A New Start

[Leonidas Rigel Messier]

Leon had gone to England to bring Reisha back with him to New Zealand, she was still too young to apparate on her own. It would be another year or two at best before she did her training, so he went to side-along with her moving through England and then Europe, taking brooms part way and teleporting some of the way too. He hadn't wanted to simply bring her directly to New Zealand, he had wanted her to adjust some more to the idea and get used to being in his company again - so he thought a holiday before settling in would do her the world of good and with any luck him too.

She had barely smiled throughout any of it though and it wasn't until they had finally arrived at the strange rounded tower house on the island that he had finally seen a glimmer of a smile from her. He had given her the entire attic room and had painted it completely white, floor and all so that she had a blank canvas herself from which to work from and make it all her own.

Reisha had said nothing however to him except the odd monosyllable but it was now four days since they had returned and she really would have to consider her future here in New Zealand. It wouldn't be easy and he had never thought it would be but she definitely wasn't helping. He didn't want to always feel sorry for her, she had it tough but she had also had a really good life, himself and his brother had seen to that. With a sigh he rubbed at his beard, it was so much easier dealing with dragons than it was with teenage girls

 

[Reisha Messier]

Her room was as white as new fallen snow, it was too white really, the cold winter's day seemed to make the attic space all the more colder too and it certainly hadn't helped that the metal framing of her bed was also white, as was the bedding. She felt as if she were stuck in a painting and the artist had yet to dip his brush into colour, any colour just once her life could start. She knew that if she opened the door to the wardrobe (which was also painted white) inside would be her large trunks, brown leather with worn stickers about them and inside these were not just her clothes but all her things from home. Her pictures, her photographs, her books, her maps... everything that defined her when she was alone in her room. This space here however, she hadn't considered this her room at all, not yet. She pondered on that word yet, was she finally being worn down, breaking under the weight of pressure that her uncle was putting on her to settle here in New Zealand and attend the Hogwarts here.

She still didn't understand why she couldn't attend her own school and just travel here at the holidays! Surely that could be allowed in extreme circumstances? But he had assured her that no, it very well could not and she belonged where her father had decreed in his last will and testament. With a sigh she moved from the window and walked to the stairs that wound down to the ground floor where kitchen, dining area, living room, den and her uncle's bedroom were situated. The house looked relatively small from the outside but that was deceptive, it wasn't vast by any means when inside but it was comfortable, cozy even. Again she caught herself before her mind passed another small compliment on the place. It would not do for her uncle to think that there was a chink no matter how small in her armour. She couldn't settle here, she just couldn't!