Good at Goodbyes

September 1st, 2023

Platform 9 3/4 was bustling with activity. Carts rolling everywhere, mothers calling out to their children, covering their cheeks in sloppy kisses. Some even had tears spilling out of their eyes. Ula blankly glanced over at a family nearby. Bittersweet smiles lingering on the parents lips as they watched their children board the big train with pride and admiration. It made her want to hurl. Not because she found the sight disgraceful or repulsive, but merely for the fact that she could feel envy course through her body with every second that passed. She could feel her energy draining the longer she walked in between her silent parents – or whatever was her famous father masked as (a homeless man perhaps?) – each refusing to glance in the other's direction, leaving her to leave out an inaudible sigh. Her parents' relationship was non-existent to say the least.

The trio came to a slow stop, receiving odd looks from anyone who paid them attention. Ula had a hunch as to why. Sporting a scowl, she turned towards her parents.

"You be good Ursula, you hear me" Himiko, a tall, beautiful woman, resembling Ula almost to a Tee, spoke with a heavy Japanese accent. "And don't worry too much, studying at Mahoutokoro was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm sure you'll have the same experience at …How…rats?" Ula resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't want to be here, on her way to board a train that'll take her to some magical school, with her mother pretending to be a good and caring parent.

Himiko Yoshioka was indeed a beautiful woman. With her glowing ivory skin, sparkling dark eyes and a pearly white smile, Himiko had a tendency of enchanting many. It was a shame she was a drunk and clearly didn't have what it took to be a mother.

"I'll miss you" mumbled Himiko, awkwardly adjusting Ula's expensive coat. She seriously doubted her mother's statement. Ula nodded meekly, wanting this to be over with as soon as possible, before turning towards the reason why the three of them were being stared at by the surrounding families.

Her father, Kian Takahashi, looked downright ridiculous. He was wearing a thick trench coat, a cap covering his dark locks and Armani sunglasses on his nose. The highlight of the outfit was the obviously fake and exaggerated Santa-like beard covering his chin. Being a famous Muggle actor, he insisted on covering himself up. Ula doubted that the people around him would of cared enough to recognize a C-list actor in the crowd, even if he was dressed as his normal self. It was a miracle he found the time to be here, or rather, that he wanted to be here at all, considering her Muggle father isn't really fond of magic or the wizarding world, much like Ula (but for entierly different reasons).

"You're not going to get into too much trouble now, are you, dear?" her father querries in his raspy voice, expecting nothing but a smirk to find it's way on his daughters face, causing him to grin slightly in amusement. The two of them had a much better relationship than she did with her mother.

"Please, if anything, I am the trouble and Hogwarts has no idea what they're in for." Ula scoffed.

"That you are." Kian grinned, lowering his towering form and pulling his daughter into a short embrace-catching the pretty teen completely off guard. He clinged onto her for no more than a few seconds, breathing in the scent of fragrance he got used to smelling throughout Clarendon Mansion whenever he was home.

"Well," Ula began, stepping away from her father's retreating arms to face both her parents, "time to learn how to contain myself from poking someones eye out with my wooden stick." Pushing her dark locks behind her shoulder, face contorting into an expressionless scowl, she grabbed her suitcase and began strutting off towards the stationary train without a backward glance.