We'll not let its follies grieve us,
We'll just take them as they come;
And then every day will leave us
A merry laugh for home.
-

Though it almost ended what was left of her mental fortitude, Sanya passed her exams. She even got the second-highest mark in the English Language paper (damn the perfect tenses), though the gladness at that was mildly offset by the number of red marks there had been in her French and physics and chemistry and maths and civics papers.

It was the last week of June, and the second last week of school- she didn't understand why the children weren't just let home the very day the answer papers were done being shown- and there was no work to be done. Classes were free, except for the few teachers (*cough* Mamzelle *cough*) who had started the work of the next year- students were allowed to go into town every day- and the weather was warm.

So warm that a rumour went around the third form that, because of the war, earth was transforming into hell.

Sanya told Bonnie, very loudly, at breakfast the day after the rumour passed on to the rest of the school, that 32°C wasn't very hot, and they ought to come to Calcutta someday, where temperatures in the summer were frequently in the early 40°s.
(She did not know if that was true- but she did know that India, just like Rihaaya, was tropical, and much warmer than England, so she figured that the numerical temperature was much higher.
Besides, it had got people to shut up about the hell-earth.)

She sang quietly to herself ('Sleepy Lagoon', by Dinah Shore) as she walked to the swimming pool, her towel slung over her shoulder and a bathrobe covering her swimsuit. Most didn't bother with bathrobes in 'such heat', they came down in just their swimwear.

To each their own, but Sanya- 'chakla' though they might all call her- had always suffered from irrational meekness when it came to her body.
And her everything else.

The water glinted in the sun- it was barely late afternoon, which was when the pool was generally empty- and Sanya sighed happily, as she reached the pool.

No matter the weather, or the world, it was always so refreshing and soothing to be in a water body- the water rolling over your limbs, and losing yourself in the strenuous swims- and especially when no one was around-

"Oi, Rainsford!"

Drat.

Sanya had just taken off the bathrobe, and she had the urge to just jump in the pool, without heeding the voice or turning around to acknowledge it.

But she was trying to behave.
School was almost at its end, then she would have a glorious month or two in Finchley, with Edmund right there and being able to kiss him and hold his hand and 'do stuff' with him on a bed instead of in a forest- though she didn't mind the latter- and the food at Grandmother Rainsford's house was much better than school food, too. The fact that she wouldn't see her classmates till September, was certainly an additional plus.

So, she turned and was faced with Ms. Earnshaw, the games mistress.

Ms. Hollis Earnshaw did not like Sanya. This was because, upon finding out that her middle name was Catherine, she had asked her if she had read Wuthering Heights (which was the third book Sanya had read in this world, after The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Picture of Dorian Gray), the female protagonist of which was Catherine Earnshaw. Apparently, it was a very common 'joke' question, and not one that she liked.

Sanya adding, "At least it isn't Hollis Heathcliff," had just made things worse. In her defence- Ms. Earnshaw was strikingly attractive, and her muscular arms had thrown her slightly off the plane of sanity.

Ms. Earnshaw lamented it, but she was forced to interact with Sanya more often than either of them would have liked-- for the girl was a uniquely gifted swimmer. If only she gave more effort- if she swam not just for fun and relaxation- if she had more stamina- she'd be in for competitions at the national level.
Probably. Hollis would certainly never find out.

"Ms. Earnshaw." Sanya nodded stiffly.

"Rainsford." The games mistress replied tersely. She was even more terse than usual, because she had tied her hair too tight, and it was giving her a headache- but better tied up tight, than not tied up at all. Honestly, she had come close to chopping her blonde mop off many times- but she could never bring herself to.
At any rate, it did not interfere with her work or play, so it was fine.
"I was up in your common room, looking for you."

"Well, I was here."

"I see that." She said, avoiding an eye-roll. "Keep your weekend free, would you? That's a competition at Corby-"

Sanya frowned, "What's a Corby?"

Gracious. Why was it her of all students who had to be such a good swimmer?
"It's a town, which has a boarding school that is home to one of the best swimming pools in the country."

"Oh." She blinked in understanding. "Alright. Is it Saturday or Sunday?"

