes dropped.
"Mamma... isn't... y'know..."
The silence stayed that way, with the only noise being that of footsteps and the small purrs from Mr. McFishy, who sat at the bottom of her feet. Since her first year, her mother never took her to the station - neither Florence or Antonella knew why, but she refused. This year, Antonella had hoped that just maybe... she would take her to Platform 9 3/4, she was happy now.
Why wasn't she able to take her to the station?
Still in her clothes from yesterday, Antonella dropped the glass of water back onto the table and walked towards the door. She could see in the corner of her eye... her mother, who always left her door wide open, still sleeping. She wanted to loath her mother, to be so joyful of her becoming prefect to only refuse to take her to the platform; to even say goodbye.
Why couldn't she just say good-morning?
Reverting her eyes back to her room with a sigh, she reminded herself, To stay out of trouble meant to never ask questions, and that meant not questioning her mother. With her clothes already laid out over the end of her bed, Antonella begun to dress her. Her friends loved to remind her that she dressed more modestly than Narcissa Black, the embodiment of pure-blood women. Her black stockings complementing the black pleated skirt - similar to that of the Hogwarts uniform, a white blouse and her lavender vest on top. She dressed this way because it made her proud of herself, it made her comfortable in her own skin - she rather her peers tease her endlessly for dressing like a bookworm, then the small fat around her fingers.
The only item of clothing she was never teased about was her shoes, her pride her joy. She owned heels that Elizabeth Edwards wanted, a sneaker collection bigger than Rupert Henry and the Australian thong - a rare commodity in the British wizarding world.
With time not on her side, she slipped on a pair of black heels - a stock standard pair that Hogwarts approves on, and picks up Mr. McFishy from her bed. She was to leave the house by 9:30am, allowing plenty of time for Antonella to find a compartment that hasn't already been taken up.
With the sleeping ginger and black cat in her hand, she quietly closed her door and not glancing back at the dolled up purple room. It was still painted as if she was 7 years old, with white cupboards and bookshelves. It was her innocence, locked up next to a grieving mother. Antonella did not know that this would be the last of her innocence, and the last of Antonella.
Rushing out of the house, her brother levitating her trunk, they made it to the public floo station... as their own place did not have a fireplace. Arriving to a silent station, there was very few parents and students at the Hogwarts Express this early in the morning, but it was a necessity for not only finding good seats - but to open the store by 10am... a rather late opening.
The two walked in silence with their orange auburn hair contrasting their violet and lavender eyes, as they stared ahead. There was a distinct difference between the Fortescue's and the rest of the British Wizarding community, their hair was closer to a bloody red, their faces as pale as ghost trees in Australia, and their iris' were colours they would never see until they watched the sunrise and set in Alice Springs. Their jaw bones were sharp, as if they could be used to sheer wool off a sheep, and their chins pointed out slightly - a small tribute to the father's father chin.
But it wasn't their physical features that made them so difference, it was their power. Her brother, though a gentle soul, commanded respect... just does the sun command you to watch the sky and not itself when it rises. And like the sunrise, if you look into the sun you find nothing but a bright, painful, yellow glow, and Florence was just that. If you disobeyed him, you could see the disappointed look from their father and the heating of his pale cheeks. There was something intimidating about a 7ft giant like himself.
Antonella was a special case. She was fire, as her mother said. Once aggravated she could not be controlled. Her eyes, they burnt like purple whispering flames... on the ready to attack any that comes too close. Just as the sunsets, and the darkness arises. The darkest acts of life comes out to play in her eyes. There was something intimidating in seeing the world burn in a sixteen year old's eyes.
The two eventually made it to the back of the Hogwarts Express, where Florence levitated her trunk to the back of the "boot", at least that was what Florence calls it. Walking side by side again, her cat still sleeping soundlessly, they made it back to the floo station. Parents and children did not trickle in, with most probably still sleeping or doing last minute packing.
Florence turned around to face her once they stood a few feet from the fireplace Florence would take back to Diagon Alley, with both of his large hands on her shoulders. His eyes looked fiercely into her own, if this was a book written based on stereotypes... most might say this is a time where siblings talk through foreign exchanges of the mind and eyes. But this is not that, and it was the small flame in his eyes that made Antonella stop breathing.
"Go to Hogwarts and enjoy your sixth year, okay?" He said, his words strong. "You will enjoy the small and long snow storms, the wild adventures and all."
Antonella's fists were tight around a tuff of fur, but Mr. McFishy did not seem to care.
"When letter's arrive, ignore all that are addressed by our mother-"
"Why?"
Her brother's grip on her shoulder lessens, as he took a deep sigh, "Just... just do as I say... I'll explain it when you come okay m'kay?"
To stay out of trouble meant to never ask questions
Antonella nodded, obediently.
"I'll write soon okay? Until then, forget Diagon Alley and focus on your studies, your friends, and maybe... find something more romantic than dreaming of Mr Jackson?"
Her cheeks flushed red.
"Until then, goodbye little red."
Her brother's grip on her shoulder's dropped as he wrapped his large arounds around her, potentially suffocating her cat. She heard her brother whisper a few things into her hair, but she could not hear it. Separating, her brother let out a loud chuckle as Mr. McFishy was still sleeping... showing no sign of inhaling no oxygen for well more than 20 seconds.
