OF SERPENT AND ANGEL ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎➝ tom riddle ¹ | ✓ |

SIXTEEN

Eliza stepped off the scarlet Hogwarts Express, the wide infectious smile on her features that had for a moment been lost as she ran into the arms of her waiting mother. She never cared for being proper when it came to her family and laughed with relief as she wrapped her arms tightly around Madelyn's tall and petite frame.

It was as if all the fears and terrors of the past few months slipped away as soon as she was in her mother's arms and she hugged her tighter than usual. "Darling, I fear you may cut me in half if you don't let go of me soon," Madelyn laughed and Eliza finally pulled away from her. "I didn't even know you were so strong."

"I'm sorry," the girl said with a small blush rising to her high cheekbones so alike to her mother's, "I've just -"

Not slept or eaten properly for months?

Been traumatised my a boy I think might be a psychopath?

Feared for my life?

"- missed being around family."

Her mother gave Eliza a soft smile. "Well, then you'll be glad to know that everyone's at home to welcome you," she said.

"I'll just say goodbye to Atha quickly," the girl said, turning around and running quickly to her friend who was greeting her six-year-old cousin whose mess of dark curls was trapped unfair a pink hat.

Atha put down the girl hanging around her neck like a monkey on a tree before hugging Eliza. "Have a good holiday," she said. "Try to ... to enjoy yourself, Eliza. It really saddens me to see you so down."

The blonde nodded as she pulled away from her friend. "I will," said Eliza with a nod. "Happy Holidays," she said, giving a wave to the rest of her family before moving back to where her mother stood with her Hogwarts trunk.

"Are you ready to go then?" Madelyn asked her and Eliza nodded with a hum of agreement and both witches Disapparated simultaneously.

They appeared in the lavishly decorated entrance hall of the Galway's manor home. It was a comforting contrast against the cool and dark tones of the Slytherin dormitory, the high white walls with golden details much more appropriate for her light persona.

"Liz!" came a voice and immediately arms wrapped around her tightly, locking her own arms to her sides.

"Avis, you know I despise when you call me that," Eliza said, though her attempted sternness was failed with the wide grin on her lips.

"Precisely," the girl nodded, "which is why I will never stop."

A girl that looked identical, except she was dressed in robes of iris purple covered in silver flowers rather than the casual black ones of Avis, her long brown her pinned up in a messy knot atop her head, appeared over her shoulder with a grin. "Which is why I'm the nicer twin," said Lottie moving to hug Eliza, who this time was able to reciprocate the greeting.

"I'm still the awesomer one," Avis said, poking her tongue out of her mouth.

"Awesomer is not a word," Lottie scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, Lottie we all get it, you're in Ravenclaw."

Eliza arched one of her eyebrows. "Ravenclaw or not, I think everyone is expected to know basic vocabulary and grammar," she said, with an amused smile, which caused Avis to glare at her playfully.

"Awh, look the snake is back," said Dona, the eldest of the girls as she and Kitty appeared down the stairs, their father quickly rushing behind them.

"I've missed you, baby sister," said Kitty, hugging Eliza tightly and ruffling her hair so that strand fell out of their carefully pinned positions as she frowned.

"Why do you always insist on calling me that?" Eliza groaned, trying to fix her hair to keep her neat appearance when Dona swatted her hands away to hug her too.

"Because I'm the second youngest, you're the only one I get to call that," said Kitty as if it was obvious.

Marcellus managed to make his way through his four daughters to where the youngest stood. "Eliza!" he exclaimed dramatically before hugging her and lifting her up from the floor a little and she laughed.

Madelyn stood at the back of the group for a moment longer with a soft smile on her lips as she watched the welcoming party of her youngest daughter before clearing her throat. "Okay, we're cl

"- clustering," the other six interrupted simultaneously.

"Precisely," Madelyn nodded. "So let's move somewhere else."

"The library -"

"The dining room-"

"Outside -"

Madelyn smiled. "Perhaps the parlour."

So ten minutes later all seven of the Galways were seated in the parlour, a happy fire crackling as snow fell behind the windows. Each of them was holding a cup of her tea or coffee - or in Kitty's case, hot chocolate.

Madelyn was dressed in elegant robes of light grey and silver that somehow made her green eyes even more vibrant, sitting on the blue and white striped armchair on the side that faced the windows, the spot furthest from the mantlepiece. Next to her were Marcellus and Dona on a crimson sofa they insisted on keeping even if the colour was faded, both dressed in very proper and business like robes of black and white.

Across from them was Kitty on a less detailed but in her own words more comfortable, grey armchair dressed in rather old-fashioned green robes. And beside her on a love seat were Avis and Lottie, who even now at the age of twenty-three were fighting over their shared space. And last was where Eliza always sat on a soft rose pink armchair, now still clad in her Hogwarts robes with the Head Girl badge pinned to her chest  

The armchairs and sofas were pieces of furniture that nobody sensible would ever pair together; their styles and colours so conflicting that they seemed a rather mad combination. Yet somehow, just like the people sitting on them, they seemed to work perfectly together.

The Galway family sat there for the rest of the night, even requesting the House-Elves that worked at the manor to bring in their dinner there rather than the dining hall, which was very rare of Madelyn to allow as it was most inappropriate etiquette. But even though they enjoyed their time together after such a long while, Eliza could tell that something was different.

Every once in a while she would catch one of them watching her with a look of sympathetic grief, and their laughs were not what they usually were like. She could tell they were all strictly avoiding the subject of Will and anything that may lead to it. Later that night, Eliza even thought that perhaps Atha had sent them a letter to not bring it up unless she herself did. And Eliza thanked them for leaving it for later, even if she knew they were all curious to discuss it. For now, she just wanted to enjoy her time with her family without thoughts of anything darker.

I made a semi-happy chapter

xox