Parents weekend marked a very festive dinner following my last class, which happened to be Care of Magical Creatures with the headmistress.
Madame Maxime had us in the stables today, moving between the Hipogriffs that were sheltered in for an hour before they're flying time, and the Abraxans, who were in the process of being fed single malt whiskey.
Wizarding Opera played on a record player, something the Abraxans found soothing, as our headmistress explained to us while we went about our work.
"Headmistress, do the Hippogriffs like opera?" one of the second years named Isabeau asked from the far stables.
"No, my dear girl. They only listen to soulful jazz. Remember you must never mix up the Abraxans music with the Hippogriffs or else we will lose control of our stables, right Monseir Ansel?"
The caretaker, a young man who lived just below the palace in the small town under, was switching out bushels of hay in a nearby stall and nodded dreadfully at the question.
"What do the unicorns like, madam?" I asked as I lowered one of the massive jugs of whiskey.
"For the life of me, I don't understand the reasoning behind this, but unicorns like boy band music, if you can believe it."
This led to much giggling among my classmates as we started to carry the empty whiskey bottles to the stable doors to be refilled for the Abraxan's next meal.
"Now mademoiselles, before we depart I would like to clarify what is due for next class. Your essays on Hippogriff behavior will be due along with the completion of your reading on Unicorn grooming methods, is that understood?"
"Oui, Madam Maxime," The girls and I stated confidently before she gave the final nod of dismissal, letting us race back through the rocky hills up to one side of the garden where many girls parents were already milling about, all in the direction of the Flemal Fountain.
The gardens had been decorated for the occasion with new statues that shifted poses in the garden for parents to marvel over and benches to rest were added for the older relatives.
I spent this time meeting Marie's family, who were even taller than she was and spoke little to no french, though they smiled eagerly at me the moment I shifted to fluent english.
"Oh you must come visit, then. We always like seeing Marie's friends from school," her mother persuaded making me promise to bring it up to my mother.
I made it back to my dorm to find Oliver sliding in from the window that he had managed to creak open, with a dead mouse in his mouth.
"Oliver, we've talked about this. No rodents in my room." The cat gave me a dirty look before exiting back through the window with his meal intact.
I had just dropped my books by my dresser when a knock came from my door. Opening it, I found to my surprise, Cèlia, dressed in rose pink robes waiting for me with open arms in greeting.
"Mon Chou! Have you missed me?"
Dinner was served in the grand hall but with more splendor, with the wood nymphs really putting on a show for our guests as we ate our choice of french food that we asked of our plates. Cheese boards with wine where placed in the center for parents to enjoy and a dessert spread was allowed this once for us to marvel at before it was separated out on our plates.
My mother, alongside my grand'mère arrived just in time and sat alongside Célia and I, who were busy gossiping about all the teachers.
During dinner, grand'mère spent half the time questioning my studies, and explaining how in her day, Beauxbatons was much better. Célia and my mother only rolled their eyes, while enjoying the food from the school's kitchens.
"We were not allowed to talk at dinner, back in my day. It taught us how to be patient and humble at the dinner table," Grand'mère would rant, causing Célia to respond back cheekily with, "And look where that got you grand'mère."
After dinner, we were asked to meet in one of our larger class rooms where the older girls were to perform a dance for the parents to see. The younger years, including myself were told to watch and write a paper on the girl's form by our next class the following day, so I spent more time writing down notes than paying attention to the art form my classmates created on the stage. Certain girls stood out more so than others, a natural talent as Madam Bisset would later discuss over class one day. One of the girls who gained most of the attention during this performance was an upperclassmen by the name of Fleur Delacour, one of the prettiest girls of her year. She was hard to miss, seeing as she had a major solo and led the bows at the end. Numerous parents had taken their eyes off their own daughters just to give her praise.
After the dancing, the younger girl choirs came up to sing melodies written in old french chant along with our school's anthem, which the wood nymphs chimed in on, droning in fifths and octaves below our original lines. I was a part of this choral, so naturally my mother found fault with the performance while my grand'mère thought it was the best music she's ever heard.
The night was altogether fantastic and worth all the worries I had about my mother possibly not showing up. I watched fascinated at the number of mothers who recognized her and grand'mère, while the upper classmen raced up to hug and kiss Célia in welcome.
It just showed how popular my family was in the french wizarding society.
As the night was coming to a close, parents were escorted to the teacher's wing where rooms were to be set up for them. And while my mother and Célia were rather excited to see what staying in the teacher's wing was like, my grand'mère was complaining about having to share a room with her family members.
This particular fight with grand'mère led to further trouble the next morning, where she decided to announce at breakfast that she was to leave after lunch because of the lack of sleep she had in the horrible bed she slept in.
"She's just angry that she didn't get the bed by the window," Célia commented to me as she walked with me to my dance lesson after breakfast.
