@Airlia Winter

Date tbd

For days they had been travelling now from hotel to hotel and despite the fear and grief Opeila grew tired of travelling. They had to get to this portkey, which surely would get her dad and herself to a safe place. They wouls be protected.

It was hours later, that her dad stopped the car and told her to come with him. They walked through a big park in Middlesborough, the one where her grandmother had written her they would find a portkey. Her dad had mentioned a shoe under a bench. They found it under the seventh bench they looked under.

"Here. Don't let go, hold it.", her dad told her. Opeila nodded, and put her hands arouns the shoe. Then she held it towards her father. "Here, you too." A deeply shocked expression appeared suddenly on the man's face. Utterly surprised as if he was surprised that she would even say such a thing. "Dad?" "She didn't tell you. She didn't tell you..." Nervously Opeila stared at the portkey. "Dad, it won't wait for you- " "I am not coming, Peila. I am so sorry, I thought she would have told you in your letter... Opeila blinked a few times, unable to grasp the meaning of what he was telling her. "Dad.", she repeated impatiently. "Just... take it!" "You are going to a magical place, Opeila. A place with more people like you. Unlike me. I am not welcome there. You will be safe. And I will be safe as well." "You're not... coming?", Opeila repeated disbelieving. Slowly her father shook his head.

"I can't, Dad. I can't do this, I can't!" Opeila's whole body trembled, she wanted nothing more than let go of the portkey in her hands. She was sure she could do it. She could stay with her dad- she was witch, goddamn it! She had to protect her father. Her father had tears in his eyes as well, but his hand was warm when he closed hers, stopping her from letting go of the portkey. "Hold on, Peila. Hold on to it.", he said softly, removing a strand of hair from her face. She shook her head. "What am I gonna do without you? Please Dad, don't make me go, please don't..." She begged him, while more tears ran down her cheeks. "My little Opeila. I am so proud of you. I know that you will do a geat job, no matter what your choices are. And we will see each other again. I promise, Peila. I promise." He lied. Opeila knew that he couldn't promise that. And then he let go of her hands. The portkey in her hand started to glow. Her dad's image in front of her was blurry with her tears, causing her to panic even more. She had to see her dad's face for the last time. She had to. Opeila was too late. The world around her started to spin, change... and then her father was gone. Disappeared. Ripped away from her. Opeila couldn't help the sobs that escaped her lips, as her legs buckled and she fell on the floor. Too much. The pain. It was too much.

When she was found by the Winters, they would find a little girl, who's face was flooded with tears. Her eyes however, were empty. Almost confused. As if she couldn't understand what had just happened to her.

Airlia stood behind her father, peeking from time to time to look at the girl who was shivering in front of them. His mother was wrapping a blanket around the girl in an unusually warm gesture, only to then grasp the girl by her jaw and make her look up at her.

Elora Winter turned the girl's head from left to right seemingly trying to be gentle and then let her go sighing: "I suppose you'll do. You have good bone structure."

Airlia looked up at her father who was cold in the face. Well to anyone else he might have seemed that way but Airlia could see that twitch of irritation in the corner of his eye.

"Why is she crying?" Airlia asked her father with a gentle whisper.

Aeson looked down at his daughter and the without a word looked away again. When one of her parents weren't keen on answering a question their response was always to just avoid it entirely. And there was no leeway for anyone to ask again.

Aeson stepped forward and introduced himself: "My name is Aeson Winter. However, I will be referred to as Lord Winter by all except family. This is my wife Elora Winter. She is to be called Lady Winter. Our daughter Airlia is standing at the back." He stopped and looked back at his very confused young daughter and sighed as he turned back to the girl in front of them. Perhaps he couldn't stand the sight of a child in tears or this little girl reminded him of his own daughter, something pushed him to add in a few reassuring words: "You will be safe while residing with our family. I give you my word."

Airlia smiled gently at her father and gave the girl a little wave hoping to make her feel a bit better. After an icy look from her mother, Airlia went back to just looking on at the scene in front of her.

