Post by Jackie Lupin on Jan 27, 2022 20:41:22 GMT -5
Long gone were the days of childishness, of innocence. Schoolbooks and silly frill sundresses that made up so much of her past were retired now, tucked away in old school trunks that were collecting dust in the back of her closet, out of sight out of mind, much like everything else is now. Jackie Lupin was no longer a naΓ―ve, bright eyed school girl, but a woman of the new age. A witch that though timeless and still sparked hints of her youth and beauty, had much matured and come to a crossroads in her life where everything felt entirely different, and yet still so very much like not a single day had passed at all since she graced the grounds of Hogwarts castle and its neighboring destinations. She's dressed casual now, normally curled hair at the bottoms tied back into a sleek bun, only a few escaped tresses framing the front of her face. She's brimming with joy and with a hue that breathes life and compassion and restless glee at the feel of being back here.
Home.
There is an indescribable energy and spark racing through her, ready to burst from her fingertips and her toes and the bridge of her nose as familiarity and comfort rush through her as she takes her first hesitant steps into Hogsmeade. Can an action be both hesitant and yet, completely confident at the same time? Because while Jackie Lupin was hesitant to return to the place that started it all, she was completely reassured in her mind that there was no other place she'd rather be. It took years for her to find herself. From the moment she lost her parents, to then having to practically raise and nurture her siblings, her cousins, in some ways, her friends in school. Dealing with the marking of what it means to be a wolf in girl's clothing, of having to balance the cusp of adolescence and the new, terrifying steps of adulthood. She's come and gone from the magical world so many times, that there was a period in which she wondered if it was all some fantastical dream that she wrote about, and tucked away, much like her old dresses and Mihael school robes.
There was a period of time where she lost friends, and then started anew. She ended careers and embarked on new professions. She lost her greatest love, and still thought back to him fondly now and again, wondering where he was, how he's been, and if he ever thought of her in the way she so often fondly thought of him. For you see, she never married. Hardly. The thought of wearing a band and having children with someone seemed so much of a trivial moment of her past now. Especially without him by her side. No, she traveled. She found herself. She sought and found the meaning of her life again. Of course that meant sacrifices and challenges. Were there moments she wishes she could do over or take back? Certainly. Who didn't have those same regrets and foils? But she had become someone she could never have dared once discovered within herself. Someone powerful. Passionate. Wise. Gentle. Someone so uncanny yet striking in all she set to do, and she was so inordinately pleased with herself for her growth and journey.
Now for the comeback. Jackie had no thoughts or reservations. Better yet, she had no expectations. She simply was. So the former Mihael took her first steps onto the cobblestone walk of Hogsmeade and breathed in at what would have once been a shaky - but now was a delighted - breath of fresh air. Her chocolate brown eyes danced around in endless wonder as they flickered from one shop to another, soaking in the sights and sounds and smells that she yearned for. She saw students with their friends, witches and wizards passing at intermittent moments, all at different paces and expressions, going about their day. She was entranced. How good it felt to be back where she belonged. She inches forward, just barely, and smiles - the first true one she's worn on her face in a long time. "Hello old friend," she whispers into the air to no one in particular. The sparkle in her eye overcomes her whole being, and she lets out a delighted laugh. "Oh, how I've missed you."
Her first step is anything but shaky. It's eager, it's confident, it carries the weight of the world and no weight at all. For the first time, in a very long while, she feels a childlike glee consume her and never. looks. back.
( for anyone and everyone who sees and would like to join me. I had such a sense of nostalgia myself and had to log on, if only to add something. It's been over a decade, but boy, do I miss this. β‘ )