September, 1977
Hands quaking, Giselle unfolded the letter in her lap and re-read it for the dozenth time.
Dear Elle,
FINALLY! IT'S TIME! YOU'RE COMING HOME! YES!
I cannot describe to you how loud my screams were when I read your letter, Mum says her eardrums haven't been the same since. This is a miracle! I need to know what you said to your father to convince you to transfer back! Please tell me you didn't use Polyjuice potion and forged the whole thing, this is all legal, right? I need to know every detail when I see you.
Once again the summer here in Cokeworth has reached an all-time low since Petunia continues to make no effort whatsoever to talk to me, the snappy short sentences have been reduced to one-worded replies now I don't know why I bother. She's never home anymore though, she has a new boyfriend and by the sounds of it I'm glad she's not brought him home yet. The only upside to this summer is being able to help Mum out with the plants with a few rejuvenation charms… maybe that's why Petunia is so bitter?
Please, please, please reply as soon as you get this because we (we!) return to Hogwarts tomorrow and I need to know where and when I get to see your beautiful face.
Lots of love,
Lily.
Giselle smirked at her friend's curly handwriting and rushed to stuff the letter back into her pocket as her father briskly entered the study where she sat waiting for him. Her fluttery heart skipped when she spotted the pot of floo powder in his hands because it was the final confirmation, this was all real - she was going back to Hogwarts! She was going home. She could almost smell the delicious welcoming feast, the salty scent of the lake, the soothing incense of the Gryffindor Tower, her wishful thinking was playing tricks on her mind and the impatient tapping of her foot got worse.
"Headmaster Dumbledore is expecting you and your mother to arrive in his office in precisely ten minutes," his narrowed eyes double-checked the time on his desk, "meaning my talk will be short and efficient."
Giselle resisted the temptation to roll her eyes but her tongue voiced the derision pent up inside of her. "We don't have to do this, I've been to Hogwarts before, remember? I know it was ages ago but surely-,"
"Silence!" shouted Bartemius, slamming the pot on the desk suddenly. Giselle refused to flinch, the smirk was stuck on her plump lips. He loathed her sense of humour, he believed it was more of a nuisance than something to be proud of and no matter how hard he tried to stamp it out of her she always snapped back fiercer than before.
Crouch sat down behind his magnificent mahogany desk, the main attraction in his grand study, and rested his chin upon his clasped hands. Giselle bit her tongue as she watched her father from behind his shield - she hated the desk. She hated the whole manor, it was a constant reminder of his stupid family pride and vanity. Her hatred bubbled inside of her and she was starting to feel physically sick.
She was never a fan of the Crouch name, she wanted nothing to do with her father's side of the family so to make matters worse between her and Bartemius, she decided to legally adopt her mother's maiden name instead. As predicted, her father didn't take the news very well. He was deeply offended by his firstborn's decision, it was worse than a slap around the face and he wasn't afraid to show Giselle exactly what he thought of her. Their relationship was at rock bottom, it had never been this bad before.
Bartemius noticed her tapping foot and bared his teeth, a vein throbbed in his temple. "Stop that incessant noise at once and hold your tongue - I'm warning you Giselle." His voice was low and dangerous, almost challenging her to speak again so he could hit her but Giselle didn't give him the pleasure. Her foot seized.
"This is your final chance," he began, stretching his spine as he observed his teenage daughter, "I cannot describe to you the extent of my anger, young lady, and I want you to understand that there are no other options after this. You have consistently gone against my word and have single-handedly ruined every opportunity I have handed to you, you have given me no choice but to send you back to Hogwarts." Each word dripped with disdain, he hated this. Giselle swallowed the lump in her throat and held her head up higher.
"You should never have pulled me out of Hogwarts, that was your first mistake," she said strongly.
"No, my first mistake was letting you out of my sight in the first place, I should have hired a tutor and kept you locked in this house when you turned eleven years old," spat Bartemius, disgusted with her behaviour. "I cannot describe how much of an embarrassment you are, Giselle, and I can't have you sullying our legacy."
