The sun shone warmly through the windows as the eggshell white muslin curtains billowed softly in the early summer wind. Anticipation had become a lingering sensation throughout the Edenfare household. Since moving to the scenic mountain side town of Guinny's Hollow, the whole family had been a twitter with musings and gossip. Aunts and uncles sent letters daily, mostly sticking their noses in where they so clearly did not belong. Jax spotted the wings in the distance, the morning sun shimmering off the off-white and speckled feathers of her least-favorite house guest recently. She reached out, grabbing the antique knobs of the windows and slammed them shut abruptly, the panes of glass trembling and the sound echoing throughout the house. There was a hard thud on them that rattled the glass even harder, and a shrill irritated noise from the bird. Jax couldn't keep herself from smirking, barely stifling a laugh. From downstairs she could hear her mother shout up the stairwell.
"Jacqueline Edenfare, that had BETTER not be what I think it was...." Her voice had rung strong with threat of motherly authority. Her mom always seemed to know what was going on in the house, almost before it happened. The ascending clacking sounds of heeled boots was interrupted by the sharp tapping noises rapping on the windowpane next to her. Through the closed door, Jax heard the boot-steps growing dangerously close and sighed deeply, opening the window. A white owl with speckled brown spots on its wings and lower body burst in, dropping the tan envelope right on Jax's head. Quickly grabbing it and cramming it into her pocket, she swung her hands in the air, evoking cries of irritation from the bird as her arms narrowly missed it over and over. Jax heard a smug voice speak from behind a book across the room.
"You're in for it now, Mom's fit to be tied, from the sound of it." Jax's older sister Isabelle was an insufferable know it all. Isabelle was not happy at all about the move, having settled in just fine at her previous school, Waverly's Ladies of Propriety. In Jax's opinion, thes chool was a breeding ground for entitlement and snobbish behavior and would ensure that only the most pompous and egotistical boys would find her sister fit for marriage in the future, which seemed to be the school's only goal. "Raising young girls to become Ladies fit for King's company" was, quite literally, their creed. The whole idea made Jax sick to her stomach. She, for one, was quite glad and leaping with joy to hear the news of their sudden departure, while Isabelle had shut herself in her room for a whole month, only opening the door to dash to the restroom and insisting on taking her meals in her room. She hadn't helped with the packing at all, a task of which her father insisted they not use magic for. This, Jax didn't understand. Yes, she herself was underage, but her parents liberal use of magic had been quite the talk of the town and, of course, sent the family all a buzz on a frequent basis. All of these thoughts dissipated as quickly as they had arose when Jax heard the ruffling of her mother's long skirts being roughly let go of, the heavy fabric dropping to the aged wooden floor just outside the curtained doorway of their room, followed by the rough fluttering of the makeshift door: Her parents had removed the door itself and hung the curtain because her and her sister would not stop bickering, now that they had to share a room.
"Jacqueline, are you torturing that poor owl again?" her mother said exasperated.
All of the muscles in Jax's face pulled tightly in bitter disapproval. "Mom, you know I don't like being called that..." she glared up at her mom, who's hands had rested on her hips in that ever familiar 'what do you have to say for yourself' manner.
"Jacqueline is the name you were given at birth, and Jacqueline's the name I will call you." The owl, who had been swarming around the top of the room to avoid Jax's attacks, swooped down to rest on her mom's shoulder. "How'd' Ya do this mornin, Merda?" her mom stroked the feathers on the owls forehead gently.
"But it's such a girl's name!" Jax pleaded exasperatedly. She tossed herself face first onto her bed, feathers puffing out of the goose down duvet.
"In case you hadn't noticed, Jacqueline, you are a girl! And if I'm the one who pushed you out my body and grew you out of nothin', then I'll call you whatever I'd like, thank you much." Her mom clunked her boots on the wooden floor over to the window and opened them again, letting Merda soar out with a grateful croon. "Now, let's have it! Unless you want to try and claim that Merda is so keen on your company that she's stopping by for small talk. Again." She held her hand out expectantly to her daughter. "The letter, if you please?"
Isabelle looked over the edge of her book at her mother, but her smug look of superiority and raised thin eyebrows said 'I don't know what you're talking about', and then returned rudely to her book, gracefully turning to the next page. Mrs. Edenfare turned to Jax. "All right, let's have it then." She could hear the clacking of her mom's boots taking a few steps towards her bed. Jax let out an exasperated groan and pulled the letter she had shoved in her pocket out, tossing it in the direction of her mom.
"Honestly, Jacqueline!" she shouted. "It's all wrinkled!"
"Stop calling me that!" Jax retorted, her voice muffle by her pillow.
Her mom pulled up the bottom of her skirt to allow her knees to squat, and grabbed the letter from the floor, smoothing it out.
