Letters From Mum (open)

[weaslebee2]

Emily looked out the owlery window, she was expecting a letter from her mum, since she had wrote yesterday, Hermione was always prompt when returning a correspondence. She leaned against the stone ledge, allowing the shuffling of owls and their feeble hoots to soothe her. A steady stream of the early morning owls was going into the tower, and finally, in came Pigwidgeon. Poor little owl, he was elderly and feeble, and Hermione had written a very long letter. He would probably have to take a few days to recover. Emily opened the letter and read it twice. Her parents wanted her to come home. She didn't really want to leave, she felt safe at Hogwarts, and the situation of going on the train by her lonesome was daunting. She was safe at Hogwarts... She had to be. Emily bit her lip, the wounds on her arms were mending, but they still pained her. The cold breeze blew her newly black hair out of her face, she sighed, wishing that she could fix everything on her own, but she couldn't.

[igloogirl]

The door creaked quite loudly as Gabriella entered the owlrey, already knowing her sister would be there. "Hello Emily," Gabriella said, holding out a letter for a school owl. It was then that she noticed Pigwidgeon and a letter still in Emily's hand. "From Mum?" Gabriella asked quietly, noticing the size of the letter.

[weaslebee2]

Emily looked over her shoulder at Gabriella a moment, nodded, then returned to looking out the window. "Does anyone else write novel-length letters?" Emily said only her sarcastic tone no longer held any hint of happiness as it once did. Her voice now sounded robotic and monotone. She allowed her black tresses to fall back into her face, covering her eyes that were now heavily covered in black makeup. Why couldn't she fix it? "Mum and Dad want me to come home," said Emily.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella had a slight gasp as a response to this, though she wasn't exactly surprised. It was just like their parents to want Emily to come home after all she had been through. Still, Gabriella felt it was up to her sister. "And what do you want to do?" Gabriella asked.

[weaslebee2]

"I'm not sure," Emily answered truthfully. Part of her wanted to remain in the supposed safety of Hogwarts, but the other part of her longed to be in her mother's arms so she could cry her eyes out in that sort of comfort... She was confused. "But I don't think Mum is giving me much a choice, Dad is going to be arriving here by Floo Powder tomorrow to take me home." said Emily.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella could almost feel her heart sinking. Hogwarts would be no fun at all if she didn't have Emily to share it with. "There's no dissuading her this time?" Gabriella asked, remembering when she and Emily had convinced Hermione to let them stay for Christmas.

[weaslebee2]

Emily shook her head. Hermione had written that Gabriella was welcome to come back too, but Emily knew her older sister would much rather stay at the castle, rather than leave it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a ring. It was beautiful, and she knew it could only mean one thing... Ron was going to kill Gabriella if he found out. "I guess I should go home, though, Cici recommended I do so yesterday." said Emily.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella nodded in reply, but noticed Emily's eyes darting toward her ring. Oops, Gabriella had forgotten about that piece of news. She decided to not mention it for the moment. "I guess that makes sense, Cici does usually know what's best," Gabriella replied.

[weaslebee2]

Emily nodded, although she had been secretly wishing that Cici had been wrong on that, she didn't fancy the idea of her parents seeing what she had done to her appearance, and there was the chance that they could see her arms... Emily had stopped cutting herself, and had taken to snapping a rubber band on her wrist, one currently hung limp on her wrist at the moment.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella was also wondering what their parents would think of Emily's new look. She was still concerned about her sister, herself, but hopefully Emily would come to see the light again. "Do you want me to come home with you?" Gabriella offered.

[weaslebee2]

Emily frowned, she didn't know what she wanted. She didn't want to ruin Gabriella's holiday with her own affairs, anytime Ron and her sister saw one another, there was bound to be a shouting match. That would definitely dampen the already drenched holidays. "If you want to," said Emily.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella snuck a quick glance down at her ring and then back at Emily. Of course her sister had found a way to force Gabriella to make the decision herself. "Perhaps I should stay here, there could be trouble with Dad," Gabriella replied with a slight sigh.

[weaslebee2]

Emily nodded, she now knew the explanation for Gabriella's ring, it wasn't exactly hard. Her older sister and Isaac were to be married. As if her life wasn't complicated enough. Maybe Ron might appreciate her more now... Emily squashed those thoughts, she didn't care whether her father liked her or not. "Good choice," Emily said bitterly, wishing she could evade her parents until summer.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella made a guilty face and tried to think of something that would make Emily feel a little bit better. "Well I'll come home over the summer, but for now I think letters would be best," Gabriella replied. "Plus I don't want to ruin you and Mum's holidays."

[weaslebee2]

"Yeah," said Emily, having the strong desire to seize the rubber band that was around her wrist and snap it on herself until she got welts. She refrained from doing so. Not in front of Gabriella. At least the rubber bands were an alternative to cutting herself, a less harmful one. "Dad will explode when he sees that ring you've got," Emily commented.