The Outing
Eve's POV
It was about a week later, and thankfully, the week had gone by without much incident. I was in the library, returning a book to Madam Pince Moonstones for my latest potions essay, when James tapped me on the shoulder.
"I haven't seen you much," he said. I glanced behind him and saw Riley and Fred. Riley had become much better, and was healthy as a horse again. Madam Pomfrey really did know her stuff. I made a mental note to go and learn some tricks from her book.
"Well, my schoolwork has been catching up on me," I whispered, as Pince handed me back the book to place on the shelf. James followed me there.
"So, I heard that you brought Scorpius to the hospital wing. Is that why you're avoiding me?" James asked.
"Well, he made a full recovery, no thanks to you," I said, maliciousness creeping into my voice.
"You can't be taking the death eater's side."
"James, why don't you just get your head out of your ass for one second and think—"
But I was interrupted by a very offended and very angry Madam Pince. "OUT, OUT BOTH OF YOU! THERE WILL BE NO PROFANITY IN MY LIBRARY!" And she literally chased us out of the library and into the hallway.
"So," James said, gasping, "you were saying something about my head being in my ass?"
"Yes," I continued, "there was no reason for you to do that. He's not a death eater. His father was. And the war is over," I said. "And Rose isn't dating him. They're just friends. So calm down, will you?"
"They're not dating?"
"No."
"But he's still a Malfoy."
"Potter, take a second and look back into your past. Just yours, not your forefather's. Now, try to remember when Scorpius Malfoy did anything to you." James frowned at my request and seemed confused.
"But my father—"
"Yes. Your father. Not you. And has your father forgiven Mr. Malfoy?" I asked, getting increasingly frustrated.
"I don't know."
"Are you saying that there's a possibility that the great Harry Potter is holding a grudge?" I asked James.
"Well, I guess not."
"And do you love your cousin?"
"Yes."
"Well that's more important than any other bullshit reason tohate him." James opened his mouth to respond, but after a moment, closed it. "Well, if that's all. I'm going to go and work on Transfiguration. I think you should too." I turned and began to walk away, when James yelled out behind me, "I'm not finished with you Martin!" A little smile might have found its way to my face.
There was a tapping on my windowpane, and I stood to see Hedwig, James's owl at the window. I looked around for James, but he was nowhere to be found. And I realized what this meant. Hedwig had come back with a letter for me. From my mother. I took a secretive glance around the common room and saw only Laney, Liz, and Dona sitting with Fred and Riley in another corner. I stood and opened the window and quietly untied the scroll attached to Hedwig's leg.
I stole away to a corner of the common room and unrolled the letter.
Evelyn,
I got your letter a while ago. I apologize for how late the response is. I was mad at you, furious, angry, hated you. I thought you had betrayed me, gotten tired of me, and run away just as your father had. But I know the truth. I ran your father away, just like I ran you away. I've been sober for a very long time now, and I have been seeing the therapist here. We've sorted through a lot of my problems, and though I'm not near where I should be, I realized that it was time to write you.
I love you, and I know that it doesn't make up for the past years I've given you hell and not been anything like a mother to you, but I hope it counts for something. I cannot see you yet, and I'm thankful for this. I want you to see me strong, completely healed, and ready to be your friend, if not your mother. I would like a chance to get to know you again.
Thank you for your so-called carelessness. You've saved my life. This place has saved my life. You've said that you'll come back and "resume responsibility", but this is not your responsibility. Your only responsibility is to be happy and educate yourself to become the person I never was.
I will see you sometime soon, and I hope you do not stop writing.
I'm sorry, once again. Although I know it will take much more than that. But for now, it's all I can say.
Love,
Your Mother
Tears fell from my eyes and splashed onto the paper, smearing all of my mother's shaky handwriting. It was the first time I had ever heard I love you. Well, in this case, seen. But it was still a first. And I didn't know what to do except sit there and keep crying. They were silent, but I felt it twisting my gut and threatening to spill over. And it was such strange tears. They were of joy rather than sadness. And maybe not even joy. Relief. There was overwhelming relief.
"Martin? Why are you crying?" I looked up and saw James standing over me, frowning, his eyes flickering back and forth between my eyes and my letter.
"I'm not—" I said, drying my eyes as quick as I could, "Dust, in my eye," I lamely choked out.
"You're lying."
"How observant. Go away," I said.
"Eve," he started. I realized where he was going with this and decided to head him off.
"Look James, I'm your friend. And you're my only friend. But I'm not ready to tell my secrets to you, alright?" He looked about ready to say something back, and I realized that more action was needed. "I don't need saving, James. I can save myself."
He looked surprised. "Ok Eve. But if you need someone, I'm here."
"I'll keep that mind," I responded, not entirely truthfully.
"Professor Longbottom?" I stood at the doorway to his office. He turned and gave me a huge smile.
"Hello, Eve, how are you?"