"Both days, Rainsford, it's a two-day competition. We leave at noon on Friday, and return Sunday evening." Then, she added, because she knew the worries most girls had when it came to an overnight journey, "Not to worry, we won't have to kip in the bus- there'll be sleeping quarters in the school."

"Oh." She said again. "I can't go."

Earnshaw blinked, "Excuse me?"
The girl had not, in the past two years, turned down a single competition.

"I can't go." She repeated.

Friday noon- to Sunday evening? That meant three days away from here- that meant three days without seeing Edmund!

Since she had come here, to England, there had not been a single day that she hadn't seen Edmund. Sometimes, it was from far- sometimes, they were unable to talk- but, somehow, they always saw each other, and they knew they saw each other. It was part of why Edmund hadn't gone home during Christmas the last year- he hadn't wanted there to be a single day that he didn't see his wife.

Not again. Never again.

"I'm sorry, Hollis." Sanya went on, seeing the teacher was too flabbergasted to say anything. She hated to say no, and she hated to disappoint her, but some things were more important than swimming. "But I can't."

Finally finding her voice, the teacher went on, "If you qualify in this competition, you might head on to the next level- you'll be competing in nationals in no time-"

"I don't swim to compete." She swam to breathe. "I have no interest in sports."

"You had interest in all the other competitions! And you're the best swimmer, too- haven't been this proud of a student since I was a student." She said, staring hard at her. "Why do you- are you afraid of travelling, or something?"
Her tone became almost gentle, and she patted Sanya on the arm.
"Child, you shan't be alone, it's nothing to be bungled up about-"

"Ms. Earnshaw, I just can't go."
She wasn't going to tell her the real reason, because she knew what she would say.

'A boy! You're giving up this opportunity because of a boy!? Dear me, Rainsford, just as I thought you could not disappoint me more-'

Princess Sanya of Rihaaya would have agreed with her. Sanya Rainsford, though, didn't care.

"Besides, you've seen how quickly I tire. You should get Felicity Milton from second form- she swims nonstop, and more like a fish than fish do."
Sanya was not generally aware of anyone's names or swimming prowess, but Felicity was Meghan's (whose last name was Roslyn, as it turned out) cousin. The little girl would often sidle up to her in the hallways and the grounds, and point out random people, either friends or relatives or subjects of gossip.
"Or my- or Susan Pevensie. From lower sixth. She's a really good swimmer, too."

"Disappointing, Rainsford."

"I'm sorry-"

"Profoundly disappointing." She shook her head at her, cutting her off. "I expected better."
She said no more, just giving her one last scowl before leaving, her sports-shoes crushing the grass that was beyond the embankment of the pool.

Sanya did not watch her go.

Why should she? Just because the bile rising in her throat was starting to burn?

She had made the right decision. Being with Edmund was more important than anything. Anything.

Even swimming.

It really did sometimes exhaust her and leave her breathless in a bad way- her heart and limbs always felt close to failure after a particularly strenuous race. And- it was true, she had no interest in sports, or competitions.
It didn't matter how much she liked to swim against and with others, how it made her heart throb in excitement, and how much she liked winning the races- it didn't even matter that the water was the one place she felt even a little close to home.

Edmund mattered. That was all.

She turned around, threw her towel down, and dived into the cool water.
-

"Did you manage to get a direct train home?" Bonnie asked, watching Sanya as she craned her head to look through the crowd at the station.
It was rather exhausting, being her friend. The girl very rarely had her mind on this plane of existence.
"Sanya."

"What? No, I'm getting the train back to Finchley." Sanya replied, giving up on her fruitless mission to find Ed in this insanely large crowd of students and teachers and parents, along with the other to-be passengers. "Why else do you think I'm here?"

The other girl rolled her eyes, "I asked, did you get a direct train? Mine has too many stops on the way- my parents don't like me going around alone, but it was either train or walk back to Manchester."

"Yeah, why couldn't they come, by the way?" It was quite odd. Her parents would come to the school weekly to take her to doctor's appointments, even though her home was not exactly close-by, but not to pick her up and take her home for the holidays?

"My brother is taking part in a play at his day school- they wanted to support him." Bonnie wished she could've gone, too- her brother was shy in public, and she wanted to support him as much as possible. "It's some end of the year programme."

