Rebecca had woken up to people talking. She opened her eyes to see the curtains of her bed pulled shut. She was back in the Wampus dormitory. She pulled back the curtain to reveal Morgan and Andrew.
"Bloody hell." Rebecca said at once as she pulled the curtain back to close. "Andrew, you're not supposed to be in here."
"If he hadn't helped me get you up here, you'd still be lying on the ground in that corridor." Morgan said. "Besides, everybody has clothes on, so open up because we need to talk."
Rebecca did as instructed. She pulled the curtain back once more and sat up.
"Why am I so exhausted?" Rebecca asked them as she propped her pillows up to where she could look at them properly.
"Maybe because not thirty minutes ago you were beating up Vanessa?" Andrew said.
Rebecca just remembered what she had done. "Oh..."
"It's a bigger problem than just 'oh'." Morgan said. "You nearly killed her. It's a good thing Lucy stopped you."
Rebecca pondered as she recalled the attack on Vanessa. "I have no regrets to what I did to her." She said cooly. Andrew and Morgan both looked at each other. "What was Lucy doing there anyways?" Rebecca asked.
"We asked for her help to find you." Morgan said. "We saw her as we went in the direction you and Vanessa ran. After fighting Cass and Sheila, Andy and I were too slow so she ran ahead and found you and pulled you off."
"I saved her life while you were being held back." Andrew said.
"Why?" Rebecca said. "She's going to keep bullying us again. She'll never stop."
"Well..." Andrew said. "When you were knocked out, Vanessa was pleading for me to help her, saying she was sorry, and if I saved her life she would never talk bad again. She sweared it and she wouldn't go to a teacher either."
"She's a liar." Rebecca said immediately. "She just wanted to save her own skin. I'll bet in an hour the headmaster himself will be here to escort me out."
"We're actually not sure where she is." Morgan stated. "Lucy told us to take you here and she would deal with Vanessa."
Rebecca couldn't understand it. Why was Lucy so eager to help Rebecca after everything that had happened between them this year? "What did she mean by dealing with her?" Rebecca asked. Both of her friends shrugged their shoulders.
As it turned out, Professor Fontaine, the headmaster, never appeared, nor did anyone else, to take Rebecca away. The next day, Vanessa was nowhere to be found in class and neither was Lucy. In Defense Against The Dark Arts, Cassandra and Sheila were trying to cover up their scars. Rebecca was pretty sure Cass had a broken nose.
After class, Professor Stetson had Rebecca stay after. She didn't speak to her until after everyone left the room.
"Explain to me what happened to you and Miss Bancroft." Stetson said.
Rebecca was caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean." Stetson said. "I know you attacked her. Her friends had told me they got into a fight with Miss Wolfe and Mr. Lorette. Miss Bancroft was last seen being chased by you. And then this morning she and Miss Parkinson were both found in a corridor beaten up and bloody."
"You mean Lucy was in a fight?" Rebecca stumbled.
"That is what she said when she had woken up. Miss Bancroft has yet to recover, but regardless, I have evidence to suggest it was you."
Stetson gazed down to Rebecca's hands which still had scars on her knuckles. Rebecca moved them to fold behind her back and swallowed hard. She wondered if Stetson had any authority to do something even if there was no actual proof she had done something, but Rebecca was confused on how Lucy was hurt.
"Until Miss Bancroft wakes up, there's nothing I can do to punish you, but I am starting to notice changes in your behavior since you have arrived back."
"Good observation." Rebecca said smartly.
Stetson bit her lip. "You need more training or you're doomed. I heard about the attack. Clearly you done a poor job at dueling Lestrange. Otherwise your godbrother might had lived."
Things started to become more tense now. Rebecca said, "Are you suggesting it was my fault?"
"Had you taken the time to properly learn how to cast nonverbal spells and how to really duel, he would still be here." Stetson said. "But due to your lack of giving a damn in my class, he wound up a puddle of blood on the ground of a subway station. And all you did was cry and shout. It's pathetic. Get out of my classroom."
Rebecca didn't say a word. She felt Stetson was trying to get under her skin. It didn't stop Rebecca from being mad. Hate coursed through her body, so she decided to leave the classroom before things got out of hand. She already had one close call in the last twenty-four hours and she wondered if it would last with Vanessa soon to be waking up.
Rebecca wanted to visit the hospital wing to see Lucy. She had so many questions. The biggest one was why did she choose to risk herself getting kicked out of school over Rebecca. Rebecca couldn't imagine what Lucy had to do to get herself bloodied up to pull it off. There were a number of spells that could cause lacerations and wounds. The fact that Lucy went through them for Rebecca was what baffled her the most. Rebecca proceeded for lunch to the great hall. She turned a corner and bumped into somebody.
"Will you watch where you're going?!" Rebecca exploded.
"Woah, woah. I'm sorry." A terrified Albus Potter said as he backed up.
Rebecca realized she was in the wrong. Besides, how could she be mad at him? "I'm so sorry, Al." She said with a sigh.
"Al? You're calling me Al now?" Albus asked.
"I'm sorry. I'll stop." Rebecca muttered, feeling stupid. "I'm not even sure why I said that."
"Oh no. It's fine." Albus said. "I thought it was kinda cute- uh I mean, cool." He grinned.
"Really?" Rebecca asked with her head tilted.
"Er- I mean... Are you alright?" Albus asked, changing the subject. "You seem tense and anxious."
"I'm... I'm fine... It's nothing to worry about." Rebecca scratched her ear and she seen that Albus noticed her knuckles.
Albus didn't say a word. He just took it and examined it. Rebecca wanted to pull back, but he handled her hand so carefully, it felt like a blanket had wrapped them, but it was cold and Rebecca liked anything that was freezing.
"Rebecca..." Albus said, but couldn't get to the asking part. He was too worried to speak. Rebecca was beginning to feel terrible and weak. She looked up at him who was looking right into her eyes.
"Albus, I need help." Rebecca cried. "Please help me. You were the last person who I spoke to before I lost Blake. You spoke to me last before everything happened."
Don't worry Becca. I'm here for you. Always." He continued to hold onto her hand.
"You were going to tell me something before Delphi attacked, but you never finished. Please tell me what you wanted to say." Rebecca said.
Albus appeared uneasy, but Rebecca thought he looked strong. He was right here for her. He could had walked away and said he couldn't do anything for her. It was his will to stick to his words that Rebecca admired.
"Well... I wanted to..." Albus began.
"Yes?" Rebecca asked eagerly.
"I wanted to ask you out on a date." Albus followed through.
Rebecca felt a rush of excitement. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Albus must had been expecting a rejection.
"I would like to as well." Rebecca said with a weak smile. Albus' face transitioned from worry to surprised and then to happy. He smiled back at her.
"Where do you want to go?" Rebecca asked him.
"Er. Well... I wasn't sure on that." Albus said. "There's not many places to go to at Ilvermorny. It's not like there is a Hogsmeade to visit."
Rebecca gave it a little more thought. "What about just a spot on the grounds? The snakewood tree? We don't have to do anything special."
"Uh yeah." Albus said. "Sounds good. Maybe we can eat dinner together in the great hall afterwards if things go well?"
"I like it." Rebecca said softly. "Well, see you this Saturday at three?"
"Perfect." Albus said now gaining his confidence.
Rebecca let go of Albus' hand which they had turned it into an actual hold and they exchanged goodbyes before Rebecca headed for the great hall.