The Lost Heir
The fall season had come and gone, leaving only the harsh winter in its absence. The snowy December seemed neither slow nor fast, rather a speed somewhere in between. When the winter holidays offered a break from the dull days inside the castle, the day couldn’t come soon enough. But before she knew it, she was on the train home. The frosty glass offered a view to the outside scenery as the train chugged along its tracks, forging a way home.
Her leather trunk had been hauled off of the train, the handle clutched in her fist as she scanned the platform, searching for her father and the family car. Unlike the embracing families she was surrounded by, her stepmother seemed stoic as ever, and set on distracting her father from her arrival. Nearby she could see her stepsiblings and halfsibling arguing over the last of what seemed to be a bagel, completely absorbed until her stepsister spotted her.
Ava tightened her grip on her trunk as she watched her scheming stepsister approach, arm waving and hand raised in greeting. A distinct squeal came from her sister as she called over the cacophony. “Ava! Ava!”
Ava mustered a smile in return. “Alena.”
“How was Hogwarts? Did you meet any boys? Tell me everything.” Her sister implored, as thirsty for drama as she had been the last time Ava had seen her. It took everything Ava had in her not to groan at the pestering.
Her stepmother stepped in, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder, and giving Ava her no-nonsense look. If Ava knew anything; it meant she was not supposed to, under any circumstances, tell Alena about her time at the school. It seemed to be well known in the family that her stepmother resented her for ruining what would have been a picture family with her oddities.
Her father offered his own smile, the most she would get from him. She only had a moment to offer a smile of her own to him before a crushing blow came to her legs. Her youngest and only halfbrother appeared, peeking up at her with his signature ruddy cheeks from his position near her trunk. A genuine smile spread onto her face as she untangled his arms from her and gave him an awkward, one armed hug.
“Jack! I missed you,” she exclaimed.
“Yes, yes. We all missed each other. Your father has something for you,” Her stepmother chimed, cold chilling her already icy temper. Heaven forbid she had to wait ten minutes in the cold for her stepdaughter to return. Whatever her father had for her, she doubted it was good.
Her father dug through his pockets a moment before pulling out a cream envelope, red wax sealing the letter. He hesitated before offering it to her, finally offering it before a long pause. She silently flipped it over to see who it was from. Her name was written in fancy cursive letters, all seemed well until she realized.
Ava Stallard.
It was addressed to Ava Stallard, not Ava Winchect. Stallard, as in her mother’s maiden name. Stallard, as in the pureblood family. Stallard, as in her lost family.
What could they possibly want? There was no return address printed above her name…
She tore through the intricately pressed seal, unfolding the letter quickly to reveal the words contained within. Her heart pounded, the moment reminding her of the one only months ago in the summer.
Miss Stallard,
We formally invite you to spend your time away from school in the family’s forest estate. Should you accept the offer, you will be provided clothes, food and an opportunity to connect with your family. Should you accept, a car will be brought to your home at 7 pm of December 23. You will be brought to Platform 9 ¾ on January 5th to catch the train before it departs.
We’ve long awaited the opportunity to meet you, as your mother would have wanted.
Wishing you the best,
Rose and Alaric Stallard
Connect with her family? But that would mean that the invitation would have to be from…
Her grandparents. The same grandparents who her mother had left, and the same grandparents who were strict. And pureblood. But still, she couldn’t contain her curiosity. And she couldn’t help but admit that a small piece of her yearned to learn more about her mother, and discover her true roots.
“What does it say?” Her stepmother snatched the letter from her hand, a smile growing as her eyes scanned the page. By the end, she looked like a child who had been given candy. Giddy, and undeniably scheming. “Oh! You must go! To…connect with your mother?”
What should have sounded like maternal care only sounded like a poor attempt to get rid of her for the holidays. Her father read from over her stepmother’s shoulder, and seemed satisfied with the short letter. Great.
“I never met her parents, I wonder what they want with her…” Ava couldn’t tell whether her dad meant for her to hear him or not, but either way she could tell he wouldn’t care if she stayed or went. It wouldn’t take long for her stepmom to worm into his head and convince him, so she took the opportunity to make it seem like her own decision.
