23 May 2018, 00:14
Only Us
Amadea stood in a grassy field of Cardiff grasping the words that were going to change her future. It was suitable that she received the letter while visiting the Greenes, her family friends, and one of them had even received a letter themselves. Amadea had almost forgotten the magic in her bloodlines. After all, when neither of your parents or grandparents possess magical abilities, you would doubt you'd receive the gene. Apparently, Amadea had.
She sat down in the grass, laying down and staring up at the sky. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't not go to Hogwarts, but at the same time she didn't want to leave her family. It might sound stupid, but she didn't like change. She liked the routine of her home in London. Meeting new people and experiencing all new things was something that Amadea preferred not to do. She would rather spend her days inside her house, learning new things from her parents, or exploring the city with her sister. Not going to a magical school where she knew no one and knew nothing about the subjects they were learning about.
Footsteps approached behind Amadea and she turned to see her sister, Katerina standing there. Amadea knew that Kat longed for the magical abilities that Amadea possessed, and Amadea would happily pass on the abilities to her sister if it was possible. Kat was much better suited for that kind of life, Amadea thought.
Kat sat down in the grass next to Amadea and Amadea leaned over to rest her head against Kat's shoulder. Amadea always found solace in her sister's touch or her sister's words. It was true, the older you get the wiser you get, Amadea thought. Certainly, Kat possessed some innate inner knowledge that Amadea didn't have.
"Kat what should I do?" she asked her sister. Kat looked down at her sister, puzzled.
"What do you mean, dear?" she asked, stroking Amadea's curls. "I don't want to make it sound like a death sentence, but you have no choice other than to go. But don't think of it as a punishment. It's not. It's an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a person and learn so much more about yourself. You could become a hero." Kat's voice filled with emotion. Amadea could tell she was thinking about what she would have done if she had the magic that Amadea had. Unfortunately, Kat was just another Squib in their family, but even so, Amadea knew her sister had her own kind of magic.
Amadea wished she could make her sister proud, do the things that she wanted. "K, I really want to make you and Great-grandma proud," she said. "But I don't know if I have what it takes to make you proud." Her voice cracked as she voiced her biggest fear.
The sympathy on Kat's face was evident, even though it was battling her jealousy that Amadea didn't appreciate the gifts she was being given. Her sister needed guidance, though, Kat reminded herself and she wasn't going to put her own problems in the way of helping her sisters. Both Campbell sisters were similar in that way, they would sacrifice their own needs to put their family first.
"Dea, you wouldn't have gotten this letter if you didn't have what it takes," Kat said quietly to her sister, pointing to the letter Amadea held in her hand. Amadea looked down at it, not reading the words, but simply remembering them from the many times she had read it in the past. Kat, sensing Amadea could use some time alone to think, began to stand. Before leaving, she told Amadea one last thing. "This is a note from Great-grandma," she said, handing it to her sister. "I think you might find some answers in this."
Amadea grasped the letter in her hands, wondering what it was and why she hadn't known about it sooner. She opened the envelope with shaky fingers. She didn't know why she was scared.
[end scene.]
She sat down in the grass, laying down and staring up at the sky. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't not go to Hogwarts, but at the same time she didn't want to leave her family. It might sound stupid, but she didn't like change. She liked the routine of her home in London. Meeting new people and experiencing all new things was something that Amadea preferred not to do. She would rather spend her days inside her house, learning new things from her parents, or exploring the city with her sister. Not going to a magical school where she knew no one and knew nothing about the subjects they were learning about.
Footsteps approached behind Amadea and she turned to see her sister, Katerina standing there. Amadea knew that Kat longed for the magical abilities that Amadea possessed, and Amadea would happily pass on the abilities to her sister if it was possible. Kat was much better suited for that kind of life, Amadea thought.
Kat sat down in the grass next to Amadea and Amadea leaned over to rest her head against Kat's shoulder. Amadea always found solace in her sister's touch or her sister's words. It was true, the older you get the wiser you get, Amadea thought. Certainly, Kat possessed some innate inner knowledge that Amadea didn't have.
"Kat what should I do?" she asked her sister. Kat looked down at her sister, puzzled.
