The Parent Trap
Chapter 22: Hide and Seek by Ang.
Abigail and Evie walked away from their parents, saddened and broken hearted. Their questions had been answered as honestly and as completely as possible for the time being but that did not make the situation any easier for the girls. All they knew was that each of them had lost their temper and both parents had willingly accepted their anger.
"I don't really feel much like eating anymore. Do you?" Abigail asked Evie quietly, breaking into her sisters' thoughts.
"Nope! I want to run away from Mum and Papa. I want to show them what it feels like to be abandoned. I want to make them see just how much one person can affect the lives of so many others!" she announced bitterly.
"You know we can't do that. Papa would have every witch and wizard in the country looking for us. We wouldn't stand a chance of hiding." Abigail had stopped and turned to look her sister in the face. "Besides, what purpose would it serve? We'd only be in trouble when they found us."
"Maybe so but I just can't stand to watch them dance around each other any longer. We all know they're still in love but what good is it going to do if they don't act on it? I'll tell you what good…none! All our hard work of getting them together has been for nothing but heartache and trouble. We couldn't even have a family picnic this afternoon because of the cloud that's hanging over all of us!"
"Evelyn Dumbledore, how dare you say such a thing? If we hadn't met in Diagon Alley, just look at all the time we would have missed, with each other and with our parents. They love us and it can't be easy for them either. Imagine having the love of your life walk back into your home after years of being apart. Did you honestly expect them to just fall back in love in a day?"
Evelyn looked hard at her sister and without another word, she bolted towards the castle, dropping the blanket as she went. Abigail was frightened. She had never seen her sibling so upset and she did the only thing she could think to do. She abandoned the picnic basket and chased after her.
Tears flooded Evelyn's eyes as she darted up the steps in the main entranceway. She had heard Abigail calling after her but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was run as far away from everyone and everything as possible. As the tears clouded her eyes, she never saw Professor Nicholette Cline descending the stairs until she had smashed straight into the angry looking woman.
"Why don't you watch where you're going you little brat?" Nicholette gripped Evelyn firmly by the upper arms so hard she was positive there would be a bruise in the morning. "You and that stupid sister of yours have done more than enough damage around this castle, not to mention bringing that traitorous woman back into your father's life!"
"What happens in the Dumbledore family is absolutely no concern of yours, Professor," she spat vehemently. "Besides, what makes you any better than my mother? You were going to lie to Papa just to get a date with him! How do you think he'd take it when he learned the truth? You know how he is about trust and honesty."
"You'd be wise to mind your tongue and not tell your father things of which you know nothing about young lady! My relationship with your father is something between the two of us and…"
"Ah, but Professor, you don't stand a chance with our father," Abigail yelled from the foot of the stairs. Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her sister. Now, whatever happened it would be two against one and sometimes that could make all the difference.
"Well, well, well! It would seem that where I find one brat, another one appears suddenly." Abigail walked to the landing to stand firmly beside her sister. "As I was telling your sister, it would be in the best interest of both of you to mind your manners and attitudes around me. One wrong move from either of you and I can make your time here incredibly miserable."
"We're not afraid of you, Professor Cline! Our father is Albus Dumbledore and our mother is Minerva McGonagall. Do you honestly think that either of them would allow a single hair on our heads to be harmed by the likes of a scheming witch like you?" Abigail squared her shoulders and held her head high as she snapped fiercely at the woman. Little did she know at that moment just how much she resembled her mother.
"Yes, your mother was so loving towards Evelyn that she left her here for all those years. And Albus loved you, Abigail, so much that he never bothered to go looking for you or your mother. Sounds like a really happy home life you had before the walls started to crumble. Your wretch of a mother does not deserve your father and I'm going to see to it that she doesn't sink her claws into him again." Nicholette grinned wickedly at each to the girls in turn. "Then, I'll be back to take care of you two so that I can have your father all to myself."
"Try it and you'll regret the day you ever heard the names McGonagall and Dumbledore," Evelyn yelled.
At that moment, Nicholette Cline snapped. She had listened to their foolishness long enough and it was time to make them see just how powerful she really was. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at Evelyn's throat, staring coldly into her eyes in the hopes of inflicting fear.
"Let her go," Abigail yelled, hoping to draw attention from anyone else in the castle to the situation.
"Shut up! You're going to watch what happens to your sister and then we'll see just how cooperative you two can be when it comes to helping me win your father's heart." Nicholette raised her wand and her mouth opened to cast some dark spell or incantation towards Evelyn.
Abigail couldn't explain it but suddenly she could feel all of her sister's fear and rage. She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her throat and in her mind she could see the images of her father and mother radiating power towards her in her mind. Without the aid of a wand or even muttering the first word, Abigail directed all of her energy towards the angry woman and watched as she crumpled in pain. Nicholette lost her footing and the girls watched as she tumbled down the staircase and landed at a heap at the bottom.
Evelyn slumped to her knees as a wave of nausea swept through her body, her breaths ragged and fast. "I…you…oh Abigail…what have we done? We'll be in so much trouble when they find out it was us who did that to her," Evelyn panicked.
Abigail was dumbfounded and confused. She had no idea how she had managed to cause the woman to fall down the stairs or how she had been able to draw upon her parents for strength when she felt her sister's horrific fear. But her senses came back quickly and she began thinking logically again.
"You're going to run to the infirmary and tell the medi-witch that there's been an accident and where to find Professor Cline. Then, meet me outside near the greenhouses. I'll go and get our blanket and basket. Looks like we're going to have to hide until we can figure out what to do!" Evelyn hugged her sister tightly and promised to meet her as quickly as possible.
Making her way across the front lawn, Abigail was never more thankful not to run into anyone as she retraced her steps and easily retrieved the necessary items and raced to the greenhouses. She had only been there long enough to catch her breath when Evelyn came dashing around the corner.
