THIRTYFOUR

"What do you mean you're not going?"

Eve found Lucie's expression to be one of bewilderment, comically so, when she finally looked up to meet it.

Fiona had stopped rummaging through her chest to meet Eve's expression as well but made no attempt to participate in Lucie's pestering. Eve found the silence uncharacteristic for Fiona, but she wondered if perhaps the girl had an inclination of Eve's reasoning. Eve let out a sigh and turned back to Lucie.

"It's just a quidditch match. We have plenty of them every year," Eve shrugged, leaning back on her bedpost in an attempt to display the casualness she so desperately performed in her tone. Her gaze moved from Lucie to her feet sprawled out in front of her, and Eve began to trace the pattern in her woolen socks with her eyes.

With all the trouble she had caused this year, one would think she would have gotten better at telling one little lie.

"It's not just a quidditch match. Hufflepuff is playing," Lucie persisted, letting out a scoff from her bedpost position across from Eve.

"Yes, but it's not like I'm playing, is it?" Eve retorted, her tone coming out weaker than she had intended. However, her pathetic nature seemingly worked in her favor, as Lucie responded with an empathetic sigh.

"I thought you were over that?" Lucie asked, although her questioning manner was gentler than before.

Eve shrugged, her eyes glancing back at her socks.

"I am," she replied.

"Maybe," It was Fiona's voice that broke the silence now, the girl finally seemingly finding her place in the conversation, although Eve had no idea of where it was headed. "Just maybe, it took Eve getting kicked off the team to realize how boring quidditch actually is."

Both Eve and Lucie turned now to look at Fiona's crouched position on the floor, each with their own mildly confused expressions but carrying somewhat different puzzlements.

"Oh, all of a sudden, you don't like quidditch either," Lucie said, the fire back in her voice with a newfound target.

"Perhaps I've never liked quidditch. Maybe I just like unlimited boy ogling and unregulated screaming," Fiona remarked, shrugging carelessly and lifting a purple scarf from her chest. She studied the piece of fabric for a second before catching Eve's eye. A slight sly grin formed on Fiona's face, and Eve responded with a raised brow.

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Lucie said, her words coming out in a low, exasperated sigh as she glanced back at Eve.

"It's the last game before finals," Lucie assured as if Eve was unaware of the information she had given her.

"And I will be at finals," Eve finished with a huff, like a child finally coming to reason with their mother.

"You'll just be here all alone," Lucie said, a slight frown forming on her lips as she glanced around the dormitory in an attempt to illustrate Eve's poor choice in afternoon plans.

"Oh, whatever shall she do?" Fiona asked, her tone coming out just as playful as it was mocking, and both girls turned to her again with strange expressions.

Fiona's eyes caught Eve first, and the girl sent Eve a devilish grin. Eve grimaced at the expression as if entirely offended at even attempting to ask what the girl could possibly mean. Thankfully, or unthankfully for Eve, Lucie was already on the task.

"What are you on about?" Lucie asked, her face turning into a puzzled frown as she glanced between her two friends. "Eve, what is she on about?"

"No clue, honestly," Eve replied, giving an innocent shake of her head, although she immediately sent a wary glance at Fiona. Whatever Fiona, in fact, was on about, Eve was nervous to inquire about it. Although, Eve knew she had little control of the conversation now.

"All I was saying was that I'm sure Eve could find something to occupy her time," Fiona clarified, although little clarification was actually given with her words. Lucie let out a huff while Eve sunk lower into the bed frame.

"Okay, I'm being serious now. What do I not know about?" Lucie said, raising herself from her pillows and crossing her arms over her chest, quickly exchanging her motherly concern with maternal rage.

"Perhaps, it's not what Eve will be occupying her time with, but who," Fiona said, giving an innocent glance at Eve's direction. Eve's eyes raised in awestruck misery as she realized there was no escape from this ordeal now.

"Who? Who is who?" Lucie asked, quickly raising herself entirely from her bedpost and making her way across the dormitory. Eve let out a tired groan as the blonde threw herself onto her bed.

"Fiona, you are absolutely the most annoying person I've ever encountered in my life," Eve muttered, watching as Fiona gave a wide grin from behind Lucie's back, the latter girl taking hold of Eve's legs.

"Eve de Santos, you are going to tell me right now what the hell she is talking about," Lucie demanded, her clutch taking hold of Eve like an arresting law officer. Eve rolled her eyes.

"You, yourself, would know if you weren't so preoccupied on Valentine's Day," Fiona said, sending a darting look at the blonde. Lucie did little to reciprocate the interaction as she held her glare at Eve.