"What do you mean, dear?" she asked, stroking Amadea's curls. "I don't want to make it sound like a death sentence, but you have no choice other than to go. But don't think of it as a punishment. It's not. It's an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a person and learn so much more about yourself. You could become a hero." Kat's voice filled with emotion. Amadea could tell she was thinking about what she would have done if she had the magic that Amadea had. Unfortunately, Kat was just another Squib in their family, but even so, Amadea knew her sister had her own kind of magic.
Amadea wished she could make her sister proud, do the things that she wanted. "K, I really want to make you and Great-grandma proud," she said. "But I don't know if I have what it takes to make you proud." Her voice cracked as she voiced her biggest fear.
The sympathy on Kat's face was evident, even though it was battling her jealousy that Amadea didn't appreciate the gifts she was being given. Her sister needed guidance, though, Kat reminded herself and she wasn't going to put her own problems in the way of helping her sisters. Both Campbell sisters were similar in that way, they would sacrifice their own needs to put their family first.
"Dea, you wouldn't have gotten this letter if you didn't have what it takes," Kat said quietly to her sister, pointing to the letter Amadea held in her hand. Amadea looked down at it, not reading the words, but simply remembering them from the many times she had read it in the past. Kat, sensing Amadea could use some time alone to think, began to stand. Before leaving, she told Amadea one last thing. "This is a note from Great-grandma," she said, handing it to her sister. "I think you might find some answers in this."
Amadea grasped the letter in her hands, wondering what it was and why she hadn't known about it sooner. She opened the envelope with shaky fingers. She didn't know why she was scared.
By the time she reached the end of the letter, Amadea was tearing up. Her thoughts had finally solidified and she knew that she would be okay now. It was amazing what one letter could do, one letter written so long ago, yet still so relevant now. She felt more confident now than she ever had. She could be a witch, she could learn magic, she could make everyone proud. She knew she could. With the magic inside of her, she would do amazing things.My dear Amadea,
If you are reading this, you have been accepted at Hogwarts, exactly as my gut told me. You're probably scared, and I'm sorry for that, but you must be brave and continue on. This is only the beginning of your journey, my dear. You have so much ahead of you and so much potential. I would hate to see it end here because I didn't prepare you enough for this moment.
By the time you are reading this I will have been long gone, just a piece of your memories now. I wish I could have had more time to spend with you, to educate you about the world where you belong, alas it was not meant to be. I can only hope that this letter will be enough guidance to you to go on.
The wizarding world is a terrifying place, but it is also so much more than that. It is beautiful and eye opening and electrifying. It is something that I do not want you to miss out on. I know you are scared that you're going to be behind all of the other kids, but I know you are a smart girl that can do anything you put your mind to. The time I spent with you, I learned that you were determined and would not stop until you got your way. I can only imagine what a force you have grown to be, and continue to grow to be. You have the potential to do wonderful things, Amadea, and if you ever need help, remember that I am always here.
With all of my love,
Great-grandma
[end scene.]
Last edited by Phaedra Stavrou on 23 May 2018, 00:43, edited 1 time in total.
23 May 2018, 00:40
Only Us
Amadea sat on her bed, staring out at the sky, wondering what to do. Every time one problem was solved, another one appeared, almost as if replacing the last, making sure she had an endless supply of them. It was something she did not appreciate, though she tried to take each one head on and find solutions before they became too much of a bother.
Unfortunately, in this particular situation, she had done nothing. She could feel the distance growing between her and her sister. Ever since she had gotten the letter and had the conversation with Kat in the field, she had felt the bridge between them growing wider and longer until it spanned a vast space of unmarked territory that Amadea was afraid to venture into. Kat had not said anything to her or mentioned that anything was awry, but Amadea could tell Kat was hurting from the way she acted whenever Amadea was in the room. It pained her that she caused such pain to the person she loved the most, but there was nothing she could do except hope that Kat would offer anything that Amadea could grasp onto to salvage their broken relationship.
Downstairs, Kat had just gotten home from some adventure that Amadea knew nothing about and Amadea could hear her mother greeting her and offering her some tea. This would be the perfect opportunity, Amadea thought, to finally sit down and talk things out with her sister. She rubbed her fingers together nervously, trying to think of anything to say that might not rub Kat the wrong way. She couldn't think of anything, and it didn't help that she could hear her sister's footsteps coming up the stairs. She needed to think of something and she needed to think of it now.
