Five million billion years later…I could give you a list of stellar excuses like my cousins wedding, getting sick, Florence + The Machine concert, going on vacation, getting sick while on vacation, (I WENT TO HARRY POTTER WORLD GUYS. HARRY FUCKING POTTER WORLD!), if you can't tell I was slightly excited and it was fucking magic! Or I could tell you about how I've recently gotten sucked into Game of Thrones with the rest of the world (or is that just tumblr?) and yes both the series and books. Or I could tell you about some of my new story ideas (don't worry I'm not about to post, we all know how well I juggle two fics…). But let's be honest, I'm a bit of a lazy pounce that is easily distracted. Shiny objects out of sight, here is the next bit.
Special thanks to: stphnyvillegas, goshtperfect, R3dN0te, Crevette, asdfghjkl, mardycure, maudsfeather, YourMeafIsMine, lalalalee, SunHops, DaraSmiles, Zulu, anon, LoveTypeThing-SureTypeThing, loveisrocketscience, .lif, randomsquared, skinslovernaomsems, mUfF MuNcHeR, Steph81, anon, es, and WhenAnxietyKicksIn – blown away by your reviews. Absolutely. You really do make a girl happy. Many, many thanks. Please do continue to let me know what you think!
Emily's perspective. *Once again giving full permission to hound me when it starts to get unreasonably long between updates. I will say I've already began the next chapter, so maybe there is hope yet. And as always, thanks for reading.
I do not own Skins or Harry Potter, or anything else quite so magical.
Chapter XIV:
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"Hi," Emily breathed as she stopped in front of the blonde Slytherin, teetering on the edge of personal space. She rolled onto the balls of her feet to heel herself. The small smile that had taken up camp on her face when she saw her, the one person she had been looking for, was still firmly rooted in its spot.
She had hoped without letting herself fully believe that Naomi would come to say goodbye. Things were alright between them at the moment. They hadn't talked about it since that night holding hands through the invisible wall. For the moment that seemed to be working for them, not talking about it.
"Hi," she returned just as quiet. Emily was treated to a half smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Those were her favourite, the ones Naomi couldn't hold back. It was a certain kind of power, Emily thought, to be able to conjure one of those from the steely, sullen, Slytherin. A kind of power that caused Emily to stand a little taller, hold her head a bit higher. How many people could make such a claim? How many people could wield such a power?
"I'm glad you came," slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. For such a power to cause continents to rise, seas to shift, Naomi to smile, she couldn't even control the words that fell from her own mouth.
"It was that or be stuck in the common room with Cook," Naomi shrugged.
Right. Cook. So they still weren't talking then. Naomi hadn't actually confided in her about it, but it was obvious enough. The two were usually each others shadow yet for the last two weeks Emily had not seen them enter nor leave a class together, walk a corridor together, or even eat near each other.
She had heard them argue before in past years at school, but even then the silent cold shoulder never seemed to last more than a day or two. This was different. She wasn't the biggest fan of Cook, but she understood that he was important to Naomi; she didn't need to understand why. Even though it sometimes made her jealous, their closeness, and she didn't like the way she sometimes caught him looking at her, Emily still hoped the holiday would be good for them.
Emily hadn't asked what prompted her and Naomi's outing that Saturday a few weeks past. Mainly because Naomi was like an easily spooked doe, one had to tread lightly to get close. It was only with slow careful pushing she had gotten this far. Partly she didn't ask because honestly, if Naomi wanted to hangout – she didn't necessarily care the reason so long as Naomi wanted to see her.
The things Emily felt around Naomi were impossible things. The buzz she felt, that started low and simmered, the elation and despair, the ebb and flow, the ceaseless hope. She was the tiding chasing the moon. She felt each end of the spectrum and everything in between, ripping at her axis.
She couldn't help it, that little spark of hope that burned delicately in her small hands. Like a desperate wanderer she wanted so badly for her efforts to catch as she blew on the kindling and the sun dipped behind of the ridge. Naomi had admitted it, it wasn't one way, it wasn't all in Emily's head; she had been right. Embers glowed in the twilight.
The goodbye was awkward and unsatisfying, being in a crowded courtyard.
