Chapter 33: A Day In The SunNotes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Daphne tries to help Ophelia unwind and relax.
CW: Bad Self-Image, Body Dysmorphia, Internalized Ableism, Self-Harm Mention, Trauma, Child Abuse Mention
(You really should have known better if you thought this chapter was gonna be fluffy.)
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
A Day In the Sun
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
July 28th, 1995
"Huh. Almost fifteen… I keep forgetting you're that much younger than me. Er, technically," Daphne mused, wrinkling her nose at the end. "Hermione said you're like… a year and some change older, physically?"
Ophelia waggled her hand. "Sort of? But yeah. Physically and magically I'm actually over sixteen," she confirmed, humming pleasantly as Daphne continued gently brushing her hair.
It was a nice day for a picnic date like they'd decided on. Grandfather had directed them to an apple orchard owned by the Abbotts, so they'd have plenty of peace and quiet. It was nice just being able to spend time in the sun with little more than the rustling of leaves and other various sounds of nature to accompany them. And Ophelia had to admit that being able to wear a sundress without having to fear being seen by someone she didn't want seeing her scars was… freeing, and relaxing.
"I don't turn sixteen until December," Daphne grumbled, wrinkling her nose again.
Ophelia turned all the way and pressed a kiss to Daphne's nose.
"Wh- what was that for?!" Daphne asked, incredulous even as a blush began to spread across her cheeks while she raised a hand to lightly touch the spot that had been kissed.
"You wrinkle your nose a lot. It's cute," Ophelia told her simply before turning back around and leaving her girlfriend to splutter in confusion before huffing and continuing to brush her hair. She didn't sound particularly upset, though.
"You look like you're doing better," Daphne managed after a moment, though the slightly forced way she said it told Ophelia that she was still a bit flustered from the sudden kiss.
"I am," Ophelia agreed softly, looking thoughtfully at her legs. With the yellow sundress, parts of them were visible. It still hurt immensely to look at her left shin and see the lower part of the scar from where the Basilisk had bitten her, and caused her leg to have permanent nerve and muscle damage.
Permanent damage. That was what the scan had said. Her chronic pain was because she'd been overworking the leg instead of favoring it properly. So now she had a wheelchair back in her room, though she still hadn't used it much. She was being stubborn and sticking with the forearm crutches that she'd been told she was allowed to use as well. They strained her arms and it hurt her left immensely because of the nerve damage there.
She knew she was being stupid, stubborn, and reckless. No doubt she'd be forced to use the wheelchair sooner rather than later. She'd already been forbidden from using her pain relief runes, which of course meant she ached quite a bit. There was a salve she was allowed to use, but only sparingly. Naturally that meant she hadn't touched it because she didn't want to unless the pain was extreme.
She ran her thumb across the scar, shivering at the sensation. She almost never touched any of her scars if she could help it. She hated them too much, and was far too ashamed of them. The only reason she even let Daphne see her like this was because she already had. She loathed her scars. Why couldn't her skin just be normal? Why did her relatives have to do… this to her? Now everyone would know if she wore anything that didn't give nearly full coverage. She was hideous. She was covered in all sorts of ugly, gnarled skin that made her want to retch whenever she saw it, and disgusted her to touch.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Daphne wrapped her arms around her middle after having set the hairbrush aside. She pulled Ophelia into her lap and squeezed her in a hug.
"What's on your mind?" The blonde asked, her new glasses askew atop her head.
Ophelia was quiet for a moment, fiddling with the skirt of her dress as she hesitated before speaking. "Is there a way to stop hating my scars?" She asked softly. "I just… I'm so ugly with them. They make me look hideous. How can I ever love myself when it's so obvious I've been abused? That I was so weak and helpless that someone could do this to me?" She rambled, her voice thickening with emotion as she forced the words out. How was she supposed to ever find herself beautiful when she was this ugly?
Daphne squeezed her gently again. "You're not ugly, Ophelia," she whispered, resting her forehead against the back of Ophelia's head. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but that's because they hurt you. You're beautiful. I don't care about your scars. They aren't important. I know they hurt for you to see and feel, but they don't tell me you were abused. They tell me you survived. They tell me you were stronger than them, and that you kept going no matter what. They tell me you're beautiful and strong and amazing," Daphne told her, her voice warbling and shaking as she hugged Ophelia as close as she could. "They don't make you ugly, Ophelia. They make you beautiful."
Tears slid down Ophelia's face as she wrapped her arms around Daphne's, grateful for the warmth and support. "Thank you," she choked out, half-sobbing the words. "Thank you for being so nice to me. Thank you f-for caring about me," she continued, her emotions pouring out a bit. "Thank you for doing so much for me. I-I feel like I don't deserve to be with you–"
"You do," Daphne interrupted her with another strong squeeze. "So please don't call yourself ugly anymore. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I'll tell you your scars are beautiful every day if I have to," she said with such an earnest tone to her voice that it made Ophelia's chest tighten with the ache it felt. Daphne took Ophelia's hand and raised it, pressing a kiss to her wrist. Right on some of the scratch scars Ophelia had made when she was struggling with self-harm. "I care so, so much about you. So please don't say bad things about yourself. I want you to care about yourself as much as I care about you."
Ophelia couldn't speak as a lump formed in her throat, so she just nodded meekly, snuggling against the hug. The kiss Daphne had placed against her wrist was… she'd never felt anything like that before. It felt meaningful and intense in a more emotional sense. The few kisses they'd had so far in their relationship were generally chaste and brief, but the one on her wrist was different. It left Ophelia shaken and emotional in a very different way.
Daphne didn't care about the scars. She liked Ophelia all the same. She was willing to kiss the scars to try and help Ophelia feel better. That brought about an entire truckload of emotions she'd need time to unpack, because it just made her feel a lot of things at once.
Still, after Daphne's words… looking at the scars hurt a little bit less, and didn't make her feel quite so nauseous.
"Thank you," she murmured, a weak smile on her face. "For pulling me out of my own head."
"Mmm, it's my job," Daphne told her in a faux-resigned tone as she rested her chin on Ophelia's shoulder. "You tend to hide in there a lot. I'd much rather have you out here and with me."
Ophelia giggled, unable to help herself. It was just so cheesy and silly, yet also so very much Daphne that it made her laugh. Daphne was good at improving her mood. Not just with laughter, but with kindness, and an easygoing trust that Ophelia hadn't even formed so quickly with Hannah. Maybe it was because Daphne had been one of the first people Ophelia came out to - well, came out to semi-willingly - but it was just easier to know instinctively that Daphne never meant to hurt her, and easier to believe Daphne when she swore to do better.
It certainly didn't hurt that Daphne often followed through on her word. She didn't like breaking it. She was the type to only say something if she meant it. She was an amazing friend, and a pretty good girlfriend to boot.
"Thank you," Ophelia murmured.
"Again? What'd I do this time?" Daphne asked, bemused.
"For talking to me in the Owlery. For becoming my friend. For trusting me and helping me. For… well, everything," Ophelia replied with a soft chuckle. "You've done so much for me. I just hope I can do as much for you. You deserve so much from me, after all you've done."
