Freaks: Year One

Let Me Help You!

Ableism.

Alabaster was once again at his window, eyes scanning over the same scenery that had been there for 10 years. Despite his recent run in with a muggle, mudblood, and halfblood, he still very much enjoyed looking out at all the nature surrounding the house. Yes the view was the same, but it was autumn which meant the leaves changed colours, and he always liked looking at the trees - at the changes they go through during this short period of time.

He wished when he went outdoors to visit Diagon Alley, he spent more time appreciating his surroundings, the grass, the sky, the owls, the trees, literally anything, but his parents specifically told him to look around at the shops, and not to speak to anyone, and he already disobeyed them with that.

Even with looking around the shops, and the supplies he didn't do much of - he was just very overwhelmed by everything. The people. The noise. 

When he went to Hogwarts next year he would finally be allowed to go outside whenever he wanted to. He would get to see new things, meet new people, and he had been dying to do that, to explore, and he would get used to the other stuff, all the noise, and all the people. One of his parents' policies was you were not allowed out until you went to Hogwarts - well for him it was.

His parents had him follow a long list of rules. Most of them applied to him, and him only. Not his younger sister or brother, but to him. (Well his brother was only one, and a half, but still.) His parents placed many expectations on him being the oldest child.

His door opened, and his sister Adelaide peeked into his room.

"You're supposed to knock before you enter a room." Alabaster told her.

She slowly entered the room seeing that he was ready. "I forgot?" She looked down the hall, and then back towards him. "It's time for lessons. Mother will be mad if you're late again."

Alabaster approached her. "It's time already?" He looked at the clock, and apparently it was. He had gotten distracted by looking out the window again.

Adelaide nodded. "Come on!" She gestured for him to follow, and he did. They both went into the hallway, and walked down the staircase to the living room. Their mother was sitting in a high backed chair reading the Daily Prophet.

She did not acknowledge that they both entered the room. She just kept reading the Daily Prophet for a few minutes until she suddenly folded it, and stared at the both of them. She checked the clock on the mantle, and looked back at them. "Right on time." She looked at Alabaster. "Though I suspect that if your sister didn't inform you it was time, you would have been late?"

Alabaster hesitated.

"Answer when you are spoken to."

"Yes mother."

His mother mused for a moment. "Come here." Alabaster walked over to her slowly. She snapped her fingers. "Now." He quickened his pace. "Do we have to go over how to tell time? Because you should know by now. Your sister does." She indicated to Adelaide. "So...what's the problem?"

"I can tell time, I just got distracted-"

"Okay, what is the time then?" His mother asked.

Alabaster looked at the clock on the mantle. He squinted. "Er...9:02."

"Good." His mother said. She looked him in the eye which made him nervous. "Don't get distracted again."

Alabaster nodded.

She gave him a stern look, and handed him a book. "Read this." He stared at the book in his hands for a beat, and then went to sit at the table while Adelaide got her own book to read. Their mother left them both to read their assigned books while she checked on their younger brother, Atticus.