Chapter five…
In which there are family brawls and the sixth year greenhouses…
Lucy was seated in a little alcove near the dungeons in an attempt to escape the last foot of her charms essay that needed writing. The cold, late October air had begun sneaking into the castle, condemning her to wear the thicker, less flattering jumpers she had brought. Lorcan was back in the common room engaging in a rather intense game of wizard's chess with Lysander, who had quickly learned the Slytherin password and gained entry, while Orla was looking for her set of quills with the help of Laurie Vaisey, so she was alone in the hallway, watching people pass by. The hallway was fairly empty since it was a Saturday and those who were wandering around had either just returned from quidditch practices or were heading off to it. A short distance away, a small clump of sixth years were hanging up fake spider webs and other decorations for the approaching Hallows Eve parties, with small signs that read 'Enter the snake pit' with arrows pointing towards the Slytherin common rooms. Lucy liked the decorations, but she didn't think she would be attending the various parties that were going to be thrown. Lucy wasn't one for crowds or big parties. Maybe she would convince Orla to play her in a game of exploding snap, maybe she could get Laurie to join them.
The first few weeks of school flew by without much fanfare and through them, Lucy had discovered that she had a real knack for potions and herbology, and a true fondness for the smell of damp earth in the greenhouses. She and Lorcan had also been getting along fairly well, and he would sometimes sit with her and Orla at meals, despite his loner tendencies. She also got very well acquainted with Lysander through this, who had quickly become a golden boy of Ravenclaw house. He would join them at the Slytherin table once or twice a week to check in with Lorcan about everything and exchange jokes with Lucy and Orla. Lucy liked him. He was charming and witty and not afraid to make fun of himself.
However, despite all the fun she was having, there was still a nagging tightness in her chest. It had been weeks and Molly had been actively avoiding her since the sorting, turning down hallways and disappearing into crowds whenever she saw her nearby. She had been asking Louis and Franklin desperately if they could sway her at all but they both had returned with less than stellar results and the silence continued, with no end in sight.
She yawned and leaned back, watching a small group of Ravenclaw girls scuttle by like the sand crabs she used to see at Shell Cottage, giggling incessantly as a lone girl followed them, a few feet behind. Lucy suddenly spotted the familiar blue ribbon that the lone girl was wearing in her hair. Molly. She quickly jumped down from the alcove and jogged towards her.
"Molly!" She called as she approached. Molly froze at her sister's call, just long enough for Lucy to get up close enough to toss her arms around her. She quickly shook off her sister's embrace and turned to her stiffly. Her small features were hardened into a cold line, "I've missed you."
"Hm." She grunted simply, trying to turn on her heel.
"No." Lucy snapped grabbing her arm, "You haven't talked to me in over a month. This isn't ok." Molly was silent, so Lucy barreled on "Look, I know you're angry, ok? I get it. Message received. This is just ridiculous though! I'm your sister, Molly. Why do you want to torture me like this?"
"We're hardly sisters anymore." She snapped in reply.
"Molly, that's incredibly dramatic."
"Really? Because it seems pretty spot on to me." Molly retorted. There was something in her eyes that Lucy didn't like, "If you were treating me like a sister, then you wouldn't have gone to Slytherin."
"I didn't have a choice Molly. This is where I was sorted!" She lied, gesticulating wildly.
"We both know that's not true." She saw right through her, like usual. Lucy could feel her face getting hot, and could see the tips of Molly's ears going red.
"Well, would you have wanted me to end up in Ravenclaw, and be miserable and not fit in? That's flat out selfish." She accused. Molly straightened up a little bit.
"No, but at least I'm not a lying snake." She spat in return. She could feel her throat constricting painfully now.
"Take that back." Lucy whispered venomously.
"Why, it's the truth isn't it? At least that's what everyone's saying!" Molly cried, throwing out her arms as if to gesture to a group of people that weren't there.
"Like who?" Lucy asked, the anger still very evident in her voice.
"Dominique, James, Roxanne, Freddy, Vicky, all of them. I'd suggest you don't even bother going home for Christmas holiday, because you'll get flayed alive." Lucy took a step back, "I mean, what did you think their reactions would be to their cousin being a snake?"
"Ok, Molly. I get that you're mad, but this is going to far." Lucy said, her tone a little more gentle as she felt her chest and the space behind her eyes starting to ache.
"Mad?" Molly laughed humorlessly. Her face was beet red now and she was spitting as she spoke, something Lucy had never seen her do, "I'm way beyond mad. You sabotaged me, Lucy! All I wanted was to spend our years at Hogwarts together, but you couldn't let that happen. You think I'm selfish? That's rich coming from you. Don't even talk to me this year. Just leave me alone. I hate you!" The words hung in the air before Lucy as they tumbled past Molly's lips. Suddenly the tightness in her doubled painfully and she could feel the burning sensation of tears. Molly hadn't moved. She was staring Lucy dead on, but based on her expression, it seemed that they were both a little surprised by what she said. Lucy took a breath, but it was quivering dangerously. She had to get out of here.
