Letters From Home [Belle]

[Aimee Sinclair S3]

Aimee practically skipped to the owlery. Her mother told her she’d be sending a letter to her, and she couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say. She probably had praise and thanks of all sorts and kinds to give Aimee for her help. Aimee walked into the large smelly barn and ignored the owl dung and feathers that were falling like the leaves outside and whistled for her mother’s eagle owl, Jupiter. As the large majestic looking owl landed on her shoulder, Aimee smiled. The owl merely stuck his foot out and the second Aimee took the letter from him, he flew off. Aimee rolled her eyes. She never really liked that owl. But Aimee would not let that get her hopes down. She was determined to stay positive, for nothing could ruin her day. She had just helped her mother with the biggest event in Witch Weekly history. That article had helped to sell more copies than all the other issues combined. Sales were skyrocketing, and people were dying to hear more. Aimee walked cheerfully into the student lounge and kicked a first year out of their seat so she could sit right beside the roaring fire. She would have rather gone to read her letter in the Slytherin common room, but that was too far away and she wanted to read her letter as soon as possible. Aimee ripped open the letter and began to read:


“Dear Aimee,

The Ezzie issue sold five thousand more copies yesterday. This is the best issue yet, and it was all thanks to me. One day, you’ll be just like me Aimee, and I can’t wait for that day. But until then, you’ll have to keep working for me at Hogwarts like you have been these past few years. Now, I have another task for you. I want you to find a diary entry or a letter to a friend, or some sort of handwritten material written by Ezzie Mendez. It may require you to do some digging, but you’re used to that already. Now hurry up! I’ll expect news by Friday, correct? I’m counting on you Aimee! Don’t let you’re dear mummy down!”

Aimee closed the letter ginergly, the smug grin wiped clean off her face. Her mother didn’t even thank her. She had taken all the credit for Aimee’s hard work, just like always. And now her mother expected Aimee to do more of her mother’s dirty work? Aimee rolled her eyes. No, Aimee loved her mother. Aimee knew that this was just another test her mother was giving her to make sure she was ready for the world of journalism. Yes, that was it. Her mother was doing this for Aimee’s own good. Aimee nodded her head slightly. She had no idea there was a seat just behind hers, and whoever was sitting in it had plain view of the letter in Aimee’s hands.

[Isabelle Leynette R3]

The letter she received from her mother was laying on her bed untouched the same as it had been this morning. She had been there spreading jam on her toast as the owls flew in. Belle hadn’t been expecting anything from home. Since before the holidays she and her mother hadn’t spoken. So as the Leynette family owl flew in and landed by Isabelle she was shocked for a moment. But she gained her composure and greeted the owl with a ‘hello Felix’. She took the letter from him and in exchange he took some of her toast and then flew away back to her mother. She had glanced at the envelope. It was written on the special stationery and blue ink, addressed to her by her full name. Her mother obviously meant business. But she ignored the letter then. She had placed it in her dorm room and forgotten about it. Until now as she walked over to her bed ready to collapse, for she was exhausted. And she did – collapse that is. Until instead of meeting just her soft sheets, she heard the crinkling of paper. A sigh escaped her pink lips as she pulled the envelope from underneath her back. There where now creases in the envelope which had been perfect moments earlier, and crease free. But she could still see her name – Isabelle Renee Leynette – written in blue in the Victoria cursive. It was a do or die moment, she finally opened it.

Young Lady,

That’s how it began; before she even read the first line she was already annoyed. Victoria sure had a gift for those types of things. Belle could almost picture the next line in the letter. It would be something about disappointment, something about family, and a lot of centering on Victoria. As she read the young lady bit once more she could hear her mother’s voice and tone. It was that … I’m trying to parent here … tone. Victoria had just developed that tone after hearing another mother in a store use it. It fascinated her how that woman’s child listened to her unlike her daughter who wasn’t paying any attention to her what so ever. She practiced and practiced the tone, but so far it didn’t work. Belle smiled at how well she was doing for still continuing to annoy her mother as much as her mother annoyed her.

Your father and I where rather disappointed you didn’t join the family for the holidays this year.
Belle laughed, so she was right. There it was, disappointment, family, and Victoria centered. How very predicable. No wonder it was so easy to win all those fights with Victoria. She constantly used the same lines over and over again. She didn’t have to finish the letter to know how it ended. Probably something along the lines of I miss you – yeah right, her mother didn’t miss her, and something about wanting to see her eldest soon. Belle rolled her eyes and got up off the bed. It was time to go for a little walk. That is after she burned the letter. She wasn’t going to finish it and there was no use letting it collect dust on the floor. Her bag dropped to the floor but the Ravenclaw girl had already left the dorm.

There weren’t many people there to witness the burning of the letter. But it was still a small victory for Belle. She watched the blue writing turn black in the flames. She smiled as the fine stationery shrivel up and turn to ash. And just as it was there, it was gone. Isabelle turned her back and walked away. She was out into the corridor as it struck her that she didn’t want to go walking around aimlessly. The lounge was the best place to go, and there she went.

Arriving she grabbed a seat and sat down. It was near a window so she could gaze out of it. She was watching the clouds, and looking how they didn’t even look like clouds but like other things. Things like monkeys with microphones, or stallions in bonnets, silly, silly things she was seeing but it helped to disannoy her. That is until a commotion was happening in front of her. There was a girl; one Belle was rather familiar with, kicking another student out off a seat so she could read a letter. It was right there, she was practically showing it to Belle, it wasn’t like she was trying to see what it said. She could even see it that well but, what she did see was Aimee’s mother bragging. But as the finished reading she folded it up. Belle smiled, it was time to say hello once again to Aimee.

She got up and took the chair that was facing the Slytherin. “Good evening Aimee, what brings you here today?” She asked her. She wasn’t sure what she was doing was wise, but she had already forgotten her letter. They way she saw it; she was creating a distraction so the girl could forget her letter as well. Mothers, they where very difficult.