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The Days Before-
I need a cigarette.
Staring blankly at the textbook page, I twist the ring on my right hand and tune out the teacher's voice. I swear, I could learn more about French if I taught myself with how she gets off-topic. My mind wanders from one thing to another, and now I can't stop thinking about how this is the last lesson I will be getting from her this year as there are only two days left. Only two days till what? Until I am free from my Mother's judging eyes and my Father's silence. In other words, two days until the school year starts in Hogwarts. If there were a clock in this study, my eyes would be glued to its ticking hands.
My thoughts are interrupted by the door behind me opening and the old crone in front of me turning around to see the intruder with a smoldering gaze. Only to be extinguished upon laying eyes on the person in the doorway.
"I fear you have gone over the agreed time slot, Madame Selwyn." The posh accent of the butler makes the corners of my lips tilt up. I don't have to turn to see him as he rounds the desk to help the old crone pack her things without glancing in my direction. I cross my arms and lean back in the mahogany chair as I watch a rushed Madame Selwyn and a warm butler organize the textbooks and journals from the desk before me. Madame Selwyn doesn't make eye contact with me as she passes; instead, she stares right before her. My eyes go to the perfectly poised man in front of my desk after hearing her close the door again. We sit silently for a beat before I sit in my chair.
"How was your last session of the summer, Master Leon?" The polite tone of his voice is gone, instead replaced with familiarity.
"It went about as well as you suspect, I fear." Neither of us move once the words have left my mouth. It's a battle of wills which only ends when I let out a silent sigh and a roll of my eyes. "What do you want to know, William?"
A smile graces his features and shows the ever-growing lines on his face. It doesn't have to be said aloud for an agreement to be made between the two of us. We both know that I am at the end of my rope. I have lasted all summer through my Father's silent judgment and my Mother's verbal disappointment. They weren't even here for most of it, either. They either bury themselves in work at the Ministry or go to every one of their upper-class friends' events almost every day.
"It's time for us to move on to the next time slot." William starts to glide from before me to stand next to the door. "You need to review your luggage and approve everything that added." I move toward him so he can open the door again and let me out before following suit. Even while treating me like more of a son, he still upholds the practices of a butler.
Once in the hall, we make our way right to the direction of the main staircase of the Ansley Manor. The only sound was the sound of our footsteps on the hardwood flooring. I pay more attention to the classical paintings lining the wall opposite from the many windows on our right. My mind wanders back to that cigarette in the silence of our walk.
The hall leads out into the vast main room of the manor, which houses the main staircase and two other hallways that take you throughout the manor. We reach the foot of the stairs, where a woman stands. It's one of the new maids. This is evident in how she bows and refuses to linger on my figure, moving her attention only to William on my left.
"If you will excuse us, Master Leon." William bows, and so does the blonde woman in front of us. I wave my hand before they move in the direction of the hallway opposite from which we came. I watch them until they turn into one of the servant passageways.
Standing alone before the grand staircase, I observe the room a little further than usual. These walls used to scare me as a child, and now they only symbolize the prison I feel trapped in. Now, my footsteps are silent by the dark green carpet on the stairs. I make it to the first landing of the stairs, where our family portrait hangs. The face of my younger self seems to follow me up the stairs as I pass. I turn to the right and head up the stairs leading me to my room. Once I am at the top of the stairs, my footsteno longer silenced by carpet as the floor changes to the same hardwood flooring as the ground floor. All of the classical art decorating the halls only serves to mask the hate beneath the surface63 of the manor.
My walk is calm as I stalk across the halls. Taking a right turn through a door at the end of the hall leads me to another hall, which is also decorated with art. Once again, my left side is lined with large windows. I enter a door at the end of the hall once more that opens up to my room. I can admit that my room is full with the most expensive and princely furniture galleons can buy a wizard. Going from my custom canopy bed to the sandalwood desk and bookcases that line one of the outside walls.