Daphne squeezed her in a hug again. "You've done plenty," Daphne replied, nestling her chin in the crook of Ophelia's neck. "You let me hold you, and we kiss. Those are pretty nice. You made sure I survived Transfiguration this year. You helped Azalea figure herself out, and got my head out of my arse when I mucked things up with her. You introduced Tracey to Hermione, and even got Blaise to mellow out - a little," she amended at Ophelia's roll of the eyes.
"Huh… I never really thought I did that much. I've always felt like I was just a blubbering mess this last year," she admitted, grimacing. "I mean, Circe, I'm surprised I didn't just spontaneously explode at some point. Or make a river with all the tears I shed." Daphne poked her belly, earning a giggle as Ophelia wiggled away from it. "Hey! That tickles!" She objected.
"I know," Daphne replied. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to start spiraling or being self-deprecating again," she explained.
"Oh. No, not this time. Trying to… make light of it, I guess?" Ophelia said.
"Makes sense," Daphne said with a sage nod. "Well, last year was pretty stressful. Anyone would've been a mess in your situation. If you ask me, you handled it pretty well. I still think it was amazing when you told off those judges for being berks," she added, a reminiscent smile on her face.
Ophelia snorted at that. "Oh, gods. I was totally out of my mind. Had to be. I mean, I couldn't help it. They were talking about redoing the Task! Even if they did something other than hostages to leave Hannah and the others out of it, that's just needlessly cruel to Fleur, since she's horrible with cold weather," she explained in a semi-rant, huffing agitatedly when she was done. "If they didn't want us helping each other, then they shouldn't have said it was for international cooperation. It's their own fault, not mine or anyone else's."
Daphne hummed before she released Ophelia, standing up and stretching. "How about we go to the picnic area? I'm starved, and I'd rather eat now than let that basket just sit there while we gab," she suggested, holding out a hand that Ophelia took gratefully to stand up.
"Yeah, okay," Ophelia agreed, grimacing when she looked at the forearm crutches but grabbing them from where they leaned against the tree. After slipping her arms into the loops and wincing as she semi-awkwardly adjusted how she distributed her weight, she followed Daphne, who'd picked up the picnic blanket and the basket and was just waiting patiently for Ophelia. "Sorry," Ophelia apologized. "I know it takes me a bit."
Daphne arched an eyebrow, frowning. "Um… you're fine, Ophie," she said with a bemused chuckle. "It doesn't matter. Don't apologize. If I was bothered by something, I'd just tell you, and then we can talk about it. Alright?"
"Oh… um, o-okay," Ophelia agreed, a bit surprised. She'd thought maybe it would be a hassle, but maybe she was just projecting.
'It's not like you were ever bothered when it took Neville a bit to get his crutches together. Why would it bother others for you to need a moment for yours?' The voice in her mind asked. It sounded a lot like Frederick, and she grimaced at the fact it had a point.
She was definitely projecting, in that case. After shaking her head a bit, she focused on following Daphne, subduing her occasional grunts of pain when her left shoulder throbbed in protest. She was fine. She could do this. It was just a short walk. She was fine.
She clenched her teeth and grimaced against the pain. Walking with the forearm crutches was awful. She had known her shoulder wasn't in good condition for ages, but she'd never had to strain it like this, even when flying. Mostly because when she flew, she used her right hand to steer the broom and the left was more for stability and catching the Snitch. Having to put a portion of her weight onto the shoulder so that she wouldn't aggravate her knee felt less like a solution and more like she was just shifting the problem.
'Should I just bite the bullet and use the wheelchair?' A morose part of her thought. She shoved that idea down immediately. She didn't need it yet. She was fine. She could handle this. It wasn't even that long of a walk.
But it sure bloody well felt like it was taking forever. She winced as the terrain became a little more uneven–
And yelped when one of the crutches caught on a root and she fell in a heap, groaning in pain as she'd landed rather heavily on her left side. Ergo her damaged shoulder.
"Ophelia!" Daphne shouted, rushing over to her side, the picnic basket forgotten and set aside. "Shite, are you okay? Hold still, okay? Let me help you up," she said hurriedly, carefully coaxing an arm between Ophelia's pinned left arm and her waist, causing the smaller girl to whimper as it jostled her shoulder. "It's okay. Easy, I've got you," Daphne murmured, grunting only a little with the effort of hefting Ophelia into an upright position. She quickly undid the straps on the crutches, pulling them away and setting them aside. "You okay?"
Ophelia let out a frustrated cry. "No! I'm not okay! My… it's my stupid arm! It just… UGH!" The sob of anger came out as a partial shout as she drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, sobbing into her knees. "It doesn't work, Daphne. It won't work right. It hurts so much, but I can't use my runes for it. I don't want to use a wheelchair, but I just… I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I feel so useless!"
"HEY!" Daphne shouted, shocking Ophelia and making her uncurl as she flinched. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, but you were spiraling," she apologized, but she seemed agitated. "Ophelia, if your arm hurts, you shouldn't be using the crutches! I'm sorry you don't want to use your wheelchair, but you should be! It may be your decision, but you're just going to keep getting yourself hurt being stubborn like this!" She ranted, glaring at the crutches before turning her gaze back to Ophelia, a hard furrow to her brow.
"Are… are you mad at me?" Ophelia asked, shrinking back a bit.
Daphne took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "If I'm being perfectly honest, yes. But not just you," she added when Ophelia flinched and her head dropped. "Yes, you being stubborn and hurting yourself like this is frustrating. But I'm also mad at your situation in general. The Basilisk that bit you. McGonagall for thinking it would be fine to bring you down to that stupid Chamber just to rescue the Weasleys. Merlin, I'm even mad at the stupid ground for being uneven!" She huffed and agitatedly ran a hand through her hair before pinching the bridge of her nose briefly. "I… I care about you, Ophelia. I told you as much earlier. So when you're in pain and doing something reckless that's going to get you hurt… yeah! I'm going to get frustrated!"
Ophelia shifted before sniffling a bit. "I… sorry," she mumbled.
Daphne sighed and wrapped an arm around Ophelia, being very gentle as she sat on Ophelia's right and wrapped the arm around her waist rather than her shoulders. "You didn't mean to upset me, I know that. You're frustrated at your situation, and believe me, considering how grateful I am to Hannah for taking you in and Mahalu for dealing with your relatives, I understand it a little bit. But you need to take better care of yourself, okay?"
Ophelia nodded, a little subdued. "Yeah… okay, I will," she murmured, feeling awful that she'd upset Daphne.
"Stop that," Daphne told her.
"What? Uh… st-stop what?" Ophelia asked, confused.
"Stop getting upset with yourself just because I'm mad. You've hurt yourself enough," Daphne said, poking Ophelia's left shoulder very gently, yet still causing a yelp of pain as it raced through her arm. "See? You'll probably need ice for that. Can you make a fist?"
Ophelia managed to do so, but winced in pain at the motion. "Yeah, it just… hurts. Not sure what I did," she admitted, looking darkly at her arm.
