Freakish *ON HIATUS*

Chapter 6

Leah sat on the staircase as her father took her suitcase outside and put it in the trunk of his car. The clouds overhead cast a dull, grey atmosphere in London, matching Leah's mood exactly. This last month had been extremely lonely for her. The quietness in the house drove her mad. She had lost the will to go enjoy the sunshine while it lasted or play any video games while they were still allowed. If it weren't for Bella, she would have definitely had a mental breakdown.

It wasn't as if no one talked during that month. She'd seen Dad and Pop exchange a few words over papers more than once. Unfortunately, when she would enter into the room, hoping for a warm welcome and cup of chocolate milk - for everything to be normal, even just for a little bit - they would immediately stop talking, glance at her in frustration, and one of them would always leave.

It was as if they had already prepared themselves for her absence in the house.

She'd said her goodbyes to Bella yesterday. And she would never forget the way Bella has just broken down into tears, not being able to accept the fact that her best friend was leaving. And Leah couldn't even have a couple of minutes with her - Bella had to go home immediately after a short hug and a measly 'bye'.

She took a deep breath, and felt her wand box in the pocket of her jacket. She was fine. She would find somebody to talk to at Hogwarts. She would make friends - she always had some. Granted, she took longer than most people, but a girl could hope.

Her father came back from outside, and sat down on the stair next to her, which was surprising. This entire month, he'd distanced himself from her. Was her going to lecture her now?

"Hey, princess." He said.

"Hello, Dad." She said in a strange tone. She glanced at him and realized he looked sad. Very sad, actually.

Slowly, he put her arms around her, and without thinking, she buried herself in his chest, weeping.

A few minutes passed this way, and when she straightened up she realized she wasn't the only one crying.

Her dad wiped his eyes, embarrassed, and managed to smile at her. "Sorry, Leah. It's just - just stupid parental emotions, that's all - "

"Oh, really?" she said. "Having emotions about me is stupid, is it?"

"What?" He said, surprised.

"That's literally what you just said." She eyed him grudgingly. "You said parental emotions were stupid."

"No, that's - that's not what I - "

Leah started laughing, and her father joined her, and for the next half hour, both of them were just rolling on the ground, holding their hurting tummies after a bomb of inside jokes was dropped by her.

"Ahem."

She looked up and saw her grandfather standing near the doorway, waiting for them. She immediately stood up and said, "Hey, Pop."

He didn't acknowledge her, but said to Dad instead, "It will take you at least an hour to get there. I suggest you leave now."

Her father's grim face returned and he said curtly, "Fine, Nathan."

Grandpa turned on his heel and went upstairs, and she heard the door of his room slam very clearly in the still house.

"Dad?" She said softly. "Is Pop angry with me? Is he never going to talk to me? Does he not accept the fact that I can do magic?"

Her father sighed and got down on his knees, looking up at his daughter with a solemn face. "No, he doesn't."

A quiet lull fell between them as she processed the words he just said.

"...wow." Was all she could say.

Her grandfather didn't accept her. Her sweet, loving, pampering Pop didn't accept the fact that she was a witch. He didn't want her to be real. Tears stung her eyes as she realized that her family was breaking apart.

"And, princess," He said tenderly. "We - we have to leave this house. He doesn't want us to live with him anymore."

There. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"No," she said.

"I'm sorry?"

"No! Stop this! I am not a witch! I don't want to be a witch! Too much is changing, Dad. I'm losing everything. I lost my friends, my school, my home, and now my grandfather?!" Her voice choked up as she started crying involuntarily. "Why? Because I got a stupid letter? Because some person gave me a friggin' wand?! I can't lose my family, Dad! Please don't make me leave. Please, Dad. I want everything back to normal..." Her sobs took over and she couldn't continue.

Her father hugged her again, but this time his voice was strained.

"You'll be safe there, Leah. Hogwarts... Hogwarts is the safest place in the world. The professors there will take care of you. They'll teach you how to use this wand. Trust me, Leah - you'll be happy there." He caressed her and he rocked her gently. "I - I promise you, the next seven years will be the best time of your life. You just need to embrace it."

"How do you know this, Dad?" she said weakly. "Have you ever been to Hogwarts? Then why are you working as a banker - shouldn't you be working as a wizard?"

He forcefully separated her from himself and looked her straight in the eye. "Your mother had been there."

Her mother. The subject that was forbidden in this house. Leah couldn't bring herself to say anything as her throat closed up. She didn't miss her mother - heck, she didn't even remember what she looked like. There were no pictures of her in the house. She had asked about her mum once when she was a kid, and the reaction she had gotten from her grandpa was enough to let her know that Mum was a sensitive subject. Her father had never brought her up in a conversation once. Were they allowed to now, since they were moving out of Grandpa's house?

Her father sighed, and stood up, checking his watch. "We must leave now."

Leah was too numb to say anything. She just got up, picked up her wand and went outside into the grey neighborhood. She opened the door to the silver Nissan Qashqai, but turned around before she got in.

Her home stood in front of her. Her beautiful, perfect home in which she grew up in. She remembered playing on the tiny-tots swing set that Pop has bought for her when she was three. She remembered practicing her very first bike she'd gotten as a birthday present on the lawn when she was five. She remembered when she'd slipped on a puddle on a rainy day while skating and sprained her ankle badly when she was seven. She remembered the picture she'd taken of Dad, Grandpa and her, sitting on the front porch, eating ice cream and giggling when she was nine.

These memories washed over her like a flood. But she didn't allow the emotions to get to her. Not again. If there was anything that she'd learnt from Disney movies and fantasy books was that the protagonist always has to accept her fate. And she would. She was the protagonist in her life, after all.

As she got into the car and watched her home disappear into the distance with her father trying to cheer her up with some hip-hop music, she rested on the seat, closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

The protagonist has to accept her fate.

The protagonist has to accept her fate

The protagonist has to accept her fate.

The cocktail of emotions - frustration, sadness, loss, anger - swirled around inside her and settled in her gut as a feeling of sudden determination burned her chest.

No, she thought firmly. Not this time.