Chapter Text
It seemed like the rain would never stop. Fifty-five days had passed since Lucie had watched the first raindrop fall from the sky and heard the pitter-patter of the water hitting the roof of her apartment building. Her barn owl, Ophelia stared sadly out at the sky.
Lucie stroked the head of the little owl. “As soon as this dreadful weather is over, I have a letter for you. A journey all the way to Oslo.” Lucie said. She had a slight French accent. Ophelia whistled at the sound of her owner’s melodic voice.
A strike of lightning cracked the sky and sent the owl tumbling into a soft pillow. Lucie laughed softly and leaned her head against the window, focusing her gaze on the people walking below. Very few were out enjoying the final day of summer, the rain had kept most people inside. Lucie would’ve very much liked the bad weather to end. She wouldn’t be able to send her letter before the beginning of the school year, as she had wanted. She would’ve much rather been able to read the reply at home.
The storm still continued on the morning of September first. Lucie walked out of her apartment building at ten, a big, black umbrella held over her head. The morning rush was over, only a trickle of a few people late to their jobs remained on the streets. She walked straight, a determined expression set on her face. An alleyway grew nearer. As she approached it, she looked as if she paid it no mind, but she very suddenly and quickly turned into it and pressed herself against the wall.
Ophelia whistled in protest and pecked at the bars of her golden cage.
“I know, I know, I’ll let you out once we’re on the train.” Lucie said quietly. A rat scampered by and Ophelia flapped her wings angrily. “Honey, that rat probably has rabies. You’ll get food once we’re at Hogwarts, I promise.” Lucie folded her umbrella and held it at her side. “All set? Hold on to your feathers.” The world began to spin as Lucie apparated to Kings Cross Station.
Lucie joined her friend and her cousin in a compartment.
“Hello!” Lucie said, happily.
“Hi! Did you have a nice summer?” Scorpius asked.
“Yes! But, truthfully, I could’ve done with a couple more days.” Lucie smiled.
“Me too.” Albus said, his voice was a bit lower than Scorpius’s.
Ophelia began whistling impatiently.
“Do you mind if I let poor Ophelia stretch her wings? She’s been waiting so eagerly to get out of that dreadful cage. I hate to put her in it, but letting her fly free would attract too much attention from the muggles.” Lucie asked.
“Of course.” Scorpius and Albus said, in unison.
Lucie undid the golden lock and opened the door of the cage. Ophelia flew out immediately and began circling the room.
“Did you two do anything exciting over the holidays?” Lucie asked, tucking the empty cage under her seat.
“I spent the summer at Malfoy Manor.” Albus said, cheerfully. “I also met a peacock for the first time.”
“Which one?” Lucie laughed, “Cordelia or Elizabeth?”
“Cordelia and Elizabeth, and then some.” Albus said.
“Wait, Scorpius, did you get more peacocks?” Lucie asked, a quizzical expression on her face.
“Not exactly on purpose.” Scorpius laughed, “Turns out Cordelia is actually a male peacock with dull feathers.”
“Oh!” Lucie exclaimed. “How many do you have now?”
“Ten, including Cordelia and Elizabeth.” Scorpius said.
“Oh my.” Lucie gasped.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of work. Dad and I were awfully surprised when we saw the eggs. Although, I’d be lying if I said he didn’t look absolutely thrilled.”
Most Hogwarts students itched with anticipation as Headmistress Mcgonagall began her speech. What they all really wanted was the feast to appear. Lucie’s stomach growled. She, like her fellow students, was eager for the meal. But, unlike her fellow students, she wanted it to arrive so that she could go down to her dormitory and lay in her nice, plush bed. Maybe if she slept, the bad weather would go away.
Mcgonagall’s voice boomed through the Great Hall. “I would like to remind you all that dark magic of any kind is strictly forbidden on school grounds, as well as any products purchased from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.”
“On school grounds.” A voice whispered from down the table. “She never said nothing about Hogsmeade.”
A few heads nodded at the words.
Lucie rolled her eyes. What wouldn’t her classmates do to cause trouble?
After the long drawn out speech from Headmistress Mcgonagall, the feast appeared. Lucie filled her stomach with roast chicken, Yorkshire pudding, and carrots, before staring up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was dark blue, and covered with the effect of raindrops. The occasional roll of thunder echoed from outside.
“Did you get this bad storm in Paris?”
Lucie diverted her gaze from the ceiling and looked over at Kori Cassidy, one of her dorm mates.
“Yes, unfortunately. I thought the weather was going to be better here, but I was very wrong.” Lucie said as all the food in the great hall was replaced by desserts. Kori reached over and grabbed a cauldron cake.
“There’s been bad weather everywhere, I think.” Kori said. “The trip to Diagon Alley was absolutely terrible. I live out in the country and I told my mum that we should just apparate but she made us get there the ‘Muggle way’.” Kori rolled her eyes, “Why would we travel like Muggles if we aren’t? If we had just apparated, my little sister wouldn't have gotten a cold from the rain.” She gestured over to the Ravenclaw table, where a girl was coughing into her arm.
“I couldn’t apparate to Diagon Alley either, too many Muggles around.” Lucie put her hand over her mouth.