"Who's it from, mother?" Isabelle asked in a tone that clearly implied that she was only asking as a formality, and did not, in fact, care.
Crinkling her nose to try and read the writing on the wrinkled envelope, She gave it up as a lost cause. Jax's mom was in denial that her eyesight was going. Even though they had decreased the use of magic for household tasks, Mrs. Edenfare took to enchanting her embroidery and mending duties in secret, closing them in a cupboard as they worked, and passing the work off as her own. She had integrity, but her stubborn insistence that she did not need, as she put it, 'muggle visual aids' out weighed her moral discrepancies. She did feel guilty for sneaking the magic from Mr. Edenfare, who was the only one in the family who seemed to insist upon the limited magic use of late. Hehad not yet given them a reason as to why, but they all suspected it had something to do with his new Job, for which, of many reasons, they had moved here for. It was a fairly new position that was affiliated with the Ministry of Magic, but was being kept very hush hush. To Jax, who liked her facts straight forward and not laden with cloak and mystique, the whole thing made her uncomfortable.
Mrs. Edenfare flipped over the envelope, pulling a flat piece of copper from her pocket that looked like a pen someone had placed on a railroad track and run over. She slid it under the wax seal, a bronze color that was typical of her family, and placed the copper edger back into her apron pocket. Pulling out the letter, she read it aloud, an action which caused Jax to shove the pillow her face had been buried in over the back of her head, blocking off her ears.
"Dearest Violetta,
I hope this letter finds you well, as there has been much word about town that you no longer dwell at 31 Plainsburrough, Surrey. Vince and myself have wondered, too, if there is truth to the rumors that your poor husband was sacked from the Wanding mill. Pity, because he always made such fine wands. Bought one myself when I was just a girl. Is it true that he learned from Olivander himself?
Listen to me, prattling on. We just want to know how you are all getting on. How has Isabelle, the poor dear, taken the loss of her scholarship to Waverly's? Such a prominent school, and not at all easy to get in!"
At this, there was a thud of a book closing and a highly exaggerated cry of agony as Isabella threw her hand over her head and slid off her bed, pretending to be devastated at the loss of her once bright and promising future.
Her mother shook the paper and snapped it taut with deliberateness and cleared her throat before continuing.
"True though, there are a plenty of wizarding schools, should you so choose to go that route, what with your financial situation clearly in a state. If you need a few galleons to fetch them proper garments, please do not hesitate as Cecil and myself are quite well off, if you recall. Can you believe he got a promotion after just two months at the Ministry?
Best Regards, Your cousin Priscilla.
Oh, And do remember, our little Verruca is starting her first year at Hogwarts this year! Let us all hope she makes it into Ravenclaw, like there is any doubt. She's such a bright girl, that one!
Mrs. Edenfare sighed. "then she goes on and on for about another parchment about all the many 'achievements' Verruca has made lately .As if to say being able to read is indicative at all of a 'promising witch'! Do forgive me, dears, I've work to do in the kitchen downstairs. Trust you'll wash up and be down for morning meal in half an hour, no more." she tossed her head in the direction of the makeshift clock above the door-less door way, then exited promptly, the sound of here clacking heals descending down to the kitchen. Mrs. Edenfare was a mother of frequently spoken conundrums; that always cheered Jax up, with their irony. Especially so when her mom seemed not to notice them, Her gaze averted to the clock her mom had mentioned.
A gift from an old childhood friend's mother Mrs. Edenfare had stayed in touch with, the clock was very Unique. It was an Iron tree, bewitched to reflect the seasons of the year by the slightly pigmented bits of leaves on it. It was also bewitched with little embroidered patches stretched onto oval rings, which shifted back and forth under different names of places, such as home, work, school, out, imminent peril, and one that Jax had always found intimidating... 'Mischief Punishable'. From what Jax had understood, these name markers would let her mom know at all times where the family was, and they always seemed annoyingly precise. She wasn't quite sure what mischief punishable was, or what fell into that category, but she was sure the word 'punishable' bode ill for anyone who found their Embroidered named under it. The trunk of the tree, though flat, had a little door that would open at each quarter of the hour, and a cuckoo bird would pop out, sounding the time. Much like Big Ben, the bird sang out the tones of 'a quarter past' 'half the hour' 'quarter to' and 'the hour itself' then it would chirp to let one know which hour of the day it was referring to. The bird itself was shaped out of embroidery floss but looked and moved as a real bird would. It would not just spring out, but emerge entirely and flit around in front of the clock before darting back in after it's final proclamation of the hour. When she was young, Jax would wait in front of the clock and try, in vain, to catch the intriguing enchanted bird, but it was very nimble and as fast, daresay, as a Quidditch Snitch. Her sister, just to annoy Jax, swore once that she had actually caught it. Jax called her a liar and they were both grounded for a month after the name calling escalated into punching, kicking, and hair pulling.