Day school? That was for smaller children, wasn't it- for the ones who weren't old enough for boarding school?

Which meant that her brother was a young child- and Sanya felt cold shock.

Bonnie had mentioned a brother a few times- Alfie- but- but she had assumed he was older.

"He's- younger than you?"

She nodded, "He turns eleven next week. He'll start at my- I mean, at the brother school of my last school from September."

"Oh."
A little brother. Bonnie had a little brother. A living, breathing little brother whom she got to see and love and laugh with, and whom she hadn't abandoned.
She wasn't the only one to have a little brother, Sanya tried to tell herself, trying to calm down. Peter and Susan did- and millions all over the world did. It was nothing to- it was nothing to- to get so- to feel-

"Sanya?" Bonnie reached out to shake her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She wondered, when Sanya would go off into worlds of her own, if those worlds made her happy or hurt her. She could never tell- her friend's expression was usually inscrutable, unless she was with Edmund, with no hint of whatever she was feeling.

Bonnie wanted to ask her- but she didn't think she had the courage to. It was strange to be intimidated by a fifteen-year-old- but Sanya was strange. She herself liked the strangeness- but it could be frightening, to folk who were comfortable only in the conventional.

"Yes!" She said, far louder and angrier than she had intended. "Yes. Sorry. Yes. I'm fine. I was just- Edmund!"

"Hi, darling," Edmund said breathlessly, coming up to them. He was dragging a suitcase behind him, and his satchel was quite close to sliding off his shoulder. "Sorry I'm late, Oscar cornered me-"

Sanya let him kiss her on the cheek, before asking, "What for?"

"Oh, er- he's not sure if he'll be doing upper sixth. He says he'll send me a letter when he decides, but I should be prepared to be under a new captain from next year."
Edmund wished Oscar didn't leave. He had no special affection for the bloke, but he understood the players and he wasn't a raging pillock who cared only about winning.

He cared mostly about winning, but there was some concern sprinkled in for the players as well.

"They could make you captain." Bonnie said, and Sanya nodded in agreement. "Aren't you supposed to be quite good?"

"No, they won't let someone in upper fourth be captain."
And he didn't really want to be the captain, either. He liked to think he'd do a good job- but, ultimately, rugby was a precious hobby, and not something he wanted to devote his life to. Captainship was for those who lived and breathed the game, caring about little else.

"Maybe you can skip directly to fifth?"

"No." Sanya snapped, before Edmund could reply. He looked at her, a sudden sharpness in his expression- which she didn't notice, as she went on, "That would mean he'll leave school before me."

"You could skip to fifth, too." Bonnie replied, unperturbed. Though she had only known them half a year, she was very well aware of how much the two were attached at the hip. "I know you aren't the best student, unlike Edmund-"

Sanya stuck her tongue out at her, and Edmund snorted, the momentary bitterness he had felt dissipating.

She grinned, "But I doubt it's much of a leap between the two forms. Besides, your grandmother could always- ah, nudge the process along, if Graybow's unsure."

"That's a thought." Edmund said, his brows furrowed in thought. "I mean, I would have been starting fifth from next term anyway, if I was born just a week before- and I'll help you, Moonshine, if you have problems with the course-load-"

"It's nothing we have to decide now." Sanya said firmly. It didn't really matter, what she thought- if he wanted to leave school early, it was better for her! Whatever Edmund did, she'd be doing the same- unless he decided to stay in school for extra time.
She was willing to follow him everywhere, except to more schooling.
"Where are your siblings?"

"Not with me." Edmund shrugged. "Peter was haggling with the librarian over late fees- but Susan and Lucy, I've no idea. I thought they'd be with you."

"Lucy was finishing up something in the Nature Club room when we passed it." Sanya answered, nodding to Bonnie as the other half of the 'we'. First thing she would do when she saw Lucy would be asking how many clubs she was in. "Susan, no idea. We don't often speak in school."

"Strange." Edmund said, twisting his mouth. "Perhaps she just doesn't like to socialise with the lower forms."

Generally, Sanya was very pleased when no one socialised with her- but it was Susan! She was family.
"But I'm her sister-" oh, no, "sis-sister's brother's girlfriend."

