Prologue - Strange Beginnings
[A/N - I always imagine a morning dove singing whenever I write about nature so maybe hear it in your head lolz]
*August 12th - 2001 *
Faint music echoed off the hills as I lay in the warm itchy grass. It's midday and the music and yelling from my partying neighbors couldn't be louder. At least the sun feels nice on my cheeks. I miss living in the countryside. My parents moved to the city for better jobs but I know the city isn't the same for any of us. The schooling is more posh, and the city is grimy.
"Eudora, come in for supper"
Mum was leaning out the kitchen window shattering my disillusion that I was actually in a meadow of grass and wildflowers. But really I was just scrunched in our small spot of grass in front of our townhouse. All of the houses are squished together and look like ugly sisters and brothers with no personality visible from the outside.
"When's Dad home?" I asked plopping into my seat at our wooden square table. Our house is perfect. Squished, but everything is the exact size for the small space each homeowner is allotted. Our petite dining table is scrunched next to the window, which sits next to the kitchen, and the wrap-around table tops, with yellow and wood wallpaper and cabinets. The living room had this scraggly brownish-gray carpet that lined from the side of the entrance to the stairs leading up to our rooms. The tan flower pattern-topped couches with the telly command the whole space.
"Soon. He was supposed to be back before me to cook dinner, but now we get my favorites instead" Mum chuckled as she placed down breaded fish, mashed peas, and some curry. Mum was wearing her favorite blue jeans and a faded band shirt from her university days.
"Thanks, Mum, it tastes delicious as always."
"Of course. It was me cooking and not your father"
"He can cook!"
"He can cook pastries and sweets. Nothing healthy, Dove"
~~~~
Mum and I cleaned up dinner and sprawled on the couch watching an old Dorris Day movie. Dorris Day is Mum's guilty pleasure as most movies from that time are aggressively sexist. Almost halfway into the movie we hear a car beep, and Dad comes rushing in and locks the door. His face is completely red, out of breath, and his button-up shirt and his slacks have a few random soot stains.
"Hello, darlings. Er- My love, can you come into the study for a moment, please? I must discuss... taxes with you" Dad is sweating bullets as he tries to scurry into the other room with Mum.
I know we have money issues sometimes but Dad is acting more weird than usual. I sit there debating on whether I should eavesdrop when I hear Mum yell "YOU DID WHAT-" and then more muffled talking. It's like they want me to hear what's going on. So I tip-toe on the wood floor, pleading with each step that the boards don't scream out my location, I feel along the wall to the study door. The door is closed but I can see shadows pacing from under the door. I edge a tiny bit closer to press my ear against the right of the door.
"Why did you think this was a good idea?! We said-" Mum was cut off and suddenly they both went quiet. I couldn't hear anything no matter how hard I pressed my ear to the wall. It's almost as though the room was muted or something.
Feeling my face grow hot and having a creeping suspicion my parents might burst out of the room at any second to scold me for eavesdropping, I panicked and tiptoed back to the living room.
A few minutes passed and Mum burst around the corner, paused to glance at me, and then quickly paced upstairs where Dad followed not too soon after.
~~~~
"You have to get rid of it. You promised we left that life behind us years ago!" Miriam glared at me as she sat on the edge of the bed
"I know, I know. It's just it shouldn't have been anywhere near my place of work, and yet some guy had the necklace and was fiddling with the pendant! Do you realize how dangerous that is? Why was it there? Was it planted?"
"You sound like a conspiracy theorist. Who would plant something like that"
"I don't know Miriam. But it shouldn't be in Muggle hands. That's all I know"
I fiddled with the gold chain of the necklace. My entire body prickled with worry. "I just. I panicked and obliviated him. He was one of the new interns at the office so it shouldn't be too bad if he forgets a day."
"How did it even get in his hands?"
"When I pressed him about it, he said he found it in the street."
"Do you think someone's travelled to find you?"
