TWENTYTHREE

Eve took turns between staring at the empty teacup in her hands and the canvas placed in front of her. The half-finished painting was her best rendering of the beachfront she had continuously revisited during her time home for break. Eve decided that if she were not going to go to the beach anymore, she would at least have it from the comfort of her home. Nonetheless, she quickly discovered that the beach view still brought the same pensive, melancholic staring and painful boredom, regardless of it being watercolor or the real thing. At least she wasn't covered in sand, though.

Eve set the teacup on her desk, deciding to abandon all possibilities of continuing further and escape to solace of her unmade bed. Instead, she would start something fresh and new tomorrow in dedication to the new year. For now, though, she would stare at her ceiling and patiently wait for her nagging thoughts to subside and sleep to take over. But unfortunately for her, she wasn't tired, and therefore, neither were those thoughts.

Eve turned from her laying position on her back to her side, rotating her gaze from her white ceiling to the wall beside her. Eve had painted the walls green when she was 11 years old, having decided the sea form color was her favorite. But as the years went by and the paint began to fade, space was gradually covered by a massive collage of various pictures and drawings, all remnants of the past few years of her life since coloring the walls that very shade of green.

Eve glanced between the faces in the polaroid prints. Some were of her parents over the years, smiling in the camera, their faces covered in messy hair and oil paint. Other faces were of her friends throughout her time at school, Eve having brought her camera to Hogwarts, much to the delight and amazement of her magic-born friends. There was a picture of Eve in her quidditch uniform from third year and posed portraits of each girl in her dormitory from last year's Yule Ball. Next to the photos, Eve's eyes moved to a pinned drawing from the same year. The sketch was of Cedric on his broom, enchanted to fly around the page while a fire-breathing dragon chased him. It was a rendition of the first task of the tournament and was plastered around the Hufflepuff common room for the remainder of the year, a tribute to their golden boy. But really, to Eve, it was just a doodle of her friend.

A noise downstairs interrupted Eve's attention from wandering further. She listened to the exchanged voices below, far too muffled from behind her door for Eve to make out. But in a few moments, there were footsteps up the stairs and a knock at her door. Eve sat up quickly from her bed, but before she could reply, the doorknob turned, and her mother's face poked in.

"A handsome suiter has arrived for my daughter's hand," Her mother chimed, a bright smile spread on her face, although she made no attempt to move away from the door. Confusion took over Eve, circulating through her thoughts and forming into a hard frown on her lips.

"Is this some sort of performance art?" Eve asked, staring as her mother watched her daughter expectantly. The older woman's smile faltered at Eve's words and pushed the door wider open in a defeated manner.

"I swear, this girl forgot to pack her sense of humor when she came home from school," Her mother mumbled, her face turning from Eve's and towards the direction hidden behind the doorway. The woman sighed and disappeared from view.

For a moment, Eve just stared at the now empty doorway, listening as her mother's footsteps trailed back down the stairs. But before she could make another move, Douglas revealed himself from behind her door, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips as he met eyes with Eve. Eve stared at him skeptically, her puzzlement masking the nerves that now welled from her abdomen.

When she did not attempt to speak, Douglas took a few more steps inside the room, turning from Eve to close the door behind him. It was an act he had done so many times before but now seemed somewhat awkward and new. Douglas moved his eyes away from her, and Eve could tell he was nervous as well. She watched as his stare traveled around the room, taking long glances from every direction as if he had never been inside her bedroom before. His eyes finally landed on the abandoned canvas at her desk.

"A landscape, very original," Douglas said, his stare not leaving her desk, although Eve could see a small, half-hidden smile on his lips.

"No, you see. I was going to add a sunset too," Eve said, motioning her hand to the canvas as if she was proving her vision further. She felt slightly annoyed with herself for how easily she was able to joke.

"A sunset? How inspiring," Douglas replied, turning finally to look at her. His grin faltered a bit as he met her eyes as if immediately feeling guilty for something.

"You've come to critique my art then?" Eve finally asked, after a few seconds of a painful stare down.

"No, I've come to see your father's mermaid sculpture," Douglas said, earning an eye roll from Eve, but she made no attempt to hide her grin now.

"I didn't have the heart to tell him that mermaids don't actually look like that," Eve replied.

Her father had, in fact, been working on a giant mermaid sculpture for their back garden, but his interpretation of the magical creature was far more beautiful and Hollywood-esque than what dwelled within the Black Lake.

Eve's reply drew a quick grin from Douglas, although, just as quickly, his expression faltered, and a sigh escaped his lips. He took a seat at the edge of her bed and stared at the quilted blanket over Eve. Then, after a moment of playing with a loose strand of yarn, he looked back up and met Eve's anticipated gaze.

