Serpent Mommy Chapter 29: Interlude: Evelyn's Tale, a harry potter fanfic

Author's Note: Here's another uber 10,000 long Chapter! :o I don't know how it got so big, but chapters are usually as big as they need to be for me! So I wrote everything I wanted to with this one! :) :) It's a special kinda chapter - it's all Evelyn's POV! I hope you like it! 3

Child abuse and dark stuff warning! Seriously, stuff gets bad here...So please be okay and don't cry and stuff! :(

End of AN!

Evelyn Milgrid lay alone in her hospital room.

Straight and flat, on her back.

She stared up at the ceiling, unblinking. Unmoving.

Unfeeling.

She heard a sharp knock on her door.

"Evelyn...?"

Harry was here again to visit her, after the World Cup events yesterday night.

Why?

It wasn't like she deserved it.

She never had - and especially not after last night. What she'd done in the chaos and the darkness. What had happened before Nagini Siahaan had found her.

Why did he keep staying with her, why did he keep visiting her?

Even after her trial two years ago, he'd stuck with her.

If she told him about last night...he'd probably still stick with her. He'd tell her it was okay, tell her he didn't care. Tell her...

There was only one thing she wanted him to tell her.

But it was something she wasn't worthy of being told. Not by anyone.

Not by the boy she liked.

Had liked...for a really long time. Almost since they had first met - talked - honestly.

Because he had talked to her. Because he had...

"Evelyn, please open the door. At least so I know you haven't gone and- h-hurt yourself again. Please!" Harry called in again. Fear, anxiety...

Evelyn blinked at the ceiling.

She did want to move - get up, sit up. Go answer the door already.

But she couldn't.

Her body wouldn't move.

Her brain was numb and foggy.

Thoughts swirled, but none of it translated to motion.

"Evelyn!"

She wanted to...

But she didn't deserve to get what she wanted, did she?

She never had...

Evelyn closed her eyes as Harry knocked more quickly, more insistently.

Just that took...so much effort.

Unbelievable effort.

Her foggy mind drifted off, the noises from outside her door becoming quiet and dull in background of her dark world.

"Evelyn, come back here, right now!"

A five year old girl raced across the grass on swift feet, laughing and smiling to herself - ignoring her mother's calls.

She dashed into the woods, through the bushes, around a boulder, and then a high jump over a fallen log that took her sailing higher still - floating in the most magical way!

She landed on the ground again in slow motion, almost, her feet touching down gently.

She ran on, darting between two trees and racing around a large bush of little purple fruits.

She stopped there, falling flat on her butt and giggling to herself.

Her mother was playing with her for once!

She could still hear her mother calling for her, hear the commotion around the woods nearby!

When Evelyn Milgrid had had the idea - to run and make her mummy play with her - it had seemed like the best idea ever.

But...as those flashes of light started bursting from around the trees, and those calls started to become sharper and higher, Evelyn...she started to rethink that.

Her mother was so upset now. And she was using her magic like crazy!

Reds and blues, trees cracking and bursting, branches falling - bushes clearing with smoke - and big boulders breaking wide open!

Evelyn's smile turned to a frown, and she brought in her knees and hugged them.

This had really been a bad idea.

Her mother just didn't want to play with her at all - like always! She was mad again, she was looking for her.

And when she found her again she was going to...

Evelyn twisted around and glanced at the bush she was hiding behind. The big one, with the fruits. They were shiny and delicious looking - and they smelled so nice too. It was so strong, so sweet!

She reached out to touch one, and she tugged it free.

A nice tasty fruit would make her forget about her mother - about how mad she was now with her over this dumb idea.

Evelyn squeezed the fruit and stuffed it into her mouth. It was juicy and even more tasty than she ever could've dreamed!

She ate another. And another, and another!

She ate more and more, ripping off handfuls.

Until she was all full and sick inside.

She sat down and scooted back to lean against a tree, holding her belly and taking quick breaths.

That was a bad idea, too! She felt sick, so sick. Worse than sick!

What was worse than sick?

Her body felt weird, she was shaking now. She was scared of herself, confused. A hot feeling burst in her stomach, and then it shot through her arms and her legs and made her cry out!

Were those fruits bad for her? Like how sometimes her mother's food made her throw up (not that she ever told her that anymore; she'd learned not to anymore)?