"No, no, not now. They would've wanted earlier. Now wouldn't make sense. I mean look at me- I have nothing, I'm out of shape..." I trail off
"Maybe that's why? For revenge?" Miriam's worry danced along her features as she wrung her hands "Ron, are we safe? Is our daughter safe?"
"I- We should be. If it we were being targeted we would have been found already."
"What about your using magic earlier?"
"I'm going to have to go in and talk to the ministry. It's been long enough, maybe it is safe."
Miriam stopped pacing and held my arms "What if that thing means it is very much not safe for us?"
I embraced her, burying my face in her neck. My fingers played with the chain and my stomach wond itself in knots over and over again. All of this all at once- could it be some sick twist of fate that means it's time? The war has been over for years, and wizard-muggle relations are better than ever. Maybe it's just our worlds finally coming together. A small voice in my head was screaming to stop being so naive and to pick up and move everyone away in fear of being found out.
That voice nagged at me all night. Keeping me up late into the bright morning of reds and pinks dashing the sky. Miriam was restless but nonetheless found sleep intermittently. It's a wonder the ministry hasn't sent a letter yet.
~~~~
Dad sat at the table with a puffy face and dark circles under his eyes. His pajamas were haphazardly buttoned, and his hair was sticking up in all different directions. Mum didn't look as worse for wear as Dad, her usual oversized t-shirt and cupcake pajama bottoms with her usual messy hairclip.
"So... how are taxes?" I half-jokingly ask the pair as they stare off into the respective wall or window
Mum mumbled something into her coffee and Dad almost flinched as he poured his cereal. Dad said some joke about raining cats and dogs, and then coughed very stiffly. I nodded slowly and cleaned up my cereal bowl. Unaware of my intentions, my parents continued quietly murmuring to each other as I slowly crept towards the study.
Slinking through the cracked door, I peered around the dusty, cold room. A couch on the right wall that's green and stiff from being untouched for so long, on the far wall against the window was a chesnut brown wooden desk with a tiny green lamp next to some stacks of papers. There was a bookcase on the left wall with many old unassuming books squeezed in each crevise, but they never seemed shiny enough to touch. After taking it all in for a moment to realize nothing was unchanged, I decided to slink upstairs to my parents' room.
My parents room was comfortable and warm. Pale yellow flower print wallpaper lined the top half of the walls, with a wooden wainscotting that wraps the bottom half. Their bed was in between two small windows with a nightstand underneath each still, a pale green cushioned bench. They had a small bathroom connected adjacent to the bedroom. I leaned out of the doorframe to hear if my parents were still talking at the table. I felt a buzz of excitement run through my body as I quietly crept back over to one of the nightstands. I slid the drawer open to only find a few books, a night mask, and some aluminum-like packets. Weird. Feeling less invigerated about my treasure-hunt, I slunk over to the other nightstand. Book, notepad, pens, envelope, and a metal flashlight. Feeling defeated I poked at the envelope expected to find a birthday card or a love note from Mum or Dad, but it was heavier than I thought. I plucked out a metal gold chain with a strange pendant. The pendant was an hourglass enclosed in a gold circular cut-out, with two other movable circles around it. When laid flat it almost looked like an odd atom. Maybe it's a gift for Mum?
I suddenly heard footsteps at the top of the stars, so I panicked, shoved the envelope in the drawer, the necklace in my pocket, and ran over the the bathroom.
"Eudora?"
"Oh, hi Mum, just wanted to use the upstairs loo. It's honestly better than the one downstairs" I rushed to say as I awkwardly dusted off my hands and scurried out of the room.
I was halfway down the hall to the stairs when Mum called me again, "Eudora my love are you all right?"
I make an awkward laugh "Of course I'm alright! Never better! In fact! I'm so excited to go shopping in town today for school supplies! Yay!"
Mum gave me a look as she watched me continue my failing act at normalcy. Dad was still at the dining room table, but now he had a steaming coffee cup in his hands as he tiredly stared out the window.
"Hey Dad"
He stirred and whipped around with his dazzling smile "Hey Dove, you all ready for a big day of shopping? Not everyday you get ready for your fifth year!"