“I’ll go,” she announced, snatching the letter from her stepmother’s hands. She tucked the letter back into the envelope with one hand and with the other swung her trunk into her sisters awaiting arms. It seemed to be the only benefit of having a sister who enjoyed sucking up to her.
Alena led the way toward the car, Ava only a step behind as her stepsister chattered on about her own school year so far. Her mind was racing, considering the decision she had just made. Was it the right one?
She would have to find out. The rest of her family remained a few steps behind as she helped her sister load her things into the back of the car, and climbed into the back row where her sister demonstrated the new features of her iPhone. Another item of proof that her sister was the favorite within the family.
The family didn’t live far from the station, the drive barely enough time to sort through her thoughts while her siblings argued in the middle row of the car. Her stepmother seemed positively glowing, already counting down the hours until she left. She would have been better off staying at the castle.
They pulled into the driveway of their home, right on the outskirts of London. She had missed the city and all its familiarities, and now she was off to spend her break in the middle of some forest with people she didn’t know. What an adventure.
Ava climbed out of the car, lugging her trunk from the back of the car and into her room. She spun slowly, taking in the contents of her room. She had barely spent any time in this room during the past 3 years, ever since she had gotten her letter. All the items seemed to belong to someone else, from another life.
A life before she knew the troubles of her school, the pureblood family dramas and her now upside down reality. There was nothing worth packing. Everything she valued remained within the castle, hundreds of miles away.
She doubted the clothes she had were suitable for the occasion, nor would they be up to her grandparents’ standards. She had no trinkets worth bringing for her short stay, although doubted she could arrive empty handed. Her trunk from Hogwarts merely contained her broom and a few scrolls and books for homework. Not that she would be able to use the broom in the city, but the idea of having the option seemed to calm her mind.
A knock ripped her from her thoughts, the assailant not waiting before opening the door. Alena. Ava did her best not to let out an audible groan.
“Can I help you?” Ava asked, glancing up from the trunk that remained still mainly empty. Her sister’s face turned into pure joy as she took in the items in her trunk. Ava could tell she was more focused on the broom than on the books.
“O.M.G.!” Alena squealed, rushing to her side and reaching to grab the broom.
“Woah, don’t touch her. It.” Ava flinched at her mistake, realizing the world of teasing she was in for.
“Her? It has a name?” Her stepsister questioned, leaning in to examine the details of the broom. Ava couldn’t help but think that in the moment, her sister looked more like a Ravenclaw than Ava ever had, even before she got put in Slytherin.
“Yeah, but it’s none of your business. Get out!” She pointed toward the door, her mood souring as her sister gave her a fake pout.
“Good thing you’ll be gone in…” her sister checked her phone “half an hour! I hope you're packed.”
“Out.” Ava emphasized, again pointing toward the door. The moment that her sister had left and closed the door again, Ava slammed the trunk tight and shoved it to the floor with a loud crash. Unsurprisingly, no one came to investigate the noise.
One thing that the wizarding world hadn’t succeeded in was their ability to produce quality music. Ava plugged in the old ipod she had received as a kid, scrolling through the old playlists before she found one that she would call satisfactory. The music seemed to envelop her, song after song playing until she was left with two minutes before her grandparents’ driver was set to arrive.
She brought her empty trunk downstairs, prepared to say her farewells to her family one again, but unshockingly a car was already pulled in the driveway, and her stepmother was ushering her out the door.
“It would be rude to make them wait one moment longer,” Her stepmother announced, closing the door behind her. Ava sighed, unsurprised.
A man dressed cleanly met her on her porch, not saying a word as he hurried to grab her trunk and bring it to the back. Before she was close to the car the black doors clicked open, sliding back to reveal a sleek inside, well equipped with snacks and drinks in a bag near the side and some wizarding newspaper tucked in a cup holder.
She climbed in, watching as the door snapped shut behind her and the driver climbed into the car. The driver only spoke once they had pulled out of the driveway. “Miss Stallard?”
“That’s me,” Ava agreed, blushing.
