Chapter 1
Monday, August 30th, 1993
“Faye darling, are you awake?” my Papa asks as he opens my door. He continues, “I brought you your favorite coffee from Nettles!” in the same stupid, sing-song voice he uses every time he tries apologizing for my mother’s badgering. Though I admit, my father of all people, running to a muggle-owned coffee shop to make up for his wife’s previous importuning, never fails to make me laugh. He often negatively remarks how mundane the muggle community is, until it comes to coffee…
“I’m over here Papa!” I call out from the nook I’m currently curled into. I start giggling as I watch him, making his way toward me, kicking the throw pillows out of his way.
“Good gods’ Faye, in what world do you need this many damn pillows?” he asks while handing me the steaming coffee.
“Says you!” I retort half-laughing, “You can barely see your bed with the pillows mother insists on decorating with!” Images of the countless shades of black, gothic pillows adorning their bed flash through my mind. I may not typically agree with my mother on most topics, but her taste in interior design has always been impeccable.
My father proceeds to sit next to me. “Fair point.” He chuckles. We sit in a comfortable silence for a bit while drinking our coffee. He has never failed to remember exactly what modifications to add to my coffee. A caramel latte, with almond milk and cinnamon. I hum in contentment as I take my first sip. Fuck, I love coffee. My father and I often are like this, drinking coffee instead of tea, enjoying the early-morning peace before my mother and Draco awake. We try to finish our coffees before my mother can get on us about not drinking tea, “I don’t understand how you two prefer coffee, it’s disgusting! And anyway, tea is better for your stress levels Lucius, you should start attempting to take better care of your health!” She frequently uses the same argument every time she joins us. “My health be damned Narcissa, can’t I just have one unhealthy pleasure in the morning?” Is typically the response my father gives while downing the rest of it before she has the chance to replace the contents.
I hear him clear his throat before he speaks, “Faye, I know you two don’t see eye-to-eye, but she just wants what is best for you…”
I break his sentence with the loudest sigh I can muster up at that moment, “I'm fifteen papa! Why is it so hard for you two to genuinely just allow me to go to school without putting pressure on me to find a “potential husband”? I would just like to worry about my O.W.L.S., not about who I’ll marry after I graduate….I-I-” I sigh again stopping myself before it becomes the same argument I had with my mother. It’s not going to go anywhere. I’m just taking out my frustrations on him but for fuck sake I just want this to end! What if I just want to work, or own a million cats and pretend that my body pillow is Jamie Fraser?!
I look back at him and see he’s cupping his coffee in both hands. Looking at the piles of books scattered around my room, along with the pillows he previously kicked everywhere. Why does he care so much about this? Yesterday we were talking about what electives I’m taking this year. I just- “I’m sorry,” I start again, “I just… want to be a normal girl. I know the expectations, but can I just not care about them for a while longer?” I ask, staring down at my coffee. I begin counting my rings when 1, 2, 3, 4… Am I missing a ring? Where the hell- space
“No, I’m sorry pixie.” He says breaking my thoughts on where my missing ring could have gone. “I…” I watch him try to find the right words as he pinches the bridge of his nose, “I hope that your studies go well this year.” He smiles before standing up to leave.
As I watch him leave, I quietly yell, “You should use a silver ribbon today… It will match with the weather today!”
He looks back while shaking his head and laughing. “Alright pixie, silver.” The door closed behind him. I’ve always loved picking the color of his hair ribbon, it was something he encouraged me to do. He always says it reminds him of me while he is at work.
Now, where the bloody hell did that ring go?!?!?!