"Alright, I'll call for Lord Abbott. I'll have him check your arm and bring your wheelchair, and you had better use it. Where is it?" She asked, giving a stern look to Ophelia as she stood.
"My bedroom," Ophelia replied, shifting a bit. She couldn't really meet Daphne's eyes at the moment.
"Right. Expecto Patronum - Nuntis," Daphne incanted, firing a silvery porcupine off into the distance. "Good. He should get that soon enough." She then waved her wand and the crutches were shrunken down. She slipped them into the pocket of her jacket after quieting Ophelia's half-formed objection with a look and then she cast a cleaning charm on both of them. "That should clean off your dress and get any dirt out of your knee and elbow - you've skinned them," Daphne explained, gesturing to the two spots that were indeed reddish and skinned raw.
"Oh. Ouch," Ophelia muttered. "I didn't even notice because–"
"Of your shoulder, yeah," Daphne finished for her, sitting back down while facing Ophelia. "Now. Can you tell me why you're so against using the wheelchair?"
Ophelia winced before training her gaze on her feet. She wasn't confident in meeting Daphne's eye while talking about this.
"...I don't want to be vulnerable," she said after a moment. "I don't want to… have people pity me, and look down on me. I don't want to lose what little respect I get. I just… whenever I showed weakness, they beat it out of me. I don't… I don't want to be weak," she said, voice softening near the end as she fought not to sob.
Daphne was quiet for a bit before she spoke. "Ophelia. Ophelia, look at me," she said, a bit insistent but not unkind.
Ophelia looked up at her, fighting not to cry. She felt exactly the way she didn't want to. Weak and vulnerable. Maybe it wasn't so bad with Daphne, but feeling like this in general left her shaken and feeling fragile. She was sure she was being a nuisance, or ridiculous. But the expression on Daphne's face made her want to sob with relief. She looked understanding.
"You're not weak," Daphne began. "'Weak' is the last word in the world anyone with a brain would use to describe you. Mahalu made you her disciple. She trusts you and cares about you, and considers you a good student. You know this. You tell me all the time about how she praises you."
Ophelia shifted, but she couldn't help the weak smile that appeared involuntarily. "She does that a lot," she admitted. "I've never felt like what I do is… enough, I guess. I don't… I don't know when it will."
"It might never," Daphne replied. "I don't think it's a matter of the power itself. You're a genius of a witch, Ophelia - don't deny it. Even Hermione thinks you're beyond her reach sometimes. I think the problem is probably your trauma. You associate perceived weakness with pain and abuse, so you constantly want to be stronger, faster, more powerful. You're probably pushing yourself a little too hard, I think. You're plenty strong. You duelled Voldemort to a standstill. People even Mahalu respects and fears want to meet you, if that letter you got is any indication. You're not weak, Ophelia. You're anything but weak."
"...I'm sorry," Ophelia muttered. "I'm being ridiculous again, and ended up relying on you to make me stop being… like this," she said with frustration, gesturing to herself.
"Stubborn?" Daphne asked wryly. Ophelia flushed but nodded. "Ophelia, I knew you were stupidly stubborn the moment I found out you were transitioning and hiding it," she commented, causing the flush on Ophelia's face to deepen further. "You'll get better eventually. I know you will. If that means I have to shake you out of these moods sometimes? I don't mind. You at least actually listen, unlike Stori when she's being a little shite."
Ophelia giggled at the mention of Daphne's younger sister, who definitely could be a little shite. She sighed and grimaced a little, realizing they were sitting on the ground because she'd been an idiot.
"I'm sorry for ruining our date," she said, feeling pretty awful about mucking it up. "I didn't mean to, just…"
"Who said it was ruined?" Daphne replied amusedly, a cheeky smile on her face. "It's been interrupted because my girlfriend is a reckless idiot that doesn't take good care of herself, but I'm not giving up just because of that. The picnic's still intact. Once Lord Abbott gets here to patch you up and you get in that wheelchair," she said with a stern, no-nonsense tone, "then we can finish our date. I'd like to end it on a high note, thank you very much."
Ophelia nodded shakily, a weak smile on her face. "Yeah… yeah, okay," she agreed, a soft laugh breaking out of her at how simple yet nice that sounded.
"And Ophelia?"
"Yes?"
"My Dad uses a wheelchair," Daphne told her, causing Ophelia to look at her with surprise. She hadn't known that. "He's inherited the Greengrass Blood Malediction. It causes some pretty severe chronic pain, and the wheelchair makes life easier for him. He says it's freeing, because he doesn't feel limited like he did when he was forcing himself to walk. He doesn't trip and fall because his legs give out on him, or struggle with forearm crutches because he's on uneven ground and his shoulder's in bad shape," she added with a very pointed tone and look, causing Ophelia to wince guiltily. "That's why I'm so insistent you use it. I know how much it can help. Even Stori uses one at home since she's got it too, just not bad enough to need it consistently yet. That's why she's got the cane."
Ophelia nodded in understanding as it made sense. "I… okay. I'll use it," she replied, wrapping her arms around her legs as she drew them up again, wincing only a little as her left shoulder was jostled. "I'm sorry for being so…" She grimaced as she tried to search for the word.
"Obstinate?" Daphne offered. "Foolish? Stubborn? Reckless? Idiotic?"
"All of the above?" Ophelia answered, shrugging a bit.
"You're forgiven," Daphne replied with a light laugh. "Just take better care of yourself, and ask someone if you need help? Talk about your feelings more, write in a diary, I don't know - something!" She said with a sound of frustration as she threw her hands in the air. "I love you, but Merlin , sometimes making you see sense is like drawing blood from a stone."
At first, Ophelia giggled. But then she froze and gaped at Daphne.
"What? Something on my face?" The blonde asked, frowning.
"Y-you… you said…" Ophelia swallowed the lump in her throat as tears pricked at her eyes. "You said you love me."
Daphne blinked a couple times before her face burned scarlet. "O-oh… well… um…" She shifted a bit, tugging at a lock of her hair as she nervously looked at Ophelia. "Kinda just slipped out," she admitted with a nervous laugh.
Ophelia's throat felt dry. "Um… d-did you mean it?" She asked, her voice shaky with emotion as she looked hopefully at Daphne. There was an onslaught of butterflies in her belly as her heartbeat tripled in pace and her face burned. She felt embarrassed asking that. She'd even been thinking earlier about how she appreciated that Daphne never said something if she didn't mean it.
"I do," her girlfriend replied softly. "I… I know it wasn't particularly romantic, how I said it. But… yeah. That's-that's how I feel," she admitted, stammering only a little before she groaned and pressed her hands against her cheeks. "I'm so embarrassed! I wanted it to be more meaningful when I did that! Like– like on your birthday! Or a holiday or… something! I feel so silly."
Ophelia giggled, an involuntary yet broad and genuine smile on her face. "Thank you. I…" She paused and frowned before trying again. "I-I…" Her smile fell as she faltered. "I…!"