Evelyn cried to herself as her body shook, her skin was turning a weird color. Almost like the color of the fruits themselves! A super dark purply color.

She heard stomping footsteps and her mother emerged from around the tree, her wand held high with a light on the end of it.

"There you are! What the hell were you thinking?!" Her mother stalked forward and reached down, grabbing her arm and yanking her up quickly. Evelyn tried to stand up to stop her arm from hurting, but she wobbled and her body hurt even more. It was more burning. She fell down again, sobbing. Her mother looked down at her properly, and she looked worried. "What...did you do to yourself? What did you do?"

Evelyn pointed to the bush as best she could.

Her mother looked at it, then at her. She looked even more worried now. And very, very mad. More mad than ever. "You- you stupid little- you ate- how many did you eat?!"

Evelyn raised shaky hands to try and count on her own fingers. "One...t-two...three-"

"Ugh, shut up! Shut up and-" Her mother cut herself off. Then she reached down and scooped Evelyn up in her arms, turning to race from the woods with her.

Evelyn should have been scared, more scared than she was - but she couldn't really be. Because her mother was holding her of her own free will! She was holding her in her arms like this. And it was 'cause Evelyn had eaten those fruits! As bad as they hurt...at least it had made something really good happen too. Something she'd wanted for a really long time!

She smiled.

"What are you smiling for, you idiotic little- you- stop it! You're-" Her mother stopped herself again. Her face was worried again, more than angry. "You ate Decay Fruits of- you...you little arsehole, how could you do this?! What were you even thinking? Do you just have to try as hard as you can, every damn day, to make my life difficult?! From the moment you started growing in me, to today!"

Evelyn's smile left her. She cried and turned her head, burying it in her mother's chest.

Her mother growled, then she sighed, and brought up her hand and put it to Evelyn's head.

Evelyn basked in it, knowing it probably wasn't going to last too long.

"Do you know how much effort I had to put into even getting you out of me? Into raising you, teaching you? I went through all this effort, and I didn't even want you, and you go and eat fucking Decay Fruits?! Do you just want to die to spite me, is that it? Is this just to get back at me because you're a whining little ungrateful piece of shit?! I could have never had you at all, you know! But I did! And you do this to me after five years?!"

Evelyn sobbed, shaking her head in her mother's bosom. That hand on her head was curling, then letting go as her mother gave another great sigh.

Her mother carried her all the way back to the house, and then she took her through the Floo - to the hospital.

There were a lot of people with a lot of wands around Evelyn. Talking to her.

She didn't really talk back to them.

Her mother was with her. She was crying and snapping at people, and Evelyn heard it clearly: save her!

Evelyn smiled again. Her mother really did care - she just got mad sometimes.

But Evelyn could do better, she could make her not mad. She could make her care more.

Evelyn was terrified when she woke up in the little bed, wrapped up in a blanket, with really tight bandages around her arms and legs.

There were Healers with her, checking on her and talking to her.

They told her things. Important things.

Scary things.

The Decay Fruits were magical, and very dangerous.

She'd eaten a lot of them, and they worked from the feet up. To eat you up, eat you away inside! The fruits had eaten a lot of her, in her legs. The rest of her body was okay, though - well, still bad, but not even half as bad as her legs. They said there were lots of potions to heal the rest of her body.

But they said her legs were so bad they'd almost had to take them off of her.

But they hadn't had to!

Evelyn was really glad about that.

But...

They still told her she would barely ever be able to move her legs - and forget walking on them!

Forever.

There was just too much in them that was now all...messy. Broken. Hurt.

They wouldn't work properly anymore. Ever.

They told her she'd have to use a hoverchair for the rest of her life. Enchanted to fly, like a broomstick or a magic carpet. But specially for people like her.

People hurt like her.

Forever.

Evelyn had cried, and cried, and cried.

And to her surprise, but great happiness, her mother had been there to hug her and hold her while she did!

The Healers had left them alone.

Her mother let her go and sat back in her chair at Evelyn's bedside, looking at her angrily. Like usual again. But...also upset. Sad. "Why did you do this to me?" she whispered. "All you ever do is...ruin my life. You couldn't do enough of that already, you had to go and do something like this to me now. For the rest of my life...?"

Evelyn whimpered, shutting her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, mummy! I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Shut up."

