July 1st 2021

"Bye guys! Bye Rose! Bye Henry! Bye Lucia! Bye everyone! See you at summer camp!"

With those cheerful parting words, Scarlett hopped off the Hogwarts Express, carrying her heavy trunk with ease. It was certainly a development from last year, when she had to push and shove and drag it across the platform before Fiona levitated it away. It was all of the Quidditch training - that was it. You didn't come out of practice without some form of muscle. Scarlett's eyes scanned the bustling area for Fiona, but Fiona found her first. Scarlett ran towards her aunt and greeted her with a particularly enthusiastic tackle-hug.

"Hey," she said with a massive grin.

"Hey," said Fiona with a quirk of her eyebrow. The two of them smiled broadly at each other before Fiona gestured to her trunk. "Want me to help you with that?"

Scarlett only smirked. "No thanks. I'm practically a bodybuilder now, what with all of the metal balls I've been whacking with bats."

Fiona gave her a small clap of her hands. "Oh yes, you're on the Quidditch team! As a Beater! That's great, how many matches have you played? Wait, correction. How many matches have you won?" It was in her nature - when Fiona did anything, she strived for perfection, and she always, always wanted to win. Quidditch was one of the only things Scarlett shared her competitive nature with.

"I'll tell you everything when we get home," said Scarlett earnestly. "So much has happened this year, it's been amazing. We won the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup and-"

"You WON? The HOUSE CUP? And the QUIDDITCH CUP?" Fiona gave a small shriek of excitement which attracted quite a few stares before hushing her voice. The two of them appeared to share the same habit - talking a bit too loudly when they had some sort of revelation, and then quieting down afterwards once people started looking at them oddly. "That's amazing Scarlett, I'm very proud of you. But tell me...how did Slytherin do?"

"First in duelling."

"They WON?"

"Yes that's what first place means."

Fiona wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "I am only slightly more proud of Slytherin as an alumni, than I am proud of you Scarlett."

Scarlett burst into laughter as Sparta pattered towards them, tail curling in happiness at the sight of Fiona. Fiona smiled lovingly and bent down to Sparta's level. She started speaking in a baby-talk voice, which Sparta did not like. Scarlett learned that the hard way.

"Hewo my widdle cutie pie," cooed Fiona, scratching Sparta's chin. "Are you excited to go and see Auntie Fiona's owl fwend Loki? Yes you are, my cutie pie, yes you - OW!"

Scarlett stifled a laugh as Sparta bit Fiona, who was rubbing her injured finger ruefully. "Unrequited love," she sighed. Scarlett stroked Sparta's head affectionally, and her cat purred with content. Sparta blinked up at Fiona, feigning innocence. "Oh drop the act Sparta," said her aunt, not unkindly. Sparta meowed softly, which was her sign of complete adoration. Fiona chortled and Scarlett smiled widely again as she picked up Sparta - who protested slightly - before Fiona Apparated them away, back to Godric's Hollow, back to home.

They arrived in her hometown with a whoosh and Scarlett stumbled slightly, the momentum of her trunk and the Apparating pushing her forwards. The corners of her mouth curled up into an elated grin as she saw magical residents milling about along with Muggle ones, the latter being blissfully unaware of the fantastical nature of their neighbours. It was honestly quite amazing seeing Muggles and wix exist alongside each other without any sort of prejudice or fear. Because that was what Godric's Hollow was - a seamless blend of magic and Muggle, a hub of social activity where the two could meet regularly and even start lasting connections.

But enough about the wonders of her town - there were friends to be met.

"A MONTH! A WHOLE MONTH!" came Lainey's excited voice as she flung herself into Scarlett's arms. "YOU'RE BARELY AT HOME AND NOW YOU'RE HERE FOR A MONTH!"

Scarlett laughed. "Oh the luxury of 31 days."

"Going for more eloquent vocabulary Scar?" Symphony came into view with a grin and a wave, followed by Caden.

"Can you two," said Scarlett fondly, gesturing towards Symphony and Caden. "-just hook up already." At this, Symphony grabbed Caden's hand and Scarlett's eyebrows raised up to new heights before, eyes shining, she said, "Scandalous. Hand-holding - it's too much! Send help! Send mercy! The PDA is getting out of control!" She melodramatically groaned and flailed her arms about in mock-agony as Ara skidded round the corner.

"I'll always be the better actress," she proclaimed, drawing Scarlett into a hug, which she accepted. Lainey wriggled out to play 'Tic-Tac-Toe' with Jones who gave her a grin and the finger guns. "In your dreams Ari," said Scarlett, head buried into Ara's shoulder.

"You know that Jones is a professional model now?" Georgia's lilting voice floated over and so did Georgia herself, pretty as ever with her wavy auburn hair and dimples. Jones then face-palmed as he lost his and Lainey's Tic-Tac-Toe game. "It was one advert gig Georgie-"

Scarlett didn't even mind that they had already given Georgia a nickname - that was how far she had come since hating Georgia because of sheer jealousy.

"Ooh, Jones, the professional model," teased Scarlett with a smirk.

"Primark is HARDLY professional!" he protested, Ara butting in saying, "I have to disagree-" as Lainey giggled.

Eyes scanning the area, Scarlett frowned. "Guys, where are the triplets?"

"Getting their asses yelled off by mother dearest," informed Caden, Symphony mouthing The kids to him afterwards. That was fine. Scarlett could always meet her three mischievous protegees the next 31 days. Or maybe 30 - she had that Headliner sleepover she wanted to attend.

Turning to Fiona, Scarlett smiled brightly. "So are we going to go to Willowby to unpack? Have you still got my room? You'd better not have given it to Loki, the scraggly old owl-" But Fiona didn't react to Scarlett's sarcastic bout of humour, her eyes instead fixating on two figures in the distance.

"Scarlett," said her aunt cautiously. Scarlett's face drained of colour as she realised who the two figures were. "I didn't want to spoil your mood before, but there's no way to avoid this any more."

"Your parents have requested that you spend the summer with them."