Bonnie stared at her, "Why didn't you just say brother's girlfriend? I thought you were a girl of few words, Nya."

Heavens. She needed to start holding her tongue so much that she never spoke, like before. She had to be the near-mute Princess of Rihaaya she had been- because it would not do for people to find out she was from another world and Edmund was her husband, by way of an arranged marriage.
She knew no one would believe it, even if they did find out- but still. It was their secret, their old life. She didn't want others to possess even the slightest knowledge of it.
"My Inglis very bad. I say not good."

"Oh, come off it." She rolled her eyes. "You got the top marks in language."

"No, I was second."

"Same difference-"

"It makes a difference to the person who actually got top marks-"

"Hi!" Susan was there suddenly, with her luggage and a smile. "Sorry I'm late- Mamzelle was chewing me out-"

"What'd you do?" Sanya asked nosily. Mamzelle was very prone to 'chewing out' students- but on the last day of school, she was more relaxed than patients who were drugged with milk of the poppy.
Or, anaesthesia, as was the probable comparison for this world.

"I wrote a limerick in her paper."

"Mamzelle likes limericks, she's French-"

"It was in English." Susan continued. "And was about a stupid monk with a long pigtail."

"Fuck, Susan." Sanya's eyes were wide. Mamzelle was very proud of the shiny skein of pigtailed hair that fell down her back, past her waist. "I'm surprised she didn't hunt you down and kill you right after reading that."

"She said the reason she called me on the last day of school was for that very reason- so she had calmed down enough to not kill me. She also said that I am a little-" she lowered her voice, "shit."

"She did not say that." Edmund, who'd so far kept his mouth shut about his sister's mischief, spoke dryly. "If she said that, I'll eat my hat."

Sanya said, "Please do."

"Well," Susan blushed, "she said some very angry things in French. Something about- peste dis-desséchée, je regrette davi-d'avoir quitté ma maison pour ensign- enseigner à ces gents- no- gens qui san-sont sous-merde."

"That is the worst French I've ever heard." Edmund said, just as Sanya muttered, "That was hot."

It was a thankful thing that the station was far too full of noise for anyone to hear her.

"As though your French is anything above subpar." She gave an eye-roll. "And- honestly, I don't know exactly what she said. It was very rapid French! But she definitely said 'peste', and 'regrette', and even 'merde'."

"'Merde' means shit." Bonnie told Sanya, who looked confused as to the emphasis on the last word. "And it's something I doubt Mamzelle said to a student-"

Susan looked at her, "Who are you again? Why are you here?"

Bonnie looked taken aback, and slightly hurt- and Sanya balled her hands into fists.
"Susan." She said, as calmly as she could. "You know Bonnie." My friend. "I've told you about her- and she's in your class. This is the third time-"

"Oh- yes!" Susan said, and- in case anyone thought she was faking, she added, "Bonnie- er- Berkeley, right? I'm so sorry- I don't really talk to anyone- and it's hard for me to remember-"

"It's okay." She said quickly, before the girl's apology devolved into a ramble.
They had never spoken before- she looked at her often, and they passed by each other sometimes, that was all. She'd not realised Sanya had spoken to Susan about her.
"I understand. I don't think we've even had a proper introduction or meeting, to be honest."
She looked pointedly at her friend.
"Probably because of someone's rusty social skills."

"Oh, hush." She scowled. "Bonnie Finlay Berkeley, meet Susan Eileen Pevensie."

"Nice to meet you." Susan smiled wider, grasping the other girl's hand in a shake. "Isn't 'Finlay' a boy's name?"

Before Bonnie could do more than blink at the question, Sanya asked incredulously, "That's what you noticed about her middle name? Not how similar Finlay is to Finchley?"

"Well, Edmund is similar to Edward." Susan retorted, flicking a hand towards her brother. "You don't see me calling Ed Mr. Rochester all the time, do you?"

"As you shouldn't." She did not understand why so many people loved the love interest in Jane Eyre. "Ed's far better."

