"Once upon another time, before I knew which life was mine, before I left the child behind me, I saw myself in summer nights and stars lit up like candle light. I make my wish but mostly I believed…" - Once Upon Another Time by Sara Bareilles
One month later...
It was the morning of the first Quidditch match of the year: Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff. Carmilla's stomach was turning. She hasn't been this nervous for a match since second year. She knew that a lot of people would be watching her house with a critical eye after what happened the previous year. Sure, they still won the Quidditch Cup because of the huge point difference in their game with Hufflepuff but nobody cared. In the eyes of the Hogwarts student population, Gryffindor was the real winner of the Quidditch Cup.
Carmilla looked over to the Hufflepuff table. Their entire team looked happy and just generally excited to play. It was a stark contrast to her house where everyone was sullen and serious. Once upon a time, Slytherin was one of the livelier ones pre-game. The Hufflepuff captain, Bradley Michaelson was making a rousing speech to the rest of his house. Something about them being a community and always supporting each other. Whatever.
On the other hand, Lex was nowhere to be found. She said something about looking for Will. Will had been disappearing a lot lately and Lex was getting suspicious. Admittedly, so was Carmilla. When she brought up her concerns to Mattie, her aunt just said that Will was probably just avoiding them.
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Lex marched in dragging Will by the neckline of his Quidditch sweater. Will, on the other hand, was grumbling and squirming. Lex threw Will down near Carmilla and drew her wand out, pointing it at Will. Carmilla jumped out of her seat and moved back, eyes wide. Lex without her wand was scary enough but when she was actually holding it? Nobody wanted to be within the kill-zone.
"Lex, what the hell is this?" Carmilla said. She could feel the rest of the school staring at them and it made her feel uneasy. Lex usually didn't like this kind of attention but now she was willingly calling it to them.
"Ask William over here," Lex spat out.
"Lex, wait," Will said. He pushed himself up. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure that we were going to win."
Lex's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Will chuckled and rest his right arm on a bench. Carmilla couldn't believe he still had the nerve to do that. "You're distracted. It's unbelievable. I just thought that if I jinxed Hufflepuff's brooms, they'd have more trouble scoring."
The tip of Lex's wand started glowing dangerously. Carmilla could practically see Will trembling. Lex was terrifying if she wanted to be. Who knows what she would do to Will? Something that could get her expelled, probably. But the old Lex wouldn't dare do anything. She was calm, composed, and rational. Carmilla didn't recognize the person in front of her.
"Lex, that's enough," she said, slowly moving forward as if approaching a dangerous animal. She put her hand on Lex's wand and pushed it down, bringing it to her cousin's side.
"I'm not distracted," Lex said through gritted teeth. Will's eyes practically screamed 'prove it'. Lex turned to the Ravenclaw table, eyes meeting with a short-haired brunette."I'm glad you're okay now but I swear on whatever higher being exists that if you get in our way again, you're finished."
Clara's lips parted slightly, a look of hurt flashing in her eyes. Lex turned away even as Adam stood up and started yelling at her, demanding her to apologize. Lex's eyes were unreadable, but she glared at Will before looking up to the rest of her house.
"Slytherin Quidditch players, we have a meeting at the usual." And with that she briskly walked out of the Great Hall.
Carmilla looked around to gauge the reactions of everyone else. The Ravenclaws looked either shocked or outraged. Adam walked over to a Hufflepuff player and said something to him. The rest of the Hufflepuffs were huddled together and whispering to one another. The Gryffindors were mostly stunned to silence which was really rare. The Gryffindors are usually the noisiest. Carmilla's eyes landed on Laura and she felt her insides grow cold. Laura was looking everywhere but at her and Carmilla couldn't help but worry.
(Does she think I'd say the same to her?)
Really, anything's possible. And Carmilla wasn't feeling very optimistic.
Mathias dragged Will up to stand and Sofia put her hand on Carmilla's shoulder.
"Come on, Karnstein. Cap's waiting."
==xx==
Four years ago...
Carmilla noticed her cousin had been hanging around the library a lot. Yes, Lex was total bookworm but this was too much. Carmilla was thinking about going there to check (spy) on her cousin when hands suddenly covered her eyes.
The smell of cookies gave the person away and Carmilla smiled, wrapping her hands around the wrists of the person.
"Cupcake, please," she said, pulling Laura's hands down. "If you want to surprise me, it won't work. Your food gives you away." Carmilla turned in her seat to look at the Gryffindor girl who had a pout on her face.
