Aesthete | George Weasley

Chapter 11

"Guys, I'm going to miss you."

"It's not forever, Leanne." Katie sighed. "We see you again in the New Year!"

"I wish you a Merry Christmas anyway!" Leanne jumped out from behind Katie and Tia and almost knocked them to the ground, but Tia more or less alone held the weight of them all.

"Oh my goodness, Leanne, what did you eat for breakfast today? You're so heavy!" gasped Katie.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" asked Leanne jokingly, and all three girls started laughing.

"I'll miss you all." admitted Tia. "I didn't think school could be so much fun, but I'm also looking forward to seeing my abuelita."

"Write me over the holidays." Katie demanded. "And I'll write to all of you too!"

"You have to send me an owl first – we don't have a family owl like you." Tia reminded them all. "Don't forget me."

"Of course not, Tara." Leanne grinned, and Tia grimaced at the name, but hugged all of her friends again when the train came to a halt.

As soon as they got off the train, everyone parted ways and Tia looked around with her luggage in her hand, but so far, she couldn't spot her grandmother until her eyes fell on her.

She was the center of attention, as always when she was in public and even though she was a Muggle, she didn't hide, but stood there with her head held high, waiting for her granddaughter.

As soon as she saw her, her face brightened and Carla waved at her. Tia immediately gave her friends one last look before going to her grandmother.

"Abuelita!" she exclaimed happily and couldn't help but fall around her grandmother's neck.

"Querida." laughed Carla. "You missed me as much I missed you."

"Of course, abuelita." Tia snorted indignantly. "I'm not forgetting you just because I'm going to school now."

"And that's a good thing, travieso." It had been years since her grandmother had called her a troublemaker, but if only she knew how true it had become. "Let's go fast – the people here all have no style."

An English family, clearly wizards and probably purebloods, had heard her and glared at Carla, but the elderly lady ignored this and led her granddaughter from the train station to the parking lots where her car was parked.

Tia sat in the passenger seat, as she always did when she drove with her grandmother, who was still actively behind the wheel despite her age.

The journey passed quietly after the two Fuegos had come to the silent agreement that Tia would tell everything at home and as soon as Tia got out of the car, she realized how much she had missed her home. It was cold in London, but as soon as she entered the house where she and her grandma lived, she was greeted by tropical warmth after her grandmother preferred to set the heating a little warmer when it was cold outside.

Everything was still as she had left it, as if the world outside Hogwarts had no longer existed.

On the walls hung drawings and a few paintings that had made with different ages. The first came from a three-year-old Tia, who had drawn herself and Carla together. Her lines had been uncoordinated at the time, and it was just recognized that it was supposed to represent two figures on the arms and legs, but otherwise Tia often wondered how she had ever been able to draw like this.

The latest ones were better – a drawing of her grandma, a drawing of a cat, the street where they lived, but now that Tia looked at them, she noticed that she had improved since September and now these drawings seemed like amateur drawings.