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CHAPTER FOUR —— the artisanal skeleton
( Hogwarts )
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As a child, Verity's routine had been very specific throughout the years. From when she was old enough to really remember vague memories of her childhood, up until the age of eleven, it had been a series of waking up at seven in the morning, getting dressed and being dropped off at her school — Verity's neighbour, a sweet old lady named Mrs. Patterson, would pick her up from school and take care of her until Verity's dad got back, supervising her as she sped through her homework, and building puzzles with her after the fact. Verity's dad would pick her up at five thirty on the dot everyday, and the two would go home — Verity would play in the sitting room while her father cooked dinner, the two would eat and talk about their day, Griffin would tell her about all the interesting things he encountered at the Ministry of Magic that day, and then he'd tuck her in to bed, reading her a story or telling her about his adventures at Hogwarts. It was always the same friends he talked about — never Sterling.
Yet, at night, amidst the bright abyss of moonlight and the eery feeling of wonder, Sterling's voice would still haunt Verity's mind.
The previous few summers, especially the last, had led to a change in schedule for Verity. No longer bound by the supervision of Mrs. Patterson, who had moved in with her grandson about two years prior, leaving the apartment next door vacant and on sale, Verity had gotten her job at the local beauty shop across the street. She had started waking up later, nearing ten and eleven, with Griffin already far gone to work and probably eating lunch by then, and had shown up for her shift at work, getting home hours after Griffin had already gone to bed — it was almost as if she was avoiding him, especially after the debacle at Grimmauld Place during the last few weeks of summer.
Now, switching back from her old routine was hard when Fay started shaking her awake at six thirty in the morning. Verity groans, rolling over in her bed, only to yelp as she hits the ground with a large thump.
