❝ 𝘀𝘆𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗮, cedric diggory

⁰⁴ homesick

❝ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿,

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ homesick...

Time escaped Hogwarts with the summer breezes, leaving September adrift as October warmed the castle in shades of auburn and sepia. The weeks had blurred into an array of drowsy lectures and boring weather. The Hogwarts classrooms were cold and dank smelling, an unpleasant adjustment to the comfort the Beauxbatons girls were used to. Once-luminous heads of hair had fallen flat and stale in the carriage to the unending sadness of all twelve women. The girls were only ever liberated from this misery on Saturday mornings as the itching student body fled to a little village a way off from Hogwarts. Despite the amusing offerings of Hogsmeade, Sylvia did not partake in the trips. She did not want to chat with English folk more than she had to, for as it was quickly revealed to her, not everyone was as accommodating to her poor English as Cedric Diggory was.

Sylvia had discovered these language barriers in her Charms course. She had taken a seat next to a Ravenclaw girl, and upon trying an introduction with her, was met at both ends with pure confusion. She spent every day after that feeling like a fool. There were no French textbooks available to her and every English textbook was too archaic and too hard to translate. Even the teachers were of no aid to her, for they and the other English students often avoided her blindly.

Therefore, on Saturday mornings, Sylvia remained in pajamas with rollers in her hair while Fleur and Maribelle hastened to get ready.

"Oh, please, Sylvia! Why won't you come to Hogsmeade with us?" Maribelle whined, hanging upside down off the edge of her bed. The girl had been dressed since the early hours of the morning, and her impatience was ever growing as Fleur readied herself slowly and deftly for the day.

"I told you; I have other things to do!" Sylvia lied, adjusting a roller in her hair. "Besides, I'm hardly ready for the day."

"Tsch!" Maribelle scoffed. "So is Fleur!"

"I heard that!" Fleur exclaimed, slowly brushing her wand of mascara through her lashes. "I agree with Belle. This would be a wonderful opportunity to meet people! The town is a breath of fresh air. You would have such a wonderful time!" Fleur breathed, smiling dreamily into the mirror.

"We could be breathing that air now if you would get ready faster!" Maribelle said, sliding down onto the floor with a melodramatic groan. From the ground, Maribelle frowned at Sylvia. "Be honest, Via," Maribelle said, "Is everything alright? You've been so quiet on this trip – even Madame Maxime seems worried."

Sylvia grimaced for a second, then grinned warmly.

"I'm having a wonderful time," said Sylvia, rolling onto her stomach and placing her chin in the palms of her hands. "Go and have your fun! I'll join you another time – whenever I warm up to this place."