Chapter Twelve: Displacement
I: The long way home
Leaving Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays was always chaotic.
For one, Teddy and Alfie always left their packing to the very last minute. When Ella came down to their dormitory two hours before the Hogwarts Express was due to leave, she found them hurriedly stuffing clothes and books into their bags. She shook her head in disapproval.
"Honestly, you two. How you manage to get anything done at all, I've got no clue."
Nevertheless, she got down on her knees and began to help them pack. Although Teddy appreciated the sentiment, he found himself getting slightly irritated with the way she kept removing items of clothing that he'd already packed from his trunk and refolding them. He refrained, however, from saying anything; he knew she meant well, and she managed to help him fit all of his possessions into his trunk with a good thirty minutes to spare.
They made it down to the Hogwarts Express in record time and boarded the train. Riley and Victoire were already there, and the blonde Gryffindor eagerly waved them into their carriage. Before Teddy knew it, they were pulling out of the station and away from the school. He watched Hogsmeade disappear from his window until all he could see was a blur of greenery. There was something sad, he thought, about leaving Hogwarts behind at the end of each term. Although he didn't always enjoy the work, he loved being at school because he knew that if he wanted company, all he had to do was go to the Common Room, or the Great Hall. Comparatively, being at home was lonely. Sure, Victoire visited frequently, as did many other members of his extended family network, and he communicated regularly with Ella and Alfie via letter, but it just wasn't the same.
Still, he was excited to see his grandmother again. He missed her a lot during term-time and he knew that she missed him. He couldn't wait to tell her about everything that had been going on during term - although he wrote to her regularly, it wasn't the same as having a face-to-face conversation. For one, he hadn't mentioned anything about the Bella, Laura and Macmillan saga, because it just wasn't the kind of thing that translated well on parchment. He definitely planned on telling her all about it though; he was sure that she would find it interesting, if not mildly horrifying.
The first part of the trip passed quickly without much event. Riley, thankfully, had remembered to bring a pack of cards (Teddy had absentmindedly packed his) and they busied themselves by playing multiple rounds of Exploding Snap, the final of which Victoire happily won. The lady came by with the trolley and Ella bought them lunch with her leftover pocket money. Teddy marvelled at just how much she was able to get. She was always buying them treats from Honeydukes and buying herself enough books to fill a second Hogwarts library on her trips to Hogsmeade; it was a wonder that she had any money left over at all.
They had just finished lunch when there was a knock on the door to their carriage. Giovanna Downing and Matilda Goshawk waved, slid the door open and came in. Much to Teddy's surprise, they were followed by a petite blonde.
"Hi guys. Hi Morna," Teddy said.
Morna Clemmons looked up at him and smiled. "Hey Teddy."
Ella looked at Alfie and Teddy questioningly. Morna noticed this and sighed. "Daisy's being a bitch again."
"Oh, yeah?" Ella said, raising an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?"
Morna went bright red and muttered something under her breath.
"We told Morna she could hang out with us," Giovanna said protectively.
"Aren't you scared she'll just go tattling back to Daisy?" Riley said. "I mean, she's been best friends with her for five years now. For all you know, Daisy just sent her to spy on you two."
Morna's face turned an even deeper red. Teddy shot a glare at Riley - he felt bad for Morna, who was obviously trying to make an effort to break out from under Daisy's thumb. He wished Riley wasn't always so belittling towards everyone, especially those who'd never done anything to her.
"I'm sure she -" he began to say, but Riley interrupted again.
"What did Daisy even do to you?"
"That's none of your business, Carrow," Morna replied jutting her chin out. "But if you must know, she's been awfully mean lately, ever since she saw me talking to Gi and Matilda in the Hufflepuff Common Room. Saying nasty things about me and the clothes I'm wearing. Today was just the last straw, so I told her she could… well, I wasn't very nice either, but that's besides the point. She went off in a huff, so I went to find these two," she gestured at Giovanna and Matilda, "because they said I could always hang out with them if I wanted."
"You can always hang out with us too," Alfie said kindly, ignoring the glares that Ella and Riley shot him.
"Thanks, Alfie," Morna said with a smile.
"Anyway," Giovanna said, "we really just stopped by to wish you guys a merry Christmas."
"And give you these!" Matilda reached into her coat pocket (she, like many of the other students, had changed into muggle clothes) and withdrew several Christmas cards. She handed one each to Teddy, Alfie, Ella, Victoire and Riley. The fourth years looked rather surprised to be receiving cards from Matilda Goshawk, who neither of them knew very well, but Teddy couldn't help but smile. Matilda must have known that he, Alfie and Ella would be sitting with Victoire and Riley on the train, and she wouldn't have wanted them to feel left out. Matilda, he thought, was definitely one of the nicest people he knew.
"Thanks, Mat," he said, smiling widely. The others echoed his sentiments, and Matilda smiled and blushed.
"It was really no problem," she said, ducking her head.
Teddy was glad that Matilda had at last, found friends. Sure, she'd hung around with Giovanna, even Morna, for years, but Daisy had always been such a powerful influence over them that they'd never really connected. He was glad that now that Daisy was out of the picture, they were finally getting a chance to be real friends.
But he couldn't help but feel somewhat bad for Daisy. She idolised Laura, and yet after what had happened between her and Bella Watson, very few people would look at, or even speak to Laura because they believed her to be no more than a liar and a gossip. Daisy had isolated herself too - she was snappy with Morna, and spent more time with her sister than anyone else. Teddy wondered if she felt guilty, in a way, for not stopping her sister before she drove herself to her own destruction, or felt as if she had to stick by her. Either way, he couldn't help but think back to what Bella Watson had said that day, when she came out of McGonagall's office.
