The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 59: Letters to Damion

"Oliver if you swat at my quill one more time I swear to merlin-"

"Oh come on Ava, he just want's your attention," Rosalie said as she picked the cat up by the scruff of the neck. "You've been writing like that for a while. Is there an essay assignment I don't know about?"

I looked up from my latest letter in the works to find Rosalie eyeing the parchment curiously from her bed. We were in the carriage, hiding out from the downpour weather that April was notorious for bringing. The others were waiting the storm out, stuck in the castle for the time being.

Oliver, who had been thrilled to be back in his familiar territory Hogwarts provided, had become an outdoors cat until it stormed. As Rosalie settled him in her lap and scratched between his ears (his favorite pat), those clever eyes of his continued to stalk my every movement. Like I didn't need another creature judging my every move.

"It's just something for Ghoul studies. You know, constant work for a stupid elective." Rosalie huffed in agreement, turning away from my work in distaste. Placing her attention to the spoiled fur ball in her lap, I let my gaze return to my work.

This letter was directed to Damion, thanks to my mother's task. Whether Damion writes back saying anything useful is none of my concern. Mamen only directed me to write to my brothers. She never went into detail about what I had to hear back from the lot.

Loopholes were what I clang on to, to avoid my mother's irritation while still getting that prize at the end of all this. I would do almost anything to have control of my entire summer for a change.

I dipped my quill back into the ink and started writing. Just then a clap of lightening hit not too far from the carriage sending the three of us bolt upright, with Oliver running for cover under my bed.

"Ow! Oliver! Look what he did to my tights! Completely ruined them!"

"Don't act like I didn't warn you," I said with a side smile, as I reshuffled my parchment.

"Why are you so mean to that cat? It's a miracle he hasn't left you for someone else."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure if he had it his way he would belong to Sam. But for whatever reason he stays here," I explained comically to Rosalie's bemused expression. "Though, I will admit he is a rather protective cat when the need arises. Not that it happens often-"

"He's going to miss Sam and Hogwarts when we travel back," Rosalie said out of the blue making me pause in my work to glance at her. You didn't have to be smart to hear the subtle question in her voice.

"We still have three months, Rosalie. Why bring this up now?"

"Because I know you. Or I think I do, that is," Rosalie conceded, standing up off her bed to come closer to my side. I automatically rolled the parchment up and began to place the cap to my ink well. "And from what I remember, you like to push your emotions back until the very last minute. Usually ends in a mess." She said the last part with a wiggle of her nose. It was a very cute quirk if it didn't follow a critique about me.

"I'm sure I'll come back here at random times. There will be Theo's graduation and that's not to say he won't get into any more trouble, which we all know is possible so I may accompany Mamen to those-"

"Ava, you know that's not realistic," Rosalie said, stopping my rambles short. "Your mother brought you that one time because of parent's weekend. And even then, didn't she have misgivings about you coming along?" I looked away from her knowing gaze, having understood her point.

"Fine. Just stop this conversation for now. I don't want to think about it. I have other things to worry about as it is."

"So I see," Rosalie said, wagging a brow toward my rolled-up parchment. "I didn't think you to be so jumpy over people reading over your shoulder." As I watched Rosalie leave the room, (in search of a textbook from one of our other classmates), I felt a wave of pride wash over me. Rosalie's quick notice of my attempts to hide my work as well as her ever growing confidence had been something I had noticeably kept track of since she joined Beauxbatons. She knew I wasn't working on an essay but was smart enough to keep her trap shut. During our New Port days, I doubt she would have even noticed, and if she did, the last thing she would have done is kept out of it. Izzy had that bad effect on her at the time. As did I, now that I thought about it.