"I'm so nervous. Especially cause I'm starting at new school so late in"
Dad wrapped me in a hug "You got this Peanut. Mum and I think you'll wow the other cool posh kids with your charms"
Chuckling I squeezed him back and ran up to my room to change out of my pajamas. We've always moved around. Every few years it seems either my Mum or Dad move up in positions, or they want a better job, or whatever. I don't really mind it as, not that I'd ever tell them, but I never tend to fit in they best no matter the school I'm thrown into. This school is the nicest out of all of the one's I've attended. Generally, I've alternated from rural schools in the country to more city schools but lately my parents seem to be going further into the city. Almost like they're relaxing.
Despite the warmer weather, knowing London it'll be quite dreary and chilly with the rain. Always like summer rain though. The smells and how warm and muggy it gets, are peaceful. I opt for my usual cargo jeans, and a loose hand-me-down band tee from Mum, as well as my hand-me-down brown flannel from Mum as well. She's always had great fashion. I love getting her clothes.
"Eudora my dove, I'm going round to start the car, hurry up okay?" Mum poked her head in
"Mum, I don't know what to do with my hair, it's not long enough for a bun."
She smiled took a scrunchie from her wrist, took the brush from my hand, and started brushing my hair "You have such soft hair, oh, to be young" Mum dramatically sighed
I laughed and watched as Mum braided the top half of my hair into a braid and tied it off. She pinched my cheeks, smiled, and disappeared downstairs. I felt my hand trace the necklace in one of my pockets. I don't know why I've held onto it. I feel a weird connection or obsession with it. It feels familiar. I'm also terrified my parents will find out I took it to begin with. Slipping on my old, worn, cherry red Converse I ran down the stairs to meet Mum.
~~~
"Ugh, It's always so stuffy in the city" I groaned as we passed another street
"Oh hush, we're almost there anyways. Soggypants"
My face flushed "Oh my god! What if someone from school hears you!"
Mum laughed and we turned the corner. There were a ton of people out with velvet cloaks and strange hats. They seemed normal, just like their wardrobe stepped out of a fantasy novel. I quietly asked Mum as we neared towards a group of them "Why do you think they're dressed like that?"
Mum's eye twitched, but she smiled and said something about cultural differences. I could tell she was thinking about a million different things when she turned us to the wrong street. It was bland, and dirty, almost like it was trying to say 'don't look at me', but there was a gorgeous little flower shop across from this weird little shop or bar that had a burned looking sign. Letting my curiosity take the better of me, while Mum was still muttering about our school supplies we were sent for, I wandered closer to the sign. As I crept closer it was almost as if someone turned up the brightness on the originally plain black sign, and it showed a dirty gold background with a black cauldron in the middle with the words 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Maybe it's just a secret club or bar.
But just like the necklace, it felt very familiar. Still looking at the sign in confusion, I felt my hand reach into my pocket and take out the necklace once more. It was very pretty, in a 'you definitely should have put this back' kind of way. I realized my heart trying to race out of my chest, my stomach was somersaulting with excitement, what is this thing? I turned the dialed circles around the hourglass a few times and suddenly the world around me was moving in hyper speed, backward. I was cemented to the spot, my anxiety wracked through my limbs like a straightjacket. I wanted to throw up, I must be hallucinating or something. This is wrong. Trying to calm my ever-racing thoughts I noticed I was almost as if I was in some limbo standing in place, watching days turn to night, cars and people moving to and fro. Before long, the pendant had stopped spinning, and I was standing in the same place again, only alone.
Slowly relaxing from the spot from where I was cemented a moment ago, I looked around for any sign of Mum or any life really. It was still early in the day like I left, but there was no sign of the flowershop either. Desperately wishing I had brought my wallet for the taxi home, my stomach fell to my feet as I turned towards the Leaky Cauldron once again. Maybe, if I'm lucky, they might have a phone to use. Stomach lurching each step I took, I seized the small brass doorknob, and pulled myself in.