"Obviously, I've come to make amends," Douglas sighed.

"Amends for what, exactly?" Eve asked flatly, although she immediately felt regretful for her words coming out so harshly.

"For acting like an absolute prick these last couple of months," Douglas said, his eyes moving from Eve's to the wall beside them. Eve watched him glance between the hanging photographs, and she wondered if he was trying not to cry.

"You're my best fucking mate, Eve," Douglas sighed, his eyes meeting Eve's again, "I'm so sorry. To act like that, with everything going on…."

Eve studied his face for a moment, although she knew him well enough to know he meant it. Douglas would have never come if he hadn't. His pride only ever loses when he figures out he's wrong.

"I accept your apology," Eve nodded, her eyes trailing to the quilt below her as she chose her following words carefully, "Although, an explanation would have sufficed."

A guilty grin spread on Douglas's face, and Eve watched as he gave an approving nod.

"Well, without the details, I basically turned into a deranged lunatic," Douglas said.

"And with the details?" Eve asked with a raised brow.

"Where do I begin?" Douglas said with a deep sigh. Although Eve had an inclination, he knew exactly where to start. She leaned eagerly closer to him with bated breath.

"Fernando and I got friendlier during the school year. There was nothing romantic at first. You know, just studying together and hanging out after practice," Douglas began, stopping his words only to shoot Eve a guilty look, "To be honest, we got closer just from confiding with one another. Remember the letters from over the summer? Well, we started talking about them, and then started talking more."

Eve nodded at his words, remembering Douglas revealing his feeling for Fernando earlier in the term to her. It had all started from their exchanges over the summer.

"You two started opening up to one another and such?" Eve asked, and Douglas nodded affirmingly.

"This term was just really hard, you know. With Cedric gone, and then Umbridge making everything worse. He just made me feel better. And the more he made me feel better, the stronger I felt for him. But I had no idea what he felt. I still really don't…." Douglas said, trailing off with his words, and Eve could see with his flustered expression that he seemed to be still processing his thoughts as he spoke.

"What happened after the Hufflepuff match?" Eve asked before he could fall into his thoughts further. The question caused a grimace to form on Douglas's face, although he opened his mouth to continue all the same.

"Well, we were so drunk. I mean, everyone was," Douglas muttered, his eyes widening as he recalled the disordered memory, "Fernando got into this weird mood, talking about Cedric and shit. So, I pulled him outside for air, and we started talking. But while we spoke, he just kept leaning closer to me. And well, I kissed him because that's what you do when you're drunk and someone's face is an inch away from yours," Douglas sighed deeply at his words, looking towards Eve, who only offered him a weak smile.

"He kissed me back, too. Before he pushed me away, of course," Douglas said with a shrug, seemingly unable to pinpoint his exact feelings.

"Anyways, we were interrupted by you and a Weasley twin, which would have been a cause for a shock if the events immediately before hadn't occurred," Douglas shot Eve a curious glance as he said this, and Eve thought for a second he would bring up George. But he stuck to his story instead.

"Well, as you saw, I stormed off because I was drunk and embarrassed. Of course, Fernando tried to apologize after, but an apology doesn't really help if you can't explain your feelings," Douglas said, shrugging slightly and giving a sad glance at the quilt, "He's still confused, I think. But confusion can feel like a rejection, you know?"

Eve nodded at his words, giving her own sad gaze at the space between them. She knew exactly what he meant.

"I started avoiding him, and because I was embarrassed to talk about it, I, in turn, started avoiding you too. But then, you two started hanging out more, for whatever reason. And to be honest, it doesn't matter, but of course, I got jealous. My best mate and the guy I fancy," Douglas admitted, Eve earning another guilty glance from him, "And then everyone started gossiping about you two, saying you must be dating one another. It just got into my head. I know it's stupid."

Eve gave an exasperated chuckle at his words, reminding herself of the gossip she left behind at school about her. Her reaction earned a halfhearted laugh from Douglas.

"You know, half the time Fernando was talking about you," Eve sighed, watching as Douglas's eyes lifted at her words.

"He just needs time," Eve continued, "But avoiding him surely isn't going to help."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm working on it. I just knew I needed to talk to you first," Douglas grinned.

"You haven't spoken to him at all then?" Eve asked, her mind now drifting to the details that were still left unsaid between them. Had Fernando never told him about the DA either? Had Douglas been so wrapped up in the rumors that he hadn't had time to grow other suspicions?