Isabelle was still draped half way off her bed, pretending to have fainted.
"You can stop feigning fainting, Isa." Jax said as she peered out from under he pillow sideways at her annoyingly over-dramatic sibling.
Isabelle darted up and slid the rest of the way off of the bed. "How dare you address me so formally! You will call me by my proper name, Isabelle!" she snapped at Jax indignantly.
"Oh, forgive me Your Highness, I was not aware you had been crowned Queen of England!" Jax said after sitting upright and knocking her pillow aside, a strong note of sarcasm in her voice.
"You!....You're just jealous that I was chosen to be trained as a Lady!" Isabelle had jumped to her feet and her pale skin was starting to fade red as her temper rose. The contrast against her long dark hair somehow served only to make her look prettier.
"Pftt!"Jax exhaled, a waft of air causing her fluffy red bangs to fly upward. While her sister's hair was silky and dark brown like her father's, Jax's hair was insufferably unkempt and defiantly curly like her mom's. Mrs. Edenfare had managed to grow hers out, and mastered weaving it into thick braids, which she pined around her head like a crown of sorts. Jax had tried to grow hers out, but after so many broken brushes, her mom insisted on keeping it chin length. The messy bob she had now was newly trimmed for the summer heat.
"Well, They're certainly lowering their standards if they let you in..." she said as she glared at Isabelle.
"What?!How dare you! I- You-...! If mother-... UGH!" Isabelle stammered, the red in her face becoming as bold and brazen as the tomatoes mom received by parcel every other day. Isabelle dashed through the curtain, and flung it dramatically, mocking, Jax could only surmise, the slamming of a door. It was not nearly as efficient.
Jax chortled a bit, resting her arms behind her head and laying back down on her bed. The sun was rising higher now, and sneaking towards her side of the room threatening to scorch her face. The warm breeze made up for the misgivings of the harsh light, engulfing her in a hug only mother nature can give. Her sister hadn't always been so insufferable. Jax blamed her recent behavior on the ridiculous school she had only attended for two years. Teaching witches to use their magic only to aid their husbands and entertain family, and to, as a whole, be seen and not heard. A pretty thing in the corner of the room, to which a husband could point at and boast ownership. The whole idea disgusted Jax. She felt the concept set the entire world back into a more narrow minded age where Men did and Women Hid. Bad enough to have to hide magic from muggles, but to sit back and let other's take credit for everything you do? Jax thought not.
A promise of a school that actually TAUGHT magic was what she clung to. Why her sister had not received a Hogwarts letter, no one knew, but that was when some of the rumors truly started. Moving had only stoked the fires and set them ablaze once again. With both parents being Alumni, it seemed very strange that one of their children would not receive a letter. Then to move further away from the place they had called home most of their lives, it was just more suspicious. And to top it all off, Mr. Edenfare's refusal to disclose information about his new placement in work, led to the rumors that he had been fired and the family had come upon 'hard times'. Their new house actually had a lot more yard space, even if it DID have one less room. Jax was so frustrated with being accosted almost daily by nosy inquiries from everyone they had ever known about what was going on. Some viewed Isabelle's scholarship to Waverly's Ladies of Propriety as a thing to boast of, while other's seemed appalled that she should not follow in the footsteps of the average child of a magic borne family.
An average child in a magic family... This thought reminded Jax of yet another source of resentment towards their once beloved family bird; She had been 11 for a whole WEEK now and it still hadn't come. Everyday, mail, mail mail. But no mail. Not mail that counted. How she longed for the dusky envelope with the scarlet wax seal, her name beautifully calligraphed on it. To make it even worse, this was amongst some of the other discussion taking place in the letters from people Jax had sometimes never even heard of, all of which her mother insisted on reading out loud. Her mother always read her letters out loud, to make sure people knew she had nothing to hide. There was a time back before Jax was borne where some very serious stuff had be happening, and ever since then, or so she was told by her gossiping Aunt Tesse over tea and biscuits one boring spring day, her mother had 'made a show' of everything she did. Her first vivid memory, Jax could recall it as if it were yesterday, closing her eyes.