"Hey, shhh. Calm down," Daphne said as she got up and moved to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist again. "I know it's probably hard for you to say. Didn't tell him any details, but Dad said it's… hard for people who've had bad home lives to say they love someone. Mum didn't tell him until after I was born. They'd been married for years by then," she told Ophelia, a rueful smile on her face as she shared the story. "I know you care about me, so… it's okay. I can wait, alright?"
Ophelia sighed as her shoulders sagged a little and she leaned into the hug. "Yeah… okay. Thank you," she whispered, resting her head on Daphne's shoulder. "You're really mature, you know that?"
"One of us has to be," Daphne joked with a giggle.
"You know, I think it was very romantic," Ophelia told her teasingly. "You've been getting exasperated with me ever since we met. I think it encapsulates our relationship perfectly."
Daphne snorted before she dissolved into giggles. "Oh gods— snrk! You're so ridiculous!" She protested even as she fell onto her back, giggling like mad.
Ophelia hesitated only for a moment before lying on her back as well, being careful not to aggravate her shoulder as she nestled against Daphne. "This is pretty nice," she mused, grinning while Daphne flushed.
"Yes, well your head is on my arm," she grumbled, rolling onto her side while not moving said arm as she used her free hand to poke Ophelia's nose, causing some giggles. "But I suppose it could be worse. Having my girlfriend snuggled up close, in the middle of an apple orchard? Yeah, not bad."
"Too bad I went and got myself hurt earlier," Ophelia groused. "It could be much more romantic if I didn't have a skinned elbow and knee." She gave a melodramatic sigh while Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Didn't you just say this 'encapsulates our relationship perfectly'," she parroted snarkily. "You being stubborn and doing something that gets you hurt while I knock your head on straight? Granted usually you hurt yourself emotionally, but to-may-to to-mah-to," she said with an absent flap of her hand.
Ophelia huffed but couldn't help smiling. "Well, thank you for being here to… set me straight, I guess," she said with a half shrug, only using her right shoulder for the gesture.
"I'd rather not set you straight," Daphne mused conspiratorially. "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this."
Ophelia grinned a bit just before Daphne bent down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Warm and soft, Daphne was gentle with the kisses she initiated, and this was no exception. Ophelia felt all her worries melt away whenever Daphne kissed her, and she felt herself relax into it, a relaxed sigh escaping her.
"This is nice," she murmured when they broke apart, though their faces remained quite close. Daphne's grey eyes had flecks of silver in them, she noticed - and there was a tiny mole right under her left eyebrow.
"It is," Daphne agreed. She pulled a bit further back after a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Have you given any thought to who you're bringing to this meeting on Lughnasadh?" She asked with a curious look.
Ophelia sighed, looking up at the slightly-cloudy sky. "I don't know," she admitted with a wince. "I've only got a few days, but… I don't know who I'd want with me. You? Hannah? Hermione? Sirius? Grandfather?" She shook her head a little, "There's too many people I rely on and would consider safe choices."
Daphne looked a bit surprised. "Y-you considered me?" She asked.
Ophelia gave her a wry smile. "Now who's being silly? Of course I did. You've done a lot for me in the last year. I trust you to have my back. Emotionally, if not magically. Neither of us would be a match for whoever is there. We'd have to rely on Mahalu if that became important. But… You help me feel strong, so I'd trust you," she admitted, gently taking Daphne's hand into her own and lacing their fingers together.
Daphne smiled softly. "That's sweet of you," she murmured before leaning down and kissing Ophelia again. It was shorter this time, but no less pleasant. "But I think I see Lord Abbott. Come on, sit up," she said gently, helping Ophelia into a sitting position.
Grandfather gave Ophelia a pained yet stern look that told her he'd be giving her a talking-to about her recklessness later, but was otherwise gentle and quick as he healed the scrapes she had and applied a charm to stop the inflammation in her shoulder. It had been bruised pretty badly, but nothing was sprained or dislocated.
He also had her wheelchair, as expected. Ophelia grimaced by reflex when she saw it, but she swallowed her pride and anxieties while Daphne helped her to her feet and made sure to support her weight before carefully lowering her into the chair.
"How is it?" Grandfather asked, not unkindly.
It was… nice, and she felt guilty for thinking that. She felt like she was weak because she couldn't find some way to walk in spite of the pain. But there was a lot less pain in the wheelchair, because her knee didn't ache and burn and her shoulder didn't have to brace any weight so the dull throb was slowly ebbing. She didn't feel like she had to struggle or fight to stay balanced.
Tears slid down her face as she sniffled before the first sob broke through, and then the second. When Daphne wrapped her arms around her, Ophelia flung her own around her girlfriend, sobbing into her shoulder as her frustration fought its way out in the form of tears and sobs rather than self-hate and stubborn decisions.
It felt nice. An extremely traitorous and guilty part of her loved the wheelchair already, because she knew she could move around and was also feeling the least pain she'd ever felt outside of sitting at her desk or lying in bed. She was free. Dammit, Daphne had been right.
So she cried. She cried to let her frustrations leave her, as an apology to her girlfriend who was a bleeding saint, and because she felt like a complete idiot. She still felt weak, but she wasn't in pain and if she wanted to she could move around. She didn't know if it would be with as much speed or dexterity as on her feet - well, before the Chamber - but a part of her wondered if it mattered.
Duels could be fought without moving if needed. That was why shields existed. So if she needed to fight, she could fight. And her Animaga form had a different muscle structure - if she really needed speed, she could turn into Stripes and she wouldn't have any major pain (though there was a numbness in her left limbs).
She'd been being stubborn and an idiot, just like Daphne had said.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "And thank you for helping me."
Notes:
:3c
Didja enjoy? Didja cry? I certainly did. A lot.
It hit.
Abbott Orchard: https://discord.gg/w5k4TfFRGG
Next Chapter: Happy Birthday, Ophelia.
Chapter 34: Happy Birthday, OpheliaNotes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ophelia has her first proper birthday.
CW: Referenced Child Abuse, Dysphoria, Internalized Ableism, Self-Hate, Depression, Low Self-Worth
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
Happy Birthday, Ophelia
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
July 31st, 1995
Waking up, Ophelia wasn't sure what to expect for her birthday. She'd never exactly had much of anything exciting happen on those days. When Grandfather had asked her what she wanted to do, she'd been pretty confused and had admitted she didn't know. Which of course meant he, Grandmother, and Hannah had taken it upon themselves to plan everything.
"Morning, dear - and happy birthday," Grandmother's voice came from the entrance to her room. She smiled wryly, a tray in her hands. "Brought you breakfast in bed so you can wake up on your own time," she said by way of explanation, waiting for Ophelia to sit up and prop herself against the pillows and bedframe before opening the legs of the tray up and setting it down.
"Thank you, Grandmother," Ophelia told her, gently wiping the sleep out of her eyes - and brushing the hair away, too. It was getting a bit longer. She felt a sudden fluttering of happiness in her chest when she realized it was all her favorites. Toast topped with roasted tomatoes and bacon, pear slices dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and some seasoned roasted potatoes. "This… it looks amazing, thank you," she said, a very genuine albeit involuntary smile broadening on her face. She also felt a great warmth inside her as she realized it was the first time she'd been told 'happy birthday' in person since Hagrid had gifted her Hedwig four years prior.
