30 Nov 2019, 05:34
Sister to Sister
[quote]It was a beautiful morning at Hogwarts. Although it was raining, it was the quiet and soothing kind of rain that was quite pleasant to listen to, if one was in the mood. And Sara was surely in the right state of mind for it. She had recently gotten her quiz scores back with passing marks and wanted to treat herself with something exotic for lunch.
As she headed to the Great Hall she carried in her hand a parcel that contained a gift from her godmother's husband, who was an exceptional chef. He loved to whip up things for Sara, especially when she was stressed. He had known that the testing period was about so he had sent, using his swiftest owl, Sara something he had been experimenting on.
Sara was just walking through the doors when someone wrapped the arm around her shoulders. She turned her head and grinned: it was her sister, Stefania.
Before she could utter a word her sister said, in a hushed voice, “Let me join you for lunch,” she purred, her grip tightening. I have something very important to discuss.” Sara's smile faltered a little when she noticed that her sister's smile was forced, but still she headed towards the Gryffindor table.
They sat down together, Stefania ignoring those eyeing her Ravenclaw uniform. Sara reached for a bun to put on her plate but her sister blocked her, getting straight to the point.
“Have you been talking about me?” she asked, her usually sweet voice dripping with venom.
Sara turned and looked her sister straight in her blue eyes. She did not like what she saw, and Stefania could tell. She always could, because she was the only who could bring fear to Sara's normally fearless soul.
The young Gryffindor swallowed, looking down at her empty plate. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
Stefania fist banged on the table, drawing looks. “Yes, you do, you little snitch.” Sara flinched at the malice but she held her ground. She was biting her lips hard, trying to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.
She remembered the night clearly. She had been studying her butt off, focusing on Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic. Then an older student named Danielle Trevallo barged in the girl's dorm, clearing the room of first years before demanding information from Sara. Scared, the young girl spilled everything she knew, fearful of the threatens pouring from the older girl's lips. She grabbed a fistful of her shirt, dragged her up to her level, and shook her body like it was a measly bag of air. She claimed they House came before everything else in Gryffindor and that Sara had to report everything, and she meant everything, to Danielle, even if it was from her 'shrink' of a sister. That hit Sara hard, and she had wanted to stick up for her sister, but at the time she was scared of her mind. Since then she wished she retaliated.
“Why couldn't we talk somewhere else?” Her voice cracked. She didn't like feeling weak, especially in front of other Gryffindors, but it was like talking to a dragon who's next move wax both unpredictable and daunting. “You're making a scene—"
Stefania got into her face, so close Sara could feel her breath on her cheek. “What did you tell Danielle? Hm?”
Sara glanced around for a moment, collecting her thoughts before turning back to her sister. ”...she just asked if you...,” She swallowed again; this time it was harder because of the lump in her throat. “But why did you cheat—”
“The real question is why did you snitch,” she hissed, spittle hitting Sara's cheek. She grimaced, but her sister ignored her, too furious to care. “You're supposed to be on my side, being my sister and all...” Stefania looked her up and down. “Your mouth cost me house points, you know? And I have to blame it on my blabbering sister, a little first year who doesn't know the rules.”
Sara gave her sister a bewildered look. “The rules? You literally broke them—”
“The rules of society, the rules of life, the rules of family—the sister code; we're not supposed to get each other into trouble.” Stefania brows furrowed as she looked around the ceiling. When she saw Sara's confusion, she explained. “I'm waiting for my Howler, mum's bound to write one...”
Sara felt bad for her older sister but that didn't mean that her sister forgave her, at least not now. “But that's not as bad as being the laughing-stock of your House. I got snitched on by a Gryffindor, who happens to also be my sister, and on top of that, it was because I cheated, and I'm a Ravenclaw.” She sighed. We're supposed to be too clever to cheat...but you don't know how hard it is to keep...”
Her sister glanced up at her. Then her face changed from sorrow back to anger. “But what do you know? You don't care about anything, especially not your family.”
“But they—she threatened me!” Sara whined, biting into a mouthful of bread that she had snuck when her sister wasn't looking.
Stefania ignored the bread and gazed at Sara with narrowed eyes. “Threatened? What do you mean?”
Fueled by the change of subject, Sara replied, “She threatened to make me sleep in the baths during the night, after they're 'nice and damp'...that's so disgusting!”
Stefania's fist banged on the table again. “What—that cu—” She bit back her words, not wanting to cuss in front of her sister, since she knew where that'd go.
Sara watched her sister earnestly, loving when Stefania was furious, but only when that energy was directed elsewhere. Her sister stood up and gave her sister a pained expression. “Don't snitch on me again,” she warned, leaving out the 'or else' part on purpose, knowing it bothered Sara.
She snatched a bun off Sara's plate and stalked away in a blur of blue robes. Sara was left to answer the questions that her housemates pestered her with, all the while worrying for her sister. She had the growing notion that she had caused something bad to commence, and she definitely didn't feel like getting into trouble.
When her peers quieted down Sara went back to her meal. Suddenly she remembered her parcel and reached into her pocket for it, only to find it missing. Her heart leapt and she looked up just in time to see Stefania in the doorway, throwing the parcel into the air. She caught her eye and the older sister winked. Sara groaned and sunk into her seat, annoyed but also slightly relieved. At least her sister wasn't mad like that one time.
