The Amazing Thing About: Friendship. Chapter twenty-five.
Something felt wrong as the weeks ticked by. It didn't matter where she went or what she did there was something in her gut that kept telling her that she needed to stay on her toes. Hannah and Kelly told her she was acting strangely during one of their outings on the grounds. She could have sworn someone was watching her and she'd turned her head to scan the area behind her but nothing was there. She excused the behavior saying she thought she'd heard someone calling her name. It happened again while hanging out with Cas and Tasha on one of the bridges. There were only other students passing by. What the hell was wrong with her?
Sticking to what she'd promised, she told Fred and George. At first they'd told her she was probably just stressed because of schoolwork. It wasn't until she told them about it again when it kept happening that they said they'd do some looking. She hadn't known what they were planning to do but it turned out their genius plan was to follow her around sneakily to see if they could figure out if anyone was actually watching her.
It was much to her dismay when they reported that she'd been right. Fred, George, and Lee all said that they'd seen Amelia shadowing her quite a few times. But that just left her with more questions. Why was she watching her? What did she want? Eliza had dismissed the idea of the girl wanting to hurt her but if she was following her there had to be a reason for it.
She chose to go to the source. Victor looked pleased to see her when she popped in on the dueling club. The younger students greeted her and asked her to practice with them. As much as she wanted to just talk to Victor and get to the bottom of everything she couldn't deny them. Despite the weight on her shoulders of finding out what was going on the students were fun to work with. It was mostly them just showing her what they'd learned and she cheered them on from the side as they took turns showing off.
Victor was positively glowing by the time the students were leaving and he motioned for her to come with him on his way to lunch. "Hold on." Eliza stopped him and pulled him back by his elbow. He turned with a look of question on his handsome face. She almost felt bad about bringing it up to him but who would know Amelia better?
"What?" Victor moved over to a set of chairs and they sat while Eliza figured out how to start the conversation. Being blunt was the best way to go in her mind. "Why would your ex be following me around?" She asked. His face morphed into pure confusion before switching to concern. "What do you mean?"
"Amelia. The guys have caught her multiple times." Eliza explained. Victor tapped his wand on his palm a few times and he bounced his leg. "Are they sure?" He asked. She nodded and he looked down at the floor, his hair hiding his face making it hard for her to gauge what he was feeling. Anxiety was obvious from his body language but what was he nervous about? Did he think Amelia was capable of attempting to harm her?
"I'm going to be honest with you, Eliza." Victor sighed. "She stopped me in the hall a while back. Wanted to talk. She said something about your ex. Wanted to know if we were.." He lifted his head, glanced at her, and then away. "Together." While she already knew as much she did her best not to reveal it. She was wishing she'd stuck around a little longer to know how the conversation between them ended. "Okay. So what does she want?" Eliza asked.
Victor shook his head. "I don't know. After she told me she was looking into your past I told her to never to talk to me again." Oh? So she hadn't missed much then from what he was saying. She was glad she'd booked it out of there if he was telling the truth. Then again what reason would he have to lie to her? "She was pretty upset, though." He muttered as if it were an afterthought.
"Upset? Like... Upset enough to want revenge?" She asked but he was shrugging and fiddling with his wand between his fingers. "I don't know. She started that fan club that stalked me to get back at me but I don't think she'd physically hurt you if that's what you mean."
Eliza felt anxiety grip her chest. "You don't think?"
Victor leaned forward in his seat and placed his hand on her arm. "I'll talk to her. I wouldn't let her do anything to you." The sincerity in his eyes made her feel somewhat better but that didn't answer the big question. What did Amelia want? Maybe she was hoping that with her actions Eliza would run to Victor for answers and it would spur him to talk to her. Maybe that was her 'big plan' She could only hope it was something so simple.
"That might be what she wants." Eliza stood. "If you talk to her just be careful." She said and squeezed his shoulder before exiting the room.
Couldn't their last month of school be simple? Why couldn't exams be her biggest worry?
She was on her way across the stone bridge to head for the common room for some time to think when she spotted someone she wasn't expecting. The platinum hair was nearly blinding with the way it reflected the sunlight. Draco was usually surrounded by his friends but there he stood, gazing over the landscape with his arms crossed. He looked deep in thought, eyebrows knitted together. That was strange.