"Hah! It's just the basics for a birthday breakfast," Grandmother told her with a wink. Her smile became a little more melancholic after that. She gently reached up and tucked some of Ophelia's hair behind an ear. "How are you doing? I know Joshua was pretty worried after you ended up having an attack the other day."
Ophelia shrugged a little self-consciously, not really looking at Grandmother. "He was… okay. I know he was just worried. I guess it just… triggered some memories," she admitted.
After she'd gotten back from her date with Daphne, Grandfather had been pretty upset. He'd told her a lot of the same things Daphne had. That he was concerned and… yes, a little mad and frustrated. Not entirely and solely with her, but a little bit. She'd gotten pretty emotional at that point and had a breakdown because it triggered a memory of how Vernon always preceded the worst of his verbal degradation for when he said they 'needed to talk'. She'd been on-edge when Grandfather had said that, and when he'd admitted he was mad, she'd full-on broken down.
He'd practically had a panic attack of his own trying to help her calm down, and she'd felt horribly sick at seeing the heartbroken look on his face when she told him why in the aftermath. He'd apologized, even though she insisted he didn't need to. She had been doing something reckless, and he was perfectly fine to be upset. She'd just… fallen apart at the memory.
Like Frederick had told her, trauma lasted a long time, and often cropped up when least expected. They'd called him in for a session yesterday and it had helped. A bit, at least. Ophelia was pretty sure Grandfather still felt guilty, and in her opinion he had no reason to.
"I know, dear," Grandmother told her softly. "We'll do better. You deserve it from us."
Ophelia shifted uncomfortably, twirling the fork between her fingers a bit. "You do a lot for me already," she protested. "I… honestly, sometimes I just feel… overwhelmed. It feels like it's too much sometimes, how nice you are. I've never had anything like this."
Grandmother's smile became more heartbroken somehow and she pressed a small kiss to Ophelia's brow, gently cupping her face. "Not nearly enough, dear. Perhaps we're doing extra, but it's because we want to help you recover. Now eat your breakfast and get cleaned up, your friends are coming over later and a birthday in bed is much less exciting than you think," she said, her mood perking up near the end as she patted Ophelia's cheek and went on her way.
"Thank you!" Ophelia called out just as she left, to which Grandmother gave an acknowledging wave of her hand. She always did that instead of saying 'you're welcome'. Ophelia didn't know why, but it left a funny feeling in her belly. It didn't seem rude, at least. She chalked it up to being one of those social cues she couldn't read. That made it more frustrating in a way, but for the time being she dismissed it and focused on her breakfast.
It was amazing. She couldn't help the various smiles that forced their way through. Everything was honestly perfect. Already, this was the best birthday she'd ever had by and large. She was kind of anxious about what else was to come, because she just didn't know what to do. Eating a breakfast composed of her favorites, she could handle easily. A birthday party?
She was honestly a little scared. She doubted they'd be like Dudley's parties. In part because she was a girl, in part because she was a witch, and in part because the Abbotts were just so different from the Dursleys.
Once she'd finished eating, a murmured spell had the dishes cleaned and the tray floated over to the top of her trunk at the foot of her bed. She slipped her glasses on and carefully got herself out of bed and into the wheelchair next to it.
She still grimaced at being in it, but only a little. She'd gotten used to it over the past couple of days, since Daphne hadn't returned her crutches and had instead given them to Hannah, who said she wouldn't be returning them until Ophelia got accustomed to the wheelchair. It wasn't as if they were restricting her freedom or anything, and admittedly it was the better option for her health, but it still smarted.
After an awkward shower in which she made use of a shower chair - and of course did the whole thing in the dark because she refused to see the offending appendage between her legs - Ophelia got herself dried off and spelled her hair dry before getting dressed in a fairly simple set of jeans and a dark blue turtleneck. Abbott Manor was always cooler than the outside, and she'd always gotten cool easily. And with the summer being as blisteringly hot as it was - heat waves galore - the runic arrays that managed the house's temperature had it nearly frigid sometimes. Today was pretty close to being one of those times.
After putting a blanket over her legs since they still felt chilly, she semi-awkwardly wheeled her way out of the bathroom and then out of her bedroom. She wasn't sure exactly where she should go, so she whispered a Locator spell so she could find Hannah. It was a spell she hadn't shared with anyone yet, since a spell that could locate an individual wasn't something she'd heard of yet; hence working with Hermione to invent it during third year. It had been fairly easy, since they just reverse-engineered and made use of the spells that had gone into the Marauder's Map.
Finding out Hannah was in the reception hall, Ophelia made her way to the staircase and grimaced. There was a magical elevator of sorts they'd installed after she'd been given her wheelchair, and that was another thing she'd needed to get accustomed to. She rolled onto the platform and pressed the button that would take her to the first floor. It wasn't the most comfortable experience since it jostled to start and stop. She hadn't had the thought to adjust the runes until she'd been forced to use it, seeing as she was being made to get used to the wheelchair, so her plans to make the ride smoother were still very rudimentary. Either way, it felt to her that being in the wheelchair to minimize pain but having an elevator that made her shoulder and knee ache was rather counterproductive, so she would fix it.
It didn't take too long for her to make her way to Hannah. Though she was a little surprised to see her best friend wasn't even remotely alone.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Ophelia jumped a bit, but a massive smile erupted on her face and she giggled, accepting a hug from Hannah while everyone else congratulated her and smiled. It took barely a couple seconds for tears to start falling as she squeezed Hannah as tightly as she could.
"This is wonderful. Thank you so much," she blubbered, hoping she got even a little of the absolute, unrivaled joy rippling through her across with those words. They felt so insignificant in explaining how absolutely overjoyed she felt.
Hannah squeezed her right back. "This is just the start, bestie," she replied teasingly, pulling away a bit. "Happy tears?" She prompted, a hopeful yet worried look on her face.
Ophelia nodded readily. "Very," she agreed, giggling wetly. "Just—" She shrugged her shoulders in an awkward way, the smile going nowhere as it was practically plastered onto her face. "This. It's amazing. I love it so much. Thank you," she told her best friend.
Hannah relaxed, a pleased smirk on her face. "Of course. Wait until you see what Daphne wore," she stage-whispered, winking and causing Ophelia to flush with embarrassment. She would feel quite embarrassed to be in such simple clothes if Daphne had gotten herself dressed up for her sake.
The nearly-crushing hugs from Hermione, Tracey, Azalea, Phoebe, and Pansy were all tearful and happy on Ophelia's part. She'd been fighting extremely hard not to burst into a total happy sobbing mess, but it was hard when it felt like so many people had shown up just for her.
Then Remus had gone ahead and pulled her into a close hug. "Good to see you, pup. Happy birthday. I know they can't be here, but I guarantee that Dorcas and the others would be incredibly proud of how far you've come," he told her gently and with such a warm yet teary smile, that she couldn't help it.
She bawled.
