"Told you, Rebecca, you can't beat me in Charms!" Julia snorted and waved her wand in the air.
"Oh, shut it! It's not like - it's not like you're good at everything," she mumbled silently.
"No harsh feelings."
"What fun we had yesterday! If only the year hadn't ended that fast! In a couple of months, we're going to hit our teenage life!"
"Yeah - look at that! We're near London!" Rebecca pointed at the carriages on the street, hench men riding horses with silky coats. They must've been expensive and well taken care of, Emily thought.
They soon got off the train and scrambled about to find a familiar face of their family, eager to go home.
"Tom, do you want me to visit you?" she had asked him earlier, when she had done unpacking her suitcases.
Patty meowed loudly in his arms, which probably meant :Can we not go back to that horrible orphanage? It stinked of muggles!
Emily sighed. "Be a good cat..." and she looked back to see a fat man with a gold watch gazing at her.
"No. Don't visit me," he turned away from her, sighing.
"Then - visit me, please? You can come on Sundays. I'm going to be bored," Emily clutched his hands tightly, hoping that he wouldn't burst her bubble.
"I'll try."
"Yes!" she cheered, "I'll be looking forward to see you again. Goodbye!" she waved and rushed through the wall, her stepdad on her trail, fussing to keep up with her agile speed.
Tom seized the cat and took the cage, containing an owl who looked ready to bat its wings and fly out from its prison.
"I'll be seeing you too.."
******
"Mom! Mom? Mom!" her voice echoed down the empty corridor until a beautiful lady poked her head out from her bedroom.
"What is it, darling?"
"My robes aren't fitting anymore! Look at me! How -"
"Aunt Mary bought new ones at Diagon Alley already. Do you want to try them on now? You're going back to Hogwarts in a couple of days.."
Emily beamed, "Alright! Come to my room!"
Mrs Vance made her way, put on her bathrobe and opened the four panel doors. "My my, you've grown so much! Soon you're going to be much taller than me and I'll sulk in my rocking chair with my wrinkled hands and face -"
"Don't say that! You're still young, mom!"
She laughed. "Of course.. Sit there, I'll brush your hair for you."
Emily happily sat down and looked into the oval mirror. Her hair was still soft and long, and she didn't find the need to brush it again, but her mother insisted.
"You're so beautiful, Emily.. I'm glad you have your father's eyes, mine are so dull."
"I'm not beautiful, mom. There are much prettier girls at Hogwarts, fancier, more talented -"
"I used to think of it too. But it doesn't matter, does it? Your dad only loved me, no matter how pathetic I turn out," Mrs Vance laughed.
Emily looked at her own reflection, "Do you miss him?"
The question took her back and her mother gaze sadly at her daughter. "Every day, every night, every minute, every second. I missed him a lot. If only he could see how beautiful his daughter had grown, darling, he would've been very proud."
Emily smiled. "Dad probably missed you too."
"How do you know? Do you see him in your dreams?" she said jokingly.
"No. But I just know. There's no reason to it. He loved you, mom. I know he did and always will."
Mrs Vance pulled the comb out of her hair and kissed her forehead. "I must say.. You've got to get yourself a good husband.. Someone like your father!"
"Do you mean - a good person? But mom, what if I loved a bad person.. What should I do?"
Her mother pondered on the thought, "Then I suppose you have to listen to your heart. I'm sure there's always a happy ending."
"But you lost dad!" Emily said aloud and quickly apolagised, "Sorry. But - where's your happy ending? You've married a man you don't even love! He's a horrible person! Please, can we leave him, with Aunt Mary?"
"Yes, but my happy ending laid with you. You're my gift. As long as I know that you're here, Emily, I'm happy."
She pulled her mom into a hug, "I know. And I'm happy with you and Aunt Mary. Oh, Tom too - Er, I mean, tomtoo my cat!"
Her mother laughed loudly. "Tomtoo? I'm sure you meant Tom Riddle."
"You don't hate him?" Emily asked carefully, "He set the table on fire a few weeks ago. The cake was not damaged, but - we had to buy a new one?"
"Oh and do you remmeber why he set it on fire? Your hair was getting pulled by your stepdad -"
"Yes, yes, he didn't mean to do it!"
"Of course. Dear me, I've got to leave in a few minutes to meet a friend. I'll be back in the morning! Love you, sweetie," she kissed her on the forehead and left hurriedly.
Emily sighed. She unpacked her new books and took out a scroll of parchment.
Dear Tom,
Hello! Its been quite a long time after that little incident! Don't worry, my mother don't hate you for setting the table on fire - I'm sure you didn't meant it! Anyways, school's starting in a couple of days - are you excited? I'm sure you will be glad to return to Hogwarts. See you on the train!
Lots of love,
Emily
She rolled over and shut the lights off. Emily tossed and turned a couple of times till her back felt like it was heating up.
Deciding that she won't be sleeping, Emily took the little photo album of her parents and flipped open the page again.
The first page was their wedding - her father was kissing her mom on the forehead whilst she was smiling widely. Mrs Vance was wearing an old fashioned wedding dress with puffy sleeves. There was a bonquet of blue, iris flowers in her hand.
Emily read the words aloud, "Finally married the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts! She looked absolutely stunning!"
She smiled at her parents and turned over to the next page, where they were at Italy. They were surrounded by all sorts of flowers - bluebells, daisies, tulips. It looked like it had come straight out from a whole different world, and the two of them had only existed by then.
Honeymoon with my wife, living the dream now!
Emily flipped to another page, and it was a photograph of her father spinning her mother around happily.
Just found out that she was pregnant! Had decided the name already - Emily Vance. Just sounded like a flower to me. Can't wait for her to be born! I longed to hold the little hands and kissed that small, tiny nose. Daddy will be waiting for you, I'll buy you lots of toys - pretty dolls and perhaps get a broomstick. Maybe you'll inherit my love for quidditch. I just can't wait for you to come to this world.
Emily had to let her tears drop. Would you be excited if you knew you were going to die? If you knew you wouldn't get the chance to see me grow, see me ride on the train for the first time..
She sobbed loudly into her pillow. How heartbreaking it sounded! She shut the book and pressed it against her chest.
What did his voice sounded like? Was he really that good at quidditch? Would she have her father if he didn't went on to the honeymoon? There was just too many questions. She muffled her voice and closed her eyes tightly.
She wanted a happy ending too! But what if she didn't? Would Emily gave up all the hope she had if things didn't turn out well? Only the future knows.
She covered her head with her blankets and carressed the book binder. "I missed you, dad. I missed you a lot even if you didn't exist in the world anymore. Are you watching me and mom from above? I used to think that you'll appeared in my life someday, and everything will be alright! But you never came back. I still know you're out there, listening to me, even if you never replied. I just know. Love you, daddy."