"Emily!" They heard called from the entranceway. "Get a move on," the ever eager and overbearing Katie said, dashing any chance of a moment reprieve, a moment alone.
Emily sighed. All she wanted was a moment with Naomi, a free Naomi as she was when it was just the two of them. She wanted to feel her close, she wanted to feel her kiss, her lips…and other things… none of which she had since the lake. Holding hands through an invisible wall was the closest they'd come since. The past couple weeks had passed in an unpleasant mix of studying and exams.
"Guess I'd better go," Emily said sadly, "That or she'll be over here. And neither of us would want that," she tried to joke, though they both knew it were true. The only way this could be a worse goodbye is if it were actually supervised by one Katie Fitch.
"Hah, no," Naomi gave a small laugh.
"Have a good holiday," Emily said through a sad smile. "Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas to you too, Emily," Naomi said with one of her side smiles. They hovered.
Emily took a half step back before stopping. She let out a sigh, "I'll miss you."
"I know," the blonde replied, throwing her one of those cocky half smiles and a wink.
Emily laughed walking backwards a few steps. She turned away with the shake of her head. Smartarse, she thought, smile firmly in place.
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"What is with you?" Katie said exasperated.
"Hmm?" Emily asked looking up from the book she was reading. Holiday so far was drawn out and uneventful. She tried to pass the days lost in the pages of other worlds. It was a steady flux between that and daydreaming.
"You're more boring and quiet that usual," Katie stated. "What gives?"
"Well you're more obnoxious and loud than usual, so hey, we balance out."
"Don't be a bitch," Katie said, slightly stung, "I was just showing concern. Merlin's beard, relax will you?"
"Sorry," Emily relented.
She let her head fall back into her pillow with a soft thud. She stared up at the vintage Quidditch poster of their gran from when she had played professionally for the Holyhead Harpies. It was the only decoration in which they agreed upon. Placed directly in between both of their beds it was the buffer zone on the wall, dividing their sides of the room.
Emily's side was filled with posters of the newest roster of the Harpies (the only all women's team in the league) and bands like the Twisted Sisters and Imperius Hex. Katie side on the other hand was full of fit Quidditch players like the French chaser, Thomas Tomone; he was called the fastest player alive, maybe ever.
"I miss school I guess," Emily said off handedly. She missed someone at school, but that was a detail she didn't feel like sharing.
Katie scoffed, "You would."
Emily just shrugged her shoulders on her bed. She picked up her book and kept reading.
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Emily held back a smirk as she watched her little brother pull a face after choking down his first spoonful of soup. Their mother was cooking again. Every now and again there would be a delicious reprieve where Jenna refused to cook claiming she was much too busy. The three Fitch siblings could fight over anything, yet those days of mother free meal were known as the days of peace in the Fitch family household, not that parents had realized the correlation.
It was a look, from brother to sister and sister to sister as their parents reached for the take away menu – don't rock the boat, don't wake the dragon, don't be the cause of Jenna Fitch cooking. The summers at their grandparents were a glorious thing to be cherished.
In honour of the holiday and being in the festive spirit, Jenna had decreed she was cooking. In that same instant the sibling treaty disbanded as fast as it had silently formed. James saw Emily chuckle and launched a bit of mushed vegetable at her face with a glower.
She neatly dodged the projective.
"Rob!" Jenna exclaimed, "Did you see what your son just did?"
"What's that love?" Rob asked looking up from the bowl of soup he had been contently eating.
"Your son is throwing food, that's what."
"James," Rob said with a stern spoon pointing, "You know the drill, boy." He added before tucking back into his soup.
"But I didn't even say anything!" he whined, "I kept my mouth shut even though this tastes like bollocky wank shite."
"James!"
"Naughty bar, now."
Emily and Katie exchanged a glance as James loudly pushed out his chair with a huff. She thought she heard him mumble something about Merlin's left saggy – she'd rather not go there.
Their smirks however, were short lived as James jumped up to a free hanging position on the naughty bar, beginning his reps.
"Oh, so girls," Jenna began, after dabbing her mouth lightly with her napkin. "I ran into Mrs. Acres at the market earlier."
They looked at each other confused, Mrs. Who?
"The Acres" Jenna elaborated slowly as if speaking to a pair of three year olds, "they live down the way from your Aunt Karen and Uncle Hugh."
