Coral

She say, never have I known it when it felt so good

Never have I knew it when I knew I could

Never have I done it when it looked so right

Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight --Oakridge Boys








Goodbye-

Flying high, touch the sky

Going to places I never knew

So goodbye

And hello, long ago

I can see history

Standing still, a mystery

If you will pardon me

I'm away for the day--Chicago

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--This, our World--



England's shores had come into view not a moment too soon in Estella's opinion. She had discovered too late that she had no constitution for sea travel, and had managed to survive the long, rolling voyage only by lying in her cabin with an ice pack balanced on her forehead, dreading the thought of any odors such as food, cologne, wood, water, fish, or air might offer. She was truly miserable.



Amanda however, seemed to be thriving. She had eaten all of her own meals, and some of her mother's. At night, she interrogated Estella about the Wizarding world.



What did people wear? What was the government like? Finally Estella had stumbled to her trunk and rummaged to the bottom, extracting a handful of books which had been shrunk to the size of matchboxes for easier transportation.



" Those are Wizarding books." she said waving her hand to resize them. as she was staggering back to her berth. " Go. Read."



Amanda pored over them, amazed at the moving pictures, and impressed at the secrets revealed therein.They were children's books for the most part, a few text books, and one or two novels. Apparently her mother had at one point hoped to teach her own children from them.



To Amanda, it was as though her favorite children's story had suddenly been cracked open, revealing a door into a universe that before could exist only in imagination, and her enthusiasm was clouded only by the single question of how she would be personally received.



Never before had she felt so keenly that she lacked something vitally important. Never before had she felt so flawed. She did not have this magic that her mother had, and she had been warned that there would be little love for non-magical persons. A bile of self-defense rose in her throat unbidden, not unlike how Hannigan felt towards his own handicap.



She tried to avoid such thoughts, and concentrate instead on the adventure that must surely lie ahead. About her relatives.



What would they be like?



Would they find it in themselves to like her, even if she couldn't turn ashtrays into kittens? Would there be a place for her amongst a family that had not only been extensively Pureblood but had never even had so much as a servant that couldn't do magic?



She didn't have to wait too long, for her answer.



When they arrived, there was Eloise herself to meet them. It wasn't hard for Estella to espy Eloise, but it rather surprised Amanda that Eloise seemed to know precisely where they were going to be, and was looking directly at them when they appeared. Though there was nothing about them to set them apart from the other Muggles, and she had not seen Estella in over two decades, she recognized them almost too easily.



Before they had even fully come into view, she began striding toward them deliberately, her eyes concealed behind stylish dark glasses, and her face shaded by a frilly purple parasol that she held in one small gloved hand.



She was dressed, quite bizarrely in a unique brown and violet dress, with copper beading, a small train, and a short swallowtail overcoat. Amanda learned later that these were a type of eccentric travel robe that Eloise had specifically tailored for the purpose of standing out in both the Wizarding, and Muggle world.



When she reached them, she looked them over, taking in Amanda's healthful vigor, and Estella's greenish hue. She tipped down the shades, revealing her Rookwood green eyes. Her first words were a slight indication of how things were to be.



" Stella! You have managed to keep your figure! " she stated seriously.



Then, with an exultant smile she engulfed them both in her perfumed embrace. For a moment, Amanda's face was pressed against the starched fabric of her aunt's dress, and she was surrounded by the fragrance of spice, and flowers, and the sea.



It was comforting, just like Grandmother Garret's embrace had always been.

Just as suddenly as she had hugged them, Eloise pushed them both back a pace, and handed Stella her parasol. Hands free, she grasped Amanda by the shoulders.



" So we finally meet, Amanda. " she said. " You're much older than I had imagined. I thought you were but a little girl."



Eloise held her hand over the ground at waist level, to indicate how small she had thought Amanda to be.



" This is even better though. Stella can tell you I have never had much patience for small children. " she smiled, and Amanda suspected that Eloise did in fact love children of all ages. " So tell me now, how old are you?"



" Twenty-three." Amanda answered.



Eloise put a hand briefly over her heart.



