A Legacy of Pain: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 16: A Plea for Help

Last Time: Poppy and Elizabeth prepared for their date in the Room of Requirement before traveling to Elizabeth's townhouse in London via the Floo Network. Once in London they joined Nathaniel in the carriage he had prepared for them since they couldn't see the show alone as women. In the carriage she gave her father more medicine for Evelyn and warned him that her mother had skipped at least two doses. After the play, which the young couple thoroughly enjoyed, they made their way to the Nightingale restaurant for Dinner, luckily able to dine alone since it was a restaurant catering only to women. Poppy enjoyed the curry sauce she tried for the first time as the two gushed over dinner, simply finding pleasure in each other's company. Back at school the two made plans for the next day before parting ways.

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On Sunday morning Elizabeth had awoken from a fragile sleep, her dreams having teetered on the brink of slipping into the night terrors which had haunted her for years, to find that Annie had slipped out of bed early. The older ravenclaw had nearly slipped into a state of panic until her violet eyes fell upon the golden blonde writing in a journal at Elizabeth's desk. Relieved that her little sundrop was still near and safe; the auburn haired witch soon left the bed to get ready for the day with her little sister. They ate breakfast together at Ravenclaw table before parting ways as Annie had made plans for that morning with Gwendolyn and Nyxia to help Professor Garlick in the greenhouses. With Poppy working at the reserve that morning and Annie busy; she was left to anxiously await her visit to the hospital wing that afternoon without her lights in the darkness beside her.

In an effort to distract herself; Elizabeth grabbed her broom and flew through the highlands until she found herself landing in front of Agatha's home. While she had visited the old witch a few times over the course of the summer; the auburn haired witch hadn't been able to meet with the woman since school had started. After stashing her broom within her satchel, the ravenclaw knocked on the door and opened it while calling out. "My apologies for the sudden visit. I hope I am not intruding at a bad time." She grinned as her violet eyes immediately fell upon the retired cursebreaker sitting in her usual rocking chair while knitting what looked like a small blanket.

The older woman looked up from her work and chuckled. "Of course not Lass. You know I haven't received many visitors since my retirement. Your impromptu visits are one of the few comforts I get these days." Agatha grinned before looking back down to her project while Elizabeth shut the door behind her; surprised by how dark it was in the small cottage. "Just give me a few minutes to finish this line of stitching and I'll make us some tea and rekindle that fire. It appears I was too absorbed in my work and allowed it and the lamps to go out. It is a good thing all those years breaking into old tombs have left my eyes quite accustomed to the darkness." The old witch chuckled, her hazel eyes gazing penetratingly at the younger witch.

"That is quite alright. I am the one who showed up suddenly. Please continue working and I shall restart the fire and brew the tea for us." Elizabeth giggled, instantly feeling her mood lighten as she spoke with the older witch. It had been less than a year since the two of them had first met last Christmas Eve when the ravenclaw had shown up on Agatha's doorstep covered in soot and blood after the Loyalist attack on Feldcroft thinking the home was abandoned. Yet in that time the young witch had grown quite fond of the older woman. She had never known her own grandmother since the woman had died soon after she was born and her adopted grandparents rarely paid her attention the few times she had met them. As such she imagined that perhaps if she had known her grandmother before she died that she might have been like Agatha; someone she could trust and confide in. Perhaps that was why she had taken to the experienced witch so quickly.