Evelyn clamped her mouth tight, her eyes opening wide. She wiped at them, then at her nose. She wiped it all on the blankets.

Her mother scowled at her. "Don't do that!" She raised her wand - Evelyn flinched - and she flicked it hard; the blanket cleaned itself up. Her mother was crying too, and she wiped at her own eyes too. She looked away from Evelyn, turning around in her chair. "Why did you run away like that? Why did you go out there? Why didn't you just stay put? Why didn't you just...not eat the fruits?"

"I'm s-sorry...I just- w-wanted you to-"

"Wanted me to what?!" her mother pounced, her eyes blazing. "To get in trouble with people? To have to spend years and years dealing with all of this shite of yours, this stupid-"

"I just w-wanted you to play with m-me!" Evelyn burst out, sobbing. "You never do!"

Her mother stared at her. "Why would I want to play with you? I give you food, I give you a bed, I give you toys - you can play with yourself. You don't need me to do anything! Why can't you be happy with what you have? Why wasn't it all enough for you? Why did you do this to me?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop being sorry - just be quiet," her mother sighed, shutting her eyes and leaning back. "Just...stop."

"M-mummy-"

"What?"

"C-can you hug me again, like-"

"Do you really need me to?" her mother snarled, exasperated.

"Y-yes, please..."

Her mother's expression changed. It was upset again. She glanced at the door. Then to Evelyn. "Fine." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Evelyn!

Evelyn pressed to her, wrapping her arms around her right back, even if it hurt her arms!

She couldn't believe she had gotten another hug out of her mother so soon!

"Evelyn, get out here!"

Six year old Evelyn wheeled herself out of her room in her wheelchair.

She bumped into the doorframe as she came out into the hall; the fragile wood snapped.

"Evelyn!" her mother's voice called, angry and warning. "Pay attention to what you do!"

"I'm sorry, mummy!" Evelyn quickly called back.

She heard a snort from her mother.

Evelyn moved down the hall more carefully, coming out into the sitting room.

It was hard to use this sometimes - even after a year! And it was even harder in this new house.

Her mother had moved them out of the last one, into a whole new one.

One in a muggle city.

Which meant Evelyn had to use this muggle wheelchair. Not a hovering one, like mages had for people like her.

She'd only gotten to use a hoverchair for a few weeks, before the move.

Her mother had said she didn't want Evelyn going to stupidly eat more stupid Decay Fruits again behind the old house.

Because Evelyn was stupid like that.

Evelyn kept her head down as she entered her mother's sight.

"Did you even brush your hair?" her mother asked.

"Y-yes, mummy."

"It doesn't look brushed," her mother retorted.

"I- I did!"

"Don't talk back to me." Her mother sighed. "Listen: I'm going to have a nice man over here in an hour or two, so I need you to be on your best behavior. Don't make things hell for him like you always do for me. Try to be a normal, good girl for once. At least, as good as you can be without legs."

Evelyn wanted to tell her mother she had legs - they just didn't work anymore. Not more than her toes, or little jerks and motions. But she knew her mother wouldn't have liked that at all. Speaking up never really ended nicely! Neither did raising her voice. And her mother never liked it when she looked at her, either; she hated it when Evelyn looked at her - hated having to see Evelyn, she said so many times.

So Evelyn just nodded into her lap. "Ok, mummy. I promise. I'll be good," she said quietly.

"Good. Just...do that. If you even can. And..."

"Yes, mummy?"

"This man is a muggle. So you can't tell him anything about magic, or mages - nothing. We're pretending to be muggles in this house, remember?"

"Yes!"

"Good. It won't just be me that's pissed off with you if you tell him: it will be the whole Ministry. So don't you dare. Now go to your room - stay there. I'll call you for dinner."

"Ok, mummy. I...I promise I won't mess up for you," Evelyn attempted sincerely.

Her mother looked at her, surprised. Her lips parted. Then her eyes narrowed, and she turned her head away. "If you're just going to pull the rug out from under me..."

"What?"

"Never mind! Get out. Now. I don't want to see you again until dinner. Play with your toys, hug your stuffed animals - I don't care. Just stay out of my sight and behave. I can't stand your face a second longer."

Evelyn quickly obeyed, her heart sinking.

Evelyn was proud to say she didn't mess up things for her mother that night.

