Fallout

Chapter 1

Layla

Loss has different effects on everybody. For me, I shut down to protect myself from any more pain. Hearing that your parents have suddenly died isn't pleasant, no matter who you are. This was the kind of news that was sprung on my twin sister Violet and I. Our parents unexpectedly died without us being able to give them a proper goodbye. 

3 Weeks ago

Violet and I were sitting at the kitchen table with our nanny, Charlotte. She had her jet black hair tied away in a neat bun atop her head. She was the only person that mom and dad trusted to watch us when they were away on business. Charlotte was a wizard that had graduated around the same time as mother. She was well trusted within our small family and if it ever came down to it, we knew she'd be able to protect us.

 When she came over, there was always something baking in the oven. This had always been one of my favorite things about her. She always took the time to teach me her recipes and soon enough baking became an outlet for all of my stress. The precise measuring and the intricate details needed to make the perfect pastry was something that allowed me to shift my focus off my fucked up life. 

Most of my stress derived from my mother and I's relationship. I think it's because of how different we were. She never understood me and always put her career before her children. As Violet and I grew up, she constantly pushed Dragonology onto us. The last thing on my mind during my childhood was a damn dragon. I wanted my mom. I wanted someone to talk to about my boy drama or how school sucks or how the girls in my class treated me like an outcast. I just wanted someone there to give me pointers along the way. She was the farthest thing from that. On the other hand, dad and I were practically the same person. He understood me and how I could get in my head, and always gave me the space I needed. Dad never pushed me to enjoy something that I didn't. He was calm, caring, and loving. He was my everything. 

Other than Violet of course. 

I had a warm cup of coffee resting in my hands helping to calm my nerves about the busy school schedule that I had that day. We were having a conversation about what Violet and I learned in potions the day before, while Charlotte went check on the cookies. I watched her as she used a levitation spell to remove them from the oven. They had just turned that perfect golden brown color. She walked over to me and handed me three cookies and winked. She knew she had made them just the way I liked; Hard on the outside and gooey on the inside. 

Violet and I had just finished our breakfast and announced to Charlotte that we were going get ready for the day. She waved over the back of the couch while nose deep in some smutty romance that she thinks we didn't know about. Violet and I looked at each other and started dying laughing. We had to hurry and run upstairs to cover the fact that we know what she does in her free time. We stopped to catch our breath as we had been fumbling over each other in the stairwell. 

Even though we had plenty of space for us to have our own rooms, Violet and I chose to share one. Violet has always been my bestfriend, so when she asked me to move my twin bed into her room, I didn't argue. Throughout the years, we had made our room an escape. Both sides of the room embodying our polar opposite personalities. My side more modernized and neutral toned, whereas Violets side was filled with plants and bright colors. You know what they say though, opposites attract right?

There was music blaring on the radio in our room while we sang and did our makeup for school. I was laughing at Violet while she was putting on a concert, singing into her hairbrush as Charlotte stormed into our room. The first thing I noticed was how white charlotte looked, like all the blood had left her face.  She was shaking and my heart immediately sank to the floor. 

"What's going on Charlotte?" I asked with hesitation in my voice. I slowly began to walk toward her. She couldn't say a word. 

I saw that she was holding a letter with a seal stamped on the front that closely resembled the one of my mothers work. I took the note from her hands. That's when I began reading the worst news of my life. 

"Dear daughters of Alice and Peter Saffron,

We regret to inform you that there was a tragic incident while your mother and father were helping obtain an extremely dangerous dragon..."

Tears began to blur my vision immediately, I didn't need or want to read any more to know what happened. Thoughts began to flow through my head, but the only one I could seem to focus on was why my father was there in the first place. It was because of my selfish mother. 

"He wasn't supposed to be there! Why is she so goddamn selfish!" I scream while crying hysterically. I feel Violet rip the letter out of my hands and watched her fall to the floor after reading it. I turned and walked out of the room. I just needed to get away. 

My mother has caused so much pain to this family and now she's taken our father down with her. I thought I disliked her before, but now all I feel for the woman that gave birth to me is hate. She has never loved us more than those damn dragons and now caused her children to become orphans. 

Current

I was told to pack my entire life into a couple suitcases and move to England to live with the Weasleys. Would anybody truly be okay with having to move into a house with people who are so damn happy all the time. Especially after losing half of your family? Violet seems to be okay with the thought of moving. I really just think it's because of those idiot jokester twins that will keep her mind occupied instead of thinking about our parents being gone. She has always been smitten with them, I have no idea why, they are quite annoying.

I'm looking out of the train window watching as we pass the gloomy mountains of Great Britain and I hear a knock on my cubical door. I look to see Violet standing in the doorframe holding a handful of the chocolate frogs that are somehow a hot commodity around here.

"I heard that they have cards of the professors from Hogwarts in these." Violet says with a smile on her face. "Do you want to share with me?" She adds.

We haven't talked much after what happened. I know she has been wanting to spend more time with me after everything, so I tell her that I would love to. We spend a couple hours laughing at all of the teachers on the cards that we collected, talking about which ones we think we'll have when attending Hogwarts this year. 

The amount of sugar that was running through my veins after all of the chocolate frogs was insane. I feel that it is slowly beginning to wear off and I'm getting exhausted. As if reading my thoughts, Violet states that she is going to take a nap. I tell her that I am going to do the same and that I will see her when we reach the train station. It wasn't hard to fall asleep. The only thing on my mind was how I will have to protect my sister now that my parents aren't here to do so anymore. 

I'm woken up by the blaring of the train horn and I stand up to collect my things to get off the train. Before I exit, I take a glance out of my window and I see them... Those fucking Weasleys.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of our book! This is the beginning of a long journey that we are beyond excited for. I hope you stick around and follow along. I promise you will want to! If you're enjoying it so far, please give this story/chapter a star! Much love<3