Closed Green Ink & Red Wax Seal

[Heliana Le Fey]

Heliana Le Fey inhaled deeply with closed eyes and a smile as she felt the soft caress of the sun against her skin, sending an energetic feeling through her body. Lounged about in a hammock along with her one-eyed cat Teuta, she was enjoying her oatmeal at the front porch of her grandmother’s cottage at Picton, New Zealand.

The girl preferred this place over their residence in Great Britain and she was always cheering up when she was at her grandmother’s cottage. Specifically this wooden framed porch, brilliantly white with new paint, each side lined with geraniums in pinks and reds, was her favorite spot to relax. She could feel the subtle continuous vibratory sound of Teuta’s purring. The cat was lying on its back next to her, exposing its white belly to the human’s much welcome petting. Heliana was planning to spend some time there, doing nothing while today she hadn’t any classes with her mother or grandmother. She was considering maybe taking a walk at the nearby woods to gather some mushrooms and herbs for potion-making. She enjoyed that.

However, he plan of endless relaxation was up to an abrupt end as a winged shadow swooped over her head and two identical envelopes landed on her stretched legs. She glanced at the unexpected visitor, a barred-owl now perched on the wooden railing of the porch. For a moment she thought it was her grandmother’s mail but a closer look at the recipient and she recognized her name and Selene's on the second one. The familiar badge on the red wax seal made the girl hold her breath. She tore apart the envelope with her own name and unfolded quickly the parchment inside. Her grey eyes gleamed even more with excitement as they were shifting vigorously through the green lines of the letter. She jumped on her feet, dropping her bowl on the floor, leaving behind her a swinging hammock and her cat which seized the opportunity to finish the spilled oatmeal on the floor.

She almost stumbled on the rug at the door as she rushed barefoot inside the house with both letters in her hand and her face beaming with excitement. Her long hair were in a bun a few moments ago, now a mess of overhanging blonde tufts as she was climbing the staircase, two stairs at a time. When she reached the door of the bedroom she was sharing with her twin, she stopped to catch her breath. Despite her hardly contained enthusiasm, she managed to knock the bedroom's door and waited first for a response. Selene had a sleepless night once more and maybe she had managed to get some sleep now.

 

[Selene Le Fey]

Selene was asleep. She has had a terrible night the previous night. After going to sleep she had been plagued by nightmares. This time it wasn’t the burning house but being stuck in a maze and being chased knowing that she was supposed to find something but every turn took her deeper down a different path that was even darker and more creepy than before. What Made the nightmare worse was the constant sound of footsteps behind her, chasing her trying to catch her. After the fourth time waking up only to return to the same dream as she shut her eyes she gave up.
She had picked up a book by random from her shelf before sitting in the window seat to read by the light of the moon and one candle. Taking care to angle herself so that the most light was on the book and least was on Elia.
The book had been a muggle book of fairy tales by Hans Christian Anderson. As the night progressed she made her way on an adventure with the flying trunk, and the trousers that caused the wearer to travel back in time. Finally, as the sun started to make the sky turn from black to grey she went back to bed to get a few hours sleep. She always slept better during the day. She still dreamt, she had always dreamt. She was still in a maze but this time it was flooded with summer sunshine. The person behind her was Elia and they were playing something between hiding and seek and tig.
Just as her twin was about to catch her she was awoken by a knock on the door. "what is it Elia? You don’t have to knock before coming into your own room she said sitting up and looking around the room trying to place herself back in a time and place, grandma morgan’s house, and about nine or nine thirty. They had always shared a room, Even though grandma Morgan had plenty of spare rooms, and Elia never usually knocked she just came in and tried to be quiet if she was asleep. This morning there was something about the knock that seemed strange about the knock, like it held a promise, some kind of excitement or trepidation.