In fact, even her mother had told her just once that she had done good to listen to her.

Evelyn had been smiling about that for the whole day after!

And the nice man - his name was Richard - had come over again, a few weeks later.

And then again, and again, and again.

And he was even nice to Evelyn.

Really nice.

And as weeks turned into months, and then a year...he was nicer and nicer. He spent almost every day with them.

Evelyn really liked him.

Even if he was a muggle - even if she couldn't ever tell him about being a witch, or magic. She'd never risk it; her mother would have been angry beyond angry if she did.

And he might stop coming over.

He might stop hugging her. He might stop touching her head and stroking her hair. He might stop reading to her at nights.

He might stop getting her ice cream.

He might stop helping her in and out of her wheelchair, he might stop making her giggle so much.

He might stop taking her out places.

He might stop making her mother so happy, too.

Her mother had smiled at Evelyn more times in the last year than in her whole life. She had even given her some hugs, every now and then. More and more hugs! And even a kiss!

Her mother and Richard got married after a year.

Seven year old Evelyn did her best not to mess that day up for her mother either.

Her mother let her eat cake, and drink fizzy drinks!

Evelyn started going to a muggle school, after Richard talked to her mother about her being homeschooled - about having her in the house all the time.

Her mother let her go!

Evelyn didn't have to see her mother very much anymore.

But Richard was also at work a lot, now.

It was good and bad, she thought.

Good and bad.

Because the good, her happy mother who gave her some hugs and a few kisses now...that didn't stay.

Not for the next years to come.

It went back to the way it was, before Richard - and the worst part was that Evelyn couldn't even tell him.

Her mother never treated her too badly whenever Richard was around.

Until she did.

"It looks like you've got something," Richard spoke as he entered the kitchen. "Did you join some kind of club at school recently?"

"I don't do clubs," Evelyn mumbled. "You know that." She'd tried making friends, tried to go to their houses, just for more time away...but her mother would always step in, talk to the parents, tell Evelyn she couldn't. She'd just be a big mess and a burden on them, too. She'd ruin things for them. So Evelyn had stopped trying, years ago. That was okay with her, really; she wasn't great with people anyway. Too noisy, too nosy. Too crowded. She hated it, really. Being around others how she was. And she was sure her mother was right, anyway: she was just a burden on everyone.

Richard laughed good naturedly. "Oh, yes. Of course, honey - always such a loner. One of these days you'll meet someone good and nice, you know. A real friend."

"Sure..." Evelyn muttered. Not likely.

"Well, whatever it is, it's yours." Richard shrugged. He handed the thick envelope to Evelyn. The crest on it, the kind of paper it was - parchment...

Eleven years old, she took the letter eagerly. She'd known it was coming - been waiting for it for a really long time.

Muggle school had been nice, getting away from her mother, but this...

This was going to be the best.

She would only have to even come back home again for a few months at a time.

She smiled to herself, lifting her head.

"Where were you two? I told you to be back with her by five! it's already seven!"

Evelyn sat with her head down as Richard stepped in front of her, facing her mother.

"Josie, relax - I got her all her things from the Alley, and then I just thought I'd take her out for some fun at the mall," her dad spoke quickly, placating. He gestured to the trunk Evelyn had next to her wheelchair.

Evelyn's mother glared at him, then she sighed, and her glare fixed onto Evelyn. Her wand at her side burst with red sparks. "How much did you whine and cry to him before he finally gave in to you this time?"

"Come on, don't be that way about her again," Richard said firmly. "She didn't cry or whine for it; I just thought I'd do something nice for her again. You don't do much for her lately, you know."

Her mother stepped forward. "She hasn't done much lately to deserve anything nice from me! Or from you! You can't just go doing things like that for her, she has to earn it!"

"Is she ever going to earn it from you?" Richard said furiously.

Her mother swiped her wand before her; Richard flew to the left, crashing into the wall. She stood shaking, staring right at Evelyn. "Get to your room! And you- you're not doing anything like this for her again, or I'm going to kick your arse right to the curb! Do you understand me?! I can't believe you just went and did that for her behind my back! How did I even know what you two were doing all this time? How did I know she didn't go and get herself stupidly hurt again?! What if she'd lost her arms too? She's my daughter! You don't just go do things like that without me!"

