𝟏.| ✬ 𝒟ℯ𝒶𝓇 ℬ𝒾𝓁𝓁, ✬ {ℬ. 𝒲ℯ𝒶𝓈𝓁ℯ𝓎}

\𝓉𝒽𝓇ℯℯ\

~

Eleanora had second thoughts about going to school the second her mother told her the her father would be taking her to get her school things. "Why can't you just take me?" she pleaded, dreading seeing her father for the first time since she was seven, but it was no use.

At exactly 11:00 on Tuesday morning, Cillian Marks pulled up to the street outside Eleanora's house in a beat up old green Oldsmobile that looked like it might fall apart at any second. He started to get out of the car until he saw Eleanora already walking through the yard towards him. He sat back down in the drivers seat and waited for her, his fingers drumming nervously on his legs. She climbed into the passenger seat without looking at him. "Hey!" He tried to sound cheerful.

"What's with the funny clothes?" Eleanora asked, turning a critical gaze on her father's outfit.

Cillian wasn't phased. "They're robes- you'll see. Are you excited?"

"No," Eleanora said flatly. "Mum's making me go."

"Ah, well."

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Finally, Eleanora broke the silence. "So how have the last... four years been for you?" The corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a thin, humorless smile.

Cillian wasn't sure exactly how to answer. "You know- I didn't mean to be gone that long-"

"I don't really care." She sat back and turned the radio on.

After a far-too-long car ride in silence, they parked in front of a grubby looking building with a sign that read The Leaky Cauldron. "Here we are."

"Do they validate parking in the 'wizarding world?" Eleanora asked, using air quotes.

Cillian glanced nervously at the parking meter, not having any idea how it worked but not wanting to ask his eleven year old daughter for help. "Ahhhh, good question. We'll find out."

They entered the pub. It was crowded for a Tuesday afternoon, and Eleanora had never seen anything like it. People in billowing robes everywhere, waving wands to do the most mundane tasks. Cillian grabbed a corner of her sleeve to guide her through the crowd without losing her, but she shook him off. He greeted people, but most seemed to distance themselves from him. When they got out to the courtyard, he turned to her with a small smile. "That explains the funny clothes, then."

"Not really. Where exactly are we getting my school things?"

Cillian turned without a word and tapped one of the bricks on the wall. He watched Eleanora's expression carefully as the entire wall seemed to fold back to reveal a street, bustling with noise and people. Eleanora stared, open mouthed.

Cillian laughed, pleased to get any sort of reaction out of her. "Come on then, lots to do." She followed him into the street. She could barely keep track of him with all of the people around, and then he disappeared into a shop. She slid through the door just as it was closing, and saw that it was a clothing store. "Madam Malkin's Robes!" Cillian said, turning to her and beaming. "Come on, let's get you fitted for your own 'funny clothes." Cillian chatted idly with Madam Malkin as she fitted Eleanora for her new school robes. Eleanora was astonished to see that the tape measure was measuring her by itself.