𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟓𝟎 - 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫

𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, just another night of staring at the ceiling waiting for the first glimpses of the morning light to seep through the gaps in her curtains, to watch the sunrise over the horizon every morning was mesmerising, a reminder that it was another day closer to eventually leaving her grandmothers home.

But it was another day here instead of another day with her friends, her family, Harry... her support system, her grandmother didn't support her in the slightest, wanting to model her into a replacement of her daughter. There were moments in-between fighting her punishments and being punished all the same that she thought she saw a glimpse of pain behind her eyes, but then Mary would hit her with a rolling pin and she would forget that her grandmother was even related to her. She knew her grandmother would never hit her in the face again, it was always placed that could be covered up, the back of the arms, her back... her thighs... there wasn't a part of her that didn't sting when she showered.

She'd started to zone out a lot more, sitting up straight staring at nothing until she was called upon, she was a sentinel, frozen in place until her duty called, an empty shell until she was forced to speak.

Dissociation was the only survival tactic she learned, blending into the surroundings as to not get punished more for something inconsequential.

But today, she was a little more excited than usual, Tonks would be taking her out for today, and it was the middle of a week-long heatwave, she could tell because the seagulls would drink the little pot of water she left out for them on her windowsill.

Slipping into one of her mother's safe summer dresses from the cupboard, it was a light blue shade with very faint flower patterns on it... but she didn't have the time to be picky, she slipped on her converse, her jacket on top and tucked her wand into her sleeve as she sat on the front doorstep for Tonks to arrive.

Tonks appeared in front of her with a crack, losing her footing on the flat pavement before Ophelia caught her by the elbows.

"Wotcha Phee! Cheers! Woah... you don't look so great, you sure you don't want to have a lie-down, you're looking a bit peaky?"

"I'm alright, really," said Ophelia letting her go, as the two of them walked side by side towards the promenade.

Ophelia didn't even realise she had lied until after it took her a moment, why did she lie? She's not fine... she's not alright, but a part of her realised that if Dumbledore knew what kind of woman her grandmother was... then a part of him wouldn't care what was happening so long as she was out of sight and out of mind.

"Your dad misses you terribly, keeps asking me to sneak you back home." Said Tonks, gently nudging Ophelia's shoulder

"It's a shame you can't... I miss him too." Said Ophelia, hugging her jacket around her body as they walked along the street, kicking discarded sand as she walked.

"He's on a mission at the moment, Dumbledore sent him away on an important mission." Said Tonks, messing with her hair "Harry is writing every day to get a response out of you, poor Hermione's hand is pecked to hell from Hedwig... she and Ron are worried about you, Snuffles too... I was told that's what you call him... everyone is worried about you back home..."

"I shouldn't have run off like that-"

"No you shouldn't have," said Tonks, with a smirk, "But I respect you for it, you did what was right... even if the consequences are a bit... drastic."

Ophelia scoffed
"I barely get to see my dad as it is... if I had ever known I wouldn't have-"

"He's not mad at you, he was worried you might've gotten yourself hurt but since you made your own way there almost Scot free I would say he's weirdly proud of you," said Tonks, poking her in her side cheerfully. "Your cousins are getting antsy, they've arrived there too now-"