 

[Heliana Le Fey]

She pushed the door open the moment she heard her sister's voice, anticipation increasing her pulse. She saw Selene sitting on her bed and wondered if she had managed to get some sleep at night. Heliana was a heavy sleeper but even she had woken up a couple of times. Once because her sister had used candle light which could only mean that she was reading again and the second when Selene was speaking in her sleep, incomprehensible things about a maze. Her nightmares was something that Heliana wanted to cast away. Not because she wasn't letting her sleep while they were sharing the same room but because she didn't want her sister to suffer more.

Maybe she was about to cheer her up with had she was going to announce. She rushed and sat next to her, wearing one of these smiles that were only on her face when she was up to no good. She kept the letters hidden behind her back. "Morning Lena! I hoped you were finally sleeping." She explained about the knock of the door. So unusual of her. "I know you won't be sleeping much after what I am about to show you." She added and her smile widened. She knew Lena was going to be as excited as she was. Also a bit nervous too. At least the news were going to keep her awake for a good reason or maybe cast her nightmares away for a while.

"Make a guess!" She prompted her, deciding to prolong a bit the suspense.

 

[Selene Le Fey]

Heliana was up to something. it didn't take an occlumens to figure that out. it didn't even take a twins intuition. It only took Selene a look at the wicked grin on helianas face. "I was sleeping" she said. "we were playing tig in a maze and you were just about to catch me" she added. Selene seemed to dream every night and it wasn't often that she couldn't remember them when she woke up some of them were boring, some wore fun and some were scary. "It was a fun maze all manicured hedges and sunshine" she added. and mentally added unlike the maze earlier last night.
As her sister said that she knew she wouldn't be sleeping much after what she was about to show her she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. "What is it? did you leave the back door open and let a bird in again? she asked. the last time that had happened they had spent half a day chasing a couple of scared finches around the house. "or has grandma made her blackberry crumble muffins for breakfast" she guessed which was much more likely to be what elia had in her hand than a frantic bird.

 

[Heliana Le Fey]

Heliana nodded, glad to hear that she managed finally to get some sleep. She was glad that she didn’t remember her own dreams if she had any. She could feel how torturing was for Selene to be haunted by her nightmares and stay awake until dawn. Sometimes, her twin wouldn’t even confess what her nightmares were about. She listened at her sister’s dream that sounds far more pleasant than those she usually had and Heliana wondered if dreams in general meant anything.

The girl rolled her grey eyes when at her first guess, Selene mentioned right away an unwittingly occurrence. “It was fun though!” She commented as she recalled the incident when they were trying to scare the birds out of the house. “And no but we can convince her to make some later.” She replied at the second guess. Deciding that she didn’t have the patience for more, possibly wrong guesses, she revealed the two envelopes she was hiding behind her back. She handed to Selene the one with her own name and she cracked a smile as she observed her twin’s face in anticipation for her reaction.

“Get ready for that shabby hat to invade your brain, cause we are officially accepted to Hogwarts!” Excited, she waved before Selene, her own letter of acceptance that she had already read.

 

[Selene Le Fey]

Selene could not help but chuckle when Elia said that the bird incident had been good fun, yes it was, "and when it pooed on my head, what a mess she said laughing, that had been a fun day in the end grandma morgan had arrived back home and whistled and the bird who had been flying frantically before came and sat on her finger and she had taken it outside.
The thought of muffins, however, left her head as Helena took two envelopes out from behind her back. too many thoughts flew through her head. "Are you serious? hogwarts, Scotland or NewZealand? can i read mine. the sorting hat is not just a shabby hat, it is one of the most powerful magical artefacts in the world" she said each thought falling out of her mouth before it had time to be filtered. she was also on her feet albeit feeling a little uncoordinated as she had just woken up. she somehow managed to trip over in the four steps it took to reach her twin. she managed to catch herself before she fell fully onto her face. "Merlin what does it say" she asked she had been imagining this day for a while trying to work out which school they would be accepted into. Hogwarts Scotland as they mainly lived in the UK, Hogwarts New Zealand as their mum was both an alum and a previous teacher there, or beauxbattons like their cousin, not that the last one would be an option really as they had not learned more than a few words in French.

