CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

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It had become routine for Eleanor to send letters home regularly, and since Christmas, Margaret had noticed that her daughter's letters were much longer than the usual one or two sentences that Eleanor would normally send

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It had become routine for Eleanor to send letters home regularly, and since Christmas, Margaret had noticed that her daughter's letters were much longer than the usual one or two sentences that Eleanor would normally send. It was nice to hear something besides the "all is well" and "see you soon." And while Margaret had been waiting on Eleanor's next letter, she had been caught off guard by the letter she had received from Anne Diggory, requesting that they spend the day together.

Anne had brought up such an idea back during the holidays, but Margaret had only assumed that the woman was attempting to be polite. At first, she tried to come up with a way to decline the offer without coming across as rude, but she knew how much it meant to Eleanor that she at least try and welcome the world of magic. So, rather than declining the invitation, Margaret returned the owl with her acceptance.

The following day, she found herself in Diagon Alley, in a little teashop called Rosa Lee Teabag. Eleanor had brought her several teas from the shop before and Margaret realised she should have taken the hint that they were all calming teas. But as the two women placed their order, Margaret took a deep breath and sat down at the small table across from Anne.

It was rather awkward as Margaret did not know what to say at first, but eventually, Anne started off a conversation, mentioning a letter she had gotten from Cedric the day prior.

"He was a bit upset," Anne told her, "he had such high hopes for the Hufflepuff team this year. Unfortunately, they're not going to make it to the Quidditch House Cup. I told him it was nothing to really fret over, he still has time to get a win under his belt before he leaves school."

"Quidditch," Margaret repeated, "that's the one they play on broomsticks, right? Ellie has mentioned it before a couple of times. Apparently, the boy or rather boys she's talking to this year play it as well. Do you know the Weasel Boys?"

Anne couldn't help but laugh but quickly tried to cover it up by covering her mouth. "I think you mean Weasley," she corrected her. "And yes, I do know of them. The Weasley family lives relatively close to us, their father works at the Ministry with Amos. Different departments, but still. They're a nice family, big one though. Six boys and one girl. I could never manage such a household."

"Seven children?" Margaret's eyes widened. "I always thought I had my hands full with one. Although looking back on it, Eleanor wasn't a difficult child at all, it was mostly on me."

With a sympathetic smile, Anne reached out her hand to gently grab Margaret's. "I can imagine that it was tough for you. Being a young mother is scary all on its own. My own mother used to say that the first child is the one where you almost lose your mind and should you have another child after that, it's easy then. But your first child is such a learning experience. And I suppose it didn't help that Eleanor possessed magic, while you didn't."

"I was terrible to her," Margaret admitted with a shake of her head. "I want to blame my own parents for teaching me that magic was something to be feared. All the talk of the church while growing up. But really, it was my fault in the end, for treating her so horribly. The fact that she still calls me Mum, I don't think I deserve it. I'm just thankful that she's the forgiving type. And that she has a place where she fits in and doesn't feel ostracised."

Tightly Knit ⟶ Fred WeasleyWhere stories live. Discover now