As she approached Malfoy looked up and his eyes darted around as if he expected his friends to appear. Alone, he clenched his jaw. "You stay away from me. My father-" Eliza rolled her eyes. "Again with your father? Do you really want to go through that again?" She said. She recalled when she'd been informed of the way his father had scolded him for being made a fool of by a girl. That had to have been awful for him. He seemed to think along the same lines and he scowled and tried to play it off. "Shouldn't you be somewhere protecting precious Potter?"
Eliza wasn't going to let him goad her into an argument and she stepped towards him. Draco stepped back but misstepped and landed on his backside. "Crap! I wasn't trying to scare you. You okay?" With everything going on she'd felt more out of control lately but she hadn't been intending to hurt him. Despite their last encounter there wasn't any malice but he seemed to think there was. At the very least he'd been wary of her trying to do something to him.
It wasn't like she hated Draco, not after she'd seen the look of fear on his face around his dad. He was still a coward and a bully but she had a feeling she understood why. She didn't like him but there wasn't any hate. Eliza almost felt sorry for him. Kids from bad homes often lashed out at others to make themselves feel better.
She rushed forward and extended her hand to him to help him up but he slapped her hand to the side. Draco scrambled to his feet and withdrew his wand pointing it at her. "You're a freak!" He spat and Eliza sighed taking a step back. She dropped her hand to her side and nodded. "Yeah. It's starting to feel that way." She admitted.
His wand lowered for a moment, his expression letting her know he hadn't been expecting what she said. It only lasted a second. In a blink, he raised his wand again and his scowl was back in full force. "Dumbledore was a fool for not expelling you!" He snapped and with that he turned sharply on his heel and was striding away from her leaving Eliza to stare after him. Did his words sting a little? Yeah. But he was the stinging type. After seeing what his father was like it was no surprise. "That guy is all sorts of twisted up." She muttered to herself before wandering over to where he'd been standing and trying to imagine what he could have been thinking about.
The night before their last exams Eliza was in their dorm with Hannah and Kelly. The girls were sitting next to one of the windows enjoying the nice breeze fluttering through. After she'd revealed to her friends that her ex had been sending her notes they'd taken to spending more time with her. Eliza knew they were trying to be supportive and appreciated it though they could sometimes be a bit smothering. Still, she was lucky to have them and she was going to miss them over break.
She'd informed them of what Amelia was doing and Hannah was fired up talking about how much she wanted to shake the girl until her head popped off. "If she wants a fight I'm ready." Hannah was saying and Kelly was backing her up in full force. Eliza shook her head at them. "She hasn't done anything but follow me around." She said. Kelly wagged her finger. "Yet. She hasn't done anything yet."
Eliza knew she had a point. Just because Amelia hadn't done anything didn't mean she wouldn't. Before bed her mind turned it over in her head trying to put herself in the girl's shoes. Honestly, it seemed like something Connor would do. Following her around to make her paranoid fit his MO way too well. That kept her up and she turned to the journal under her pillow to take her mind off of it.
Awake? She scribbled using the full moon as the only source of lighting. Between exams that she felt like she was stumbling through and the Amelia issue she just needed a distraction. The twins were the kings of distraction. It was a long shot to write them as late as it was. She was lucky when a response came after a few minutes.
Shouldn't you be asleep? Last day of exams tomorrow. -F
Don't remind me.
Why are you up bothering me? -F
Eliza snorted quietly. Bothering him? If he hadn't had the journal nearby and open he wouldn't have known she'd written anything in the first place. But she knew pointing that out would likely end with him not responding. While she knew he cared she also knew that he'd deny it to his dying day that he had the journal with him in case she needed something.
Can't sleep.
Is it that guy? -F
Eliza appreciated that the twins had silently agreed to never say or write Connor's name. It hadn't been discussed but they'd gone with it so easily she didn't question it.
Nah. Maybe. I don't know. Everything.
Is it because school is almost over? -F
The words had her sighing. Since his last note she hadn't heard from Connor. With only nine days left in the year Eliza had begun to worry. If Connor's threat hadn't meant he was going to come to the school then that left summer break. While she knew her parents would never let him near her she was still unable to stop thinking that he'd find a way.
You're awfully perceptive tonight.
We can ask if you can stay with us over the break. Doubt he'll be able to find you there. -F
No way. My parents will never go for that.
