Chapter 14

"Poor you, Emily! I can't believe what you've been through!" Emily and Jon were sitting in a broom closet near the Great Hall. Emily had wanted to tell him what had happened without the other girls leaning over her shoulder. "The rat man, almost being raised by muggles." He shook his head. "It's crazy!"

Emily had explained everything to him. He was her closest friend so far, and that meant she couldn't keep secrets from him. If it was something girly, like who fancied who, then she would keep it to herself. But if it was important, like Emily finding out about her dad working at Hogwarts, she would find a way to tell Jon no matter what.

"I know. It's totally insane! Why the hell did I have to be the person born into this craziness? I…"

The door was suddenly opened by a tall, Gryffindor boy who was at least a sixth year, but probably a seventh year. He was good-looking with dark, messy brown hair, and charming, deep brown eyes. His nose was small, and dainty, looking almost too feminine for his face with his longer then usual eyelashes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in here." His voice was enchanting, but playful in a "mature" way. "I'll just leave you two alone, eh?" He winked at them and began to close the door.

"No wait!" called Emily and Jon at the same time, jumping up. They hurried out the door.

"What? Are you done in there?" asked the handsome boy jokingly.

Emily mentally sighed. Why did everyone at Hogwarts think there was something going on between Jon and herself? "We weren't making out, if that's what you think. We're not 'together' or anything."

Jon nodded in agreement.

The boy looked surprised. "Oh. I didn't think there was any other use for a broom cupboard."

Emily pushed her way past him, dragging Jon along. "There are lots of other ways to use broom cupboard. The key one; HOLDING BROOMS!" She marched off towards the Hufflepuff stairway.

"Hey, sorry," called the boy after her.

Jon shot him an apologetic look and raced after Emily.

"Hey, Ems. You didn't have to get so insulted. It's natural that snogging was the first thing that came to mind when he saw…"

"Oh, shut it, Jon! We were talking. He shouldn't have barged in like that."

Jon shrugged. "Have it your way. I'm gonna go back to the Gryffindor Tower. I'll see you later, okay?"

Emily waved and continued towards her common room.

The week rolled on, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Emily's classes went normally. Professor Lupin acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and never brought up that Emily was his daughter. Emily learned nothing more about why her mom raised her. She had been too busy to ask Lupin, with all of her new homework and all of the catching up she needed to do. Jon helped her whenever possible, and Genny never hesitated to assist her on a spell or essay. Luciana and Gabrielle would gossip, and loved when Emily would join them.

"So, then I said, 'Hey, is that my potions book?' and he was like, 'Yeah, it is. Whatcha gonna do about it- curse me?'"

The girls broke into laughter, adding to the deafening noise of the Great Hall.

Emily felt somebody tap her shoulder. She was surprised to see the handsome boy who had discovered her and Jon in the broom cupboard.

She ignored him before he could say anything.

"Hey, Seamus. What's up?" asked Genny, in a smooth, playful voice. "Did you come to ask me on another date? Ice-skating in Hogsmeade was so much fun." She laughed a high, fake laugh. "If only I could do it again." She seemed to be hinting at something to the boy, Seamus as she had called him.

Seamus smiled and sat on the bench next to her. "It was a once in a lifetime chance, baby. But for you, I guess I could make an exception."

Genny smiled at him.

Gabrielle pretended to gag.

Luciana nudged me and whispered, "Seamus and Genny have been going out for about a year. They get so gross sometimes. It's weird. Seamus didn't used to be this….obnoxious. I wonder what happened to change that?"

"So, how about next Hogsmeade trip? You, me, Madam Puddifoots?" She asked, lovingly.

Seamus grinned, mischievously. "Sounds like a date, lovely Genevieve." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Genny giggled.

The meal continued. Afterwards, Emily said to the other Hufflepuff fourth year girls, "I'll see you later. I have to find a book about polyjuice potions from the library."

They waved goodbye to her, and she left the Great Hall.

Emily had been wandering around for a few minutes, when she entered a gloomy looking corridor and heard the door slam behind her.

"Hey, baby. What're ya up to?" asked a threatening, but familiar male voice from behind her.

Emily spun around. "Seamus? What are you doing? Open the door- it's pitch black in here."

"Exactly, sugar. That's the point." His voice leered closer.

Emily tried to run to where she thought the door was, but slipped and fell into Seamus's arms.

"Where are you going, girl? You just got here. Sit down and stay for a while!" He pushed Emily to the floor. As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, Emily saw the once handsome boy menacingly approaching her. He eyes opened wide in fear, and her heart frozen, she was unable to move.

"So, Emily, how does it feel to be privileged like this by me?" He asked, his voice coming from right in front of Emily now.

Emily's paralysis broke. She screamed as if her life depended on it.

Somebody broke through the door.

"Stupefy!" she heard, at the same time as a scream that sounded an awful lot like Genny.

She floated into unconsciousness as she heard a loud thump where Seamus had just been standing. What happened next she was unsure of. The stunning spell must have missed its target and hit her instead. She was in fates hands now.