𝔞 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥; 𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔶 𝔭𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯

𝖎. blossom in chaos

EMMALINA GRANGER had never truly grasped how profoundly she had missed the comfort of home during her time at Hogwarts. The embrace of her familiar surroundings enveloped her like a heavy, warm blanket, soothing her in a world rendered known and predictable.

Emmalina relished the certainty of the familiar.

Yet, deep within her, a fervent longing stirred—a yearning for the thrilling allure of mystery and the thrill of the unknown. It was a delicate juxtaposition. She found herself at odds with this sensation, longing to approach life with practicality, to define her world in stark blacks and whites.

Not in shades of grey.

But emotions, it seemed, were never as simple as a mere colour palette; they danced in nuances far beyond the reach of clarity.

With a sigh, her quill scribbled a loop, signing her name on the parchment. She folded it and tucked the letter into her orange owl, Hestia's leg. As soon as the darkness of the approaching night engulfed the sky, she let the owl out of her window.

"Oh, what are you doing?"

Phaelyn Thorpe questioned, stepping into the room. She let her hazel eyes move around the room. Emmalina's bedroom walls were coloured beige. A string of decorative butterflies with decorative and colourful wings were hung on the opposite sides of the bed. Above the bed, with the blankets and various patterns, were posters of Madonna and Kate Bush, decorated around the borders with colourful hearts.

"Nothing, Phae, just came to take a break," Emmalina said.

Phaelyn's gaze dropped to Emmalina's bedside table where books and parchments were scattered. She approached it curiously, eyeing the pieces of parchment.

Emmalina immediately sprang up and hurried to cover the table from view. Phaelyn raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just deeply personal, is all," Heat crawled up her neck and seeped into her cheeks. She hurried to stuff her school books and parchment into the first drawer messily, crinkling the parchment.

"What's so personal you can't tell me?"

"It's nothing. Nothing important. Why don't we head downstairs? Mamu has made a fly Biryani. The one you always rave about." Emmalina looped her arm around Phaelyn's and took her quickly out of her room and down the stairs into her kitchen.

Phaelyn Thorpe was one of Emmalina's many friends. Muggle friends. The one she had to leave to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Emmalina couldn't deny that she had missed them, but she had always buried that thought deep in the back of her mind. This truth hit her harshly when she came face to face with her friends.

She and Phealyn entered the kitchen, where her mother was busying herself with adding finishing touches to her Biryani. Zarina Sharipova and Inaya Hassan were seated in the dining room.

Meera placed plates on the dining room table and then placed the ceramic bowl filled to the brim with Biryani.

"I'm just asking out of habit, Mrs Granger. That is not pork, yes?" Inaya asked.

"Yeah, it is not. Just for you Inaya."

"Is it halal?"

"Yes. I read the guidebook you gave me. I hope you like it."

"Thank you so much, Mrs Granger," Inaya said with a grateful smile, piling the mixed rice dish on her place as Zarina did the same.

Emmalina took her place while Phaelyn sat across from her.

"So tell us everything. How was the new school? How's boarding school?" Zarina questioned, hiding her mouth as she chewed.

Emmalina sucked in a breath. She couldn't help but feel sadness pool in her gut at the realisation that she couldn't share such an integral feature of her life. "Yeah, it's pretty good. Wish you guys were there with me."