Proditione Incipit

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Lily's birthday, July 2031.

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It was as it always was; the house lay dark and dormant until its official awakening upon the arrival of the morning sun skimming across the silk-blue sky. Clouds would pass in their many, dripping silver fans of light onto the houses, seeping through the windows. Larissa lay there in her marital bed, ignoring the arm that always seemed to find its way around her slender form to hold her close. She faced away from her husband, staring emptily across at the window, listening to the gentle ticks of the bedside clock. It had been at least an hour since the sun had lifted, she was sure of that. It rose earlier and higher than ever into the sky. Andrew would get up at any minute, now. He would smile and kiss her forehead, tell her just how angelic she looked in the early light, and make his way across the room to dress. It was the same every day. Occasionally Andrew would not be dressed to leave for work, and today was one of those days.

As usual, Larissa feigned sleep the moment he stirred, burying her face further into the pillow, one ear still exposed to listen out for the faint cries of her little girl, should she need her. Andrew went through his usual routine, leaving Larissa to blink open her eyes and watch the wallpaper crack and peel. Her life had grown dull and grey. There was no white, no black, no anything. Just the nothing. The only reason she bothered to leave her bed in the morning was to tend to Lily, the only ray of light left to shine. Lily, and the person she wrote to. Each day she found a new letter to which she would reply. The two had been in contact for years. Never openly. It was only this man and Lily which kept her going.

---

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

".. Larissa?" She seemed more distant this morning than most. Andrew stared over at his wife for a moment, wondering what could possibly be transforming within her mind. She would lay and think. He could see it in her eyes, the way they seemed to follow streams of light from the curtain-less windows. But today Andrew had decided she would not simply lay in bed and watch the house deteriorate. It did her no good, and besides, it was their daughter's second birthday. She had grown so fast, and Andrew was so proud. She had a pretty good vocabulary for such a small girl, and her eyes were bright with excitement when he moved to her nursery to lift her from her tiny bed and dress her in a little dress. She was beautiful. Her hair had grown long enough to be brushed, and it grew smooth and blonde as her mother's. Her eyes were blue like Larissa's, too. "Hey, birthday girl!" Andrew grinned as he watched the tiny child bounce about happily on the floor, "Shall we go downstairs and open some presents?"

 

[Lily Sedgwick]

"Dabba!" Lily beamed as her father came to wake her. She had no real idea what today was other than the day her father had chosen to lavish her with more affection than usual. She always referred to Andrew as 'Dabba', these days, after hearing people referring to him both as 'Dada' and 'Papa', neither of which she seemed to take to using. "Ja, ja!" She chimed happily at the suggestion of presents, which she already understood meant square papery things she could tear at. And that was something she did enjoy doing. "Mama," she said suddenly, staring up at her father with her big blue eyes, "mama," she demanded, her little hands reaching out to grasp at the air, gesturing for her mother to pick her up.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew sighed, casting a fleeting glance at the doorway and willing Larissa to walk through it. But she didn't. He turned back to his little girl and fixed a big smile on his face. "Mama will be down in a while, but she wants us to go and see if there's any special birthday girl treats in the kitchen that she might have left. Shall we go and check?" He offered the child his hand, remaining positive in the face of trouble. He knew that Larissa would, at some point, rise from the land of the dead to join them in the living room, and partake in the fun. But she needed time. He knew that. The best thing to do, it seemed, was to leave her be for an hour or two. Thankfully, Lily seemed keen enough to see what was in the kitchen, and snatched up her father's hand, leading him towards the stairs which, together, they managed to slowly climb down, shuffling on their bottoms and hands.

The two of them entered the kitchen, and Andrew whipped up a slice of warmly buttered toast and a toddler cup of milk. Lily munched happily on the toast as Andrew shifted her birthday cake out of view. It had been made last thing at night, following a conversation that had occurred between Larissa and Andrew upon settling down for the night in bed. The lack of cake had been suddenly brought up, and Andrew had been quick to try and put it off until morning.. That was, until Larissa offered him a reward if he sorted the cake out there and then. It was definitely worth it. It was the closest they had been in months. It made it feel as though the marriage, while silently sliding onwards, was still working with some passion to be held in its heart.