Good. Don't want to be watching your back all summer anyway. -F
Then why did you offer?
Knew you'd say no. Wanna hang out? -F
She frowned at the words. Hang out? It was nearly midnight.
It's way past curfew.
So? Are you gonna go to sleep? -F
Don't think I can.
Okay. So sneak out. I'll meet you outside. -F
Outside?
Eliza waited for a moment and when a response came it was a list of directions that would lead outside the castle walls. She stared at the words for a long minute debating whether or not it was a good idea. While she felt like sleep was out of her reach she'd only ever snuck out of her room a handful of times back in America and they were all at Connor's behest. Eliza nibbled on her lip while she weighed the pros and cons until another message appeared.
Whether you come or not I'll be out there. Wait 20 minutes before leaving. Filch will be in the dungeons by then. Good luck -F
Before she even realized it she was slipping out of bed and putting on her shoes and a coat. Rikki popped his head out from under the covers. She waited the amount of time given before slipping out of the room making sure Rikki didn't follow. It was going to be hard enough to move around the castle and he would make it much more difficult.
When she exited the common room she was amazed by how pitch black the castle was. She listened for any footsteps but when she didn't hear anything she closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them again her eyes tried to adjust to the lack of light and she made her way out of Ravenclaw tower. The steps were tricky for the first few minutes but the further she went the easier it became.
She'd memorized the directions before leaving and followed them closely. Eliza would stop every now and again to listen making sure she was alone before continuing on. The darkness made her paranoid and sounds from the paintings made her jump. Through the halls she bounced back and forth between being excited to be out after curfew and kicking herself for listening to Fred. If she was caught she'd be in serious trouble and they were so close to the end of the year. So anything she was caught doing now would still be fresh in her parent's minds when she got home.
Fred had informed her of a hidden passage behind a painting on the third floor and if she took it then she would end up outside. She spent ten minutes looking for the painting he described. She worried momentarily if he was just messing with her this whole time and there would be nothing there but when she pulled on the frame there it was.
Eliza slid into the passageway. If it was even possible it was darker than the halls. She felt like she was completely blind so she pulled out her wand. "Lumos." The passage lit up and she blinked, the light hurting her eyes as she hurried through. At the end was a brick wall. It appeared as if this place had been sealed off but as she held her wand up to it she noticed a small 'W' carved into one of the bricks. Eliza tilted her head and lifted her hand to trace the marking. The moment she touched it though the bricks began to move and rearrange themselves until she was standing in front of a space big enough for her to squeeze through.
Once outside the bricks replaced themselves and she turned to look around. "Fred?" She whispered. Her wand only lit up a small area but she didn't need it considering the moon was full so she put it out. As she was slipping her wand into her pocket she heard something behind her. Eliza whipped around and nearly screamed when Fred grabbed her.
"You...Ass!" She hissed and slapped him on the arm as he doubled over laughing. She scowled at him until he was able to stand straight again. "You should've seen your face!" He was still chuckling and she turned to go back inside but he pulled her back by the elbow. "Nonononono. C'mon."
Eliza shot him a glare but he was smiling like an excited kid. "Fine." She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and motioned for him to lead the way. Fred bounced on the balls of his feet and she followed him when he headed off. "So where are we going?" She asked. Fred's pace was slow and casual making it easy for her to keep up with him. He didn't look a bit concerned about being caught outside of the castle at night.
"I was thinking of a lovely stroll through the forbidden forest?" He flashed a grin her way and she stopped in her tracks. "Absolutely not." She shut him down. Eliza had heard way too many stories about the forest for her to ever want to step foot inside of it. Fred cracked up at the expression on her face. "Only joking! Jeeze!"
He told her they were going to the quidditch pitch. "Good view of the moon up in the stands." He said. For some reason she hadn't expected him to be much of a sky gazer but who was she to say anything? "Cute pajamas by the way." He teased as they walked. Eliza looked down at her light blue fuzzy pants and pulled her coat around her tighter. He was wearing regular pants and a sweater. She wondered why she hadn't changed.
Fred chose the highest point in the stands and Eliza felt her stomach go queasy when she looked down. She'd never been much a fan of heights. That was the main reason she couldn't function on a broom. But in order to avoid being made fun of Eliza tamped down on her fear and joined him in taking a seat. It was easier to look up at the moon than down at the ground so that's where she focused.