"I want nothing to do with your legacy!" shouted Giselle, fidgeting in her chair as her fury simmered below her surface. She loved screaming at her father, it was becoming her most practiced pastime and she couldn't let him get away with blatantly insulting her. "My name is Giselle Prewett, I won't ruin your precious reputation any more!"
"But the damage is already done," said Bartemius with a bitter scowl, his moustached lip curling nastily, "you've destroyed my positive correspondence with Madam Maxime, the French Bureau of Magical Justice department are beyond furious, you're extremely lucky that Headmaster Turgenev doesn't want to press charges and he's graciously kept his school board out of this, and I had to pay the Daily Prophet a lot of money to keep all of this quiet. You are one strike away from being disowned!"
"Do it!" urged Giselle, climbing out of her chair, "disown me! I don't give a shit!"
"Silence!" shrieked Bartemius, jumping to his feet. His face was a violet shade of purple, veins popped in his neck and his salt-and-pepper hair had been shaken from its groomed position. "Not another word! I am sending you back to Hogwarts so I can keep a close watch on you, I have permission from the headmaster to visit at any time. You've broken my trust and there is nothing you can do to gain it back except to keep your head down and graduate without another incident. There is a war going on and you are towing a very thin line."
Giselle's gut wretched in reaction to his inference and her cheeks flushed brightly. He still thought she was planning on becoming a Death Eater, this sick obsession had gone too far and she knew it was hopeless. No matter what she did, she was a threat and destined to turn to the dark arts. Her father had no sense of humour whatsoever.
"Are you thick?" she scoffed, her glare unwavering. "Do you really think that I would join Lord Voldemort-,"
"Don't say his name!" hissed Crouch automatically, inattentively leaning across the desk in a rage.
Giselle ignored him. "-and yet if you removed your head from your arse and actually spoke to your son, maybe get to know him, then you would clearly see that he is the one who is heading down the wrong path and intends to join Voldemort-,"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY HIS NAME!"
They were inches away from each other, spitting with flames and daring to attack. She could feel her father's compulsion to strike in the air around her and for a split second she wanted him to do it. She had been waiting for the day he broke and attacked her, his violence would be the perfect excuse to emancipate herself, everything she needed to take with her was already packed and she had secretly stolen her share of gold from their vaults - all she needed was a catalyst. Her mother had tried to settle the tension over the summer but it was apparent that her efforts weren't working, Adelaide knew Giselle was ready to leave.
"Junior is going to ruin this family, it won't be me," challenged Giselle, blinking back the sudden prickles of tears. She was stronger than this, she had to be.
"Bartemius is ten times the wizard you'll ever be," growled Crouch, looking at his daughter as though she were dirt under his shoe, "he will bring pride to this family, something you will never do. You make me sick."
Suddenly the great double doors to the study burst open and Adelaide rushed in, her hands rustling inside her handbag as she muttered to herself. She wore a luxurious deep plum robe with gold trimming, fierce buckled boots, and a sweeping gold hat perched delicately on her auburn curls, she looked like the perfect wife of a politician. The intensity of which her husband and daughter were glaring at each other snapped Adelaide out of her daze and she promptly joined Barty's side, her scowl dampening her beautiful face.
"Giselle, honey - how many times have I told you to stop arguing with your father? His blood pressure is very high at the moment and I won't have you making him ill," she scolded her daughter, pursing her lips. "You've caused him enough trouble at the Ministry and he's having a tough time, do not add to his already hectic workload."
"Everyone is having a tough time. Stop using that as an excuse for everything he fucks up. What is wrong with you?!" Giselle blurted out, scrutinising her mother. She wasn't glowing like she usually did, the hollows of her cheeks were prominent and the light in her hazel eyes had faded long ago. She didn't fare well against stress.
"Giselle-," warned Adelaide.
"No! I'm done!" Giselle shook her head and snatched her trunk from the floor. "Do your worst, I don't have anything to lose anymore. You never listen to me, you don't care about me or what I want, just let me go to school and you will never have to see me again!"
"Of course we care about you," countered Adelaide, taken aback by her accusations. Giselle guffawed and let her jaw drop, outraged.
