31 Oct 2020, 04:05
Goodbye, for now.
Daphne's mother Virginia was looking very sick as they both stood in front of the column between platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross in London. A large cart loaded with a trunk stood between the two, packed with all the strange necessities Daphne's new school required.
"Mum, it's okay!"
Daphne squeezed her mother's hand tightly, and smiled up at her.
"I promise this is what the lady said when she came to give me my letter!"
Daphne and her mum had spent the week in London, coming into contact with the wizarding world for the very first time to purchase Daphne's school supplies and emotionally preparing themselves for the massive shift that their lives as a family were about to take. For Daphne, the entire affair was wildly entertaining. Her head almost spun off her shoulders when she first walked down the main street of Diagon Alley. Magic wands, candies which advertised odd side effects, people dressed in the oddest of clothing, owls gazing down at her from the eaves of buildings and shop windows...she was in heaven. Virginia on the other hand, felt immediately ill and spent most of her time at the Leaky Cauldron, drinking gin and tonics to "calm her nerves".
Now here they were staring at what appeared to be a completely solid, definitely impassable pillar. People swirled around Daphne and Virginia, and it immediately occurred to Daphne that she may be better off alone from this moment on. She pulled Virginia down by the shoulders so the woman was eye level with her small daughter. The latter noticed her mum's breath was tinged with the scent of alcohol, but leaned in anyways.
"Okay mum, it's alright. I can go by myself from here! I've already got all my stuff, I have my cell phone even if I'm not sure I'll get service there, and listen...I can DO this."
Virginia teared up a little and wondered how it came to be that her daughter had become the comforter in their relationship.
"Okay, Bug," she said through a soft and sad smile. "You go ahead then."
Daphne gave her mom a final giant squeeze around the waist, and inhaled her familiar scent (soil, gin, patchouli) for the last time in awhile.
"You'll be alright, mum! Promise!", she grinned.
And with that, Daphne turned with her trolley towards the imposing brick. She took one deep breath for courage and took off at a sprint with her hazel eyes squeezed shut. She felt an odd sensation as she passed through, like stepping off an escalator, and when she opened her eyes again she was there...Platform 9 and 3/4.
Families quite unlike hers were moving around her all over. She swallowed hard.
"You will NOT cry today, Daphne" she muttered to herself quietly.
"You promised mum you could do this alone, and you will." She maneuvered her cart between bunches of people, found a kind witch who helped her figure out what to do with her trunk, and finally had a moment to gaze at the giant machine that would whisk her off to a new, unfamiliar world. It was beautiful, quite unlike the autos her father was always working on (and complaining about). The metal seemed to almost glow in the late afternoon sun. Excitement, anticipation, fear, worry...so many feelings all swirling around in her tiny blonde head. But it was too late now, no going back. She inhaled sharply, and began to make for the door of the train...
"Mum, it's okay!"
Daphne squeezed her mother's hand tightly, and smiled up at her.
"I promise this is what the lady said when she came to give me my letter!"
Daphne and her mum had spent the week in London, coming into contact with the wizarding world for the very first time to purchase Daphne's school supplies and emotionally preparing themselves for the massive shift that their lives as a family were about to take. For Daphne, the entire affair was wildly entertaining. Her head almost spun off her shoulders when she first walked down the main street of Diagon Alley. Magic wands, candies which advertised odd side effects, people dressed in the oddest of clothing, owls gazing down at her from the eaves of buildings and shop windows...she was in heaven. Virginia on the other hand, felt immediately ill and spent most of her time at the Leaky Cauldron, drinking gin and tonics to "calm her nerves".
Now here they were staring at what appeared to be a completely solid, definitely impassable pillar. People swirled around Daphne and Virginia, and it immediately occurred to Daphne that she may be better off alone from this moment on. She pulled Virginia down by the shoulders so the woman was eye level with her small daughter. The latter noticed her mum's breath was tinged with the scent of alcohol, but leaned in anyways.
"Okay mum, it's alright. I can go by myself from here! I've already got all my stuff, I have my cell phone even if I'm not sure I'll get service there, and listen...I can DO this."
Virginia teared up a little and wondered how it came to be that her daughter had become the comforter in their relationship.
"Okay, Bug," she said through a soft and sad smile. "You go ahead then."
Daphne gave her mom a final giant squeeze around the waist, and inhaled her familiar scent (soil, gin, patchouli) for the last time in awhile.
"You'll be alright, mum! Promise!", she grinned.
And with that, Daphne turned with her trolley towards the imposing brick. She took one deep breath for courage and took off at a sprint with her hazel eyes squeezed shut. She felt an odd sensation as she passed through, like stepping off an escalator, and when she opened her eyes again she was there...Platform 9 and 3/4.
Families quite unlike hers were moving around her all over. She swallowed hard.
"You will NOT cry today, Daphne" she muttered to herself quietly.
"You promised mum you could do this alone, and you will." She maneuvered her cart between bunches of people, found a kind witch who helped her figure out what to do with her trunk, and finally had a moment to gaze at the giant machine that would whisk her off to a new, unfamiliar world. It was beautiful, quite unlike the autos her father was always working on (and complaining about). The metal seemed to almost glow in the late afternoon sun. Excitement, anticipation, fear, worry...so many feelings all swirling around in her tiny blonde head. But it was too late now, no going back. She inhaled sharply, and began to make for the door of the train...