Redo - Harry Potter Fanfiction

(Boo) (Year Two) Chapter Three

What if I just released a lil sneaky lil chapter years after I left this fic? Don't know if I'm continuing cuz I'd have to read this whole work again and figure out the plot I was going for but here's a chapter that was just sitting there looking sad and I had to give her a home. Lemme know if you'd rather this stay a dead fic. My writing style will change maybe drastically if ya'll want more be warned. 

- Lemon Nugget 

'What kept you from replying? I'd be so glad to have you come! You haven't missed my birthday, it's in late August, August twenty second to be exact. How do you plan on getting here? Signed, Xira.' She put her quill down on the desk and admired her letter.

Dark pink ink this time, just to mix things up a bit. Perfect cursive letters she had practiced almost daily when she was younger. Xira had wondered why Harry never responded to her letter, she sent it almost a week earlier, on his birthday, and hadn't got a reply.

She almost worried that Harry was ignoring her, but luckily it was something unrelated. Xira heard Baine hooting impatiently, glaring at Xira. She giggled at that; the owl almost looked like it was tapping its foot. But Baine's beak was sharp as were her talons, so Xira didn't laugh for long.

"Alright, alright! Don't rush me, Baine." Xira's voice sounded weird to her, but it must've been her imagination. Xira stood, chair scratching the floor below and she walked over to where Baine was on the window.

"You're always rushing me..." An annoyed female voice uttered. And Xira looked around her room, searching for the owner of the voice, but there was only her and Baine. Xira looked back at the bird, fear written all over her face.

"Was that you?" She whispered; Baine gave her a blank look. And Xira felt very stupid, her face felt hot. Birds don't talk, that would be dumb. Xira laughed awkwardly to herself, feeling a bit relieved. Only her imagination of course, playing tricks on her as always.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Xira murmured to Baine, petting the top of her head. The bird dodged her fingers, and it seemed like Baine rolled her eyes. Xira left her room, opening the door to see the dark hallway ahead.

Was her mother still not home? She has been working a lot lately, Xira barely even saw her. She thought during summer they could spend time together, but it seemed like her mother had other plans.

"Mother? Are you home?" Xira called out timidly, voice still echoing through the seemingly empty house. She walked over to the light switch and flicked it on, yellow light lit up the hallway. Two doors on opposite sides, light brown carpet tickling her toes.

The door on the left was her mother's, the door on the right was their shared bathroom. Xira went to the left door, opening it just enough to peek her head in.

"Mother?" She asked in a hushed voice, eyes scanning the room. Xira had to find where her mother put the envelopes, she liked to put them in stupid places. Xira honestly didn't understand why her mother hid them, she always complained about Xira wasting them.

Xira didn't even use that much! It's not like she had a hundred friends. She has only sent a few letters so far, a few to Harry, but she's mostly been talking with Hermione. Xira thought it would be nice to send her one letter, but they ended up bonding over summer.

Hermione really was a nice girl, though sometimes she seemed more like a college professor than a normal girl. Xira let out a sigh, shoulders deflating, realizing her mother still wasn't home. At first, she liked her mother not being home this late, Xira could stay up however late she wanted.

But now she almost wanted her mother to come home and yell at her for still being up. Xira knew the words she'd say.

'Xira!' She'd hiss quietly, like they weren't the only ones in the house. Her hair would be untamed, makeup smudged. A look on her face that would cause anyone to shrink.

'What do you think you're doing?' She'd ask, her tone a warning for Xira to choose her words carefully. Why did Xira miss that? Maybe what she really missed was her mother. She wasn't going to get her letter out tonight, and she was feeling rather tired.

She glanced back over at her room but remembering the voice she shuddered and instead stepped into her mother's room. She crawled into the empty bed and pretended it wasn't cold. The smell of her mother, cinnamon and spice was a calming balm.

Xira smiled slightly and snuggled around herself as she drifted off to sleep. She thought she heard something in the distance.

"Hello? What about the letter?" She thought a screechy voice yelled, but it was her imagination.

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Warm hands on her face, smoothing back her hair. Slightly calloused from a wand, her mother's hand. Xira's eyes peeled open, squinting because it was brighter than she expected. Her mother stared back at her, a tired smile on her face.

She was still in her work robes, hair still greasy from potions. She looked older than Xira's ever seen her, and that made Xira sad. Her curls were all over the place, bruising under her eyes from sleep deprivation.

Xira sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, yawning wide and stretching her back.

"Have you been waiting here all night, baby?" Her mother asked regretfully, a frown on her already sad face. Xira matched the expression, her mother shouldn't feel bad. Xira knew she had to work, Xira knew that her mother couldn't always be with her.

"No, mother! I was just looking for the envelopes and I got tired. Your bed is comfy." Xira shrugged and her mother sighed deeply. Xira was expecting a laugh, maybe a chuckle, but she received only a weary noise from a worn-down woman who barely resembled her mother.

"Are you okay, mother?" Xira attempted, nervously. She wasn't sure why she was timid; this was her mother. Xira wasn't scared of her, just worried about the answer. Xira wanted her mother to be fine.

"I'm okay, baby, I promise. Work's just been hard on me lately." She explained, a false smile on her face.

"Tell them to stop. I don't want you to be sad, mother." Xira begged, big blue eyes innocent as they met her mother. Her mother covered her mouth with her hand, turning away slightly.

"Sometimes...Sometimes even when you ask nicely for someone to stop, they don't baby. That's not how it works." Xira's mother admitted as she faced Xira again, she wasn't crying but she was close to it. And Xira had to think about that, really consider her mother's words.

She wasn't an idiot; she was aware of how the world wasn't always fair. She was young though, and her mother had always kept her safe. You're supposed to stop when someone says to, that's just right, that's just how it should be. Maybe not always, but most of the time.

"Why?" Xira asked, affronted, brows furrowed. Her mother chuckled bitterly, an almost ugly sound. She got off the bed while letting out a huff of air.

"That's just the way it is, Xira." Her mother stated, like a fact, like there was no argument. As if nothing could change it.

"There're bills to pay, two mouths to feed. I'm okay, baby, I really am. I just have to get through this rough patch and things will be right as rain. I promise." Xira had no other choice but to trust her mother. Xira could only hope she was right.