Elora stepped up again to speak to the girl: "Here." She said and handed the girl a silken handkerchief with initials in it. O.W weren't the initials for anyone in Airlia's family and yet she noticed that the embroidery was definitely her mother's handiwork. Had her mother made a handkerchief for this girl? However, the next cold words took those thoughts away from her mind: "We don't approve public displays of emotion such as this. I expect you to get yourself under control before we travel to our home. I will allow you one week to mourn your loss. After that, we begin your training. To stay with us you must respect our rules and traditions." Elora went quiet and stared at the girl: "Our daughter Airlia is about your age, I trust you will seek any comfort you may need from her and allow myself and Lord Winter to do our work in peace."

The little girl didn't realize that she got company at first. She barely felt the blanket being wrapped around her. Opeila's thoughts were spinning in circles over and over again, around the same place. Little planets circling a hot ball of fire that would bring all of them the same painful end. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. It was a misunderstanding and those people would send her back home to England, to her father. Everything would go back to normal, right?

A hand grasped her jaw, bringing Opeila face to face with a woman. A woman with white hair. She turned Opeila's face from one side to the other, examining her... Judging her? The words came through to the twelve year old, they had a meaning, but she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Why was that woman saying this? When she let go of Opeila again, the girl's gaze wandered over to the man and the young girl nearby, both with white hair as well. Opeila was confused about the absolute emptiness she only felt looking at this stranger family. She knew what was happening, but she was unable to feel the appropriate feelings. What even was appropriate in this moment?

The man stepped forward now and introduced the three of them. Lord and Lady Winter. That was good. She could keep that, the first names were already slipping away like wet soap. Her brain felt heavy. Her thoughts were going slow and directionless, still unable to grasp the meaning of what just happened. Only a moment ago she had been standing in front of her father, crying, begging him to stay with her. How was she so calm right now. She could still feel the tears on her cheeks, slowly drying, leaving a thin layer of salt on her skin.
What was their daughter's name again?

Again the man spoke up, this time promising that Opeila would be safe with them. A tiny warm spark seemed to light up inside Opeila, tightening her throat and bringing her to the edge of new tears. These were the people she was to stay with now. Her new family. The Slytherin's mind was working harder than ever to connect the thoughts, the words that were said. Everything felt numb and meaningless.

"Here."

A white piece of fabric appeared in front of Opeila's face. The woman had spoken up again and held a handkerchief out to her. Hesitantly Opeila took it, looking at the initials. O.W. The O was her. The W. looked wrong next to it. Winter. That was her favourite season of the year. Not her name. It was the name of people her grandmother once new... Not Opeila's. And yet there it was, the two letters close together on the envelope, a symbolic union. The Slytherin stared at it, unable to say a word.

The next words seemed to wake her up finally. Lady Winter told her to get herself under control. She shouldn't show emotions like this publicly. How strange, that frustration was the first feeling that got back to Opeila. Frustration at this woman, that didn't even show the slightest compassion for what just happened to the Slytherin.
Lady Winter wasn't done. She would allow Opeila one week to mourn, before she would have to learn the Winter's traditions and rules. Pureblood life. A stranger world which she had only briefly interacted with in Hogwarts. Too far away to truly matter to Opeila. And now there it was, about to become her reality.

Lady Winter told her to seek comfort from their daughter if she needed it. Airlia. The second year swallowed her anger and forced herself to nod. "I understand."

Her mother was speaking as if this girl would be staying for life. It was strange and foreign to Airlia. She couldn't understand why they would be apparently taking this girl in now.

The girl did look rough so it was good she would have a warm place to stay and safety from the outside world by no one other than a Winter had ever lived in The Winter family mansion. It just wasn't done. You had to marry into the family to get a right to stay there.

Maybe the girl was to be given to one of the locals? But the Winters themselves picking this girl us wouldn't make sense if that were true... They would have sent someone else. And her mother did say the girl would be staying with them. So that means the girl must be important and from a good family.