- - - - - - -
"Seems your mother can't walk down the street without wavin' tha' wand abou'!" the old codger hissed quietly enough that her 'host' in the other room, who was in fact their mother, wouldn't hear. Aunt Tesse slurped her tea noisily enough though, her cup rattling against the saucer. She had early onset of something called "the palsy". While Aunt Tesse was only a few years younger than their mother, she had several health conditions that caused her to age rapidly. No doctor could puta label to it, muggle or Mungo's, but it didn't bode well for her life expectancy. That meant they all had to be nice to 'Dear Aunt Tesse'. Little Jacqueline, not as yet determined to be called by the name of Jax, pretended to lift her cup and sip it, just as Aunt Tesse had, rattling saucer and all. Isabelle laughed from across the room, but was prodded by her father who was coaxing her into peeling more potatoes. Their aunt seemed not to have noticed, otherwise she paid it no mind.
Only four at the time, Jacqueline copied everything everyone did. It was how she taught herself what was proper. Unfortunately for present day Jax, that was not always the best method.
Aunt Tesse continued in the mind of four-year-old Jacqueline.
"Dilly dally dillydally all day with that fancy stick! 'Nothin ta hide, Nothin ta hide!' like a parrot." Aunt Tesse had said a little too loud.
Mrs. Edenfare bustled into the room with a tray of delicious looking tea cake in tow and set them down firmly on the low coffee table in the conversation room. Eyes a-glow, Jacqueline pounced, powerless against the siren song of sugar being sung to her by sweet strawberry tea cakes. Their mother was famous for them.
"You'd do best to mind your own!" Mrs. Edenfare seethed hotly, licking the icing of clumsy kitchen-work off her thumb. She glared her eyes and smiled sarcastically sweet to Tesse before attempting to sit.
"Dear, the Tea?" Mr. Edenfare said, having sensed Mrs. Edenfare's intentions of sitting. Having him around was like carrying a remembrall that you couldn't unstick from your palm. Mrs. Edenfare sighed audibly, her bottom having almost been in her seat, and having to reverse momentum to stand upright again. She did so with less effort than it would have taken her 2ndcousin, once removed, Tesse. "Rigggght." their mother said, biting her lip and letting it go, making a sucking sound. "Does anyone want sugar?" she looked directly at Jacqueline with a sneaky smile, her eyes sparkling. Jacqueline nodded fervently, causing her mom to go into a small giggle fit, which was halted by the abrupt and unpleasant noise of Aunt Tesse clearing her throat. Mrs. Edenfare's eyes narrowed again at this, her mouth forming a thin taut line before she turned back and stormed off to fetch the tea.
Isabelle, not completely impervious to the siren call of sweet, snuck away from her father, and over towards the last two of the heart shaped cakes, scooping one up hastily. Mr. Edenfare, who's reflection could just barely be made out in the kitchen window, smiled and pretended not to notice his eldest daughter skimping out on her work.
"As I was saying," continued Aunt Tesse, placing particular emphasis on the 'g' of the last word. "Your mum" she must have seen Mrs. Edenfare's shoulders tense up, because she lowered her voice, "Your mum 'as been a bi' of a show-abou' since You Know-oo was defea-ed... You ask me, she's a li'le TOO eager ta show she's go' nothin ta 'ide.... bi' suspicious, really... " she raised her almost empty tea cup to her lips, her hand shaking all the journey, and Jacqueline pretended right along, though her little pretend tea set was completely empty and her face had strawberry icing smeared sloppily around her lips. Some of it lingered on the cup as she did her best to follow the exact rate of speed in lowering her cup back to the saucer as Aunt Tesse had done, shaking all the while. Her sister, Isabelle had become beyond amusement and was now glaring slightly at her sister as she ebbed at her own face with a eggshell white napkin on which her name was embroidered. IME; Isabelle Millicent Edenfare. This name was the source of much teasing from Jacqueline in years to come, most of which occurred once she starting insisting on the dispense of using her own 'overly fancy' and girly name. But such things were the least of young Jacqueline's current fixations, at the moment which were mostly about using her fingers to scoop and lick extra icing and crumbs from the tray, and wondering when or if her mother was going to bring more cakes. The high whistle of the kettle went off, and she could stood on her knees to see over her sister to spy on her mother in the kitchen. Their mom was scurrying about, moving quickly from one thing to the next. Jacqueline wasn't the only one focused on the movements of Mrs. Edenfare. Aunt Tesse watched like a Hawk, making sure to keep her voice low as she continued on her long winded and seemingly never ending opinions of their mother...
"The mudgies wonder ya know... They don' know wha' ta think of your mum's flagran' over-use of things they know no' of. " Mudgies was an ugly term used to describe groups, usually families, who had both muggle and magic blood in them. Unlike the term Mudbloods, it implied that something nefarious had occurred to create magic where none was supposed to be. Less sophisticated people, a category in which Aunt Tesse easily belonged, used the term superfluously and without fully meaning it by it's true definition. She often spread gossip about 'mudgies' and their misgivings, which led to quite a few shocked reactions from family members who tended to take Aunt Tesse at her word and believe it truth. At the tender age of four, Jacqueline had occasionally taken to using the word, which she was immediately scolded for, though she didn't understand why. This too was a concern that was far above her. In time, the aunt she found so fascinating to imitate quickly became more obviously ill-intending and became the person the family trusted least as Aunt Tesse thrived on gossip, regardless of who it concerned or might hurt. This marked an obvious drop in the aunt's once frequent visits, an occurrence which only years later was explained to Jacqueline for Isabelle was observant enough to notice on her own.
