New beginning
The living room was bathed in soft, late afternoon light. The sun’s rays were streaming through the white curtains, casting moving shadows on the polished wooden floor. Astoria was sitting in an armchair, a cup of tea in her hands, while Abby was curled up at the other end of the sofa, a book open in front of her.
The silence was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Astoria had been coming every week for a month, settling in quietly and never forcing Abby to talk.
Abby finally raised her head, her fingers clutching the edges of the book.
—I know what you’re doing,’ she said softly, breaking the silence like a stone hitting a quiet surface. I appreciate it, but I won’t talk about him.
Astoria placed her cup on the coffee table with infinite delicacy.
—I just want to be here,’ she replied with a gentleness that was marked by infinite patience.
Abby looked away and turned a page, but she wasn’t really reading any more. A dull ache beat in her chest, a crack that never seemed to close. The last few months had been a loop, an endless circle where every step forward seemed to bring her back to the starting point.
Finally, Abby took a deep breath.
—How’s Scorpius?’ she asked, her voice almost cracking.
Astoria smiled faintly and launched into a tender narrative, recounting her son’s antics, his clumsy but enthusiastic attempts at his skateboard, the way he frowned when he tried to understand a particularly difficult assignment.
Astoria’s words floated in the air, but Abby felt herself slipping, drifting away. A lump formed in her throat, and despite all her efforts to hold back her emotions, the wave finally overwhelmed her.
She dropped her book and let the tears flow.
—I miss London…’ she admitted between sobs. When Luna, Draco and you aren’t here, I feel alone, far away from everything.
Astoria approached gently, sliding onto the sofa to take Abby in her arms.
—I feel crushed by this loneliness… And yet, I chose it. But I can’t do it any more. I’m ready to go back to London.
—Luna wants to… But I can’t come to your house. I can’t see you together, the three of you, when he’s gone.
Her words broke, choked by her uncontrollable sobs. Astoria held her tightly.
The boxes were piling up in the new flat. Astoria and Draco had come to help. Draco, with almost mechanical precision, pulled out his wand to unfold the boxes,
But suddenly, she froze. Her face turned livid, and without warning, she turned on her heels and hurried out of the room.
—My baby?’ called Abby, a hint of panic in her voice. What’s the matter?
No answer. Just muffled sobs from behind a locked door.
Abby rushed in, knocking gently on the door.
—Luna? Open up, please…
After a few interminable seconds, the door opened slightly and Luna collapsed in her mother’s arms, panicking.
—Breathe, my baby. Breathe with me.
Abby guided Luna’s breathing, her own heart beating painfully in her chest.
—No magic… Dangerous… Luna whispered in a broken voice.
The ground seemed to give way beneath Abby’s feet. She tightened her grip around her daughter.
—You’re safe here, I promise. No one will hurt you.
But deep down, Abby felt the same way. Samuel’s death had left an indelible mark, and magic, that thing that had once been a source of wonder and laughter, was now tinged with fear and grief.
Later, when Luna had finally calmed down and was resting in her room, Abby joined Astoria and Draco in the living room.
—She’s scared of magic,’ she whispered hoarsely.
Draco lowered his head, his fingers tightening around his wand.
—It was… me. With my wand. I didn’t even think.
—Nobody saw that coming,’ Astoria gasped.
Abby ran a trembling hand through her hair.
—I don’t know how to manage without Samuel. I don’t want her to grow up afraid of what she is. She’s a witch. When she was little, she loved it… And now…
Her voice broke again.
—We have to be careful. Astoria began. She has to understand that magic isn’t bad in itself. It’s a tool. But above all she needs to feel safe.
—I’ll talk to her therapist about it,’ said Abby.
Astoria nodded.
—In the meantime, we’ll avoid using magic near her. We’ll be careful and will pass on to the others.
Abby looked at them both, deeply grateful but also incredibly tired.
—Thank you…’ she breathed.
Night had fallen on London, enveloping the flat in a darkness punctuated by orange lights from the street lamps. Abby stood alone in the kitchen, a cup of tea cooling in her hands. The silence of the night seemed to weigh heavier than the day.
Astoria and Draco had left a few hours earlier, leaving behind them a fragile calm. Luna was finally asleep, her peaceful breath coming through the thin partition of her room. But Abby couldn’t get to sleep.
She stared at the amber liquid in her cup, her thoughts returning again and again to her daughter’s words: “No magic… Dangerous…”.
Magic had always been an essential part of their lives. Luna had grown up with it. Abby had discovered it and loved it, and lost because of it. But Luna… Luna shouldn’t have to carry this burden.
A soft noise behind her startled her. Luna was standing in the doorway, a blanket wrapped tightly around her. Her blond hair was matted and her eyes still shone with the remnants of tears.
—Mum?’ she whispered in a small voice.
Abby quickly put down her cup and crouched down beside her daughter.
—My darling.
—I had a nightmare… It was him, Mummy. He was there, but… he was still leaving.
Abby’s heart sank. She took Luna in her arms and lifted her gently before leading her back into the living room. They sat down on the sofa, snuggled under a thick blanket.
—Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me all about it.
Luna buried her face in her mother’s neck, breathing in her familiar scent before speaking.
—He told me everything would be fine. But when I tried to hold him back, he just disappeared.
Abby hugged Luna a little tighter, slowly caressing her back. Her daughter’s words echoed painfully in her mind.
—How did he disappear, my love? She asked softly, her voice almost broken.
Luna trembled slightly in her arms before whispering:
—Like a shadow, Mum. Like he was never really there. But I could see him, and he smiled at me.
Abby felt her own tears welling up, but she swallowed them with determination. Luna needed her to be strong and steady, even if everything inside her was crying out in pain.
—He loves you, Luna. He loves you so much that he’ll find a way to come back and see you, even if it’s only a dream.
Luna raised her head, her big clear eyes searching for the truth in her mother’s. “Why did he leave?
—Why did he leave? Why was he killed?
The question fell into silence like a stone into a bottomless pit. Abby took a long breath, searching for the right words.
—I don’t know,” she said. It wasn’t magic that took him, darling. It was someone who used magic in the worst possible way. Magic, in itself, is neither good nor bad. It’s people who do what they want with it.
Luna curled up.
—Do you want to sleep with me tonight?
She nodded.