Laura plopped down to sit next to Carmilla, her back on the table.
"You look nervous," Laura said.
Carmilla nearly choked on her drink. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Laura giggled. "Carm, please. You're usually so calm but now you're fidgeting." Carmilla stopped her leg from bouncing. "And when you walked in, your eyes kept darting from side-to-side."
Carmilla sighed. "You're a lot more observant than I thought, pop tart."
Laura grinned but put her hands over Carmilla's which were resting on the table. "Relax, Carm! You can do this! Don't mind anyone else. Just focus on that stitch."
"Snitch."
"Yeah, that thing." Laura smiled. "You got this so stop fretting!"
Carmilla gave Laura a small smile. "Thanks, Laura."
Laura feigned surprise. She put a hand on her chest. "Oh Merlin's beard! Did you just call me by my first name? Quick! Someone check her! She might be sick!"
Carmilla rolled her eyes and pushed Laura. "Don't get used to it, creampuff."
Laura giggled and Carmilla couldn't help but smile.
==xx==
Present...
The quaffle was thrown in the air and the game started. Laura watched Carmilla fly up to get a better view of the pitch. Laura knew that she mostly stops the other seeker from getting the snitch until Slytherin gets a satisfactory lead. It was a smart tactic, one that the other houses tried to do before (didn't really work. Apparently, there was only so much stopping you could do without it being considered a foul.) Laura had no doubt that Carmilla could pull it off. Laura loved LaFontaine as a friend but she knew they weren't willing to go as fast as Carmilla would. Something about the speed being too dangerous. Sure, LaF liked pushing the limits, but Carmilla practically breaks them.
Laura's attention was drawn to the Slytherin side of the pitch as the house cheered.
"Ivers' reflexes have gotten faster," Danny commented, beside Laura. The redhead was observing the match intently, probably analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each member and forming tactics against them.
There was a yelp when one of the Hufflepuff beaters' bats was knocked off his hand. Will winked and pointed a finger gun at him. The beater glared and swooped down to retrieve his bat which proved to be difficult, having to dodge so many things.
The match carried on, Slytherin had a two hundred-point lead and Carmilla was now chasing the snitch. Danny started to stretch. The match was going to be over soon, a sure win for Slytherin. That's when Laura noticed Adam Martin, in the Ravenclaw stands, nod to one of the Hufflepuff beaters, Bash Cooper who grinned. Bash intercepted a bludger and sent it hurtling towards Lex who was too busy blocking a quaffle. The bludger hit Lex square in the stomach, knocking her off her broom. She landed on the ground below with a dull thud.
Slytherin and a few others from the rest of the houses (Laura and Danny included) jumped to their feet and started yelling in protest. Others simply laughed and cheered. Madame Teaño called time-out and gave Bash a red card but the damage was done. Substitutions weren't allowed in Quidditch. That exchange caused the seekers to lose sight of the snitch. Laura could practically hear Carmilla swearing.
"Bash couldn't have thought of that by himself," Danny muttered. "Theoretically, yes but he wouldn't actually. I get that they want to win but that was too far."
"Do you think Lex is going to be okay?" Laura asked. It looked pretty bad but a lot of Quidditch injuries did and most of them turned out okay in the end.
Danny shrugged and sighed. "I don't know."
Carmilla couldn't stop swearing. God fucking dammit. Adam Martin is a shit head and everyone knew it. He wasn't playing but Carmilla knew, she just fucking did, that he was behind all this crap. Lex wasn't moving when they carried her away. Without a keeper, Hufflepuff could pretty much score freely. She had to find that stupid fucking snitch as fast as possible.
The whistle was blown and the match resumed. Carmilla flew up again to get a better view. Will was working overtime, sending so many bludgers in the way of the quaffles, and even the chasers themselves. Carmilla knew he was itching to send a bludger towards the Hufflepuff keeper (poetic justice or some crap like that) but he didn't need any more heat.
They lost fifty points from their lead and Carmilla was getting desperate. If LaFontaine catches the snitch before she does, Slytherin loses. Just then, a glint caught Carmilla's eye. The snitch. She swore and dove after it. LaFontaine noticed her and flew right after her. They were right behind her and were starting to move up next to her. Carmilla gritted her teeth. She and LaFontaine may be on different teams but she actually got along well with them when she was dating Laura. In Carmilla's opinion, LaFontaine was the second fastest seeker. That earned them her respect.