It's not too late for Daisy Shipkins.
Teddy didn't like Daisy. He thought she was petty, inconsiderate, and self-obsessed.
At the same time, he knew that she had it in her to be a better person, if only she realised it herself.
But knowing Daisy Shipkins, she was going to need some prompting.
"I'm just going to the bathroom," he told his friends, getting up from his seat and dusting pasty crumbs off his robes. "I'll be right back."
.oOo.
II: St. Valentine
It took him exactly seven minutes to find her, sitting alone in a carriage.
She was on the seat nearest to the window, her face pressed against the glass as she watched the countryside pass by in a blur. He tapped his fist softly against the door, and she turned with a start. Her face calmed somewhat when she saw who it was, but her eyes still remained hard.
"What do you want?" Daisy Shipkins demanded.
"Can I come in?" Teddy asked awkwardly. She hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He slid the door open and walked into the carriage, sitting down opposite her. She scanned him briefly, but didn't make eye contact.
"So," he began.
"So," she said.
He hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but obviously waltzing into someone's carriage with the intent of changing her entire outlook on the world for the better was rather … optimistic. Still, it had never stopped him before.
"There must be a reason you're here, Teddy," she said, a strong tinge of bitterness in her voice. "People don't just come to see me because they want to."
"Daisy -" he trailed off, at a loss. "You know I don't hate you."
This made her meet his gaze. "You don't?"
"No," he admitted. "You… sometimes you're not a very nice person, and I don't like some of the things you do -"
"Like helping spread rumours about Bella Watson."
"Exactly. But I don't hate you. I don't think you're a bad person."
"Well," she said, leaning back and folding her arms, "that makes one person, at least."
Teddy paused. She was hiding it well, he thought, but he could tell that she was hurt and lonely. He knew that no matter what he was going through, he would always have his friends, but Daisy … Daisy had pushed them all away, even the ones she thought would always be loyal to her. She often acted as if she didn't need anyone else, as if everyone was disposable to her, but now, when she was alone, she just looked vulnerable. And Teddy felt horrible for her.
"I don't think people hate you," he started.
She scoffed.
"No, I'm serious. I don't think they hate you."
"But they do—"
"No," he said it with more conviction this time. "There's a difference between being angry at a person because they've been rude one too many times, and actually actively hating a person. And your friends, Daisy, they don't hate you. Your sister, maybe, but -"
"That's kind of the same thing, isn't it?"
This surprised him. "I'm sorry?"
"You don't get it. You don't have siblings. If they hate my sister, they hate me. Simple as that."
"You and your sister aren't the same person!" Teddy exclaimed. Daisy looked rather taken aback, so he lowered his voice, "You're not Laura, and Laura isn't you, and everyone gets that. Just because she made a mistake doesn't mean that you should take the fall for it."
"Everyone loves Bella Watson," Daisy said grumpily. "Why would they love me if they love her?"
Teddy couldn't help but roll his eyes – how did everything with the Shipkins' sisters always come back to Bella Watson. "You and Bella are not mutually exclusive. They can like both of you, you know. I don't think Bella's got anything against you."
Daisy said nothing to this. He sighed.
"Look, Daisy, I don't want to sit here and lecture you."
"I don't want a lecture," she said, a little cattily.
"Fine. I won't give you one. I just came here to tell you… it's not too late. People don't hate you."
"Do they realise that?"
"Maybe they do, maybe they don't. But if you try, you can repair your relationships. Make people like you again."
Daisy was silent. Teddy watched her closely, hoping that he'd gotten through to her, hoping that he'd somehow managed to make her realise that nothing was going to change unless she did first.
"I should go," he said at last, getting up. "Just think about it, Daisy."
He was almost at the door when she spoke. "If Morna Clemmons sent you here, tell her I still hate her."
He suppressed a groan as he opened the door and walked out without a word. Had she not heard anything he'd said? Had she just sat and pretended to listen, while thinking about new and creative ways to get back at all the people she thought had wronged her? Or was the last comment about Morna just some sort of weird defense mechanism?
He didn't know whether he'd had an impact, but he hoped he had. Bella was right - it wasn't too late for Daisy.
Not yet at least.
.oOo.
III: Reparations (part I)
Bella Watson was ready for the term to be over.
She had enjoyed parts of it - playing Quidditch, completing assignments for class, keeping herself busy with Head Girl duties, spending time with her friends. But there were other parts that she would be happy to forget all about. Namely, the rumour that she and Professor Macmillan were seeing each other.
Sure, nothing terrible had actually come out of it. She was still Head Girl, Professor Macmillan was still the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the Head of Hufflepuff, and Laura Shipkins had been punished duly. But that didn't mean that things hadn't changed at all. For one, she was seeing significantly less of Macmillan. Whenever she had to see a teacher with regards to her Head Girl duties, she was always directed to Flitwick, or one of the other Heads of Houses. Although they told her it was merely because Professor Macmillan was busy, Bella couldn't help but think he was consciously avoiding her.
He was even acting strangely in Defense classes. Although he still picked her to answer questions or to demonstrate a spell, he rarely made eye contact with her. She'd tried to hang around after class like she used to to ask questions based on the extra reading she'd done, but he always said that he had somewhere else to be - a meeting with the headmistress, or lunch with Professor Longbottom. After a while, she stopped trying.
She made out like it didn't bother her, but it did. She looked up to and respected Professor Macmillan. He'd always believed in her and pushed her to be the very best she could be. She considered him kind of like a friend - at least, as much of a friend as a teacher could be. To have that all destroyed because of an idiotic, immature girl… it sent a twinge of anger through her.
"Hey," Evelien Spironova, who was sitting next to her in the train, elbowed her lightly, "you okay?"
