Astrophile [J.P]

Chapter 1

~ Starlight, summer nights, don't leave me here 

Alone to die. Someone, somewhere cried. ~

***

The stars glittered above in the sky. She took one last look at the countless shiny dots splattered in blue velvet, before closing the curtains and turning back to the opened trunk half filled with books.

It was yet another year at Hogwarts for Felicity Latvia, Fifth Year. OWLs year. Thinking of OWLs she groaned in exhaustion. Piling up the remaining stuff into her trunk, she shut the lid hiding all her belongings from sight.

She could easily hear the row going on downstairs. Her parents had never really been on cordial terms as long as she could remember and ever since Felicity had been diagnosed with the Witch syndrome, things had gotten much worse. Throughout the years, the topic of their arguments had shifted gradually from their own issues and now it was all about her.

All about their weird freak of a daughter.

When the Latvias had moved from Italy to England, it seemed as if everything would work out really well. No one in London knew their daughter was a freak and no one would suspect if the conditions were right.

And thus Felicity had embraced her new home and new life in a foreign country. 

Placing a chair and standing on it with her tiptoes, she took out a box that was placed on the top of her cupboard. That box contained her wand, her school robes and a few letters from her friends. She emptied the contents of the box in a rucksack then strapping on her shoes, she made up her mind to go downstairs.

The sound of the trunk being dragged down the stairs announced her arrival to the elder Latvias. Felicity entered the living room and after mumbling a low greeting to her parents, she went to the kitchen to fix her breakfast.

"Felicity, honey, I have already made some peanut butter sandwiches for you," Esther came in the kitchen and handed her the plate.

"Thanks Mum," she spoke and sat down on one of the stools by the counter, digging in her breakfast, "you didn't have to do it, you know."

Esther shifted uncomfortably, "I... I know sweetie but... We realize you like to keep a lot to yourself and you never really give us a chance at being a family. And I was wondering if... If we could go back to how we used to be."

Felicity looked up in surprise, "I don't give you a chance? Really? What's the catch?"

"There is no catch," she gave a firm reply.

Her daughter however knew there could be no chance that Esther wanted this to happen without any reason, "Mum, there was a time when I wanted our family to be together. Guess I have grown out of that phase. I realize how much of a burden I am on both of you and I don't want to cause any further trouble. I gave things a chance to adjust when we left Genoa but nothing changed. And now I have gotten used to it all."

"Honey, we just want to help you," Esther reached out to grab her by the shoulders but she quickly pulled away.

"No, I don't need any help. I'm perfectly fine," she left the plate at the counter and stood up swinging her rucksack on her shoulder, "I know I'm being rude but I just can't do this."

As she dragged her trunk out from the main door, Stefan stopped her, "I can drop you off to the station."

She was slightly taken aback at how her parents were being so kind to her. She had never remembered them being this involved in whatever she did ever before. She knew how much Stefan hated the start of terms for her. Because it meant taking her to the station which could get him late from work.

"It's alright, I'll take the bus," she replied as she placed the trunk out on the pavement, "bye Mum Dad. See you next Summer."

Esther called out after her, "but Fel, aren't you coming home for Christmas Break?"

She shook her head in a no and began walking down the other end of the street towards the bus stop.

The cold wind struck her like a whip as she determinedly walked ahead. She knew she was being unnecessarily rude to them both. Deep down, she knew that she was being cruel to her mother. 

Her mother who had always tried to remain in the good books of both her daughter and her husband. Even she couldn't deny that Esther hadn't done enough to keep them all together. It was only Esther who sewed the torn remnants of their once happy family.

It wasn't really her fault for being this distant with her family either. Her mind whirled with the same thoughts that had occupied her since months. Thoughts which rebuked her for being so rude and so unreachable. 

The bus arrived and she boarded it however the mental activity going on in her head only intensified instead of being distracted by the presence of other people.

She knew it wasn't Stefan's responsibility to look after her and bear her expenses, yet he did all that even if it was just on account of his wife. She knew Esther could have easily left her off at an orphanage and not bother to look back at her child who was nothing but a mistake, yet she didn't.

She knew if she was alive right now, it was due to her mother. No matter how  much she forced herself to believe the opposite, she couldn't deny the facts.

But what could be said in Felicity's defense? Nothing. No word at all except one.

Selfish.

She was selfish and she had learnt only to take and not give back. She had learnt to accept everything she was provided with as a right. And when the truth had dawned upon her of her real worth, she had been shaken up badly. Everything she had grown up to believe in was snatched from her in one painful moment.

All her views and dreams had crumbled before her eyes. And after that life changing revelation, Felicity herself had changed growing silent and distant from both those people who she called her Mum and Dad.

She had deliberately closed herself in a shell and refused anyone to come and reach out to her. No wonder if Esther tried now, she knew she had been too late.

Her daughter had got lost somewhere among the hoards of people and had vanished from sight just like the stars that vanish in the daytime.

***