“We have a bit of a ride, so settle in. Your grandparents can’t wait to meet you.”
As the car drove toward her grandparents’ estate, she couldn’t help but wonder whether she would finally be finding answers, or just gaining more questions she wasn’t ready to know the answer to.
The Lost Heir
Ava was ushered into the grand estate, warmth wrapping around her as the large front doors allowed some of the cool winter air to creep in. On her left, a sitting room was arranged with expensive-looking furniture and a distant fireplace that seemed to radiate warmth even with its distance. On her right a grand staircase led the way to the second floor of the estate, likely where the bedrooms and guest rooms were located.
Surrounding her was a bustling atmosphere, servants entering and exiting carefully concealed servant halls, each servant neatly groomed and generously dressed. As Ava stepped forward onto the immaculately polished floors, she heard the large front door seal behind her, blocking off her only escape. Although there wasn’t chilled winter air gusting at her back, she felt a different kind of cold embrace her. The perfectly cleaned halls should have been the first warning as to her grandparents’ true nature.
In an instant, the servants seemed to freeze before quickly scurrying into their place alongside the wall in well practiced lines. From behind the staircase two people emerged, an aged, polished woman and a sharp-eyed man. It took a moment for her to register who they were. Her grandparents.
Her illusions were quickly shattered as they seemed to size her up for a moment. Her grandfather’s lips were pressed tightly together, revealing his disdain, and her grandmother just gave her a tired smile. Her grandmother was the first to break the silence, snapping to one of the servants in the line to collect her jacket.
“Well, you certainly are as similar to your mother as they say.” Her grandmother commented in a tone Ava didn’t understand. Her grandfather nodded along with the comment, something like sadness hidden within the lines of his face. Ava had no idea who ‘they’ were, but she had heard similar comments before.
Ava nodded, a blush gracing her cheeks as she stared ahead for another moment, wide eyed. She had been hoping for a more warm greeting, but this seemed to be the closest she would get to one. They stared at each other a moment longer before a fake smile lit up her grandmother’s perfectly maintained face.
“Come! We have a room for you with more…” Her grandmother eyed her and her attire with disdain for a moment, “proper clothing to wear. Whenever you’ve changed and feel ready, a servant will lead you to our afternoon tea.”
Another servant stepped out of line, this one a nervous looking woman who looked to be in her 20s. Ava caught something mumbled under her breath that sounded something like ‘right this way, miss’, but wasn’t certain exactly what had been said. As the servant took off toward the large staircase, Ava took that as her sign to follow. As they ascended the stairs, she watched her grandparents turn and begin arguing quietly. A miniscule fracture in their image.
Her feet sunk into the plush carpet lining the hallway past various doors until they finally stopped at what could only be her room. The servant dipped in a swift curtsy before disappearing into one of the less defined doors, leaving Ava standing alone in front of the door. Her hand closed around the cool metal, the print on the knob digging into her skin as she nervously turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Her eyes quickly identified the key parts of her room: a large window surrounded by billowing beige curtains, a king size bed nestled under layers of pillows and blankets that could only have been stolen from the room of a Disney princess, a slightly ajar door that offered a sneak peak into a filled closet, and third door which she could only assume led to a bathroom.
As Ava stepped inside the room, she could only absorb the overwhelming wealth being used to furnish this estate. Turning her back to the mesmerizing bed, she gently pushed open the door that was slightly ajar, revealing a large and completely filled closet. A light flicked on as she stepped inside, revealing swatches of fabric in all patterns and colors cut into masterful dresses and tops and skirts. She didn’t know where to look first, it was so overwhelming. After a very short moment of deliberation she grabbed the nearest and simplest one, determined not to keep her grandparents waiting.
The color was a deep and rich shade of green, close to her own house colors. The cut was elegant, a tight fitting dress without straps that looked to reach to about her midthigh. She noticed a dresser nearby, and pulled on it to see black, tan and white tights. She grabbed the black tights and fought to pull them and the dress on. She was shocked to find that the dress fit almost perfectly, and when she glanced at herself in the ceiling to floor mirror on the farthest wall, she couldn’t help but admit that she looked rather pretty.