Bella realised that she had tensed up considerably. Sighing, she relaxed her shoulders. "Yeah. Yeah, Evie, I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Macey Longstone said from where she was standing by the window. "You haven't been for weeks. I've noticed it in your Quidditch. You're a lot more tense. More worried. Your flying is more jerky."
Evelien rolled her eyes and Bella suppressed a laugh. Of course Macey had been able to tell how she was feeling based on how she played Quidditch. The only way that girl knew empathy was if it was conveyed through a broomstick.
"Come on then." Macey sat down and leaned forward, folding her hands over her knees. "Spill, Watson."
"It's nothing," Bella said, shrugging. "It's just … what happened with Laura's being playing on my mind a lot recently."
At this, Macey scoffed and leaned back. "She's a bitch, Bella, and she got what she deserved."
"I know," Bella said, "it's just… things haven't been the same between me and Professor Macmillan ever since."
"I don't think you can blame him for that. He's probably staying away to diffuse the heat."
"That's true," Evelien pointed out. "I mean, the rumours might not be true, but people have still heard them, right? They're still going to think that -"
"I know," Bella said, sighing. "I know. It's just -" she trailed off, unsure of how to express herself.
"You want things to be back to normal."
"Yeah."
There was silence for a few moments as each girl collected her thoughts. It was Macey who spoke at last. "Listen, Bella, I know this must be rough for you, but you've got to give it time. Things will be back to normal."
"I wish I could be as confident as you, Macey," the blonde said, shaking her head sadly.
Evelien rubbed her shoulder sympathetically and Macey watched her closely. Suddenly, Bella felt claustrophobic. This carriage was too closed in, she thought, and though she loved Evelien and Macey, they were scrutinising her too intently. She didn't regret telling them what she was thinking, for she needed to get it off her chest, but now… now she just wished that they'd forget about it and start talking about something, anything else.
Yet they stayed silent.
"I'm going to go," she said abruptly, getting up from her seat. When Macey and Evelien looked at her questioningly, she expanded. "I'm starving. I'm going to go get something from the trolley. The lady's always at the front of the train after she's been around."
She closed the glass door behind her and heaved a small sigh of relief. The corridors were practically empty - there were only a few first and second years milling about, and they were too young to fully understand what the rumours about her and Macmillan had meant. A first-year Slytherin saw her and elbowed her friend, a brunette Gryffindor. Both girls gulped and stood very straight as Bella passed. It was enough to bring a smile to the Hufflepuff's face.
"Had a good term, then?" she asked the two girls kindly.
The Slytherin nodded eagerly. "Yes, Miss Watson."
Bella laughed. "You don't need to call me that. My name's Bella."
"We know -ow!" The Gryffindor had elbowed the Slytherin, who looked at her rather angrily. "Merry Christmas, Bella."
"Merry Christmas, guys."
She passed by them, moving into the next carriage. She wasn't quite sure where she was going. She hadn't really been intending to get food from the trolley - that had just been an excuse - but with nowhere else to go, really, she found herself instinctively heading towards the front of the train. Plus, she hadn't eaten that much for lunch, so food would do her good. Her stomach grumbled as she thought about pumpkin pasties, and chocolate frogs, and all of the delicious treats that Macey generally didn't let her eat because she said they were bad for her Quidditch form.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the chocolate frog wrapper that had been discarded in front of her. The front of her foot hit the cardboard and she lost her balance, wildly flailing as she tried to find something to grab onto to stop her from falling forwards. Her hand landed on something fleshy in front of her, and she gripped it tightly, using it to pull herself upwards.
It was only when she had assumed her full height that she saw just who she'd grabbed onto.
Professor Macmillan stood in front of her, looking rather red. He'd just come out of the adjacent carriage when Bella had fallen.
Talk about timing.
"Professor!" Bella exclaimed, dropping his arm abruptly. "I… I…"
"Are you alright, Miss Watson?" Macmillan asked, his colour returning to normal.
"Yes." Bella looked down, brushing imaginary dust off her robes. "Yes, thanks, Professor. I'm fine. You caught me just in time."
He smiled, but it was only a half-smile, and was a little bit awkward. There was silence between them as Bella struggled to find something to say, but failed. Macmillan seemed to be suffering from a similar dilemma. He didn't seem to want to meet her eye, and perhaps it was that that steeled her resolve. She didn't want this to go on any longer, and the only way things would go back to normal between the two of them was if they talked about it. And if he wasn't going to start a conversation then it was up to her.
"Professor," she began in what she hoped was a beseeching tone, but he cut her off.
"Have a good holiday, Miss Watson."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away, leaving Bella alone in the corridor.
Well, she supposed. That was that.
.oOo.
IV: Station(ary)
As the Hogwarts Express pulled into London Kings Cross, the energy on the train went up. Students who'd previously been sitting quietly in carriages, wondering when they would finally arrive leaped up, peering out of windows to try and spot their families. There was a buzz in the air as friends made last minute Christmas plans, and as everyone lined up behind the exits, desperate to be among the first out.
While Teddy and Alfie both tried to spot each other's' guardians from the windows, Ella sat back on her chair looking rather glum. Her parents never came to pick her up from the platform. Instead, they sent their chauffeur, who thought Ella went to a very posh muggle boarding school, to pick her up from outside the station. She understood, really. The magical world was painful for her mother to engage with directly, for it contained many bad memories, and there was always the possibility that someone on the platform would recognise her. Her father would feel completely out of place, especially if he was to wait on his own. It was just easier to send the driver.