“You can apparate?” Kori asked, bewildered.
“Yeah.” Lucie whispered, “But I’m not supposed to, so don’t tell anybody.”
Kori pretended to zip her mouth shut.
Lucie pulled her bed hangings shut and collapsed down onto the velvety green sheets on her bed. She laid a hand on her stomach.
“Why do I always do this?” Somebody groaned from across the room. It was a girl named Harlow Beckett. Lucie guessed that she was also feeling the effects of eating too much food at the feast.
“You have a stomach ache too?” Kori’s voice came from the darkness.
“I think we all do.” Winnie Edwards said, sounding like she had just been woken up.
“Can you all be quiet? I need my rest.” Lucie recognized that angry voice to be Ingrid Macnair.
“Sorry, Princess, we’ll be quiet.” Kori said, sarcastically.
Lucie laughed quietly into her hand and looked up at the green light dancing on the ceiling. She drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming of thunderstorms and the unsent letter, still sitting at the bottom of her bag.
The next morning, Lucie woke up later than everybody in her dorm. She got dressed quickly and climbed down the stairs to the common room. There were only two people still in the room. Albus and Scorpius, who were laughing softly on a green velvet sofa next to the fireplace, which had a large fire lit inside of it.
“Hi, Lucie!” Albus said, looking up.
“Good morning.” Lucie smiled, walking over to the sofa.
Scorpius and Albus slid over to make room for her.
“We’re looking at my photo album.” Scorpius said.
Lucie looked down at Scorpius’s lap. The book was open to a page full of his baby and toddler pictures. A specific photo caught Lucie’s eye. It was a photo of toddler Scorpius sitting on the ground, around him were all his toys, floating in the air. In the background, was Draco, looking simultaneously proud and horrified as the toys flew around and knocked things off their shelves. Lucie smiled.
“Isn’t it funny?” Scorpius said, looking at the picture. “My dad said that was one of the proudest moments of his life. It also seems like it was the scariest.” He laughed.
“Was that the first time you ever did magic?” Lucie asked, curious.
“Yep! Mum and dad were both very surprised when I did it. I was only two.” Scorpius said.
“Wow! That’s really young.” Lucie said.
“I was nine.” Albus said. “My parents thought I was a squib, just like everybody else.” He mumbled.
“That’s okay!” Lucie said, “There’s nothing wrong with that. You were perfecting your magic, that’s all.” She smiled.
“How old were you when you first did magic?” Albus asked.
“The first time I remember, I was four. But Draco told me that as soon as I opened my eyes for the first time, a blue fire started burning in the dining room and didn’t go out for months.” Lucie said.
“When you were born?” Scorpius said, looking amazed.
“Yeah. I don’t know if it’s true or not, though. I don’t remember the day I was born.” Lucie laughed.
Albus’s stomach growled.
“Breakfast?” Scorpius asked.
“Yes, please.” Albus said, getting up.
The Great Hall was almost completely full when Albus, Scorpius, and Lucie arrived. They sat down on the edge of the packed Slytherin bench.
“Have we missed the deliveries?” Lucie asked Kori across the table.
“Nope, they should be here right about now” Kori said.
As she spoke, the first rain-soaked owl arrived. Followed by another, and another, and then about forty more. Amongst the owls flying towards the Slytherin table was another bird, with grey-green feathers. Lucie looked up at the bird and smiled. The bird dropped a letter - narrowly missing Lucie’s plate of toast - and landed on the table.
“Is that an Augurey?” Scorpius asked.
“Yes, her name is Thorill.” Lucie said, picking up the letter.
“Who’s is it?” Albus asked.
Lucie did not answer. She was too occupied with reading the letter.
My dearest Lucie, she read. She could already feel the blush spreading across her face. I haven’t heard from you in what feels like an eternity, my flower, I hope that you are well. Lucie read the rest of the letter, every word making her face a deeper shade of red. Love, Xena, She traced her thumb over the signature, as if she was trying to memorize it. But, she wasn’t. The shapes of the letters were already muscle memory to her.
“Uh, Lucie? Are you okay? You’re looking a bit … warm.” Albus asked.
“I - uh - oui? I’m good. Yeah, completely good.” Lucie said, leaving her half eaten toast and running out of the hall.
She threw herself onto her bed and wrenched the hangings shut. Thorill sat on the edge of the mattress, staring at Lucie, who was breathing heavily.
“Oh! My letter!” She said, reaching a hand out of the bed hangings.
She found the letter and opened it. P.S, she wrote, I’m doing great, I hope you are too xx. She rolled it up, and tied it to Thorill’s foot. With a flick of her wand, the door opened, and the Augurey took off towards the owlery
“Thanks, Thorill.” She said, laying back against the pillows.
She pulled the chain of her necklace, and the pendant appeared from the neckline of her shirt. She ran the golden heart between her fingers and then flicked it open. Inside, was a picture of Xena, sitting at a table at Lucie’s favourite café. She was laughing at a joke that Lucie had long since forgotten. Her white-blonde hair was draped gently around her face, and her eyes were closed tightly with happiness.
Lucie couldn’t wait to see her again.