Amadea looked up as Kat's head poked through the doorway. "Hi Amadea," Kat said breezily, walking into their room and placing her purse on the dresser. She turned and looked into her mirror, face reflecting back so Amadea had a perfect view. Mirror Kat winked at Amadea before turning around so Real Kat faced Amadea.
"Um, hey Kat, can we talk for a minute?" Amadea asked. She tried to keep her tone light and not like she was going to talk about something that neither of them particularly wanted to talk about. But knowing her sister, Kat could read through the fake tone of Amadea's voice to decipher the real one. Furrowing her eyebrows, Kat sat down on her bed across from Amadea and nodded.
"Look," Amadea began, not sure where she was going with this, "Both of us would be stupid to not acknowledge the fact that there is something going on here." She gestured between the two of them. "And we would both be lying if we said we didn't know why." She gave Kat a pointed look. "I want to talk this out. Right now."
Kat's eyes widened and then she sighed, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Dea, I really appreciate you trying to do this," she said. "Taking the initiative is mature of you. But I really can't do this right now."
Amadea definitely did not expect that reaction from her sister. She expected Kat to be angry, taken aback, or anything other than dismissive. It angered Amadea that her sister wasn't taking this seriously and it made it seem like she didn't want to fix their broken relationship. "What the heck do you mean?" Amadea exclaimed. "'You can't do this right now?' Well, why not? What do you have to do that is so pressing that you can't take the time to talk to your own sister about why there's a growing distance between you two?" Amadea glared at her sister, all sympathy gone. She just wanted answers now. "Why have you been avoiding me? What did I do? I know it has something to do with Hogwarts but there's nothing I can do about that! It's not my fault that you're not--"
"It's not your fault what?" Kat cut her off, standing up abruptly. "It's not your fault that I'm not a witch? Of course it's not! That's not why I'm mad, Amadea. I'm...I'm not mad."
"Oh really?" Amadea challenged, standing as well and crossing her arms. "Because it sure seems like you are."
Kat swung her arms from side to side, looking defeated. Amadea felt a rush of sympathy toward her sister. Standing there, Kat looked so helpless. "Dea, I'm sorry," she said. "I don't mean to act like I'm mad at you, it's just hard sometimes." She took a deep breath, making sure not to make eye contact with Amadea. She knew she might break if she did. "It's hard knowing that you're going to be gone soon, becoming the person that I always wanted to be. It's hard to know that you're the special one in our family and that I'm going to be here, normal, for the rest of my life. Sometimes I wish I was the witch in our family because you get this magical ability that you don't even want and I'm stuck here wishing I can be something that I can never possibly be." She took a raggedy breath. "They always tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to. It's a lie. Most of the time, you can't be what you want to be and that's the lesson I'm learning right now." She paused, taking the time to wipe her eyes. "That's not even it all. It's not about me. You know I would do anything for you Amadea, and I love you so much. It's just so hard knowing that you're not going to be here anymore. You're not going to here, and we won't be the dynamic duo anymore. I don't have my partner in crime to tease and make fun of, or crack jokes to, or give advice to. I'm just going to be me. That's the most terrifying thought."
She finally raised her eyes to look at her sister who looked shocked. Amadea had no idea this was where her sister was going. She wished she could help her and say something that would make her feel better.
"I guess I'm just trying to practice what it's going to be like when you're gone," Kat said, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face. "I'm going to miss you so much." And as abruptly as the river of tears started, they stopped. Kat wiped her eyes and her face became stony. "I need some time alone," she said to Amadea, and turned and walked out of the room.
That was the last conversation they had before Amadea left for Hogwarts and they haven't talked since.
Unfortunately, in this particular situation, she had done nothing. She could feel the distance growing between her and her sister. Ever since she had gotten the letter and had the conversation with Kat in the field, she had felt the bridge between them growing wider and longer until it spanned a vast space of unmarked territory that Amadea was afraid to venture into. Kat had not said anything to her or mentioned that anything was awry, but Amadea could tell Kat was hurting from the way she acted whenever Amadea was in the room. It pained her that she caused such pain to the person she loved the most, but there was nothing she could do except hope that Kat would offer anything that Amadea could grasp onto to salvage their broken relationship.