"Really? Is that why you destroyed my broom?! Is that why you gave away my owl?! DID YOU CARE ABOUT ME SO MUCH THAT YOU SENT ME TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY WHERE EVERYONE FORGOT ABOUT ME?!" Her voice broke with her screams but Giselle didn't care, she needed to tell them what she really thought.
"Get her out of my office," demanded Bartemius, pointing a trembling finger at Giselle as he turned to his wife. "Now."
"Barty-," Adelaide tried again, pleading with her husband to listen but he had reached his limit. He couldn't even look at Giselle, he needed her gone.
"Don't bother, I'm going," spat Giselle and she stormed over the gigantic heath behind the mahogany desk. Purposely barging her trunk into the precious wood, she shoved her hand into the floo powder, scooped up a huge fistful, and stomped into the fireplace. Her trunk's wheel accidentally caught her shin but she bit her lip and pretended that the eye-watering stabs of pain were non-existent. She couldn't break face in front of her father, not now.
"I'm coming with you," she heard her mother protest but she didn't listen.
"No you're not. I don't know when I'll see you next, don't write to me," said Giselle in a strained voice. She threw the powder onto the floor and spluttered out her destination as though her very life depended on it. "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts."
The familiar sensation of being smothered by ash swallowed her but with a well-timed cough Giselle pushed through, keeping her eyes open the entire time. The excitement and nervousness inside her bubbled and grew, reminding her that she was finally returning to the castle she missed so dearly. The moment she caught the bright blue eyes of the headmaster her spine tingled and the tight knots in her shoulders loosened, relief came to greet her with open arms and she welcomed it with a smile.
Giselle hopped out of the fireplace, her trunk tumbling out behind her, and she grinned at the man before her. The scent of sherbet hit her and she breathed it in, memories rushing back to her like a gushing tap.
"Welcome back, Miss Crouch," proclaimed Professor Dumbledore, smiling broadly at her. The mere sound of his voice felt like home and she let out a deep, guttural sigh to show her appreciation, pointedly ignoring his mistake in calling her by her former name.
"It's so good to be home! Hello professor!" she said brightly.
"Is your mother not joining us?" wondered Dumbledore, peering curiously at the fireplace behind her but she simply shook her head and beamed.
"Nope! Just me!"
Surrendering to his laugh, Dumbledore took a step to the side and revealed the other person in the room with a pleasant smile. Professor McGonagall walked towards the fireplace with the Sorting Hat in her hands and a smirk on her face. The sight of her old head of house brought a sense of safety to Giselle and she eagerly returned the niceties. She didn't expect to see the woman who had subtracted over a thousand house points from her so soon and she was delighted to see her.
"Hello professor, did you miss me?" she asked cheekily, flashing McGonagall a dazzling smile.
"Miss is an exceptionally strong word," mused McGonagall, eyeing her carefully before submitting to her smirk, "but yes I missed you, my dear."
"I missed you too," sighed Giselle airily, satisfied with her professor's answer, "the staff at Beauxbatons ain't got nothing on you, professor."
"Mhmm, yes," interjected Dumbledore, his silvery beard twitching, "I was hoping to talk to you about your transfer." He gestured towards the chairs facing his prestigious desk and Giselle hesitated, furiously pushing the nervous butterflies out of her stomach with urgency. Discussing the path that led her to this very moment was not what she had in mind, she wanted to leave it all in the past so she could move onto the next chapter of her life.
"Do we have to?" wondered Giselle. She gingerly took a seat and gazed up at the two professors.
"This isn't a punishment, Giselle," assured Albus kindly, smoothing his sweeping grey robes as he sat down behind the desk, "what happened at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will not be held against you here-,"
Suffocating, searing shame trickled over Giselle's face and she slumped back in her chair. "Wait, you know?!" McGonagall's nostrils flared momentarily as she met Giselle's gaze but she refused to comment, the troublesome ways of her ex-student were a constant pain in her side but she didn't have it in her to scold the girl.
"Naturally, your father explained to us how you got yourself expelled as we wanted to be sure that re-accepting your admission wouldn't cause any problems for our student body or our staff," said Dumbledore calmly, "but I want to assure you that we are more than happy to have you back… that being said, I do need to ask you whether you have any Ashwinder eggs on your person."
"No," droned Giselle, covering her face to shield her blushes, "they're all gone. I promise."