Still Tesse had more to say, and upon noticing that their mother was loading up the trap to head back into the conversation room, she interjected one last sting. "I'll leave it at this an' mine' me own; Your mum ain' go' no business scurryin' abou' and causin' a panic, scarin' them poor mudgies wha' needed ta be oblvia'ed la'er, makin' nothin' bu' extry work for the poor Minestrey! She ough'a 'ave 'er wand snapped in 'alf!!" Her accent got bolder still with the fury of the thought; Aunt Tesse who had now worked herself up into a huff tilted her head back and noisily slurped the rest of her tea, placing cup and saucer down onto the low table where Jacqueline and Isabelle sat so hard that it chipped and Jacqueline covered her ears, her shoulders jumping up into the sides of her neck. Isabelle, who was also startled, first looked her sister's extreme reaction with confusion, then turned to look at her Aunt Tesse with her trade-mark glare of disapproval. Their father who had been chopping the now peeled potatoes in silence, ever aware of what was being said but staying silent, stopped mid slice. He removed the knife slowly and calmly, softly, placed it next to the potatoes though the pallor of his reddening skin was darkening by the second. He turned, and with what appeared to be a great effort, spoke calmly but firmly to Aunt Tesse.
"Enough" The one word carried a lot of weight. Their father was much more a listener than a talker. When he did decide to talk. He didn't mince words much. "You've spoken enough. And you say too much." he shook his head, pointing a finger at the woman. Mrs. Edenfare, who had barely entered the room before Aunt Tesse had said 'her last words', looked around the scene of somber, scared, and scolding mixtures of emotion in complete confusion. She wondered what on earth could have caused all of this in the course of a few minutes. Then she turned her gaze concernedly to her cousin, inquiring with her ever expressive eyes what madness she had been on about now, but before Mrs. Edenfare could utter even one word, her husband shouted.
"OUT! We'll suffer your slander no more!" Isabelle had crossed the table and was now holding her sister, who was pressing down ever harder on her ears and had pulled her knees up to her chest. This was before they had learned of Jacqueline's aversion to loud noises. Truly, it had been the first time things had gotten so out of hand.
Aunt Tesse looked appalled and severely affronted. "Slander?!" she scoffed, shaking her head and putting a trembling hand up to her chest. "Well, Ineva'! How dare you take tha' tone wih' me!" She rose clumsily, the weakness in her knees aggravated by all the tension. "You jus' wai' till tha family 'ears abou' this!" Grabbing her purse, Aunt Tesse stormed as much as person who struggled walking could storm to the door and, on the way out, slammed it with as much force as she could muster promptly. The scene had escalated so quickly, that Mrs. Edenfare, at a loss for words and now looking to her daughters and then to their father where her focus remained and struggled to come up with something to say. Just about when she was going to venture to speak, she was interrupted by someone quicker to speak.
"Good riddance..."Isabelle mumbled then quickly covered her mouth with one hand, eyes in shock that she had spoken out loud, her other hand still around Jacqueline who was starting to relax. In a shocking turn of events, their father, who was staring at Isabelle with equal shock started to laugh. Then Isabelle joined in, and before long, both of them were laughing so hard tears were coming out of their eyes. Even Jacqueline had started to smile and chuckle lightly while their mom just stood their, staring into the distance and trying to take stock of the moment.
"What on EARTH just happened?" she muttered...
Jax was startled out of her memories by the cuckoo clock bird not only sounding off, but sitting on her nose, pecking at it with each chirp of the hour. Slowly she moved her hands towards it... "GOTCHA!" with a final shrill chirp, the craftily crafted bird had once again nimbly avoided her grasp. It flew so fast back to the safety of it's tree trunk that blinking had made Jax miss it. It was just gone. As sudden as the memory's fade back into the deepest parts of her subconsciousness. She rubbed at her nose, crinkling it and then paused to realize what the bird could have possibly been thinking.
"Oh no.... WHAT'S THE TIME?" she shouted and jumped out of herbed, scrambling over and jumping up to try and read the small numbers on the clock.
