The Malfoy Project

𝟖𝟔 - 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

༻⚜༺

     I was in a house. To be specific, I was standing in a living room, next to the fireplace. The room wasn't very large, but it was quaint, with a fabric couch and floral wallpapered walls. The double-layered yellow curtains framing the windows were thin, but the light looked like it belonged here. 

     I turned my attention to the rest of my surroundings. The room wasn't very large, but it was quaint. There was a shaggy red rug on the floor, and a matching fabric couch that had been worn to pleasant lumpiness. The wallpaper was the colour of fresh parchment, and featured a design of field-guide-esque diagrams of various magical plants. They had a hand-drawn quality to them, and I couldn't tell if it was printed on or if someone had taken a pencil and sketched them directly onto to the walls. Large windows, open, allowed in ample white afternoon. The yellow curtains framing them were thin, but the light looked like it belonged here.

     The three people in the photographs were there in the room with me. The man and lady were kneeling on the ground in front of the coffee table. Thomas and Victoria Ainsley. On the opposite side, the little girl was seated on the couch. The sheepdog was flopped across her legs, snoozing as she stroked it absentmindedly. It was looking significantly heavier and much less rambunctious than its framed twin; almost tired. All of their silhouettes effused a hazy blown-out glow, like mist in my eyes.

     In the middle of the table was a big birthday cake. It was slathered in white frosting and topped with little pink roses, sloppily enough that I could tell it was homemade. "Happy birthday, Gabby," said Victoria, adjusting the position of the cake so that the neatest roses faced her daughter. Her voice had a roughened quality to it, the vowels rasping like a rushing waterfall. 

     When the little girl spoke, it was in the same sandy voice. "Happy birthday to me!" she announced proudly and clapped her hands.

     "Make a wish," urged Thomas.

     Gabby scrunched up her face and thought for a long while. "I wish for more books," she said, then added after a moment, "And I wish Jolly will walk better soon."

     The couple exchanged glances. Victoria widened her eyes at her husband, who returned her consternation with an imperceptible shake of his head. She turned back to the little girl, plastering on a smile. "Okay, darling, blow them out!"

     The girl inhaled dramatically and, with a big huff, blew out all seven candles on the cake at once. "Did you hear that, Jolly?" Gabby said to the dog as she ruffled its round belly. "You'll get better in no time. We'll be able to go to the park again soon!" The dog gave a soft, wet snort, but did not budge. It seemed overall disinterested in the festivities. She nuzzled her nose against the top of its head and gave it a big smacking kiss.

     "Gabs, look!" said her mother. 

     Gabby looked up and squealed. In Thomas's hands was an extraordinarily large bouquet of sunflowers, swathed in brown paper and tied with a thick piece of corded string. "Straight from our garden!" He sounded nearly as proud as his daughter proclaiming their dog's recovery.

     "How come I've never seen them?" she cried with delight. 

     "Concealment Charm, my Love. You'll learn it in school," said Thomas as he handed the bouquet to her, who had to receive it with both arms. It was nearly twice the size of her little body, but the way she was holding it made it look like the flowers had been specially cultivated for her and nobody else.

     I felt a cold, wet sensation against my calves, and looked down to see that a thick mist begun to seep into the room. It rose rapidly, past the heads of the family until I could not see them anymore. The scene swirled, and then dropped all at once like a curtain, and I was in a different place.