(1) Family Ties (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Six

A month after arriving in Mystic Falls, Tansy hits a bit of a bump in her personal life. A month of teaching Bonnie and mentoring her through the history and the theoretical side of magic was all fine, but today is a bad day. Personally for her. A very bad day. Halloween. It's the day her parents were killed so it is likely that this is going to be a day that haunts her forever. And this is the first time she is away from Harry for it. even last year, she was given leave to go home for the anniversary. This is the first year where she isn't comforted by her brother. She has literally only just woken up and she can feel this day. A blackness deep in her soul threatening to consume her. It was never like this before Hogwarts. She was sad that James and Lily died, but back then all she thought was that it was a car accident. Sad and tragic, but mundane. To later find out that they were murdered, it changed the way that the grief tasted in her mouth. It is a deeper, rawer pain.

Tansy lets out a breath and buries her head in her hands, sitting on the edge of the bed and plucking up the motivation to go out into the kitchen for coffee. She can hear Bonnie in the next room with Sheila. Unexpected. Bonnie is here before school when usually they have their little 'lessons' after school, but Tansy doesn't care today. She doesn't care to question it. She just wants to burrow her way into her bed and hide. It's just one day. She can get through it without completely breaking down. Maybe even leave the house to go and get a drink, because she knows that Sheila doesn't have any alcohol in the house that Tansy can swallow, it's all old-people drinks and she is not that sad, not yet anyway, it is still early in the morning. Who knows how she is going to feel later in the day.

.....

Outside of Tansy's bedroom, Bonnie is heading through the house, intending on knocking on Tansy's bedroom door, but Sheila is close on her heels, following after her to stop her from disturbing Tansy.

"Not today" Sheila tells Bonnie softly, touching her arm to stop her, not that far from the bedroom door. Bonnie turns a frown at her grandmother.

"I just thought with the party tonight that Tansy might be willing to...." Bonnie tries to explain why she has turned up extra early. She has come to love her couple of hours with Tansy and she didn't want to miss out on them because of a back-to-school party. She thought that Tansy might let her get an hour or two in before school.

"Not today" Sheila repeats, touching Bonnie's cheek softly. Sheila understands what today is, and Tansy is not going to be in the mood to do anything. It is a day in which she is going to want to isolate herself away and she will most definitely not want any company. Bonnie frowns deeper at her grandmother, she is confused, but she can see that Sheila really means this, that there is something else going on here. Something that she doesn't know about.

"Grams" Bonnie starts, only to turn when the bedroom door behind her opens and Tansy shuffles out. Her desire for coffee driving her into the hallway. She pulls a face seeing Bonnie looking at her with questioning eyes and Sheila's pity filled eyes. Tansy sighs a little and runs her fingers through her messy hair. Bonnie knows that whatever is going on is serious, she has not seen Tansy with a single hair out of place since she arrived, her hair and make up always meticulously done. She hasn't bothered at all this morning. Bonnie looks at her grandmother who gives her a look back, as if to say 'see'. Tansy shuffles around the two of them, wanting to escape to the kitchen before returning to her room. She just can't deal with any of it today. She just wants to mourn in peace and then later call Harry to mourn with him. That is all she wants to do today. Bonnie is not content with that though. She follows after Tansy, ignoring Sheila's soft protests. She's just trying to protect both of them. Tansy is not going to be in the mood for company and Bonnie will be upset by an outburst by Tansy should it come. Which it just might today.

.....

Tansy reaches the kitchen, heading straight for the freshly brewed coffee pot that is practically calling her name. A mug sits waiting for her use, likely Sheila knew that this would be all she would want today. That woman is amazing. Has been amazing to her since she arrived. No longer her professor so she's dropped a little bit of that stern teacher aspect and instead Tansy gets to see a warmth to her that wasn't necessarily missing at Hogwarts, but toned down when dealing with students instead of friends. Tansy picks up the coffee pot and then sighs hearing Bonnie right behind her. Bonnie opens her mouth to talk only for Tansy to hold up her hand towards Bonnie, stopping her right there before a single word has left her mouth. Bonnie blinks, a little put off by Tansy's mood. It's been a month but Tansy has been a very positive person, happy and eager and willing to talk to Bonnie whenever she has questions to ask her. Tansy pours out her coffee and then walks away, heading back towards her room. Bonnie turns back to her grandmother.

"It's a bad anniversary" Sheila informs her. "She's not going to be any kind of good company today, baby"

"What happened?" Bonnie asks her, Sheila shakes her head.

"It's not my place to explain" Sheila answers and touches Bonnie's arm. "Tomorrow will be better"