Chapter Sixteen: Forgiveness and Home
Things changed radically after James insulted Laura. For several days, I spoke to neither of them, giving both their space to cool off after the Halloween incident. Matt tactfully began spending more time with the other boys in our year, while I reverted to my old ways of going to and from class alone. Dad noticed this change right away and gave me a suspicious look in the first Herbology class after October 31st, but didn't approach me about it.
It was late November when James calmly came up to me and apologized for blowing his top; later I would find out how he was provoked to say sorry after Michael Scamander found out about his inappropriate behavior and confronted him about it. I was surprised when learning that he had successfully convinced him, having heard of the improper ways Michael treated the girls in his own year. But shaking the thought out of my head, I didn't accept James's apology right away.
"You owe Laura more of an apology than you do me," I replied steadfastly, copying the stern tone my father took on when Frankie and Eleanor argued at home. "What you said was like a slap to her face."
James appeared indifferent and left me to continue my History of Magic homework. The next day, I stood behind him as he apologized to Laura at breakfast. She sat red-faced throughout James's entire speech, most likely embarrassed of the attention we were drawing to her. When James finished, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Well? I said I was sorry."
Laura's eyes averted back to her porridge. "Well, thanks, I suppose."
I brushed back James to sit next to her. "Do you want to walk to Charms together?"
Pushing her empty bowl aside, Laura rose from the bench. "No, thanks. I need to do some things in the library before class." And with that, she had grabbed her bag and was quickly walking towards the exit.
James scoffed. "What's her problem?" He sat down across from me and helped himself to some bacon. "I apologized, didn't I?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe she just wants to be alone?"
But due to this, we learned that Laura didn't forgive and forget easily. She began avoiding us for the rest of the fall term, and it somewhat became like the earlier days of September, when I had no female companion to confide in. The days after James's apology included various times I approached Laura and asked if she was all right. She'd only nod and give me a taut, cool smile. Imagine – timid, sweet Laura with the glare of an ice queen!
James and Matt soon seemed to overlook Laura's absence, for the school's Quidditch season finally started up after a delay due to a widespread case of the flu. The first match of the year was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, all the more reason of their forgetfulness. With no other option than to study for a Potions exam, I halfheartedly trudged up the wooden, creaking stairs of the Quidditch pitch stands with James and Matt. I did enjoy Quidditch, but not when speculators had to sit in near freezing weather.
In other news, Michael was making his debut as one of the Gryffindor Chasers. I couldn't help but cheer madly as a sixth year's thundering voice announced, "…Scamander!" as our House team flew out on their brooms. Michael's face appeared proud and smug as he and the team warmed up by flying around the pitch once or twice.
Behind us sat several third year Ravenclaw girls who apparently knew Michael well. "Look at the old prat," one of them drawled. I could sense the tone of repugnance in her voice. "Thinking that he has the world in his hands."
"Don't even bother, Carrie," her friend replied, sounding just as loathing as Carrie. "He loves any kind of attention."
A third girl snorted. "I hope a Bludger knocks him unconscious."
I began to turn my head to glower at them, convinced that they truly didn't know Michael at all. I don't know what feelings were going through my head at the time or why I wanted to defend him. But the whistle sounding the start of the game rang out from the field and I whipped my head back around just in time to see the Chasers dive for the Quaffle.
The match ended two and a half hours later, a surprisingly long game. The Gryffindor Seeker, a fourth year who I'd see fooling around in the common room often, caught the Snitch with his team behind. An entire section of scarlet and gold flags waved enthusiastically as Gryffindor was proclaimed the winner. The team flew a victory lap as dismayed Slytherins left the stands. Some Gryffindors in seats closer to the ground spewed out onto the field, applauding and cheering like crazy.
By the time we had returned to the common room, butterbeer and biscuits were being passed around in celebration. The team arrived still in their Quidditch robes, numerous hands thumping against their backs. I stared unbelievingly at it all, my mouth hanging open. "It's only the first game of the season! Why the big party?"
Matt was already stuffing his mouth with sweets. "Who cares? We won, and we're entitled to some fun, aren't we?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Lighten up, Alice." Next to me, James rolled his eyes as he observed a plate of chocolates. "This only means we'll have a bigger party if we win the Cup at the end of the year."
"But how many parties do you really need?"
They stared dubiously at me. Getting the hint, I rose from the couch we were all sitting on and headed up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. With what seemed like everyone downstairs, maybe I could have some peace and quiet in the dorm.
But I stepped into the room to find Laura on her bed, scribbling away in a notebook. She glanced up at the sound of my footsteps and calmly closed her book when seeing me. "They have food down there?"
"…Yes."
"I'm going to go get some." And she slipped past me, her notebook tucked underneath her arm.
Falling back onto my own bed, I knew it wasn't me that Laura was angry with. She was angry with what I did, which was leaving her alone after she asked me to. Somehow I assumed that she had lied that day and actually wanted company, but I had been a bad friend and listened to what she said rather than the emotion in her voice. Now, I was afraid that she'd never forgive me.
Soon, it was December already, and Professor Cole was walking around with a list to collect the names of students staying at school for the holidays. I was flabbergasted when Matt signed the paper with a flourish at dinner one night. "Don't you want to go home for Christmas?"
"Nah," Matt shrugged nonchalantly as he returned the list to Cole, who then continued marching down the length of the Hall. "It's just another time for my sisters to be spoiled. Besides, I don't usually spend Christmas at home anyways."
That was another shocking surprise. I looked at him inquiringly. "What? Where do you spend it then?"
