Mitigation

Change Can Be Made

Elana woke up crying. She overturned herself onto her pillow and let out a scream. No voice escaped her. She smacked her head against her pillow.

She checked the time. Five thirty. It wasn't like she was going to go back to sleep.

"You are definitely not going to school today," Lydia said tersely, coming into Elana's room.

"I have to, I'll miss stuff."

"So, what? You have an excuse. Today, go do something different. Go shopping or something," she said.

Elana smiled wryly, "I hate shopping."

Lydia smiled, squeezing her cousin's hand. "Just do something."

Lydia didn't mention how concerned she was for her cousin. She had seen how the brunette seldom ate, and was almost always quiet. She smiled, but didn't laugh.

Not like she used to.

Lydia hoped this sadness of Laura's murder didn't spin the girl into depression. Lydia never knew what had happened when they left, but had a suspicion that neither did the amnesiac. Lydia did not want her happy, smiling, beautiful cousin to be depressed. It would not be healthy for her at all.

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Lydia asked, and Elana nodded.

Many twists and pulls later, Elana's hair was artistically weaved into an extravagant fishtail braid that was then made into a bun.

Elana said her thanks and Lydia went down to change.

Elana grabbed a granola bar, since breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

"Go do something different," Lydia had said.

There was so much to do, now that Elana thought about it, jogging into the reserve. She was basically in the future. She remembered how people would say that in the future there would be flying cars. Well, that may not be true at the moment but there was the internet. Also, Elana hadn't gone to her home in days. She needed to at least clean up or something. Maybe she should try to check the downstairs for secret passageways. Most of the places she had lived at seemed to be full of them. Or maybe she could visit Laura's uncle again.

She sighed.

She missed them.

She missed the Apples, the Marauders, the Quidditch team, the Hufflepuffs, the Gryffindors, the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, the teachers, the House elves, the magic.

She missed Hogwarts.

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm down her emotions, despite her deep urge to lean against a tree and scream her head off. She took a deep breath, clenching her fists.

When she opened her eyes, she found little half moons deep in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked from behind her.

"No," Elana said, straightening.

"Well, you- hide," he ordered. She obliged, pressing her back against a tree. She heard voices. Scott and Stiles.