out of the old

January 14th, 1996

FOR A FEW seconds after Mrs. Weasley's abrupt departure, everyone stayed rooted in their respective spots.

Marisol was surprisingly the first to move.

"Jane—" The strikingly beautiful girl wriggled herself out of the boys' grasps and cupped Daisy's cheeks, drinking in the sight of her marred appearance, then pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry! I never knew, all these years!"

Daisy's heart swelled. Marisol's strong, cold, and nonchalant façade broke down in front of her for the first time. She returned the hug and patted the girl's back, "Thank you for your— love and concern. I appreciate it— I really do."

Marisol sniffled, "It must've hurt."

Daisy just smiled, "I'm getting better."

"Wow, the Weasley Mum must've worked her magic so hard."

Daisy's heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she turned to look at Vincent in alarm. The boy's eyes looked serious as he scanned her current condition, then said oh-so-innocently, "When I broke my leg, I had a cast on it for six weeks. Yours is completely healed in less than two! And —I know I shouldn't say this, sorry, but you look so much better, Jane! I mean, wow..."

Dominic and Atlas awkwardly expressed their apologies for their inability to help when she was hurt. Huddled between her four friends, she was subtly ushered further into the house. When they passed by the library, she caught Lucy's eyes and they wordlessly made a promise to meet in private after lunch.

She had forgotten all about her Father until she was finally seated in the dining room. She even tiptoed and craned her neck to look into the long corridor, but he was nowhere in sight (probably too embarrassed to join the feast after hearing the neighboring kids' remarks about his violence).

Now accustomed of being independent, Daisy pushed her own seat back right as Lionel, a manservant, pulled on it. Both of them nearly fell consequently.

He immediately bowed profusely, "I apologize, Young Miss!"

"Nonsense!" Daisy laughed, "It wasn't— your fault, Lionel."

"O— Oh, thank you for your kindness."

No doubt, Ms. Aubert tried her best to make the returning Young Miss lunch memorable, and the band of rich kids were served with a series of fine palates: iced poached oysters; duck, lobster, and artichoke soup with black truffles; smoked sabayon; guinea fowl with two morels variations; beef, onion curd, marrowbone; herbed milk-fed lamb; mille-feuille with Tahitian vanilla, followed by pure triple-chocolate tartlet.

Daisy asked Lionel to pack four servings of everything, if there were any left.

Everyone abandoned their manners and threw questions after questions over lunch.

"Where are you staying now?"

"Is it a Vacation House? You have a Vacation House in Switzerland and another in Bali, right?"

"She's staying in the country. You are, aren't you?"

"London," Daisy answered vaguely, then added, "At the Weasleys'— second house."

"They have a second house?" Marisol turned pink, "I don't mean to sound condescending. I thought, at the state of their first house..."

"Are you going to Cambridge, then? Will you move into the dormitory?"

"Your Father can provide a chauffeur, you know. You should stay here."

"Have you notify HLS and MIT about your choice?"

"I am considering— dormitory, it should be— an enlightening— experience," Daisy said, "And Father— promised to sort— out my college— plan in my stead. I shall see if— he followed through. How is Stanford, Atlas?"

"Cool," Atlas said, "Mari's coming next Summer, so it'll definitely get better."

"Mr. Allen really is getting help," Dominic said. "Some psychologist comes over nearly every day."

"Of course he does. My Father makes sure of it, or he threatens to cut off the business deals."

"I can't believe Uncle Deacon still keeps him as a business partner."

"Business is business, or so he said," Vincent shrugged, "And we're still eating in his house, food that he paid."

"Touché, cousin."

"Are the Weasleys really good at herbal medicine?"

"Are herbs really that powerful? I'm still confounded by your healed leg."

"Were the bruises really that bad, Vince?"

"Yes. It is very, very much better. Very much."

"They are very... attentive," Daisy said. She glanced out the window and saw Snuffles lying under a tree's shade nearby. He seemed to be listening in. "Caring and skilled. I am grateful— for them."

"I should ask for their care if I do get sick someday," Dominic joked.

✿ ❀ ✿ ❀ ✿

January 14th, 1996

THREE HOURS LATER, Dominic, Atlas, and Marisol excused themselves from the Residence.

Vincent asked if he was allowed to accompany Daisy to her room first and she afforded his wish.

