Order Only Private Message to Mrs Longbottom

[alt_ron]

Hi.

I've been thinking about Arista Selwyn, and I wanted to write to her, only I guess I'm not sure whether it's safe to send her messages in her father's journal anymore. Or even possible, I guess. So I thought maybe if I wrote here, you might read it to her?

I hope she's all right. And that she'll be okay with you telling her what I said.


Hi, Arista. I hope you're getting used to being in the new place. And that you're meeting people who are nice and who will be your friends. It's fun making new friends, yeah?

Are you sad, too? I expect you are. You know that's okay, right? And I hope you're telling Satsuma all about it. He's really brilliant at listening. And he's smart, too. He always knew just what look to give me to make me think that even if I'm sad, there are still nice things and funny things and curious things around to sort of balance it all out.

Tell him I said hiya, will you? I miss him. But I'm glad he's with you now.

Thank Mrs Longbottom for playing post owl for us, yeah?

And take care of yourself.

Sincerely,
Your friend Ron.

Comments

[alt_alice]

Of course I'll pass it along, Ron. I'll copy it out so she can keep it and read through it whenever she wants.

I'll let you know what her answer is.

I think she's still got quite a lot to work through, and losing both parents has been very hard. She still has nightmares about machines and masks, and hearing her mother scream, but she's been adjusting to Moddey. Sarah Fawcett has taken her under her wing, and there are several children her age here that she's started talking with, although she's a bit shy and serious and still stays close to Hector and Sarah. She's trying very hard to be polite, and I'm sure once she has her feet under her, she'll be just fine, but these things take time.

She asks after you, and I have no doubt that your letter will be a great comfort to her.

If we get the chance, I'd like to arrange for you to visit with her this summer.

[alt_alice]

We make linked rings and pictures for parents and children, so they can see that the people they love are safe and happy. The colour of the rings change depending on health and mood, and the pictures age.

I know that you are not Arista's parent, nor should you be, but I can make a set of rings and a picture for you if you'd like.

[alt_ron]

Oh.

The masks were scary, weren't they? We didn't even think about that.

Tell her I'm sorry, yeah?

And, yeah, I'd like to come visit. Tell her I will as soon as I can.

And that's nift about the rings and the picture. How does that work? Will it tell her if I get into danger, though? I mean, would that be a good idea?

[alt_alice]

I shall pass that along.

And that's a good point about the rings. They're a bit simpler than your family clock, of course, and the rings the children have mostly show when their family is relatively normal and healthy versus very ill. To put it rather bluntly, the parents at the camps have a rather hard life of it, and so the rings the children get are a lot less detailed so they will not become overly distraught should they see their parents are sad or frightened. The parents' rings are a bit more complex, though, as they tend to want to know as much as they can, and their children tend to be fairly happy.

I can understand if you wouldn't want to risk her having a ring if you think it would provide an additional source of stress. The decision is entirely up to you.

[alt_ron]

I think I'd like to have the ring for her, actually. If you could make them. Thanks.

I want to know she's alright.

[alt_alice]

Here's what she said in return:

Dear Ron, thank you for writing to me. Everyone here is trying hard to be kind to me and I'm trying hard not to say the wrong thing in front of people.

Sarah lets me sit with her at meals and Terry turns into a dog for me when he thinks it will cheer me up.

I miss my Mummy and Daddy. Mrs Longbottom told me that both of my parents are dead and that from now on she will take care of me along with the other adults at Moddey Dhoo and I will be safe and when I turn 11 I'll get to have a wand and learn magic although it won't be quite like Hogwarts.

I do talk to Satsuma. The others don't mind me talking about Mummy but they don't like to hear about Daddy.

I wish you were here too, Ron.

Your Friend,
Arista

[alt_ron]

Hey. You know what, you can send me messages anytime you want.

And I will come see you. I really want to see this place you're living in. I hear it's really nift.

Say hullo to Hector for me, yeah?

Your friend Ron Weasley