 

[Heliana Le Fey]

Heliana chuckled as well as her twin mentioned how the terrified birds counteracted while the two of them were trying to shoo them away before their grandmother finally dealt with the issue. “I think they liked you too much.” She joshed about the incident but their focus shifted to the burning issue.

“New Zealand.” She sighed relieved. She always felt like Scotland’s weather wasn’t for her with the constant moody cloudiness and the bone-drenching humidity. They were anyway celebrating Christmas here in New Zealand at their grandmother’s cottage so they wouldn’t have to travel far during holidays. Heliana rolled her eyes once more as her sister was getting in her lecturing mode. “It is still patched and shabby.” She groaned as she insisted. Then she proceeded to read her own letter, skipping the name of the headmistress and her titles.

“Dear Ms Le Fey. We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in New Zealand. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on first of September. We wait your owl by no later than thirty one of July- wait what? We are going to get our own owl!” She beamed with excitement as she read the last few lines written in green ink. The girl always wanted to have her own pet owl.

She then checked the other piece of parchment, the list of stuff they had to purchase. Her excitement intensified when she noticed the brass scales among the incurious book titles. “Hey we should go to Obsidian Harbor for shopping soon!” She exclaimed really looking forward to this as the harbor was one of her favorite places to visit. She was going to be counting days until their departure to Hogwarts.

With dreamy eyes she was imagining already Quidditch matches, meals at the vast Great Hall and strolls at the rolling hills of the school grounds. Heliana wasn’t really fond of books but Selene was and she used telling her about the wizarding schools around the world. She wasn’t listening closely all the time but she was hearing the interesting bits about moving staircases and enchanted ceilings. Suddenly she shot a thoughtful glance at her sister and wondered if they were going to be sorted at the same house.

“What house do you wish for?” She asked Selene, curious of her preference.

 

[Selene Le Fey]

Selene was glad when she heard that it was New Zealand. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to Scotland. it was more that she had heard more about New Zealand and she hoped that would make the move easier for her. she had never spent time away from her family before and whilst she knew it would be unlikely that she and Helena would be in the same house she hoped that some family connection to the place would make for an easier move.
She took her own letter off her sister and gently opened the wax seal and pulled out the parchment inside. she scanned along to her sisters reading. of course, they said the same thing. even the name miss le fey was the same. she then turned to the other list, the book list and other required items. "I don't think we get given an owl, I think we will have to use Merlin, but we can take a cat, rat, toad owl or cat if we want to. maybe mum or grandma will get us each an animal" she said refering to elveras raven who was basically trained to be an owl. but the thought gave her an idea that maybe she would be able to get a cat too.
At the idea of an obsidian trip, Selene smiled. she liked walking along the street and browsing through the shops. it would be great to go there and be able to buy a heap of new books. and a wand. "there are so many things we need to get, a cauldron, potion ingredients, books, a telescope, robes, uniform, ice cream" she said scanning the list and adding ice cream in the end. she would never say no to a stop in the ice cream shop. "It will be a big shopping trip"
her thoughts were pulled back from the thought of shopping by her sister's voice asking what house she wanted to be in. "Ravenclaw" she said simply. she really didn't think she would fit anywhere else. "where do you want to be sorted into" she asked. she, unfortunately, couldn't see her sister in blue robes. maybe red would be her destiny.

 

[Heliana Le Fey]

Unlike her that she literally reaped apart the whole envelope, Selene opened it neatly without damaging it and read her own letter as well which proved to be identical to Heliana's. They both focused on the equipment they had to get beforehand and particularly on the pets they could bring with them. "I have Teuta, I don't need another cat." She claimed after her sister finished listing the possible pets. Heliana had adopted Teuta, a stray alley cat, almost a year now. Missing an eye wasn't a deterrent at all, on the contrary, this made the cat uniquely beautiful in Heliana's eyes and more passionate in convincing their mother to keep it. A long argument and a day starving herself, made their mother to give in to Heliana's persistence. "Just don't get a rat or a toad because I can't promise about its well-being." She commented with a cheeky smile, thinking of Teuta and her killer instincts that were kicking in whenever a smaller critter was in close proximity.

