While being away from her family (who could possibly be in the middle of Hogsmeade's second plague quarantine zone, depending on how everything ended up transpiring down in the small village) was anxiety-inducing to say the least, the presence of her friends—or rather, one specific friend and a bunch of girls she didn't find completely irritating—was enough to keep her mind off it for a portion of the day.

She and Prudence had taken to the beaches outside the Sanditon that day, the girls both donning their bathing suits as they splashed around in the water. However, it seemed the summer weather was not being as kind to them as she'd hoped, and thunder eventually started rumbling in the skies around them.

With an exasperated huff, Leah had shuffled Prudence and herself into one of the bathing machines, intent on getting them both inside before the weather decided to rain on their parade—literally.

"I have never liked thunder!" she complained as she begun to help her friend out of her suit. Their dresses were piled up in the corner, fortunately having escaped getting wet by the water dripping from their bodies. "Maybe next time we'll visit the spas instead; I'm sure the Fudges keep atmospheric charms active there."

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