"I'm leaving again in a week. Taylor will meet me there once my parents return to New York, and... given the circumstances, we probably won't see each other so soon."

"Ah..." Daisy nodded, "This is a— difficult goodbye."

"I know!" Vincent sighed, "I am still excited for the years to come. On the other hand, though, it's a totally new ground, the future. More will be expected, demanded... Sometimes I just don't want to grow up. It's scary."

"Aren't we all?" Daisy said as they made it to the second-floor landing, "I suppose we— just need to... simply have courage— and face it head on."

"Getting braver, I see," Vincent remarked, chuckling.

"I wish. An infusion of— bravery would be nice."

"You're braver than any of us, Jane. Look at all the hurdles you have leapt over. You made it to today."

"You, too."

The two teenagers hugged for a very long time.

"Promise me we will stay in contact."

"I promise to— call you often," Daisy said, smiling tearfully, "If you promise— to pick up."

"Don't cry! Gosh, I should go before I cry, too."

She chuckled, wiping the tears with her finger.

"Send love for Taylor— from me. I promise to see her— in person someday."

"I will," Vincent said. He took her hand and kissed it, imitating the formal salutations they did every time they went together as dancing partners. "See you when I see you, Daisy Jane Allen."

"It's been— a privilege, Vincent DeVere."

"The honor is mine."

"We'll talk soon."

The ornate door to her room was pushed open with a soft click and Daisy was consumed by a wave of feelings.

She may not missed the loneliness and the bondage of her Father's fury, but she did miss her room. This was her little safe haven. A station for her to cry or laugh, to converse openly with her trusted friends, to reminisce freely about her magical experience with the next door neighbor...

This was the place where she had a dress-up session with her Mother, right before Mrs. Allen's Winter Solstice celebration.

Where she cried herself to sleep after she heard the news of Ginny's 'death'.

Two opened suitcases were sitting on her made bed, already filled with her essentials, three stacks of clothes standing around it.

"Mother..." she mumbled, taking the last teddy bear her mother had given her, stroking it softly. "It's been— twelve years... Time flies, doesn't it? And now... I'm leaving— home."

"Young Miss!"

Lucy came running into the room and threw herself onto Daisy, hugging her tightly.

"Lucy!"

"Ugh, you have no idea how worried I was! You were so sick, and then I tried to send the Weasleys a letter, but it just sat untouched on their porch, but then you disappeared in the middle of the night, and I got a super short note saying that you'd be taken care of, and there was no news for a whole week, and Ms. Aubert said you were gasping every two words when you called, and I remembered about your collapsed lung, and I was very worried, and then Mr. Allen started smashing things around, which caused him to be rebuked by his psychiatrist, and we heard you were only coming to get your stuffs and leave once more— Must you go?"

Daisy gave her a pained smile, "You know I should."

"Yes, you should," Lucy grumbled.

"Thank you. Especially for reaching— out to the Weasleys. I am forever— indebted to you."

Without warning, Lucy burst out into a fit of full-on cry. "This house won't be the same without you, Young Miss! Who are we supposed to ask about household issues now? And there won't be any party anymore, will there? Dinner in the back room? Day-offs when you're off on a trip? Oh, I'm going to miss you, I'm going to miss you so much! Don't mind me. Go on, pack, I'll just cry here until you're done."

Apparently, Lucy and Wendy had taken the liberty of preparing the dresses and nightgowns she usually wore the most, thinking that she would love to bring them along to her new home. Daisy sorted through the three tall stacks and chose as many as she could bring as Lucy continued sniffling on her bed.

Daisy remembered Fred's advice and took all of her knitted collection, magical trinkets, and albums to relocate to Grimmauld Place.

"I never knew you have so many knitted items, Dais," Lucy remarked.

She brought her cellphone —a DPC-550 Motorola flip phone with 90-minutes talk time in a single charge. Last year's Muggle's best invention.

Her notes and journals.

Books that Ms. Sloan had predicted she would learn on her first and second year in university. She took out some photos from their frames and slipped them into one.

Also, the late Mrs. Allen's teddy bear.

Lucy helped to tidy up her excessive luggage as Daisy phoned Ms. Sloan through her house's landline and bid tearful goodbyes as well as good lucks to each other. She promised to call her lifelong tutor at least once every week.

Finally, the suitcases were zipped and she was... She was ready to go. Physically.

