Lost and Found | Severus Snape [Book One]

Fifteen | Knockturn Alley

Home sweet home.

I walked through the double doors into the foyer as Coco, our house elf, dragged Liam and I our luggage. "Oh, my babies!" Mother exclaimed as she scurried down the stairs with open arms, "I've got a special announcement! We'll be having a ball this weekend on Christmas Eve! So I think we should visit Diagon Alley for new dress robes and other things, my treat!" She smiled big and snapped to Coco, "Up the stairs, elf! I want you to unload all their things! Olivia," Mom gave me a distressed look, "Where's your cat?"

"Oh," I said, "He just loved it there too much. I left him with a friend who he adores."

We went up the stairs and I walked into my bedroom. It was practically empty, not much personal touches because I'm never here. The walls were gray and blank and the shelves empty. Coco kept the room tidy and rid of dust. My stuff was out of my trunk, my clothes in my drawers and my accessories laid above it. I didn't know what to do, but just to wander around. I grabbed some clothes and took a hot shower, feeling the steam overtaking the cold bathroom. It felt like I was in a stranger's home, using their water, their heat, their food... I don't feel like I belong.

I finished up and dressed in black skinny jeans and a gray button blouse, pulling on my black uggs and threw on my black cloak. I dried my hair and wore a heavy amount of eyeliner and mascara and headed downstairs. I walked through the foyer into the living room. It was vast, the ceilings were high above and a giant marble fireplace was placed against the wall with vintage love seats and coffee table in the center. I gazed at the moving pictures above the fireplace. I walked slowly to notice the picture of Caleb and I when we were only six years old. We were in Paris at the time with our family, visiting an uncle of ours who was a famous artist. Most pictures were just when we all vacationed around the world. As the photos of us were newer, I noticed how much I've grown. How much I've changed. How innocent I looked before and the tyrant I grew up to be. I chuckled at all the times I would terrorize Caleb and Liam would step in and then Caleb would tease me back. All in fun.

But, one thing I've noticed in the photos...

I travelled through the colossal great hall we had and into the kitchens where Liam sat by the island counter lazily flicking his wand to a coffee press as it magically pressed its own coffee grounds. Mom stood by the cupboards, grabbing black coffee mugs. "I never really understood the tea thing..." Mother said as she laid the mugs down, "Never fancied the earl grey..."

"Where's Dad's pictures?" I cut in as I glided into the kitchen, my black cloak bellowing behind me. Liam and Mom looked up immediately as though I was a ghost, but Mom quickly gave a grin. Liam looked away and poured three mugs of coffee.

"What a lovely cloak, honey," she ignored my question.

"Looks familiar, I think," Liam grunted behind his mug as he drank the coffee. I rolled my eyes and repeated, "Where's Dad's pictures? They're not in the living room."

"That's because he's not here," Liam retorted calmly, not looking at me.

"Caleb isn't either--" I said, but Mom lifted her hand for silence.

"For once," she said tiredly, "May we not fight? It's the holidays, Olivia. Let's make the best of it. Now, let's have a hot cup of coffee and head out to Diagon Alley, alright?"

I watched Mom as she grasped her mug of coffee firmly with two hands and sipped her coffee. Liam gave me a stern look and as if I felt frozen in time, I sighed and joined them.

* * * * *

It was a miserable sight.

Diagon Alley looked of ruin, I even wondered how it looked before it was terrorized by Death Eaters. The sky was gray, the snow fell over the decapitated rooftops of abandoned shops. It looked almost dead, though only a few witches and wizards roamed the streets.