"And you haven't smuggled any other potentially combustible creatures in your trunk?" checked McGonagall, cautiously approaching Giselle's possession with her wand drawn. Giselle simply shook her head, too ashamed to say anything. Bartemius must have explained both sides of the story to them, her father was insistent that Giselle started the fire and refused to acknowledge her excuse that the fire serpents committed the arson but knowing that Dumbledore believed her felt blindingly validating. At least someone was on her side.
"For the record, I was trying to remove the eggs from the Dining Chamber. It's not my fault that their eggs spontaneously combust and that wooden furniture is highly flammable, that's the Wood Nymphs' fault," she added as a side note, clarifying that she was definitely innocent.
"How did the eggs get there in the first place, Miss Crouch?" questioned McGonagall, unable to keep quiet, and Giselle bit her tongue.
"I'll tell you what I told the aurors - no comment," she muttered under her breath but her nagging stubbornness kicked in as she added, "and it's Miss Prewett now. Please do not associate me with that git."
"I'm afraid that your father signed you up under your original name, Giselle," revealed Dumbledore sadly, keen to avoid another flare up, "I'm sorry."
"That asshole-," Giselle's cheeks were scorching, bolder than the sun. How dare he?! He said he was ashamed of her, he should be happy she wanted to change her name!
"Language!" scolded McGonagall, tutting. Dumbledore tried to hide his amusement but he looked highly entertained by the family drama as he took a sip of from his bone china teacup.
"Sorry," grumbled Giselle, frowning at her twitching hands in her lap, "can I go now?" The castle was calling her name, she needed to reacquaint herself with her home for the first time in two years and the thought of seeing Lily's face was taking over her train of thought. They had so much to talk about.
"Not yet, you need to be sorted first," revealed McGonagall, gesturing to the old hat in her grasp. Giselle spluttered dubiously and gawked at her headmaster.
"She's joking… right?"
"Every new student must be sorted, there are no exceptions Miss Crouch," reiterated Dumbledore, delicately perching his chin on his fingers. His half-moon spectacles glinted in the candlelight, hiding his intrigue. Giselle felt nauseous and she gripped onto her chair's arms, digging her nails in deep. She had already dressed herself up in her Gryffindor school robes, she purchased a whole new set mere days ago and now there's a possibility that she had to wear another houses' colours! No other house suited her, she belonged in Gryffindor - there was no way she was betraying her chosen family. Her professors sensed her agitation and hurried to calm her nerves.
"No need to look so worried, Giselle," said McGonagall with a soft smirk, "committing arson and having the nerve to get away with it seems like something Godric would admire. Not to mention attempting to steal Durmstrang's ship-"
"Allegedly," reminded Giselle, biting her lip to stop the mischievous smirk. McGonagall rolled her eyes and abruptly slipped the Sorting Hat onto her head. The sounds around her were muffled by the scratchy material but the ancient, crackling voice filled her ears and sent shivers down her back.
Back again, Miss Crouch? inquired the Hat. It didn't sound particularly opinionated but deep down she knew the hat missed her.
"No, I've just dropped by for a chat. How are you? How's Hogwarts?" she starkly thought, causing the hat to tut.
I shouldn't have said anything, sighed the Hat.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," snickered Giselle.
Re-sortings are always interesting, mused the Sorting Hat, impatiently moving on. You've been gone two long years, a lot has changed in here.
"For the better, I hope," she wondered, urging the hat to hurry up. "Please don't put me with Junior, I'll do anything." Sharing a house with her brother was at the bottom of her list, she couldn't join the Slytherin house - expulsion sounded better than becoming a snake.
Luckily, I still stand by what I said to you six years ago. Unlike your parents and your brother, you are not one for the Slytherin house. Cunning you may be, your nerve and bravery shine brighter than your ambition but I see you struggling, revealed the Hat quietly, pausing to rethink his judgement.
"Struggling?" she asked shyly.
You're alone. You need to keep your family close-,
The urge to rip the hat off her head was undeniable. "Excuse me?!"
-chosen family included, you didn't let me finish! Keep your loved ones close, Miss Crouch, you need them more than you think. Be careful.
