An Exciting Life by Pondering
Chapter 3: A Place to Hide
The owl fluttered into the room quickly, an envelope clutched in its beak. Vicky raised a hand out to reach it, but the owl duly ignored it and landed with a thump on the dining room table, letting out a small hoot.
As if she were in a trance, Vicky moved slowly towards it, wondering what her brother wanted with her, and why he was contacting her now, after all these years of not acknowledging her existence. However, she had more pressing issues to deal with. Eleanor let out another loud shriek, pointing at the clucking owl on the table.
“That’s absolutely disgusting!” Eleanor screamed, her entire body shaking. “What kind of insane woman lets birds into her house? They’re filthy, unclean and just…” she trailed off, shivering. “Do you know what?” she asked, turning to face her boyfriend, “I don’t want to associate with people like you. Don’t ever talk to me again, you horrible, horrible person.” She departed from the house with her nose haughtily in the air, not even throwing a backward glance at the room she left behind.
Ben followed her exit, a sad hollow look in his eyes. Vicky wrapped an arm around her son’s shoulders. “I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” Ben said sadly.
Vicky decided that at the moment her son needed sympathy and not a long lecture, so she gave him an extra large hug. “But, seriously, where are you meeting these girls? What happened to your last girlfriend…what was her name again? Clara? Claire? I certainly liked her better than Eleanor.”
“Her name was Clarity,” Ben mumbled. “I found out she was seeing someone else behind my back,” he said, his eyes hardening.
“Oh.” Vicky suddenly realised how insensitive she was being. But she found it rather difficult at times to squash her more inquisitive nature, and even though her son was now an adult, she still felt like everything he did was still her business.
“It’s okay,” Ben muttered, his tone of voice indicating quite the opposite. “I think I should go.” He peeked out the open window. “Damn!” he yelled, jumping back in surprise. “I forgot she had the car keys!”
Vicky’s eyes narrowed. “You gave her the car keys? What were you thinking! How long have you known this girl, a week? Two? I thought you had much more common sense than that, I know I should have never bought you that car for your birthday…”
“I’ve known her for three years!” Ben yelled back. He didn’t get angry easily, but when he did there was a lot of unreleased frustration to be let out. “She was one of my closest friends! I did everything for her!”
“You know, that sounds awfully like she was using you,” Vicky noted.
Ben’s eyes darkened. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m going home.”
“How?”
“I’ll walk home,” Ben said, shrugging.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you that walking home at night is a bad idea?” Vicky asked skeptically, now more concerned than angry.
“Don’t worry, I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself,” he said bitterly. “If I get murdered, I’ll ring you.” With that, he slammed the door and left the house. Vicky found herself starting at the door for minutes, hoping that her son returned home safely.
An indignant hoot brought her to reality. She looked at the tawny owl, which was nipping the remains of the lasagna. “Shoo,” she said, waving her arms at it. “Let me see the letter you have there.”
The envelope was made of parchment and she marveled at it. It had been years since she had seen one like this. In almost undistinguishable writing that could only be her brother’s, it was simply addressed to Victoria Hotham.
Feeling entirely uneasy about the whole thing, as if her life was going to become overly complicated, she slipped the letter out and begun reading.
Dear Victoria,
I know I haven’t spoken to you in a long time, and I am very sorry that we drifted apart the way we have. You will probably think that I am horrible person for imposing on you like this, but I must make you aware to the fact that the wizarding world is at war. I need somewhere to stay as I am trying to stay away from this war as much as I possibly can, and have decided that your house is the perfect spot to hide. Do not bother replying, I do not want the owl tracked. Please send her away, lest she eat all your dinner. Tawny absolutely loves pasta dishes, but I am told that they are not good for owls.
I will arrive at your house an hour after the owl arrives. Do not worry; I will know when it does. I know that you are currently living alone, so room is not a problem.
Love,
Your brother,
Chris.
Internally fuming, Vicky crumpled up the piece of parchment in her hand and threw it against the wall. Was it possible that just a few days ago she had been complaining that her life was too boring? Now her son needed a new car and her long-lost brother needed a place to hideout and wasn’t going to give her any choice in the matter.
Right at that moment, there was a knock at the door. Vicky checked the time. It had been an hour, and that must be her brother waiting on the front doorstep. Well, she’d be damned if she’d actually let him into the house. But, she couldn’t help but wonder what he could possibly be up to after all these years. Knowing that she would soon probably regret her actions, she opened the front door.
There stood Chris, looking a little aged and more pitifully pathetic than she had ever seen him before.
“I’m so, so sorry for imposing on you like this, Victoria, but I really need a place to stay. I know I’ve done some horrible things…”
“Like not being there for your sister when she needed support the most?” Vicky asked, raising an eyebrow.
Chris tugged at his collar, looking more than a little flustered. “Yeah. Like that.”
“Well,” Vicky said, leading her brother into the dining room, “we might as well have some dinner as we discuss our arrangements. She took him over to the left over lasagna and gave him a generous portion. “So, tell me more about why you need to hide out at my house, and I might consider it.”
Chris’s voice sounded pleading. “They’re after me,” he mumbled.
“Who are ‘they’? Why are they after you?”
Chris’s eyes roamed the room, until they fell on the opened pages of the newspaper, resting on a chair. “The same people who murdered Emmeline Vance,” he replied, his eyes hardening.
Vicky’s eyes widened. “You knew Emmeline Vance?” she gasped.
“Of course. She’s a witch.”
An Exciting Life by Pondering
Chapter Notes: Thanks again to voldy_mort for the beta for this chapter. :)