Chapter Text
The afternoon sun filtered through the tall, arched windows of the dormitory, casting long shadows across the floor where Adelaide's trunk stood, locked and labeled. For two years, this room had been a sanctuary of silk hangings and the faint scent of dried lavender. Now, it felt strangely hollow, as if the room itself knew its inhabitant was leaving for colder shores.
Adelaide sat on the edge of her stripped bed, her fingers tracing the empty spaces on the wall where photos of Anna, Lea, Gabby, and Ava had once been pinned. It felt like only yesterday she had arrived at the Academy, nervous and wide-eyed.
"Time to say au revoir (goodbye)," Adelaide whispered, her voice catching as a wave of bittersweet nostalgia hit her.
The silence was short-lived. The heavy oak door swung open as her best friends burst in, a whirlwind of blue silk and bright smiles. They weren't going to let her leave without a proper French send-off. They carried a vibrant bouquet of fleurs (flowers) and a hand-painted banner that read: "Bonne Chance, Adelaide!" (Good Luck, Adelaide!).
Lea, her signature brown curls bouncing with every step, stepped forward first. She pressed a silver-framed photograph into Adelaide's hands—a moving picture of the five of them laughing by the academy's sparkling fountains. "For your new dorm room at Hogwarts," Lea said softly. "So you don't forget us when you're surrounded by all that Scottish mist."
The twins, Anna and Ava, sporting their identical, stylish pixie cuts, held out a small velvet box. Inside lay a delicate silver necklace with a tiny fleur-de-lis charm.
"Un petit cadeau pour te rappeler de nous," (A small gift to remind you of us) they said together, their voices wobbling just a little.
Adelaide pulled them all into a fierce embrace, burying her face in their shoulders. "Merci, mes amies (Thank you, my friends). You are the best sisters I could have asked for."
A soft rap on the doorframe interrupted the moment. Madame Dupont, their favorite professor, stood there with a kind, knowing smile. "Adelaide, chérie, it is time for your farewell gathering. Everyone is waiting."
The Beauxbatons common room was crowded with students and faculty, all gathered to bid farewell to the girl heading North. At the center of the room stood the towering, majestic figure of the Headmistress, Madame Maxime. She stepped forward, her presence commanding yet maternal.
"A gift from Beauxbatons, to remind you of your roots," Madame Maxime said, her voice resonant as she presented Adelaide with a beautifully crafted wooden box, inlaid with shimmering mother-of-pearl. "May it hold your brightest memories."
Adelaide took the box with a respectful curtsy. "I will treasure it, Madame. Thank you."
Behind the crowd, a tall, distinguished figure appeared. It was Duke Louis, Adelaide's father. He looked around the elegant hall with a mix of pride and urgency.
"Prête, ma chérie?" (Ready, my dear?) he asked, extending an arm for her to take.
Adelaide took a deep breath, shouldering her bag and looking at the faces she had grown to love. "Oui, Papa. I'm ready."
As they made their way across the manicured Academy grounds toward the area where the carriages arrived, the air was filled with the frantic, happy chatter of her friends. They talked about their summer plans, trying to keep the mood light, though the looming departure hung over them.
At the edge of the grounds, Lea, Anna, Gabby, and Ava hugged Adelaide one last time, refusing to let go until the very last second.
"Stay in touch, promise? I want to hear everything about the boys at Hogwarts," Lea teased, wiping a stray tear.
"Absolument!" (Absolutely!) Adelaide replied, laughing through her own tears.
Gabby handed Adelaide a small, neatly wrapped package. "Un petit souvenir pour le voyage," (A small souvenir for the journey).
Adelaide smiled, tucking the gift safely into her pocket. With one last, lingering glance at the breathtaking spires of Beauxbatons, she climbed into the royal carriage alongside her parents.
As the carriage pulled away, bound for a summer of relaxation and the eventual mystery of the Scottish Highlands, Adelaide watched her friends waving until they were nothing but small blue dots against the green hills of France.
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The carriage climbed higher, the rhythmic beating of the Abraxan wings creating a low hum that vibrated through the velvet seats. Outside, the sprawling gardens of Beauxbatons were replaced by the rolling, misty hills of the French countryside.
Adelaide reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, parchment-wrapped package Gabby had given her. Her hands trembled slightly as she untied the silk ribbon. Inside, tucked into a bed of soft cotton, was a small, enchanted glass vial. Within it, a swirling mist of gold and blue shimmered—it was a collection of "Bottled Laughs," a common but precious charm among Beauxbatons students. When uncorked, it would play the recorded sounds of her friends' laughter from their favorite afternoons by the fountain.
A single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek, followed quickly by another. The weight of the move, the fear of the unknown at Hogwarts, and the sheer ache of leaving her best friends finally crashed over her.
"Oh, ma petite," (my little one) her mother whispered, pulling Adelaide into a warm, lavender-scented embrace.
Adelaide tucked her head into her mother's shoulder, letting the tears fall freely. She felt her father's heavy, warm hand rest on her arm. When she looked up, Duke Louis looked pained, his brow furrowed with guilt.
"Lia," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You know you did not have to do this. We could have made arrangements. I would have been d'accord (okay) with you staying at the Academy to finish your education. Your happiness matters more than my job."
Adelaide took a shaky breath, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked at her father—the man who had always been her hero—and gave him a small, watery smile.
"No, c'est bon, Papa (it's okay, Papa). I wanted to come with you," she insisted, nodding firmly. "I didn't want us to be a world apart. Besides..." she added, trying to find a silver lining, "since Oncle (Uncle) Sévère is there, it will be nice. I'm sure of it."
Her father let out a small, relieved chuckle at the mention of his old friend. "Séviè will certainly keep a watchful eye on you. Though I suspect the 'niceness' of Hogwarts will be quite different from the 'niceness' of France."
Adelaide leaned back against the carriage seat, clutching the vial of laughter tight. She was leaving behind the sun and the silk of her youth, heading toward the stone and shadows of Scotland. It was terrifying, but as long as her family was together, she knew she could face whatever the Great Hall had in store for her.