" Has it been so long?" she mused aloud. " Really, have you been gone from us twenty-four years, Stella?"



Amanda smiled. Her mother had never allowed anyone to call her just ' Stella'.



" What are you smiling about?" Eloise asked.



" Oh...nothing at all."



" If it's nothing at all, then it wouldn't be amusing. Confess."



" Mother never let's anyone call her Stella."



" She does when she is home. She will always be Stella to me. E-stella seems so...long." she smiled perkily.



" Still the same Aunt Eloise." said Stella, with a sigh.



" It really has been twenty-four years, hasn't it?" returned Eloise.



" It doesn't seem possible, does it?" Stella laughed. Her color was returning.



" We have years of gossip to catch up on! " Eloise replied.



" Yes...I want to know everything. I'm sure mother hasn't written me everything that has happened. I want to know everything."



" As do I."



" I don't believe I have as much to tell..."



" Nonsense there is always something to tell. A person would be better to keep that in mind at all times, it makes conversation so much more enjoyable. Let's go, shall we?"

The matter of how to get 'home' had puzzled them all for a brief moment.



Amanda had expected a car.



Eloise had expected that Amanda could Apparate.



Estella had to confess Amanda's secret a little sooner than anticipated, but if Eloise seemed appalled that Amanda was 'ungifted', it didn't show in her carefully schooled features.



With a brisk, business-like wave of her wand, she shrunk all of the luggage, and imperiously gestured for Stella and Amanda to gather and pocket the collection of trunks and suitcases. She managed this efficiently, and so discreetly that none of the Muggles who milled around noticed the occurrence. Afterwards she conceded to a Muggle taxi, but only to the outskirts of the city.



After they had paid the driver and he had driven well out of sight, Eloise found a stone, and created a device which she called a 'Portkey'. To Amanda, it still looked like a stone, but she soon learned the difference when it was thrust into her hands, without warning.



She reeled as she found her feet again. Suddenly, without explanation, she was on a cobbled street, where many men and women walked to and fro, dressed in an odd assortment of colorful clothes, ignoring the sudden appearance of the three women.



The Portkey travel had made her dizzy in a way the the tossing of the ship on the waves had not, and she had to lean against the wrought iron fence a moment, while the world spun lazily before her eyes.



" Are you all right, dear?" her mother finally asked.



Amanda nodded.



" Yes...but that was...amazing!" better than a theme park ride, in her humble opinion.



She raised her head to take in the sight of her new home. The Rookwood house was sharp, tall, and aloof, with many gables, and countless windows. It had been painted a dark grey, and therefore looked both imposing and withdrawn, tucking itself back into the shadow of the two great trees that stood sentinel on either side, their gnarly boughs brushing gently against the eaves.



Climbing roses hung heavily on the fence, despite the cool weather. (Later, Eloise would admit that they were charmed to bloom all year), and a row of neatly tended hedges obscured the lower half of the first story windows from the prying eyes of the pedestrians.



' It's beautiful. " she allowed.



" Ahh...The Rookwood Manse." Eloise commented drily. " We could have expanded it over the years, but I believe in never stretching yourself to live better than your neighbor. It's always had just enough room for everyone."



" Even now?" Estella asked lightly.



" Of course. Well...Winter and I did remodel slightly for your arrival. Oh, and there she is! There Amanda, is the woman who is to blame."



" Blame?" Amanda didn't see anyone.



" Of course. Who else would you blame?"



" Blame for what?"



" For whatever! An important thing to remember about your life, is that it is your grandparent's fault!"



Amanda wasn't sure how to answer, and was thankful when the door opened and the woman who was her grandmother came hurrying out. Just as she had been in the paintings Amanda had admired, Winter was almost an exact replica of her elder sister. The same height, the same greenish-gold eyes. Their hair had even greyed in the same manner; two wide silver stripes on either side of the high, smooth foreheads.



The only noticeable difference was that Eloise had her hair done up in a knot, under her hat, while Winter's was loose, and hung nearly to her ankles. And Winter wore a large billowy green robe, that did little to disguise her slim figure, and a lot to accentuate her ivory complexion.



