July 17th, 1893 — Carrow Estate, Bath
The panic in Rory’s chest refused to assuage even as he held the note crumpled to high hell in his fist and shoved his arms through a jumper. He wasn’t even sure if it was his jumper, he just knew he needed clothes on fast and to get back home. Now. The owl had come tapping in the wee hours of morning before the sun had even come up properly. At first, the clicking against the window had been an irritant he’d managed to sleep though. With one arm draped over Bellamy's chest, Rory just turned away and tried to ignore it. The owl was having none of that however, so he started scratching at the glass with his claws making a horrendous sound. That had earned him a sleepy whine from his bedmate who nudged him gently in the ribs. “Carrow, that’s definitely for you,” Bellamy mumbled. How they could be so sure, Rory didn’t bother to ask.
He’d dragged himself half asleep towards the window and the moment it was open, Elsie’s owl came hurtling into the room with a loud shriek. It tousled urgently at his hair before dropping a small scroll at his feet. That was Rory’s first indication that something was horribly wrong.
His heart jumped in his chest and he scrambled around in the dark for his wand so he could read it. The missive was short and not very helpful. Need help. Come home. Elsie. Or something akin to that; by now the parchment was so crumpled and smudged he was sure it was illegible. Still Rory did not release it, even as he tried in vain to shove himself into his trousers.
In a matter of minutes he was dressed - or at least dressed enough - that he’d moved on to shoving whatever he could find of his things in his trunk. He babbled something about an emergency and being needed at home and sending an owl when all was fine before he practically hurled himself into the Floo and landed back in Bath.
The house was eerily quiet for so early in the morning. Rory dropped his coat and trunk on the carpet in the sitting room where he’d tumbled out before rushing into the foyer and running up the spiral staircase, taking the steps two at a time. He was trying not to make a ruckus in case Elsie hadn’t wanted their other siblings - or Merlin forbid - their parents, to know, but his heart was beating a mile a minute. What could possibly have happened? And if she did want it to be a secret, bloody spirits he hoped and prayed it had nothing to do with a boy. He didn’t want to duel dressed like this but he would, if forced.
Knocking urgently on her door, Rory sucked in a breath. “Elsbeth?! Are you in there? Let me in!”