Yet she couldn't help but feel a bit sad as everyone disembarked and ran to meet their families. She found herself alone when, after saying goodbye, Alfie went to meet his parents, and Teddy and Victoire went to meet his grandmother and her parents. Standing on the platform with her trunk, she felt awfully disorientated watching all of the happy reunions, and she found herself wishing that her parents were there too. She couldn't help but glance around the platform, scanning faces, hoping to see them standing somewhere, waving to her with wide smiles and open arms.
She'd thought that maybe this year, what with the kidnappings, and the dark mark on their doorway, that perhaps, just perhaps her parents would want to be there when she got off the train to take her home.
But they weren't. They never were.
She didn't even have it in her to be disappointed any more.
"Got your trunk, Anderson?" Riley Carrow approached her, pushing her trunk on a trolley.
Ella nodded. "Yeah. Got yours?"
Riley looked at her with an odd expression, and slowly pointed to the trolley. Ella could have slapped herself.
"Right," she said, "sorry."
"You seem strange," Riley commented offhandedly.
"Thanks."
"I'm just saying."
"Yeah, well, I'm fine," Ella said, a little more snappily than she intended.
Riley held up her hands in mock surrender, but her green eyes seemed to be studying Ella rather intensely. Ella shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like being scrutinised. It made her feel naked, as if she'd done something wrong and everyone knew it and was judging her for it.
"What?" she said.
Riley shook her head, prompting the Ravenclaw to give an exasperated sigh.
"What?" she repeated.
Riley bit her lip and tilted her head to one side ever-so-slightly, as if she was considering what to say, or perhaps whether to speak at all. After what seemed like an eternity, she said, "My parents don't come to the platform either."
Of all the things she had been expecting Riley Carrow to say, this was certainly not one of them. A snappy retort, sure, but something that seemed empathetic? Ella had known Riley for four years, and yet she'd never considered her a friend, not in the same way that she did Alfie, Teddy and even Victoire. They'd never exchanged more than a perfunctory conversation, even in the aftermath of London when Ella had been visibly reeling.
And for all of the books that she'd read, all of the knowledge that she'd accumulated, she had no idea how to respond. Instead she stood gaping at the Slytherin who stared back with a strange intensity until at last, she cracked a small smile and walked away without another word.
.oOo.
V: Flowers for Christmas
Daisy Shipkins had never been so glad to go home in her life.
As she got off the train and headed to pick up her trunk, she kept her head down, her long red hair covering her face. She hated Hogwarts. She hated all of the stupid girls in her house, she hated that idiot Professor McGonagall, and most of all, she hated Bella Watson. After all, if it wasn't for Bella Watson, she wouldn't be in this situation - alone, friendless, hurt.
But deep down in her heart, Daisy knew that Bella wasn't responsible for what had happened. After all, it had been Laura who'd bullied Bella, who'd made up that rumour about her sleeping with Professor Macmillan, and in the end, it had been Laura who'd paid for it. If only Daisy didn't have to be dragged down with her. It was bad enough to have her big sister, the person she'd looked up to practically since she was born, be humiliated in front of the entire school. Why did she, too, have to suffer?
Life, Daisy thought miserably, just isn't fair.
"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Shipkins?"
Daisy spun around startled. She let out a sigh of relief, however, when she saw Professor Smith standing near her, the edges of his lips quirked up in a smile. "Professor, you scared me."
"My apologies," he said. "Any plans for the holidays?"
Daisy shook her head. "Just home. I can't wait to see my parents again."
"I'll bet. Any plans with your friends? I remember when I was at Hogwarts, I used to always try and meet up with my friends during the holidays." There was a misty look in his eyes that Daisy was used to seeing in very old people, whose school days had long since passed them by. She was somewhat surprised to see it in Smith - he wasn't that old, after all, and she was sure that he still saw his old school friends regularly. He didn't seem like the kind of person who'd push them all away.
Not like her.
She shook her head and lied through her teeth, "They're all busy."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
It was all she could do not to laugh. That Smith. Ever since that day in the corridor, when she'd bunked class after her sister had been given her punishment, she'd felt as if Smith understood her in a way very few others did. No other teacher had ever seemed to care about her in the way that Smith did; she'd never had a personal conversation with any of them and quite frankly, she wouldn't be comfortable having one. Smith was different. There was something about him that made him approachable, easy to talk to.
"No," she admitted. "They're all… mad at me."
It felt strange saying it out loud.
"Because of your sister?"
"Kind of." Daisy shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess I've been a bit rude to them lately as well. I've just been… so worried about Laura, you know, and I guess I just snapped. At them. A lot."
Smith gave her a comforting smile. "Oh, Daisy. I'm sure they'll forgive you."
"I don't think they will," she replied mournfully. "There's this one girl they've all become friends with. Matilda Goshawk. She's never liked me. I bet you she'll turn them all against me."
"Then you'd better do something before she does."
"Like what?"
Smith paused for a second. "Listen. When I was about your age, something similar happened to me. All of my friends decided that they didn't want to be my friend anymore, and I was hurt and unhappy because I didn't know what I'd done wrong. I don't even think I had done anything wrong, but I convinced myself that I'd been mean to them and snapped at them, even though they'd probably been equally rude to me - all friends get irritated with each other occasionally, right? Anyway, I took it upon myself to apologise, even though I thought it was a bit unfair since I hadn't done anything wrong. I sent everyone a Christmas card, telling them how sorry I was."
"And did it work?"
Smith nodded. "It did. Perhaps you should try something similar."
"Perhaps I should," Daisy murmured.
She wished him a merry Christmas and went to retrieve her trunk. This time, however, she brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind a year. She couldn't believe that Professor Smith had gone through such a similar experience when he was in school. She supposed it was further evidence that they really were very alike indeed.
Well then, if Christmas cards had worked for Smith, there was no reason whatsoever that they couldn't work for her.