Giselle had no words so she nodded. That was a difficult thought to process, she didn't know what to do with that information.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Joy radiated from Giselle and she beamed, tearing the hat off to see Professor McGonagall's reaction. With a clap of her hands she celebrated her new addition and patted Giselle on the shoulder, sharing a knowing look with the headmaster.
"I must admit, I was worried there for a second," disclosed McGonagall, "Professor Slughorn will be most upset, he was so sure that you would be joining him in Slytherin." She looked far from sympathetic as her eyes crinkled in delight.
"Absolutely not, professor! Green isn't my colour," joked Giselle, gesturing to her scarlet and gold tones on her robes.
"Excellent," praised Dumbledore proudly. "The welcoming feast ended an hour ago but if you are hungry then I will happily send for some delicious nibbles?"
"Oh no, professor, thank you but I've already had dinner," explicated Giselle, cringing at the memory of the most awkward meal experiences that had happened hours ago. Thankfully Barty was already halfway across the country on the Hogwarts Express or else it would have been three against one instead of two. Dumbledore nodded and brandished his arm towards the exit.
"Then you are free to return to your dormitory. I will suggest that you try and get an early night but I fathom the excitement of seeing your friends again will energise you," he assumed, observing her over his spectacles, and she bashfully grinned in confirmation.
"...Maybe," she drawled.
Not wanting to keep her any longer, Professor McGonagall relayed the password for the tower and left her to her own devices. She promised them that she remembered where the tower was situated (how could she forget?!) and enthusiastically dragged her heavy trunk out of the office and down the spiral stairs, trying not to trip over her own feet.
The adrenaline pumped through her as she burst into the corridor below and her smile came naturally, lighting up her face. She hadn't smiled this much in a very long time and her cheeks started to ache from disuse. The sky beyond the arched windows was twinkling madly with stars as though they could sense her exuberance, they wanted to celebrate with her and she breathed in the night air. She gazed out of the window and admired the grounds of Hogwarts, embodying every wave of nostalgia that crashed over her - the Black Lake where she was attacked by the giant squid during her second year, the Whomping Willow that almost took her face clean off during her first year, the distant glowing hut of the groundskeeper who consistently chased her away from the Forbidden forest, the far off turrets of the Quidditch pitch that she once knew by heart - everything she had missed was still here waiting for her.
Deciding that detention on her first night was a bad idea, Giselle leisurely made her way up to the seventh floor where the entrance to the Gryffindor den lived. She gripped the trunk handle tighter as she walked, trying to fight the anxiety building inside of her with every step but the closer she got to the tower the faster her heart raced. The faces of her housemates swam around in her head, she wanted to collect her thoughts before she saw them all again but before that face emerged she found the Fat Lady painting.
"My my, here comes trouble," said the Fat Lady with an exasperated sigh. "Professor McGonagall warned me I may see an old face tonight and here you stand. You've grown!"
"Puberty works wonders. Missed me?" Giselle asked cheekily.
"Have I missed being woken up at all hours of the night by you sneaking in and out of the common room? Mhmm," she responded with her painted mouth puckered. Giselle rolled her eyes and shrugged, avoiding her animate gaze.
"It wasn't just me! Leo corde."
The Fat Lady's painting swung open and she wished Giselle a goodnight, her tone hinting that she hoped Giselle would be staying inside the tower until sunrise. She kept to the shadows as she entered, her trunk banging noisily against every step, and she planted her back to the wall as she emerged into the circular room. She stared at everything and inhaled the air, indulging in the past. Home.
The only thing that had changed was the inhabitants, everything was exactly the same. The same gold and ruby red silk canopies hung from the high ceiling, the same tapestries of past Gryffindors chatted merrily on the walls, each conversation louder than those on the floor below them. The fireplaces of Hogwarts were always barren during the month of September but sprigs of fragrant herbs had been thrown on the embers, creating the sepharic scent Giselle craved whilst she was at Beauxbatons. People were evenly spread out across the room, some lounging on the sofas, others sitting cross-legged on the plush rugs.
