fabricated worlds (marlene mckinnon)

my pride and joy

A hundred days.

She had a hundred days until death.

Olive had a hundred days until she died. Bite the dust, kicked the bucket, fell off the mortal coil.

Annabelle Baldwin had set her up. She knew Olive didn't have that much gold, she knew Olive would die there, Annabelle didn't need help with her N.E.W.T.S, she was smart enough already.

Smart enough to know that Olive would do almost anything to leave, anything to survive. Annabelle also knew that Olive would trust her, Olive trusted everyone regardless of what they had done to her before, it was a trait of Hufflepuff house, loyalty.

Olive jumped up and crawled through the top of the grave and dusted her clothes. Her Christmas break wasn't going so well.

She sighed walked out of the cemetery gates, quickly checked to see if Dorcas and Remus were around, (they weren't), and sat at the bench besides the white squishy lump-thing.

She knew she was going to die, but she had more pressing issues. How was she going to get to Hogwarts?

She pressed her chin to her palm and sighed deeply. It was a long day.

—

Dorcas grasped the scathing coffee in her hand while Remus handled the chocolate.

To be fair, she didn't know why she let him do it considering his quite concerning chocolate addiction that was getting out of hand.

She watched him hold it from the corner of her eye, snickering at the way he eyed the corner of it, ripping off the edge, swatting him lightly when he brought it up for a little nibble.

"It's for Marlene," she said firmly, but filled with mirth. "What would you do if someone ate your birthday chocolate?"

He turned to her to make some smart ass statement but his eyes widened. "There's Olive."

She was sitting on a bench besides a rather interesting looking white lump, face in her palms and shaking slightly.

Dorcas turned to Remus, admiring the way he seemed to know at least two times the amount of information she had gotten from this experience.

He was observant, she knew that, but sometimes it went a little bit too far, with him seeing signs that did not exist.

He frowned. "She definitely went to visit someone. Poor Olive."

Olive's eyes suddenly lit up, she stood up quite abruptly and quickly stalked off towards the other side of town.

Dorcas nodded. "Poor Olive." She echoed. 

—

Olive had a plan and she wasn't going to mess it up. She had thought about it for a total of ninety eight seconds before jumping up, eyes bright and an idea forming in her mind.

She would have to break into her own house, grab her things, steal some Floo powder and get to the little wizarding shop besides Kings Cross, then she'll get to the Hogwarts Express.

She went back to the pawn shop and pressed another small coin to the man's hand and Flooed to her bedroom.

She coughed quietly and stepped out of her fireplace and into her bedroom.

It was the same as ever, long winding flowers spreading from inch to inch. There were a few abstract paintings hanging on the walls, a few more on the floor, waiting to be hung. There were a few plants in the corners and some cacti in pots on the windowsill.

Her bird hopped down from the windowsill and she absentmindedly let her stay on her elbow, it raised high.

Her puffin, Halia, nipped her cheek affectionally, she thinks.

It was already a struggle to let Halia into Hogwarts, signing contract after contract promising to make sure she didn't get into any trouble.

Halia was scared of the owls so she stayed in the Hufflepuff dorm, perched on her nightstand while the other Hufflepuffs cooed at her.

She brought out her extendable trunk and pushed her things inside.

She started with uniform, clothes, her purses and old piggy banks, she threw her paints inside and pushed her toiletries.

She zipped up her bag, frowning before checking under her bed. Her favourite paintbrush was gone, the last thing that would remind her of her home. No, her house. Old house. Yes.

It was gifted to her by her mother. She shook her head at that thought before shrugging lightly. After all, no one can hear her thoughts.

She whipped out her wand and whispered an accio paintbrush. It shot into her arm and she clambered up.

"My pride and joy." She said aloud, but quietly. The remains of the stick on price tag was still on the handle and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Maybe this ought to stay here." She whispered, placing it on her nightstand.

She stood there for a few more seconds before shaking her head, hard. "No need to dwell on it, Olive."

"Halia," She quietly called. "Come down there."

Halia shot her a strange look before obeying and clambering onto her arm.

Olive took a deep breathe and grabbed the powder. She was a few steps away from the fireplace, she'll leave her old home forever.

Forever is a long time.

She shook her head once more, climbing into the fireplace, making sure Halia didn't fall off. She was too cute to die.

My pride and joy, she thought sadly.

"Williams' Artefacts." She said, after taking a deep breathe and entering a new place entirely.

Note:
A little shorter than usual but there is literally nothing I can add.