Part 3:

Alone Despite a Family

Chapter 32: Don't Want to be Alone

Credence and Irma

"It couldn't have been that bad," Ravina continued, adjusting her position on the grass and extending her finger towards Irma again. Yesterday, upon returning from his visit to New York, Credence had lost no time in trekking out to the grove of trees to find his pixie (the Magical Creatures class had let all of the pixies go at that spot after the final exam). Irma would chatter until it left a ringing in your ears, but she didn't have the ability to ask questions. Ravina had met him outside today and had asked questions until she had gotten him to tell her everything. Everything he had done in the light of day, at least.

Credence was silent for a second as he held Irma out on his palm. She buzzed out of his hand with a cheeky squeal, disappearing somewhere in the leaves of the tree he was leaning against. "I should have listened to you. I never should have gone there."

"You never would have known if you hadn't tried it. And besides, your sister got obliviated. No one got hurt. And Mr. Graves said MACUSA wasn't your enemy. That's got to mean something."

"I hope so."

Ravina stood from her position and looked up at the sun, which was casting a crown on top of their heads, "I still want to hear more. Maybe more about the fun times." She smiled down at him.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm just having lunch with someone at noon. Can I find you tomorrow?"

Credence didn't respond as she got up, gave him a quick hug, and trekked off toward the castle. He remained in the trees until the sun moved from his hair to an angle that threatened to burn his nose. He was starting to hate summertime.

Often, when Ravina was busy, Professor Hodges liked to drill him on the magic he had learned during First Year, sometimes even letting him use the man's wand.

"You cannot get in trouble for using one if a professor gives it to you," he explained. "And if you tied with Mr. Finnington last year for Student with the Most Potential, I would like to see what next year's dueling club will look like." One day, he even taught Credence the Hodges' Family Spell that he and Ravina used to call one another when they were separated. He explained that this was what he had used to call Ravina to the small guest room when he had first been mystified by an Obscurial at Ilvermorny. Credence immediately took interest. All it took to call Ravina was to picture his location and say the incantation. Ravina would see her wand glow a bright blue. Still, he resisted when Professor Hodges told him to test it. She might be 'busy' again.

"Where are you going?" Credence asked. The blue pixie across from him had perked up from her hovering position and zipped away into the spiky branches of a pine tree just a few yards away.

"Hey! Come back!" the boy ran after her, deeper into the grove. The blue shimmers fluttering up in the branches stayed just out of reach, but never quite out of sight. He paused long enough to unbutton his shirt a few notches – August had finally made Mt. Graylock succumb to the heat of summer. "Please…" he called out, "I don't want to be alone."

At last, he leaned against an oak and panted, sweat making his clothes stick to him like paint. He undid his shirt completely and let the sun shine as it pleased on his pale skin. He didn't have to worry. Not even his pixie would see him.

Only the Hodges took notice of what he did during the summer, and Professor Hodges was busy with work. Earlier, Credence had spied Ravina with Mr. Dawson, walking around the puckwudgie's garden. He wasn't stupid. He knew this was the sort of thing she did when she said she had 'plans' or had been talking to 'someone'. She must have forgotten about all the pain and trauma of last summer. That was the only way he could understand getting close to one who had helped cause it. Credence wouldn't have minded so much if he had found out that Ravina had become best friends with Professor Ro. Disturbing as the thought was, it wasn't as dangerous as a man. Mr. Dawson had the power to take Ravina away. He had already started.

A few months ago, when he had seen it, the Obscurus had been so weak, so sleepy. Now even it didn't come to his defense in this matter. Credence felt down into his heart to find it, and clung to it. He really didn't want to be alone right now.

A/N: You might notice that 'alone' is a word used both in the title of this part and of this chapter. That's a bit of a theme in this book, as you might guess. The last chapter took so long to publish because I had to basically completely rewrite this one. I wasn't happy with it and I condensed the timeline significantly (there were originally two summer montages). Please review!