Chapter Four: School!
Following dinner, Evie joined Freya and the others in the Slytherin dormitory. Upperclassmen weren't absolutely required to turn in early for the night, but she'd missed the common room terribly. It was different from the other houses,' though they would never know it—the nature of the Slytherin Common Room was one of many secrets they would carry to the grave. Particularly where the bedrooms were concerned, with their exceptional size. Their submersion beneath the black lake allowed a measure of space that few others could afford—and with many wealthy pureblood families donating to their upkeep over the years, one could say they were extremely…fortunate.
A pool of water lay still as a mirror in the center of the girls' dormitory, partitioning the space between beds. Evie arranged her things atop her bed, claiming the one nearest to the window. A single, ever-burning flame flickered above the pool. It illuminated the green and silver drapes that covered their bedframes and hung above the tall window at the far end of the chamber. Bits of moonlight crept in where there was a sliver of space above the water. The rest of the window was obscured by the rippling surface of the lake, waves sloshing soundlessly against the glass.
In past years, Evie could swear she awoke to the sight of glistening scales—merpeople passing by in the greenish shadows of the water.
Classes were starting tomorrow, and Atrius and the others had disappeared off to their own dormitories. Once Evie was sure the common room was empty, she said good night to Freya and threw a plush green blanket over her shoulders, sauntering out to claim her schedule for the term. She'd heard the others' voices down here some time ago, but now the common room was empty, her footsteps loud against the wooden floors.
Across the sea of dark couches, vintage cupboards and fine tapestries depicting the adventures of medieval Slytherins, a single typewriter sat on the desk beneath the window. Despite their rustic appearance, all the oil lamps, candles, globes, books, and quills in the room hadn't seen a touch of dust in their absence. And at this time of night, the greenish tint from the Black Lake was barely visible through the window. Moonlight danced in dim rays of light near the surface up above, the grey pillars lit up more by the sconces and fireplace than the lamps that hung on the wall.
God, Evie missed this place.
Producing her wand, Evie approached the typewriter sitting atop the desk beside the fireplace, and she gave the spacebar a tap. Green sparks shot out from the tip that went to work along the letters, her schedule writing itself on the parchment at the top. Divination and potions three times a week, along with magical theory, ghoul studies, and care for magical creatures twice a week. Defense against the dark arts had dwindled down to once a week now that Evie was in her final year, and advanced arithmancy would be her final class on Fridays.
She cringed a little at the thought of it—spending the best day of the week on the study of the magical properties of numbers.
Memories flooded her as Evie trailed absently across the room, reading her schedule. All manner of lamps, poultices, trophies and photos lined the dark cupboards—many of which were put there by students themselves. Legend had it that their common room was cold and empty, but legend couldn't possibly know better.
Folding the parchment, Evie looked up and smiled at the set of picture frames standing behind the glass of one of the cupboards. One particular photo stood out among the others—herself with Freya, along with Oliver, Theseus, Lucretia, and Atrius. It was the first year that Freya had joined the Quidditch team and won her first game. The photo they'd snapped was too good not to keep. Atrius was a chaser, Freya a keeper.
Things will never be the same, Evie reminded herself as she looked back at the rounded table where they used to study together.
Six sets of quills were standing in a circle around a pile of parchment. That was the neatest they ever were, prior to the start of term.
Folding the schedule in her hands, Evie shook off her melancholy feeling and went to bed. Early the following day, the cold atmosphere of the common room was chased out by the same banter and bustling that had been there the night before. All the room was bright with sunlight, and everyone was excited for classes to start—particularly the first years.
At the far corner of the room, leaning against a desk beside the fireplace, Freya looked more agitated than usual with her blonde hair braided tightly back. "Bloody first years…" she mumbled once Evie had joined her, the two of them leaving the common room for the Great Hall. "God, but to be so excited about something again—remember when we were first years?"
"I do." Sunlight poured onto them as they emerged through a hidden doorway by the Grand Staircase. Evie smiled at the memories. "I remember accidentally sending your bed flying across the room the first night, straight into the pool. Then I tried to dry it off again with Incendio and set it aflame."