She combed her fingers through her hair, toying with the idea of doing something with it, but in the end deciding to leave it down. She stepped into the hall, wearing black flats slipped on from the shoe rack. After hardly a moment the same servant from earlier emerged from the same doorway to greet her, curtsying quickly before mumbling again and taking off toward the staircase. Ava followed once again, noting the paintings on the walls that she had missed before. While most were of people she didn’t recognize, among them she did recognize a few. Her grandmother and grandfather were scattered on the wall, and closer to the staircase a face that looked eerily similar to her own. But it wasn’t her, it was a portrait of her mother, looking rigid and slightly exasperated.
Ava’s eyes drifted to the floor as she continued down the stairs, deep in thought. She could hardly believe that her mother had once been in this same home, with these same people. Now some of what her mother had said within her letter was starting to make a little more sense than before. Something within her couldn’t accept the unnatural cold that seemed to accompany this estate.
As they reached the ground floor, the servant quietly led her past more closed doors. Ava couldn’t help but wonder what each contained, and why the doors were shut in the first place. She tore her eyes away, looking forward to see the room they were entering. The windows lining every available wall allowed the afternoon light to filter into the room, and outside she spotted a snow-covered garden. It stretched out far beyond her sight, something she tucked away in her memory for later.
Her grandmother waited before her at a large table covered with a large white tablecloth, surrounded by elegant chairs filled with similarly elegant ladies. Ava took a seat in the open seat next to her grandmother, observing the large spread of food on the table before her. Hand sandwiches, tea pots and sweet pastries all contributed to the rich smells reaching her nose. She resisted the temptation to load her plate with the delicious food before her, and instead turned to smile at her grandmother.
While Ava subtly raised her eyebrows, inquiring as to what it was she was supposed to do, her grandmother returned her question with a slight nod toward the ladies seated around them. Sighing, Ava turned her head to examine them.
There were three ladies, to be exact. A blond with obviously false colored hair, a younger looking woman with chocolate-y brown hair, and the last a sharp, greying woman who seemed to be the oldest of the women gathered. Ava offered a small smile, tilting her head.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Ava Winchect.” Ava said this all with a smile as sweet as sugar, however fake it was. She busied herself with unfolding the napkin on her plate, revealing careful handmade stitches and embroidery. She set the cloth on her lap, watching and waiting to see how those around her would react.
The whole thing was so out of character for Ava, it was almost laughable. But she was determined to win her grandmother's favor, resulting in this uncomfortable situation. The women around her exchanged amused smiles while next to her, her grandmother grinned proudly.
“My granddaughter,” Rose finally added, smiling more fakely than Ava herself had. None of the women gathered seemed surprised, but they exchanged glances amongst themselves that made Ava’s skin crawl.
There was silence for a long moment before the fake blond finally made a wide-eyed gesture to the brown haired woman.
“I’m Clarrise,” the woman–Clarrise–finally said, casting an exasperated look to the fake blond, clearly unhappy to be the first to introduce herself. Out of the corner of her eye, Ava spotted her grandmother shaking her head slightly.
“I’m Mavis,” the oldest said, voice curt. She seemed more unhappy than the first. She didn’t even offer a smile toward Ava, just stared at Ava’s grandmother with an unreadable expression.
“Scarlett.” The final one had a smile as sweet as burnt sugar. She could practically smell the fakeness wafting off of her like a cheap perfume. Ava pursed her lips into a thin line but eventually returned a smile.
Now that introductions had been made, they returned to their tea. Each poured from the pot in the center of the table, a bitter aroma emerging from the steam. None reached for the sugar cubes or cream, instead staring each other down as they drank the putrid drink. It was like a competition to see who would succumb first.
Ava would have preferred to avoid the disgusting beverage altogether, but Rose had other plans. Her grandmother took it upon herself to pour herself and her granddaughter a cup, and stilled Ava’s hand as she reached for the tongs to grab a sugar cube.
