June 23, 2015 (Evangeline)
"I am disgusted, Evangeline Prewitt," Victoire Weasley said haughtily. "Absolutely appalled. You were into chicks this whole time, and you never ONCE hit on me?!"
The entire Gryffindor table erupted in laughter at this, including Eva and Roxanne. Eva was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception to her new relationship around the school. She assumed there would be push-back and judgment from all sides, but everyone seemed happy for the two of them. The only odd remarks she ever heard were about how odd of a pairing it was – the straight-edge and the rebel. The bookworm and the athlete. Opposites attract, I guess, Eva thought.
And yet, she and Roxanne had a surprising amount in common. They both loved flying, they both had an affinity for Charms and spell theory, and of course their shared Muggle-born backgrounds. This last fact was a shared secret between them, a sign of implicit trust that Eva did not share with anyone else in the castle – hell, in the world.
Eva was suddenly excited about the prospect of summer now that she and Roxanne were an item. They would both be staying behind at Hogwarts, along with other Muggle-borns in the housing program, and with no classes to worry about they would have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Victoire seemed put-out at first that Eva would not be coming back to Shell Cottage for the holiday, but she seemed to approve of the pairing and quickly reverted to making thinly-veiled innuendos that made both Eva and Roxanne deeply uncomfortable.
"I wonder how they're going to do the sleeping arrangements for you lot," Victoire wondered aloud during the end-of-term feast, making sure her voice could be heard by all in the vicinity. "Eva's gonna have a dorm all to herself...bet you two will make full use of that privacy…"
"For Merlin's sake, Vic," Eva groaned, her face turning a similar shade to Victoire's hair as the entire table once again burst out laughing. She and Roxanne hadn't even had that talk yet – they both wanted to take things slow and see what happened. It was why she looked forward to the coming holiday: it would give them time to take things at a leisurely pace, a pace they didn't have the luxury of during the chaos of regular term.
But as it turned out, that summer wouldn't be the unrestricted, unstructured experience Eva thought it would be. A few hours after the departing students headed off to London on the Hogwarts Express, all the remaining students were summoned back to the Great Hall for an orientation meeting with Ginny Weasley. Roughly forty students, spread fairly evenly across all four houses, sat patiently waiting for things to begin.
"I see we have a smaller group than last year," Ginny remarked, surveying the gathered crowd before her. "That's good. Not as many first-years left behind as in years past." Eva had noticed the same; hers and Roxanne's grade levels seemed to comprise the majority of orphaned Muggle-borns. Only a small handful of first- and second-years remained behind – the first of a new generation born after the horrors of war.
"For those of you returning from last summer, you already know the drill," said Ginny. "For all newcomers, don't expect this summer to be completely care-free and unsupervised. You will be expected to follow a schedule and not wander too far from your assigned groups. Myself and a few other teachers will be taking turns watching you lot, so we expect you all to be on your best behavior." Ginny gave a knowing look towards Roxanne at this, who merely beamed and gave the professor an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"We will not be separating by house any longer," Ginny explained. "Incoming sixth- and seventh-years will be staying with me in Gryffindor Tower. Fourth- and fifth-years will be in Ravenclaw with Professor Lovegood, and second- and third-years in Hufflepuff with Professor Abbott." Shame; would have been nice to see some of the other common rooms, Eva lamented. She did relish in the opportunity to get to know some of the other Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins near her grade level; most of them had treated her well enough in classes in the past.
"There will also be daily scheduled activities to keep your days occupied," Ginny went on. "Light classwork assignments, career prep opportunities, and so on." Eva could tell from Roxanne's eye-roll that none of this would actually be useful; it was likely just designed busy-work to keep the students occupied.
That evening, Eva and Roxanne welcomed their new dorm mates for the summer: two Ravenclaw sixth-years, and a Hufflepuff Eva recognized from her own classes. Eva worried about how well they would get along, but was quickly surprised by how easy it was to converse with all of them. The Muggle-born students seemed far more social and unconcerned with appearances; the difference between these gatherings and the pure-bloods of the Slug Club could not be more stark. Eva quietly lamented once again agreeing with the Headmaster's plan to pose as a pure-blood...she would have fit in far more easily with her own kind.
