27 Jun 2023, 06:18
Holiday at Hogwarts
Astoria's throat began to go dry by the slight adjustment that Simon had made when she said her age. She had hoped she would never have to bring up. Imagine, a thirteen so-to-be fourteen year old still a first year, all because of her family situation and, well, her personal as well. Simon was quite taller than her and to be honest, she liked that about him, but what if this was to destroy everything? What if this small response made everything shatter. His response, Wow. I didn't know that made her stop their dance, gently. She wasn't sure how to interpret his response. He had to have been disappointment...he had to right?
The one question he asked was the one question she didn't want to discuss. However, she felt safe with Simon. A friend, a close one at that from their short time together, she felt safe with him. Of course, she felt safe with the professors here, but never like this with another student. Her eyes went dark, it took her to a phase in her life she never dreamt would have happened. She released his hand and pulled away to go to the gramophone to stop the device.
Her back towards him, she responded in a quivering voice, "I...umm..." Tears began to welt in her eyes. Great, just great, now he will never want to take her to meet his family. A tear fell down her cheek. "It was my grandmother...it was my family...it was me...it was a bit of everything that prevented me from coming back." She paused for a moment, "Simon, if I tell you, will you promise that you will keep it to yourself and only you?" She didn't turn to face him, only slightly looking over her shoulder. This was the test of their friendship. This was the test of where their futures could go, where ever or whatever it turns into.
@Simon Tilia
The one question he asked was the one question she didn't want to discuss. However, she felt safe with Simon. A friend, a close one at that from their short time together, she felt safe with him. Of course, she felt safe with the professors here, but never like this with another student. Her eyes went dark, it took her to a phase in her life she never dreamt would have happened. She released his hand and pulled away to go to the gramophone to stop the device.
Her back towards him, she responded in a quivering voice, "I...umm..." Tears began to welt in her eyes. Great, just great, now he will never want to take her to meet his family. A tear fell down her cheek. "It was my grandmother...it was my family...it was me...it was a bit of everything that prevented me from coming back." She paused for a moment, "Simon, if I tell you, will you promise that you will keep it to yourself and only you?" She didn't turn to face him, only slightly looking over her shoulder. This was the test of their friendship. This was the test of where their futures could go, where ever or whatever it turns into.
@Simon Tilia
27 Jun 2023, 06:41
Holiday at Hogwarts
@Astoria MiddletonSimon noticed a change in Astoria's eyes. Clearly this was a touchy subject. Maybe he should not have asked her about it, but the damage was already done. Forced to address the subject, Astoria went over to the gramophone and turned it off. Seemed like the dance was over and they were about to go somewhere they had not been before, but where all friends had to go eventually, he thought. This time, to whatever had troubled Astoria in her past. And it was only a matter of time before he would have to tell her about his relationship with his sister.
"I... umm..." It sounded like her voice was about to crack. "It was my grandmother...it was my family...it was me...it was a bit of everything that prevented me from coming back." She paused for a moment. "Simon, if I tell you, will you promise that you will keep it to yourself and only you?"
Simon went over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course, Astoria. I promise. Whatever you say here and now stays between us."
What kind of information was she about to disclose that was so secret? Simon was good at keeping secrets and he would never jeopardize a friendship by spoiling someone's secrets or break their trust. The only time he had broken a promise was when a couple of classmates broke a window at his school and made him promise not to say anything. When the police arrived, Simon's justice took over and he eventually told the police what he had witnessed.
27 Jun 2023, 07:32
Holiday at Hogwarts
Astoria felt a hand on her shoulder, of course it was his. The same touch that she had felt holding his hand during their dance. She hesitated for a minute, was it really right for her to discuss this? Astoria took a deep breath and walked towards the doors of the ballroom. She poked her head out of room to see that the hall was nothing but dimly lit torches. She closed the door so that no one would enter.
"It was a month after I came here to Hogwarts," Astoria began. Her face went pale and it remained so as she spoke. "I received a letter from my father. My grandmother, who has lived with me my whole life, had fallen gravely ill. Immediately my heart began to grow weak." She walked towards the center of the ballroom where the two of them had just shared their first dance. "I had begged my father to pull me from Hogwarts so that I could go to be with her. He did so and the Headmaster allowed me to leave. I traveled with my parents to Paris to my aunt's home. We arrived for me to see her. I remember it was a cold October night, a full moon with no stars in the sky. My grandmother laid there on her death bed, her skin so pale as if Death had already taken her hand." Her eyes starred ahead, she didn't blink. It was as if the memory was playing out right in front of her. "I looked at her and saw that her bright, shining blue eyes slowly dimmed. Her lips lost that rosy-red color and with a silent breath, her chest fell one last time. It was as if time had stopped."