"Yeah," Edmund agreed with his wife, even though he hadn't read the book- it was on his list, though, "and I'd be Elizabeth Bennet if I was a character from nineteenth century literature."
Or perhaps Henry Tilney? Such food for thought...
Both of those characters were rather outgoing, though- and he certainly was not.

Sanya frowned, "Does that make me Mr. Darcy?"
She didn't mind it at all. She adored Fitzwilliam Darcy, just as she loved Elizabeth as well. She loved most of the characters in the novel. Even the characters she disliked, she could find some quality in.
The one glaring exception was, of course, the snivelling arsehole known as Wickham. She hated him.

"Sure." He didn't hesitate. "You're certainly surly and awkward enough. And Elizabeth loves Darcy, like I love you."

"But you fell in love with me first, but it's Darcy who fell first-"

"Can't have everything be exactly the same, can we?"

"Plus, you and Darcy are both rich, Sanya." Susan added. "And Bonnie here could be your Mr. Bing."

"Bingley." Sanya and Edmund corrected.

Susan hadn't actually read the book entirely- just the first half, and then she'd been distracted by rumours about which teachers were going to make a match of it. She had, however, heard an in-depth summary of the entire book from a classmate.
Regardless, her brother and sister-in-law should sometimes try to hold themselves back from correcting people.
"Still, my point and suggestion stands."

"We'd still need a Jane." Bonnie said, unaffected by Susan dragging her into it. She liked Pride and Prejudice, and Bingley was sweet. At least she hadn't made her into Mr. Wickham. "And, sorry, but I don't fancy getting with your brother, Edmund."

"That's alright and entirely valid, I don't understand why anyone would want to get with Pete."

Susan made an impatient noise, which ended the Austenian topic of conversation. "Why is the train so late-" Gosh, her patience was practically nil when she was in England, "oh, I rather hate trains!"

"Would you prefer walking home, Su?" A voice sounded, and the four turned to see Peter walking to them, Lucy hanging off his arm. "We'll wave at you from the train, if you decide so."

"Shut up, Peter." Susan rolled her eyes, and then inquired to her sister, "Where were you? I was hunting all over the school- haven't I told you to stand in the entrance hall-"

"I was looking for you, too, after I was done with some work in Nature Club!" Lucy's eyes were wide and guileless. "But I couldn't find you-"

"Hence why I asked you to wait in the entrance chamber- hall-"

"Very irresponsible elder-sister behaviour, Su." Peter said teasingly- he'd won his argument with the librarian, and he was going home, so he was in quite a jolly mood. "Tsk, tsk."

"Shut up, Peter-"

"Look, your train's here!" Bonnie cried, as the chuff sound of a steam engine became closer, accompanied with the horn signalling its arrival. "Go on- goodbye!"

"Bye, Bonnie!" Susan smiled, as Peter took both her and Lucy's hand, and chivvied them to the train- he was not having them be lost in the crowd, or accidentally leaving them behind.
He'd never hear the end of it from Susan, if she found her way back.

"When's your train?" Sanya asked her friend, slapping away Ed's hand as he attempted to pull her to the train. "I thought it was the same-"

"No, no, mine's coming in twenty minutes." Bonnie said, shaking her head and narrowly avoiding being hit in the head by an enthusiastic first-former who was waving a suitcase around.
She grinned, and raised a hand in farewell. "I'll see you in September, Nya- bye, mate!"

"Bye, Bon-" Sanya started, grinning back, just as Edmund finally managed to grab her hand- and she turned to see a very harried expression on his face, "for Heaven's sake, Ed, I'm coming!"
-

"Grandmother, I'm home." Sanya called, as she kicked the door closed with her foot.
She had no intention of actually looking for her grandmother all over the large house and greeting her, but she thought the declaration of her being home was enough.

The Rainsford house was large and grand, panelled with wood everywhere with furniture that could only be described as 'artistic'- and Sanya had a reluctant love for the colonial-inspired structure she would call home until she and Edmund found their own place.

She couldn't wait till that happened.
Till the time that they had their own home- just them- laughing and reading and making love and joking and chatting, and always together.

She began towards the stairs, just past the entrance (it was called something with 'f'- foray?) pulling her suitcase behind her, "I'm going to my room-"

"Not so fast, child." Someone said sharply, just as Sanya had been about to climb the first step of the staircase. "Leave your case, turn, and come here."

