Elisabeth MacLeod made a quick search with her eyes of the library tables along the far wall and then turned to the girl standing beside her, who looked extremely irritated. "I don't think that she is in here after all, Ginny. Perhaps she's gone back to the common room already."
"She hasn't. We were just there fifteen minutes ago, Elisabeth, and she would have needed to pass us on the way here to get to the stairs to the tower. Unless she was upstairs, I suppose. We haven't looked upstairs either. She could have gone to talk to Professor Sinistra."
"She talked to Professor Sinistra this morning, Ginny. Weren't you listening?"
Ginny shook her head and said quietly, "I suppose I wasn't. She's been so odd lately. She didn't even want to go out to the practise field with me this afternoon. She's been very quiet since the holiday. She won't talk to me about it either. Has she said anything to you, Elisabeth?"
"Well, erm, well, I don't know."
Ginny regarded her friend with an intelligent eye and said, "She has then. It is her family, isn't it?"
Elisabeth's face reddened and she stammered, "I…you know I can't say, Ginny."
Ginny nodded and pulled Elisabeth forward by the hand saying, "Come on then. We'll go back to the common room and see if she has returned. You're really worried about her, aren't you?"
"A little. She's always so private about things that one never really knows how she is feeling if one doesn't pay strictest attention to her. But she's been avoiding sweets and ignores what she eats to the point she doesn't even spread butter on her toast, which means that she's terribly upset about something. But she is still bothering about her hair, which means that at least she isn't ill I suppose."
Ginny led them both up the stairs and after a moment replied, "The day that Gwen doesn't preen over her hair is the day merpeople take to the skies, Elisabeth. But if she doesn't even tell you what she is feeling then she must be miserable."
"She never really tells me anything truly serious, Ginny. You know that."
Ginny sighed with frustration and said, "Larkspur," and waited for the portrait to open as she replied to Elisabeth, "Yes, I know. I can't help but feel annoyed that she doesn't really trust either of us."
Elisabeth, who had already determined that Gwen was not in the common room, settled onto a chair near the blazing fire and thoughtfully replied, "It isn't that she doesn't trust us, Ginny. She just doesn't think that it is proper to discuss private problems. I know what you mean, of course. There is always that barrier." Elisabeth watched as Ginny flopped into a squidgy, flowered armchair. Elisabeth nervously raised a hand to her mouth and began chewing on a fingernail before saying uneasily, "Sometimes I wonder if anyone knows the real Gwen Gurley. There is a lot more to her than her odd habits, French robes, and archaic ideas. I'm not saying she isn't a true friend. She'd do anything for us. But although we've been best friends for seven years, I think she knows me loads better than I do her."
Ginny tucked her feet underneath her and said tiredly, "You might be right. I have never felt like I really understand her, but then she's French, isn't she? It's so easy to forget that when she speaks with such a Welsh accent. But the French are an odd lot. Anyway, although I don't suppose I know anyone more loyal, she's also the last person I would want against me. I've often wondered how close she was to not getting sorted into Gryffindor."
Elisabeth looked puzzled and asked with surprise, "What do you mean? She's too clever for Hufflepuff and too kind to be a Ravenclaw. She's a perfect Gryffindor."
Ginny started peeling open the box of a chocolate frog and did not look up as she replied, "You of all people should know her best, Elisabeth. If you think she's all Gryffindor you might be right. But I don't think I'm wrong. And there are four houses, you know. In any case, wherever she is she may stay there, Elisabeth, because I'm too tired to keep looking. She'll come back here eventually and we can give her the owl then."
Elisabeth Macleod, who had been poring with avid interest through the latest issue of The Scots Wizard, picked up a third chocolate pastry as she ran a finger along the line that she was reading. "Have you heard that they finally found Mackenzie Grant?"
"No, have they? Was he in Kazakhstan after all?"
"No, the Shetlands. Hiding in the open, I suppose."
Gwen moved a piece of bacon around on her plate as she said seriously, "At least they've found him. The Central Ministry are still looking for Jean-Jacques and Etienne Tavoillot. I read yesterday that they aren't going to execute Fabian Lefevre after all, however. He is technically British so the Central Ministry are going to transport him to your Ministry of Magic. That is not a popular decision. He killed too many French aurors with that horrible bleeding curse."
