𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 (𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖈𝖚𝖘 𝕱𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖙) 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙳✔

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑰𝒕

It was nearly time, she clutched onto the grimy hand that was stretched out for her to take. As soon as their hands met, she felt herself entering into a deep dark abyss. Her feet momentarily left the ground and the feeling of being squeezed into a pipe had always been so uncomfortable to her. Apparition was not her favourite way to travel from one place to another but she couldn't lie that it was better than the Floo Network. Afterall, she didn't fancy her clothes being covered in Floo powder.

With a loud thud, her feet hit the ground at last as she exhaled loudly after holding her breath in during the disapparation. Slowly opening her eyes, the girl came face to face with the usual Hogwarts Express scarlet red train in front of her. It whistled loudly, signaling it's nearly time for its departure as grey smoke clouded the air.

"Mistress do you wish for Polly to-" The house elf was about to insist on helping her Mistress carry her things but her Mistress declined almost immediately.

"No." She rudely interrupted the house elf, Polly was used to it by now since she's been serving the Korbeil family for years.

"Go home, Polly." The raven haired girl ordered the tiny elf.

"But Master Leonard has specifically instructed Polly to-"

"I said go home." The girl snapped, her emerald green eyes glaring back down at the house elf's large tennis ball ones.

In fear, Polly squeaked and bowed before disappearing to thin air with the snap of her abnormally long fingers.

Ivory sighed deeply, thinking she could do with a smoke right now. She boarded the train, dragging her trunk down the aisle and searched for an empty compartment. Once she found one, Ivory settled down inside it and placed her trunk over the luggage racket before taking a seat by the window.

Ivory watched as students bid their farewells to their own families, wishing that her mother and father had done the same for the last six years of attending to Hogwarts. At last after what seemed to be like an eternity, the train started moving as it gave one last hoot and departed from Platform 9¾.

Without even rethinking it, Ivory fished through her pockets for a pack of cigars and pulled out a stick. She placed it in between her plump lips and lit it up using her wand. Ivory took a long drag as she slid the upper window open to let out every diamond shaped green smoke she exhaled.

Her mind instantly going to a state of calmness and relaxation; it had been days since she hadn't done this since her stepmother, Cecilia, was always around to prevent her from doing it.

Korbeil Manor had never felt like a home to her... it felt more like a prison much like Azkaban in which she wasn't allowed to leave unless you wanted to receive the Dementor's kiss. In this case, Cecilia was the Dementor and the kiss was just her way of worsening her maltreatment towards Ivory.

Now that the hag wasn't around, Ivory always felt like this was some sort of release whenever she left for Hogwarts at the beginning of September.

Someone knocked loudly on the compartment door, making Ivory nearly drop her cigarette as she glared at the person who was smiling on the other side. With an eyeroll, she tried to ignore him as he gladly let himself in.

"Again really? When will you learn that smoking inside the train is bad?" He raised an eyebrow, looking quite amused.

"When will you learn that Korbeils never listen to other people's opinions?" Ivory retorted bitterly.

Terence only chuckled in response, sitting across from her as he slid the compartment door closed once again. Ivory tried ignoring his presence, taking another long drag and blowing out the green smoke. Terence coughed, some had reached into his nostrils as he used his hand in attempt to wave it off.