Evelyn wheeled herself swiftly through the house, past her mother and down the hall. She was just entering her room when her trunk came flying in behind her, slamming into the back of her chair and hitting the floor with a thud.

She gasped and arched her back, shutting her eyes from the pain.

Her mother had never actually hurt her before - and this was definitely the first time she had ever hurt Richard.

Evelyn knew it was her fault.

She was stupid, worthless, broken...everything her mother said.

And she didn't deserve anyone doing anything good for her. Nothing nice.

She definitely didn't deserve friends.

Even if she could get them. Even if her mother couldn't drive them away.

Evelyn found a hoverchair waiting for her on Platform 9 3/4.

The school had put it there for her, to use during her time at Hogwarts.

An accommodation, they had called it.

She was...glad of that.

Grateful for it.

"You're not even going to hug her goodbye?" Richard spoke loudly.

Her mother gazed all around, then at him. Then, at Evelyn. She huffed, and leaned down and hugged Evelyn. She squeezed her tight, then kissed her on the cheek and drew away. She wiped her mouth and turned away. "There. Now get going. And if I hear you've caused any trouble..."

"Evelyn doesn't cause trouble," Richard said, loud again. Firm. Staring her in the eye. But...Evelyn saw his fear.

Her mother gripped her wand in her robes. "We can talk about that at home."

Richard turned away from her, dropping to his a knee in front of Evelyn. He hugged her, soft, warm. He held her for a long time. He kissed her forehead, he stroked at her hair. He smiled at her. "Have a fun time there. Have a really good year, Evelyn. Okay? Try to make some friends. Please."

Her mother snorted; Richard ignored her.

Evelyn nodded, smiling a little at him. "Okay. I'll- try..." she said, knowing no such thing was going to happen. It just wouldn't. Not for her. But if she could make him a little happy by telling him, promising it to him...knowing what...what she was...leaving him to...going away from to safety...When it should have been him and not her getting away from it, because he was good and wonderful and worth it and she wasn't!

He deserved this, not her.

He gave her face a caress, and planted another kiss. "Good. Go, honey. I love you."

"Yeah. Love you too...daddy," Evelyn whispered, as sincere as she could be about it. Sorry...

He nodded, standing up tall.

Her mother gave her a look of contempt, then looked away again. "Just get on already, or you'll miss it. You promised not to cause trouble," she mocked lowly.

"I won't!" Evelyn protested, feeling about three degrees braver on the public platform - like Richard.

Her mother glared at her. "Yes, you will. You've been doing nothing but that since you were-"

"Just go," Richard said clearly. "Evelyn."

"Don't interrupt me with my own daughter!"

"She's my daughter too. I'm her dad - Evelyn..."

Evelyn nodded, and she whipped around in her hoverchair and glided away, her trunk across her lap.

Evelyn had caused trouble.

The worst kind of trouble.

She'd almost killed someone! Two people!

A boy, the boy - Harry Potter, and a woman who was a fucking magical war veteran!

She had given them over to the worst monster in the world: You-Know-Who!

And later, after, the boy had still come up to her.

Harry had still come to her.

Talked to her.

Even asked her to come sit with his friends. To be their friend, too.

Her, of all people!

Even after what she'd done.

She didn't deserve it. Couldn't believe it.

But she went with it.

Better not to cause more trouble, wasn't that right?

And...she started to like it.

She found herself smiling, somehow.

Harry made her smile.

She didn't want to go home.

She tried telling them - her friends. All through these months, she'd tried.

In the sneakiest ways she could think of, ways to tell without actually telling.

Hoping they'd catch on. Hoping someone would notice.

Maybe a Prefect or a teacher would overhear...maybe...

Just someone could...

But no one did.

She didn't want to go home.

Especially not knowing that she'd left Richard there, to all of that.

With her mother, and magic, alone. As a muggle.

Evelyn had ordered a magic diary, and she started to write in it. Had been, ever since Christmas.

It wrote back to her.

She found comfort in it, even as she felt worse as time went on, and summer loomed. As she felt sicker and sicker from anxiety, from it all.

The diary personality was called Tom.

He was nice, he listened to her. He encouraged her, even, to talk to her friends, to be with them.

He told her...to be brave when she got home.

That she was a witch, strong and good in Defense classes.

That she could handle it.

