Meliorism

07 | the americans

Chapter Seven

I sighed, bunching up my wet clothes and throwing them across my room. They soared through the air, landing perfectly in my laundry basket.

A part of me was regretful, knowing that I would never see them again. Despite their idiocy, Draco and Blaise seemed to be the closest people I had left. No one in this life, including my adoptive parents, knows about my magical abilities. 

I spent years pretending to be mundane while my actual friends and family lived through the darkest times of their lives.

Even Remus, the closest father figure I ever had, was gone from the life I used to have. It was a thought that I couldn't bear to linger on. I felt numb but I desperately pushed the feeling down to be ignored.

The venture from Blaise's hideout to my house was a lot faster than I thought it'd be. With a quick goodbye, I retreated back inside my muggle room while he returned back to his wizard life. I was back home, needing to pretend like nothing had happened or changed in the past few hours.

Feeling nostalgic, I swished and flicked my wand with the corresponding incantation. My mind went back to my first year at Hogwarts, learning this spell in charms class with Professor Flitwick. 

I sat at my mirror with a heavy heart as the mini golden snitch began to float gracefully in the air, following the movements of my wand. It was a gift from my father when he just got out of Azkaban, along with many other gifts that I left at Grimmauld Place. It was his way of apologizing for all those years I spent without a proper guardian in my life. 

The snitch is charmed to flutter within arms reach, only activated with the levitation charm. It carried messages to its counterpart, a replica snitch that belonged to my father.

It was especially useful when he couldn't visit me at Grimmauld Place when my company only consisted of Kreacher and my grandmother's screaming portrait.

With the quietness in the muggle world, sometimes I find myself missing the chaotic life I used to despise. I may have been lonely but I felt like I belonged.

The only factor that could provide me with reassurance and stabilize my plummeting mood was the magic running through my veins. After losing so much of who I was, it was nice to have a part of myself that couldn't be fully erased.

Faintly, I heard the front door open and shut, followed by a familiar voice: "Alicia! We're home!"

"Okay!" I yelled back, standing up from my vanity.

I immediately released the spell on my souvenir and shoved my wand inside my back pocket, tucked carefully under my shirt.

Just as I expected, a knock quickly erupted from the other side of my bedroom door.

"Come in," I announced while throwing on a purple hoodie.

Mr. Williams' head peaked through the opened door, revealing a slight sunburn on the bridge of his nose. His dark brown hair was messy and he wore a goofy grin on his face. The vacation seemed to be a success.

When fall came around, the couple decided that they were growing tired of the constant rain. Apparently, two weeks in Hawaii was more than enough to boost their mood. With their anniversary just around the corner, they took some time off work and planned a nice vacation. Since I was doing well with online classes, they decided that it was fine to leave to watch the house.

"Hi, kid. Pam is just going to take a shower first before brunch. You have anything in mind?"

I shook my head and smiled. "I'm fine with anything, thanks though." With all the stress from last night, I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat for the rest of the day. My stomach already felt unsettled with the tea that Blaise made me. "How were the Americans?"