Heather

Jumping Rope

One of Acacia's first memories was of her mother holding her. When she thought about it, she imagined she could smell the subtle scent of lavender and geranium, and soft hands.

It didn't matter that her mother always smelled of a strong perfume that was definitely not lavender, or that she barely held her daughters.

She could have changed perfumes, and of course when a mother has a baby she would hold it all the time, right?

Then, her memories trickled into her sister smiling chubbily at her and both of them gurgling and splashing around in the bath, and her mother telling them off and spanking them.

Her father was barely there, just a figure in the background who would step forward to decide on the governesses that would teach her, or the little girls she would be allowed to play with. Everything in the Rosier household was controlled.

But now, Acacia thought determinedly, I'm going to change those memories.

~
She found her sister sitting on their bed with her legs crossed, reading a book with her nose scrunched up and bright blue eyes scanning the page.

"Hattie!" she singsonged. Heather looked up.

"Do you want to do something fun?"
Heather narrowed her eyes. "Is this something fun going to get us in trouble?"

Acacia batted her eyelashes innocently. "Of course not!"

Heather scoffed. Before she could protest any more, Acacia grabbed her by her hand and pulled her off the bed. "Come on!"

Heather sighed. It seemed that she was always being pulled by her twin to do something fun that always ended in them being told off or cursed by their mother- or at terrible rare occasions, their father.

They ran through the house, quickly grabbing their hats and coats and silently opening and shutting the door. Once on the front step, Heather looked out at the trees and the square and breathed out.

They were free!

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

~
Acacia had it all planned out. She and Heather would leave the house at twelve , when her father would be out doing his mysterious work while her mother would be at her aunt's house.

They would stay out for two hours and come back, safely half an hour before their mother came home. It would be wonderful!

"Casey..." Heather stopped walking.
Acacia turned back, her nose pink from the biting cold and her blonde hair blowing messily in the wind.

"Where exactly are we going?" Heather shot her a questioning glare.

But Acacia just smiled. "That's for me  to know and you to find out." With that, she ran towards the square.
Heather groaned, but ran after her happily enough.

Wind blew through their wool jackets  and the trees at the side of the roads were bare and skeletal, branches reaching out like clawing fingers. But the girls were oblivious.

Crows, pigeons and sparrows flew overhead, giving the pale blue sky a beautiful touch. The trees, sky and the birds contrasted, but all together it was a pretty evening.

Heather skidded to a halt as she saw what was ahead of her. Next to her, Acacia was staring ahead, her eyes sparkling.

"You took us to see ...muggle children?" Heather stood there in shock.
"Yep!"
"No no no, Casey, this isn't allowed, they'll probably attack us and we'll get into so much trouble!"

"Oh come on, Hattie, where's your sense of adventure?"
Acacia suddenly ran towards the kids, leaving Heather with no choice but to follow.

In the corner of the square, in a cluster of small beech trees, a group of kids were jumping rope. As they saw the girls coming, they stopped jumping and a girl with short black hair and a stubborn face turned to stare at them.