𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚛 | 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

• Chapter 12 •

Third Person POV:
"It was just Christmas." Hallie groaned
"Yes, six months ago." Sage replied
"I'm saying time goes by too fast. We're going to be twenty five before you know it."
"Please, I can't even imagine my life past nineteen."

The girls dragged their trunks down to the common room and out the door.
"Ladies." George nodded causing Sage to jump
"George!" Hallie smiled giving him a tight hug

Fred said hello to Hallie as him and Sage exchanged glares.
"There you guys are!" Angelina called from down the hall with Lee following close behind her
"We better hurry if we're going to find a compartment together." She advised

Fred wouldn't have minded if they had to kick Sage out if there wasn't enough room.
"Here let me help you." George spoke taking Hallie's bag
"Thank you kind sir." Hallie replied

Fred was already down the hall carrying Angelina's bag for her.
"What gentlemen." She teased
"Hey! I can be a man too!" Lee whined suddenly snatching Sage's bag from her

The group headed down to the strain station listening to Hallie's cat peaches cry the whole way there.
"My parents said we're going to vacation!"
Hallie had asked what everyone was doing for the summer, Angelina practically burst with excitement sharing her detailed trip plans.

"Probably nothing since we went to Egypt last summer." George laughed
Fred nodded "Gives us more time to developed our products."
"So long as mum doesn't catch us."

"I'm hoping my parents will agree to go to the beach this summer." Hallie sighed
"Sage,"
"Cmon I see a empty compartment." Sage interrupted pointing at a window

To her great relief everyone become immediately distracted with trying to get to the compartment before someone else and Hallie already knew not to push the subject.

"Glad you pointed that out." Angelina huffed throwing her bag in the storage area above
"No kidding." George agreed
Sage felt a dread settle in her as she sat down.

She knew what her summer held in store for her. She dreaded just stepping foot onto platform nine and three quarters. Her hands shook the whole train ride home. She wanted to throw up as her body shuddered.

She still didn't know what had happened to her brother but she suspected her parents had a hand in it. She hadn't heard from him in months.
"Sage?" Angelina asked
She jumped, snapping out of her trance.

Everyone was staring at her, even Fred looked lightly concerned.
"You're shaking." She said placing a hand on Sage's shoulder
"Sorry." Sage replied sitting back in her seat "I'm alright."
Hallie looked at her with a knowing look.

Hallie was the only one outside of her family that knew what Sage's life was like. Even then she didn't know it all. It had taken Sage years to even get to a point in their relationship that she felt like she could open up to Hallie about home life and even then she knew she couldn't share everything. But it felt nice to share some things.

"Sage, you never said what you're going to be doing this summer." George pointed out
Hallie felt a slight jolt of panic not knowing how her friend was going to respond but Sage was two steps ahead of her.

"Reading." She nodded "I still have books from Christmas."
"Well, if you need to get away from mass boredom, Freddie and I can come rescue you."
Fred looked at George with a betrayal like no one had ever seen before.

Fred, absolutely horrified that his own twin would make such an offer and include him in it. Everyone took notice to his facial expression, Hallie having to smother a laugh.
"Thanks but I wouldn't want to do that to Gingy over there."

George quickly covered his mouth shuddering with the laughs he was trying not to release. Fred leaned forward glaring at him as George refused to look back and simply stared out the window.

Angelina who was now sat between them looked down at her lap also trying not to laugh.
"Thanks for the offer though."
Rain started to pour heavily and most everyone started their own thing, thunder rolling in the distance.

The twins played went around doing card tricks with everyone and shuffling the cars in cool looking way. Lee talked about learning different languages for his Quidditch announcing while Angelina and Hallie shared about their summer vacations.

Eventually the calm pattering of the rain and thunder caused almost everyone to doze off. Hallie and George ran away to find they trolley as Angelina slept against Fred who was leaning against the wall.

Lee had is head on Sage's shoulder as she read peacefully. The only time her mind felt quiet was when it was raining. Something about the white noise that wasn't overwhelming but helped her to keep her thoughts in order.

The train station came into view and Sage could feel a pit form in the bottom of her stomach. She always dreaded the summers. The unusually stormy day did little to calm her.

Everyone got up grabbing their own things as students scrambled to get off the train and under the cover of the platform. They hugged everyone as one by one they all left finding their families.

Sage made sure to keep her head down to avoid being spotted by her parents before she was ready. She thought maybe hiding in a corner and being left here would have been better than going home.

Stopping to say hello to Hallie's family who all gave her sympathetic looks. All they knew was she hated going home. Sage stayed and talked for a while stalling her inevitable reality.

Tears welled up in Sages eyes having to tell Hallie goodbye, anxiety wracked her whole body thinking about what this summer had in store for her. She hated feeling this scared, but she couldn't control the overwhelming emotion.
"I'll see you next year." Sage smiled weakly

"Don't say that, maybe you'll get out."
Hallie said that every year. Sage had yet to get out. She was lucky if she even received letters during the summer. It was always the same.
"Bye."

Sage left Hallie behind, going and sitting on the bench where she usually waited for her parents at. Breathing became increasingly difficult as she thought of being locked up again in her cold secluded bedroom. Only let out to attend dinner with men who wanted to marry her for her money.

Thoughts of all the times her mother had gotten angry and taken it out on her, the things she kept under her pillow when she tried to sleep because she was so paranoid flooded her mind like a tidal wave.

"Sage."
She practically screamed as she jumped out of her skin. Whipping around to see who had snuck up on her. She could have cried with happiness upon seeing her brothers face.

He'd done it, he'd gotten custody of her, she would never have to go home again. She would never have to see or speak her parents again. She wouldn't have to live in fear anymore.

Excitement welled so much inside of her body she didn't catch the missing mischievous glint from his eye, or the stone coldness in his expression. She didn't notice the change in his demeanor or the strangely formal clothes he had on, hope taking over every one of her senses.

But something pulled at the back of her mind. A headline that haunted her worst thoughts. Though quickly dismissed by her, never entirely left.
Apollo Jackson resigned from his position at the ministry of magic.
"It's time to go."

1242 Words | Apr. 7 2023