Sanya sighed, and did as she was told.

Grandmother Maude Rainsford was a tall woman, though stooping with age, with curling grey-white hair that was always tucked behind her ears, keen blue eyes, and a fondness for high-collared dresses that were reminiscent of the early years of the century.

Sanya didn't know how old she was- she assumed she was in her sixties, but the woman always threw something at her when she asked.

"Good." Mrs. Rainsford said, as Sanya bent to kiss her cheek. "You've learnt some manners, I see, at that plebeian school."

"Not really." She knew Headmistress Graybow had telephoned her 'grandmother' more than a few times during the year, to complain about Sanya's exploits, but she didn't seem to remember.
Or perhaps she just did not care.
Maude had quite the disdain for authority, which was the only thing about her that Sanya liked.
"I don't think I've learnt manners from the school. I try my best to refrain from learning anything from there, actually."

"Why, then, am I spending so much money on that school?" She demanded, arching a brow. Everything she did seemed graceful and calculated. "I can send you to an Arts Academy in France- you like reading-"

France! Yes! That was where her 'grandmother' had been vacationing.
And she had spoken of that offer to her more than a few times- and, had it not been for Edmund and her distaste for educational institutions and her anxiety of being in new places, Sanya might have accepted.
"Mother went to St. Finbar's."

"For a single term." She huffed, shaking her head. "There was no other school we could afford- and she needed to finish her final year-"

"Yes, Grandmother, I know." Sanya said patiently.

The Rainsford family had suffered quite the financial loss some thirty years prior, around the time the first war had begun- a loss they had overcome soon after with great enterprise, but a loss that had affected the family for several years. They had lost many of their estates, they'd had to move out of their mansion in some-place-Sanya-could-never-remember, Mr. Henry Rainsford had had to get a job, and they'd had to move into this house in Finchley, and send their only child, Cecelia Rainsford, to a school as 'plebeian' as St. Finbar's for her final year in 1916. There were a lot of other things, too, but Sanya had completely lost track of the conversation four minutes in.

"Can I go now?"
She really wanted to get out of the school uniform, have a bath, pull on pyjamas, and then sink into bed for the foreseeable future.

She pursed her lips, "Always so eager to sneak away."

"Socialising is not my forté, Grandmother." She replied with a shrug. "So, can I-"

But Grandmother Rainsford wasn't done.
With an expression that was close to a smirk, she asked, "How's that fellow of yours?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. Even that seemed elegant.
"The Pevensie boy. You do know him. He always turns up at the door like a far-too-persistent weed, asking for you."

He did play the piano rather well, though, Maude had to admit. She'd made him play it for her once, when Sanya had lost her glasses and she'd been taking too long to find it.

Unfortunate that it wasn't the grand piano the Rainsford family had once owned. They'd had to sell it when the finances had been dipping, decades ago. She had the money to buy one again, of course- but that would mean having to rearrange the entire drawing room, and it was far too tedious. That boy ought not to have any complaints about playing on the littler piano- a console piano, she believed it was called.

Sanya scowled, "For Heaven's sake, there was one weed in one of the many bouquets he gave you-"
Ed always made it a point to give her 'grandmother' small bouquets of flowers- usually picked by Lucy, and arranged by Susan, since he did not have a Treasury to pay for whatever he needed to buy- once a month.
It had begun because her 'grandmother' did not quite approve of them wandering around till the late hours of the evening- nor did she approve of their relationship- but even after she had bestowed her approval, Edmund continued the tradition.
Perhaps it was a challenge for the once-King, a quest in a world without quests- and Maude enjoyed the attention.
And, probably, it was a way for him to curry favour, in case he ever needed to get her consent to marry Sanya.

"Hm." She coughed, before dabbing at her face with the silk handkerchief she carried. "Well, is he still going to be around? I'll ask the maid to get more weed-killer-"

"Yes, he's still around, and he always will be." And then, though there was no need to say it, "We're going to get married."

Maude laughed uproariously- the only thing she did that was unrestrained and not dainty.
"Of course you will, Sanya, of course you will." She nodded indulgently, still laughing. "I forget how naïve you children are- especially when it comes to love."

