I Heart Mum

78. author's choice

It was a cold winter night, Erin's Mum was baking cookies for the whole family - for Erin only - 'cause she do love her little baby. Erin was three years old and Mummy's pregnant with her little sister. They say, anytime soon, she'll be born and Erin would be a big sister.

Erin danced to the tune of 'Teach me how to dougie' and the dance steps are taught by her grandmomma. Too cool of a grandparent. Waving her arms from the back, like hitting her cheeks, that's the right step.

"Happy Momma's day Mummy and grandmomma!" Erin greeted.

LITTLE SISTER

82. Careful

It'll be Christmas in three days time. Erin and Mum were doing some Christmas decorations.

"Mum, why'sh your belly's growing that much?" asked Erin while putting a mouthful of gummy bears in her mouth.

"Because, I am carrying your little sister. Didn't we already talk about that dear? You will be a big sister soon."

"How'd you find out that it's my sister inside? Can she even breathe in there?"

"Look," gesturing Erin to touch her womb. OH. "Please be careful, honey. See, she's moving."

"What if it's a dog Mum? Or a cat? They kick too," said Erin seriously.

Erin was tasked to wash the dishes today. She lost from her sister Kristina in finishing the dinner early. Damn, she always loses. She moved her way towards the kitchen sink and opened the faucet to first remove the leftovers from the used utensils. For her surprise, the water coming from the faucet started to move frantically, like it was dancing and following the movement of Erin's hands. Erin ran to her room, so much fearful to go back and finish her work.

The next day and through the following days, she couldn't deal with the sink anymore. Poor girl.

UNDECIDED

5. Astronomy

Homeworks again? Why it always has to be this way? Erin stomped her feet towards the empty dormitory room, girls were probably in the study tables or the library to research for it, they're Ravenclaws after all.

In Astronomy's homework, if ever you'll catch a falling star, who will you give it to? She started to write on her parchment.

If ever I will catch a falling star, it'll be given to no one because that falling star is intended for myself. My falling star would always be the person I cherished the most.

Would she really write that? Scratch.

PHOTOSHOOT

51. Act

It was April first and Erin should be doing something today, it may be with anyone she might find first. And then came her bestfriend Beezus, as much as she didn't want to do this to her friend, she had no choice but to make her happy today. Harvey was with Erin to do the honors of taking the photo. "Hey Bee! I want a picture with you. Harvey, would you?"

"Yes, of course." Beezus encircled her arms in Erin's shoulders.

"Don't touch me!"

Beezus was shocked, she pouted instantly.

"Happy April Fool's Bee, just an act!" Erin hugged her.

It was Kristina's fourth birthday. She was Erin's sister. Two days before the big day, Erin's Mum told her to give a gift to her sister. With nothing on her mind, Erin tried to look for things around the house. Since, she was only seven and weren't allowed outside, Erin looked for Daddy's smelly socks from the drawer. Smelly, because it truly is.

On the day of her sister's birthday, Erin walked towards her with confidence and gave her the gift. Kristina opened the box full of eagerness.

"Achoo!"

It's a smelly sock.

"Erin!" Mum shouted. Daddy's head bowed down.

With all the things that was going on in her mind, Erin couldn't focus on the only one she needed to focus right now. Her Muggle Studies homework. It says in there that every student needed to provide a name of someone they wanted to marry in the near future. It's weird, yes. But it's the one Professor Cerulean gave them. What a weird professor!

Erin grabbed her quill and started on her notebook, thinking of all the guys that caught her attention. Only one person popped up in her mind without even thinking, only one. Jonathan Kim, of course.

"You ate my waffles!" cried Erin as she saw Beezus taking the last bite of the yellow colored, newly baked, carefully shaped waffle bread. She gave her fellow Ravenclaw a sharp glare. "You are going to pay for this, you little missus!" Erin started to remove her mittens so that she could have a free hand to catch the sinner.