 

[Lily Sedgwick]

Lily's eyes may have been still learning to identify items, but she could not be fooled as to what she had possibly seen her father pushing out of sight. "Cake!" She squealed in delight, waving her half eaten toast around and dropping it to the floor. Her father shook his head, disposed of the toast, and began to make some more. The words 'Later, Lily', emanated from his mouth. She would have to wait for cake. She liked cake. It was nice and sweet. She had a sweet tooth much alike her mother. It was not uncommon for Andrew to bring Larissa sweets back from work, which she would soon share with Lily. For all Lily knew, her father probably worked in a sweet factory or the land of tasty things. She clapped her hands over her toddler cup and began to drink eagerly at the milk, dribbling a small amount over her chin, which ran down her front and onto the top of her dress.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

"Oh, Lily!" Andrew smiled, shaking his head and mopping up the milk, flicking his wand at the spillage and clearing the lot up. He made himself a piece of neatly buttered toast and a cup of tea, which he hurriedly wolfed down, noticing the restlessness of his daughter. Perhaps it was time to let her go and open her presents? He stood up, lifting Lily clean off her seat and carrying her from the kitchen to the living room, where he sat her gently down atop the comfy sofa. "Okay," he said with a shine in his eyes, "would you like to open one of your presents?" Without awaiting an answer, Andrew shuffled over to the small pile of presents beside the fireplace, and brought one over to Lily. It was a larger box with pretty striped purple paper on it and a large purple bow. "This one is from Oma and Opa." He placed it between Lily's parted legs, tugging at the bow to give her a decent chance at opening it.

 

[Lily Sedgwick]

Lily patted the package with her hand as though she was taking care to make sure she heard who the sender of this gift was, before she ripped it open. Or, at least, attempted to do so. She spent several minutes shaking, slapping, and tearing at the paper, before looking pleadingly to her father. "Dabba do it." She said, sliding the present towards her father to open for her. Which he did. He pulled the lid from the box, revealing the contents within: A beautiful doll, dressed in a sky-blue ballet dress. It was reminiscent of her mother in elegance and beauty. Lily clapped her hands together, before picking it up and squeezing it around the middle. She grinned a cheeky little grin, obviously very pleased to have gotten the doll. Her first ever doll. Oma and Opa were wealthy, in comparison to most. Richer still than her mother and father. Larissa had scarcely a penny to her name, most of the inheritance having been blown on school supplies. It was only through Andrew that she had a fortune to speak of.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

It was nearing midday. Larissa stared down at the letter she had drafted, before neatly folding and sliding it inside of a nearby envelope. She sighed inwardly, greeting Ted with a soft brush of her fingers against his beak. He took the letter, and set off into the light. There was something poetic in the raven soaring against the sun, heading off on its journey. Larissa found herself returning to her bedroom, padding to the wardrobe and removing her dressing gown to change into something more suitable. Once changed and ready, she moved downstairs to the living room. Lily was surrounded by presents, and Larissa hung back in the doorway, momentarily, watching her open a few more before stepping in and making her presence known. "That's a nice doll," she commented, seating herself down beside Lily, "what's her name?"

 

[Lily Sedgwick]

So far, Lily had gotten through four of her six presents. Rather a generous amount for such a small child. She had received the one from Oma and Opa- the doll, one from her godmother- a children story book which Andrew felt to be a little inappropriate as it spoke so harshly of muggles, one from the next door neighbours- a little pink teddy bear, and one from her father which had contained a wizarding drawing book from which the creations would literally spring out and run riot about the room. Only two presents remained; the one from her mother, and the small blue box bearing no name of the sender.