Carmilla leaned forward, urging her broom to go faster. Soon enough, she was pulling ahead of LaFontaine. She was going at a dangerous speed, sure, but she needed to win this. Carmilla stretched her left hand forward. The snitch was right at her fingertips. She could hear Hufflepuff screaming as yet another goal was scored. Carmilla gritted her teeth and pushed forward, hand closing around the snitch. She flew up, raising her closed fist. The wings of the snitch were poking out, a clear indication that the snitch had been caught.
Madame Teaño used the sonorous charm on herself before speaking. "Carmilla Karnstein has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins the game with a two hundred ten-point lead!"
Carmilla nearly fell off her broom in relief. Chants of "Karnstein! Karnstein!" came from the Slytherin stands. Will even gave her a thumbs up. And because it was an old habit she still hadn't shaken off, she looked towards the Gryffindor stands and her eyes found Laura's.
==xx==
Four years ago…
Carmilla now understood why Lex loved Quidditch so much. She was raising the snitch she caught over her head. And a good chunk of the crowd was cheering for her. It was euphoric. She turned to look at Laura was jumping up and down the Gryffindor stands. The ginger next to her was grudgingly give her a look of approval.
Carmilla couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face upon seeing Laura. Sure, the other girl didn't make Gryffindor's team. But she remained optimistic, saying that she could just try again the following year.
The entire Slytherin team dismounted and started to head towards the showers. Their captain was saying something about keeping up the good work when a tiny body crashed into hers. The captain stared for a moment before rolling his eyes and gesturing for everyone to go ahead. He gave Carmilla a look that said "Take your time" before turning to follow the rest of the team.
Carmilla patted Laura's back. "Creampuff, I'm sweaty and probably smell gross, could you let go?"
Laura scoffed and pulled back, nose wrinkling as she did so. "Yeah you do stink. Does this mean I have to shower too?"
Carmilla rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Laura's arm. "You were the one who decided to hug me, spaz."
Laura pouted. "When are you going to start calling me by my actual name?"
Carmilla shrugged. "When I feel like it, I guess," she said.
Laura glared at her which caused Carmilla to grin.
"What's funny?" Laura demanded.
Carmilla chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that the bunched-up face you make when you're angry is hilarious, Buttercup."
Laura just shook her head and grabbed Carmilla's arm. "Let's get you to the showers, Stinker."
Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "Stinker? That's the best you can come up with?"
"Shut up!"
==xx==
Present…
Carmilla trudged into the Great Hall. She and Will visited Lex in the infirmary. The nurse told them that Lex had a few cracked ribs from the bludger and a sprained arm from her landing. When Carmilla asked her how her cousin's injuries weren't as serious as expected, she just shrugged and said, "Someone must have cast a spell to soften the blow. And it was a good thing too! You could have lost your cousin, here. Thank Madame Teaño. She was probably the one who did."
Carmilla had a feeling that Madame Teaño wasn't the one responsible for saving Lex but she didn't say that out loud. Will thanked the nurse and left. Carmilla stayed for a moment, hoping her cousin would wake up, but the nurse said she'll be out for the day and that with the right potions, she'll back in shape.
Carmilla hoped so. Lex was pretty much the only one she could confide in.
(Well, her and Mattie.)
The entire Slytherin table was quiet despite their victory. If Lex doesn't recover in time for their next match that means their back-up keeper would have to go up. Mac was good, sure, but he didn't actually like playing.
(Pretty much why he's just back-up)
Somebody cleared their throat behind her. Carmilla turned around and found herself face-to-face with Perry and Bash Cooper. It was a strange sight. Bash, at 6'5", had his shoulders hunched and he looked painfully embarrassed. Perry, who was no doubt much shorter than Bash, had her chin raised, and a stern expression on her face.
"Carmilla, there's something Bash would like to say to you," Perry said. She nudged Bash who looked down and scratched the back of his head.
"Um… Hey Karnstein, I, uh," he stammered. Perry nudged him again, harder this time. "I'm sorry! Okay, there. I'm sorry. That was a dick move, hitting your cousin with a bludger, I mean."
The boy looked like he was melting under Perry's intense glare so Carmilla just sighed and said, "Apology accepted." And she waved him away. Bash scampered away as fast as he could, knocking a few people aside by accident.
Perry stayed behind. "How's Alessandra, Carmilla?" She asked. She was wringing her hands together, the only indication that she was nervous.
