"Eloise," he called after her, the bright hair waving wildly behind her as she tried to escape his clutches without much of a fuss. She halted, knowing that it was an impossible task to outrun the inevitable. So she turned and met the wizened stare of the man who she called 'father'. No, she called him something else but for her own dignity's sake, she won't give him the satisfaction of telling anyone else about it.
"Yes?" she muttered with a groan, closing her eyes as she could hear and feel the words coming before he spoke them.
"Have a good day at school," he said, a knowing smile forming on his lips. "Be nice to Professor Granger, and don't set fire to the curtains again."
"Je sais," she rasped without much commitment. Who was he to tell her what to do? She was Veela, just like her Maman. Veela were above wizardly matters, what would a mere human wizard know of these things?
"And Eloise," he stopped her again before she turned to leave. She motioned her head back to look expectantly at him. "I love you, munchkin."
No sooner had he said it, she noted the snickers coming from the children entering the school gates around her. She wished she could sink into the earth beneath, or better, fly away and never return. But she couldn't dig like a mole, and neither could she form the wings, at least not yet. 'One day, father, I'll immolate you like Maman did when you splinched her new shoes.'
She barely nodded when she quickly turned to enter the school, but it was for naught.
"Don't you have anything for your dear old Papa," her father asked in faux-disappointment.
She huffed, knowing it had to be done. It was her better nature that won over her. As dignified as Veela were, they had to show charity whenever the need arose. So a reply was almost a mercy. Yes, her father was at her mercy, so she would be the bigger person and reply as her mother would, with kindness.
"Love you too," she offered quickly and dashed away before he could get another word in.