On the first Monday of summer break, the students met in the Transfiguration classroom for their first 'class' activity, taught by Professor Blanchett. "Welcome to Career Prep," she announced once the room had quieted down. "By a quick show of hands, how many of you are Muggle-borns?" Nearly everybody in the room, save for an embarrassed Eva and a fourth-year Slytherin girl, raised their hands.
"The harsh reality," Blanchett continued, "is that there are very few job opportunities in the magical world these days. The Ministry of Magic is the largest magical employer by far, but if you don't qualify to work there, your options are scarce. Over eighty percent of Muggle-born Hogwarts graduates wind up returning to the Muggle world to find work or pursue higher education."
Eva glanced around the room to gauge the students' reactions to this. For most, it seemed like old news and a foregone conclusion; for the younger students, it was a definite blow to morale.
"There is a silver lining, however," Blanchett went on. "When the Statute of Secrecy was lifted and the war ended, new opportunities arose for witches and wizards to find work. High-profile Muggles in government and entertainment often seek magical bodyguards for themselves. Pharmaceutical and medical research firms have entered the Potions market and are always in need of talented brewers. There are even opportunities in finance and futures markets for those talented in the fields of Divination and Astronomy. The idea is to figure out what you're good at, and find a way to make a living off of it."
Blanchett then went around the room asking individual students what their passions were and what kind of work they were interested in. Several of the boys wanted to become Aurors – an elite and venerated squad led by war hero Neville Longbottom – while a few girls expressed interest in public office to follow in Hermione Granger's footsteps. One Ravenclaw boy proudly announced his intention to transfer to Cambridge upon graduating to study medicine.
"I'm gonna be a Beater for the Holyhead Harpies," Roxanne announced confidently when it came to her. "Don't you worry about me."
"Have you thought of a backup plan?" Blanchett asked politely. "In case you aren't scouted by any teams?"
"Eh, then I'll probably wind up as muscle for some international pop star," Roxanne grinned. "Sniffing out stalkers is my specialty." She winked at Eva with this, who merely rolled her eyes with a chuckle.
"What about you, Evangeline dear?" Blanchett asked her. "What would you like to do?"
"Erm...I haven't really decided yet," Eva muttered. "Maybe an Auror? Or something that would let me travel."
"Well, the Auror Department is extremely strict in who they accept," Blanchett said cautiously. "Travel, you say? Perhaps you would enjoy curse-breaking? Gringotts is always hiring talented explorers to help excavate abandoned magical sites around the world."
Eva absently played with the ruby pendant hanging around her neck, gifted to her by Victoire's father, Bill. He was a curse-breaker, wasn't he? That had sounded rather interesting to her at the time. She accepted several brochures from Blanchett about the Auror program, curse-breaking, and other related occupations. She was impressed with the breadth of opportunity provided to Muggle-born students, and the willingness Hogwarts had shown to help them find employment after school. From what Roxanne had said, she assumed they just left those students out to dry.
"Well, of course they have to make some effort with us," Roxanne chuckled when Eva vocalized this thought over breakfast the following morning. "Otherwise you'd have disgruntled witches and wizards all over with nowhere to go. The last thing the magical world needs is to make Muggle AND magical enemies."
"But things have been peaceful in recent years," Eva reasoned. "And the Muggle and magical governments are working together. Isn't that a good thing?"
Roxanne gave her an odd look. "You don't read the news much, do you?" she asked.
"Erm...no, I guess not," Eva admitted. She hadn't bothered to subscribe to the local papers since arriving at Hogwarts, like many of her fellow students were. She had been too preoccupied with schoolwork and learning British culture to worry about what was happening outside the castle walls.
Roxanne slid her own copy of the Prophet across the table towards her. "You ought to start paying attention to what's going on," she said. "The Prophet may have an anti-Granger slant, but they're still fairly reputable."
Eva picked up the paper and read the headline: MIN. GRANGER, PRES. RODRIGUEZ ADDRESS ILVERMORNY ATTACKS. It depicted a stern-looking Hermione Granger standing at a podium beside a tall American man in a sharp suit, addressing reporters. "That's the American President, isn't it?" she asked aloud; he looked familiar to her, a face synonymous with Muggle pop culture.