"Good actually. I wanted to show you this." I handed him the letter from my mother. He gestured to a seat in front of him, which I took, and he sat in his own chair and began reading. I sat there, watching him, my palms sweating and my heart beating too fast. But I needed advice or something of the sort. And he seemed to be the only one who I could think of as trustworthy enough. He had been kind to me and Hannah was the one who had first treated me like a human being here.
He finished reading and looked up at me, folding the letter and placing it back in front of me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I just wanted to show someone," I said. "I don't have to feel guilty anymore."
"Never feel guilty, Eve. Your mother and your father are people who've made their own mistakes. You never added to any of that."
"And the craziest part is that I finally believe you, Professor."
I left his office in high hopes. But I should've known that these things don't last.
"Evelyn Martin? The headmistress gave me this to give you," a first year said, handing me a thick parchment, which I recognized as McGonagall's parchment. I nodded and took the parchment, unfolding it.
Your presence is requested in my office immediately. The password is felino.
Headmistress McGonagall
Rose's POV
The rumors were flying. And they were flying like wildfire.
"Rose?" James approached me, and I couldn't help but show my surprise.
"James…" I said hesitantly.
"Look, I'm sorry about all that," he said, looking sheepish. I frowned.
"You beat him up, left him at the top of the astronomy tower, haven't talked to me for weeks, and ruined our friendship and all you can say is sorry?"
"I—" James looked at a loss for words. I turned to leave, before he caught my shoulder with his hand. "Rose, I need you right now. I need you to do something for me."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because we're family. And no matter what, we need to forgive each other. It was hard for me to understand you and Malfoy, and seeing him all over you like that, I just lost my senses and it was hard, Rose, please understand."
I looked at him hard in the face, and realized that he was being genuine. "Fine, but you have to make it up to me. And Scorpius."
He flinched at the name, and I glared at him. "Fine."
"Good, now what do you need?"
"Are the rumors true?"
"About Eve? How should I know?" I asked.
"Because you're Rose Weasley. You know everything that goes on in this school," James said.
"I know some things, but I really shouldn't say anything—"
"Rose, I only just started to get close to her. If this stuff is true, I don't know what I'd do," James said.
"Well, Teddy told me some stuff, but I—"
"I won't tell a soul, Rose. I don't want Ted in trouble!" That was true, he was his god-brother after all.
"Fine," I whispered, grabbing his arm and leading him outside. We sat on the same bench I sat on with Teddy and told James what I knew.
"So she could be dealing drugs?"
"I guess, but from what I heard, it's her mother."
"Then she's probably into that stuff too."
"I don't know. She seemed pretty normal."
"Well, it's not like she'll grow another head or something."
"You seem like you want her to be a drug dealer."
"I wonder who she tried to deal to," James pondered, apparently not hearing my comment.
"It could just be a vicious rumor, James. Don't jump to assumptions. That's not fair.
"But then who else knows about her? It must have happened."
And then, that's when I saw Eve herself, walking briskly towards us, her face angry and defiant, with maybe a hint of a tear in her eye. "Eve?" I asked, as she walked by James and me, without glancing our way. She looked at me, and seemed to give a start.
"Rose, James," she said. Her eyes darted from my face to his. "So you heard?"
Eve's POV
I saw Rose nod out of the corner of my eye but was more aware of James's refusal to look at me. "And you believe it, James." I said this like a statement, and not a question. Because I already knew the answer. He didn't answer, and so I walked away, not sparing him a thought. If he wanted to assume things about me, then he could do that. It wasn't my problem. And it wasn't worth my time to explain myself. There was nothing to explain.
Someone must have been dealing, and Hogwarts thought it was the drug user's daughter. Which I guess would make sense. But since they had no proof, I was to be under surveillance. That meant being escorted from class to class, my mail being checked, and my room searched weekly. Which made me irritated beyond reason. People would stare and be curious, and my past seemed to be aching to burst open out of the envelope it had been locked in for so long. It was ironic, considering how I had just been about to rip up the entire envelope. My mind was almost free, almost guiltless. And now I was scared everything would come out.
Rose's POV
I felt terrible, watching her go. Even though she probably knew that I didn't really believe or not believe the rumor. Honestly, I had enough of my own problems to be worrying about anyone else's. There was Riley, who I was systematically avoiding, and very well I might add. Then there was Scorpius, who seemed to be doing what I was doing to Riley.
Now after it had been this many weeks, I had enough. And I realized that I needed to figure out this Riley business once and for all. And with no idea of my decision, I stood my ground when I saw him make a beeline for me.
"Rose?"
"Riley."
"Finally, you acknowledge me."
"Yes, well…"
"I admit I like you, and you don't even give me the dignity to—"
I kissed him, right on the lips. I pulled away after a moment, extremely nervous. "You couldn't do this a little earlier, so as not to drive me completely insane?" Riley asked. But a huge grin was apparent on his face, and I returned it with a smile of my own.
N/A: Don't kill me.