As she walked briskly down the path, her hair and robes billowing behind her, Amanda was struck by her beauty. Had she truly descended form this wonderful creature? Her excitement at meeting Winter was suddenly curbed by painful shyness, and she ducked her head.



Winter exuded joy and warmth as she met them, taking her daughter into her arms and rocking her as though she were a little girl who had been lost, but found her way home at long last. Amanda felt sad, that it had been so long. She could never live for twenty-four years without seeing her mother!



" Ah, ah...my sweet Stella!" she said when she finally released her daughter. She brushed at her eyes swiftly. " Just look at you! Oh, you poor thing, you look just like Eloise!"



" No, she looks just like you, Winter. " Eloise argued. " Just look at her chin and nose.Exactly the same! "



Stella laughed brightly, so that her daughter thought it must be a joke between these women, and that they knew how much alike they all seemed, and that anyone could confuse them. Beside them, she was suddenly orange and pale, and ducked her head once more to examine the paving stones along the walk.



" Amanda! " Winter suddenly chirped. " Oh, Amanda, come here to me."



" She is twenty-three, Winter. Did you know?" Eloise asked, one hand on her hip.



" Of course I knew. Oh, you pretty creature! " Amanda felt a thrill surge through her as the older woman touched her hair and examined her hands. " Tell me what is your favorite color, hmmm? Say pink. Eloise and I had a long discussion-'



" Argument." Eloise interjected.



" Discussion. Just yesterday. I was going to have your rooms all ready for you, but we didn't know your favorite color. Oh, I know Stella's is blue. But I said pink for you, and Eloise said that pink was out of style for girls and that it was most likely something bright, something like that electric yellow color. Well?"



" Oh...I like violet." Amanda managed. " And...white."



" White! Ha! you wouldn't have supposed that!" Eloise cackled. " We both lost!"



" White is a lovely color. And don't listen to your Aunt Eloise, she paints pictures occasionally, and thinks that she is an expert on colors, and their effects on the mind and soul. If we let her get a word in, she'll be trying to tell you that white isn't a color at all. But I say that if it has a name, then it's a color, what do you think?"



" Perhaps we should all go inside." Eloise suggested loudly. " You might be boring the neighbors, Winnie."



" Come, let us go inside." Winter suggested, as though Eloise had not spoken." I'll introduce you to your cousins, and then get right to work on that room."

" Oh you don't have too..." Amanda began, but Winter cut her off with a sharp wave of a manicured hand.



" Of course I do. It will only take a moment."



" Mother, I think she might be overwhelmed!" Stella ventured.



" Well, of course she is. She must be exhausted too, so many new things to learn and see, all at once. I bet you are dizzy too, aren't you?"

Amanda nodded.



" So tell me, do they have any men in America, Amanda?" Eloise interrupted.



" Yes...of course. Why?"



" I was only wondering how a young lady as attractive as yourself, could have lived to the age of twenty-three without being married once or twice. Or have you been?"



" Oh..no. I haven't." she blushed. " I'm not interested in love." she supplied.



" Love? I said marriage, girl" they all laughed. " I would never have been married if I had waited for love."



" Don't listen to her." Winter soothed. " She was always in love, just not with her husbands."



" I'm sure you'll find love to be much more interesting in our world. " said Eloise. " We'll invite some of the most eligible bachelors over for you to meet. Like that fellow, what is his name Winter?"



" Which fellow?"



" The one whose father wrote that book about the evolution of wizards.? Caused quite a stir. "



" Oh yes...let me see...Cosmo Wentwart."



" That is the one. He is very handsome."



" And Philo Fenwicke...of the Artiste circle."



" Oh, not Philo! He is so very dull!"



They slowed down their pace to face each other.



" Philo dull?" Winter demanded. " After that wonderful speech he gave last spring?"



" On the Goblin poetry of the late fourteen-hundreds?" Winter asked drily.



" Nooo! The one about the Ministry and it's new laws."



" Oh yes. " Eloise snapped her fingers in dismissal. " Well, I didn't say that he wasn't clever."