Daisy Shipkins was about to turn over a new leaf.
.oOo.
VI: Correspondence
[Intercepted by the Ministry of Magic]
18th December, 2013
A –
Everything is going to plan. Unless you hear anything further from me, take this as your final confirmation.
Please pay my respects to the Follower.
[File under: miscellaneous]
.oOo.
VII: Quick to tire
Ella Anderson was well and truly bored.
The first few days of her holiday had been lovely. Although she missed her friends terribly, it had been lovely to see her parents, brother and Rajiv again. Her parents had been home all weekend, and they'd spent a lot of time together as a family, something that they rarely had enough time to do. Ashton had been talking almost non-stop about his school and friends, and her parents had shown significant interest in what she'd gotten up to during her time away at Hogwarts. They'd asked about all her friends, and she'd happily told them everything, including about her relationship with Leonardo.
But all good things eventually had to come to an end. Monday arrived and her parents went back to work, and Ashton was given strict instructions to study for his mock exams that were coming up after Christmas, leaving Ella alone in her spacious, but awfully empty Kensington home. She'd spent the whole morning with her nose stuck in a book, but found her concentration waning in the afternoon: the words were beginning to blur together and she just couldn't find a comfortable position on her bed. Sighing, she snapped it shut and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She wished that Teddy and Alfie lived in London so that she could go and see them. Riley did live quite nearby, but Ella had never been in touch with her during the holidays and didn't think it likely that the younger girl would want to make plans to go for coffee or something.
Thank Merlin for Leonardo Torricelli, she thought, rolling over to check the clock on her bedside table. They were going to meet for a cake date in an hour at a bakery that had just opened on the Kensington HIgh Street and Ella was over the moon. She couldn't believe how well her relationship with Leo was going. They'd been dating for around one and a half months now, and she couldn't have been any happier. He was sweet and caring, and they had so much in common that they never ran out of things to talk about. And even though he hadn't told her that he loved her, she sort of understood. He was a boy, after all, and boys needed more time to figure things out. They weren't as in touch with their feelings.
She was thrilled to have him in her life.
When the clock hit three thirty, she practically waltzed out of her room and down the ornate staircase. She had done her hair and make-up impeccably and was wearing her new blue coat from her parent's winter collection. She felt on top of the world.
"And where are you going, young lady?"
"Mum!" Ella started.
Rhea Anderson was standing at the bottom of the staircase, her arms folded in front of her. She was dressed in a simple, perfectly tailored white pantsuit, and her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail. She wore a stern expression, not unlike Ella's when she was lecturing her friends about something or the other, but her face was much rounder and softer.
"I didn't think you were home," Ella mumbled as she descended. Her mother and father were often at their offices until late in the evening, especially in the run-up to Christmas when they were trying to get as much done as possible so that they and their staff could have a stress-free break. It was unusual to see Rhea home before four.
"I just got back. Rajiv went out shopping earlier - I thought we could spend some time together. Maybe bake something, when we used to when you were little." Rhea reached out and ruffled her daughter's hair. Ella yelped and, moving back slightly, tried to make it settle down again. "But I see you've got other plans."
There was a sad tinge in her mother's voice that made Ella feel rather guilty. "I was going to meet Leo," she admitted.
"Where?" Rhea's brow furrowed. "You shouldn't be going out this late, Ella. It's dark."
Despite herself, Ella felt a rush of irritation go through her. "That doesn't stop anyone else, especially not in winter."
"It's not safe."
"It's three thirty!"
"It's not safe," Rhea repeated slowly.
"It's perfectly safe!" Ella exclaimed. "I'll be going to Diagon Alley and I'll be home before five."
"That isn't the point."
"That's exactly the point! Why don't you trust me?"
"Ella, this isn't about you," Rhea began calmly, but Ella wasn't willing to listen. She could feel her palms getting sweaty and her cheeks getting very, very red.
"No, that's exactly what it is! You're just mad that I don't want to spend every waking moment of the day with you! Well, guess what, Mum? I have friends!"
"I know that you -"
"And I'm sick and tired of doing nothing while you and Dad are out all day. I appreciate what you're doing for me, but you can't expect me to just drop everything as soon as you come home!"
"Enough!" Rhea exclaimed, shocking her daughter into silence. Ella's mother was a very calm individual, perhaps as a result of all the things she had been through in life. She had seen a lot, dealt with a lot, and as a result, very little could faze her. There were few times in Ella's childhood that her mother had shouted at her - she'd been stern, yes, or disappointed when Ella had broken the rules, but she had very rarely raised her voice.
When she continued, her voice was soft again, but shaky. "In case you don't remember, Ella, two months ago, the dark mark was magically imposed on our doorway. I might not be a witch, but I'm not an idiot. Whoever did that was sending us a very clear message: they know who we are, they know what we are, and they know where we live. The fact that you have magic, that you are not like the rest of us does not make you immune."
An uneasy feeling rose in Ella's stomach. Her mother had been quick to reassure her that everything was fine after the London attacks, that they were in no danger, and they hadn't spoken about it since, preferring instead to focus on other non-magical topics. She hadn't realised that it still worried her mother. But then again, how could it not?
"Mum," she began, "I know you're worried. But we can't stop living our lives just because of what's going on out there. I can protect myself."
Rhea's dark eyes met Ella's. "Can you?"
Ella shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing's happened since the dark mark was cast in Hogsmeade, and that was in Hogsmeade. Nothing's happened in London for ages. For all we know, the people behind all these things, they're not even here."
"We don't know that."
"We don't know anything!"
There was silence as Ella realised she'd made her mother's case for her. Breaking eye contact, she cursed under her breath.
