The Flight Of The Vulture

Chapter 9: Young Love

November 4th, 1996

My Dear Jack,

I am writing you without any form of judgement towards your actions. I just want to understand your actions.

What in the world could compel you to leave the safety of Hogwarts? You are an adult now, and you can do as you please. I cannot stop you, but as your mother I do believe I am owed at least a small explanation.

Your father and I love you very much,

-Mummy

Belle handed the letter to her son's owl and she watched it fly out the shop window. She placed her head into her hands. Her son had attempted to sneak out of Hogwarts in the middle of the night and Belle had received his detention notice two days before. She'd pondered over how to discuss it with him.

She knew what it was like to desire to run away. She also knew she hadn't raised him like she'd been raised. He'd been raised with love and with genuine affection.

Yes, sometimes Ed didn't always understand things, but he was a good father who would take a bullet for his son.

Belle wondered as always, if she'd given her children too much freedom. Could that be the problem?

It had been a hell of a year. After Sammy's protests from the last year and the constant Death Eater attacks in Diagon Alley, she was feeling exceptionally drained. Ollivander's shop beside her own had been attacked and Ollivander hadn't been seen since. She and her daughter had been in the shop that day, both crouching behind her counter, both terrified.

She and Ed were constantly preparing to go into hiding. They were going to give their children the choice to go with them to America again or stay at Hogwarts. Jack was an adult and could technically do as he pleased, but they elected Sammy would still have the choice between Hogwarts and America.

There had been a slight influx in orders again. Professor Slughorn had been teaching and had restarted his Slug Club. Belle knew too well the club always included parties and dress robes.

Sammy had been accepted into the little club, but Jack had not. Belle was slightly shocked by this, considering Slughorn had always really liked Belle and the Brennas.

This was mostly explained by Sammy who said Jack had made a bad impression with Slughorn who didn't realize they were Belle's children at first. He had invited her to the club based on her reputation in journalism. It was only after he met her that she revealed her lineage, which was awkward for poor Sammy who had never told her friends.

Belle looked down to the blank page beneath her, she was at a slight loss for ideas at the moment. Her daughter needed dress robes for the Slughorn Christmas party and she'd finally found the time to think of something for her. She'd finished the other orders, including one for Slughorn himself, but she was feeling drained after writing the letter to her son.

The bell to the store sounded and Belle looked up to see Mr. Lee Jordan with coffee in both of his hands. Belle wasn't entirely sure what his relationship was to her daughter anymore. Samantha kept insisting it was now plutonic. She'd broken up with him indefinitely, but they'd remained friends.

He lived on the alley with the Weasley twins who had recently opened a joke shop. He worked with them during the mornings and then at an internship at the WWN the rest of the day. Since the summer ended, he'd made the occasional habit of bringing her a coffee.

She wasn't sure he was who she would really want dating her daughter, but she didn't mind him. He was nothing like his quiet father, but he was a sweet young man.