The Price of Gold | tom riddle

Chapter 4 - Poison Seeds

"It's your own fault Star!" Rumplestiltskin said in an irked tone. "What you did was selfish and stupid. Sebastian was right."

When she had returned home the previous night, outside her front door was her cloak, her school items and of course, a sad apple tart.

After a few things had caught fire, her father finally calmed down. Ostara was glad she was leaving the following day, otherwise she would never have been left out of his sight again.

"I'm sorry," she said again, it was all she had said for hours. After travelling by the means of an old boot, they found themselves in London, out front of a train station.

"You aren't coming with me?" she asked sadly.

"You know I cannot," he replied with a small head shake.

She hugged him tightly. Squeezing his small frame and inhaling his scent of forest pine. "I'm so sorry for everything father," she cried into his neck.

He stroked hair. "I know Ostara, I know."

They embraced for a few moments longer. "I will miss you," she said, breaking away from him.

"Be safe my golden girl. Return home to me soon." He ran his thumb over her cheek admiring her soft features. "Now go. You don't want to be late."

She nodded and wiped her tears. Suddenly she was grateful Sebastian did not accompany her. She turned her back to him, and walked towards the entrance of the station.

____

Once she was inside, Ostara looked down at her ticket. She was not stupid; she knew platform 9 and 3/4 would not be sitting in plain sight.

So she made her way over and stood near platforms 9 and 10, then she waited.

Two girls, around her age approached. They were dressed in long white dresses, and had flaming red hair. They looked similar, perhaps even twins. Their arms were linked and their eyes held a sense of disconnect within them.

"Excuse me?" Ostara said, approaching the two girls.

"It's the one who we dreamed about dear Cleo," one said.

"I did not expect to encounter her so quickly sweet Corrine," the other replied. They spoke as if Ostara was not there.

The twins sighed together and pulled out a silk white pouch. They began to eat the bright red berries which were inside whilst continuing to ignoring Ostara.

"Hello?" Star waved a hand in their faces.

"Yew Berry?" One asked, offering up the white pouch to Ostara.

"Yew berries are toxic, you know that right?" Ostara said.

"Only if you eat the seeds," the twin on the left replied whilst crunching down on the large seed of the berry. "Nice to meet you Ostara," they said in harmony before running through the large brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.

Star didn't know what shocked her more; the entrance to the platform, the poisonous berries they were eating or the fact that they knew her name. Pushing her surprise to the side, Star ran through the wall.

The feeling was strange. Almost as if things moved in slow motion and her body was being pulled backwards.

When she appeared on the other side, she spotted the twins and their flaming hair again. She chased after then trying to recall their names, but they had slipped inside into the carriage.

Their aura was surreal. It seemed as if the world moved in slow motion when around the pair.

Picking up her trunk, Ostara entered the train. She was very early, not many people had boarded yet and most of the carriages were still empty.