Giselle crept past the notice board, she couldn't resist eyeing up the Quidditch notices and her stomach twirled in celebration as she read the parchment that congratulated James Potter on becoming the new captain, but with her weighty trunk slowing her down she hurried to squeeze through the group of tiny first years who were blocking the entrance to the girls dormitories. She refused to survey the room behind her as she climbed, the chances of seeing an unsavoury face was too high for her liking.
Silently swearing as the trunk continued to bash her shins, Giselle reached her floor and appreciated the sign on the door labelled Seventh Years that once read Fourth Years but through the crack in the door a few voices floated out. Instead of pushing the door wider, she hesitated.
"I thought she would be here by now," said the first voice and it instantly warmed her heart, causing her face to crumple. Lily, she was here! "I assumed she would be on the train with everyone else, but I don't know if she needed to go speak to Dumbledore or McGonagall beforehand and it's already ten o'clock-,"
"Calm down!" came another voice and Giselle recognised Mary Macdonald's deeper tones immediately, "she'll be here any minute! She might be downstairs in the common room readjusting or sneaking around the castle or she's found Sirius and-,"
Time stood still and Giselle couldn't breathe, air physically seeped from her lungs and small stars popped up, blinding her. Sirius. Fucking Sirius. She was blindsided with rage at their assumptions, disgusted that they would even dare consider that she would want to see him. She hadn't heard from him in over two years. No letters, no visits; nothing. She wasn't planning on having a cosy reunion any time soon - quite frankly she didn't know how she would react when she eventually saw his stupid face - but right now she promised herself not to think about Black and she mercilessly pummelled the image of him from her brain. Disconnecting the thought of Hogwarts and the thought of Black was extremely painful and she couldn't go back to that dark place again. He didn't exist, he was nothing to her.
"I doubt it Mary," sighed Lily, "remember our fifth year?"
There was a sharp intake of breath and Mary shuddered. "...Oh, right."
Giselle bit her lip and sat on top of her trunk, straining her ears for more intel. She couldn't deny that she was curious, Lily never mentioned Sirius in her letters after Giselle sent her a howler politely asking her to stop, she didn't know how much of the drama was public knowledge and the idea of it being a hot topic in the Gryffindor tower whilst she was trapped at Beauxbatons terrified her. What if he spread vicious lies and everyone hated her? Lily wouldn't tell her, she was too kind.
"I'm guessing that explains Marlene's absence?" asked Mary casually over the sounds of rustling book parchment.
"Yup," muttered Lily, popping the p with vigour.
Giselle couldn't take it any more so she picked herself up, smoothed down her short skirt, fixed her pout into a smile, and burst into the dorm. Lily and Mary instinctively glanced at the door and froze when they realised it was Giselle. Lily gasped and dived at her, knocking her trunk from her hand and pulling her into a rib-cracking hug as her long red hair threatened to smother her.
"YOU'RE HERE!" she screamed directly into her ear, causing Giselle to wince.
"I'M HERE!" she screamed back, deafening her friends within the first few seconds of seeing her. "In the flesh! She has returned!"
Lily pulled away and squealed, her doe eyes wide as she absorbed her friend's new appearance. "I can see you with my own two eyes, this is so surreal! I can actually touch you-," she said but her smile curled mischievously as she continued, "and you didn't say anything in your letters about these!" Lily giggled as she groped Giselle's full chest, emphasising the generous growth spurt that occurred while she was away. She threw her head back in laughter and jiggled her breasts, taking the joke further.
"I thought I would keep them a surprise, you know?" she winked at Lily, "I tried writing about them but there just wasn't enough words in the English or French language that could describe their beauty, although if you're impressed by these then you should see me in my new Quidditch trousers."
"Bloody hell, you've been here thirty seconds and I already want to die," groaned Mary, blushing like a ripe tomato as she gave Giselle a quick hug.
"Aw, I've missed you too," Giselle smirked, giving Mary shoulder a quick squeeze.
"So," began Lily, sitting smartly on top of her bed as she watched Giselle unpack, "how come you weren't on the train? What took you so long? Spill the beans!"
"Gee Lils, let me catch my breath!" scoffed Giselle, pulling out her books from the leather trunk, "I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I was coming back today, the dickhead of Magical Law Enforcement kept changing his mind all last week so by the time I found out I was coming back the Express had already left. I had to wait until Dumbledore had finished with the feast but then we started arguing again..."