While Madam Maxime was to entertain the parents with meetings about why they should support the school and donate to our cause, Célia decided to slip along with me for my day of classes, bringing her blue ballet clothes for the occasion.
Madam Bisset was overjoyed to have Célia back in her classroom, deciding to use her old pupil to demonstrate correct posture for poses that were foreign to us.
Cèlia seemed to be having so much fun that by lunch time, I had lost sight of my cousin, and could not find her when my mother asked after her.
"It's fine, Emmeline. The girl just wants to explore the grounds a bit while she can," my grand'mère decided as we ate lemon chicken and green beans for lunch.
"I just hope the girl doesn't get into too much trouble," my mother commented as she scanned the grand hall in search of her. I could think of many places Célia could be, but I didn't go through the effort to look either. After being here for such a short amount of time, I could understand why she would miss this place after so many years. Running off by yourself and acting like a student again could feel nice, if not nostalgic.
As promised, my grand'mére said her goodbyes after lunch as we escorted her back to one of the unicorn-drawn carriages waiting at the front entrance.
"Ava I want you to promise me that the moment you catch any sign of illness over the year, you will owl me so that I can take you home for a few days. I am close enough and have plenty of room to take care of you, not to mention the healers at this establishment are petty in comparison to my good skills."
"Mamen, don't frighten Ava, so," My mother chided as she helped grand'mère up the steps of the carriage. I watched the old witch give her daughter a pat on the hand before casting her gaze to me as she rested in her perch in a carriage to herself. She was very pleased with this.
"My offer still stands. Understand me belle?"
"Oui, grand'mère. Au Revoir." With a final kiss goodbye, I watched as the carriage started down the mountainside to the stables down below.
"Well," my mother said turning back to me. "Now that we are alone, how about we walking on around the palace. I have yet to see how they refurbished their room of mirrors."
We were starting our walk back to the front gates when a sound of an owl was heard making the pair of us look up to see a black owl send a letter straight at my mother. She caught the owl in one hand and undid the message from it's leg quickly, a frown appearing on her face at the sight of the owl.
"Were you expecting someone, Maman?" I asked as she went silent, reading the message quickly.
"Oh that damn boy-" She looked away from the message, clearly angry as her mind started to think.
"Mamen?" My mother's gaze turned to me, still thinking.
"Give me one of your quills, mon ange. " I dropped my school bag and quickly took out one of my bottles of ink and quills, which she took hastily and turned the message around, where there was a blank space to write. Leaning against the wall of the gate, she wrote and quick reply, before tying her answer back on the owl and letting it fly away fast.
"I must leave you, mon ange. I'm so sorry."
"Wait why?" I asked, as she quickly handed back my writing utensils and started for the gates at a fast pace.
"Your silly brother has been causing trouble at Hogwarts. Or rather, more trouble than last week."
I had heard news through my letters with Sam that Theo has been rather destructive in comparison to last year, flooding floors, throwing parties in the library after hours, and half destroying a wall of paintings on the third floor with a stink bomb.
I expected my mother to be called in at one point or another for his behavior, but why on the one day when she's with me?
I followed her up the stairs and toward the teacher's wing where she was fast to pack her things.
"You should start getting ready for your class, mon ange. I wouldn't want you to be late just to wish me off," My mother chided as I continued to follow her back outside the gates where some other girls were wishing off their parents.
"What if I went with you?" I asked, helplessly. My mother gave me a careless look.
"You're not going to miss your classes because of your brother, Ava, so don't even start."
"But it's only two classes! And I will spend so many more weeks in them unlike with you. I never spend time with you." This seemed to hit a snag as it caused my mother to pause as she placed the last of her bags in the carriage. I walked up to her determined now, and asked once again to come.
She gave me another look, but this time more open to discussion.
"As long as you promise to be good and not get into any trouble while at Hogwarts, fine. But I expect to not get any angry letters from here about me taking you out of class." I thanked her readily and raced into the carriage with some of the other parents wishing their children goodbye.
Once by the stables in the little town under Beauxbatons mountains, my mother took my hand and we appearated to Hogsmead, where a carriage was waiting to take us up to the castle.
The ride up to the castle felt just as special to me as when I first came on that rainy night over the great lake.
Filch was waiting for us when the carriage stopped, and as I hopped out, he gave me the strangest look, unsure whether I should be in class or not, with the new uniform I wore.
"Can you lead me to the Headmasters, please?" My mother asked pointedly, causing the old man to grumble.
"The headmaster said nothing about letting this little thing into his office. I won't bring her."
"That's fine," I said turning to my mother quickly. "I'll just go explore the school. I've missed it so. " My mother gave me a warning look before nodding, leading me to race off into the old castle.
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Sorry for the late upload!!