Heliana couldn't wait for their prominent shopping trip with her sister. "A wand!" She added one of the most important items in their list that Selene hadn't mentioned. "Finally I can cast a spell and make my hair black." She said frowned and unloosened her messy bun to let her long, blonde hair cascade over her shoulders. Everyone in the family knew that she disliked her characteristic fair hair color while everyone else had dark. She also knew that her sister most likely would end up at the same house as their mother, the one she also wanted. Heliana had never thought of which house she would like to be in. Ravenclaw seemed next to impossible while learning new things wasn't her thing. "I don't care. As far as I can join the Quidditch team I am good." She shrugged, already knowing that a first year had a few possibilities to make to the team but that wasn't discouraging for her. "You won't get rid of me though that easily. We will have shared classes, I can help you with flying and I will certainly need help with homework." She jested as it was most likely that the two of them would end in different houses. "I am really looking forward to flying! And potions of course! What about you?" She asked her twin, having a hunch that she was going to be good with spell casting.

 

[Selene Le Fey]

Selene nodded thoughtfully when her sister said that she had teuta and didn't need another cat. "I don't think teuta would like you getting another cat. but I don't know if you have him or if he has you" she said. the stray had become attached to heli and not been persuaded despite some effort from their mother thought she wasn't sure how hard Elvera had been trying to remove the cat. "no what use would a toad be, they would be too small and slimy to cuddle, and rats wouldn't be too much better" she said. Selene had decided she wanted a cat. she had a little pocket money saved up. which she may be able to get one maybe not from a pet shop but from a shelter.
at heli's suggestion of what she would use a wand for Selene shook her head slightly. "but the blonde suits you. it makes you look all radiant like aunty lil. black hair makes you look washed out and slightly like a banshee if you are not careful" she said. this was especially true after for her a couple of sleepless nights when she had huge dark rings under her eyes her pale skin looking almost ghostly.
she got out of bed and pulled a jumper on over her pyjamas as her sister chatted away about Quidditch teams. "you should join the team you will be a great Quidditch player" she said. the girls often spent time playing in the meadow near their house in England. and heli took her broom for a spin sometimes and was good, Selene, on the other hand, hated flying. "I don't want to get rid of you. you are my sister we do things together" she said. she would miss having her around. they had hardly been separated from each other for more than a day ever, she wasn't sure what she would do when heli went off and made new friends. Selene thought for a moment about what she was looking forward to at the school. "I think herbology will be interesting, and divination" she said. she enjoyed both subjects when their mum taught them a bit about them but she was sure that there was more than the little she had been shown and had read about in her long evenings awake.

 

[Morgan Le Fey]

Morgan had been in the kitchen making some lemon curd. it was early but she wanted to use it this afternoon to make a lemon meringue. it was a peaceful morning. the kitchen window opens letting in an unseasonably warm breeze smelling like flowers and herbs from her garden. the twins were staying with her for the week. at the moment Helena was sitting outside. she had taken a bowl of porridge on to the verandah and Selene was still in bed. all of a sudden the tranquillity of the morning was shattered like the glass in her door when Helena slammed it open and ran upstairs.
One wave of her wand and the shards jumped back into place. she headed towards the stairs to follow her granddaughter up 'don't wake Selene, she has had a bad night" she said but it was already too late the girl's bedroom door had been thrown open and she could hear them talking. it was too late so she headed back to the kitchen to make sure that the curd wasn't going to curdle. before taking it off the heat and going to see what the commotion was about. she caught sound of what the girls were talking about, potions, herbology and divination, all parts of traditional old magic, that was the kind of magic that le feys were always skilled in.
she paused outside their room for a second and knocked on the door. This was more a formality than anything to let them know that she was here. the door was wide open and it was her house. "Congratulations girls" she said. pulling them both into a big hug proud of her youngest granddaughters. It sounds like a shopping trip is in order." she said letting them go. she would let her daughter organise their school supplies but she could treat them to something nice, an owl or some non school books or something that they wanted.