Emily still had no idea who she was talking about. And it didn't look as if Katie had been at all enlightened by the extra detail either.
"Anyway," their mother prattled on, "I ran into her at the market, and she's got two boys round your age, if you remember.
They didn't.
"So I thought it would be fun if we all did a little get together."
Wait what? Her and Katie exchanged looks that faded from confusion to disbelief.
"After the holiday they're going to pop by for a little double date. Isn't that lovely?"
Horrible is what it was. If Emily weren't so surprised she would have said so.
"Sounds nice dear," Rob said looking up from his now empty bowl. "Am I going to need to have a little man to man chat with these lads?" He jested as menacingly as he could with a spoon in hand.
"Oh Rob," Jenna laughed, "I don't think so, they seemed like perfect gentlemen."
Emily was pretty certain this was the first time Katie fucking Fitch had ever been shocked into silence. This might have actually been the longest Katie had ever gone without voicing her opinion.
"I forgot the best part," Jenna beamed, "They're twins too."
There was a loud clatter as Emily's spoon fell to table. She didn't think it could get worse, and then it had. Twins? Both Emily and Katie looked appalled.
They may look alike, dressed the same when they were younger, and Emily may have let Katie lead her around most of their lives, but they had never actually had similar tastes, not really. Deep down Emily always knew that, and whether or not Katie would admit it, the look they currently shared confirmed she'd known all along too.
Yes, they played the twin card upon occasion; use the hand dealt and whatnot. But they had never been the type of twins that thought it would be neat if they dated another set of twins. It was just creepy. One could argue a set of twins could be perfect – and totally different as Katie and Emily were – but no, still too creepy. Besides for that to work one would have to be a girl and Emily didn't see her mother setting that up anytime soon.
"Their names are Aiden and Alfie," their mother said.
Emily wanted to vomit, and not because of her mothers cooking. Katie choked on her flan. They traded the same look. Twins with similar names? It was all so cute she could puke. Wow, Emily suddenly realized, Naomi's cynicism was starting to rub off on her. She almost smiled at the thought.
On top of this whole situation being repellent, she also now hated the parents of these lads for doing that to them, giving them matchy names. She was suddenly grateful her parents had been more kind. She didn't think she could handle being Katie and Kylie or Emily and Emma. Horrible. They were confused enough as it was, without even being identical.
They shared a question and an agreement in a single look.
"You've got to be fucking joking."
"I am not going."
They said at the same time.
"They're the perfect gentlemen, really. I thought you two would be excited." Jenna said choosing to ignore Katie's colorful language. "Emily it is about time you've found yourself a nice lad. And Katie, how long has is been now since you last brought a boy round for supper? It is a six seater table you know."
The two girls had never looked more like twins. The contempt on their faces equal and equally unnoticed by their oh so proud of herself mother.
"I can count mother," Katie retorted.
"I'm just saying," Jenna added innocently, "It's been a while since you've had someone round."
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Katie slammed the door to their room.
She looked positively affronted at the thought of their mother setting her up. "Do I look like someone who needs to be set up?" Katie said indignantly, "What does she think, that I'm like you?"
Emily furrowed her brow at Katie's words, seeing as they were twins and all. Not identical, but similar enough. Katie was seething. "I'm Katie fucking Fitch. I do not need to be bloody set up. Specially by our own bloody mother of all people."
I don't need to be set up either, Emily thought. As far as she was concerned, she was taken. But instead she said, "What are you freaking out about so much? Never thought you'd turn down meeting a new bloke."
Katie scoffed, "I don't need help in that department thank you very much. Unlike you."
What Emily wanted to say was "Seeing Ridder again are you?" but she couldn't. They were playing a game of mum chicken whether they were both fully aware of it or not. It had been on the tip of her tongue, but she reined it in. She reined it in because she couldn't afford the return round of questions Katie would surely, deservedly, volley back at her. So she said nothing and they both continued their respective grumbling for their respective reasons.
Emily had every intention of blowing off her mother's blind date but she didn't miss the fact that Katie hadn't brought a bloke home in a while, which was odd. It wasn't like Katie to be on the market long, and when one of your mottos was 'If you've got it, flaunt it' she couldn't really picture Katie being too keen on having a secret relationship either.