As she headed to the Great Hall she carried in her hand a parcel that contained a gift from her godmother's husband, who was an exceptional chef. He loved to whip up things for Sara, especially when she was stressed. He had known that the testing period was about so he had sent, using his swiftest owl, Sara something he had been experimenting on.
Sara was just walking through the doors when someone wrapped the arm around her shoulders. She turned her head and grinned: it was her sister, Stefania.
Before she could utter a word her sister said, in a hushed voice, “Let me join you for lunch,” she purred, her grip tightening. I have something very important to discuss.” Sara's smile faltered a little when she noticed that her sister's smile was forced, but still she headed towards the Gryffindor table.
They sat down together, Stefania ignoring those eyeing her Ravenclaw uniform. Sara reached for a bun to put on her plate but her sister blocked her, getting straight to the point.
“Have you been talking about me?” she asked, her usually sweet voice dripping with venom.
Sara turned and looked her sister straight in her blue eyes. She did not like what she saw, and Stefania could tell. She always could, because she was the only who could bring fear to Sara's normally fearless soul.
The young Gryffindor swallowed, looking down at her empty plate. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
Stefania fist banged on the table, drawing looks. “Yes, you do, you little snitch.” Sara flinched at the malice but she held her ground. She was biting her lips hard, trying to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.
She remembered the night clearly. She had been studying her butt off, focusing on Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic. Then an older student named Danielle Trevallo barged in the girl's dorm, clearing the room of first years before demanding information from Sara. Scared, the young girl spilled everything she knew, fearful of the threatens pouring from the older girl's lips. She grabbed a fistful of her shirt, dragged her up to her level, and shook her body like it was a measly bag of air. She claimed they House came before everything else in Gryffindor and that Sara had to report everything, and she meant everything, to Danielle, even if it was from her 'shrink' of a sister. That hit Sara hard, and she had wanted to stick up for her sister, but at the time she was scared of her mind. Since then she wished she retaliated.
“Why couldn't we talk somewhere else?” Her voice cracked. She didn't like feeling weak, especially in front of other Gryffindors, but it was like talking to a dragon who's next move wax both unpredictable and daunting. “You're making a scene—"
Stefania got into her face, so close Sara could feel her breath on her cheek. “What did you tell Danielle? Hm?”
Sara glanced around for a moment, collecting her thoughts before turning back to her sister. ”...she just asked if you...,” She swallowed again; this time it was harder because of the lump in her throat. “But why did you cheat—”
“The real question is why did you snitch,” she hissed, spittle hitting Sara's cheek. She grimaced, but her sister ignored her, too furious to care. “You're supposed to be on my side, being my sister and all...” Stefania looked her up and down. “Your mouth cost me house points, you know? And I have to blame it on my blabbering sister, a little first year who doesn't know the rules.”
Sara gave her sister a bewildered look. “The rules? You literally broke them—”
“The rules of society, the rules of life, the rules of family—the sister code; we're not supposed to get each other into trouble.” Stefania brows furrowed as she looked around the ceiling. When she saw Sara's confusion, she explained. “I'm waiting for my Howler, mum's bound to write one...”
Sara felt bad for her older sister but that didn't mean that her sister forgave her, at least not now. “But that's not as bad as being the laughing-stock of your House. I got snitched on by a Gryffindor, who happens to also be my sister, and on top of that, it was because I cheated, and I'm a Ravenclaw.” She sighed. We're supposed to be too clever to cheat...but you don't know how hard it is to keep...”
Her sister glanced up at her. Then her face changed from sorrow back to anger. “But what do you know? You don't care about anything, especially not your family.”
“But they—she threatened me!” Sara whined, biting into a mouthful of bread that she had snuck when her sister wasn't looking.
Stefania ignored the bread and gazed at Sara with narrowed eyes. “Threatened? What do you mean?”
Fueled by the change of subject, Sara replied, “She threatened to make me sleep in the baths during the night, after they're 'nice and damp'...that's so disgusting!”
Stefania's fist banged on the table again. “What—that cu—” She bit back her words, not wanting to cuss in front of her sister, since she knew where that'd go.
Sara watched her sister earnestly, loving when Stefania was furious, but only when that energy was directed elsewhere. Her sister stood up and gave her sister a pained expression. “Don't snitch on me again,” she warned, leaving out the 'or else' part on purpose, knowing it bothered Sara.
She snatched a bun off Sara's plate and stalked away in a blur of blue robes. Sara was left to answer the questions that her housemates pestered her with, all the while worrying for her sister. She had the growing notion that she had caused something bad to commence, and she definitely didn't feel like getting into trouble.
When her peers quieted down Sara went back to her meal. Suddenly she remembered her parcel and reached into her pocket for it, only to find it missing. Her heart leapt and she looked up just in time to see Stefania in the doorway, throwing the parcel into the air. She caught her eye and the older sister winked. Sara groaned and sunk into her seat, annoyed but also slightly relieved. At least her sister wasn't mad like that one time.