But the girl did lack that snooty flair that all pureblood family children seemed to carry themselves with. What a puzzle.

The second the little girl agreed to Airlia's mother's rules the game was lost and the Winter's had won. Well, Elora had won at least. The girl was the submissive type. Or just numb enough from whatever had happened to her to practically kneel the second someone told her to do something.

That at least was a good thing. You had to know your place in this family, and there was no mistaking that Elora was the supreme leader you just had to obey. Of course, to everyone else, Aeson was the head of the house but he blindly did as his wife told him. The saying does go: 'behind every powerful man there is a wife pulling the strings.' Guite befitting for this particular family.

When Airlia's mother and father turned their backs and began to talk to themselves about going home Airlia looked at the girl with a million questions in her eyes.

"I'm Airlia Winter." She introduced herself with a curtsy: "You look like someone's broken you. But it's alright. I think we all break down sometimes. It's all about how we build ourselves back up. I'll help you. One's you're all whole again you'll be a lady." Airlia smiled gently.

In her eyes, this was a grand offer. She wasn't a fan of pureblood lessons herself but it was at least something she knew would help the girl later in life. Growing up with the Winters was a huge deal and she would definitely get a step over everyone else later in life. Especially when it comes to finding a husband. And who knows, discipline and a very structured and controlled life might be just what this girl needs to get back on her feet.

"You can spend your time with me and I'll make sure you don't get into too much trouble. You need good manners and I'll help you with that. Just keep your head down and deny nothing from my mother. Even if she wants you to wear one of those uncomfortable dresses you can barely walk in." Airlia said and knew that she'd have a lot on her plate looking after a lost little dove like this.

"The portkey that will take us back will activate soon. Do grab on." Aeson said suddenly as he turned back to his daughter. He was holding a silvery metal bell that made little tingle sounds.

If you need togodmode my characters to do the next part aka using the portkey then feel free to.

The two adults turned their backs to Opeila, talking to each other, leaving Opeila alone with the sheer emptiness she felt right now. They would take her somewhere, to a place she didn't know and she also didn't care about right now. She would never go back home. The word 'never' had been echoing in Opeila's mind for minutes now, a dissonant that didn't seem to fit into any of her thoughts. She simply could not quite grasp the meaning yet.

The girl with the silver hair walked over to Opeila and talked to her. She looked like someone had broken her. Was Opeila broken? She didn't feel broken. She felt like someone had taken her heart away and with it the ability to process the loss, that she knew she experienced. Airlia told her that it was alright. Everyone broke down sometimes. She talked like it was out of question that Opeila would find back to her normal self, like she would be whole again one day. Airlia would help her.

The Slytherin looked at her, unsure. Strangers didn't just offer their help. They asked for something in return or they set up a trap. What would the girl ask of Opeila in return? Opeila did not feel grateful for her words. Her thoughts were filled with paranoia. The Slytherin had seen too many horrors the last month, to much death, experienced too much loss. Two people had offered her their help in her first year. One betrayed her. Used her to set up an attack on her house and later on caused her housemates to turn against her.

The other turned away when she needed his help. Opeila had learned not to trust help offers from strangers. The only person who she trusted not to turn away from her was Flash Holmwood.
And now, being his friend could put him in danger...

Airlia continued, telling her that she would help her with her manners. Despite feeling numb still, there was a tiny shred of her that felt offended. Maybe Opeila was a little too blunt sometimes, but she surely didn't have bad manners! ...Alright, she might have lost her dislike of cursing, but other than that...
Airlia told her to not deny Lady Winter anything. Opeila was not surprised. The woman didn't look like she was used to discussions. Whatever she said was done.

... Wait, uncomfortable dresses? Would she have to wear dresses? Was all this talk about being a lady and having manners serious? Oh lord.

Lord Winter turned to the girls again and told them to grab on the portkey that would take them back. Opeila got up from the ground. For a moment she feared that her legs wouldn't carry her, but luckily they did. She looked at the bell that Lord Winter held and after a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand on it as well.