Carmilla shrugged. "She's out but the nurse said she'd be back in no time." Perry opened her mouth as if to say something else then she closed it, frowning so hard Carmilla was afraid her face would stay that way. "Look, ginger, if you're not going to say anything else, you can go. No one's stopping you.
Just then, some of the Ravenclaws entered the Great Hall, talking loudly as they did.
"I mean, did you see her face when the bludger hit her stomach?" Adam asked them.
"Man, she's always so stoic when we play during summer." Carmilla recognized Killian among them and she felt her blood boiling. She knew there was a reason why she didn't like that boy.
"I'm not saying she deserved it but," Theo said. He smirked and shrugged. "She deserved it." The rest of the boys laughed at that.
Carmilla was up in no time. She could hear Perry calling out her name but she didn't care. All she could see was red. She marched up to Theo, and called out "Hey asshole!" before shoving his shoulder, startling him.
"What the-" Theo started. He never got to finish. Carmilla swung her left hand as hard as she could. She felt something crunch underneath her fist. Theo fell to the ground, his nose bleeding profusely, and Carmilla smirked in satisfaction.
Adam and the rest of the Ravenclaw boys were about to lunge at her when light exploded between them. Carmilla skidded across the floor due to the force of the spell. She turned to see Professor Magnussen with her wand out. She looked sternly at Carmilla.
"Karnstein, the Headmistress' office," she said.
Carmilla stood up and brushed herself. "What? But-"
"You're the one who attacked first." Carmilla didn't budge. "Now, Karnstein."
Carmilla gritted her teeth but walked out of the Great Hall. She bumped someone on the way out.
"Carm, are you okay?" It was Laura. Carmilla felt a pang in her chest but she shrugged the other girl off and went on her way.
==xx==
Laura was trying not to let Carmilla's lack of response get to her. Yeah, it sucked but if that's how she wanted to go about things, then fine.
Laura hoped, though. She hoped that maybe Carmilla looking at her at the end of the Quidditch match meant that there was still a chance that they could talk and fix whatever happened. The short exchange at the entrance of the Great Hall crushed all that. Carmilla was still unresponsive and emotionally distant.
"Hey Laura, you're spacing out again," LaFontaine said. Laura sat up straight and found that her friends were staring at her.
She scratched the back of her head. "Sorry guys. I'm just tired."
Danny looked at her skeptically but said nothing.
"Hey guys! What'd I miss?" Kirsch said. He sat down next to Danny and picked a fry of her plate. She slapped his hand, making him yelp and drop it.
The group was sitting at the Hufflepuff table this time. Danny had been drilling LaFontaine about anything they could have noticed about the Slytherin players while they were on the pitch. She really wanted to win this year and Laura admired her friend's determination.
"Well, Elvira socked Theo. Was a great hit too," Danny said before taking a bite out of a burger. "The nurse is currently checking his nose. It was bleeding and Adam was saying something about it being broken."
Kirsch looked surprised. "Damn! Didn't know angry hottie could pack a punch. Shame I missed it."
"Hey Laura," LaFontaine started. "You passed by her on your way in, right? Did she say anything?"
Laura shook her head. "Still radio silence. Honestly, I'm starting to doubt that we'll actually talk about anything outside schoolwork so..."
"How about when you two go on patrol?" Perry asked.
Laura sighed and shook her head. "She mostly just makes rude comments. I know I had the love goggles on for a while but did I really not notice any of those?"
Perry patted her back. "Well, in your defense, Laura, Carmilla may have been rude and abrasive to a lot of people, but with you she turned into a harmless little kitten."
Danny choked and Kirsch patted her back. LaFontaine couldn't help but giggle. Perry looked disapprovingly at them but Laura couldn't help but smile a little.
"That was a terrible image, Perry," Danny said. "I mean, Morgana? A kitten?"
Laura shrugged. "I don't know, Danny. It actually suits her."
Danny fake-retched. "Please stop before you give us any gross details."
Laura smiled. Her friends continued to joke around. She couldn't help but wonder how Carmilla was doing. Headmistress Belmonde wasn't exactly the most lenient person around.
==xx==
"Darling," Mattie started. She tutted as she circled Carmilla who was seated on one of the chairs in her office. "Why in the world did you hit that boy?"
Carmilla snorted. "Who?"
Mattie glared at her. "That Ravenclaw boy, Straka."
Carmilla shrugged. "He had it coming. He said Lex deserved what happened to her."
