𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝖝

𝐢𝐢𝐢. the professor's home

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ENORMOUS AND BEAUTIFUL were the words Diana would use to describe the professor's home. Thousands of windows could be seen as they approached the house, even if it was painted in a simple brown color, Diana would still describe it as breathtaking.

"Professor Kirke is not accustomed to having children in this house," Mrs. Macready began talking as she led them over the inside of the house.

Diana looked around herself, spotting the fancy carpets, rare paintings on the wall and valuable possessions all over the entrance of the home. She couldn't wait to see the rest of it.

"And, as such, there are a few rules we need to follow," Mrs. Macready continued. "There will be no shouting. Or running. No improper use of the dumbwaiter. No touching of the historical artifacts!"

She said the last sentence in a louder tone as she caught Susan about to touch the face of a sculpture on the stairs. Diana exchanged a look with Lucy.

"And above all," Mrs. Macready sighed. "There shall be no disturbing of the professor."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ONCE THEY WERE settled in their new bedroom, Diana and Susan began to unpack their belongings while Peter turned on the radio and stared off the window.

"German aircraft carried out a number of attacks," the man on the radio said. "On Great Britain last night. The raids, which lasted for several hours — "

Susan turned off the radio before the sentence was finished. Peter looked over at her in annoyance, but it all washed away by the sound of Lucy's sniffling.

"The sheets feel scratchy," Lucy excused.

Diana, Susan and Peter all sat by the bed and gave her warm smiles.

"Wars don't last forever, Lucy. We'll be home soon," Susan reassured.

"Yeah, i'd home's still there," Edmund walked into the room.

"Isn't time you're asleep?" Diana looked at him.

"Yes, Mum," Edmund replied sarcastically.

"Ed!" Peter scolded before he turned to Lucy, his voice coming out softer. "You saw outside. This place is huge. We can do whatever we want here."

"Besides," Diana cut in. "We could continue our story, should you like that?"

This made a small smile to escape Lucy's features, but the others didn't know what they were talking about, which made it even special for them.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

RAIN POURED DOWN the place the next day, leaving the five siblings trapped inside an enormous house without nothing to do in a way to distract themselves.

Diana sat next to the window with a book in hand, trying to ignore the other noises in the room, which mainly came from her younger sister.

"Gastrovascular," Susan said. "Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular."

"Is it Latin?" Peter asked, a bored expression on his face.

"Yes," Susan replied, looking over at the book placed in her lap.

"Is it Latin for 'worst game ever invented?'" Edmund said from his place in the floor.

Diana snorted and Peter tried to hide a smirk, making Susan roll her eyes and shut closed the book in her hands.

"We could play hide and seek." Lucy suggested.

"But we're already having so much fun," Peter sarcastically said.

"Come on, Peter, please."

Diana caught Edmund rolling his eyes in annoyance as Lucy continued on tugging Peter's arm.

"Pretty please?" she pouted.

Peter glanced at her. "One, two, three, four — "

"What?" Edmund sighed.

"five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven — "

The four stood up from their places and rushed out of the room for a place to hide, Lucy immediately grabbing onto Diana's hand to find a spot for both of them.

They walked down the stairs and looked on both sides of the hallway, trying to catch a place to hide. Diana and Lucy were about to hide behind one big curtain before Edmund shoved them away, taking the spot.

"I was here first!"

Lucy huffed and Diana rolled her eyes, tugging onto her sister's hand as they ran over to another long hallway filled with closed doors. Lucy tried to open the first one, but it was locked while Diana succeeded in opening the second door.

They stepped into the room as quiet as they could, a frown coming it's way to each of their faces as they spotted a long white sheet covering an object.

Slowly, Diana and Lucy walked over to the long sheet, the curiosity taking over them. Diana wasn't completely sure about being inside this room, but just as she was about to tell Lucy, the young girl had pulled away the white sheet.

Behind it, it revealed a tall wooden wardrobe, lion faces and trees carved onto the sides of it. It seemed to be a normal wardrobe to Diana, if only she knew back then what an extraordinary place this would take her.

"seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty — "

Lucy carefully opened the door with Diana following behind her. She held her breath while Lucy had a smile on her face, thinking this would be the perfect hiding spot.

Diana and Lucy stepped back from the wardrobe's door with caution, hiding in between the coats and sweaters inside it. What it seemed strange to her was that the wardrobe didn't seem to have the back wall, which caused her to turn around and get received with a surprise.