Downstairs, Kat had just gotten home from some adventure that Amadea knew nothing about and Amadea could hear her mother greeting her and offering her some tea. This would be the perfect opportunity, Amadea thought, to finally sit down and talk things out with her sister. She rubbed her fingers together nervously, trying to think of anything to say that might not rub Kat the wrong way. She couldn't think of anything, and it didn't help that she could hear her sister's footsteps coming up the stairs. She needed to think of something and she needed to think of it now.
Amadea looked up as Kat's head poked through the doorway. "Hi Amadea," Kat said breezily, walking into their room and placing her purse on the dresser. She turned and looked into her mirror, face reflecting back so Amadea had a perfect view. Mirror Kat winked at Amadea before turning around so Real Kat faced Amadea.
"Um, hey Kat, can we talk for a minute?" Amadea asked. She tried to keep her tone light and not like she was going to talk about something that neither of them particularly wanted to talk about. But knowing her sister, Kat could read through the fake tone of Amadea's voice to decipher the real one. Furrowing her eyebrows, Kat sat down on her bed across from Amadea and nodded.
"Look," Amadea began, not sure where she was going with this, "Both of us would be stupid to not acknowledge the fact that there is something going on here." She gestured between the two of them. "And we would both be lying if we said we didn't know why." She gave Kat a pointed look. "I want to talk this out. Right now."
Kat's eyes widened and then she sighed, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Dea, I really appreciate you trying to do this," she said. "Taking the initiative is mature of you. But I really can't do this right now."
Amadea definitely did not expect that reaction from her sister. She expected Kat to be angry, taken aback, or anything other than dismissive. It angered Amadea that her sister wasn't taking this seriously and it made it seem like she didn't want to fix their broken relationship. "What the heck do you mean?" Amadea exclaimed. "'You can't do this right now?' Well, why not? What do you have to do that is so pressing that you can't take the time to talk to your own sister about why there's a growing distance between you two?" Amadea glared at her sister, all sympathy gone. She just wanted answers now. "Why have you been avoiding me? What did I do? I know it has something to do with Hogwarts but there's nothing I can do about that! It's not my fault that you're not--"
"It's not your fault what?" Kat cut her off, standing up abruptly. "It's not your fault that I'm not a witch? Of course it's not! That's not why I'm mad, Amadea. I'm...I'm not mad."
"Oh really?" Amadea challenged, standing as well and crossing her arms. "Because it sure seems like you are."
Kat swung her arms from side to side, looking defeated. Amadea felt a rush of sympathy toward her sister. Standing there, Kat looked so helpless. "Dea, I'm sorry," she said. "I don't mean to act like I'm mad at you, it's just hard sometimes." She took a deep breath, making sure not to make eye contact with Amadea. She knew she might break if she did. "It's hard knowing that you're going to be gone soon, becoming the person that I always wanted to be. It's hard to know that you're the special one in our family and that I'm going to be here, normal, for the rest of my life. Sometimes I wish I was the witch in our family because you get this magical ability that you don't even want and I'm stuck here wishing I can be something that I can never possibly be." She took a raggedy breath. "They always tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to. It's a lie. Most of the time, you can't be what you want to be and that's the lesson I'm learning right now." She paused, taking the time to wipe her eyes. "That's not even it all. It's not about me. You know I would do anything for you Amadea, and I love you so much. It's just so hard knowing that you're not going to be here anymore. You're not going to here, and we won't be the dynamic duo anymore. I don't have my partner in crime to tease and make fun of, or crack jokes to, or give advice to. I'm just going to be me. That's the most terrifying thought."
She finally raised her eyes to look at her sister who looked shocked. Amadea had no idea this was where her sister was going. She wished she could help her and say something that would make her feel better.
"I guess I'm just trying to practice what it's going to be like when you're gone," Kat said, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face. "I'm going to miss you so much." And as abruptly as the river of tears started, they stopped. Kat wiped her eyes and her face became stony. "I need some time alone," she said to Amadea, and turned and walked out of the room.
That was the last conversation they had before Amadea left for Hogwarts and they haven't talked since.