Mattie sighed and sat down next to Carmilla. "I'm sorry to say this, love, but she did." Carmilla frowned and was about to protest when Mattie raised a hand. "Your cousin is so self-righteous and selfish. She will do anything to look good in the eyes of your mother. Why? Because she's not actually Adelaide's daughter. You are."
Carmilla's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that Lex is jealous of me?"
Mattie scoffed. "What do you think?" When Carmilla still didn't look convinced, Mattie shook her head. "Have you ever wondered why Adelaide suddenly thought your doll was distracting you and preventing you from achieving your 'full potential'?" Carmilla said nothing. "That was because Lex told her. Your mother wrote to me asking what she should do."
Mattie stood up, went around her desk, and opened a drawer. She sifted through the papers in it before pulling one out and handing it to her niece.
Carmilla took it. It was a letter in her mother's handwriting. Her mother laid out the details of things that apparently Lex told her. They were about her and her relationship with Laura. There were a few unflattering comments about Laura being a half-blood. The letter ended with her asking Mattie whether forcing Carmilla to end the relationship will work or not.
Carmilla's mind reeled. How could Lex do this? She couldn't believe her cousin was capable of such things. Except, no. Carmilla remembered how callously she suspended William, how she would threaten reporting his mishaps to mother. Carmilla just didn't think she'd actually do that to her. Memories of Lex being the protective older cousin suddenly seemed fake.
(Was it all an act?)
It must have been. That's the only explanation that would make sense at the moment. Carmilla felt like her whole world was ripped away.
Mattie looked on sympathetically. "Darling, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way." Carmilla realized that her eyes were watery and she hastily wiped them.
"No, no. It's okay." She let out a shaky breath. "Thank you for telling me."
Mattie nodded. Carmilla placed the letter on the desk and Mattie sat down. "The Board of Governors will frown at me if I don't do anything about what you did." She pulled out a piece of parchment and picked up her quill. She started writing things down. "How about going through the Forbidden Forest to make sure no other student wandered in?"
Carmilla scoffed. "Seriously? I thought the Forest was forbidden for a reason."
Mattie smirked. "Please, your… abilities are more than enough to keep you safe, my little monster."
Carmilla rolled her eyes. Obviously Mattie knew what she could do. "Fine. When do I go?"
Mattie finished writing then handed the paper to Carmilla. "Tonight, show this to Aulus when he stops you."
Carmilla nodded and stood up, thanking Mattie and turning to leave.
"Oh and Carmilla!" Mattie called. "Try not to punch any more students."
Carmilla chuckled. "I'll try."
==xx==
Four years ago...
Carmilla found herself sitting next to Lex in Mattie's office, trying hard not to smile. Lex was stoic like usual, but her eyes had a mischievous glint in them.
"What will your mother say when she finds out about this?" Mattie asked them. She had been pacing back and forth, talking about responsibility before stopping in front of the cousins and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"She'll probably scold us for my action while getting back at that boy's father," Lex said, casually. When Mattie narrowed her eyes, Lex shrugged. "What? He insulted my cousin. Do you really think I was going to let him get away with it?" She shook her head. "No. Any insult directed at Carmilla or William is an insult to me. I thought you'd understand that."
Lex's lips quirked and Carmilla could tell that if she was itching to flash a smug smile at Mattie.
Their aunt sighed. "Good point, Alessandra," she relented. "I'll hold off telling Adelaide but if this happens again, you'll get more than just detention by sorting out files."
Carmilla's eyes bugged out. "Wait what?" She glanced at the piles of paper behind Mattie. "Can't you just do that with magic?"
Mattie shook her head. "And how will you learn?"
Lex started to stand. "Wait, Mattie. I was the one who actually hit that boy. Carm shouldn't be punished too!"
"She jumped in, she should be here too." Lex looked at Carmilla apologetically. The latter just shrugged. "If you can fight someone without your wand, you can sort files without it as well." Mattie clapped twice. "Now hurry, you two! Those papers won't sort themselves."
Carmilla made a show of grumbling all the way to the papers. Lex on the other hand, was red in the face. Carmilla couldn't help but grin at that. Sure the punishment was harrowing in its own way, but at least she wasn't alone. Her cousin would always have her back.
Author's Note:
Sorry, I completely forgot to update here too. _ I kinda focus more on my ao3 account. Anyway...
This story is going to get happier, I swear. Anyway, special thanks once again to my friend Robin for editing this for me! IDK when I'll be able to update again. Finals week is approaching so yeah.
If you have any questions for me, go to .com
If you have any qeustions for Lex, go to .com