"Gosh, Elle," Lily winced, sobering up slightly as she spotted Giselle's discomfort, "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," said Giselle automatically, "it's nothing." Her eyes scanned Lily's bed for a distraction and something shiny caught her eye. Dumbfounded, Giselle scoffed and shook her head in disappointment. "What you should be sorry for is not telling me that you're Head Girl?!"
Lily's pale cheeks flushed and she offered her a sheepish smile. "Sorry?"
"I can't believe it! Who's Head Boy?" she couldn't help but ask.
From across the room Mary snorted and promptly made her way towards the bathroom, laughing at Lily's reaction. Giselle paused, still smiling. "What?"
"You're never going to believe this shit," complained Lily saltily, starting her own nighttime routine. She brushed her hair a little too harshly and glared at the door.
"Give us a clue," chirped Giselle, happy the subject had changed from her own problems.
"Out of everyone in our year, who do you think would piss me off the most?" she said falsely, and Giselle stared at her, flabbergasted. Even after two years she could tell within an instant who Lily was talking about and it brightened her day, the love-hate relationship between her best friend and her former teammate was undeniably entertaining to say the least, but now they were being forced to hang out?! This was ingenious!
"No way?! That's fate," responded Giselle with absolute, furiously nodding her head and she stripped off her school robes. Lily went to snap back but she panicked and diverted her eyes when Giselle confidently strutted around her bed dressed only in her underwear to sort through her pajamas.
"It's not fate, it's a punishment from Dumbledore! I don't know how Potters managed it but he's wormed his way into that position, you remember what he's like - he's done something," urged Lily, covering her eyes as Giselle shrugged into a soft jersey nightdress.
"From what I remember, he's very smart and intuitive when he makes an effort," countered Giselle, pouting at her friend. "To me it sounds like you're overcompensating, stop pretending that you're angry with this decision."
"As if, Elle! He hasn't changed at all, he's the same rude, arrogant, shameful jock he's always been and I feel like I'm stuck on babysitting duty!" whined Lily. "This year is really important and I don't need him messing about and fucking everything up!"
"I really doubt Dumbledore would risk your whole school career just to play matchmaker," said Giselle with certainty. She pulled back her duvet and relished the smell of her fresh sheets with a dreamy sigh as she snuggled into the sheets. From between her curtains she saw Lily glare at her.
"Matchmaker?!"
Giselle yawned and propped herself up with her cosy pillows, fluttering her eyelashes at her angry friend.
"I'm just kidding Lils, don't freak out," she lied, toying with the idea of teasing her more, "it's James' last year too, he'll make the effort."
"Yeah, well, he better," growled Lily, buttoning up her night shirt with more force than necessary.
Giselle took her moment of silence to survey her dormitory, readjusting to the familiarity of the other girls in the room, but she immediately noticed that the bed to her right was untouched and bare. The dresser held no clothes, the bedside tables looked dusty and the sheets were undisturbed.
"Lils," began Giselle, her eyes still stuck on the empty section, "where are the others?"
Lily noticed her gaze and pouted, her brows furrowed slightly. "Felicity got pulled out of school last year after her dad and baby sister were killed…" she explained quietly and Giselle winced, horrified by the news. Felicity Hopkins was the sweetest girl in their year who gushed with adoration whenever she spoke about her baby sister. She was so excited for her to attend Hogwarts, she never shut up about it.
"That's awful," croaked Giselle, blankly staring at the bed with a pout.
"We sent her some flowers, she seems to be coping well but her mum isn't doing too good," informed Lily, hiding the wobble in her voice with a small cough and she promptly moved on with a nod towards the fifth bed, "and Marlene is somewhere in the castle doing God knows what."
Arching her plucked brow, Giselle turned back to her friend and scoffed at the turn of events. "Marls? Out after curfew?! I never thought I'd see the day!" Marlene McKinnon was the kind of girl who panicked if she was one minute late to class, the thought of getting caught out of bed terrified her and Giselle had a tonne of memories of Marlene snapping at her for sneaking out to back it up. This was a big surprise!
