Part 2:
Anything but New York
Chapter 19: Too Long
Ravina and Credence
"I'm glad you decided to visit. It's been… too long."
Ravina whirled her wand. The stack of assignments that she had been entering into a gradebook flew with the rtrtrtrtr of paper rubbing against itself on top of another, similar pile in the corner. A few years ago, Ravina had thought that summer's start would mean a break from work too, but these days she knew that, for professors and secretaries, it could be just as fast-paced as any other time. The last few weeks seemed to have just disappeared, and she realized that this was her first time seeing Credence since the summer began. "Tell me what's going on."
Credence watched his fingers as he doggedly explained the offer that had come from his friend, Percy Boyd. It was so soon. Even Rocky had thought that it would take the Boyds a little while longer to get over the traumatic incident of December. Apparently, though, Percy had convinced his family to invite Credence to stay for a couple of weeks. Now here Credence was, asking with a quiet, well-hidden longing, to leave.
A waft of undesirable prospects floated into Ravina's head. Hesitantly, she spoke: "I don't know. It's not that I don't think it would be good for you to get out of the castle. But to New York? And so close to your old home? Have you thought about it?"
Credence breathed deeply. He was unsettled at the tremor as he exhaled, "I wish it wasn't there. But if I don't go, I'll be here forever."
"That Auror, Graves, he said to keep an eye on you," Ravina muttered. Credence looked at her sharply. "But what MACUSA doesn't know won't hurt them," she added quickly. "If you think you can handle going, and not run into your old family –"
"I won't."
"Then we have no right to keep you locked away forever. And the Boyds are definitely OK with you staying with them, after…?"
"Percy said it would be fine. Please." He suddenly looked up into her eyes, and she had the impression of looking at a wild creature, one who has been caught and harnessed, till it hardly knows what running without a halter is like anymore. How could she allow herself to become distanced from this boy, and then condemn him to rot in this castle? Slowly. The way no one ever should.
"Alright. I'll ask the headmistress for you. Just promise me you'll be cautious." She smiled her best real smile, "And tell me about it when you get back?"
"I will." He smiled back, and didn't resist when she hugged him before he left. But he didn't look back before the door closed. Ravina tried to pinpoint what was wrong about the exchange for a quarter of an hour, staring at the open gradebook. Was it the pre-rehearsed delivery of his words? The grayness of his eyes when she'd caught a glimpse of them?
It really had been far, far too long.
A/N: We are entering Part 2! This entire part was originally taking place in the Spring… of the next year. It tied in with the title of the book better, but my beta reader convinced me it was best to move the story up a year or so. The title of this book was meant to be mostly metaphorical anyway. J.K. Rowling's Credence I don't see as being restless per se, but he does leave to see the world in a hurry. I think anyone, especially any young person, would feel confined if they hadn't left a certain location for a year or more and didn't have any hope of getting out. Also, Ravina is more sensitive to seeing this because of her own feeling of confinement. Please review!