Letters from a daughter

Alice folded the letter after re-reading it one more time carefully. It was short, to the point and very hopeful. She knew this whole idea was a long shot, but she had to try or otherwise she would regret it. Easter break was coming soon and if she wanted to go ahead with their plans, she had to know if she had the permission to go in the first place. Just the thought of it made Alice smile and she could already imagine it. The sunny beach of Spain and the warm, clear sea. Perhaps she would even get some color on her otherwise pale skin. Besides, it was time for her to go on a journey like this by herself, without parental control. If not now, then when? She put her letter in an envelope and gave it to the owl her friend let her borrow.

Dear mom and dad,

As you might already know, Easter break is coming very soon and the school is letting us have a week off. Well I have a plan that I would like to share with you both. Me and a few of my friends have decided that going on a trip together would be a good idea. Just to relax from school so when we come back we are fresh minded and can concentrate on coursework a lot easier. We would go to Spain and just get a large shared hotel room near the beach. I would pay everything with my allowance of course I calculated that I should have enough. It would only be five days and I can write to you every day if you wish. We would travel with a port key so that wouldn't be a problem either. They are all making plans and I really want to go. I think it would be a good experience for me. So I'm writing to ask for your thoughts and permission. What do you think

Love you both,
Alice

Soon as the letter arrived Hannah and Neville fought about it. In the end Neville won the argument. It was hard for Hannah to even consider it, I mean sending her daughter overseas was so scary. Neville felt the same way but knew he wasn’t going to stop her.

Dear Alice,

I didn’t want to let go but your father convinced me. First off we want you to write every day. Secondly, you can’t do anything illegal. Lastly, please be careful. Stick with your group of friends; I don’t want anything to happen to you. If you don’t write everyday we’ll send your brother to spy.

I want you to be very careful. I might send you so money so you can get something for your mother for me; just send it with a letter by owl. Try to understand how nerve wrecking this is your mum and I. I hope you have fun.

Love,
Dad and mum

Alice shirked of happiness when she got her response and quickly showed it to everyone. She, Alice Longbottom, was going to Spain without parental control! It was so amazing that she had to reread the letter many times just so convince herself she wasn't seeing things. And her dad agreed? That was very surprising for her but she didn't want to complain. And now there was one more letter to write, which just might ruin the whole thing. But Alice knew she couldn't lie about it, since her parents would find out anyway. And since they trusted her enough to let her go on this trip, they deserved her full honestly.

Dear mom and dad,

You have no idea how much your response made me happy. And yes of course I will write everyday! I will be safe and don't worry nothing illegal I promise. We're just planning to go to the beach and just enjoy the sun, that is pretty much it. Ok I'll buy you guys whatever you want I'm sure there's a lot of fun things for me to choose. I understand it's difficult to let me go which is why I appreciate it so much. It will just be me, Andrei, his friend Shadow and another one of her friends. I hope that's ok!

Love you guys,
Alice

P.S. Do I get bonus points for being honest?

Hannah hadn’t been home when the second letter came. She had been out shopping. Neville was glad to see a much nicer bird this time. He opened up the letter summoning what he would need to write back. He had to prove to his daughter that he was trying his best to try not to judge even though some things may never change. He also decided to start to go to ‘silly’ muggle anger management group Hannah’s doing. He had to say it was starting to work but he still hated it very much.

He was forced to face a lot of memories he had pushed away. A lot of them where from when he was a kid back when he lived with grandmother and visited his insane parents. Not to mention he had to face all the emotions he still had from that and everything else from losing so many friends. He told the muggle group that his friends died in more muggle ways like car accidents, murders, suicides and many others.

Dear Alice,

I’m not going to lie and say I like Andrei but this is your life and one day you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your down choices. I really want you to have a good time and not think too much. I’ll end some money at the end of the week; I believe I have to do a money conversion before I send it to you. I know things haven’t been the best between us but things can only get better from here.

I’m not sure if your mother said anything about this but she somehow, by ways I don’t understand, got me to join this silly muggle anger management group though I do have to lie a bit but it’s only about how people died. It isn’t that bad. It’s making me face a lot of things I’ve avoided for way too long. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you.

Also I wanted to tell you something that I don’t think you’ve been told about. Something that you should have been told about but your mother didn’t want you to know. You were just a year old when she had her last nervous breakdown; she always has been a nervous wreck. So back to what I was getting at your mother is in some group for stress management or something. I don’t ask questions and she doesn’t ask questions about my group.

Love,
Dad

P.S. your mum is home at the moment