Lily looked unamused. "Mhm, she's not quite the same girl you remember although I wouldn't know, I've barely seen her."
"Why?" wondered Giselle, confused. She never expected her roommates to drift apart, they had grown so close during the four years she was here.
"Who knows," sighed Lily, hurrying to divert the subject, "but enough about us, what about you? How did you manage to persuade your dad to let you come back?" She had been dying to ask this question and Giselle embraced the slight blush in her cheeks. The only person she felt comfortable knowing the truth was Lily, she would keep her mouth shut.
"It wasn't a case of persuading him to let me return to Hogwarts, it was more 'Hogwarts is the only option' type of thing," she explained vaguely and Lily's intrigued expression contorted into fear.
"What did you do?"
"I got expelled from Beauxbatons for allegedly setting fire to the Dining Chamber," confessed Giselle, sitting up properly so she could defend herself, "I won't deny that I did turn a blind eye when the fire started but I did everything I could to protect the priceless collection of books Nicholas Flamel donated to the school. Only three of them perished."
"What?! I don't-? How the-? Giselle!" gasped Lily, bouncing out of bed and diving onto hers so they could gossip. Giselle shuffled over slightly to give her more space and smirked, rather proud of her reaction.
"It was a misunderstanding, I didn't intend to burn down half the school!" she laughed, not taking it seriously at all.
"You're lucky you didn't get arrested!" scolded Lily.
"Like Father would let that happen, he had to pay off the press to keep it quiet," admitted Giselle, absently picking at a loose thread on the duvet.
"I'm surprised your father didn't send you to Durmstrang, even with the dark wizard connotations," said Lily, clicking her tongue in thought. Giselle snorted and shook her head.
"Oh honey, he tried to send me there buuuut-,"
"What did you do?" asked Lily expressionless.
"Did you know that stealing a ship counts as grand theft auto?" enlightened Giselle casually, playfully pouting at her friend who looked horrified.
"You didn't?!"
"Almost, technically it was classed as attempted theft - I got stunned before we breached the waterfall but Professor Turgenev didn't want to press charges so really it's like nothing happened and Dumbledore told me with his own mouth that my past allegations won't be held against me," she explained, patting Lily's knee in reassurance. The redhead looked far from delighted at her friend's crazy turn of events but she didn't look shocked.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you're back here with me again but I can only imagine the drama that would have occurred back home," said Lily softly, not wanting to offend her. "How are things with your family?"
Giselle swallowed the dry lump in her throat and debated with herself, struggling to determine how honest she should be. Lily knew how bad her situation was before but Giselle never gave her any indication that it was practically demolished beyond repair, she couldn't bring herself to write about her mother's disappointment or the abuse she suffered from her father. Her sympathy was soothing, Lily had the biggest heart out of everyone she knew but it wasn't enough for Giselle, she needed empathy not sympathy.
"Not good," admitted Giselle, deciding to tell the truth, "worse than not good; the last thing he said to me was that I make him sick."
Lily immediately flung her arm around her friend's shoulders and dragged her close to her body for a well-deserved hug. Giselle collapsed on Lily and buried her head into her chest, savouring her warmth and affection for the first time in years. She still smelt like flowers.
"Don't listen to him," said Lily sternly, stroking her friend's hair, "your father is a horrible man with bad taste, he doesn't know the real you."
"That's the problem though," huffed Giselle, scowling at the thought of her family, "he doesn't know me or Junior. He doesn't know anything and I'm over it, he threatened to disown me if I do one more bad thing."
She felt Lily tense up underneath her. She knew Giselle exceptionally well. "What are you planning?"
Her apprehension brought a small smile to Giselle's face and she let out a theatrical sigh. "I haven't decided yet, I was thinking about waiting until graduation considering I do actually care about our NEWTS."
Lily couldn't help but laugh, sending vibrations through her chest and into Giselle's ticklish ears. "As Head Girl I appreciate your effort to not make my life a misery."
Giselle glanced up at her, flashing her infamous mischievous smile. Being in her old bed with one of her closest friends brought out the best in her, she was starting to feel happy again. "I never said that - prepare for the worst year of your life Evans!"
EDITED 22-08-21