open | where's your picket fence, love?

[annabella acardia bletchley]

don't you see?
i'm the narrator and this is just the prologue.

her father had offered to get a ministry car to bring her back to the university, but annabella immediately refused. not only did she hate attending her parent's forced visits, she hated the way her father insisted on her "riding in style" or whatever is was that he said. she wouldn't mind, perhaps, a boat or a private train, but there was something about a car that completely turned her off. not only was it a muggle contraption, but it was highly unnecessary, much like the meetings themselves. first, her parents insisted on pressing her for information about the lovely bachelors at the university. the way she saw it, either they could give her an opportunity to pick her own husband, or decide themselves. she wasn't going to take part in creating her own personal hell of a future. however, she was going to do her damn best to put a stop to it. the second reason they summoned their only daughter home was simple; they missed her around the house, and not having her there to speak with or eat supper next to was driving them mad, especially mrs. bletchley. she was at a loss for a partner to read with or spill gossip to (little did she know annabella could care less who was getting fat and who had knocked up the neighbor's daughter). miles bletchley, her father, was missing his little girl because he had enjoyed being able to tell and teach her about the dark arts. it had been a treat for her to want to learn, even if her mother thought it was highly improper. quite frankly, annabella didn't give a damn what was proper or not.

and so, after kindly denying their requests, annabella had set off just before dusk and snagged a ride on the knight bus; a highly unattractive, dirty, and public form of transportation. she had only a bag sitting on the seat next to her now, as her wand was firmly clutched in her right hand and all her clothes were back at the university. even she had to admit that the time away from the sorority had been nice, though hopefully hollie had been able to hold it down all by herself. there was no doubt in her mind to this, unless of course she had decided on another one of her drunken "accidents". in that case, annabella would stubbornly have to clean up after her best friend (for lack of a better term) and erase all her mistakes.

sighing, the blonde at the very back of the bus crossed her legs and glared at an elderly woman in the front who had chosen to comment on the shirt anna was wearing as she had walked on the bus. "too revealing!" she had shrieked, forcing a much annoyed annabella to glance down at her chest, where virtually nothing was visible. she rolled her eyes and decided not to comment, but instead chose to give her shirt a tug down every time the heinous woman turned around to glare at her and shake her head.