Ava sighed exasperatedly, moving to pick up the teacup. As she gently sniffed it, she was met with a smell that was not natural to tea. It reeked of harsh mint muddled with rotten fruit, and it tasted worse. As Ava resisted the urge to spit out the rest of the tea, she wondered why anyone would want to drink this. It seemed more like torture than an appealing drink.
Turning to her grandmother, she decided the only thing to do to avoid drinking the tea was to make small talk. More than that, she had waited long enough to ask the question that had bothered her since their invitation.
“How did you know where to find me?” The question itself was innocent enough, but her grandmother froze in place. Something like horror crossed her grandmother’s face as she lowered her teacup. The women around them exchanged equally horrified looks.
Ava hadn’t expected such a response, and she froze in anticipation. She wished she could enter the depths of her grandmother’s mind and see what was going through her head. She watched Rose compose her face, slowly returning to her careful mask with the perfect smile.
“That hardly matters. What matters now is that we’ve finally found you, after all these years.”
Ava felt uneasy, setting down her own teacup with a soft clink as it connected with the saucer. The answer, if you could call it that, was vague and cryptic, presenting even more questions to be asked. She tilted her head curiously, but noticed a look from the brown-haired woman, seeming to be warning her.
She took a deep breath, and reached for one of the tiny sandwiches. Her grandmother again swatted her arm, anger flashing across her features. Ava’s own eyes flashed in indignation. She stood up, her chair squealing across the floor.
“What? Where are you going? Ava Athena Winchect, you may not act like this!”
Ava heard her grandmother's outrage at the sudden interruption to her childish teaparty, but didn’t turn back. She felt a certain chill at hearing her full name, partially in shock. However her grandmother knew her middle name, certainly not by Ava’s mother’s doing, was none of Ava’s concern at the moment.
All at once the dress felt like it was a straightjacket, meant to trap her in the person her grandmother wanted her to be. She felt as though she was suffocating, and moved quickly to and up the large stairs. She crossed the halls quickly, not lingering on the judgemental portraits of her family members staring down at her.
She entered her room, ripping the dress off angrily and dressing in the clothes she had arrived in. She angrily opened her trunk, tearing her broom from its place within. She crossed her room again, broom clutched tightly in hand as she closed the door soundly behind her. Rather than returning to the cursed teaparty, Ava made an attempt to reach the front door as quickly as possible.
Around her, servants unsure how to react exchanged nervous glances, each wondering the same thing. Was the girl before them mad? Or did she just enjoy dancing at the edge of their mistress’s carefully restrained fury?
She opened the large front door and was met with a gusting cold wind, which did nothing to cool her spirit. She broke into a run, mounting her broom and taking off from the ground. Her breaths came out in short puffs, fogging up in the midday chill.
The feeling of wind whipping through her unbound hair and pushing against her chapped skin was a relief she never thought she would feel. Despite the temperature, she began to feel a bit more calm than she had before.
Something about being within that estate, with her grandmother, closed doors, the secrets. It all made her feel more connected to her mother, and maybe begin to understand a bit of why her mother had separated. Despite only being there for a few hours, she already felt suffocated.
Ava didn’t belong within the polished floors and perfect paint that accompanied the stifling pureblood estate. She didn’t fit within the box that her grandmother insisted she mold herself to, despite not knowing her. She wasn’t the type who could so easily give it all up just because her grandmother expected it of her.
Despite having come because of her stepmother, she had also come hoping for connection. A connection she was slowly realizing wasn’t going to come. Her grandmother was stubborn, more so than herself. Imagining her mother growing up here seemed inconceivable.
As she tried to imagine her mother in that estate at her age, she found it difficult. Would she have sat there in silence, smiling while drinking the poison they called tea? Or would she have taken off, escaping the expectations placed on her?
The farther away Ava got from the estate, the less threatening it seemed. As the large mansion that housed the high expectations shrunk into a speck, Ava couldn’t help but relish the freedom, however short. Up in the sky, she had few worries about her family and their secret plan for her future. Up here, she was just Ava Athena Winchect. Her mother’s daughter, through and through.
Her mother had escaped this place once. Ava had no intention of staying long enough to become trapped.