we're not friends (maybe this time it'll be different) - Hosie

Chapter 01

As soon as her house came into view, a feeling of peace washed over Hope. She pulled up in the driveway, a bit surprised to find it almost empty. She parked her car where she used to park it years ago. The spot was always hers, even though almost ten years had passed since she lived in this house full time. 

Hope quickly got out of the car, and grabbed her bag from the trunk. She walked up to the front door, hesitating a bit when she was finally facing it. Technically, it wasn’t her home anymore, but she had grown up in this house. After a while, she decided to knock instead of simply walking in.

It took a little while, but Freya finally opened the door. “Hope? Oh, sweetheart!” A soft giggle escaped Hope’s lips as she was pulled into a hug by her aunt. Without hesitation, she dropped her bag to embrace Freya. “I thought you couldn’t make it this year.”

“Surprise!” Hope said, her voice shaking a little from the emotion rushing in.

It had been close to a year since she had come home to see her family. Hope knew this time it had been too long. She felt it, and she knew her family and friends did too. 

“Come in, sweetie.” Freya pulled away, only to pull Hope inside the house. 

Once she was in, the quietness of the house hit Hope. She frowned and looked around.

“Where’s everyone?”

“Oh, Keelin’s out to get more balloons and Nik has his piano lesson upstairs.” Freya quickly explained as they walked further into the house.

Hope’s heart skipped a beat. “So, Josie’s here.”

Freya gave her niece a knowing smile. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Hope’s eyes stayed glued to the stairs even as she followed her aunt.

She was so distracted that she never noticed when Freya stopped walking. Once she bumped into her aunt, Hope turned to look at Freya. The older Mikaelson gave her niece an unimpressed look, and Hope gave her a sheepish smile in return.

“Just go see them. We both know you’re dying to go.”

Hope chuckled with a nod. She could not deny the truth. Her two favorite people were upstairs and she wanted to see them badly. Hope quickly walked up the stairs and reached the room that had been converted to be a music room since Nik had started his lessons. She did not bother to knock, she just could not wait any longer. 

As soon as the door swung open, the woman and the boy at the piano turned to look at the intruder.

“Hope!” Nik quickly rushed to hug his cousin.

The Mikaelson woman’s eyes widened as she hugged Nik. “You got so tall.”

Nik laughed. “It’s because I’m ten now!”

“Ten?” Hope faked her surprise. “No way! The last time I saw you, you had just turned nine.”

The boy playfully rolled his eyes. “It’s because you leave for too long.”

Hope felt a pang of guilt at that. She hugged him a little tighter.

“You did grow a lot in the last year, Nik.” Josie fondly said as she got closer to the two Mikaelsons.