"That was not funny," Freya said, even though she was smiling. "I slept on the ground that night. That was just about the worst first impression you could've made on me."
Evie threw an arm around her in a friendly hug. "Ah, but what better way to become acquainted with your new partner in stupidity?"
"Partner? With recent events, I'd say you've taken the lead."
"Ladies," Oliver's voice appeared before Evie could answer. Emerging from the Great Hall, he and Atrius had gotten there early to have breakfast, it seemed. "Had breakfast yet? Where are you two headed this morning?"
"Advanced divination," Freya droned. "But we haven't eaten yet, no."
Atrius didn't so much as look up from the book he carried as he sipped from his coffee cup. Was he planning on taking it to class with him?
Instead, he turned and sauntered leisurely in the direction of the Grand Staircase, sleeves turned up like he was ready for a hard day's work. Not even a 'hello' or 'good morning' to Freya.
"Ah, we'll see you there, then—enjoy your breakfasts!" Oliver said as he turned to follow after Atrius, who was already waiting for the staircase to move. "Remember—North Tower!"
Freya and Evie waved him goodbye before entering the Great Hall, situating themselves near the fireplace. Toast and jams and omelets floated by as they helped themselves, along with a few good cups of coffee. Evie had forgotten how much she liked the Great Hall—the sound of birds outside, the background noise of the staircase moving. Come exam season, the sound of scratching quills and bubbling tinctures would join the ambiance.
"Atrius took his coffee with him," Evie said, staring down at her cup.
Freya picked at her plate and eyed her curiously. "For someone who claims to hate him, you're keen to pay him some mind lately," she said. "Did he get under your skin last night?"
Evie immediately recoiled. "No, I just made an observation because he took the cup with him—didn't you notice? No one ever takes stuff out of here."
"No. I didn't notice anything." Freya rolled her eyes then picked up the fork again. "Come now, first you refused to talk about what happened last night, and today you bring up his coffee cup. Am I supposed to let it go, just like that?"
"I think you're overthinking this."
"Oh, I don't know," Freya mused. "Did you also happen to notice that he'd lost a bit of weight this past summer? Or that he holds his book in his left hand and not his right? Or that—"
"Enough, I get it," Evie said, actually feeling a bit frustrated.
Freya stared at her. And when Evie said nothing else, Freya's toast gained a few more puncture holes. "I just…" She shrugged.
"You just what?"
"I just hoped that, since you stood up to him at the cup and even spoke to him last night, that you might be warming up to my cousin, a bit."
"Why would I want to warm up to him?"
"If it's not warming up, then where're these sudden bouts of courage coming from?"
Evie plucked a piece of toast and threw it into her mouth. "I'm going to face a lot worse than Atrius if I'm selected for the Tournament. If I can't answer a simple challenge from the likes of him, how am I going to survive something bigger and badder?"
Freya's eyes narrowed a fraction. "I suppose."
"Speaking to him doesn't meant I'm interested in having a friendship with him. I'm sorry—I know he's your family, but Freya, I will never see him any other way."
Freya picked at her food. "Alright," she muttered. "If you say so…"
By the time they finished and made their way up to the North Tower, the rest of the class had already filled in. The divination classroom was much the same—the same crimson drapes and lamps, the fireplace and assortment of shelves with candles, cards, and a mountain of teacups.
As Freya and Evie walked by Trelawney's chair—where she was seated—Evie knew immediately that they'd be starting with advanced tessomancy today. A mountain of teacups was floating in the air with less than a centimeter between them.
A number of the Kold and Ilvermorny students were joining them today, including the dark-haired fellow that Freya had pointed out last night. The Ilvermorny students wore gold and cranberry robes that were fastened by a Gordian knot. The Kolds, conversely, had mostly flowing robes in their respective house colors, looking a little too warm for this classroom.
The Ilvermorny student's green eyes fluttered in the direction of the teacups and lingered there until his friend leaned across the table to get his attention. Meanwhile, Freya and Evie took their seats somewhat near Atrius and Oliver, waiting and watching as Trelawney gave her introductions.
Evie startled as Freya slammed down a great big tome between them, written by Cassandra Vablatsky. The impact caused the crystal ball to shake—not that they'd be needing it today. The teacups were already floating to each person in the room.
