Golden Girl; 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂

Summer, 1991: The Discussion

The next several hours felt like an eternity. Bambi continuously turned the letter over in her hands, thinking hard about exactly what she was going to tell her father when he returned. She paced side to side in her small makeshift room, unable to relax until she had answers.

"Why was it all his choice?" She wondered, "Why didn't I get a say?"

It was late when she heard the jumbled voices outside saying their nightly goodbyes and farewells. She heard her father's footsteps, the canvas flap opening, and then the sounds of him rustling around in the main living area.

"Evening Gerald," He said in a tired but satisfied voice, "How was Bambi? She do well?"

Gerald guiltily pawed the bar of his perch, but Sebastian didn't seem to notice. "That's a good boy, Gerald, you deserve a treat." Sebastian walked to the same shelf of jars that Bambi did, pulled out another mouse, and held it out to Gerald.

He sat heavily at his desk chair, grabbing a quill, set on finishing the letter he began earlier. He sighed, ran a hand through his unkempt red hair then wrote,

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Thank you for thinking of Bambi and sending another acceptance letter. I believe Bambi is getting a very beneficial hands-on learning out here with me on the field. Your letters still are not necessary, but we appreciate your generosity.

Sincerely,

S.L Hargroves

He reached for the top drawer of his desk to find some unmelted wax for the seal before pausing. He stood slowly, Gerald seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Quietly, thinking that Bambi was asleep, he peeked past the multicolored tapestry and peered in.

"Bambi?" He called in a soft voice.

He about jumped, Bambi was sitting upright in her bed, her arms crossed and the three letters out in front of her. She looked up at him, her warm honey eyes piercing his bright green ones.

"Ah," He said softly, "I see you've found the letters," Sebastian grabbed a nearby floor cushion and tossed it near her bed to sit on.

"Who sent these?" She looked at him, "Why didn't you let me read these before?"

"Bambi, it... just wasn't the right time. I was so busy with all our back-to-back adventures that we wouldn't have had the time to even get you what you needed- We were halfway across the world by the time September came around that first year!"

"No," Bambi furrowed her eyebrows, "You were busy with your back-to-back work trips. I was left back at wherever we were staying to study or read or do anything to keep myself occupied. You never told me that there was a school out there that wanted me!"

His face fell, "Bambi," He cooed in a soft voice. "You know I never meant to keep this from you dear, it just happened!"

"Dad, I want to go!" Bambi looked at him with pleading eyes, "I want to make friends and play real quidditch!"

His face somehow fell even further, "But Bambi," He frowned.

Sebastian Hargroves knew that deep down his reasons for wanting to keep Bambi with him were the same reasons she wanted to leave.

They were both lonely, or, scared of being lonely.

Sebastian Hargroves may have been a famous wizard recognized by everyone, but he only had Bambi. He knew it was selfish to hold onto her, but at the same time, couldn't stop himself from doing so.

"I thought you enjoyed traveling together," He said quietly.

"I do," Bambi's eyes fell to her feet, "I do, Dad," She repeated, "But... you always told me some of your best memories were in school." She felt like she couldn't hold onto this secret any longer, "I always wanted to go to a school, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings,"

Sebastian didn't say anything for a moment. It was as if he suddenly recognized everything for the way it was.

When he was younger, he couldn't wait to go out and see as many places as he could. He always wanted to travel and waited anxiously for the moment when it would finally be right.

He looked at his daughter, her eyes hopeful and honest.

"Was this what she really wanted?" He wondered, watching her twirling her fingers anxiously.

It was true, Bambi's dream when she was little was to go to a real Wizarding school, which was why she brought it up to her father so often. She enjoyed the traveling fine enough, but she always felt a pang of jealousy when she would see other children in Wizarding communities all leave for some fancy school in the Fall when she couldn't.

"Okay," Sebastian spoke softly, nodding his head, "You can go."

He felt the words leave his mouth and a foul taste replaced them. It was the last thing he wanted to say to her. It took a lot of shoving aside other thoughts to allow him to say what he knew was right.

"But I could easily teach you the next two years, at least!"

"You don't need any fancy school to teach you what you'd learn out here!"

"You're probably getting a better education- I bet you know more than all those kids combined!"

But, he stopped himself.

He knew that there would come a time when this would have to happen, a day when Bambi would start growing up... Pretending it wasn't happening wouldn't delay the timing of that.

Bambi looked up, her round eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Really? You mean it??"

"Yes, Bambs, I mean it," He responded with a weary smile.