"Did you get her help?" Abigail asked full of concern and worry.
"Yes, but she was already awake somewhat when they found her. It won't be long before they come looking for us." Evie noticed the look of fear for the first time in her sister's face. "Come on. I know a little place to hide. It's in the Forbidden Forest and nobody knows about it but me. They'll never think to look for us in there."
"But we're not supposed to go into the forest. It's strictly forbidden for a reason, Evie. Couldn't we hide near the lake or maybe somewhere near Hogsmeade?"
"That's the first place they'll look for us," she said tugging on Abigail's arm. "Come on…trust me. I know these grounds better than you so you're going to have to believe me when I say this is the only place they won't look. Papa will have the castle swept once he finds we're missing and by then we'll be safe and well hidden."
Deciding that they needed all the time they could get before they were found, Abigail agreed and was being tugged in the direction of the forest before she even had a chance to look back at the castle.
Evelyn and Abigail didn't stop running until they had reached the small clearing in the forest. There was a small lake with crystal clear water and the surrounding area had lush green grass, soft enough to make a bed. A small clump of trees with low hanging branches served as a shade in the hot days of summer but would also shelter them from the night as darkness began to fall upon Hogwarts. With their basket of food and one blanket between them, they huddled together and tried to decide what they should do next.
Minerva had spent the remainder of the afternoon locked up in the bedroom, lost in the mountain of letters from Albus written years and years ago. He had kept them organized in order of their dates and with each one, Minerva could sense a growing sorrow in his written words to her. Occasionally she would find a letter filled with hurt and anger directed at her for leaving him and taking one of their children. But for the most part, he directed his words towards her and wondering why she had left without so much as a goodbye. It was only when her stomach began to growl fiercely that she placed the unread letters into a small drawer in the nightstand and unlocked the door leading into the sitting room.
Albus has given Minerva the space and time she needed to read through years of his thoughts. He had tried to work on some papers but nothing could hold his attention. Aberforth had even flooed to see how they were doing and was surprised to learn of everything that had happened. He offered to come by and take care of the girls in order to give them some time together, but his offer was refused. Albus felt they needed to work through the situation as a complete family and to spend as much time together as possible, for the girls' sake.
"Where are the girls, Albus? It's time for dinner and they need to get washed up soon." Minerva walked to the center of the room and dared to lock eyes with Albus. She could see that he, too, had been crying this afternoon, no doubt from the tumultuous afternoon picnic.
"I haven't seen them since this afternoon, when they both stormed off together. I assumed they were in their room but I haven't checked," he said quietly. "I was trying to stay out of everybody's way this afternoon and give each of you some time to yourselves. I've been sitting here for most of the time."
Minerva walked briskly to the doorway leading to the girls' room. Upon opening the door and finding it empty, she turned to Albus. "They're not there, Albus! It looks just like it did this morning when I went to make sure they had made their beds." Minerva felt an uneasy wave pass through her body. She had felt it earlier in the day but had brushed it off as a silly notion. "Albus, something's wrong. The girls aren't here. Neither of us has seen them all afternoon and it's nearly dinnertime. They know they're expected at dinner no matter what they're feeling."
"Try to stay calm, Minerva. I'm sure they're somewhere in the castle. After all, there are hundreds of corridors and hallways to explore. Most likely they've wandered off and have lost track of time. It's not hard to do for two inquisitive young ladies." He walked over and gripped Minerva tenderly on her upper arms. "I'll contact the house elves and have them search the castle. They'll be able to locate them within a few minutes and we'll have worried for nothing." He gave her arms a gentle squeeze and walked to the fireplace, contacting the house elves and every inhabitant in the castle.
Albus spent several moments speaking with several of those still staying at the castle. It wasn't until he contacted the medi-witch and heard the story of Evelyn's frantic visit to the infirmary that he began to sense something was wrong. Nicholette had been injured in her fall but refused to give any details of the cause, no doubt fearing what the girls had told their parents already.
"Professor Cline? Albus, isn't she the woman who yelled at my daughters when we first arrived?" Minerva's voice raised in nervous energy. "She vowed to get even with the girls and with me for coming back here and ruining her plans to get into your bed. Albus, she's done something to our daughters!"
"Minerva, calm down. We don't know that she had anything to do with them. It could all be a simple coincidence and…"
"Albus, I feel it in my heart and my body. My children are in trouble and it's serious. I'm scared, Albus. It's getting dark and they're frightened. As much as they try to act grown up, they're just little girls and something has happened."
Albus pulled Minerva into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly as her tremors passed from her body to his. "Ssssh, Min, it's going to be alright. We'll wait until the house elves get back to us and then we'll go from there. We'll find them and I have no doubts that they'll be just fine."
The fire roared to life in the sitting room and both Albus and Minerva's heads shot towards the green blaze. "Sir, we have looked everywhere. No Miss Evelyn or Miss Abigail were found in the castle, sir. We even searched the dungeons just to make sure." The nervous house elf waited to see if there were more instructions before going back to his duties.
"Minerva, contact Abigail's friends and anyone she might turn to if she were upset. I'll get word to Aberforth and alert the staff that we need to begin a massive search of the grounds and surrounding areas." Minerva nodded her head and was about to go into the bedroom to use the fireplace there but was stopped by Albus drawing her back to him. "Don't worry, Min. I lost Abigail once and I don't plan on losing any of my girls a second time, including you. I won't let you down this time. I swear it." He placed a daring kiss to her forehead and hugged her before letting her go. The last thing Minerva heard as she left the room was a frantic and uncharacteristically shaken Albus yelling for his brother in the fireplace. That was the moment she realized he was just as scared as she.
TBC…