For something that was supposed to tell you time, the numbers themselves were not very large. If you missed listening to the bird, you really missed it. "Come on!" She continued jumping, standing at last on her tippy toes and squinting to make herself see better. Jax formed a pair of make-shift goggles with two cupped hands as if this would help her make it out. "I can't make it out... Come onnnnn! What time is-"
"JACQUELINE ALLOICIOUS EDENFARE! YOU GET YOUR BRITCHES DOWN TO THIS TABLE THISINSTANT!" Things clenched. Jax groaned exasperatedly, her heart slowly sliding back down from her throat to which it had jumped at her mom's words. "Thanks for nothin' you dumb clock" Jax rubbed her nose again, knowing full well the clock had gone out of it's way to try and enforce the time restriction Mrs. Edenfare had given them, which in and of itself was going above and beyond. This did little to help her when she was so engrossed in echoes of the past that she didn't hear the time of the hour, much less the fullness of the actual hour declaration. In the past, the clock had, upon request, opened it's door when asked to let the birdy stick out it's tiny head and repeat the song. But it didn't tend to do so when angry. "Whoever heard of a clock with feelings?" she grumbled to herself as she stomped down the stairs. She didn't feel the need to rush, seeing as she was already late.
Her sister, who was already seated at the table took in Jax's every step as the side of the staircase restricted nothing of the people coming down. The whole side that faced the kitchen was open, the other side flat against a wall of solid wood, an actual tree that was the base and foundation on which the house was built around. Isabelle was chewing lingeringly on a mouth full of chestnut and hazelnut porridge. Mom must be trying to use up the rest of the chestnuts she had bought too much of late Spring, when they went on sale. Beside her sisters gaze that bore into her soul, Mr. Edenfare was barely visible behind the morning paper, the remains of half eaten toast and one third of a sausage sat lonely on his plate, the fork set aside and not promising to send the discarded breakfast on to join the rest of itself. As she trudged down the last few steps, her mom's eyes burned hotter than the sun, boring yet larger holes into her soul.
"I said half past and I meant half past!" Her hands on her hips, spatula in one hand, something paper in the other, the sunshine yellow apron stitched with little leaves and flowers trailing down and stopping mid leg, the long heavy skirts her mother was so fond of extending ominously all the way down to the floor and completely hiding her booted feet, Mrs. Edenfare struck quite an imposing figure. "What were you doin' up there? Playin' hopscotch? What was all that racket?"
"Nothing..."Jax grumbled under her breath, looking at her feet, "just.... the clock made me late."
A deep scoff came out of her mom's throat, as she squinted a glare. "The clock. Made. You. Late? Just sit down before I take your breakfast back!"
Jax sat opposite her sister and dad on a stool with a padded cushion which was also hand made. Her mom was quite fond of hand made things. Somewhere in the distance, she swore she could hear the gentle clicking and tapping of the enchanted knitting needles her father knew nothing about. Of course, it was all just in her head, but she could picture it in her minds eye, toiling away making some horrid jumper or sweater coat.
Her mom's scoff startled her father, who lowered the paper a bit, looking over at his wife to make sure she was not choking. Realizing a second later than one normally would that his wife was not at the table, but standing across the room, he looked over to her, wondering why she was standing. He shrugged to himself and affixed the paper, On the front were the words "What the Ministry isn't telling you" and a photo of a lady with an obvious blond wig and pointed glasses, hamming it up in front of the camera and smiling like she knew something everyone else didn't. "Rita Skeeter again, dad?" Jax asked as she looked down at her now sad and cold porridge. She poked at it's gelatinous like mass with her spoon, frowning. He sister was still glaring, but now it didn't seem to be at her in general....
He shook the paper to pull it taut and make it easier to read. "Same old tripe." Man of few words. She hadn't expected any more than that. She kind of did a mocking shrug of her own and began eating the porridge, despite it's horrid inedible state, knowing full well her mother would lose it completely if she didn't. Her sister was now staring at her empty bowl, still looking spiteful and disgusted.
"Isa what's-"
"IsaBELLE" She demanded.
She rolled her eyes at her sister. "Right, Isa BELL" she said the last part overly loud, her mom now giving her a sharp look. Jax continued on, "What, precisely, is your problem?"
Her mom let out a sharp gasp and finally relaxed her intimidating posture to hold the paper in her left hand out. "I can't believe I forgot! Our Isabelle has received her Hogwart's letter! Can you believe it? Late acceptance? She's two year's past start, you know." Mrs. Edenfare gushed as Jax felt her porridge churning ungratefully in her stomach. "I had heard they were starting to let students transfer over, but this was just a huge surprise! Aren't you surprised dear?" she looked over to her husband, who had, clearly, already heard this. He held a thumbs up and quickly returned the hand to the paper, giving it a flick to straighten it again, after turning a page.
