Crystal Clear | 𝘊𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺

Twenty-Three

Second Year,
She's a Painting

Phoebe stood with her cousins awaiting for Rhea to arrive. Ethan and Laura wished to wave them off, they both planned to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Apparently deciding that they would stay when they came back to Hogwarts, why they didn't think to tell her and Rhea she couldn't understand.

As usual, Rhea was late, if she waited any longer she would miss saying her goodbyes. Phoebe spotted Cedric, deciding the board the train a little earlier, she hugged Laura and Ethan, squeezing them tightly, he ruffled her hair.

"Have a good Christmas, kid,"

"Are you ever going to stop calling us kid," Laura questioned her brother he chuckled, poking her side.

"Nope, seeing as Rhea didn't bother to show up, we're going to go, have fun okay," he told her, she smiled at them as they left she quickly boarded the train finding Cedric already talking with a few other students.

She took out her book, to read for a little while, he didn't need to stop his conversation because she entered. She was more than happy for him to continue his joyful conversation with his friends. She needed to finish the book she was reading before she returned home, doubting she'd have a lot of free time with a needy puppy.

A small smile curved on Cedric's face, whatever book she was reading she clearly enjoyed it. Brightly smiling as she eagerly turned to the next page. He wanted to talk to her in case he didn't get to see her, but he couldn't disturb her, not while she was falling deep into a good book.

***

Phoebe was greeted with her now much bigger puppy, he had done a lot of growing, in the months she had been away. She was glad to be home, even if the following days proved to be difficult for her, she was glad to be home with her brothers and sisters.

"Come on, Mum trusted us to decorate the house," Hope said, pulling her through the house, where Carden and Hadrian rummaged through the boxes of Christmas decorations.

"Where's Rhea?" Max asked, wondering why she had didn't come downstairs.

"I don't know, I think she's-

"I saw her, she's gone to see the muggle boy down the street," Larissa informed her.

"If I was your mother you'd know not to associate with such filth," Walburga muttered from her portrait

"It's bad enough were related to you," Carden said, making his younger sisters laugh,

"I knew your parents would bring you children down with them,"

"What is your problem?" Hadrian questioned, "you go on and on about blood purity, and unless I'm mistaken we are purebloods,"

"Blood traitors is what you are, I've seen the friends you children keep, mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors-

"Alright, that's enough," Phoebe stood walking towards the portrait, "Kreacher!" she shouted, one he appeared she smiled softly at him, "make sure she's quiet or out of our way,"

"Yes, miss Phoebe,"

"Honestly, I don't know why you two have to talk back to her," she said shaking her head at her brothers.

"We can't let her have the last say," Carden told her, nudging Hadrian to speak.

"Besides this is our home, she doesn't get to talk down to us, for Salazar's sake she's a painting,"

"Yes, but you know that if mum, dad or uncle Reg was here they'd tell us to ignore her and carry on with our day,"

A cold draft blew through the house, blowing all the decorations around the room. Phoebe looked up rolling her eyes at Rhea as she walked in with a big grin and blushed cheeks, from the cold air. She eyed them cautiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Where have you been?" Phoebe questioned, her sister blinked never hearing her talk to her that way before, "well,"

"I was just hanging out Jack,"

"You didn't think to tell anyone," Phoebe stood with her arms folded across her body, "or what about Ethan and Laura did you know they waited to say goodbye to you, I couldn't find you at the station at all,"

"Sorry, I didn't think it was such a big deal, next time I'll wait for you,"

"That's not the point, Ri,"

"So I went out with a friend big deal, I have a life, and it doesn't involve me being stuck in this house all day,"

"We're back," their mother cheerfully said, coming home with baked goods, the smell drawing the younger children to them, Rhea hurried upstairs, "Rhea" she called, only to hear a bedroom door slam shut.

"That's a sound I've made before, I'll go talk to her," Sirius said as he left to talk to Rhea, Aimee cautiously made her way out to Phoebe.

"Can you sit?" she asked Moon, clapping when he sat "you're such a clever boy,"

"He's doing really well with his training, your dad even managed to get him to walk nicely on the leash,"

"He's almost seven months, it's scary how quickly it's going,"

"He's still just a baby, needs lots of love and guidance while he's learning, though I think everyone needs guidance even myself sometimes,"

"I know you came out to talk to me," her mother sighed

"Sweetheart, I've watched you and Rhea from being little babies, always stuck together, in the last couple of years, I've seen you grow apart, with different interests, and different friends, it can be hard becoming distance when you were so close,"

"She just annoys me so much, it's almost like she doesn't think before she says or does something," her mother chuckled, "what?"

"It's funny to me, you say Rhea acts before speaking, so does your dad, hunny I could tell you so many stories, where your father acted before he spoke, and he pissed me off,"

"Mother!"

"Oh it's fine, I'm no angel, my point is, you and Rhea truly are me and your dad, and I would go to the ends of the earth for your father, as I'm sure you would for Rhea, whatever is going on between you two don't let it weigh you down,"

"She's being so difficult,"

"I lost my brother Charlie when I was sixteen," her mother took a deep breath, "I was mad at him, for leaving us to go and fight, we tried to stop him, Jake even got a nasty cut under his eyes, my point is, the last thing that happened before he died, was his brothers and sister being mad at him,"

"I swore at the end of the day regardless of what someone had done, I would put my mind at ease and apologise because you never know how long you have with someone, so I always make sure, I leave on good terms, talk to Rhea in your own time, you don't have to apologise or forgive her, at end of the day you're entitled to your own opinion, but do talk to her,"