Atropos → george weasley

xxx. a strange soiree

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thirty

a strange soiree

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Her hometown was blanketed in white when Ottilie returned. The streets glittered with festive lights and were laced with red ribbons. People rushed about city center to do their last-minute Christmas shopping as carols drifted softly through the cold afternoons.

At home, Ottilie felt too big in her living room. Her family had been distant since she had returned. It likely had something to do with the angry letter she'd sent them months ago.

She couldn't remember exactly what she had written; she'd been so distracted by fury at the moment but knew it was pretty harsh. Her parents had sent her several letters back, none of which she had answered.

Adelaide was sullen upon Ottilie's arrival. She had seen most of her time in her room playing her Casio.

Two mornings before Christmas Eve Day, Ottilie was drinking coffee at her kitchen table with her mother and father, Adelaide still asleep.

"We're sending her back to school after the holiday," said her mother.

"Is she ready to go back?" Ottilie lifted an eyebrow. "Sounds like she's doing fine with school from home and the occasional playdate with friends."

Kanna glanced at Simon briefly. "She is doing well, but she can't stay home forever. Even with the playdates, her doctors recommend we ensure she gets plenty of socialization. It will make things easier for her later in life."

"And which quack therapist told you that being lonely and miserable five days a week for eight hours until she graduates is going to make things easier in her life?" 

"Ottilie," her father said pointedly. "It's good for her to be around her peers without her parents hovering over her."

"She will be getting extra assistance in her classes, and I'll make sure I have time to help her with the assignments she brings home," said Kanna.

"It's not about the homework!" Ottilie said. "It's that most of her friends have moved away, and people are bullying her more than ever. And that's including the fact that Mandy Frank's evil little sister isn't even at Flax anymore. That's what you said in one of your letters."

"We know that!" said Simon, anger blooming red on his pale face. "But we can't isolate her in the house for the rest of her life. She needs opportunities to learn how to socialize and interact with others."

Kanna's eyebrows knit. "Think about it, darling: Protecting her from any possible instance of bullying would require keeping her away from other people entirely. We can't do that. You know this, she has a powerful need for social interaction."

"Learn how to socialize? She's better at making friends than me!"

"She can make them easily. The trouble is that they often drift away," said Kanna. "She does need to learn certain social skills. Not having them would hinder her opportunities to live a normal adult life. Specialists have all recommended that she stay in a normal classroom as much as possible."

"What's the good of a normal life if she has to suffer for years to get it?"

"Suffer is melodramatic," said Simon. "It's a rough patch."

Ottilie glared at her father. "A rough patch so rough you had to take her out of school."

"Well, yes..." Kanna was sheepish. "After losing many of her friends this year, she felt incredibly isolated. That's why, after Christmas, we're sending her to Avens."