Restricted

Chapter 12. Turmoil

Despite the warm, encompassing glow that the sconces produced, the empty corridor in the dungeons kept chilled as October promised.

After lunch, Madeline did what she'd proven to do best; lie about her whereabouts.

This time, she told her friends that this Sunday afternoon would be spent taking a walk with Adrian around the grounds.

As she got closer to the door to her father's office, she analysed it closer than she did the day before.

It wasn't as dark, gloomy, or unnerving as she expected. Just a simple wooden door stood in front of her. Behind it, she knew he had already begun his restocking and lesson planning for the week.

With three knocks, then a pause, it opened in front of her, revealing her father to be busying himself at his desk, holding his wand aloft.

"Afternoon," she said as she entered.

"You're late," he replied without a second glance. The door shut behind her with a simple flick of his wrist.

Madeline cleared her throat. Whilst he was expecting her, it wasn't like him to be so careless as to who could've been waiting at the door.

Though, he might not have expected many visitors after all. Of course he knew it was her.

With another flick of his wand, jars of ingredients were lifted off the shelves and settled on the opposing table with a clatter.

"I have already recorded jars A through L. You may begin on the M's," he said plainly.

She moved closer to the shelves and slumped her bag on one of the chairs beside the table.

"My favourite letter," she started as she placed a hand over her heart. "Father, you shouldn't have."

Whilst Madeline grinned to herself, her father didn't find it amusing at all. He seemed to be in a sour mood as is. His eyes were steady on the parchment and bubbling cauldron in front of him, his face sternly concentrating.

She began her inspection of the ingredients beginning with the letter M, silently and far enough from his apparent sulking. After locating his stock journal, Madeline counted and started taking note of her findings.

Mackled Malaclaw Tail: 4.

Mallowsweet: 10 leaves (and very sticky).

Mandrake (stewed): 3 ten ounce jars.

The silence gave her mind space to roam.

Her thoughts drifted to her visit a few weeks back, the time in which she'd come here to receive permission for her Hogsmeade date with Adrian. She found that the excitement over the day since then had faded.

She shrugged the memory of Hogsmeade away and took the jar of Mistletoe Berry with her to one of the chairs to count them comfortably.

Sinking into the chair, Madeline heard the crinkling of parchment from the pocket of her cardigan. She'd nearly forgotten about Ms Whitby's returning letter she received that morning. She promised herself to read it in private, but the time truly had slipped away from her.

She reached for the envelope and stared at her friend's signature script before opening it and reading the first line.

My dearest Madeline, expect a package of nougat any day now. I packed plenty for you and your friends to share and it's being sent with a trusted companion – one that hopefully doesn't have an appetite for witch's fingers or flower bed worms.