"It's not naïveté." Sanya scowled again. "It's what will happen- sooner or later-"

"First loves, especially in the time of youth, never last."

"Yes, they do."
What was a better example than her love for Edmund? He was her first love, her only love, and it had lasted a thousand years and was as strong as ever.
"It's completely stupid to think that just because love happens when one is young that-"

"Oh, do shush, I do not care to hear your no-doubt impassioned speech on how strong your love for that boy is-"

'That boy'. She might as well have not known his name!
But she took a deep breath, and managed to push her anger down.
"I don't care to talk, either." She shrugged. Being quiet was so much more peaceful. "Anyway, Grandmother, what's for dinner?"

"Supper." She corrected. "And fish and chips. Sarah-" the cook, "made her own tartare sauce, and she said that it pairs best with fish. And she was muttering something about an Indian dish for tomorrow's lunch, because I shan't be here, it'll be just you. I dislike that muttering habit, truly, I don't see why-"

Sanya did not care- though the Indian dish had piqued her interest- and she wanted to lie in bed already!
"Sounds great."
As if on cue, her stomach growled- made sense. She'd only eaten a biscuit since last night's meal at school.
"See you at supper, then."

Sanya walked back to the staircase, before lifting her suitcase up as though it was a pillow, and then ran up to finally succumb to the comfort of her room.

Grandmother Rainsford tutted loudly, and called, "It is improper to run up the stairs, granddaughter, how many times must I tell you-"

The only response was the loud slam of a door being closed.

-
-✧･: °*✧*°:･✧-
-
Brie Larson as Ms. Hollis Earnshaw

-

(Bonnie, if you're Mr. Bingley and Edmund is Elizabeth Bennet- it means there is another option than Peter for being Jane Bennett. Edmund has two elder siblings, after all 😗)
-

Ah, Grandmother Rainsford. You sure are something. And Dame Maggie Smith as her is possibly one of my best faceclaims ever.

Fun fact, I kind of based her off Grandmére, Mia Thermopolis's grandmother in The Princess Diaries!
(BOOKS. Not the movies. BOOKS.) They're like my comfort read, I love those books so much.

Finchley time from next chapter! We'll also meet the Pevensie parents 👀
Don't get too comfortable in this setting, though, they're going back to school in a couple of chapters.
I like the school setting, ngl. But I also like the town setting. Hm.

Also, Edmund having actually seriously thought of which fictional character he would be??? Sanya, marry him. (Again).

Okay, is it just me, or are there ~vibes~ between Bonnie and Susan? 👀
How would we feel about this?

Speaking of vibes, Sanya definitely had gay panic when she met Ms. Earnshaw for the first time. I actually edited that scene slightly after I decided on Brie for her faceclaim, because no way that someone as gay as Sanya was going to not pay attention to a Brie Larson lookalike. Brie Larson is hot.

Anyway, speaking of Sanya.
I am all for her to do whatever she wants- but she LOVES swimming. She always had. Like, one of TWO reasons she did not absolutely loathe moving to Narnia was because there was the beach right next door.
I don't think she's lying about how swimming tires her- it is a strenous sport, and she's never been in peak physical condition. But it's just sad that she is so attached to Edmund she's willing to give up even the one activity that makes her feel like she's home.

Anyway, next chapter is one I really like. I usually forget about it, but then when I chance upon it, I'm reminded of how much I love it.
Also, the last scene of the next chapter has one of my all-time favourite Edmanya scenes. My ABSOLUTE favourite scenes have to be in Chs33 and 35- but that scene is a good contender.
It's just- they're just- I feel 🥺 (in a good way, at least for the next chapter).

Oh, oh, also.
I know that in the books, the boys' and the girls' schools are in different places- there was something about Susan and Lucy catching the train to their school first, and Peter and Edmund another train to theirs, or vice versa- but I'm using movie canon here. If that nerdy boy from Hendon could see Susan sitting by herself, obviously the two schools were next to each other.
And that's what I went with.
I just had to clarify that.

And, as always- I humbly and unashamedly ask you to vote on the chapters, and perhaps comment, too :)