"Call Leo," Rhea said. "Let him know that you won't be able to make it, but tell him that he's more than welcome to come and visit whenever he would like. If you two are going to go out, I want it to be either here in the neighbourhood, where Rajiv can keep an eye on you, or in Marylebone, by our offices. Am I clear?"
Ella, stubborn as she was, said nothing. In that moment, she hated her mother for being overbearing and overprotective.
And yet she knew that in her position, she would do exactly the same thing.
So she turned around, walked up the stairs and, cursing once more, for she hated to be proven wrong and to give in, reached for her phone.
She hated that her mother was right. She hated that the kidnappings, the stupid kidnappings had affected her life like this. She hated being vulnerable, and most of all, she hated having to be afraid.
(Little did she know that she hadn't even gotten to the worst part yet).
.oOo.
VIII: Kidnapped!
If there was one place Tabitha James hated in London, it was Knightsbridge.
She was no stranger to wealth and decadence; she was born only a few streets away from Belgravia, and now lived in a rather expensive duplex apartment in Bloomsbury. Still, there was something about Knightsbridge that irked her. Perhaps it was how touristy and fake the place was. With large international chain shops and expensive restaurants, it just didn't feel like the kind of place a person would or even could live. It didn't have any character; it felt like a corporation, rather than a residential district.
She was incredibly irritated when Robards had Flooed her at eight in the morning on her weekend off. She became even more frustrated when he refused to give her any details on the supposedly urgent situation she needed to investigate. And she was incensed when she found out that she would have to go to Knightsbridge.
Thankfully, she was early enough to avoid the crowds and arrived at the apartment - the first floor of converted Victorian manor - to find Auror Munroe waiting outside the door for her.
She only just managed to suppress a groan. Munroe was still her prime suspect, though she had yet to find any conclusive evidence tying him to the crimes. And yet despite being fully aware of her theories, Robards had elected to keep Munroe on the case. While Tabitha understood that they couldn't exactly fire him without making him suspicious, she didn't like the fact that Munroe had such privileged access to the investigation.
She greeted him coolly before enquiring, "When did you get here?"
"Ten minutes ago - I live fairly nearby."
Of course he did.
"Have you been in yet?"
"Yes. Spoken to the parents, who are understandably distraught. The mother broke down in tears before I could get anything useful out of her, so I came out here to cover up the mark and wait for you. Figured it would be more productive."
The mark.
The words sunk in slowly, like icicles slowly melting just under her skin, like freezing droplets of water trickling through her veins until they finally reached her heart. She noticed the spot on the door next to Munroe - it wasn't quite the same colour and texture as the rest of the surface. "You don't mean -" she began before breaking off, not wanting to assume anything. "What exactly is going on here?"
Munroe fixed her with a stare, his eyes cold and blue. "Didn't Robards tell you? There's been another kidnapping, likely by the same people considering the dark mark was engraved in the door. And this time, it's of a muggle."
.oOo.
IX: Dear Teddy … Love Ella
21st December, 2013
Dear Teddy,
I assume you've heard about the kidnapping by now. If you haven't, then you really must start reading the Daily Prophet more regularly - I know your grandmother has it delivered, so you haven't got an excuse.
It's awful, isn't it? That poor boy. He probably doesn't even know what he's been kidnapped for - imagine being kidnapped and then being told that your kidnappers are magical. I'd think that they'd gone mad, but then again, I suppose you do have to be mad to kidnap a child, don't you?
Anyway, I just thought I'd write and tell you that you might as well forget all about my theory. I knew it was rubbish - all speculation, of course, there was no real evidence that everything was linked to Hogwarts. It was all correlational, and I, being silly, fell for it- there's no way that this latest kidnapping is related to the school, especially since they said in the newspaper that the boy was eleven and wasn't a squib. Thank goodness we didn't go to Tabitha James - she'd have laughed us right out of her office!
I do hope that you're having a good holiday! Mum's become a bit stringent about security and safety and all that - neither Ashton nor I are allowed to go anywhere unless Rajiv comes with us. I understand that it's for my own safety etc. etc. but it is quite annoying/frustrating/irritating. Oh well.
I should go now - you'll hear from me again soon, and the next letter you get will have your Christmas present attached! Lucky you ;)
Love,
Ella
PS: I've attached a cutout of the Daily Prophet article on the kidnapping, in case you did miss it. It's a photocopy - that's why the pictures don't move. I've sent one to Alfie too, and I'm keeping the original for my records.
Muggle Boy Kidnapped From Knightsbridge
Auror Office suspects link to muggleborn kidnappings.
LONDON, UK. Sources inside the Ministry of Magic have revealed that an eleven-year-old muggle boy, identified to The Daily Prophet as A. Dursley, was kidnapped from his Knightsbridge home on the morning of the 20th of December. The Auror Office was contacted upon the discovery of a dark mark inscribed into the doorway, and have been investigating since.
The appearance of the dark mark has sparked considerable suspicion that the kidnapping may be linked to the kidnappings of Melissa Cooper, an eleven-year-old muggleborn girl, and Leslie Stiles, a thirteen-year-old witch attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, both of which have been associated with the mark. However why those responsible for the earlier kidnappings would show interest in a muggle boy who, The Daily Prophet can confirm, is not a Squib and has no initially discernible link to the magical world, remains unclear. Head Auror Gawain Robards said on the possibility of a link that the Auror Office could neither confirm nor deny that the kidnappings were carried out by the same person or group of persons, and refused to give any further comment, stating that speculation on the case would be "premature and uncalled for."