There is luggage sitting on my emerald bedding, including my messenger bag. I choose to do exactly what I should do before doing anything else. I unpacked my trunk to see everything on the official list and moved on to my messenger bag, knowing precisely what to expect. I opened the enchanted bag to feel around; I knew the feeling of many books, bottles, and cigarette cartons. I looked into it to find the newly placed items I asked William to get. I found the illegal potion ingredients, the hairspray, and the makeup on the list I gave him before he went schoolshopping.
Moving all the luggage to the couch and table in the right corner, I fell back onto my bed. The bed bounces slightly before it settles. I stare at the ceiling of my bed for a moment before remembering exactly what I watned to do. I get up again, going straight from my bed to the wall of bookcases on the east wall. I don't need to think about which shelf or what book to grab to uncover the hidden compartment. I slide out my copy of Alice in Wonderland and feel the wood frame behind it. Sliding out the board, I reach behind and feel around for exactly what I need. Immediately pulling out my phone and headphones, I head back to my desk and fall back on the cushioned chair. I mindlessly open Spotify and plug in my headphones, as Blue Tooth doesn't work on the Manor grounds. I continue to scroll through the lists of items in my notes app that hold all of the items I know I will need some time in the school year. Heaving myself off the comfortable chair, I return to my luggage to check off each item.
Spending the next hour and a half going through everything I finally drop onto my bed and lay back. The sunset is coloring everything in gold, and I take a deep breath. The moment I hear a firm knock on my door, I am up and moving. The servant won't enter my room but will knock to tell me it is dinner time. I store my phone and headphones back into the hiding space. Knowing what awaits me, I throw on a green hoodie and slide into my black house slippers before leaving my room.
Like always, I don't see anyone on my way to the dining room. The large wood doors open as soon as I am close to it. The room is vacant. My parents no where near. I suspect they are either at the Ministry or at one of their 'friend's' houses. I sit down to see that there is fried rice on my plate. It is one of my favorite dishes that would never be served if my parents were home. I eat alone in silence. I am in the empty room for as long as it takes me to eat. I don't linger, as there is no point in doing so.
Entering my room once more, I see that my luggage is no longer on the bed, and my messenger bag is hanging on the back of my desk chair. All of the windows are now covered with the black velvet of the curtains. I enter my walk-in closet to find a loose shirt and a pair of cotton pajama pants. Repeating my actions, I get my phone and headphones out once more. After changing, I end my night with a French podcast while doing my skincare routine.
—
I lean my head back onto the edge of the porcelain tub. The smell of vanilla fills the air. Coming from the floating candles surrounding me and the bubbles from the bath, My body is completely relaxed in the charmed water. Music fills the air from the rim of the white porcelain. I lose track of time; before I know it, the golden hour hues paint everything orange. I finally exit the water and cover myself with a towel before going straight to my closet. I chose a white and pink shirt and a pair of loose trousers. I return to the bathroom to grab the phone and empty the water from the clawfoot tub.
I sit on my plush couch that faces the wall of windows before letting out a sigh. Even though I have friends expecting me, as well as a positive social life at the boarding school, I am ever anxious for the next day. Nothing can tell me how my year is going to end. I stay silent as I maneuver around my room, collecting things I want to have while I relax. I stand before my wall of books, staring at each row before a blue spine catches my attention. I reach up, slightly above my standing reach, and grab the Song of Achilles. It's a blue and gold leather cover, opening up to pristine white pages that also hold notes and annotations I have written over the years I have had this book. Continuing on my quest to gather the essentials of relaxation. I enter the bathroom, and once again, I head straight to the tub to grab my phone.
I change the music from classical to soft French pop. I put on my headphones before exiting the French doors to go out onto my balcony. I lean back on the sunbed. I start to reread the book, taking note of each note and annotation I have put onto the pages over the years. I sit on the cushioned chair as the sun lowers even further into the horizon, and I get further lost in the nearly pristine pages of one of my favorite books.
-1,905 Words-