Every single Ravenclaw's eye is now with the both of them. Suddenly Erin caught a look from Beezus' new bestie and that made her angrier. It was not a bicker anymore like Erin was planning to do. This means war.

"You'll what?" Erin asked Tiffany during a class in Divination. A date? Are you kidding Tiffany Pevensie?

Yes. Tiffany arranged a blind date for her friend. Erin had been convincing her to spill who's the mystery guy but the Lioness wouldn't just give in too easily. She says it will be more fun if she doesn't know. Erin would say she doesn't want to go but deep inside, she was eating by her curiosity. She needed to know. Why was she a Ravenclaw anyways? She wanted to know everything and she was itching for that day to come very soon.

Erin walked into the Muggle Studies classroom. As they were told, she went with a pair of pajamas and a loose shirt. Though, it wasn't recommended by her parents that she should get out of her room with nightclothes on, she couldn't say no to Professor Cerulean and it was for a class after all. And she liked weird things, after she met a number of weird people who turned out to be fun to go along with. But she would NEVER be in their circle of weirdness. She could be friends with them but not be weird like them.

It was Erin's first year in Hogwarts and the Herbology Professor Seren Bentley instantly caught Erin's attention and interest. Sometimes, it's all for the love of the teacher, right? She would constantly go on her office and have a chat or two with her. And Erin considered her as her favorite instructor, together with the Arithmancy Professor Josephina Hadley, though, Erin wasn't that good in the subject.

Erin would still remember that day when she visited Professor Bentley and brought flowers. She loved them a lot. Who wouldn't? They were precious and lovely and colorful. Erin would definitely come back.

"Er, what?" Erin let out a sigh. She was reading her Muggle Studies book at the common room.

"Why?" Elise asked taking a peek at the book Erin was reading. She was in constant close vicinity with Erin recently. They did grow quite closer in the past weeks.

Erin shifted her eyes towards Ellie's face and said, "Seriously?! A witch will use cotton buds as a lipstick?"

Wizards and witches were weird creatures. Though, she loved every single bit of this weirdness. She would never let go until she becomes Minister of Magic together with the help of Alice Fisher.

This was probably the most informative, helpful and practical lesson the Transfiguration Professor Isabelle Magnus had taught them. Well, that was all in Erin's point of view. Her hair was her biggest asset. She thought that using the spell on her own hair would not give positive results but in the end, it somehow turned out to be the most useful spell for Erin. Felintas and Ristaris. She could now curl and change the color of her hair.

And the stripe of pink hair she was sporting now, was all because of the Ristaris spell. This was very pretty indeed.

With the Algiz protection rune carved onto the fence, Erin offered drops of her blood to make it powerful - she was good with blood now. Thanks to the previous Healer, Madame Brookes who willingly gave her a private therapy. Also, thanks to her parents who consistently gave her assurances that everything's going to be all right. Well, she was talking about the biological ones, not the adoptive ones.

And before she could continue on making the ritual, she couldn't resist but eavesdrop from the conversation of two older Slytherins about the points. Ravenclaw won't say no too easily. Pffft!

On her way to the zoo after her first year at Hogwarts, Erin was very excited and happy to see and feel the outside world, together with her bestfriend, Beezus. She'd actually promised her to spend the rest of the summer. They shared rooms together, ate together and Erin also met Beezus' family.

And suddenly, Beezus stopped and pierced her eyes to the snake creature like she was trying to understand it. "Do you hear it?" Erin asked.

"What?" Beezus responded.

"The parseltongue?"

"No."

"Then why'd you stop in here?"

"Just trying if I could be a Parseltongue," Beezus smiled.

Erin was born in a normal non-wizarding family and the idea of her being a witch never occurred to her. Even the slightest proof that she could sometimes make things move with her own mind wasn't a clue. She thought it was normal and Kristina as her sister was unlucky enough to missed the opportunity of having one. When she entered Hogwarts, Erin was pretty convinced that she's a Muggleborn who never had an inclination to any wizards. But, life was pretty harsh for she found out that she was only adopted and actually came from a Pureblooded wizarding family.