Jax felt sick. She was fuming now. Isabelle was sitting across the table, hands entangled in her hair on either side of her head, looking like she was ready to burst with tears. But not tears of joy. She looked...devastated. Their mom, still going on and on was completely oblivious to the mood in the room, until Jax shoved the table, knocking her chair back as the table itself refused to budge. On her feet now, her sister staring startled at her with tears of anger, disappointment, and despair in her eyes, her whole expression seemed to change in an instance. Clearly a thought had occurred to Isabelle, and Jax, knowing her sister too well, had an inkling what that thought might be.
"You're jealous...." Isabelle said with a smile, not as a question, but as a statement. She looked downright giddy now, even with the residue of tears in her eyes. Her grin was sickening. Her mom had finally caught on to what was happening and quickly inserted herself between the two girls, just in time. Jax had flung herself with all her might towards her sister and Isabelle had stood up, waiting to play the gazelle in distress while the mean lion struck down its helpless innocent prey.
"Now now now! Calm down!" Mrs. Edenfare put all her efforts into restraining Jax and getting her to sit back in her chair, even though Isabelle was standing, ready to take a fake 'attack' from her sister. Any chance for her to get attention, Jax thought to herself. "I'm sure your letter is coming, Honey." her mom, who had managed to wrestle her down into her seat, spoke soothingly to her as she attempted in vain to brush apiece of bushy fly away hair behind Jax's ear.
"I don't care... must be stupid if they let HER in! I don't even want to go now..." Even as she said this, Jax hugged her mom's body close to her, her face burring in the bright and cheery yellow apron, tears streaming down her face. Her sister seemed to be completely cheered up by this series of events. Folding her arms and tilting her head a little, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder with a mere flick of the head, she grinned. Indeed, Isabelle looked QUITE pleased. Right up til the moment her mother shot her a scalding hot glare, fresh from mama bear's protective and ever transparently expressive face. She didn't have to say it. "Leave your sister alone!" was written on Mrs. Edenfare's face in bold print. Isabelle stopped smiling immediately and grabbed her dishes and the ones in front of her father, who nodded and made a small grunting sound, and turned her focus to the sink as Jax continued sobbing despairingly into her mother's arms.
"I'm sure it's just a mistake, I hear they are making a lot of adjustments still. Adding new things every year it seems. D'you hear they are even adding tasks to the upper year students to make the new arrivals feel even more welcome? Oh! No, please don't start crying harder.... Oh, Ronny, can't you do something?" she gazed over to her husband, concerned and out of ideas, her daughter crying even harder into her apron.
Myron Edenfare, Ronny as called by Mrs. Edenfare alone, set down the paper that had created a barrier between himself and the rest of the table at last. Folded neatly, he had conveniently set it down where the face of Rita Skeeter was crammed against the table. He folded his arms, his face soft and smiled that smile that melted your heart and made you feel all warm inside.
"Come now, darling, you know that you are the smartest little girl I know." He oozed out the charm. When it really counted, their father could speak perfectly well. With a job as hard as his, energy saved on short conversation was energy spent earning a paycheck. Isabelle almost took this as an insult, but hearing her sister hiccup, she chose to say nothing and scrub the dishes for a fourth time. "McGonagall'd have to be a blithering fool not to let you in. I know You've wanted this since you first heard of Hogwarts, but you have to be patient. I'm sure it's on it's way righ-"
There was a thud. Both Mr. and Mrs. Edenfare looked in the corner at the family owl, Merda, who sat on her perch inside, snoozing quietly. Then they looked at the window, and Myron nodded to it, indicating she should open it. She nodded at Jax, still clinging to her, and gave her husband an exasperated look. He sighed and stood up, wandering over to the window. "I need to get going to work anyways. Probably some nosy neighbor-" as he opened the stained glass window, a graceful black bird with a purple glimmer to it's wings swooped in. Startled by the intrusion, Mr. Edenfare jumped back to let it pass. "Now whose bird is that?" The raven, having swooped right past him, had flown straight over to Jax and landed neatly beside her, dropping a letter in her lap and letting out one short caw.
Though she was crying too hard to hear the sound of the thud against the window, the intrusive little black beak that now pecked softly at her shoulder grabbed her attention. She wiped her tears with her arm as it let out a caw. She pet it on the chin, noticing a silk ribbon tied loosely around it's elegant neck with a note attached. While Mr. and Mrs. Edenfare discussed back and forth who it could possibly belong to, and when was the last time they heard of someone sending something by crow, Jax turned the tag over slowly and read the words "To guide you" on the outside of what turned out to be a tiny card. Upon opening it, she read the name "Archimedes. What's Archimedes?" This caught both her parent's attention. Her dad leaned down to examine the tag they had not noticed before. "It's the name of a very famous inventor from Ancient Greece" he closed the tag and read it aloud. " 'to guide you.' Huh. Must be a present. I wonder who it's from?" the raven squawked loudly at him as he made to get a closer look. For fear of losing an eye, Mr. Edenfare backed away, hands held up to show he meant no harm. Sniffling a little from having cried so much, Jax wiped her nose on her shoulder, which begged a stern glance from her mom.