The Auror Office is remaining tight-lipped on the details of the case and subsequent investigation. Sources reveal that Auror Tabitha James, who has been investigating the kidnappings of Miss Cooper and Miss Stiles is leading the enquiry into the kidnapping. Whether this is the best choice remains unclear: Auror James, though well-respected for her previous work on the Kitchins case and Mungworth enquiry, has yet to turn up any sizeable leads on the kidnappings, and many within the wizarding community are beginning to doubt her capability to solve the case. Perhaps, some argue, it is time for a set of fresh eyes. Continued on page 5.
Teddy sat on his bed, his knees drawn up to his chest, re-reading both Ella's letter and the newspaper clipping. He had seen the article when it had first come out in the newspaper the previous morning, and it had sent shockwaves through his body. One would think that with all the shocking things that had been happening in the world of late, he would have become desensitised, and yet with each new development, he felt himself becoming more and more unsettled. What had started off as a lone incident - the horrible, but isolated kidnapping of Melissa Cooper - had quickly escalated into a chain of events that seemed almost uncontrollable. He held onto the hope that it would all end sooner, rather than later, but even that hope seemed to be dissipating rather quickly. A muggle boy? What on Earth would wizards want with a muggle boy?
It didn't seem to make any sense. Like both the article and Ella pointed out, the kidnapping seemed to be perpetrated by the same people behind Melissa Cooper and Leslie Stiles' disappearances and yet it seemed so separate. It had no link to Hogwarts - if it wasn't for the mark, it wouldn't have had any link to the magical world at all. And yet Teddy couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that there was some sort of close relation. He didn't know what it was, but he'd had this feeling ever since he'd read the boy's name.
Dursley. He knew he'd heard that name before.
Ella would probably say that he was being silly, that he'd become too attached to her theory. He thought for a moment about how she didn't know that he'd sent it to Tabitha James anonymously. He wondered whether the Auror had even read it, or whether she'd thrown it out, assuming it was from some sort of raving lunatic who was too obsessed with the kidnappings for his own good. If she had read it, Teddy hoped that she'd seen the logic behind it. Perhaps he was attached to the theory, perhaps he did hope that it had some substance, perhaps he wanted to somehow indirectly play a role in catching the bad guys, but he wasn't ready to give up on it just yet.
He'd definitely heard that name before. If only he could remember where.
He was distracted from his thoughts however when there was a sharp rap on the door downstairs. Curious, he jumped up and had just left his room when he heard his grandmother exclaim, "Well, isn't this a lovely surprise!"
"I got off work early and thought I might pop around to see my favourite neighbour and my godson," Harry Potter said, hanging his coat and scarf on the hook by the door and kissing Andromeda on the cheek. "Where is Teddy?"
"Right here!" Teddy exclaimed, barrelling down the stairs and into his godfather's arms. "I haven't seen you in ages, Uncle Harry!"
Harry laughed and enveloped the Hufflepuff into a hug. "Yes, I'm afraid they've been keeping me rather busy at work."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Andromeda said, shaking her head as she led the two boys into the living room, "what with this horrible kidnapping. Take a seat, won't you, Harry dear? I'll put the kettle on."
"That's quite alright, Andromeda, I don't want to trouble you."
"Nonsense!" The older woman shooed him over to the sofa. "You've had a long day, you make yourself comfortable. Teddy, be a dear and help me with the tea."
Teddy followed his grandmother into the kitchen and arranged biscuits and chocolates on a platter. He helped her bring out the drinks - cups of tea for her and Uncle Harry, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate for himself - before sitting next to his godfather on the sofa and helping himself to a particularly tasty miniature chocolate frog.
"I'm surprised they let you off early, Harry dear," Andromeda commented. "I'd have expected that they would have needed all hands on deck right now, what with the kidnapping of the Dursley boy, and your knowledge would have likely been useful."
Teddy thought he saw a flicker of irritation pass over his godfather's face.
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that Robards felt I was… too emotionally involved." Harry's tone of voice suggested that he disagreed, but neither Andromeda nor Teddy said anything. "Robards has me in charge of talking to Dudley and his wife, Beatrice, but I'm not party to anything else going on in the investigation, and Beatrice is understandably upset. I left because she'd clearly had quite enough for the day, and I thought it best to let her rest for a while."
"Understandable," Andromeda murmured, sipping her tea. "The poor mother. I can't imagine…" she trailed off.
There was silence for a moment, until Teddy, confused, turned and said, "Uncle Harry?"
"Yes?"
"I'm confused."
The Auror looked mildly amused. "About what?"
"Why does Auror Robards think you're too emotionally involved?"
Harry glanced at Andromeda, who sighed and nodded. He turned back to Teddy. "If I tell you something, Teddy, you must promise not to tell anyone else. I'm sure it will come out in due time, but for the moment, the Ministry is trying to keep this under wraps."
"I promise," Teddy replied solemnly.
"The boy who was kidnapped is named Arlington Dursley and he's… well, he's my nephew. Of sorts. His father, Dudley, is my cousin."
That's where he'd heard the name before. He'd heard his godfather mention his cousin a few times - they weren't close, but he knew that Uncle Harry visited him occasionally, if only just to keep in touch. He had never met Dudley or Arlington himself, but his blood went cold all the same. The kidnapping suddenly felt a whole lot more personal.
"Teddy?" Harry said.
"Did you meet him?" Teddy asked. "Arlington? Have you met him?"
There was silence for a moment before Harry nodded. "Yes. He was a lovely boy."
Teddy said nothing. He was aware of a million thoughts and questions racing through his mind, but he couldn't articulate a single one.
"Listen, Teddy, I don't want you to worry about this." Harry reached forward and grasped Teddy's hand. "It'll be alright, I promise. The Ministry's working hard on this, they'll find him soon enough."