Astoria grew cold, her arm shivering. "The next morning, the mortician came to pick her up and suddenly, my father and my aunt turned on each other, blaming one another for her death. It was a horrible experience." she took a deep breath once again and cleared her throat. She walked slowly to the grand piano and sat on the stool, placing her fingers on the ivory keys. "My father and my aunt had a horrible argument which turned into a physical altercation. It was the first time I ever saw my father...cast a curse towards my uncle. After that, I don't know what happened." Astoria's tears dried on her cheeks, making the streaks clear upon her face. "Ever since then, I never saw my aunt or uncle. Ever since that I fell into a state of depression and my parents didn't believe it was best for me to return to Hogwarts until I was better, no matter how long it took." Boy was that a lot to take in. She didn't want to tell him though that she would meet with a Healer to have helped with the coping of that trauma she faced.
@Simon Tilia
"It was a month after I came here to Hogwarts," Astoria began. Her face went pale and it remained so as she spoke. "I received a letter from my father. My grandmother, who has lived with me my whole life, had fallen gravely ill. Immediately my heart began to grow weak." She walked towards the center of the ballroom where the two of them had just shared their first dance. "I had begged my father to pull me from Hogwarts so that I could go to be with her. He did so and the Headmaster allowed me to leave. I traveled with my parents to Paris to my aunt's home. We arrived for me to see her. I remember it was a cold October night, a full moon with no stars in the sky. My grandmother laid there on her death bed, her skin so pale as if Death had already taken her hand." Her eyes starred ahead, she didn't blink. It was as if the memory was playing out right in front of her. "I looked at her and saw that her bright, shining blue eyes slowly dimmed. Her lips lost that rosy-red color and with a silent breath, her chest fell one last time. It was as if time had stopped."
Astoria grew cold, her arm shivering. "The next morning, the mortician came to pick her up and suddenly, my father and my aunt turned on each other, blaming one another for her death. It was a horrible experience." she took a deep breath once again and cleared her throat. She walked slowly to the grand piano and sat on the stool, placing her fingers on the ivory keys. "My father and my aunt had a horrible argument which turned into a physical altercation. It was the first time I ever saw my father...cast a curse towards my uncle. After that, I don't know what happened." Astoria's tears dried on her cheeks, making the streaks clear upon her face. "Ever since then, I never saw my aunt or uncle. Ever since that I fell into a state of depression and my parents didn't believe it was best for me to return to Hogwarts until I was better, no matter how long it took." Boy was that a lot to take in. She didn't want to tell him though that she would meet with a Healer to have helped with the coping of that trauma she faced.
@Simon Tilia
27 Jun 2023, 18:14
Holiday at Hogwarts
@Astoria MiddletonSimon listened intently as Astoria opened up about her dying grandmother and the argument between her father and her aunt. As she sat down by the piano, Simon gently placed his elbows on the lid. He kept his eyes locked on her as she talked, noticing how her eyes watered before tears poured down her cheeks as she got to the traumatic event with the curse and the following state of depression that prevented her from returning to Hogwarts. Simon frowned and swallowed. He felt sorry for Astoria. It was kind of sad to think how what could have been the happiest time of her life, starting at Hogwarts, making new friends, was abruptly interrupted as her grandmother got sick and passed away, causing a family feud.
But clearly there was more to this story, details that Astoria either spared or left out deliberately for one or another reason. Why did her father and her aunt blame each other for her grandmother's death? What sickness was it? And what curse did her father use towards her uncle? However, Simon was not sure that this would be the right time to dig deeper into those question. Perhaps it was for the best to let Astoria disclose the details she wanted when she thought the time was right. He did not want to force anything so he let it be. Instead, when she had finished talking, he went over to her and gently placed his hand on her naked shoulder. Her skin felt cold under his warm hand.
"I'm sorry", he said in a low voice. "That must have been hard for you. From what you've told me, I understand that your grandmother meant a lot to you." He paused, trying to think what was going through her head, or what would have gone through his head if the positions were changed. "I just want you to know that I don't judge neither you or your parents. Families are messy sometimes... Trust me, my family isn't perfect either. But at least... you're back at Hogwarts. And... for that I'm glad."
That was true. Despite all that Astoria had been through, those circumstances had of course led up to this very moment. A part of him wished that he could just magically erase all of her pain and all of those traumatic experiences, but would they really be here if it was not for all of that?