But before anyone could take a sip of their tea, Trelawney threw her hands up in a fit—smiling like she had something surprising to say. "No, no! Not yet!" Her voice fluttered out of her. "You won't be drinking from the cups." Evie furrowed a brow, looking down at the rippling black tea in her hands. "If you are to the right of the table, please stand and move three tables to the left. To ensure a clear reading without the bias of prior acquaintance, you will be paired randomly today."
That meant Freya. And Evie snorted at her baleful expression as Freya stood, moving to her new table with a backward glance.
Quiet mutters rumbled through the room as people moved, fabric shuffling beneath the tables. The rearrangement placed Atrius just behind Evie, but shepaid him no mind. It was her new partner that caught her attention—the student from Ilvermorny strolling halfheartedly across the room. Evie knew he was coming toward her before he arrived, offering a short smile as he took his seat across from her. A bit disinterested.
There was a moment's worth of time for introductions as Trelawney retired to her chair, finally allowing them to sip their tea.
"Hi," Evie said, smiling at her new partner, then she held out a hand. "Welcome to Hogwarts—my name's Evie."
His green irises were so bright—unnatural. Perhaps he was an animagus? "August," the student answered with an American accent.
Evie settled back in her cushion as the chatter around them continued. "So, how do you like Hogwarts?"
He glanced up and around as though observing the classroom for the first time. "It's…different."
"How's that?"
"Better."
It took a second to process that. Evie smiled, somehow drawing Freya's attention across the room. Her expression went from surprised to interested, to really interested in a flash. "Well," Evie went on, sipping her tea. "I'm sorry you'll find you have to go back at the end of the year."
August shrugged. "Better to visit once than never at all."
Atrius's silver gaze caught Evie attention from over her shoulder. He lifted the tea cup to his lips, eyes fixed firmly on the two of them. Evie looked back and met them for a few cold seconds, but he didn't look away.
Professor Trelawney picked that very moment to rise from her chair and instruct them further, having them exchange their teacups across the tables. Evie blinked annoyedly down at August's cup, seeing a few familiar symbols from Vablatsky's Unfogging the Future—their textbook from the previous year:
A mountain - a symbol of a journey.
A spade - a sign of good fortune.
A bird - a sign of good news.
"Well, August, you'll be a very lucky man in the coming future," Evie said, looking up at him.
There was a strange expression on his face, and he immediately looked back down. "You have a…conflicting reading."
"Oh?"
Trelawney chimed in at that moment, "Now, proceed to engage the delicacy of the Inner Eye—you can find instructions on page thirty-seven of your books. Write it as you go, you will hand in the assignment at the end of class."
August turned his attention down to his own book with a furrowed brow. Meanwhile, Evie paged through hers. Pages and pages of cross-methodologies between the various branches of divination: xylomancy, myomancy, numerology, and even heptomology. Until finally, Evie reached page thirty-seven and looked down at the section on Inner Eye and tessomancy. Reaching for her wand, Evie volunteered herself for the first try. One by one, the tea leaves swirled at the bottom of the cup, forming a scene: A mountain becoming a spade upon which a bird fluttered by and landed at the pointed end.
"You will go on a journey that will bring you good fortune," Evie muttered as she watched the scene. "I'd say there's good news in your future." She picked up a quill to write in her report to turn in at the end of class.
August continued to stare down at her cup. His lips parted and then closed again. "There is a deceitful friend at your doorstep," he said. "They wear danger like a mask, and they will leave you both in falsehood and good fortune."
Evie blinked. "You read all that at the bottom of my tea cup? How many symbols are there?" Evie asked, uselessly angling to see what was at the bottom of the cup.
"A fair few," he said. "There's a cat standing at the foot of your house with a skull on its head, knocking the door and turning to a snake with a spade's head when the door is opened."
Evie had to blink a few more times to really process all that. "Well, at least there's some good news"
"I suppose," he said. There was the slightest twinge of interest as he peered across the table at her. "Any idea who this deceitful friend of yours might be?"
A slow shrug. "I couldn't begin to guess."
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