The Light in the Dark | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 5: The Music Box

August 2nd, 1995 - 11:00 am

"So where are we?" I asked.

"We're on the outskirts of London, an area called Surrey," Mother explained, "We'll be spending the next few weeks here until you two go back to school."

To be honest, this wasn't the most ideal holiday spot. Usually, we'd go somewhere in the Caribbean, but we were in the middle of London. If I wanted to go to London, I would've just stayed home, like I originally wanted to. The area we were in was boring anyways; the same houses, the same looks, the same people, it was just boring. I mean it was a muggle town, so I wasn't exactly surprised that it looked this way.

Speaking of muggles, I've found it quite rude that none of my friends bothered to send me a letter this summer. Years prior, Hermione and I chatted back-and-forth through letters, and she told me about all of the cool muggle things she did with her family. Ron always sent me postcards from his family trips. Harry and I sent each other letters talking about how bored we were in our houses. It was weird, why has nobody sent me a letter this year? Did they forget about my existence, or was I supposed to reach out first? I wasn't sure.

"This place reeks of mudbloods." Draco spat, breaking my thoughts.

"Calm, Draco," Father stressed, "The Ministry's on edge at the moment, so we had to place our transportation in a monitored location."

"So we're not actually staying here?" I questioned.

"Are you dull or do you not listen?" Father snapped, "I just answered that question, Dawn, I'm not answering it again."

I sighed, and bit the inside of my cheek. Draco saw me tense, and grabbed my arm, pulling me alongside with him. I glared at my father as we continued walking. Part of me resented him for always making me feel bad about myself, but the other part ignored it, because at the end of the day, he was still my father.

"Don't listen to him," Draco whispered, "You're fine, please don't start crying."

I shoved him off of me, and moved next to my mother. I walked with her for the rest of the way.

We reached an outhouse located at the end of the street. Father looked around before casting an unrecognizable spell onto the building, and then gesturing for us to enter. I've been inside an outhouse before, and this was no outhouse, it was a house on the coast. A real holiday spot.

I faced Draco, who's face lit up almost immediately. He ran out of the house, I following after him.

"Merlin..." Draco beamed as he walked over to the surfboard laying on the beach, "I've got first call trying the surfboard."

"No fair!" I exclaimed, "You got the chance to use it all of last year while I was away!"

"So?" Draco scoffed, "That's a you-problem, go do something else."

"I should go first because my boyfriend died," I said coldly, "You have absolutely no sympathy for the grieving."

"Sadly, Dawn," Draco sighed, "I really don't care, so go find something else to do while I give this a go."

"You're killing me," I seethed as I walked towards the house, "You know that right?"

"That's the goal!" Draco chuckled. I rolled my eyes, and stormed back into the house. 

My parents were in the middle of unpacking their bags, and by unpacking, I meant just using magic to put things on the shelves. I almost got hit by some of my father's items walking up the stairs. I wasn't sure which one was my bedroom, so I walked around upstairs until I found my mother.