Miss Quinn

154 ~ Home

Emma tugged her brush through her light brown hair slowly, staring absentmindedly into space. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress that complemented her slight tan nicely. She hadn't been properly tan in years. Not since she stopped going to camp for the whole summer. But the ghost of the sun still remained, absorbed into her simply because she was a child of Apollo.

Beatrice knocked softly on the doorframe. "Are you ready, Emma?"

Emma snapped her gaze away from the wall and towards her mother. "Almost. Let me grab my shoes."

She set down the brush and sat on the bed, still feeling sluggish from her fitful sleep and morning shift. She managed to slip on the Greek-style sandals she'd worn to the Yule Ball a year and a half before. Shimmering gold, accenting the yellow perfectly. The last time she'd worn them... that had been a different time indeed. Back when Dean meant so much to her. Back before she'd truly befriended Draco. Before she and Dean had fallen out. Before she'd done the exact thing Dean had accused her of.

She stood up and took one last look in the mirror. Her hair was longer than it had ever been, reaching to just past her waist. Her eyes were still the same shade of gold-flecked hazel they'd always been. Her muscles were still defined from going for runs every morning and lifting weights. She didn't have a means of practicing her archery or dagger-weilding, but the occasional circuit workout helped her stay loose.

With a sigh, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grabbed her wand and a sweater in case it got chilly. Downstairs, Beatrice was waiting by the door, dressed in a red sundress, the twin to Emma's. She'd done up her hair, though, and had a silver comb sticking out of it. Emma bet it had once belonged to her grandmother, or at least was a gift from her. Beatrice would never have bought it herself. Nevertheless, it looked nice with her dress.

"Let's go," Emma said. Beatrice opened the door and let Emma pass through the doorway before stepping through herself and locking it behind her. They stepped past the protective enchantments on the house and Emma took her mum's hand. There was a sharp tug in her gut as they apperated away, and it curled her insides until they landed on the drive that led up to the Tyler house.

Something about seeing the familiar landscape and the places where she and Venus had spent time together over the past few weeks was reassuring. No matter what happened with Draco, with Gaea, with Percy and Annabeth, Emma would always have Venus in her life.

They walked up to the front door and knocked once. As if by magic, the door opened immediately. Most likely Quincy the house elf had opened it and disappeared back to the kitchen. James Tyler appeared from the study, dressed sharply in a button-down and khakis, though his feet were bare.

"Welcome, welcome. You both look lovely," he greeted, giving Beatrice a light peck on her cheek.

"You look very handsome yourself," Beatrice said.

"Where's Venus?" Emma asked.

"Upstairs, I believe. You can go up and get her."

Emma took the stairs two at a time, leaving her mum and James to go cuddle up in the sitting room. They were cute together, she had to admit. And she was happy they were happy. Plus, if all was to go well with them, she and Venus would be sisters. Real sisters. Not just close-as.

Emma knocked on her best friend's door and waited for the "come in" before turning the handle. Venus was sitting at her vanity clasping a necklace around her throat. She was wearing a teal dress, the same shade as over half her wardrobe. It was the color that complemented her eyes, hair, and skin the most, after all.