"With my grandparents. They've always kinda favored me, being their only grandson. But now that Vinny's been born…" His voice trailed off, unreadable, at the mention of his seven-month-old brother. "Let's just say that Mum plans to bring the whole gang to my grandparents' this year and I don't really like being with all of them. Too…crowded."
"What's too crowded?" James had just arrived at that moment, plopping down on the bench near us.
"Nothing," Matt murmured, and that was the end of the discussion.
James, however, was returning home for holidays, as was I. Our fathers rarely had enjoyable Christmases during their childhood, therefore both had insisted that we'd come home or else. Unlike previous years, Dad was going home via Portkey, instead of on the Hogwarts Express. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you," he had told me understandably. "I guess it's time to grow up and be a real teacher, eh?"
As far as I knew, all of the Gryffindor first years were going home, sans for Matt and Kyle Norsworthy, whose parents were on a joint business trip in America. After a workload of assignments were handed in to nearly every teacher, the snowy, nippy week came to an end and on that Saturday, more than half of the student body converged in the Entrance Hall with their luggage in tow. Hagrid appeared at the doors dressed in a bulky moleskin coat, snowflakes caught in his eccentric beard.
"Yeh all follow me now!" Hagrid waved his arms above his head and the noisy Hall immediately became silent. "Yeh all can follow me out to the station!"
And so the crowd began to. I was towards the back of the hub, feeling very infinitesimal standing behind about five taller, older boys. They were conversing with each other loudly and still glued to their spot on the floor, ignoring Hagrid's announcement. Shyly, I tried to maneuver around them. "Excuse me…"
"Alice!" Someone called out my name and I rapidly turned around, accidentally hitting one of the older boys with my trunk that I was dragging along.
"Oh, um, sorry!"
"Alice!" There it was again. My eyes scanned the area once again, my mind beginning to fog. "Over here!"
I glanced in the direction of the voice and finally spotted Matt in the doorway of the Great Hall, where the students staying at school were meeting for breakfast. Getting a good hold on the edge of my trunk, I hurried over to him. "Matt! 'Morning!"
"'Morning – you're leaving now?"
"Yup," I glanced sideways back towards the exit to see if Hagrid wasn't too far up the snowy path yet. "Right now…" I added emphasis to hint at the urgency of leaving at the very moment. Remembering our conversation about a week earlier, I spoke again. "Are you going to be…okay?"
He gave me a funny look. "Yeah, of course. I told you, Alice, I don't mind being here for the holidays."
"But your grandparents-"
"They'll understand."
I, however, did not. First of all, I believed no one knew what a crowded atmosphere was until they spent time with the Weasley family. Matt did have a large family, with four other siblings and his sisters' incessant chatter making it seem bigger, as he once claimed. But they were still his family. Everyone should spend Christmas with family, save for certain circumstances.
"Well, all right then…"
Professor Cole was walking by. When seeing my luggage and the rest of the departing group out the door, his brow furrowed. "Miss Longbottom! You ought to be going!"
"Yes, sir!" I turned back to Matt and gave him a tiny smile. "Um…merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
"Miss Longbottom!"
"I'm going, Professor!" Without thinking, I leaned forward and gave Matt a quick hug. "See you January 6th!"
I dragged my trunk as fast as I could out the main door. The path had been cleared of any slick ice earlier on, so I was able to catch up to the other students hastily. Towards the end of the uneven line of people was James, his owl Damon hooting in the cage in his hand.
"Hey! Good morning!" I slipped up next to him, shivering a little as my body adjusted to the cold.
"'Morning." He rattled Damon's cage to shut him up, then glanced back at me. "Did you see Matt at all?"
"Just now - you?"
"When I woke up."
"Did he seem a little…distant to you?" I didn't want to bring up what Matt had confided in me before.
"Nope, he seemed fine." And he said nothing more.
Our train ride home was far more enjoyable to me than my ride to school back in September, for obvious reasons. I now had pleasant things to focus on. Liana, Luna, and the twins would come to stay with us for several days after Christmas, and then the Potters would visit as always on January 1st. And there were always the New Year's Day sales at the Diagon Alley shops, including a huge one at Flourish & Blotts, to my delight.
Only my mum and siblings were at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to greet me – Dad wouldn't be leaving the school until the next day, December 23rd. Therefore, I was surprised by the amount of attention I received from my mother when finding her on the platform.
"Oh, Allie!" When I approached, she flung her arms around me, pressing me against her breast. "We've missed you so much! Why haven't you written lately? How was the ride?"
"Mum!" I gently but hurriedly slipped out of her grasp. "I'm fine! Gosh!"
"Hi, Allie." I was surprised to find that my little sister, age five, had gained a clearer speech and was much taller than when I had last seen her. "I got a new doll from Daddy the other day – do you want to see it when we get home?"
I thought I had never heard her say so much before. Smiling a little, I hugged her. "Sure, Eleanor, I'd love to."
Frankie, turning nine years old in February, was a bit more closed off than Eleanor, only giving me a diminutive hug and smile. "How was it, Alice?"
He was referring to the entire school experience. I smiled timorously. "It's amazing, Frank. Really amazing."
Frankie nodded calculatingly and I realized then that my brother was becoming like me and wished to leave home and see this magical place his father and sister had already succumbed to. His first year at school would be my fourth; this was a reasonably large age gap, one that often kept us from becoming any closer. But right there on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, I felt a greater connection to him than I had ever had at that point.
As we began the walk back towards the Leaky Cauldron, my heart bubbled up with fervor, for both the promising holidays and after that, my second term of school. But for now, all I had on my mind was my mum's mouthwatering chocolate cake…
A/N: Please review!