She clung to him and sobbed as the emotions just fell out like a burst dam. He gently patted her back, only a little awkward as he tried to calm her down. But it wasn't that she was upset.
She was happy. She was happy in a way she never thought she'd have a chance to be. Her friends were all here, wishing her a happy birthday. She'd never had that before. She'd seen Dudley's friends wish him a happy birthday, and sure, she'd received cards with birthday wishes as well. But this felt so incredibly different that she couldn't place it, but it left her mind-numbingly happy.
And there was family, too. Remus and Sirius. Hermione was practically a sister. Ophelia was living with Hannah and considered her grandparents like her own. It was bittersweet because her mothers couldn't be there, but she was so overwhelmingly happy to have as many people around as she did , that she was able to smile in spite of that pain. She had people that cared about her and were willing to spend time with her here , on her birthday. All together for her.
If someone had suggested this could happen to her half a year ago, she wouldn't have believed them. But now, it was real and happening.
She couldn't help thinking that Frederick had been right that she'd come really far. Maybe she still had a lot of rough days and there was still a lot for her to figure out about herself, but that didn't mean things weren't different. Maybe she was in a wheelchair, but she wasn't in so much constant pain anymore. She had a lot of friends that knew she was trans and accepted her. She was living somewhere that she didn't have to worry about being starved, beaten, or screamed at. She had people who cared about her, that did a lot for her, and that she did her best to make sure they felt appreciated.
So… maybe it was okay to think she was doing better.
She sniffled, wiping her eyes dry as she gave an embarrassed laugh. "I'm fine… sorry, just…" She shrugged a little, smiling sadly. "Never really had this before. So…"
"We get it, Ophie," Hermione told her kindly, squeezing her hand gently. They'd gone aside for a moment, since they hadn't spent much time together over the summer yet. "I'm just glad you're getting the kind of birthday you deserve now. Fingers crossed they'll just get better and better - mine have," she said with a broad grin. "I still remember the first birthday I had at Hogwarts. You got me a present, even though we'd only known each other for two weeks."
Ophelia grinned as well, remembering how happy Hermione had been back then. "That was a while ago. I'd like to think I've improved on my gift choice since then," she mused.
"A bit," Hermione teased before she looked up and grinned, nudging Ophelia. "Look who's come to say hello."
Ophelia looked up and immediately wanted to kiss Daphne. She looked gorgeous. Her makeup was simple, but the light green dress she had on was stunning. She'd also dressed properly for the cool temperature inside the manor, as the cream-coloured tights and cardigan suggested.
"Hey, Ophie. Happy birthday," her girlfriend said, drawing her into a tight hug followed by a brief kiss. Ophelia smiled through the whole thing, giggles bursting through her.
"You look amazing," Ophelia told her earnestly. "I feel so underdressed for my own birthday party with you here."
Daphne giggled, poking her cheek as she sat on the chair next to Ophelia. "You're supposed to dress however you like. It's your birthday," she replied teasingly. "Just return the favor on the 10th of December and we'll be even," she said with a cheeky grin.
Ophelia put on a faux look of innocent confusion. "What's the 10th of December? Is it special?" She asked, grinning and sticking her tongue out when Daphne gave a frustrated huff and lightly shoved her.
"Prat," the blonde groused.
Ophelia gave a relaxed sigh of contentment as she looked at her friends and family, all chatting amongst themselves. She knew she'd want to talk to everyone at some point, but…
"This is nice," she murmured. "Everyone I care about being here. Just…" She shrugged a bit, not really sure how to verbalize the great warmth in her chest and the general feeling of happiness inside of her. The anxiety was still there, it wasn't like it had somehow been magically dispelled. It just felt unimportant and easy to ignore, when everyone was here and enjoying themselves. The 'celebrating her' part still made her flush furiously, especially as she looked around and saw the decorations. She knew this had to be a combination of Hannah and Tracey's handiwork, considering there were mundane balloons, streamers, and even a giant string of letters saying 'Happy Birthday Ophelia', which had to have been custom or perhaps transfigured.
She tried not to think about or look at the pile of presents (that even she wasn't so dim as to believe was for anyone other than her) atop a table set to the side. That gave her a very strange fluttering in her stomach that had her feeling more guilty than anything. Them being there was already overwhelmingly amazing and more than she could have hoped for.
It wasn't like she'd received presents before. Her friends had given her birthday and Yule gifts in the past. It just felt… different, she supposed.
"Something on your mind?" Phoebe asked as she looked at Ophelia over the game of chess they'd started, an eyebrow raised in amusement. Mundane chess, since Ophelia wasn't all that fond of magical chess, honestly.
Ophelia shrugged, taking out another of Phoebe's pieces. Phoebe was pretty bad at this, but since she'd admitted to playing for fun and not to win, she'd rejected offers from Ophelia and Hannah to teach her. "I guess it's just… a lot," Ophelia said vaguely. When Phoebe gave her a deadpan look and Ophelia sighed. "It's the presents," she admitted softly.
"The presents?" Phoebe echoed, obviously confused.
Ophelia squeezed her bishop a bit tightly before knocking down Phoebe's last knight. "They're too much," she muttered. "I… it's a lot, and I've never gotten nearly that many before. It…" She pursed her lips a bit before she spoke. "It makes me worry I'll end up like Dudley. He got loads of presents too, and he was…" She subconsciously rubbed her left thigh, which had received a number of bruises as a result of 'Harry Hunting'. "...I don't want to be like him."
"Then don't," Phoebe replied simply, causing Ophelia to look at her in confusion and disbelief. "They're just presents, Ophie. Things people want to give you because they believe you deserve them. You've given presents before, I know you have. You gave Hermione an entire house. Is she anything like Dudley?"
"W-well, no, but–"
"There. Proof that expensive or large amounts of presents don't make you evil. Don't think I haven't heard of how many you give her on her birthdays and Yules to make up for her shitty parents," she interrupted Ophelia, a pointed gaze causing the shorter girl to flush deeply. "Just because your friends and family want to spoil you a little bit doesn't mean you're going to suddenly become a totally different person from who you were. If you ask me, it just means you'll value them better," she added with a smile, not even seeming the tiniest bit upset as she toppled her King over when confronted with a checkmate. "Or have you miraculously gotten rid of the stuffed penguin I got you in first year?"
Ophelia's flush became furious as she sighed. "No… it's on my bed," she admitted. "I… I guess what you say makes sense. I just…"
Phoebe sighed and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You've got a lot in your head. Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you talked about your emotions this time," she replied, a wry smile appearing on her face. "Certainly better than bottling it all up."
Ophelia winced and grimaced. "Yes, I suppose it is," she admitted. "I don't feel quite as… guilty, I guess."
"Good. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Now come on, let's play again. Chess is fun," Phoebe said in a playful tone as she started organizing the pieces back into their starting positions.
"Thanks," Ophelia murmured as she did the same. Phoebe gently waved it off, causing the funny feeling to appear in Ophelia's belly again. The same as when Grandmother performed the same gesture.
She decided not to dwell on it as Phoebe made the first move and initiated their second game while Hannah drifted over to playfully commentate.
