The Vanishing Cabinet...Black

nine. coming home

tw: mild prejudice

BREAKFAST WAS ANOTHER HIDEOUS AFFAIR. Oh well, no matter how much Malka despised the meal, it was still required. Her trunk was already packed to the brim and boarded upon the train, as they were instructed to leave their things in the common room, so the elves could magick it onto their transportation.

Her and Cass caught the eyes of one slouched Clorfan Greengrass as they made their way out of the castle. First years streaked past their waists as they ran to hug each other before they all departed. Some people were even crying, which Malka thought was a bit much.

"Is your family gonna be okay?" Malka asked as the train rolled in front of their view.

"Yeah. Florean's got a huge revenue lately, if he carries on like this for another month he might expand his shop," Cass said, relieved.

"Good," Malka said, patting Cass's arm as they boarded to find a compartment.

Malka always felt a bit guilty about Cass's family's situation, especially when she lived in luxury in one of Milan's most coveted villas overlooking Lake Como. Malka would need to work to make money to support any of her future childrens' spendings, but the money she had now was more than enough to suffice for a comfortable life of her own spending.

After all, Leonis Rowle, Malka's grandfather, only ever had two children; Melite and Thaddeus. So it was devastating when Malka's mum and uncle first grew apart, with constant fights over their disagreements in beliefs. And it broke him when his own father disowned Malka's mother for being with a mudblood, and she ran away. He spent years trying to get her back, but he grew sick himself, and he was never truly able to before he died, only ten months after his father did as well. 

The hefty donation was his gesture of love, and Malka's mother always said that leaving her father was the hardest part about running away from home. Now, Thaddeus Rowle was Head of the House, a man who knew about her existence but not much else. Malka was pretty sure that he wasn't so sadistic, and that he wouldn't purposefully hurt her for play, but that he would prefer not to let their lives cross ever again to prevent the public shame. There were some quiet nights where her mother would have too much to drink, and Melite Rowle would speak about her big brother with regret in her eyes.

Malka brushed the sad thoughts away, as she found an empty compartment. Tigress the Barn Owl managed to stay asleep the entire boarding process, an astonishing feat. Malka took her out of her cage, setting her scarf down so Tigress could sleep in it and not behind bars.

Cass flopped down, flipping her blonde curls over one shoulder. "Wonder what mum will have to say to me. Oh, Cassana, dear, your cheeks look so full! Do you still fit in the dresses I sent you?" Cass scoffed.

"Didn't your mum send you dresses in third year? Of course you've grown out of them," Malka said, thumbing a page of her new book, Asiatic Anti-Venoms.

"That's what a sane person would think. But no," Cass sighed.

Tigress gave a squawk, something that startled the two girls, before ruffling her feathers and sinking back to sleep.

"I dunno why you named that thing after a tiger," Cass muttered. "It's barely the size of a Bludger,"

"She can be fierce," Malka hummed in disagreement, running a finger down Tigress's spine. 

"Sure. Oh, I think I see the trolley. Do you want any Cauldron Cakes?" Cass brightened.

"Sure. Two, please," Malka said gratefully. She did want a snack, since they would need to apparate to the Ministry, Portkey to somewhere in Italy and only then apparate to Lake Como. International traveling wasn't hard, it was just more steps and more dizzyness.