"Wait, is this all about a boy?" Lucie murmured, her eyes revolving around the dormitory as if an awaiting epiphany had just struck her. "What boy? You must tell me now, or I will scream bloody murder through this whole castle."

"Oh, I would love to see that," Fiona grinned, taking a yellow jumper from her chest and tossing it over her bed.

Eve sighed.

Logically, this moment was bound to happen. Did she really think she could go all year with secret rendezvous? Not when she ran off with George in front of her friends just the other week. What else was she meant to say? Not much, it seemed, though, with Fiona around.

"I'm seeing someone," Eve finally said.

"What? From Valentine's Day?" Lucie quickly retorted.

"Bit longer than that," Eve muttered, raising her head to give Lucie a guilty glance.

"And who is this? If you say, Fernando, I really will scream," Lucie said, still with her death grip on Eve's shins.

"It's not Fernando," Eve muttered, glancing up at Fiona with some sign of encouragement, the latter girl only looking over the drama with an approving stare. "His name is George. George Weasley."

Lucie mulled over the words carefully in her head, Eve watching the dials turn as Lucie recalled the name with her memory.

"The tall Gryffindor with a twin?" Lucie asked, and when Eve nodded in confirmation, she continued. "Didn't he get into a fight during a quidditch match earlier this year?"

"Yes, got kicked off the team and everything," Fiona piped up from behind her.

"Suppose you two have a lot in common then," Lucie said, raising a brow as she took a long glance at Eve.

"There's a bit more between us, but yes, we are both quidditch rejects," Eve nodded.

"But you just didn't feel like telling us you were shagging a Gryffindor," Lucie continued, loosening her grip on Eve as if her disgust on the matter was visceral. Eve resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.

"Who said anything about shagging?" Eve asked, raising her arms in defense, although her reply had little effect on her friends. Fiona let out a snort.

"Oh, so you are not having him in this dormitory the second we both leave?" Lucie replied with a raised looked.

"No, I'm not actually," Eve said, deciding to leave the rest of the information out of the conversation. Surely, she didn't have to tell them everything.

"Shagging him in his dormitory then? I heard it's way easier to get into Gryffindor's common room anyways," Fiona commented, giving Eve a careful glance as if she really meant the encouragement in her words. Eve did roll her eyes now.

"How do you two know we are even shagging?" Eve challenged, sending a stern glance between the two girls. Both Lucie and Fiona gave looks of genuine disbelief at her words.

"He must be the most patient lad in the world," Lucie said, sending Eve an impressed grin, Eve frowning in response.

"Not patient enough for the Triwizard Tournament. Remember when him and his brother turned themselves into an elderly couple over that aging potion?" Fiona grinned, turning to Lucie now. The blonde looked back at Fiona and shared a fit of laughter.

George's claim to fame was not looking suitable for Eve, it seemed.

"Alright, so it's all out in the open now. Happy?" Eve continued, raising a leg to grab back Lucie's attention.

"Oh, course, madam. We'll be out of your way in no time at all," Lucie chimed in her best servant tone. She began to pull herself finally from Eve's bed, although the grin remained on her face. "A Weasley twin, huh? And here I was thinking all the trouble you caused this year was mental instability."

"Perhaps, they both go hand in hand," Eve said with an indifferent shrug, although she felt a smile begin to form from her words.

"But surely you can't tell us what you are getting up to this evening?" Fiona asked, raising a doubtful brow as she finally raised herself from the dormitory floor, her chosen outfit in hand and her eyes steady on Eve.

"No, best not to," Eve replied, giving a playful shrug of her shoulders, although her words were sincere. Eve knew there was no reason to involve her friends in any of the risky predicaments she got herself into. And at least they knew now of her main accomplice.

Accomplice. Most girls would just say, boyfriend.

"So, you're either getting deflowered or expelled," Fiona stated plainly with a slight nod of her head.

"Perhaps, they both go hand in hand," Eve repeated. She sent the girls a sly grin, which caused Lucie to emit a weary sigh and Fiona a sharp laugh.

"You're actually frightening," Lucie muttered, turning to her bed as if she had lost all strength to look at Eve even possibly any longer.

"You know, I've heard the Gryffindor common room-" Fiona started.

"Fiona, I am not going to the Gryffindor common room," Eve interjected. Fiona raised a brow and turned to Lucie.

"Oh, she's definitely getting expelled, isn't she?"


Author's Note: Where do I begin? I apologize for the short chapter, but I desperately wanted to upload something before the new year. With that being mentioned, Merry Christmas/Happy New Year, yadayada. Thank you for still reading! Who else cried during the Potter Reunion trailer? Just me? OK.