/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟑.𝟞.𝟤

"the heart can get really cold if all you've known is winter." ~ Benjamin Alire Sáenz

~december 1973~ (continued)

When Artemis stepped into her aunt and uncle's house for the first time since the beginning of last summer, she could immediately tell something was different. There was a tension accompanying the usual cold steeliness of the roomy manor. "Go up to your room and get ready for dinner," Aunt Isobel said, sweeping past Artemis and heading straight for the kitchen.

"And don't dally up there," Uncle Gregory added. "Dinner's been ready since before we left to pick you two up and I'm starving."

Artemis's little cousin, Gregory, came through the door after her and threw his trunk haphazardly on the floor. "What're we having?" he asked, shrugging off his cloak and tossing it next to the trunk.

"Lamb," his father answered shortly.

Gregory let out a long groan. "I hate lamb," he whined before pounding up the stairs to his room.

Artemis sighed and followed slowly, taking her time at each step, lugging her trunk behind her. When she stepped into the chilly, dusty bedroom that belonged to her, she set her trunk and Athena's cage on the floor and flopped back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling with despondent eyes. She hated that room. She hated that entire house. In all honesty, she was craving more than anything the warmth and clutter of her mother's little home on top of the hill, but she knew she couldn't go back there. No, she had to try and make things right with her aunt and uncle first.

All through Christmas break, Artemis grew more and more aware of the heightened tension between herself and the rest of her family. She'd expected screaming and rage when she stepped through the door after leaving so suddenly the summer before, but there was only cold separation and snippy comments from her aunt and uncle. Her cousin, on the other hand, was another story.

"Who're you writing?" he asked, poking his head through the door of her room on the day of the annual Christmas day feast the Goyles held for friends and family.

Artemis gripped her quill so tight her knuckles turned white. "It's none of your business. Can't you go see if your mum needs help downstairs?"

"Why can't you ask if my mum needs help? Isn't that why you're here? Basically another house elf-" He was joking, but Artemis's chest constricted with anger.

She slammed her quill down onto her desk and rounded on him. "Can you get out of my room?"

"Can you get out of my house?"

"What?"

Gregory shrugged and leaned on the door frame. "Things were so much better last summer after you left. Could you do that again? Maybe throw another tantrum so my dad has something to talk about other than politics?"