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
Ophelia frowned when she noticed Hermione and Tracey were avoiding one another.
It was nearly time for cake, according to Grandmother, so she only had time to talk to one of them. Since Hermione seemed to be deep in conversation with Daphne about Hecate knew what, she rolled over to Tracey, who was just fidgeting with a cup of juice in a chair.
"Hey," she greeted her Slytherin friend.
"Wh- oh, Ophie. Hey, what's up?" Tracey asked, though she seemed pretty subdued.
"Well, you're not talking to Hermione," Ophelia replied as she cut to the chase. "Last I'd heard, you two were doing really well. What happened?" She asked, concerned.
Tracey winced, twisting the cup in her hands some more as she stared at it. "...I guess there's a lot to it," she muttered, a grimace on her face. "I'd say you couldn't understand, but considering what you've dealt with…" Ophelia was confused, wondering what she'd meant as her friend tapped a finger against the side of her cup a few times.
"Are you… trans?" She asked, lost.
Tracey gave a soft bark of laughter. "Merlin, no. Sorry, that's not it," she clarified, blowing some air before she replied. "I like Hermione, I do. A lot. But I just… I don't feel like I'm enough. She's bleeding gorgeous, and a hell of a lot smarter than I am. What do I do for her? I… I don't know how she could think I'm enough," she murmured, tears glistening at her eyes. As much as the party continued around them, Ophelia felt as if it were dead silent while Tracey's words resonated with her. "She's stronger, smarter, kinder, prettier… I don't have anything to give. I'm ugly, I'm stupid, I'm we–"
Ophelia clamped a hand over Tracey's mouth, surprising herself a little bit. But the panic she'd felt when Tracey began to demean herself had been real.
"Sorry," she said to Tracey's look of surprise. She sighed and used her sleeve to wipe her bemused friend's tears away. "Don't say those things about yourself. Ever. I… I know what you're feeling. But…" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm bad at this, sorry. Um… does Hermione tell you you're not enough?" She settled on that, since it felt like something Frederick would ask.
Tracey blinked in surprise before giving a dull laugh. "No, she never did," she admitted. "I… I guess I just was… I dunno, jealous?" She shrugged.
"Of Hermione?" Ophelia asked, assuming that was the case but wanting to be sure.
"And you," Tracey replied. "And Daphne, Hannah, Azalea, Pansy… I'm just…" She made a sound of frustration as her knuckles went white while she gripped the cup she held. "I'm not enough."
Ophelia looked at her, seeing the pain in her body language. She peeled one of Tracey's hands away from the cup and held it in both of her own. "Do you remember the first thing you ever said to me?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.
Tracey looked confused before she screwed her face up in concentration. "Um… something about wanting to know why you were being rude?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ophelia giggled. "No, this was earlier. We didn't talk much at all, but in second year? With all the Heir of Slytherin nonsense? We bumped into one another at some point and you helped me pick up my books. You said it was ridiculous for people to think I was the Heir, because one of my best friends was from a mundane family. You were the first person other than my close friends to say something like that to me," she replied, remembering the memory with a smile. It had been in passing, and she'd only shared it with Hannah at the time, but it had helped. "I'd say you've got a solid head on your shoulders. And besides, comparing your looks to another girl's isn't healthy, according to Grandmother. It drives us apart and makes it easier for the shite men to stay in power," she added matter-of-factly, earning a slightly-wet giggle from Tracey.
The other girl's smile was brief, though. "Well, I dunno if it matters, anyway," she admitted, her shoulders sagging. "I sort of messed it all up."
Ophelia frowned in confusion, "Um… how so?" She asked, lost. How badly could she have messed things up that sorting her head out wouldn't matter?
"We…" Tracey screwed her face up a bit in pain. "We're technically taking a break, but I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of time until we break up. I… I said some pretty awful things to her. I messed it all up," she confessed, sniffling as her voice warbled with emotion.
Ophelia was quiet for a moment as she held Tracey's hand, thoughtful. "Did you apologize?" She asked, honestly grasping at straws. Tracey nodded, tears falling. "What did she say?" Ophelia pressed.
Tracey shrugged. "She…" She sniffled, "Well, she didn't… she wasn't…" She sighed and set her cup down, running a hand down her face. "She says I need to see a Mind Healer. She doesn't… she doesn't want to be with me if I'm going to keep… hating myself," she said with frustration, her free hand squeezing her cup tightly again.
"Then see one," Ophelia told her firmly. "You–"
"Ophelia?" Grandmother called for her. She was setting the cake up. "Come on over, dear."
Ophelia gave Grandmother a smile in acknowledgement before turning back to Tracey. "See a Mind Healer. I'll help you find one if you need. I'll help you afford it if that's the problem. But Tracey? You both care about each other, and Hermione wouldn't be giving you a second chance if she didn't want it to work. If you want it to work out, do the same, okay?"
Tracey grimaced, but nodded as she stood. "Okay… yeah, okay," she said with a rueful smile. "Roles reversed, huh? Usually you're the one getting help."
Ophelia snorted as she wheeled over to the cake, Tracey following behind. "Tell me about it," she groused good-naturedly as they got to the table.
~~~~~ Ophelia Meadowes ~~~~~
It took probably five minutes for Ophelia's next round of happy tears to stop. But after seeing not one, but four homemade cakes from Grandmother, Hermione, Hagrid, and Astoria - the last of which included a message calling her a much prettier big sister, which Daphne scoffed at while her sister dissolved into a fit of giggles - it was a bit hard not to burst into tears with how much effort had clearly gone into them.
It also made her flush with a bit of shame when she couldn't try any of Hagrid's cake as it was chocolate - she just couldn't stomach chocolate cake - but Sirius told her not to worry as there were plenty of chocolate lovers about. She still made sure to have a slice of all three other cakes, even if they were a bit small so that she wouldn't upset her stomach and would be able to eat it all.
Astoria had to have asked a half dozen people if hers was good, and only until Ophelia swore up and down the cake - which was somehow peach flavored with pear frosting, a marvel that had to be magic - tasted amazing, did she settle down a bit and focus on eating her own slice.
Daphne chuckled as she leaned against the wall next to Ophelia. "Sorry about that. She's got anxiety, we're pretty sure. Not all that surprising, of course," she said with a bit of a grimace. "Dad and Mum… worry a lot about her. I think she picked up on the habit."
Ophelia grinned after swallowing her bite of Grandmother's strawberry-filled vanilla cake. "I think it must run in the family, with how much you worry about me," she teased.
Daphne grinned and bent down, kissing her briefly and gently, as always. Her lips tasted of peaches. "Can you blame me? You're danger-prone," she whispered back, causing Ophelia to giggle at how she acted as though she were sharing a juicy secret.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," she replied sarcastically, taking another bite of Hermione's fairly tame banana-flavored cake. The icing was a sort of cinnamon swirl, which just further cemented in Ophelia's mind that baking was magic in and of itself.
She squealed in surprise when a wrapped present was thrust into her lap mere seconds after she cleaned off her plate, giving Azalea a betrayed look that her friend returned with one of clearly faked innocence.
