Ravenclaw

Chapter 54- Silent Apology

Song for the chapter: Too Much Too Ask by Niall Horan

The last edit by Applesauce_25 , Slytherin!

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     A day passed. Then two. Then three.
     Flaura paced around the outside of the large building— she needed time to herself. But this wouldn't be what Rowena would do while her friend was in such a painful, yet important moment of her life.
     She bit her lip; she had received warnings. Three warnings. A warning a day, in different forms. All asking— no pleading— with her to change her mind.
     The day after the whole incident, there was silence. It was quiet in the morning, apart from the usual chirping of the birds that have become accustomed to the majesty of the palace that was a school. Flaura had smiled as she woke— the stranger was gone. They had failed to get what they wanted, and now she could return to life in peace.
That is, until the mail came.
No posts on Sundays. That was what they had said. No posts on Sundays. But who needs mailmen? The owls had came to the door anyway, perching on the windowsills, the roofs. Godric, with a tired expression and his usual messy bed hair, opened the door, and they each fluttered in and dropped their letters. None of which seemed to accept or expect a response. All owls just left.
"Taxes, taxes, and more taxes! Becoming just like Muggles by the second, we are," Godric complained, putting five envelopes into a box labelled 'important items'. Inside, were a few other letters— one from his mother and a few from Helga. She had been admitted to a hospital as the baby was to be birthed soon.
       Godric had taken six more envelopes out of the twenty that had arrived— they were taxes for the school— and started sorting the last nine into various pile. "Splendid! More early admissions," he said as he glanced at the first one, before flipping through the rest and checking if they were all the same.
       They were, except for the last one.
       "Rowena, love, it's addressed to your sister." Godric frowned and Flaura bolted upright.
     No, no, no!
     "M-my sister?" Flaura had stammered, wrapping herself with the blanket in the hopes it would keep out the physical and the emotional cold. "Th-they found her then? Here?"
     As an actor for the past eight months, Flaura had expertly pulled off a worried look, frantically looking around the small hut. Godric smiled at his 'beloved'.
     "No my dear," he had said, smiling and shaking his head. "Of course not." He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Then... then what does this mean?" She had asked him. Flaura Mae was an excellent actor. An excellent actor indeed.
     "Must be a family issue... they probably couldn't find your sister--"
     "But it's an owl!" Flaura exclaimed. "An owl, Godric!" Godric simply laughed and stood up, placing the letter on her lap.
     "You know to much that it troubles you, love. Now, it's my turn to see to Helga. I'll see you soon, my love." He kissed Flaura's nose, and with the flick of his wand, his hair was perfectly slicked back like it usually was and he took his red and gold scarf as he went out the door.
     Flaura sighed-- she hated so many things. She hated the way Godric thought she was Rowena; she hated the way she had feelings for Ophichus; she hated the way her heart swelled every time Godric called her 'his love'; she hated the way the owl had brought the letter to right person in the right place.
     All that was left was to open it.
     There was no longer room for hesitation, Flaura knew from experience that it only slowed the inevitable.  Releasing a tense sigh, she ripped the letter free from its ivory envelope and watched as the piece of parchment glowed-- the letters were golden, and most probably enchanted. The letter began to speak.
     "Flaura Mae Ravenclaw-- we meet again, through words. Matters such as our little situation cannot simply end how it did, I'm afraid, so I come back to ask you, beg you, plead with you to listen to... my master's words, let's say, though she's really not as bad."
     As the letter spoke and perfectly annunciated each word exactly how it was written, according to each pause and breath, the golden letters turned black like the ink it had been originally been written in. The enchantment was wearing off! Flaura better listen carefully.
     "I come with a few words from your sister, in fact. You must hate her, I know, for trying to take back what you stole. But, as I directly quote, she does not blame you. For who could possibly be filled with such hatred so as to ignore their sister's pitiful cries and crush her dreams like that?"
     Flaura swallowed; the guilt! Oh, the guilt! Her sister was skilled at the demonstration of the chill-inducing feeling, and had used her methods upon her. But, the worst part of guilt, was truth; guilt only came with truth of what happens, and the truth brings forth pain. For that was what guilt so intolerable-- the most dreaded thing humans fear the most... both truth and pain at the exact same time.
     "She says she believes in you, Flaura, though I am not sure what that means." The letters and words became black and bold, losing their glamourous shine. "She says that despite all that happened, the thought of you running away forever never fills or filled her with pleasure, but guilt. Immeasurable guilt and unbearable pain. She was only filled with sorrow and tears--and it hurt to see that you made my master cry over the terrible crimes you have committed against her."
     Flaura had to blink back her own tears because of how she felt the same-- she made her sister cry? Usually, it was the other way around. Now they were even, broken, but even. Undeniably hurt as they did so. But what could they do? They were sisters. They were supposed to break and rip each other apart, but also mend each other for other's mistakes, including their own.
     But everything had changed. And now, it was almost irreversible.
     "Save all of us, literally all of us the trouble, Flaura. Apologise, come home, and all will be fine. With you and my master, two of the greatest minds I have ever known-- and trust me, I know many smart individuals, will come up with a fantastically, beautiful, seamless lie. After all, that's what sisters do, isn't it?"
     "Farewell, on behalf of Rowena."
     The letter folded into even squares by itself. Flaura placed in the satchel where she usually kept things hidden and laid back down on the bed. The stranger was smart not to include her name, but she would recognize her voice anywhere, as her words had been permanently etched into her brain, just like the face of her sister before she 'died'...
     Oh, how Flaura missed her sister! How they used to be the best of friends before Rowena had gone to the local school. The days where she'd gush over a boy or discussed some of her classes, they were inseparable. But they grew, oh why did they have to grow! Fat tears rolled down Flaura's face as she reminisced the good times. She realized they could have remained good times if she just didn't have so much pride... if she just admitted... if she wasn't a coward, she would still have her sister!
     What was worse, she was still too proud. She still, after nine years and eight and a half months, still had her pride and success prioritized. She loved her sister, her family, her pride and success all the same, but prioritized the wrong things. Everything was wrong, so desperately wrong! She could have true happiness, but turned her nose up towards it!
     With her nose in the air and her chin high up, Flaura got off the bed and looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't even herself. She cried eve harder.
     She loved her sister, but had truly, beautifully destroyed herself and the only family that accepted her.