"That cat of your's is something special isn't it?"
A smile was tugged onto Antonella's face, as her eyes glittered down to her cat. He was right, there was something awfully specially about this cat of hers, and neither knew if that was a bad thing or a good thing.
"Alright then, good luck!"
With that, her brother vanished in the green flames... leaving Antonella absolutely alone on the train platform. The walk to the Hogwarts Express was easy - as always, as she did not need to fight her away against the swarm of parents and students leaving. Each step up, made her heart flutter more. She was going home... to Hogwarts.
Finding a compartment, big enough for her friends to join. She placed Mr. McFishy on the windowsill, his own fluff and fat hanging off of it. Yet, he sat their proud and shameless of how he looked. It was odd to say you strive to have the same confidence as a cat, but Antonella most definitely wished she had his body confidence.
Slowly, students filled up the Hogwarts Express... and her friends trickled into the compartment. She wasn't particularly close with those already in the room, she was easily able to have a conversation with them... it was the joys and woes of a large friendship circle - plenty of people to talk too, but too many to be close with. That was until Matilda Hoggs joined them.
"Ughh" She groaned, causing everyone's eyes to flicker to Matilda, her hair barley brushed, "I fucking hate Dalton!"
The room stayed quiet, until small fell into a fit of giggles, but Antonella didn't as she scooted over for Matilda to sit next to her. Her arms stretch over Antonella to pick up Mr. McFishy, she always cuddle with him after she had a fight with Dalton. She fought with Dalton on a daily basis.
"Just admit that you two love each other and get married already!" Cried Ekira, the romantic of the group.
Matilda scoffed, "The day I fall in love with Dalton, is the day Antonella gets it on with Black."
Antonella's posture stiffen, "Matilda don't make me take away my cat."
The room continued to chorus with laughter, and questions about everyones holidays - that was until Asterin Hao, the should-of-been-in-gryffindor Ravenclaw, entered the room. Her eyes darted straight for Matilda and Antonella. However, with the seats already filled up, Asterin took it upon herself to sit at Antonella's feet, below the windowsill.
"How is my two favourite angry friends?" She asked, her voice had an ounce of play in it.
Matilda scoffed again, "I am not angry."
Antonella let out a small laugh, but loud enough for Matilda to jab her elbow in her side.
Rolling her eyes at the angry Slytherin called Matilda, Antonella looked back at Asterin who was watching her every move.
"How was your mother?" She asked quietly, only loud enough for the there girls to hear.
Letting out a sigh was enough for them to both know it wasn't good, and knew better to press any questions. The room continued to buzz until Elizabeth Edward's head poked into their compartment.
God, Antonella thought, I fucking hate her. And it was true, she hated Elizabeth nearly more than Sirius Black - and that was hard to beat. Elizabeth was, indescribable, and it was hard to say why and how you hate her... until the moment she made you rise with anger. She was a special individual... and not in a good way.
"I wanted to say good morning to everyone," her cheery voice was over the top, with everyone but Matilda and Antonella reciprocating the welcoming, that was until Elizabeth noticed Antonella's unmoving mouth, her mouth contorted into a sly smile, "Ahh," her voice drawled, "Antonella is here?"
Her breathing stilled and she could feel Asterin's cool hands touch the side of her leg, warning her not to speak out of turn. Elizabeth had more control then she should in Hogwarts, it was infuriating.
"I heard a little rumour that you're our female representative this year?"
A slight gasp came over the room, she had neglected to tell them - after all she only got the news the other day. She knew they would not hate her for not telling her, because they knew she worked twice as hard once she leaves Hogwarts.
"I think it's outrageous, honestly..." Elizabeth continues, "Top in all of your classes, yet you leave the potion's class whenever a fire is set? I would say you ought to be braver, but you're a Ravenclaw... surely you should know that wit comes before fear?"
Antonella's fists were in a ball, her eyes wide.
"Oh dearie me!" her high pitch voice was becoming increasing higher, "How rude of me to mock your fear of fire... yes... how rude of me indeed... after all we all know why you're so deadly scared of a simple flame..."
Her body was rigid.
"Dancing across the skin's of ..."
Antonella stood up, "Get out." Her voice was loud and authoritarian, rarely does anyone hear her speak in such ways, "Get out before I make you."
Elizabeth did not move, so Antonella moved towards her. Not looking, she was impressed she didn't step on Taylor Rerden's feet - his legs was always too long for these compartments. She used her hand to push Elizabeth from the door, following her out to the corridor - without a glance back into the compartment she slammed it closed shut.
"Did Antonella get balls this year?" Elizabeth mocked, "Or trying to find a way to get expelled?"
Her body was still rigid, her posture creepily straight and the corridors were moving... but slower as they saw the two Ravenclaw students look at one another with such disgust.
"If you ever mention my father again, I will find a way to end you... painfully... one might say... murderously.."
Her face was set in stone, showing none of her surprise of the choices of words she used.
With a few minutes passed, of the silence, Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stalked away. Antonella let herself breathe. Opening the compartment slightly, she told them she was going to the prefect compartment.
Once again, she was first to arrive, and she took the few minutes to glance out of the window to the brick wall. A small tear fell down her cheek.
I miss you papa, she thought, I am so sorry...