Chapter 6 - Return (2/2)
Eileen quickly shows her three tickets to the ticket counter on board and takes a seat near the front of the train. And with her heart in her mouth, Eileen irritably scans the platform for a familiar drunken figure. Her eyes never stopped searching always fixed to the passenger window.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the final call for passengers is cried out, before the train slowly sets off and away. The three of them didn't even turn to glance back as the industrial town faded away into the distance. The train rumbled away in the dark of the night and all too soon, Severus had dozed off onto Rowan's shoulder. Rowan, herself tried to fight off the heavy sleep, but her child body would not have it as she nodded on and off. The only one who did not get any sleep the entire train ride was Eileen, who was lost in her own turbulent thoughts.
Just after six in the morning, the train arrives at the Norton platform. Eileen anxiously leads her children off the train and takes a cab to the edge of the sleepy town of Norton. At the edge of town, Eileen uses the last of their money to pay off the cabby driver, before leading them into the woods onto a gravel path called, 7th Meadow Lane. To the twin's utter astonishment, the wood vanishes around a bend to reveal a rather large manor. Despite the green lawns and the grandiose style of the manor, the Prince Family's castle-like manor seems quite stark and cold.
Eileen painfully tightens her grip on Rowan and Severus hands as she makes her way up the gravel path and up the white granite steps as the grand front doors swing open before them. Eileen warily steps inside to reveal an elegant, wealthy interior filled with lavish silver and gold items. Waiting in the open front hall are three figures dressed in dark clothing, an older man and two older women.
Eileen nods to the three figures and addresses them accordingly. ”Hello father, mother, and Auntie Georgine, I'm back,” Eileen stiffly said.
”So, you are,” Aunt Georgine sarcastically murmured as she puffed out a cloud of smoke from her long, thin red cigarette. A tall, slender woman with chin-length raven hair with a touch of a few silver hairs here and there. Her hair is swept to the side of her head like raven's wings.
Reginald Prince, a very tall, thin man with a stern face, stiffly says, ”Dawn, take the children upstairs.” A female house-elf in a neat dress with matching apron and large droopy ears hastily appears and takes the two children upstairs. But all the while, Severus eyes are glued to the moving figures on the portraits on the wall, while Rowan snorts at the creepy watching portraits. If there was one detail, she disliked of the wizarding world was the bloody enchanted portraits.
Sirsa Prince, a sturdy woman with cold eyes, crisply calls out after Dawn. ”And make sure they properly wash and dress accordingly. Those rags are not even fit for a dog.” Eileen tightly clenches her sleeves as Sirsa turns towards Eileen. ”We told you that muggle man was no good for you and look how you've come back running to us,” Sirsa said with disdain.
”Yes, mother,” Eileen stiffly replied as she kept her head down. It was though she was once more merely an unruly, sullen teenage girl being ordered around again!
”Hurry up and clean yourself, you look simply atrocious,” Sirsa scoffed. Eileen's eyes glitter with anger as she rigidly marches past them and up the stairs. Reginald sighs privately to himself and merely mutters that he is headed back to his study, before darting away.
Aunt Georgine shakes her head as she makes tsk-tsk sounds. ”Really, Reginald spoiled Eileen far too much for her own good and just look where that got her,” Aunt Georgine grumbled.
”Yes, she was,” Sirsa flatly responded, before stalking off with the smoking figure of Aunt Georgine in tow.