Riddle Me This

Talk To Me Again And I'll Slap You

"Taylor, let's go! We'll be late!" Tania called to me, dragging along her trunk full of her Hogwarts belongings. I can't believe she's in her final year at Hogwarts. And Head Girl.

"Coming!" I shout, grabbing my trunk and hauling it downstairs. To find Tania tapping her foot with boredom with her arms crossed. "Thanks for helping," I panted.

"Well, seeing as you're going to be a new prefect, you should learn to not be tardy." She said, grabbing her trunk and going for the door.

"Wait, what about mom and dad? Aren't they driving us?" I ask, looking around for them before realizing the house was empty. A lump swelled in my throat. They didn't even want to say goodbye to us? Their only children?

"Come on," Tania murmured, opening the door and walking out, her boots thumping on the brick stairs, her trunk scraping against the steps. She lifted her trunk into the back of the car she bought for herself and grabbing mine to do the same. I numbly walk my way to the passenger seat, climbing in and buckling the seatbelt, dropping my head back so it fell onto the headrest.

"Tay, stop sulking. It was foolish of you to think that they wanted to wish us a farewell. You're fifteen now, not a damn baby." She gritted out, tightening her hands on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. "As a prefect, you can't-" I cut her off with a groan.

"I don't want to be a prefect! I want to be on the quidditch team! I want to live my own life, not in your shadow, Nia." I say, looking out the window at the passing muggle cars. Oblivious to the fact that magic existed.

"They had high hopes for you. Hopes that you wouldn't follow in my footsteps. They wanted you in Gryffindor, like them." She said darkly, chewing on the inside of her mouth.

"But I'm in Slytherin. Like you." I say, mimicking her emphasizing. She chuckled without any humor.

"Exactly," She began, taking a deep breath, "Like me. And you becoming a prefect as well as I was the last straw. They left last night." She said, digging a piece of parchment out of her jacket pocket and handing it to me. I recognized immediately our mother's tidy, slanted, scrawl. I began to read, hoping for an explanation. 

Taylor and Tania, 

Your father and I are leaving. We left enough food for you tomorrow. You may no longer live in the house so pack whatever you don't want to be thrown away. Tania, we are disappointed that you became a Slytherin when we raised you better. And leading your sister into the same path! How dare you call yourself our daughter. Taylor, how could you let yourself be swayed so easily? Being a Slytherin is a shame yet there you sit, proud of your house. And becoming a prefect? Really now, are you trying to be your sister? You're a weak and pathetic excuse of a daughter. Don't come back to the house once you leave. 

-Terrence and Lucinda Ashers

The lump in my throat got bigger. They want nothing to do with us anymore. Tania was taking slow deep breaths, she took one hand off the steering wheel and grabbed my hand tightly, not letting go.

"We'll figure it out, Taylor." She said bracingly, closing her eyes for a second before letting my hand go and focusing back on the road. "We'll figure it out." She repeated, more to herself than to me. I nod slowly, thinking about how we could figure this one out. There was only one solution. We couldn't. There are some battles you lose, and this had to be one of them.

"Well," I choked out, "We need to go. We're here." I wipe the tears from my eyes. My mother was wrong. I am not weak and I am not pathetic.

"Taylor-" Tania began but I cut her off, already knowing what's about to come.