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Harry,

I don't know if you mean it or not, but you're making everything so confusing. I know you're not ignoring us, not on purpose. This must be my tenth letter so I

Saffron crumbled up the parchment in irritation and stuffed it in her pocket. With a giant sigh, she stared out at the sunset over the bay in Holyhead. She buried her right hand in the sand on the beach she was sat on, in order to stop it from writing again. It was tired and the past month, post- first year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was almost as exhausting as the eventful, draining year she had endured in the school, despite the fact she and her siblings, Maya, Rachel and Rowan had done little to nothing in the past month.

Life at Agnes Squires' Care Home was normal, but the days seemed to lengthen, for the four siblings knew that once the Summer came to an end, nothing would ever be the same.

Over a decade after they first moved into the home, the first of September would mark the first time that all four Mitchells would be living in the house permanently. The time had come for Rachel and Rowan, to join the now fourth-year Maya and second-year Saffron in Hogwarts, which provided them with pure elation and excitement to finally share the sense of freedom the older two girls had been experiencing for quite a period.

But, for once, they were not the ones providing Saffron with inordinate anxiousness.

No, Saffron's friend Harry Potter had made her a promise. He had promised to write to her as much as possible, with no censoring how he felt. The boy, known as 'The Boy Who Lived', due to the fact he defeated Lord Voldemort, not once -- but twice, now after the end of last year, lived with his wretched Aunt and Uncle. They treated his as sub-human and had scarred Harry internally, and probably externally, so much so, he walked around with them, noticeably, every day.

Saffron knew this because she had scars too. She and Harry could relate on that front. They were products of a troubled past and she felt she could help him.

But Harry had broken the promise ---- however, Saffron knew that he hadn't of done so willingly.

After one brief letter, a day after they arrived back from Hogwarts, letters arrived from Harry to Saffron, and Harry's two other friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. However, only three of the four continued to owl each other, Harry being the notable absentee.

Saffron owled Hermione and Ron constantly. They were all of the opinions that something wasn't right. Saffron's gut told her that Harry either wasn't getting the letters or couldn't reply to them, probably the former. But how? That was the question that scared her.

Harry was truly alone. He lived in a scenario, with the mentality of him versus his family (if 'family' was the right word to use), therefore, Saffron was left worried that he had been locked up, starved, ignored or abused. The thought of death hadn't crossed her mind, but it had for Harry's beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig. She didn't know how far they Dursleys would or wouldn't go, so from her perspective, it was impossible to rule anything out, considering he had been missing in action for over a month now.

"They'll be back soon," Saffron looked up from her position sprawled over on the sandy beach, to see her elder sister Maya standing there, wind in her hair and her cheeks rather red. "Oh, Saff you've ruined my skirt!"

Saffron looked down at Maya's blue skirt, that had been given to her as a birthday present from her friend Melanie Jenson, the year previous. It was sandy and rather muddy as a result of Saffron's position on the sand.

"I thought you'd given it to me?"

Maya merely shrugged. "I've given it to you to borrow, not to ruin. Come on, can we head back up and I'll give it a wash in the basin before they get back. You know she won't be happy about needless washing,"

"Because it's so hard for her," Saffron rolled her eyes and unburied her hand from the sand. She stood up and wrapped her hands around her waist as it had gotten quite chilly. "She just has to whip her wand, how straining,"

"Who were you writing to?" Maya jerked her head down towards the Quill, which was hanging out of Saffron's jumper.

"You know who," responded Saffron, feeling confident Maya knew exactly who she was writing to.

"Harry?"

Saffron nodded.

"I don't want to sound narky, Saffron, but if he's not replying then maybe stop writing. Bethany's owl can only take so much,"

Maya's other friend Bethany MacFusty was the sole reason Saffron was able to write to her friends. Her family worked in the dragon industry, their breed to look after being the Hebridean Blacks. Hence, they had numerous owls to help with all of the contacts and people they had to communicate with throughout their work days. Bethany was more than happy to accommodate Maya with an owl for the Summer to use whenever she needed to, the girl felt it was the least it could do to help her friend.

"I'm not bothering anymore," replied Saffron bitterly, wincing as her bare feet made it's way off of the smooth sandy surface, onto the tarmac country road. "Hermione or Ron will tell me if he replies, Ron's even planning on visiting him if he doesn't,"

"That'd be interesting," said Maya with a grin. "You know that Ron's dad has a creepy obsession with Muggles,"

"Muggles?" said Saffron, as though disgusted that one could have an obsession with them. "Why Muggles? What's there to be obsessed about?"

Maya shook her head. "I don't know Fred and George were saying so last year, so maybe it's not true, they'll do anything and I mean anything for a laugh,"

"Wait, what day is it today?" Saffron's mind was swirling. It was the end of July and that meant it was Harry's birthday on the 31st. He would finally be twelve. But, due to the long days at Squires, where everything seemed to repeat itself in an endless cycle, she had lost track of the precise date. But she knew Maya would know.