"Fine." She grunted, her voice shaking, "Whatever, it's fine."
"Lucy, I-" Molly started. Her small hands were shaking again. Lucy didn't let her finish. She quickly turned on her heel and took off down the hallway, dashing into the Slytherin common room, which had emptied out entirely. She could feel the hot tears pouring down her face now, and she quickly thrust her face into her hands to try to block them from being seen, throwing herself down into an empty chair by the fireplace as her sobs became audible. She could feel a heavy numbness in her stomach, spreading to her arms and legs. She hated her. Molly hated her. She knew that Molly hadn't truly meant it, that she had just been too angry to argue with her rationally. She got like that sometimes, if she sat on her anger for too long, she would lash out and say hurtful things she didn't mean, and Lucy was usually on the receiving end. Still, she could understand why this time it hurt her so deeply in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed hard, and shoved her head further into the arm of the chair she was nestled in.
"Lucy?" Said a cool voice, "Are you ok?" Lorcan. She could tell it was him. He prodded her gently, but she slapped his hand away.
"No." She murmured, her voice muffled by her arms and the chair's cushions. There was a small pause.
"Here, come on." He sighed, gently nudging her into a seating position, and held out his hand. She stared at it, unmoving, she was still shivering, "Take my hand, we're going for a walk."
"Where?" She hiccupped, wiping away some of the wet streaks on her face.
"We'll see." He offered simply, pulling her out of her seat, "While we do, you can tell me what's going on." Lucy followed him out of the common room reluctantly, and then out onto the castle's grounds all the way to one of the sixth year greenhouses, the only one that housed muggle flowers rather than the usual herbology curriculum. He quickly sat her down on the edge of one of the planter boxes, and began to wander the rows. Her face was hot and splotchy from crying and her eyes were bloodshot.
"What's your favorite flower, Lucy?" He asked, searching the different clusters of colorful blooms. She didn't respond, "I like lilacs myself. My grandfather used to grow them. Oh, how about roses? Do you like roses, Lucy? I've never liked them myself. I think they're boring. Star jasmine is nice too. It smells lovely, don't you think?"
"I like daffodils." Lucy muttered in response, Lorcan threw his hands in the air triumphantly
"She speaks!" He cried, "Now do you want to tell me what's going on." She glanced up at him silently, "Oh, come on Lucy. Tell me what's up!" He said, plopping down beside her. She sighed.
"It's Molly." She whispered. Lorcan squinted at her.
"Your sister? Lucy nodded.
"Yeah." She said quietly. He looked at her quizzically, scratching the back of his head, tousling his sand colored hair.
"What about her?"
"We had a fight." He raised his eyebrows at her.
"What about?""
"The sorting mostly." She responded, "She told me she hated me." Lorcan's mouth opened for a moment, but he shut it quickly, as if reconsidering his words.
"I'm sorry." He finally stammered sheepishly.
"Why?" She asked.
"I don't know. I guess it's just, you know, my twin, he means everything to me. I don't know what I would do without him." Lorcan said, before shaking his head, "Sorry, that probably wasn't helpful." She shrugged.
"Not really." She said gently, "I don't think she really meant it. She felt betrayed by the fact that I got sorted into Slytherin."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"That's what I was afraid of with Lysander." He confessed.
"I'm worried about her. She never acts like this. There has to be something else going on." She said. Lorcan stood up, walking over to one of the rows of flowers, plucking one of them from the soil.
"If you want, I can ask Lysander to keep an eye out for her." He offered kindly. Lucy gave him a small smile.
"Would you?" She asked, touched by his offer.
"Of course." He grinned, walking back over to her, holding out a solitary yellow flower. A daffodil, "What are friends for?" Lucy took it slowly.
"Thank you, Lorcan." She reached out a hopeful arm. He gently pulled her into an awkward, yet comforting embrace.
"Any time." He said, "Lysander will help out. I'm sure of it."
"You two are a great team." She admitted enviously. Lorcan nodded, releasing her.
"Yeah. The two of us have kind of been all we've had."
"How so?" Lucy asked, confused. Lorcan, leaned back against a raised planter box, wrinkling his nose.
"Our parents were never really around when we were growing up, and when they were, we moved around so much to follow their work that we never made friends." He said simply, glancing down at her, "He's the best person I know. He's my best friend. I love him." He gave her a small smile. Lucy nodded.
"Molly and I were kind of the same."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Our dad hasn't really been around since our mum died." She confessed gently. Lorcan's expression changed, "I mean, he's gotten a little better, but I guess Molly is the only one that I have in this." He nodded in response.
"Exactly. Look, Lucy," He said putting his hand on her shoulder, "I know that you're probably upset with her, but you can't let it get between you two forever. This will pass."
"I hope you're right."