Early Morning Escapes *

[VICTORIA GREYSON]

She couldn’t stand the endless silence in the house any longer. Victoria had always dreaded her days off, but ever since she had learned that her injury would prevent her from returning to the field indefinitely, those days were no longer used to help her relax and recuperate from her work. They were simply empty...days that were spent lost in the troubled thoughts that continued to plague her mind.

Things didn’t seem to be improving between herself and Alain. And it was left the blonde to wonder if there was anything left of her marriage that could be salvaged...or if things were just too broken beyond repair.

She had tiptoed her way out of the house at some ungodly hour, just as the sun was beginning to appear over the horizon. There would be nothing open at this time, so it seemed almost pointless to go anywhere at all. But Victoria knew that there was one place she could go at this time of day, where she could relish in the stillness without feeling overwhelmed. When she was a safe distance from the house, she closed her eyes and allowed that familiar tug of Apparation to take her away until she was standing in the middle of an empty, cobblestone street.

For reasons she still didn’t fully understand, Diagon Alley had been one of the places in her youth where she truly felt at home. The only place that had beaten it out was a spot on the grounds of Hogwarts, a place she hadn’t been able to visit since her graduation. It was simply too dangerous to allow random witches and wizards onto the school grounds while the students were present, and so there were always charms and wards to keep visitors out of unwanted areas. She had no one to visit right now. Certainly not at this time of day. She very seriously doubted that any of her siblings would appreciate her intrusion, nor would they wish to hear about the things that continued to trouble their eldest sister.

Her brother might have been more inclined to understand though. As her twin, he often had a sixth sense about when she needed him most. He was the one who had followed her home on that Christmas Eve night, appearing just after Victoria had made the startling discovery of her husband on the rug before the fire. It had been nearly a year since Victoria had seen him...nearly a year since he had been found guilty of assault and imprisoned to Azkaban for attacking the man he believed to be responsible for her hospitalization.

By the time she had awoken in St. Mungo’s it had all been over.

Vic shoved her hands as deeply into the pockets of her jacket as she could manage. The crisp fall mornings were already upon them, as if summer had left abruptly and left the autumn in its place. And her fingers were not overly appreciative of the fact that she hadn’t thought to bring a pair of gloves along with her.

For a moment she simply stood there, letting her eyes wander the narrow roadway that made up Diagon Alley. The hustle and bustle of families preparing to send their children off to school was gone. Potions supplies had been purchased. Summer allowances had been spent on the newest books and broomsticks to accompany the students back to school. Animals had been bought, wands had chosen their wizards...just as they always did. Just as they always would do.

It was nice to know that there were still some things in this world that would never change.

WORD COUNT: 614
TAGGED: OPEN TO ADULTS
NOTES: --