"What's this?" Her mom spotted something on the floor; the envelope that the bird had dropped. She rubbed at the weathered looking envelope curiously, her face rumpling with confusion when, upon turning it over again, she found that the original wax seal had been opened previously, and the envelope resealed. "Well... It's for you..." she handed it hesitantly to Jax. It didn't look like a typical Hogwarts letter, and she really didn't want to get her daughter's hopes up should it turnout not to be one, but when all is said and done, the envelope was addressed to Jax.
Taking the letter carefully, her eyes vivid from crying, but bright with a flicker of hope, Jax pulled softly at the wax, not wanting to damage it.
"Oh, goodness me! What am I thinking? Here you are..." Both Mr. and Mrs. Edenfare, in their musings of what the letter could be, had forgotten to hand Jax a letter opener, also completeley remaining oblivious to the copper edger in Mrs. Edenfare's pocket. Normally, one would just tear it open anyways, but Jax's hesitation made it clear that she didn't want it torn. Mr. Edenfare pulled open a drawer then closed it, opening another and digging around. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Myron! A butter knife will do!" After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Edenfare pulled out a flat dull blade made of metal with a bronze eagle on one tip, and a sharp point on the other. He handed it to Jax, who had been waiting eagerly. Carefully Jax slipped the edge of the blade under the seal and pried it gently open. The whole room was quiet, save for the sound of the Archimedes' talons tip tapping on the table. No sooner had she pulled out the parchments inside then had her mom blurted out "Well?! Is it... You know?"
Glancing up at her parents, Jax could see them both huddled close to each other, her mom's hands laced together in a prayer like gesture. No pressure...she was determined not to imitate her mom by reading it out loud. This was not a popular decision but Jax wanted this moment to be for HER.
There were three letters inside, one very different than the other two. The odd one out lay on top of the stack and she read them to herself.
"Young Miss Jacqueline, I am very abashed and hard-heartened to have to say that this letter has not arrived in a timely manner. It seems the owl it was sent with came upon some rough weather and hurt it's wing. Only after hearing of the ill owl's return did someone set out to inquire the location of the dropped parcel. Naturally, when I heard it being asked about town if anyone had seen such a letter, I was quick to inform them that I, Finneus T. Thistlefoot, had come across such an item in my daily walk not one week before. As I did not have the letter on me at the time, they begged I send it on to you meself. The original address seemed to pose a problem for the owl, delaying it well into unfair weather in it's duration of search. An incident, they have assured me, has been amended regarding a 'late admission' sibling of your'n. I beg and plead it of fate that this letter arrives swiftly before your elder sibling's. Not that I look down on a late admission, as new a practice as it is, but that I was young once too, a mere sprig of a boy eagerly awaiting my own letter of acceptance.
Do forgive an old man's yammering, and also, I beg pardon the disheveled appearance of the envelope; Did my best to patch up the original one, but as instructed, it was better to just resend it in my own stationary with no address, but name only. Being the nature of my job, my affects are not the tidiest kept, this being the cleanest of the envelopes that had the misfortune of being knocked under a table by a pair of squabbling ferrets. In any event, Congratulations to you, and please accept, as my condolences for the mix up, for any part I had in it, this Raven. Archimedes is very clever, but over the last two years, all of his brothers and sisters have been taken on by new Hogwarts fairing students, but somehow, little Archie was passed over time and again. I think it has something to do with his disfavor with males in general. I don't know many little girls who would want and appreciate a bird of prey such as the raven, but something tells me you are no ordinary child. I have a knack for knowing just the right companion for everyone, and I am betting Archimedes is in the best possible hands. He likes a toasted chestnut every now and again. Odd for a raven.
Best regards,
Finneus T. Thistlefoot
Owner and founder of Thistlefoot's Aviary and Companionary.
It wasn't hard to guess what the other letters would be; Jax placed the first letter behind the two matching ones, and squealed with delight as she saw her name emboldened below the official Hogwarts crest. She started jumping up and down, and her sister, covered her ears and decided she was over the whole situation, heading upstairs away from the commotion as their parents rushed forward, catching on that it was, in fact, her acceptance letter.
"Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, here we come!" shouted her father, lifting his youngest daughter in the air, to which Isabelle, who was a daddy's girl, gave a final disgusted glance and disappeared up the last of the stairs.