"31st, why?"

"Harry's birthday," said Saffron thoughtfully, as they approached the Care Home, which was located in the middle of a field, only to be seen by wizards and witches who encountered it. She turned to Maya as they opened the front door quietly, listening carefully to see if Squire had returned. The total silence confirmed she hadn't, so Saffron continued to talk without lowering her voice."I'm sure Bethany wouldn't mind one more time, please Maya, I promise it'll be my last one,"

"Alright, if it means that much to you," said Maya with a small smile, the older sister knew that her friend Bethany wouldn't mind in the slightest. The two girls walked up the stairs and closed their bedroom door tightly behind them, taking seats on their respective mattresses. Maya continued. "Harry must hold a special place in your heart if you're this desperate to talk to him,"

"Oh shut up," Saffron rolled her eyes. "Just because you're so in love with boys doesn't mean everyone else is,"

"You don't even have the tiniest crush, no?" Maya raised her eyebrows and had a twinkle in her eye as she looked at Saffron.

"Boys are disgusting,"

"So you're calling Harry Potter, the boy who lived, disgusting,"

"No, I----" began Saffron, in irritation.

"Wait until I tell the other Gryffindors this,"

"You're twisting my words!" snapped Saffron furiously, making Maya giggle. "I'm not even a teenager and you're going on about this? Really?"

"You might as well be," said Maya knowingly. "I mean, you've, you know, started, so . . . ."

"Is that the fireplace?" The last things Saffron wanted to talk to her older sister about were boys and bodily changes, so once she heard the burning of the fire downstairs, signalling the arrival of people to the house, she was relieved to drop the subject. Without hesitation, Saffron changed out of the muddy and sandy skirt, and into her pyjama bottoms, throwing the skirt to Maya who shoved it under her pillow, as the pair stood up, waiting for the arrival of Ms Agnes Squire, and their siblings, Rachel and Rowan, who would greet them in their bedroom.

"Girls,"

Squire's voice was curt and commanding, but predictably so. The Mitchell's had gotten so used to it at this stage, it wasn't even the slightest bit intimidating when the four of them were present. When it was a one on one or even two on one scenario, things changed, but as long as the four of them were together it was all good.

Her voice rung from downstairs and had the Mitchell's undivided attention, for they were to find out what was going to happen tonight.

"Help your siblings' pack organise their school utensils, lights out by nine o'clock this evening,"

Maya and Saffron shared a confused glance. Usually, the list was longer.

But the seemingly long beat of silence was soon cut short by Squire's voice, giving further instruction. Saffron frowned. It was a cruel joke to make them think that was it.

"Saffron and Rowan, the pair of you are to dust and polish the downstairs the downstairs window sills and the bannister of the staircase," Saffron rolled her eyes. Staircase, she was quite sure that wasn't the word to describe one flight of stairs. Squire never let them up to the second floor, her floor, unless they were grounded and made stay in the attic. "Rachel, you're to clean under the sitting room furniture, and Maya, my en-suite to perfection, that will be all,"

Saffron snorted as Maya let out a groan. The perk of Rowan being Ms Squire's favourite was that he usually got a partner, and today was Saffron's lucky day. The fact that Maya had the most tedious job to be done, alone, amused her greatly.

Their sibling rivalry of sort was years deep and was only bound to deepen, but their blood was deeper than anything, and no matter how much any of the four were tested, they stayed strong with those who shared the same blood. It was a value their parents held dear and the four Mitchell siblings did likewise.

And, little did they know the four of them would become even more linked to their parents as the entered their fourth, second and first years of Hogwarts respectively. The unity wasn't even the half of it.

Maya had confided in not only Saffron but in Rachel and Rowan too, what their mother was. In doing so, she told them what they were. That being Clairvoyants.

Their ability to access a state in their mind called "The Grey" had been fuelled by a blood malediction centuries ago. The curse made those with blood coming directly from that line that it started at made them be able to talk to all of those who shared the same blood in their mind. Meaning they could potentially talk to their dead mother.

Not only that but being a Clairvoyant came with other abilities. Abilities that varied from person to person according to Maya, and could occur at any given time. In Maya's case, she claimed that she was naturally able to find things. She had been making the Mitchells hide things around Squires in order for her to find, and she did so, with ease. Apparently, the Grey had told her that she could do so.

Saffron wasn't entirely sure she bought it. As it simply could have come with their natural magical abilities, which all witches and wizards could have. But Maya disagreed, she said these abilities were specifically generated because of their blood.

However, no inkling had been given as to whether Saffron, Rachel or Rowan would get to that point, as none of them had completed their Grey as Maya had done. Effectively, they hadn't come to peace with it, in particular, the twins who hadn't even gone there yet.

All Saffron knew for sure was that she hadn't seen the last of the Grey and had to brace herself for the day when she was finally confronted by a version of her dead mother.