"Brat," Ophelia grumbled affectionately, causing Azalea to grin.
"Come on, let's get your presents opened already," Azalea chattered excitedly, bounding over to the table with Astoria hot on her heels.
"Is it me or is she more excited than I am?" Ophelia asked, bemused as she made sure the gift wouldn't fall before she began to wheel over.
"It's Azalea," Daphne replied in explanation. If Ophelia didn't know precisely how energy-filled the Slytherin trans girl was, she'd be annoyed at the answer. Though it was good to see Azalea doing so well. No doubt the long mane of light brown curls she had, paired with the potion regimen she'd recently finished to reverse the male puberty she'd suffered, had also had an influence on her sunnier-than-usual disposition.
Once they made it over, Ophelia gave a long-suffering sigh to Azalea's expectant look before an involuntary smile appeared as she began opening the gift in her lap with little ceremony. She wasn't rapidly tearing the paper off or anything, but she didn't know what to say to start it off and everyone was already looking at her, so she just got to it.
The fact Azalea got her a set of romance novels came as no surprise, considering Ophelia had piqued her interest in the genre. Though she frowned at the title she'd never heard of. 'A History of Romantic Covens'.
"This is… about more than two witches in love?" She asked curiously.
Azalea nodded. "I liked it. It's pretty good. More informative than romantic, but I thought you might be interested considering all the kinds of books you've read," she said by way of explanation. Ophelia shrugged and thanked her before moving on, though the book held her interest for sure.
After the discarded wrapping paper was vanished - thank goodness for magic - and the books were placed on a newly conjured table where opened gifts would be assembled, she continued on.
She couldn't help feeling relieved that the gifts from the Chaser girls, Twins, Ron, Ginny, and a few other friends she wasn't as close to like Susan, Lisa, Lavender, and Parvati were 'just' candy of varying sorts. She was still feeling quite anxious and guilty about getting so many gifts at once, but them being 'smaller' helped her feel relieved that they weren't wasting too much money on her. Though the larger gifts gave her a lot of trepidation that she had no doubt was abundantly obvious, nobody said anything about it.
Astoria's gift of a set of interesting magical puzzles earned her a hug that she appreciated. Apparently she wanted to share in the fun, because she'd picked out some that were for solo play, and some to be done with friends. Ophelia promised to try them out with her at some point, unable to help the silly grin on her face at knowing her girlfriend's sister liked her this much.
Phoebe's gift of a calligraphy kit was welcome, as it included some useful supplies that Ophelia had been considering for one of her projects. Tracey's gift of a new cloak seemed to have been coordinated with - of all people - Minerva and Mahalu.
"Knew you'd need a nice cloak, and I asked them what would look good at the meeting thing," Tracey explained when Ophelia realized the fur-lined cloak and obsidian-black dress matched beautifully in terms of style. She'd received a very genuine thanks from Ophelia, and it seemed Hermione gave her girlfriend an approving smile as well.
Hermione's own gift was - unsurprisingly - a book. One on advanced Artificing and Enchanting, particularly. What was surprising was that the book came with a rather beautiful bookmark that Hermione admitted to being handmade. It was a pressed leaf that had been charmed to be stiff and unbreakable. When Hermione explained it was from a Harlequin glorybower and meant togetherness and prosperity, Ophelia had bawled for the first time while opening gifts as she thanked her definitely-sister.
After she'd settled, the next gifts had been from Blaise and Pansy. In addition to a set of Italian chocolates and cookbooks - clearly Blaise recalled when she'd mentioned she liked cooking and baking - she'd gotten a book on gardening, particularly magical flowers. Evidently all of her friends listened to her, and that made her give Pansy an extremely tight hug of thanks. She'd not realized it, but with more than just Hermione actively listening to her likes and dislikes and subtly proving it as well, she was immensely happy and grateful as well.
Then there was a gift from Sirius - a communication mirror keyed to one he kept and one Remus kept, as well as the instructions on the enchantments. He felt as if she could make use of it, evidently - and also added some compacts and handmirrors to the bundle for practice. That, on top of Remus' gift of the runic arrays used for the Marauder's map as well as a few other tools he'd made over the years at Hogwarts and on his own, had left her speechless. They would rapidly increase the pace of her tinkering, and she promised to chat with Remus at-length about her inventions when he offered to lend an ear whenever she liked.
It came as no surprise that Grandfather's gifts were many in number. Same of course for Grandmother and Hannah. In addition to a variety of clothes - that were honestly gorgeous and left her flushing with gratitude and struggling to feel as if she was saying 'thank you' enough - and stuffed animals on top of a new weighted blanket that Hermione had recommended, she was a complete mess when she received a scarf that had been knitted by Grandmother and Hannah, and was in the Abbott colours of rose pink and mauve. She was starting to see why Grandmother had called that birthday breakfast 'the basics', considering she felt like she wasn't hugging any of the Abbotts nearly tightly enough to convey just how much she loved and appreciated them and treasured the gifts. The comforting ways they each returned the hugs definitely helped, though.
Daphne's gift was last, evidently by her own design. She grinned as she handed Ophelia a pair of boxes, one long, skinny, and flat while the other was a bit thicker but fairly square shaped.
The first was a set of earrings and a necklace - both gold with emeralds set in them. They were beautiful and obviously crafted expertly. Daphne helped her put them on and earned a kiss for her troubles, causing Astoria to make a grossed out face before her older sister poked her in the side and left her a giggling mess.
The second left Ophelia breathless. It was a photo album. Filled with pictures of her with her friends. And a number of the photos included her and Daphne together, not to mention a couple kisses. She gently traced her fingers across a picture of her showing off the 'Mjølnir' spell to Hannah, followed by a picture of her and Hannah laughing together. The next page featured her sitting on Daphne's lap, teasing her. And another of a chaste kiss that left them both giggling and smiling.
She dragged Daphne over and hugged her tightly round the middle.
"Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you so, so, so much. It… it's perfect, Daphne. Thank you," she rambled, tears streaming from her eyes as she nuzzled close, the warmth she felt inside overwhelming and overflowing.
"I just… Thank you to all of you. I… this has been amazing, I–" She sniffled and hiccuped, giggling wetly. "Gods, today's been perfect. Thank you all so much. I…"
She sniffled again and couldn't help the broad, wet smile on her face as her residual pain and reluctance took a backseat when she said three small words.
"I love you," she told them. Her family, one way or another.
A lot of smiles - very teary ones - were shared. Ophelia pulled Daphne down and kissed her. Not deeply, because she didn't feel like it was a time for passion. But she did her absolute best to convey the absolute hurricane of emotions bubbling through her. A lot of it was happiness, joy, and love. She'd never felt like this before and she wanted Daphne to know that. To feel that and understand it.
When they pulled apart, Ophelia smiling broadly, she had to admit she wasn't expecting what Daphne said next.
"Your eyes just turned grey."
Notes:
Ophelia's about as good with birthdays as I am.
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Next: A Meeting on Lughnasadh.