The Simple House of Duffrey

(46) The Seventh Year

If I thought I had a choice about how I would spend my vacation the Ministry killed that idea quickly. While it was initially a gentle proposal it was obvious from the auror's patrolling around my parent's house in Allerton that I was going nowhere. My mother was under the impression that they were guarding my father in case of a retribution strike or a maybe even his vampirism suddenly sprung up. Every time she mentioned it my Dad gave a strange look my way that clearly said, 'don't tell her kid'.

Still my Mom was starting to get used to Agarth's help, even if I had to mediate his temperament a bit. He certainly hadn't forgotten the time she had hit me square in the face. During the first dinner he cooked for us he tried to serve her plain chicken broth out of spite. I laughed it off and gave her my plate instead. Then told him he had to let it go as we both went to the kitchen to get another dinner ready.

Saying that my father was doing well wouldn't exactly be correct either. Within a week of being home and able to move again he had exhausted himself of his hobbies. I had a feeling that some of the post he was sending weren't his usual friendly correspondences with his best friend Robertha Rathilvy. Judging from the crumpled up Daily Prophets classifieds, hidden in mine and Mary's old bathroom, he was trying to find a new job he could do. At the moment, it seemed like a bad idea if only because well he still looked dangerous and had to wear a special girdle around the deepest cuts to his body. His bones at least would heal alright.

At least there were some unexpected things happening. According to a phone call from Parker, he was staying at the London house with Ruddy, oh and Stephen of course. They were planning on heading to the Sayre Castle in a few weeks and wanted to remind me I was still welcome. It sounded as though the three boys were really getting along. Ruddy had even let them come to his practice to get pointers from professionals. Really after that I let my mind drift while talking since Quidditch wasn't my thing. Then again imagining all that bright pink flying around was a bit of a funny image. The change in voice suddenly brought me out of my daydreaming.

"Anna, it's bad, isn't it?" said Stephen on the other end of the phone.

"House arrest with your parents probably sounds good, right?" I said sarcastically.

"That's why I still say you should come here with us. Your parents will be fine, leave Agarth with them if you're worried" he pleaded to which I chuckled a bit about how well my mother and my personal elf might get along.

"The house feels smaller" I said rather absentmindedly. Even if I was also given Mary's room to use as space it was claustrophobic. Perhaps it was more the personalities than the actual house.

"I'll send Tristine to pick you up this week and then you can be here with the entire family" as he said this I heard something drop downstairs to the floor. The sound echoed on the receiver as well like someone was listening on the other line. "Anna, you still there?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll get ready for Tristine to come get me. I think I've had enough of everything here... I love you, see you soon." I said as I hung up the phone. Looking down the stairwell to the second floor my shadow overlapped someone else's. Someone who hadn't liked what she had heard.

There was a dissonance burgeoning in the house, so I was pleased to pack everything that I could. With the help of my extendo-bag and a new backpack I had extended for myself, I emptied out the contents of my room almost entirely. Now it only held a few movie posters, some ill-fitting shoes in the back of the closest and the furniture that wasn't really mine to take. Still I had at least one more day to wait since I didn't know how she would be travelling.

The next morning, I recognized the sound of Tristine being 'welcomed in' downstairs. Looking out the window to the front of the house, I saw she was driving Ruddy's strange foreign sports car. It was attracting attention from the neighbors, as if a celebrity had come. I came down the stairs with my two small bags and Thaddeus ran straight for me.