evermore || sebastian sallow

chapter 3 - house of gray

chapter 3 - house of gray

I'll never get over Garreth's Mood Enhancing potion. It did anything else but enhance my mood the whole train ride.

Yup, never again. I love Garreth as a friend but sometimes I could only take so much of his enthusiasm for experiments. One of these days I'd be bound to grow a cat tail or something, thanks to his experiments. Yeah, no thank you.

I looked outside the carriage windows as I felt it slow down.

The carriage rolled to a stop at the golden-bronze gates of the manor. I stepped out, taking it all in.

My home.

House of Gray.

The manor stood tall and proud before me, with spires of different heights reaching to the skies above. The white exterior, lined with bronze, almost felt blinding to me.

It felt different to be here now, with my ancient magic more advanced than ever, but I knew my parents expected me to have mastered it. It was probably not good enough that I learned just enough.

The vast courtyard sprawled before me, each trail and corner splattered with flowers blooming for the summer. One side took up bluebells and tulips, both of which were my favourites. In the middle, a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw's eagle stood proudly in the middle of a small pond, spewing out water that sparkled with the afternoon sun. It was said to have been her Patronus.

Flags with our house colours waved in the air, as if in welcome for having me back.

It's like I never left Hogwarts.

My house colours, blue and bronze, but with hints of gold, also followed me here. It was kind of like my common room, but...expanded?

Yup. That was exactly it.

Oh, to be Rowena Ravenclaw's direct descendant.

Such a treat (not).

I slowly walked to the front steps, preparing myself for whatever it was my parents were going to say to me. I've missed them so much, but I couldn't help feeling anxious.

I wasn't sure how long it took me to walk from our gates to our massive front doors, but I stood there before I knew it.

I stepped into the foyer, pulling my sleeves up to my wrists and hugging myself. The maids immediately recognized me, scrambling to get me sorted and relaxed.

"Oh, Miss Gray, how delightful to have you back!" said one of our maids. Amelia, her name was, if I recalled correctly. "Right this way, miss. Your family awaits."

I followed her, my shoes clicking on the star-patterned tiles. She led me through the main hallway, lit with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows, then past the kitchens and into the massive sunroom attached to the manor.

"Your daughter, Y/n, is here, Mr. and Mrs. Gray," announced Amelia.

My mother and father stood there, poised, and formal.

My mother gave me a smile as she responded to our maid, "Thank you, Amelia. That will be all. Leave us for now, please," said my mother, her tone kind.

"Y/n, dear! Oh, how we've missed you." My mother strolled toward me, graceful as always. She immediately gathered me in her arms and kissed my head. I found myself relaxing in her embrace.