Lily turned to her mother, smiling but confused. "No," she responded, suggesting the doll had yet to gain its name. She paused for thought for a moment or two, hugging into the arm of her mother as she joined her on the sofa. The doll's eyes stared back at her, waiting patiently for its identity. What was that name her father called her mother? She simply could not think of it, but it was perfect for the doll. It looked like her mother. Was it Liz? Lasis? "Lalis," Lily declared very open-mouthedly. She smacked her lips together, over exaggerating the sound of the word. That name was a bit like her mother's. She very much enjoyed saying it, too.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa felt a part deep inside her heart stir at the sight of her daughter treasuring the doll and naming it. Hopefully it was something she could keep for life. "She's very pretty," Larissa added. It was the most interaction she had had with her daughter all day, and it felt good to be back with her once again. But she could feel Andrew's eyes boring into her, and she watched him for a few moments, assessing his mood, what he was thinking and feeling. He seemed to be pleased that she was giving Lily the time of day as she was. His heartwarming looks made her skin crawl. It was not a happy or loving marriage. At least, not on her behalf. A pure loss of hope had been the cause of marriage. She was desperate and lost. He was a loving idiot. A brainy young lad but simple to her advances. If it was not for Lily, Larissa would have cut the ties of marriage loose at the first opportunity.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew peered down at his wristwatch. Lunchtime. His parents, who Lily knew only as 'Oma' and 'Opa', were due to arrive in half an hour for the birthday celebrations. "I think we ought to get these last two opened before mum and dad arrive," he nodded to Larissa, before grabbing the last two presents from the floor and handing them to his daughter to open. As she began to split the paper on the one from her mother, Andrew snapped a quick picture on his camera. He grinned at the expression on his daughter's face as she managed to rip away the paper and reveal the wonder beneath; a child's broomstick, polished and gleaming with an engravement of golden letters painted on down the side. 'Lily, may your heart soar free'. Andrew raised an eyebrow. No wonder Larissa had kept this present quiet. "Wow!" He exclaimed, wide-eyed. "That's some gift!" He gave a small laugh. Lily chuckled, too. The presents were shifted and she moved on to open the final gift. "I wonder who it's from," Andrew pondered, glancing at Larissa.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa watched as Lily opened the final present. She chose not to respond to Andrew's thoughts. It was not his place to know, just now. Lily was her daughter. She could let whoever she wished give her presents. In this case, she knew this one to be from Lily's godfather. She watched the small child open the present, to reveal a small bronze box. It was decorated with celtic symbols, and a small key hold penetrated the side. "That's a disappointing gift," Larissa heard Andrew say from across the room, "there's no key." Larissa stood up suddenly. "Some people can be forgetful," she spoke softly, slipping something small into the gap above the heel of her shoe, "I think this calls for cake, don't you?"

---

The sun had begun to sink heavily into the seams of the sky. Oma and Opa stood in the kitchen with Andrew, the cake almost all gone. Larissa was upstairs with Lily, putting her to bed for the night. "Dabba will be up to read you a story," she said softly, stroking her daughter's head, "you should cuddle Lalis for a while. He wont be long. Mama needs to go out for a while. I love you." She kissed the top of Lily's head before moving off downstairs, staring in at the chatty three inhabiting the kitchen. "She's in bed, Andrew. I'm going out. Thank you for coming, Oma, Opa." She nodded to them all and turned on her heel to the front door, ignoring the hurled questions from her husband and in-laws as to where she was going at this time of night. Once out the front door, she disapparated.

---

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

They had argued, that day. And something about it all didn't quite add up. They had argued over Lily. Over her lack of friends at her second birthday party. Over the fact that Larissa barely allowed her out of the house to the park. Larissa had claimed she did not wish for their daughter to fall in with the wrong sort, but when Andrew asked who exactly she meant, Larissa had fallen silent. There was definitely something Larissa was not telling him, but he hadn't the foggiest as to what it was. Heaving a sigh, knowing there was little he could do about his wife's absence, now, he bid his parents goodbye, before heading up to Lily, to read her a bedtime story.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

---

Larissa shrugged off the feeling of having just apparated to another location. But it was dark and quiet in the shadows. She was in the last place her 'friends' would expect her to be: Through the gloom and firm silence of night, eased the glowing light of a german muggle pub. Larissa stepped through the doorway, meeting few of the eyes on the other side, weaving her way to a couch in the corner. Only one person sat at the table. His eyes found her quickly, looking her over, a sure smile melting onto his handsome face. Larissa stared into those eyes, knowing just how this night would end. His first words confirmed it.

"We shouldn't talk here. I have a room upstairs."

---

Early August, 2031.

She would be twenty-two in just eleven hours time, and yet, Larissa sat down to lunch with her young family, a heavy heart beating in her chest. It was wrong. All wrong. It should never have happened, and now she would have to face the consequences. Andrew would find out. She knew he would. It was inevitable, but she did not care for sparing his feelings. It was her daughter she feared for, now. This mistake would have to remain secret for her sake.

Larissa's thin fingers molded around the elegant silver fork she ate with. A small portion of food was speared on the end. But while her stomach longed for the food to pass her lips, Larissa did not eat. Her mind was elsewhere. Lily giggled in her chair as her father levitated food to her mouth. Larissa set down her fork. "Please don't do that," she said softly. Softer than usual. Much more polite and calm. "I don't want her getting into bad habits. The last thing we need is for her to grow up and throw food at the other Durmstrang students." Larissa stared back down at her plate, watching her food lay in wait for her, stomach growling.

