The Disappearance of Mathias Pride Solo

Mentioning: @Mathias Pride | @Cain Corvus

Date: January 31st, 2021

╰┈➤ Please note: Information has been given by Mathias' RPer about what Winnie knows about his disappearance, and permission has been given by Cain's RPer to godmod his character in this solo.

The broken symphony of hooting owls was not enough to draw Winnie Harper from her thoughts as she paced back and forth between the cold stone tiles of the owlery. Avoiding the various splashes of excrement the creatures had decorated the flooring with, an abstract piece that spoke of the birds of prey’s daily life. Clenched within her hand was a half-crumpled letter, the pit of dread that seemed to pool within her stomach would not allow her to hand it over to any of the owls just yet, despite the fact that a few were tilting their heads expectantly at her.

She paused at last. Drawing closer to the circular room’s glassless windows, she watched as the sun sank into the horizon and painted the sky with brilliant shades of warm colour. Another day was drawing to a close. Her classmates claimed the days of school seemed to fly by, unbelieving that it was almost the second month of 2022. The Irish girl could not have disagreed more. This had been the longest month of her life. While many had lost count of the days since they had returned from Winter break, she had not. It had been 26 days since she had returned to Hogwarts and 39 days since she had last seen Mathias. "Forty." She whispered, correcting herself.

She had sent the missing boy three letters during the winter break, but when she had not heard from him she had assumed he was simply too busy during the holidays, although she had been a bit disappointed she had not received a present despite sending him a gaudy, overly sweet teddy bear among other things. That could be forgiven easily enough, though she would have teased him about it when they had returned to school.

But he had not been on the train ride back.

Odd, but there were other possible transportation methods he could have used, and while this worried Winnie she had shaken away from the same feeling of anxiety, she was experiencing now. He was delayed, perhaps taking a longer vacation. She made up a cluster of never-ending excuses in her head for why he was not present.

Then he had not shown up for the next week of classes.

Growing more desperate by the day, she had sprinted to the dungeons. With heavy breaths, she had pounded on the entrance to the Slytherin common room until it left her hands sore. A prefect wearing a shiny new badge had discovered her. Cain Corvus, the first-year boy she had practically showered with chocolate frog cards just before winter break. In desperation, she had pleaded with the prefect to go check the dorm room with teary eyes. The poor unsuspecting boy had eventually agreed and had disappeared into the common room in search of Pride only to come back empty-handed.

He had awkwardly comforted her in the middle of the dungeon’s hallway when she had collapsed to a pile on the floor and started to sob. A crinkle of candy wrappers from his pocket and provided her with a temporary distraction as he offered her some sherbert lemons and caramels.

She walked through the school in a daze, the days seemingly unending. She started to count them. Jurgen Hess, Mathias’ cousin, had also not returned to school. Sent off somewhere that was likely safer than Hogwarts. If Pride had been sent away, surely he would find a way to contact her, right? If something bad had happened to him, surely his parents would notice the pile-up of letters coming their way and send her a response, right?

... Right?

Finally, a realization dawned on her with the passage of time, with each owl she sent, with each hopeful morning that came and passed without a response, with each tear shed and her shouts of frustration.

She had been abandoned.

Again.

The pain was different from before, still a similar kind to what she had felt when she had originally discovered her father had abandoned his family, as well as when she had rediscovered he had left after her memories were erased. At least she had known her father had not liked her before he left. At least she had not been completely in the dark as to what kind of person he truly was. It had hurt, but it had not taken her by surprise.

With Mathias, she had felt safe and happy. Loved even, and she had loved him back, whatever a 13-year-old’s version of it was, had wanted to shield him, protect him from the senseless violence that seemed to be attracted to him. Now she didn’t even know if he was alive.

The sunset was enough to calm her nerves, though she still had to roughly wipe at her tear-streaked cheeks as she turned from the window to find a school-owned barn owl she had been using to deliver her owls.

"For Mathias Pride." Her voice was dry when she spoke, and the owl almost seemed to glare at her disapprovingly. Although it had no way of knowing what was happening, it had supposedly delivered several letters to the boy. Although in the early days she had tried switching between school owls to see if they were simply losing her letters.

"It will be the last one for a while," Winnie assured the barn owl, her voice wavering as she carefully handed over the ruffled letter. "... I promise."

It was really quite fortunate for Mathias that Winnie Harper's rage had not surfaced.

Not yet.

Dear Mathias,

If it wasn't obvious by the number of letters I have sent you, I miss you.

I do not know where you are or why you have decided to stop talking to me, and it's no secret that I wish you would tell me. If you don't like me anymore I would rather you tell me instead of leaving me here to try and piece together the mystery you have left behind.

I can't keep writing you letters and fooling myself into thinking you will write me back. So, I am going to stop writing you until I hear from you... Wherever you are, I just hope you are safe and happy.

But please... Write me back.

Love,
Winnie.

ꕤ ꕤ

ꕤ ꕤ