| | ———— |
Apparently, it was Christmas.
Such a thought wasn't at all hard to believe, for any other thirteen-year-old in the vicinity. But as Lyanna stepped out of bed on December 25th, it certainly didn't feel like it. Not even when she did check the date on her trusty watch and realize what the day promised did she jump up in glee; Quite the opposite, actually, for that glance at her watch made her sigh and wish for so much more than snow on Christmas Day. Lyanna Oak wished for her mother to be with them once more.
Dreams can seem foolish, but this one was not.
Rubbing her eyes as she slowly got out of bed, the sunchild thought of the very day one year previously. Everyone had been hopeful then, not quite aware of the situation. However, that had certainly changed. The mere idea of spending Christmas together once more brought tears to their eyes now, because the idea of it seemed so distant yet only barely out of reach. Pulling on a warm sweater and comfy house pants, Lyanna took a moment to decide what she would do next. One option was to merely walk downstairs, pronto. But then a second thought came into her head, nagging and persuasive. It was Christmas after all, and there would be no do-overs once it had passed with nothing accomplished, nothing thought through, nothing to think back to. And so, before marking her presence in the dining room to start off the day, the sunchild sat down at her desk, the cool morning air waking her up, and took a deep breath. A swift unstoppering of the ink — the shiny black liquid gleaming in the early sunlight — and a few rolls of parchment taken from the desk drawer, Lyanna dipped her quill in the ink and began to write.December 25th, 2025.
Dear mom, Jade Merry Christmas, mom, wherever you are;
I don't know whether this letter will find you, whether it will fall into the wrong hands, or whether it isn't a smart idea to send Ember, the owl you haven't yet met, to search for you. But I love you, mom, and I will never give up looking for you, trying in any form to somehow, somehow, contact you and make sure you're alive. Father has given up. Isa... I am unsure of her present state, to be completely honest. But I take care of her as best I can, comforting her at night, singing her to sleep when she comes into my room in tears. I can only assume that this nightly routine regards your absence, your empty chair on Christmas Day once again. Do not take this as an accusation, or anything of the sort. See this as... well, as me hoping you're okay and wanting you to understand how much you matter to us.
Because you matter SO much, so so so so so much, that I can't even begin to explain how much we love you. Dad... he has never been as strong-willed as you and me, I daresay, and while I know he wishes you were here, and places a white rose on the table every day, not waiting for the previous one to show any signs of withering; he asks about you every time he encounters his friends in the auror department during work, mark my word. But at the same time it was also him who accepted the prospect of a funeral, the prospect of moving on, your location currently still unknown to us.
So, mom, where are you? Are you okay? Couldn't you even give me one hint, or a word of I'm alive? Please?
I know you want to. I know it's difficult. But couldn't you find some way, some very small way, to contact me? The fire, perhaps, if you are in a place which contains Floo Powder and a fireplace? Or else an owl, just the one, with those two words and your signature?
I probably sound like a child right now, but I have no choice. I am stuck here, knowing that I know nothing and fearing precisely that, since I desperately want to help you or at least find out that you're alive. Or whether you're not. And although I cannot know which one of these two fates is yours, I will do anything to try. For this is your Christmas Letter, quill on paper at last, as I look past your forlorn shadow and into the morning light.
All my love,
Lyanna Oak
P.S. As of October 14th, I'm Hufflepuff's newest Duelling Co-Captain, a snippet of brighter news that I'd like to share 
The letter she had produced, well, it was certainly not flawless nor a work of art. But the thought and meaning behind it would surely be conveyed through it, if the letter actually reached its destination. Whether it would, however, was not a thought to dwell on, not just yet. For Lyanna had another letter to write, this one more cheerful than the last, hopefully a pleasant and heartwarming surprise. For who better to write next than @Avery Gray, the person who had always had her back since the very beginning?December 25th, 2025.
Dear Avery,
Merry Christmas! I hope you have the best day, as... well... difficult as the circumstances may be for you at home. I can only imagine what it's like for you, and I have grown accustomed to expecting the worst, I fear. I myself am unsure of where to place my thoughts on this very day, and so I began on writing a letter to Jade Oak, my missing mother; her Christmas Letter. But why even shed a tear at the prospect of her not being here indefinitely? Maybe because, as so many do not yet seem to understand, she if my mother and I love her. And I will not give up on her- and there stands my point; you have always been standing right beside me, the most amazing friend I could ever ask for.
And I'm sincerely sorry, Av. For all the trouble that I may cause you, the form I have been reduced to on the inside. I mean, I can't even stand to reread my letters, they're all too formal-ish and I don't even know- but I suppose that's the nature of the situation I'm mentally in, or something. I don't know. But I digress (there we go again with the proper language), for I wish not only to say sorry, but also THANK YOU so much, because dear god, without you I would be drowning right now. You're an amazing person, Avery, and I'm so glad to have you here by my side. And with that, I would just like to say that I will always remain by your side as well, and I'd promise that to anyone who ever asked.
Therefore, I wish you an amazing Christmas no matter what and a very happy new year- maybe the tides will turn at last. And on that note, I have a very important story to tell you about in full detail once the holidays end, you wouldn't believe one bit of it, but all of it is true. In the meantime, I won't spoil it, both for the sake of security measures if this letter is intercepted and the fun of a little (but actually quite big) surprise. But in the meantime, spoiler alert, I believe I've cracked an important part on the who in the mystery I've been constantly trying to solve.
See you soon, I hope you're okay Be careful and stay safe, whatever you're up to!
With love,
Lyanna
With the second letter now written, the sunchild stood at last. Tying both to her owl, Ember,'s leg, Lyanna prayed for her little friend to remain safe as he journeyed out to find both recipients and that he return back to her unharmed. Only time would tell, and the urge to let the beautiful creature fly into the sky at long last was too great to not act upon. And so off he flew, and Lyanna watched him until he was gone and out of sight. | ———— |
|
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ solo — closed to interactions.
for now, at least!!
--◆--
❝ the sun rises even after the darkest nights ❤︎ |