---

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew beamed as Lily clapped her hands, opening her mouth and swaying this way and that in an effort to catch the food floating towards her. But the fun was disturbed by the tone of his wife's voice. More so than the words which came from it. Andrew gave a slight cough, apologised, and convinced a disappointed Lily to continue eating her own food without his aid. He now turned his sights fully on Larissa, uncertain as to her different attitude. In place of a shout, she had been calm and measured. Something was up. He was going to find out. It was his duty as a husband. "Durmstrang?" Andrew raised an eyebrow, matched by a raised fork full of food which slipped easily into his mouth, "So we're sending her to Durmstrang, now?"

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa glanced up at Andrew, making eye contact, taking in that look on his face, but not quite feeling the desire to punch it away. "Of course we are," Larissa replied solidly, pushing her plate to one side so as to further indulge in conversation, "where else would she go?" It was for Lily's own sake, naturally, as with all else in little Lily's life. Larissa would be doing it to keep her safe. Surely that was the best place for her to go, to help her to avoid the wrong sort. Although, Andrew did not yet realise Larissa's plans for Lily, and he seemed opposed to the idea of having their daughter learn the Dark Arts as they had done, as Larissa had done after transferring to Durmstrang.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew shook his head, taking another mouthful and chewing it over, sending Lily a flicker of a smile to encourage her continued eating. She did not know that her parents were discussing her fate. She was happy to just munch on her lunch and be nonethewiser. "Well," Andrew began, wondering if Larissa had had a change of heart from what he assumed her plans were to be, "you're forever going on about moving back to New Zealand to be closer to friends and relatives. And, well, I guess I just figured that maybe sending Lily to Hogwarts would be a better option. For her sake. We don't want her falling in with the wrong crowd, do we? I just want my little girl to be safe and happy." Andrew turned to Lily again, pulling an amusing expression to make her giggle.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa felt something stir within, then dip into a hot acid and sour her mouth. She stood up suddenly, picking up her plate and fork, emptying the remainder of her lunch into the bin. She turned on her heel to face Andrew, staring him full in the face. "She will be safest at Durmstrang. Hogwarts will damage her. She needs the right upbringing, and that's what Durmstrang can offer her. It's a good school, and it taught us the right things. She will never be safe at Hogwarts." The words hung in the air for a moment. Larissa looked to Lily, moved to her, kissed the top of her head. She shifted to Andrew, leant down to kiss his cheek, before moving to the doorway of the kitchen. "I'm going out," she said bluntly, heading up the stairs to pack a small handbag. She could hear the scraping of wooden chair to floor, the sound of Andrew's footsteps as he hurried out after her.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew chased after his wife, quickly noting Lily's position and judging that she was safe to leave for a moment. He found Larissa in the nursery, cramming letters into a handbag. She did not look at him, but continued what she was doing. "Where are you going?" He asked, trying to restrain the concern in his voice, "How long will you be?" He stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she easily shrugged off. He had thought things were good between them. Since Larissa had spent the night of Lily's birthday out with friends, she had perked up a lot. Her eyes were blue and bright like Lily's, and she smiled and laughed. But something was bothering her. It was obvious to see. "Look," he started, wishing to make ammends for any argument he may have caused over school choice, "if you really think Lily would be better off going to Durmstrang, then that is where we'll send her."

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa did her best to ignore Andrew. She shrugged him off as she continued to pack. Quills, ink, parchment.. She was going to be gone some time. She would need sufficient supplies to write to her allies. She knew someone she could stay with for a short time. Liberty, though still most likely displeased at Larissa's 'encounter' with her elder brother a few years back, the years of fights, and the interrupted wedding, was the co-owner of a pub in France, with at least a sofa to spare. "I don't know," she responded at last, looking up at Andrew's eyes. "I'm going to go and stay with friends for a while. I just need to get away for a bit." Something shone in her eye for just a moment. Something very different. "Please try to understand. I just need a break." She reached out a hand, stroking down his face, leading him close to kiss his gently on the lips, "I love you," she lied, "please take care of Lily. She needs her father. She needs a role model like you." With that, Larissa headed downstairs past Andrew, pausing at the front door to glance back at the kitchen where her two-year-old sat happily eating. "I'll write. I promise." The door opened, Larissa stepped out. In a matter of seconds, she was gone.

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