That she could...

Could keep herself safe.

That he knew magic and ways she could do that, if she'd only listen. And be willing to use it.

When summer came, Evelyn spent her days in her room, writing away in her diary.

Richard was hurting, but he always kept sending her out, kept standing up to her mother for her.

And Evelyn hated him for it.

Tom told her that Richard was just a muggle, that he couldn't really do anything for her, and that the only one who could really, really save her...was herself.

Tom was right! Richard wasn't really saving her, he wasn't getting her away from this place! They were still here!

Evelyn's mother...

Was still...

Here.

It was a few weeks to the end of July, to Harry's birthday.

Evelyn had gotten a letter, and Richard had told her to write back that she could go. That she was willing to spend the night over there.

Evelyn should have been grateful - but she was just mad at him. Pissed, even.

All he could do was send her out for a while - a few hours, a day. But he couldn't stop her mother from doing anything to her! To them!

Tom was right. Richard was pathetic, useless, stupid - a damn idiot muggle!

His best was next to useless.

Evelyn wheeled herself back into her bedroom, past Richard as her mother flicked her wand at him and caused him to cry out as a shocking bolt struck his chest. As she yelled at him and strode up to him and hit him. As she pointed her wand down at him and...he yelled out.

"Why would you tell her she can just go off to someone else's birthday?! To Harry Potter's? Like she knows him! She's a nobody to him!" her mother was screaming at him.

Evelyn tried to tune it all out, going to her desk and flipping open her diary.

She took up a pen, and wrote in it furiously.

How do I get rid of my mother?

Tom's reply came to her, ink sunken in and reprinted to her: If you want all of this to stop, forever, then you need to get rid of her forever. Can you do that, Evelyn? For yourself? Because no one else will, sadly. You've seen it enough times with your teachers, your friends, and with father. No one wants to see you, help you. My father was much the same - never there when I needed it. He didn't care for me. Not enough to save me, take me away from the wretched place I lived in. The people I lived with who hated me. Treated me terribly. I saved myself - I know you can do the same!

Evelyn paused. What was Tom talking about? He was just a Diary? How could he have a father?

Her thoughts turned away from the oddity, to the situation at hand.

Get rid of her mother forever?

Evelyn...thought that sounded nice.

It sounded heavenly.

It sounded...so, so great.

She was just so...so tired of it all.

So damn fucking tired...of all of this.

Of that damn woman.

She picked up her pen again, and put it to page.

What spell do I have to use to get rid of her - forever?

Tom's response came back slowly, after a minute of emptiness. Almost, careful. Avada Kedavra.

Evelyn wrote back again. What does it do? How does it work?

It makes a mere flash of light, and then the person you've pointed your wand at is dead, Evelyn. There's no pain, and it's instant. Far too good for your mother, in my opinion. But it's the best chance you have of being free, and safe, and happy. I want to see you be all those things, when no one else will. You deserve it all, no matter what she says to you. It's a spell that requires great power, but I'm confident you can do it, Evelyn. You're a very powerful, skilled witch. Second best in Defense, behind Harry Potter.

Evelyn nodded to herself, a smile crossing her lips as pleasure bloomed at Tom's praise. She took out her wand, and she muttered the words under her breath. "Avada...Kedavra...Avada...Kedavra..."

Tom was right, again: it was too good for Evelyn's mother.

But if it got her out of Evelyn's life forever, if it got Evelyn free of all this, this shit she was so tired of...

She didn't care.

She just wanted it done.

She wanted out.

Two weeks to Harry's birthday...

After that, she'd do it, she decided firmly.

After the best day ever, she would give herself the best life ever! A life of freedom and happiness with him! With Harry!

She wrote this back to Tom, careful and determined.

You really do talk about him quite a bit, don't you? Tom responded. Evelyn could swear she heard an amused voice in her head. A little chuckle. You're so determined to be around him - close to him. Do you have a crush on him, I wonder...

Evelyn flushed, and she smacked her palm to the diary's open pages. She scribbled back furiously. I don't! He's just...really nice to me. He's great. He's- the best. They all are. I've never had friends before him - them!

Whatever you say, Evelyn. But I think we both know the truth! And you know, you deserve him too, Evelyn.

Evelyn shut the diary with a huff, putting her hands over her face.

