SMILE » n. longbottom

xlii

"LONG SUMMER NIGHTS"

Alana and Jayden had returned back to the mansion, where Alana had grabbed her things and began to unpack the materials she had gotten from Diagon Ally and Jayden had began to search for Mr. Wallace. Alana expected more time out in the Muggle world of London but her father had cut the trip unexpectedly short.

Alana pulled out a fresh piece of parchment paper from the drawers of her desk and laid the paper onto the desk, also pulling out a quill and some ink. She begun her letter formally:

"Dear Neville,

I had just arrived at the mansion a few days ago. I'm am terribly sorry of how I had not sent this at the immediate moment but I have been busy for my preparations for the fifth year at Hogwarts. Surely you can understand, you must be in a rush as well. You never told me what you wanted to tell me before I left St. Mungos so maybe we could catch up on that soon, maybe before the next school year is to start. Maybe we could go to Diagon Alley.

Best wishes. Reply soon,
Alana."

She sighed, rolling the parchment into a tight scroll, tying the bundle with a yellow piece of string, something her mother had given her when she was accepted into Hogwarts as a Hufflepuff.

Maurice Wallace always had an interest in the fastest bird in all of the world: the Peregrine Falcon. Over her years she has kept and cared for up to ten Peregrine Falcons. She currently cares for five Peregrine Falcons, all of which are housed in a tower of her house.

Alana knew that through her mother's falcons would be the only way for her to send this letter. So she decided snuck through the house as both of her parents spoke with Jayden on the opposite end of the mansion.

When she arrived, the birds had not been rattled, as they had been multiple times whenever Alana would appear. There had been a falcon out of its cage. She cooed at the bird who in response just turned its head, "Hey, pretty bird? Do you know where my friend, Neville Longbottom lives? Hmm? Deliver this and have him return a letter back and come straight to me. Alright? I may have a treat when you return."

The falcon screeched softly as if it had understood her words. Alana presented the bound up letter, and the falcon swiftly clung onto the letter and flew out of the window to deliver the message. Alana snuck out of the tower, careful to avoid making a ruckus and she headed towards the dining table where the elves would always be waiting so patiently for her to come to and ask for food.

There had already been a plate of food set up for her, along with a elf who stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the enormous dining room, "Hello," Alana called out. "Is this for me?" She asked, pointing to the platter of foods.

"Yes, Miss Wallace," the elf answered. It pulled out the chair for Alana to sit in.

"Thank you," Alana turned her attention to the plate of food. All of rhe foot was set onto a bright white plate with golden engravings. A shepherd's pie along with a few steamed vegetables had been set nicely onto the plate.

She began to eat, noticing how hungry she had been the entire day. In truth Alana missed the meals that the house elves would always make for her, as they are much more flavorful and tasteful than the meals the staff at St. Mungos would present to her at the bland food courts.

Distant heavy footsteps echoed to the room and seemed to become closer and closer. It had been Aronn Wallace who wore a black button-up shirt, trousers of the general same color. A dark red vest had been worn neatly over Mr. Wallace's shirt. He arrived, noticing Alana Wallace's presence within the room.

"I hope you had made some decency out of your trip to Diagon Alley," Aronn Wallace stepped over to his daughter whom had continued to eat, unnerved. "From what I can tell ... it must have been quite generic."

"I did have some fun," she responded. "I got my materials for my fifth year. The whole lot of materials was numerous."

Aronn smiled genuinely. "Your mother and I have decided that you have more freedom from now on. You can go across accepted trips if you must, all of that. But as long as you are accompanied with at the very least one of the guards protecting this family."

Alana Wallace paused, swallowing the forkful of shepherd's pie inside of her mouth. She looked up to her father who had been returning the gaze, "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like a man that would easily joke?" Mr. Wallace responded with a question. He side hugged his daughter how sat at the end of the long dining room table, grasping slightly onto Alana's shoulder.

"I don't think so," Alana shook her head. She continued to eat her food. But if her father had given her such little time to spend around England, there must be no point in going around anyways. The departure to Hogwarts is quickly nearing.