Elisabeth frowned, "I thought that they had the Tavoillot brothers already."
Gwen pushed aside the bacon and picked a half slice of toast. "No, they only found the oldest one, René."
"Oh. Was Lefevre the one who tried to turn in some fellow Andromeda members for leniency?"
Gwen laughed derisively, "Yes, but it wouldn't have helped him. After Professor Snape's escape, you know of course that he was a member, the Chief Sorcerer began working closely with the Ministry to keep the Ministry from closing down the society, so they already knew the names on the Andromeda rota and what Warlockry exams each member had taken and which level the members had reached within the society. Father says that the Andromeda rota is terribly small now. One way or the other they lost dozens of members these last two years."
"Can the Andromeda society take on new members right now though? Considering everything, I mean, and especially since they don't have a building anymore."
Gwen shrugged her shoulders eloquently and finished chewing the mouthful of toast that she had just crammed in her mouth.
Ginny, who had appeared to be entirely absorbed with reading the spiky, scribbly handwriting that covered the front and back of a very long owl parchment and therefore ignoring the conversation and food on the table entirely, muttered irritatedly, "Well you don't think that the members of the almighty Andromeda society are going to be without a suitable building for long, do you Elisabeth? They've some very wealthy members still, since I don't think all of that lot were killed off during the war."
After a quick glance at Gwen, Elisabeth replied with feeling, "No they weren't either, which you know quite well since Gwen's step-father is quite definitely alive, anyway so is your brother."
Ginny lifted her eyes with surprise and glared at her friend, "None of my brothers belong to Andromeda, Elisabeth. I don't know what you mean. They wouldn't take a Weasley into membership even if we came two for one with a pound of tea and a year's supply of newt's eyes."
Elisabeth started to speak, but was restrained by Gwen's hand on her wrist. Gwen looked inquiringly at Ginny and asked quietly, "Do you really not know that one of your brothers is a member, Ginny? He is, you know, Bill I mean."
"No, he isn't. He wouldn't. Even if he would then they wouldn't have him. Not now, especially." Ginny's voice was harsh as she responded whilst her fingers began to slowly, deliberately roll up the owl that she had been so carefully reading.
Gwen looked quickly round them and, once satisfied that no one was listening to their conversation, she leaned forward and spoke in a low, urgent voice, "Bill is a member. Father mentioned it to me years ago when he heard that I was friendly with a Weasley at school. I don't know anything more than that, actually. I'm not sure why you think it is something shameful, Ginny."
Ginny almost bared her teeth as she snatched up her bag, into which she had stuffed the rolled parchment, and stood up to leave. "I don't want to talk about it. I am going to start my essay for Runes. Are you two coming?"
Elisabeth looked at Gwen to take her cue. She immediately recognised the look on her friend's face and bit her lip nervously. "I-I don't think so, Ginny. I think we'll just, we'll just finish eating."
Ginny did not wait for Gwen's response, but turned on her heel and stalked from the hall.
"Don't ask me about it, Elisabeth, because I have no idea. Let her work it out on her own. It's better not to press Ginny when she is angry."
"It was an owl from Harry."
"Of course, and I think it wasn't all good news either. But that isn't what was going on just there. I really don't know what that was."
"Wasn't Bill a curse breaker once?"
"Yes, I think so, though that could have been another brother."
"Well a curse breaker, that's almost bound to be a warlock, isn't it?"
"Oh Bill Weasley is blatantly a warlock, Elisabeth. So is her Harry, of course."
"She has to know it."
"Of course she does. There isn't anything disgraceful in being a warlock anymore than there is in being pureblood. It is just that a high percentage of both old purebloods and warlocks chose the losing side of the war."
"Or skirted the line."
"Oh most of the rest skirted the line, Elisabeth. My family are champion line-skirters. Why else do you think that Father has finally agreed to live in the Morbihan for a while?"
"Oh. I thought it was because of the treatments. Is there another investigation?"
"Well I don't think that they really ever closed the last investigation."
"Oh."