"No, not in a couple of weeks," Douglas shrugged, the innocent stare on his face proving Eve's thoughts to be true. He knew nothing.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you something now, Douglas. But you are going to have to promise you won't utter a word to anyone," Eve started, and she watched as his face contorted in confusion.

"Fernando and I… We had been sneaking off together. That part was true about us. We were a part of this group. A club, I guess you could say.…."

And so, Eve unraveled the matters behind Dumbledore's Army, to Douglas's shock and, she could only assume, Hermione's uttermost disapproval. When Eve finished explaining, Douglas continued to stare at her with wide eyes. Then, after a few moments to collect his brain, he began his questions.

"This whole time? And you didn't tell anyone? And you let everyone believe you and Fernando were having a secret love affair?" Douglas asked.

"We swore not to speak to anyone about it," Eve shrugged, before quickly adding, "We wanted to tell you, both of us, truly. But with your dad, we didn't want to put you in a compromising position or anything. I'm sorry."

Douglas nodded, his face pensive but not necessarily negative in expression.

"I understand. I don't know if I would have been able to join," Douglas sighed, giving Eve a small smile as if to assure her he wasn't upset.

"You can't tell anyone, not even Lucie," Eve said sternly, although her trust with Douglas was sincere, even if they had been a part the last few months.

"Of course, who am I going to tell? I think there are far more important things in my life I need to tell my father," Douglas replied, and although his words were sad in nature, he let out a clear, genuine laugh. The sound seemed to immediately dissipate the remaining tension in the room, and it was again the two childhood friends from the photos hanging on the green wall beside them.

"What made you come?" Eve asked, "I mean to my house. It's not a short train ride."

"I was sitting at home, being a miserable sod," Douglas said with a shrug as if it was the easiest question in the world to answer, "I realized there was no point to not speaking. Not when the world is ending, and no one knows me better than you do."

Eve grinned at his words, considering now how Douglas had come to a realization Eve had been so desperate to reach this whole time. To think Douglas had been home in quiet misery the entire break as well. This epiphany caused an audible sigh to escape Eve as if she had finally let go of a long-held sigh of relief. She collapsed back onto her pillow for added dramatics.

"Oh no, you don't," Douglas reacted quickly, reaching for Eve's arms to pull her back up, "Put on a dress and coat. It's your holiday, darling. New Year's Eve."

Eve groaned although she swung her legs out of bed as she did so. Then, quickly, she exchanged her pajamas for a tight black dress and boots, pausing in her mirror to apply her favorite shade of dark red lipstick.

The two of them headed down the stairs, peaking their heads outside to the back garden, where Eve's parents were discussing the mermaid over glasses of wine. The pairs waved their goodbyes to one another.

"Don't be getting into trouble, you two. Or do, you can just wave your wands or something," Eve's mother said with a giggle, turning back to the garden.

"You really don't tell them anything, do you?" Douglas asked with a grin as they headed out the front door and into the street ahead.

"I've tried to explain things to them. I've just found they already have enough mad ideas occupying their brains," Eve said with a shrug, a laugh leaving her lips at the thought of her mother truly thinking magic was just a little wave of a wand. In a way, she wasn't entirely wrong though, she thought.

Eve and Douglas started down the street, heading in the direction of the pub they frequently occupied when Douglas came to visit. The roads were busy with locals and their chatter, the pair exchanging smiles and "Happy New Year's" as they went. It was the most people Eve had seen all break.

They reached the pub quickly, and even from outside, Eve already knew it would be in full swing. Loud shouts and exuberant singing were already escaping the cracks of the antique windows.

"So, are you going to explain to me what you were doing with a Weasley that night at the match?" Douglas asked just as they reached the door to the pub. Eve scoffed and grabbed the knob, pulling the door open and amplifying the drunken sounds by ten. Eve beamed at the scene ahead of them before turning back to Douglas.

"You owe me a pint first," Eve shouted in his ear, pulling him in the direction of the bar top. Douglas grinned and happily obliged.

And so, the pair spent the rest of the night in a crowded corner of the pub, yelling over the noise the details of their time spent apart from one another, Eve talking about George, Douglas listening with surprise and amusement. They took turns describing the hidden events in their lives, the moments they had kept secret from everyone the last few months, hoping, or perhaps, knowing that they would reach each other again. On and on, drink after drink, they continued, laughing and crying at their shared teenage romantic turmoil. They only stopped talking when the pub lit up, and the clocktower chimed, and the new year came at last.


Author's Note: Gah, this has been one of my favorite chapters to write. I had such a clear image of it in my head for so long. Hope you enjoyed this lil reunion! Even if you thought someone else was going to visit her over break ;) As always, thank you for all the comments/follows, I appreciate it so so so so much!