Would they? Teddy had his doubts. He couldn't help but agree with the Daily Prophet article - perhaps it was time for the case to get a pair of fresh eyes. Tabitha James had been on it for months and made no progress. He knew that she was supposed to be the best Auror there was, but surely she was missing something crucial that perhaps someone else could detect.
"Perhaps we should change the subject," Andromeda murmured, sipping her tea. "How are the boys, Harry?"
It was another half an hour before Harry left. Teddy tried to get him to stay longer, but he needed to get home - Ginny had an important appointment, and he had to look after the children. Teddy told him to give James, Albus, and Lily his love, and then went upstairs, leaving his grandmother to see him out.
Upon reaching his room, he shut the door behind him and walked over to his desk, sitting down with a sigh. He wasn't sure what to do. The fact that Arlington Dursley was related to his godfather wasn't exactly unimportant - it linked the boy to the wizarding world, and it may even suggest a possible motive behind the various attacks and kidnappings (though Teddy sincerely doubted that they were meant to target his uncle Harry in some way - there were much more effective ways to do that, and Harry wasn't even the Auror assigned to the case). Ella and Alfie - Ella especially, since she followed the case so carefully - needed to know, and yet he'd promised not to tell anyone.
But then again, surely the rules could be broken, just this once?
He hated breaking his godfather's trust, but there was something in him that told him that this was what he needed to do.
Opening his desk drawer, he extracted his quill and a sheet of parchment. It was rather stuffy in his room, so he decided to open his window slightly. When he settled back down into his chair, he became aware of voices drifting in from outside. Curious, he attempted to listen.
"- nothing that's been big enough to warrant a full investigation, or even full punishment yet," Harry was saying.
Andromeda said something in reply, but Teddy couldn't quite hear her. He got up and quietly tiptoed over to the window, and, flattening himself on the wall next to it, began to pay attention once again.
" - worry."
"No, no, of course not." Uncle Harry again. "It's nothing to worry about - that's why I didn't want to say anything in front of Teddy. Though there may be more of them, they're infrequent and like I said, completely minor. Nothing worse than a black eye."
Silence for a moment, then Andromeda: "I didn't think -"
"Neither did I," Harry sighed.
"I just want this whole situation to be over."
"Me too. Regardless of what the Prophet may imply, we're doing our darndest in the office to make sure that it is over as soon as possible." Pause. "I should be going."
"I appreciate you telling me this. I won't breathe a word."
"Thank you. The last thing we need is the Prophet getting wind of increased incidents against muggleborns. They'll have a field day with that one, and quite honestly, they've pulled one too many over the Ministry of late."
Teddy's throat constricted. Increased incidents against muggleborns? What could that mean? There couldn't have been more attacks or dark marks - his uncle Harry would have told him if it was something that serious, or he'd have heard about it in the paper, or something. Harry had said that they were minor and infrequent but still...what sorts of incidents?
Alfie.
He saw a flash of his best friend's chocolate brown eyes and messy hair, and felt his heart pang. He wasn't in any danger, was he?
He didn't mention what he'd overheard in his letters to Ella and Alfie. While it was likely important, he didn't have enough details, and didn't want to upset them pointlessly and detract from their holidays. Still, it continued to weigh on his mind all the way until dinnertime. Should he have warned Alfie to be extra vigilant? What if something happened? Were any of them safe?
"You haven't touched your soup," Andromeda commented gently.
"Huh?" Teddy looked up at his grandmother, and then back down at his bowl of pumpkin soup. "Oh. Sorry."
"Is something worrying you, dear?"
"What? What gave you that idea?"
Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "Your hair is turning a rather awful shade of mousy brown. Your mother's used to do that when she was stressed about something."
Teddy felt a familiar wave of sadness run through him. "I'm just … thinking."
"About what Uncle Harry said earlier?"
He nodded. "That."
"And?"
He hesitated for a moment, unsure of exactly what to say. He could bring up what he'd overheard, but he doubted it'd take him anywhere beyond assurances that he was completely safe and it was nothing for him to worry about. Instead, he voiced a question that he'd tried to ignore, that he'd tried to put out of his mind, but that had haunted him regardless.
"Is this what it was like … then? Back during the second wizarding war?"
His grandmother, usually so calm and composed, faltered. He found himself unable to meet her eyes. The wizarding war had been a dark time for her, and he knew she hated going back there, revisiting the memories that caused her so much pain. He almost wished he'd never said anything at all.
"No," she said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "No, Teddy, Merlin no."
"I'm sorry," he said, "I just…I don't really know what it was like, and it seems like such a dark time, and right now…" he faltered. "I don't know what to say, Gran, but it feels like everything's falling apart."
"I know." She reached forward and clasped his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining. "I know, my darling. But you are safe. As long as I live, and even after, I will ensure that you are safe no matter what."
"I know," he said, a sad smile stretching across his lips, for he knew it was true. His grandmother, though ageing, was a tough lady. She would do anything for him. "It's just … scary."
"The war wasn't long ago, Teddy. People remember it. And while they remember it, nothing like it will ever happen again."
He met her gaze and ever so slowly, nodded. He wanted nothing more than to believe her.
And yet somehow, he couldn't.
.oOo.
X: Correspondence (II)
[not intercepted by the Ministry of Magic]
21st December 2013
The job's done. Transported to Safe House with the other two. Awaiting the Follower's instructions.
A/N: It's been ages! Progress on TLC is slow, but steady - I have exams right now, so no idea when the next chapter will be, but this story definitely isn't over yet, so keep checking back (in the next chapter, there'll be lots more Alfie and Victoire, who didn't really feature very much in this chapter, a sneak peek into Riley's home life, and one of Harry Potter's famous Christmas parties) xx Thank you for sticking with me - I hope you enjoyed the chapter!