Lucy burst into tears once more and the two young girls embraced once more.

A rap of knocks on the door broke them apart. Lionel appeared, bowing slightly, "Young Miss, Master Allen requested your presence in your Mother's study. Darren and I will carry the suitcases downstairs and place them in the foyer, along with the extra food."

"Alright. Thank you."

"Anytime, Young Miss. Anytime."

"Go on," Lucy said, snorting, "I'll see you downstairs when you really leave."

Daisy took her time travelling around the huge house, breathing in every step, burning every room into her memory. With her Epson camera, she captured random corners she knew she would miss.

She finally entered the study, and took a picture of her Father gazing blankly out the window.

Its loud click captured his attention, and he called out, "Jane."

She took a step forward, but only a step. It was like her body feared him more than her mind did. It automatically stopped, and she feared the notion of being another step closer to his clenched fists.

"I— I won't hurt you," he said, hurting himself.

"I know you promised," she replied forlornly, "And I want— to believe."

She wanted to believe, but she didn't.

"I— I want to show you the letters and mails," he said, "I did as I promised. You are confirmed to join Cambridge University next Summer. I had written letters of apology to MIT and Harvard. And I want to give you this."

Mr. Allen placed something on the computer's table and took ten steps back, allowing her to take ten steps forward to it.

She read through the tabs of mails and envelopes of letters, feeling relieved and happy. Then she saw what Mr. Allen had placed on the table: a bank book, along with all of its official documents. Daisy cautiously glanced at her father as she opened the book, blanching at the sight of its nominal.

"It should be enough for the next four years."

"Father, I..." Daisy looked at him, "It's too much."

"It's all yours, sweetheart. It's the least I could do as your parent. And— And if you ever need more, just let me know."

She pressed her lips together and confessed, "I don't think— I am able to— hug you, Father. At the very least— not now."

"I... I'm really sorry, Jane."

"I'll call."

"And I'll be waiting for that. I love you."

"I..." Daisy turned to look at the framed picture of her parents, both very much alive and happy. The one hanging over the study's door. "I will try— to forgive you."

They stayed silent, looking at each other with so much undelivered feelings, until she finally say, "I should go."

"I shall see you out."

But when she opened the door, Mrs. Aubert and her congregation of workers were already standing on either side of the corridors, forming two fences to a pathway that led to her next home, crying and smiling, holding small bouquets of daisies in their hands.

✿ ❀ ✿ ❀ ✿

January 14th, 1996

REMUS AND TONKS came to Grimmauld Place after a long day of work (34-hours, to be exact, from yesterday morning), and the latter squealed gleefully at the sight of food, scattered all over the table.

Sirius immediately called out, "Wonderful timing! Dig in!"

"What's all these?!" Tonks exclaimed, claiming an empty seat.

"Expensive food. Leftover from Daisy's lunch party. Incredibly delicious. Ugh, you have to taste this one," Sirius pointed to one of the bowls, "I don't even know what that is, but Bon Appetit."

"This one, too!" Mr. Weasley said as Mrs. Weasley took two other sets of cutleries and drinks for the newcomers.

"I didn't— think you two— would visit!" Daisy said, apologetic, "I only asked for— four sets."

"No worries," Tonks said, waving her hand dismissively, "This is more than enough, Dais, thanks!"

"How are you?"

"I'm good. I have everything— I need, and I get to bid— farewell to everyone."

"Here, Moony. Look how kind I am, saving you a chocolate cake," Sirius pushed a plate of Vincent's birthday cake towards his chocolate-loving best friend, "You should've seen it —the cake. It was bigger than Prongs and Lily's wedding cake."

"Really?" Remus asked, diving right into the cake instead of the entrees or main courses.

"Everything looks delicious and expensive. Too bad this turns soggy."

"I could saw saliva— dripping down your— mouth back then, Sirius. You looked starved," Daisy remarked jokingly.

"I was! It was lunch time, and I was forced to watch you eat the entire time!" Sirius said, "You should've asked your servant to throw me a steak. Invite me into your fancy air-conditioned ballroom."

"Invite you in? And let you lick— my friends?"

"Ew," Tonks remarked, earning some chuckles.

"Well, I can't promise I wouldn't do that. It's called acting."

"You know what, you should— stop eating. Give your share— to Tonks and Remus."

"Don't be petty, Flower. For once, I earned this!"