"Feels better being out here, doesn't it?" Fred bumped their knees together and Eliza nodded. "Yeah. The fresh air is wonderful."
"So what were you doing up so late?" He asked.
"I could ask you the same question." She retorted.
"I was working."
Eliza placed a hand over her heart and gasped. "Fred Weasley were you studying?"
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No. Trying to pull something big off for the last day of school."
"Don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"I wasn't going to."
"Good."
They chuckled at one another before they turned their eyes to the sky.
"So.. How long have you been having trouble sleeping?" Fred asked. The question was innocent enough but she hadn't been expecting it. "And don't lie to me. You're no good at it."
Eliza snorted. "A while now." She shrugged. It was hard to keep track honestly.
"Since you got that note?"
After the night George had found out about the note they'd been more open about the Connor issue. While they didn't go into depth they'd still made a lot of progress. It wasn't as awkward as it once was. Maybe that just spoke to how much she'd come to appreciate and trust them as friends. They'd even become a frequent topic of conversation in her letters to Alicia and Luke. Some of it was because of the products they sold for them but she also liked to tell them stories about what they'd done on different days.
"Maybe. Hard to tell. O.W.L.s are playing a big part at the moment."
"I'm sure you'll do fine."
"Easy for you to say. You're not concerned at all."
"I wouldn't say that. George and I just have different priorities." Fred's grin was catlike.
"Don't I know it."
"Well if you don't do well on exams and you can't get into the ministry you can come work with us when we open our joke shop."
"Oh, how very generous of you." Eliza snickered and shoved him playfully. He'd already tried to plant that idea in her head a few times. He said they were already going to have to find someone to replace her as 'Izzy' or rename the products. He said it would just be easier to keep her around since she was the original creator.
"Ya know..Dumbledore asked me if I ever considered becoming a teacher." She said. The topic of her future career made her recall that moment in his office. He hadn't brought it up since but it had stuck with her.
Fred wrinkled his nose in distaste and she shoved him again.
"I guess you are good with the younger students. You might not make a terrible teacher." Fred conceded. "And you could peddle our wares to students. Our own inside man." His eyes twinkled at the idea.
"Why? so I could end up teaching a bunch of miniature Weasley wannabes? What a nightmare."
"If you teach here you're going to have a Weasley or three anyway."
"So you're telling me I'm trapped surrounded by red hair, freckles, and terrible jokes for the rest of my life? I wish I'd let Connor finish the job."
The look on Fred's face when she glanced his way was one of shock. "That isn't funny, Eliza." The fact that he used her first name spoke to how serious he was. She supposed it was a bit dark but she shrugged. "If I can't laugh at my situation I'd go crazy." If anyone could understand that she expected it to be him since there were very few subjects he didn't make light of.
She was immensely relieved when he suddenly smiled to himself. She didn't know what the sudden shift was for but she was glad he wasn't upset with her. Eliza was going to ask him about it when he tapped his knuckles on her knee. "You said his name." He sounded pleased and Eliza realized what he was saying.
"Huh. I guess I did." She'd been so wrapped up in their banter she hadn't noticed until he pointed it out.
"Think you're moving on?" Fred had dropped all playfulness and looked genuinely happy. It was nice to see his more sincere side.
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Now if only he'd leave you be. It would be great to not have this thing constantly looming in the background."
By 'this thing' she could only assume he meant the worry of when or if Connor would contact her again or worse make good on his word. Eliza tried to imagine a life where she didn't get any more letters from him. To know he was leaving her alone for good. To have a normal life again. That seemed like such a distant dream but she had hope that it would become a reality one day.
"I'm amazed you guys have stuck with me through it." Eliza admitted. "I wouldn't have blamed you for cutting me off."
Fred shook his head and set his arm around her shoulders. "We became friends with you before we knew about everything. Knowing some of what you went through.." He sighed. "We couldn't just walk away."
His tone was slightly somber towards the end and she took the hand dangling over her shoulder. "Are you saying I'm stuck with you guys?"
Fred laughed lightly and nodded. "Red hair, freckles, and terrible jokes for the rest of your life."
"What a nightmare." Her smile made her cheeks hurt and she felt happy and warm as she turned her gaze back up to the full moon. Off in the distance, a howl echoed through the night.