| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter twelve

DÉJÀ VU

•

"I think I'm going crazy."

"I thought we had already established that," Damien remarked.

"I'm serious, Damien," said Verena. "It feels like I travelled through time only I'm not realizing I am."

"Okay, you've become a nutter," he responded, continuing down the stairs.

"Things have been happening that I've already experienced," Verena tried to explain. "Okay, I knew today was the day we were going to Diagon Alley months ago."

"That doesn't make any sense," Damien commented.

"I remember... " she began, trying hard to think of the memory. "We were leaving the house, and Anya told our parents— "

"It's August twelfth, a Wednesday," Anya reminded Silas and Duvessa nearby. "The busiest days are in the middle of the week, especially with all the children receiving their letters. I hear Gilderoy Lockhart is having a book signing this week as well."

"Oh, dear heavens," Silas groaned, glancing at his wife whose eyes lit up at the name.

"... and there was this book."

"I think Verena's gone loopy," Damien called, approaching the two. "Do you think you can fix her, Mother?"

"Do not ask her that," Silas told him. "Your Mother needs to be fixed first."

Damien was about to question him but decided against it. He knew it was something between the two of them. They had seemed to be arguing for the past month.

"Let's go quickly before the line gets too long," Duvessa said excitedly, making Verena question her cheery mood.

"I will go with the children to get their supplies," said Silas. "Can you take care of our other matters?"

"Our matters?" Duvessa said coldly. "Need I remind you that they are yours."

"The roses must be moved," he said in a quiet voice. "They are ours to deal with."

"Fine," said Duvessa. "I will meet you later."

Silas turned back to his children with a smile saying, "Shall we?"

They were back in Diagon Alley to buy their supplies for school. Verena was in her second year – Damien in his fourth – and while she was nervous, she knew it couldn't be that hard to pass. After all, Damien had.

"Merlin's beard! I've never seen so many people here before," said Damien as they followed their father through the enormous crowd.

Damien got new robes at Madam Malkin's since he had grown quite a bit over the summer. Then, they got their new equipment for Herbology and Potions. They had bought new parchment, quills, and ink despite Damien's complaints and excuses.

"I'm never going to use it anyway," said Damien. "It's a waste of money. No one takes notes in class. They usually give us the parchment— "

"That's because you never have parchment," Verena said. "Or quills... or ink. You know, Daphne's still mad about all her broken quills."

"Okay, that was Flint," Damien defended. "He breaks them when he's mad, and I was being a kind friend and lent him quills to let his frustrations out."

"Why can't you be more like your sister?" Silas groaned.

"That's because I take after you, Father," Damien remarked, walking faster before his father could do something.

Their last stop was Flourish & Blotts to get their books. Tons of witches and (some) wizards stood outside the open doors, desperately trying to get in. Verena was excited to get inside, knowing her favourite bookshop had the books by none other than Gilderoy Lockhart.