A/N: Evie's last name is pronounced 'cw-AY' (like in 'quail') even though its spelled the same way as quay meaning dock.

Wistfully Me

"You wanted to see me, Father?" Evangeline Quay carefully studied her sensible, black shoes, rather then looking into her father's face.

A minute ticked past as Edmund Quay, American Wizards' ambassador to Europe, continued writing, the nub of his quill scratching evenly on his parchment.

"Evangeline," he said at last, laying the quill down. "You are eleven years old now, I believe."

"Yes, Father," Evie said, not surprised at the use of her full name. No one had called her Evie since her mother died, five years before.

"And you have failed to show any sign of the Sight. This is not at all satisfactory. For centuries, every third generation, there has been a Seer in the Quay family."

"Father, I--"

"Silence, girl. We have discussed your . . . peculiarity, and it is not the Sight in any form. It is not a topic that is open to debate. Now listen to me. As you have no need of any special training, you will attend an ordinary school."

A little worm of relief wiggled its way through Evie, easing the tension in her back. She had dreaded attending Chicago Seer's Academy, a dark, rather dismal place full of the drifting smoke of incense and the murmur of hushed voices. She'd been there once, when her father had wanted her tested for the Sight.

"Will I be going to Salem Witches Institute, then?"

A slight frown creased Ambassador Quay's brow, as if the mere mention of the school. He leaned forward angrily. "Don't be any more a fool then you must, child! Even if you have only mediocre talent and no aptitude for the family calling, I will not have a daughter of mine attending that substandard institute!"

Evie bit her lip, nodding, eyes once more on her shoes. If only she could do something, anything right in her father's eyes! The only thing she wanted was to please him. Who could have guessed that that would be an impossible task.

As usual, the ambassador seemed unaware that his daughter was near tears, and only continued on with his rant, standing up from his chair to pace the room.

"You will be attending Hogwarts, just as I did, shameful though it is for one who should have the Sight. I suppose that the Seer's blood has run so thin that you will never have the ability, and even if you did, it would be a weak echo of the glory of your ancestors." He rounded on her, and waved an accusatory finger inched from her face.

How did he get to be an ambassador if he acts like this? Evie wondered suddenly, then squashed the disloyal thought.

"That, Evangeline, is what your condition is! A mockery of ages past."

She felt her face go scarlet, her temper rising. The condition. The peculiarity. The oddity. The quirk in the gift. The curse. All names that her father had for her unusual gift, and none of them deserved. Angry tears rose to her eyes, but she dashed them away. She couldn't, couldn't lose her temper with her father. He would never forget such a display of childish pique.

So she bit her tongue, nodded as evenly as she could, and left the ambassador in peace.

Oh, I wish that mother were still alive, she thought, remembering the happier days when her father still laughed, and remembered that his daughter was more to him then an obligation and a disappointment.

Well, that's it then. I'll do everything I can at Hogwarts. I'll be the best in every subject, never fail a test. I'll make him remember that he loves me.

-

"Come along, Evangeline. Its nearly eleven, and I have an appointment that I don't want to miss."

Father and daughter stood facing one another on the train platform. Evie didn't know what to do. What was it possible to say to a man who was glad to be rid of you? 'I love you, daddy dearest' seemed almost laughably out of place in their situation. She settled for standing on tiptoe and kissing his cheek, saying, "See you at Christmas, Father."

"No, you won't," he replied, twin vertical line etched in their usual place between his brows. "I have a rather important conference that I will be attending in Bulgaria. over Easter, I will be staying with your aunt, and she has expressed the wish that I not bring you along. She seem to think that she would be unable to maintain a cordial facade with you after you so disappointed us a--"

"On the train! Now!" A rather high-pitched voice commanded from several feet away. Evie turned to see a sharp-faced woman all but dragging two boys behind her. "No!" she screeched, making a grab for the younger one as he attempted to pull himself free of her claw-like grasp. "Not you, Regulus! Your good for nothing brother!" She rounded on the older boy, who looked as though he was desperate to get away from her as quickly as he could. "Sirius. On the train now. You behave yourself. One toe out of line and there will be hell to pay when you come home!"

"Love you too, Mother," the boy said easily, pulling his trunk toward the gleaming Hogwarts Express and disappearing quickly inside. "See you next summer, Regulus." There was a clear note of dislike in his tone.

"Evangeline," said Ambassador Quay. "I don't want you associating with that boy. He looks like trouble through and through."

"Yes, Father," Evie sighed, thinking, As if I'll ever get up the nerve to talk to anyone, let alone him.

As the ambassador strode away from her, she turned and followed the boy onto the train. Loving parents waved goodbye to their children as the steam engine pulled away from the platform.

Evie stood by the window in the door, watching, frozen, as the train picked up speed and the landscape began to blur.

What have I gotten myself into? she thought, then shook her head and turned away to find a compartment.

A/N: There will be more interaction with Marauders etc. next chapter. Please be patient with Evie! If you want to understand her a bit better, read the little blurb I put up on my profile about her.

Leave a review to let me know how I'm doing!

-Sabine