Emily hoped her mother would just forget after the holidays, like Emily already wanted to about the whole thing.
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Emily loved going to her grandparent's house. She loved the holiday, and family, but she always felt like she needed a vacation after one. They were always so draining.
It was mass chaos. It was noise and wrapping paper. It was Christmas morning at the Potters.
Emily sat on the floor with the rest of the cousins opening presents. If you were old enough to crawl or young enough to not creak when you knelt, you were on the floor. All proper seating was solely for anyone who didn't fit within those parameters. It was a tight space with a seemingly never-ending increase of occupants; there was no room for negotiations.
Emily placed the polish for her prefect badge (a gift from her great aunt) down in front of her and reached for the suspiciously lumpy looking package to her left.
There was a high pitch squeal to Emily's right and then something was colliding with her. As she now looked up at the ceiling she was suddenly aware it was a someone not a something that had knocked her over, Katie's ecstatic face popping into view directly in front of her own face. She was grateful the unopened present she had been reaching for, now currently residing under the left side of her ribs, was obviously a sweater.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou," Katie mumbled as Emily felt the air being squeezed from her lungs. A moment later, just as quickly as the whirlwind that was Katie had descended upon her, she disappeared.
By the time Emily sat herself back up and primed the surprised bits of her hair, Katie was sat back in the spot Emily had seen her last, usual air of decorum in place, new book cracked open, ignoring the rest of the worlds existence.
"Katie love," their dad said as Emily was two presents deeper into her pile, "You've got other presents still."
She ignored him. Maybe Emily should have warned her to open her gift last. At the age of three their parents had made the mistake of letting Katie open "the big" gift first, she zoomed around on that little toy broomstick for the next two hours before they could catch her to sit her back down by the tree. Needless to say ever since, they would hide the most anticipated – or most Quidditch related gift until the end (they usually coincided).
Quidditch Theory: from legends to new age practice, strategy throughout the ages. She had seen Katie eyeing it when they had bought there books this summer. She had had it tucked away at the bottom of her trunk all term.
"Open yours," Katie looked up, "The square one."
Emily lifted the thin package and tore open the cheetah print wrapping paper Katie always insisted on using. Emily's hands stilled when she realized what she was holding.
Imperius Hex. Katie had gotten her the new Imperius Hex record. Katie hated Imperius Hex. Emily looked up from her gift, an ear-to-ear grin covering her face. She looked back down to the record in her hands. Vinyl – magic we let the muggles have, Emily thought to herself as she hugged the record. She was flabbergasted that Katie knew she had wanted it let alone that she had actually gotten it for her.
"I still think they're rubbish," Katie said looking up from her book as she dog-eared the page. "But I know you liked them and when I looked you didn't have that one."
"Thanks Kay," Emily smiled looking up whilst still mid hug with her new record.
"Whatever," Katie shrugged; though Emily knew she was pleased she liked it. "It's bloody noise."
"Bloody brilliant noise," Emily grinned as she disengaged herself from the Vinyl sleeve so she could take a proper look at it.
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"I've just got to grab my mittens," Emily called to her cousins and siblings alike as she bounded up the stairs. She would have to be quick if she didn't want to be stuck on one of the old Comet 260s. Snowball Quidditch was one of the things she looked forward to most about Christmas.
Breathless she paused on the landing between the third and second flight of stairs on her way back down, seeing that one particular door ajar.
Emily hesitated for only a moment at the doorway, toeing the line. It was easily her favourite room in the house, and the best for finding treasures, well maybe save the attic, she thought as she stepped inside.
She found it fascinating, her granddad's study; a wall of books floor to ceiling, a dark old desk with a window behind it, faded plush armchairs in red and green, and knickknacks – little old knickknacks on every available surface. She peered around appreciating the room as she moved further inside. It was always quiet in here, she sometimes wondered if the room had a silencing charm.
She stared at the framed yellowed newspaper to the left of the window behind the desk with its bold words "UNDESIREABLE No. 1". "It's not everyday you make the print," her granddad had joked when she asked him about it once when she was little. Of course now she knew.