They resumed walking toward the house, each holding one of Amanda's arms. Stella, biting a knuckle, walked alongside her mother, trying to find a way to change the subject.



It wasn't necessary. As they approached the steps, the door opened once more, and a pretty girl in a simple grey dress and starched white apron stood waiting.



" Polly!" Winter exclaimed." This my daughter Estella, and her daughter, Amanda."



" How do you do?" the girl asked, dropping a slight curtsy.



" This is Polly, who I am afraid is much overworked at the moment as cook, maid, housekeeper and butler." Winter laughed. " And despite everything my mother ever taught me about handling servants, she is also my good friend."



" Thank you, Ms. Rookwood." the girl smiled. " May I get you anything? "



" Yes, tell Agnes and Demogene that they have arrived, then we'll all have tea. Bring a cup for yourself as well."



" Very good, Ms. Rookwood. " Polly dropped another curtsy and left silently.



" Before the tea arrives, let me show you your room, Amanda. " Winter pleaded, excitement shining in her luminous eyes. With a shy nod and smile, Amanda allowed herself to be led from her mother's side.



The house seemed composed of a few impossible angles, the staircase did not seem exactly natural. It went straight up, yet had an inexplicable turn, and an open rail overhead. The upstairs was even more angular and confusing, and the bedroom itself seemed much larger than what was possible from viewing the house's exterior. It held a large bed, double closet, several chests and bureaus, a writing desk, two armchairs, a sewing table, and three large bookshelves.



An enormous rug, with pile as deep as Amanda's ankle lay invitingly in the room's center, and another small one lay in front of a door leading to the bath. The bath itself was nearly as large as the bedroom, with a separate dressing room off to the left.



Two long marble vanity counters, with polished porcelain sinks ran down either side of the room. At one end, stood the bathtub, deep and curved. It was encased in a marble box, and an assortment of candles and plants sat along the box's ledge.



To the side, in private alcove of it's own, the toilet was hiding, along with another cabinet and a full length mirror. This cabinet proved to be full of thick, plush towels and a variety of soaps, shampoos and oils.



The dressing room was carpeted with a rug even thicker than the one in the bedroom. A white vanity table with a large lighted mirror, and matching chair graced the center. On it's surface lay a silver hair brush, a hand mirror, and a jewelry box.



" Do you like it?" Winter asked, practically bouncing with enthusiasm.



" Oh yes!" Amanda breathed. " It's beautiful...Too beautiful! I really don't need this much room."



" You are a young lady, and all ladies simply must have a spacious chamber. All the bedrooms are like this. Stella's, Eloise's, my own. Now, watch this!"



She took her wand from with her sleeve, and with a gentle wave, the plain taupe coverlet on the bed turned to violet satin.



The linens and pillowcases were suddenly bright, clean white. Similar waves rendered the floor a dark gleaming wood, the rug purple, the furniture white. The marble in the bathroom was altered from grey to white, with lavender veins ripping through the stark surface. The towels in the cupboard were suddenly plum and violet, the flowers and candles soft white.



Amanda could not disguise her awe, and turned around and around, admiring the lovely decor. As she twirled, Winter added brass lamps, and picture frames, and summoned books from the library below to fill the empty bookshelves.



She stood back and admired her wandwork with a satisfied smile.



" There. Is that better?"



' Better than anything I could imagine!' Amanda proclaimed.



' Well...it better be. It's what I do for a living."



" You are a decorator?"



" Well, I was. I didn't have to work, mind you, but I already enjoyed it as a hobby, and I was good enough. I retired a few years ago, but I still enjoy a little redecorating every now and then. Now, where are your things? Your luggage. I'll return them to normal size."



" In my pockets. " Amanda searched in her coat pocket and retrieved her five pieces of luggage.



" Place them on the bed, then step back. There you are. Now you can unpack whenever you feel ready. Right now though, I believe Polly might have our tea. Come along, Amanda."

With one last admiring glance at her new quarters, Amanda took her grandmother's arm and exited the room with a smile.
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