Gwen smiled with amusement at her friend and then said with a sigh, "Darling, don't look so shocked. Father helped the Ministry and did his part, but that doesn't mean that he actually likes most of them or is even marginally polite to them. There is bound to be an investigation, but there won't really be any trouble. When things are calmer in a few months he can come back to Wales in the wake of a large gift to St Mungo's or something else very philanthropic and public."
"But if he helped the Ministry why would he have to hide in France?"
"He isn't hiding, Elisabeth. The Central Ministry knows exactly where Mother is anyway and she is rarely more than a few metres away from him. But if the Ministry of Magic is looking for wizards and witches to make public examples of then why should Father wait about to be chosen?"
"I suppose that makes sense."
"Of course it…"
As Gwen's voice drifted off absently, Elisabeth looked in the same direction as her friend and saw that Anselm Becker had begun to walk towards their end of the table. Elisabeth whispered quickly, "I thought you didn't like him any longer."
Gwen whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "I don't!"
Both girls waited as the tall, dark haired Hufflepuff stopped next to them and asked with only a mild accent to betray his country of birth, "You will ask your friend Weasley if the Gryffindor team is willing to play us on Thursday?"
Gwen, who had picked up her school bag from the floor and stood up quickly at Anselm's arrival, leant her head slightly to the side and appeared to consider Becker's request. "Probably not, but if you find your manners somewhere then I might consider it."
Elisabeth, who had clearly bristled at Becker's rudeness, tried to stifle a snort of laughter as she allowed Gwen to link arms with her. However, when she saw the confused, angry look on Anselm Becker's face in response to Gwen's statement, Elisabeth said pleasingly, "In any case, I know that Ginny is busy on Thursday evening, so I doubt the team would want to play."
"Ah, perhaps I will talk to Weasley myself. Where is she?"
Before Gwen could respond, Elisabeth quickly said, "She is in the library, I think."
Becker nodded curtly, sharply thanked Elisabeth, and turned on his heel to walk away from the table. When he was far enough away Elisabeth let out the breath that she had been holding and asked pensively, "However did you come to like him?"
Gwen shrugged her shoulders and said only, "He looks amazing on the quidditch pitch."
"You would never know his mother was English. I think Cassiopeia was right about him."
"Yes." Gwen sighed and seemed to think for a moment before suddenly smiling. "It doesn't matter anymore." Her face took on a very self-important, serious expression as she asked stiffly, "You vill accompany me to ze common room?"
Elisabeth giggled and hooked her school bag over her shoulder to leave.
"Where's Gwen?"
Elisabeth jumped in shock at unexpectedly hearing Ginny's voice behind her. As she pulled out her wand to erase the resulting ink blot from her parchment she replied, "She said that she was going to Duelling Club, did they change the meeting?"
Ginny's face registered first surprise, then annoyance as she sank onto the chair next to Elisabeth. "I'd forgot that it was Wednesday. It doesn't matter really; I'm too tired to duel anyway. Besides, there are only four of us who are any good at all. It's more teaching than practising."
Elisabeth began biting her fingernail as she watched Ginny arrange her books on the table in front of them. As Ginny bent down to her bag to pull out a third volume of the Eastern Runic Syllabillary, Elisabeth asked uncertainly, "Are you two still rowing?"
"Not really. We're just not talking much. I think we're just tired of each other right now."
Elisabeth nodded and picked her quill up again to finish work on her own Runes essay.
"Do you get tired of being in the middle of Gwen and me? Sometimes I think that Gwen would prefer it just be you two again, like it was most of the first five years. I sort of took over your friendship."
Elisabeth did not respond for a moment as she carefully set down her quill and closed her book. "Well, you did rather. It is true that you used to pay more attention to what your brother's friends were doing or to your boyfriend than you did to either of us or that Ravenclaw girl. It was odd at first when you began sitting with us all the time, but I've known you for 15 years, Ginny, and Gwen would welcome any friend of mine without thought. We like having you as a closer friend now, both of us do. But I do think that Gwen wonders if you really like her or if you just accept her because she's my friend."
Ginny sighed and said softly, "She's very hard to get to know, Elisabeth."