After a minute, she opened it again, placing her pen down once more.

Tom...?

Yes, Evelyn?

If I did have a crush on him, how would someone like me ever get someone like him to like me like that?

That's quite a lot of likes, Evelyn...

Please. Don't you have any ideas? You're helping me with all this - my mother. My home.

Well...I might have a few.

Tell me.

"I told you not to send her, I told you she didn't deserve to even go! I told you not to buy her anything! You snuck behind my back, you stole my money, you used it for her!"

"I used it so she could get a gift for her friend!" Richard yelled. "And she did deserve to go! Because she doesn't deserve a vile woman like you for a mother! She's never deserved that!"

Evelyn hunkered over her desk in her room, listening to the yelling. The bangs of the wand. The cries. The crashing furnitures.

It had never been this bad before.

Never.

A night this bad...

It reminded Evelyn of everything she was so exhausted over. So tired of. Everything she wanted to stop already! Why couldn't it just stop?!

Richard wouldn't stop it. He wouldn't stop her!

He never had!

He had never helped her either.

Every time he tried, when Evelyn came home it was just worse.

Just like this.

And with those spells her mother had cast around the house...nobody outside of it was ever going to hear it. Never step in to help, to even look.

No one was going to do a thing to help them.

To help Evelyn.

Not here, not outside either.

She was back from Harry's - back in her own home.

She'd had so much fun at his birthday, she had- she had-

And she had tried, so hard last night with him, and again this morning...

She had just wanted to open her mouth and say it - all of it. Tell him everything.

But she couldn't. She hadn't.

She had let Harry's mother take her back home again. Back here to this...this damn place.

Without a word, without...just saying it!

She had tried, she'd tried, she had! She said she didn't want to leave, she said she had fun, she...

She had hoped, looking into that woman's face, that she'd see it. Realize it.

She'd begged her to notice it!

But she hadn't.

Harry hadn't, either.

They couldn't help her.

The only one who had ever known, ever helped her...

She grabbed her dairy and opened it wide, holding a pen shakily to the page. Tom.

Yes, Evelyn? What's wrong?

My mother. She's really hurting him. He's not doing anything to even defend himself! And when she's done with him, she'll come into my room again. She always does. It's really bad tonight, Tom. I've never even seen her like this before. She's really angry over this. I don't know what she'll even do to me this time.

You know how to stop this, Evelyn. Before she comes to you. I know you can do it. You have to do it. Tonight - now. Or this is never going to end. Never, Evelyn.

Evelyn nodded, her body shaking now not with fear, but also with anger. With hate, with tiredness of it all. With...everything. I'm doing it.

Good luck, Evelyn. I have faith you can pull it off. Save yourself. Free yourself.

Evelyn dropped her pen, shut the diary. she held it close and wheeled herself to her nightstand. She placed it carefully into the drawer, and then she backed away and turned toward the door.

She was sick of it.

Sick of all of it.

She wheeled herself to the door, out into the hall.

Into the sitting room.

Richard was standing, bloody, bruised, wobbly on his feet.

Her mother had her wand pointed at him, yelling at him, berating him. Insulting him.

She turned, noticing Evelyn.

Richard did, too.

"Evelyn-" he started. "Go back to your-"

Her mother flicked her wand, and Richard fell silent. "This is the last fucking time you go behind my back about my own daughter! I mean it this time!" she hissed at him. Her eyes fell on Evelyn, dark and sharp. "Now you - get the hell out of my sight. I'll punish you for this later."

Evelyn stared at her, sitting there. Her hands shook in her lap. Her anger roared in her chest. Her lips trembled and curled. Tom believed in her, he believed she could do this. Really do it. She had to believe it too. She had to do this. She had to. "F-f...fuck you."

"Excuse me?"

"I s-said fuck you!" Evelyn yelled. "I hate you, I hate you so much, you're the one who doesn't deserve a damn thing! You don't deserve to be called a mother, you don't deserve me! And I deserve better than you! I always have! You're evil, and stupid, and horrible, and I wish you'd just fucking go and die!"

All the things she'd ever wanted to say to her mother's face came flowing out of her mouth. All the things she had written to Tom before, after his intense coaxing over the months. His telling her it was safe to tell him, that he was happy to listen to any expletives she wanted to express about the woman...

Her mother advanced on her with her wand slashing.

