One Could Use a Friend Closed

"Me? I'm originally from France but we moved to Surrey (in England) when I was around seven. We live in the Windlesham Village area," Phoenix probably didn't know of it but it was one of the most wealthy areas in all of England, the UK, perhaps the world. "Moved there after my mum died. We couldn't stay in that house anymore and needed a complete change."

But it wasn't fully complete. Sure it was a new country, a new setting, new town, and new house. But the atmosphere of the family unit didn't change much except for being one member short. Her father still left and was gone far more than he was home. Her grandmother still lived with them and yet never was around. There was hired governesses, hired maids, hired chefs, hired groundskeepers. When she was with family on the rare occasion, her father or her grandmother, she had to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, behave a certain way.

It would have been a terribly lonely upbringing if she didn't have Bella. "No," she was able to safely say. "I'm not missing any of them. No one at home is missing me either." It worked both ways.

Phoenix knew Surrey, but not Windlesham Village. Alina probably came from a well off family, if she was able to move countries. France seems beautiful, she has only seen the pictures of it in magazines, books etc., Phoenix wants to visit France one day, maybe after she finishes school.

“Oh, I am sorry for your loss.” Phoenix did not know what to say. Her heart dropped hearing that Alina lost her mother. It is tragic and unfair for a child to lose their mother. It must have been hard for her. She hoped Alina is okay.

Phoenix’s heart dropped even more when Alina said nobody at home missed her. To Phoenix, family is everything. Yeah, at times it gets rough, but still she would have done anything for them. She was grateful for having a loving father and mother. Even if, she did not see her mother as much.

Phoenix wanted to comfort Alina, but she did not know how. Instead of saying something, she gave Alina an awkward, but quick hug. Phoenix deciding to change the subject, but she did not know what to say. She thought about the bird she saw on the way to class earlier that day. “So...do you have any pets? Or planning to get any pets?”

"No, no pets. I can't see my grandmother appreciating that much," she was a very stern and cold woman.

Alina grew quiet for a moment as she let herself into her thoughts. "It's okay. I don't...I mean, Bella and I didn't see much of my mother. She kept to herself a lot." She wasn't really the 'mother type' and their father wasn't really the 'father type.' "I suppose what I remember most is finding her in the grand foyer. She had killed herself," Alina thought she could talk about it but it did still hurt.

There was a sharp sound to the left of them and Alina looked to find some of the grass nearby had caught on fire. "Oh come on!" she said, hating that this seemed to happen every single time she thought about that night. She hurried to open her bag and pull out her water bottle. She got up and opened it, pouring the water out onto the grass and it went out.

"Anyway, I think she did it because of my father. To show him that his lifestyle was not okay....not that it stopped him any." But Alina didn't truly know. Maybe she never would.

Oh, Phoenix's heart dropped once more. She frowned and stared at Alina as she talked. It must have been a rough time for her. Phoenix did not know what to say. Lost for words. She felt bad for Alina and Bella. It must have been traumatizing for them.

Phoenix knew who Bella was, but she never talked to her before. She heard of her name before, as the twins were the center of drama in Hogwarts for days. Word goes around quickly here, one can say. She believed she was sorted into Slytherin. Students mixed up Alina and Bella a lot, especially when it came to the mean comments.

"Oh, come on!" Alina said. Phoenix turned her head to the left of them, see a fire brightly sitting on the grass. She worried for a second. There was no fire, and now there was. Nothing even out of the ordinary happened. She guessed it has happened to Alina before, because of her reaction. Alina was quick with her movements, extinguished the fire with the water bottle she had in her bag.

"I am once again sorry for your loss. I hope your father changes soon, maybe he will. Also, a question. Does that fire happen often to you?"

"O-Only when I think...of that day," she said slowly, afraid it might happen again. "It's the reason we moved from France to England. I set a book in the house on fire, set a towel in the kitchen on fire, set my father's necktie on fire while he was wearing it...."

Alina grew a little quiet, just listening for the sound of a burst of explosion or a crackle of flames but there wasn't any. She sat back down and pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. "My father was away, my grandmother off to herself as always... Bella and I were outside playing in the garden when I came in and found her. We didn't see her much and I thought maybe she just fell, you know? Like something medically wrong. But she too lifeless. Too pale. She had killed herself to get away. Sort of frightening that might be the only way to escape my father..."

She was sharing far too much but Phoenix was one of the few friends that she knew she could trust. Maybe there were some benefits to being placed into the Hufflepuff house. You met some people that maybe would have escaped your attention otherwise.

"Ah. The fire must be spiritual or something. Perhaps a sign.” Phoenix felt horrible. She wished to hug Alina and take her trauma away. If only life was that easy. Listening carefully and Phoenix’s nodding her head slightly every thirty to forty seconds. A dreadful habit of hers.

Seeing Alina wrapping her arms around her legs. Phoenix changed her sitting position too. Phoenix adjusted herself once again. Trying to shake off the sadness she felt for Alina. “I am sorry, Alina. You and Bella should have not went through that. I promise you that is not the only way to escape your father.” She paused, reviewing what she was about to say in her head. Making sure it came out, the way she wanted it to be. Phoenix wanted to comfort Alina. Not knowing how to do, since they were only eleven. Phoenix was grateful for Alina sharing this personal information with her.

“I am sure there are other ways to leave your father. I mean, you are here? At Hogwarts! You do not have to see your father for most of the year, plus there is always the opinion to stay here during Holidays. Okay, minus the summer holiday. I am glad you are here. Here in this moment with me. I promise everything will get better soon.”

i am sorry for the late reply! i have been in the blues and had no motivation to write. :-(

New day, continued on https://www.hogwarts.io/viewtopic.php?f=182&t=11117