Elisabeth nodded her head before responding uncomfortably, "I know. She is always four steps ahead of me. She's already finished that logic puzzle."
"She's finished?"
"Yeah, she did it last night. I only got as far as the second supposition."
"Show me what you have. I have half of it done. We might as well finish it now. Runes isn't going anywhere."
"Let me see if I brought the parchment with me. Oh, did you hear back from your application yet?"
"No. I don't suppose that I will for another month or two. Have you made a decision yet?"
Elisabeth pulled out another parchment and opened it enough to read what was on it and tossed it onto the table and reached into her bag for another one. "Well the only subject I am really decent at is arithmancy, so what choice is there? Uncle Ian wants me for the firm and there's good security in that. I'd be working on growth predictions, which I can do in my sleep, so that should be fine."
"What happened to all your ideas of travelling and working consultancy?"
"A long, serious talk during the hols with my brother about reality. He's a bore, but Stephen knows what he is talking about. I've already told Uncle Ian that I'll go into the firm next September."
"Oh. Well, if you're happy about it then that's wonderful."
Elisabeth handed the parchment with the logic puzzle on it to Ginny and began to place the other unwanted parchments back in her bag. "I'm not unhappy. It will be a good, secure position and better than the Ministry, which is the only other secure choice for an arithmancy specialist."
Ginny nodded. "I wouldn't take a Ministry job right now, and I can't really think of travelling either. Mum can hardly bear my remaining at Hogwarts. Did you hear that William Mac…." Ginny broke off her question as a short, plump boy with white blond hair had stopped purposefully beside Elisabeth and appeared to be trying to gather courage to ask a question. "Hello, Edwin."
The boy stammered a nervous, "H-hello, Ginny. Hello, Elisabeth," and then looked away from Ginny and concentrated on Elisabeth as he tried to form a question, "D-do you know where…" The boy's face was a very bright red as he raised a slightly sweaty hand to his face and wiped his mouth before continuing, "…Gwen is, Elisabeth?"
Elisabeth looked quickly at Ginny and then replied, "She had a club meeting, Edwin. Did you want me to tell her that you are looking for her?"
The young man looked startled and shook his head vigorously as he said, "N-no, I…I wouldn't want to bother her. I'll just t-try to talk to her later. Thanks."
"Alright, Edwin." Elisabeth turned back to Ginny with a look of extreme pity on her face and saw that Ginny was shaking her head as she watched Edwin Sorrel walk away from the table.
"Has he ever actually spoken to her?"
"No. He has several times stopped in the corridor and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he always panics and runs away."
"He wouldn't dare to speak to her if he ever heard what she thinks of him."
Elisabeth frowned slightly, "She wouldn't be cruel to him, Ginny."
"No, but she thinks he is pathetic. You know what her ideal wizard is like. 'Real wizards wouldn't let a witch get away if they were really in love. Real wizards would do something.' Edwin doesn't do anything but stammer and sweat."
Elisabeth sighed, "Well it is a little pathetic that he hasn't spoken to her yet. It is seventh year and he's been like this since at least the end of second year."
Ginny, with her own knowledge of how painful and consuming such a crush could be, replied, "Has she ever spoken to him, Elisabeth? She could make it easier for him so he could learn to get past it. He isn't a bad sort, you know. It would be better if she made her own feelings quite clear."
Elisabeth shook her head. "That would be crueller, I think. The end of the year will come and Gwen will be sent to Brittany and Edwin won't have any more opportunity to worship her so he'll move on and grow up."
"So she is being sent to Brittany for certain?"
"No question about it. Her parents will take her directly there from Hogwarts. Her mother's brother has been in negotiations with several families about possible suitors."
"I had hoped her step-father would put his foot down. He adores her, doesn't he?"
"Completely, but she won't dare oppose her mother so he probably doesn't realise how unhappy she is. He doesn't pay much attention to anything outside of his books unless something is specifically brought to his attention. Anyway I think that they made some sort of agreement when they married that Gwen would be raised according to Breton traditions."
"I can't imagine if my family chose who I had to marry."
"Yes you can because they'd choose Harry anyway. You are lucky."