A Muggle they say wouldn't be a match to any wizards, then why would there be any gap between the two creatures? Why would wizards go into hiding if they could turn those humans into ashes. Wizards got power and knowledge but, why were they here? Away from the human community?

Erin realized that she really needed to pay more attention to Professor Scabior. Probably all these questions would be enlightened by his words. Erin plopped down on her bed and looked at her mother's picture. She was a Muggle and Erin do loved every Muggle stuffs she taught her.

Erin scanned a personality book that was lying on the dormitory floor earlier before she picked it up, and she found a page where there were Patronus meanings. If this was somehow your personality, likely, but not accurately, the animal on the other side would be your Patronus. But she knew that Patronus did not reflect personalities. They usually turn out to be what you think could protect you at times that you needed it so much. One you could trust your life with.

"...independent, clever, curious, unpredictable, free thinker, organizer, seeing the unseen..."

Those were for the cat meanings.

Erin watched her classmates do some duel stunts at the practice room. She was watching together with her friend Enya, a sixth year, Erin was a second year. They were the most unlikely of people to get along. Erin was nice. Enya was evil. They actually started at the wrong foot on their meeting. Erin never expected that they would end up having the most beautiful friendship in Hogwarts.

"Do you think I am good enough for a duel?" Erin asked her friend.

"Of course. You silly. Just flip your hair," Enya responded with her witty answer and a smile.

"Tec-tum Ca-put! Tec-tum Ca-put!" Erin practiced the Transfiguration spell carefully without the wand so as to master the pronunciation. Spells were really weird. But the results were the most awesome thing in the process.

'I want a red bonnet with ribbons and sequins and crystals,' Erin thought like she was wishing from a genie. All she needed to do was to envision whatever she wanted to have for a hat and that piece of cloth in front of her would turn into the most precious hat she wanted badly.

"Tectum Caput!" Erin waved her wand and a lovely bonnet appeared.

"Thestrals, as I know can be seen by those who had seen death through their families or loved ones. I also think, but not really sure, when you had a near-death experience yourself, you'd also see thestrals," Erin raised her hand as her CoMC professor asked about the invisible creature.

Just the idea of thestrals was hard enough to contain. Erin did experience losing a loved one by her mother, and seeing one thestral would just remind her of the piercing memory. It wasn't like, you'll just passed by the memory. It stays there until you're ready to move on.

"What's you favorite Hogwarts portrait Orr?"

"Er, everything? I couldn't exactly pick one. There are so many of them. And us, being here in front of many portraits, isn''t a good place for conversations like this. How about at the grounds? Come!"

They felt the eyes of the portraits hang at the Hogwarts' walls. Aurora was right. This wasn't the right place. The place was extremely dangerous. But she couldn't resist. While rushing down the moving staircases, "I like the Tickled Pear in the kitchens. I love kitchens. And remind me that I needed to show you my baking skills."

"What's a portkey?" Lily asked. She was Erin's Muggle friend even before she started studying at Hogwarts. Lily was one of the few people who knew that Erin was a witch. Kristina, Nanny Lisa and Dad. Lily thinks that Erin was the awesomest person alive. They would constantly write each other during school terms.

"It's a charmed object, I mean an object that you put magic on, so that it can bring you to your destination. It's a faster way of transportation but it's dangerous and it can make you dizzy. OH! It's faster than a train and an airplane."

Erin had no personal conversation with Headmaster Tate just yet but she knew and was very sure that he was a clever man and a man of his words and a man of dignity and his promises were always fulfilled. He's like the perfect person for the job ever. And if Erin wouldn't be the Minister of Magic someday, he was the perfect fit for the job. Erin could be the Headmistress too when she grows up. Tate was a person anyone could look up to and acquire good things. Headmaster Tate was one of the many people Erin liked.