Evelyn felt a pain in her chest as a bolt of red struck her. She gasped, hand going to her chest.

"I wish you would have died in my womb!" her mother yelled at her in return. "I wish I had just killed you before you even saw the light of day!"

Well...Evelyn thought maliciously. One of them was getting what they wanted today.

As her mother loomed over her, Evelyn whipped out her wand in her lap, and she shouted the incantation with all her might and hatred.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light exploded, and when it faded, her mother hit the floor with a heavy thud.

Richard's voice returned to him suddenly. He stared in horror. Stared at her. "Evelyn, what- what did you just do-"

What did you do? Why do you always make my life difficult? Do you just do it to spite me? Why are you always such a stupid burden, making trouble?!

"Why didn't y-you ever make m-my l-life easier?!" Evelyn burst out, with an immense surge of raw rage and fury. She slashed her wand again, yelling the words a second time without thinking about it.

The light burst, and Richard lay before her on the floor too.

Evelyn sat there in the sitting room, in the absolute silence.

Staring at the two bodies on the floor with utter relief. It made her giddy, it made her laugh.

And then she began to cry, and her breathing quickened.

The world spun for her. Her vision grew dark on the edges.

She clutched a hand to her chest.

What the hell had she just done?!

But- but she'd had to, she had to- she just couldn't- she was so, so sick of it, she- and he hadn't ever- he never-

But how was this going to free her? How was this going to-

She didn't feel any happy right now! Not now!

What had she...why had she even...

No, no, I just- I just wanted to-

Evelyn wheeled herself over to the fireplace, snatching up the Floo Powder and tossing it in, watching the green flames burst.

She hurled herself out of her chair and shoved her head through the fires, tossing her wand away. "Ministry of M-Magic!" she cried.

Two years passed for Evelyn, in St. Mungo's.

Most of it was really a big blur for her.

Just...existing.

Hating herself.

Hating the world.

Hating her parents.

Hating Harry.

No, not that last part.

Well, not all the time...

He was still the best thing she had in her life.

The thing to make her smile. Make her happy.

The friend she never deserved.

The friend who had...even stuck with her after her trial. After it all came out.

He'd even told her, whispered to her that he knew what it was like. That he had lived a life like hers, too. Before Nagini.

He had said he couldn't blame her. He understood her.

He really did!

But...he hadn't done what she had to escape his situation. His home. His family.

After that, he kept coming back to her, visiting her in the hospital.

Even on her worst days - or weeks.

Even when she wouldn't let him in.

Even when she wanted nothing more than to disappear and never let him glimpse her in her...her worst state of being.

Blood, tears, scars.

And he was still there for her.

As she became a teenager, and began to read certain kinds of books - both factual and romanticized - she really started to realize one thing.

Tom was right again.

He had always been right.

She did like Harry.

She liked him so much it hurt.

And she wanted him.

Tom had given her some ideas, years ago, about how to make him like her...to be close to him...

And she'd given some of them a try lately.

She had always liked to lay with Harry, to just be with him on her bad days. Close to him.

But then she began taking a bit of a risk. She scooted closer, she would press to him. Then, more than that. Rub herself on him. Chest to shoulder.

Harry never told her to stop, and it made her smile. Made her feel so nice that he accepted it from her. It felt so nice for her, in other ways, too. It was like all those times she had done her desperate best to get any scrap of contact with her mother...and the warmth, and the smells, and the feelings from it all...

She never wanted it to end - but it always did. She knew she didn't deserve to have it forever, though.

When he got her an enchanted hairpin, she had loved it.

When he'd told her he was going to the World Cup this summer, she had said she wanted to go with him.

She really, really wanted to go! She wanted to get better now. She did.

Evelyn had something new she was sick of, exhausted from. Wanting to be free of.

This place, herself, her own behavior. Her own regression, as her social worker called it.

Evelyn didn't want to regress anymore.

She wanted to move on. Move ahead.

Be free and happy for once. Go back to school!

Harry had told her he'd be there for her, help her get better so she could go. He wanted to see her go.

She had kissed him for that, as brave as the day she had chosen to go through with killing her mother.

Only, this time, it actually did bring her real happiness. A real sense of...well, feelings inside her body that she knew well about now, from books and talking to Healers around the place.

She wanted to feel it more.