Her fingertips danced on the edge of his desk as she continued her inspection of the walls; framed pictures everywhere of family and friends, an old one from when he was just a boy in school robes next to one of her, Katie, and James from the summer. She thought she could stand in this room a hundred years and never grow tired of just looking, drinking it all in (with a few healthy pokes around too, of course).
Like more than half the things in the room, the weathered wooden trunk below the windowsill was easily twice her age. She put down the sneakoscope that had found its way into her hand and knelt down before it. She wondered if his old school robes were still in there, or if he'd since filled it with new things of interest. Just as she couldn't help finding the Marauders Map in a desk draw randomly one day (buried under bits of parchment, an old leather pouch, and a sneakoscope), she now couldn't help reaching for the latch of the trunk.
"Emily, I swear if I get pummeled off my broom with all the snowballs Trip and James have made in the time it took you to find your bloody mittens, I'll knock you off your broom myself!" Katie yelled up the stairs.
Emily jerked her hand back from the old trunk. She picked her forgotten mittens up off the floor and ignoring a last moment's burn of curiosity, ran out the room and down the stairs.
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She hated that this was happening. She was fifteen years old, shouldn't she have a say? By fifteen people had conquered armies, yet she couldn't be trusted to decide if she wanted to go on a date or not. It was only a date; a stupid forced date, yet she wondered if this was how it felt to be married off. With the way her mother was prattling over every detail in the house she was almost worried she was.
The only saving grace was that Katie was suffering the same fate, despite a much louder argument; the outcome had been the same. Knowing was almost as unenthusiastic as her own made her feel a bit better, safety in numbers.
There was a knock on the door. Like a seeker after a snitch, their dad was at the door in a flash. "Now you girls go have a seat, I'm just going to have a bit of a chat with the lads before you go," he smiled. It was the kind of smile that was all teeth, like a dog.
Emily sat on the sofa next to Katie as she listened to her father seriously threaten their dates in a joking manner. She thought of Naomi meeting her father instead of some random bloke. Her father was such a dad. She pictured Naomi attempting to play it cool in front of him. A mixture of a smile and a frown played across her face. It was the thought of Naomi squirming under her dad's manic stare and feigning indifference. She wondered in what world that would ever happen, suddenly saddened. Even more so wondering which was more impossible, her parents inviting her girlfriend to a family dinner, or Naomi agreeing to one.
Of course Naomi wasn't her girlfriend, she reminded herself. She wasn't supposed to let herself say things like that; it was an awful thing to do to your hopes.
It was a free meal Emily tried to tell herself as she sat in the booth next to Alfie, or was it Aiden? She kept telling herself that. It didn't feel free.
"Hey A, grab me a refill will you?" the one next to her called to the one who had stood up.
Which one was "A"? Weren't they both "A"? How could one of them have the nickname "A"?
"What the fuck, which one of you is A?" Katie asked, voicing her own thoughts as she looked between the two who unlike her and Katie actually were identical.
"No, I'm A, that's Al," the lad next to Katie explained after sitting back down.
Katie and her exchanged a look.
"Do you go to Hogwarts?" Emily asked Alfie, or Al rather. She'd never seen them before to her knowledge. Though they apparently played once when they were five.
"We're in Hufflepuff."
"Oh," she was impressed her mother would set them up with non-Gryffindors to be honest. Not that house mattered to her, obviously. But in the case of her mother she guessed beggars can't be choosers when it came to twins in a specific age range and of a specific sex.
It had been a pleasant enough evening, as much as one forced upon you could be. It is also what prompted it, what caused her to give in, writing Naomi a letter. She had been thinking of her nonstop. She had told herself she wasn't going to contact Naomi over the holiday. Naomi could contact her first. She wasn't clingy. She missed her. Being forced to spend an evening with a handsome nice boy just made her think of her beautiful hotheaded girl. He was the type of lad you could settle down with, have a nice quiet life, she guessed. That seemed more Katie's cup of tea, though she thought even Katie would get bored with that. It sure wasn't the sort of thing that excited Emily, not what made her heart flutter – not what made her mouth twitch up and her heart sore. Every polite word he said made her think of a snarky Naomi comment. His gentle smile, her brazen looks. Merlin's beard she was gay. And damn it if her affections weren't already bespoken for. She sighed as she scrawled an N neatly on the envelope.