"Yep," Roxanne confirmed. "Rumor has it he's a Squib. His political rise came out of nowhere, and his pro-magical policies made some believe he had MACUSA connections pulling the strings behind the scenes of his campaign."
"Huh," Eva said in mild surprise. She began to skim the article below the photo, detailing a recent attempt by armed Muggles to break through the American wizarding school's defenses. But another face in the photo caused her to do a double-take: a tall, red-headed man, standing behind Hermione's right shoulder...an incredible familiar red-headed man…
"Is that Professor Fred?" Eva asked, incredulous.
Roxanne glanced at the photo and laughed. "Nah, that's his twin brother, George," she explained. "Granger's private bodyguard, I think. He's always by her side whenever she makes an appearance in public."
Eva vaguely remembered asking Fred about his twin the previous Christmas, only to realize that it was a sore subject for the family. Now it made a bit more sense: considering that Granger was so unpopular with the pure-blooded magical community, George Weasley working for her was probably tantamount to a betrayal. She continued to scan the photo for signs of another red-head in the crowd – a glimpse at the other mysterious brother that the Weasleys refused to talk about – but saw nobody that fit the description.
Eva continued to steal Roxanne's copy of the Prophet every morning, catching up on Granger's activities in the United States. She pieced together that she was there promoting some new kind of magic-imbued medicine, as she and President Rodriguez attempted to convince a skeptical Muggle population to accept it. Eva could see both sides of the issue: of course she knew Granger would have no ulterior motives in using magic to help improve the lives of Muggles, but why would the average Muggle believe that at face value? Especially in America, the country where every free offer came with an expensive catch?
She was also alarmed at the number of separate incidents of violence perpetrated by Muggles against witches and wizards in recent weeks. In addition to America, where it seemed a wizard was fired at on the street every other day, there were several British skirmishes reported in the Prophet. The domed entrance to the Ministry of Magic was a popular vandalism target, and commuting Ministry employees were continually harassed on the streets by Muggle protesters. The Prophet used each and every incident as an opportunity to criticize Granger's outreach efforts – why, the reporters reasoned, should wizardkind make any attempt to help the Muggles who so clearly hated them? Eva resolved to continue looking into Granger's motives and branch out beyond the scope of the Prophet (or even wizarding publications) to get a broader understanding of the issue.
However, she found she had less time than expected to pursue private endeavors. As promised, the professors kept them busy with daily group activities and classes. Ginny Weasley started an impromptu Dueling Club, which Eva quickly dominated and then retired from to give the other students a fair chance. Professor Lovegood led students on excursions onto the grounds, occasionally accompanied by Hagrid the groundskeeper to introduce them to various magical creatures residing nearby. They were also expected to write four book reports from a list of approved library texts by the end of the summer, to 'keep their minds sharp', as Ginny explained.
It soon became abundantly clear to Eva that the professors were actively seeking out ways to limit the students' free time. She didn't know if this was explicitly to keep couples like Eva and Roxanne apart (and they were not the only couple in the program), or a lingering grudge from Ginny Weasley after the Hogsmeade incident last winter. But it seemed that every time she and Roxanne tried to sneak off to find a quiet place in the castle to talk or to snog, the one-eyed red-head was able to round the corner and spot them just before they slipped into an empty classroom or hidden alcove.
Still, there was only so much three professors could do to watch forty-plus kids at all hours, and the two lovebirds managed to find plenty of time to themselves. Eva had never been so infatuated with someone before, so comfortable in the presence of another person. It turned out that Roxanne was a fascinating person beneath her tough exterior – funny, spontaneous, and wickedly smart despite her academic under-achievement, able to keep up with Eva's more obscure scholarly references.
She was also more willing to be vulnerable with Eva and open up about her difficult childhood. "My parents were anti-magic from the beginning," she explained one evening as they lounged in the mostly-empty Gryffindor common room. "My dad helped fight against Voldemort, but he always said things didn't get any better once he was defeated. He was always ranting about how arrogant wizards were, how they thought they were better than everyone else."
"That must have been hard once you realized you were a witch," Eva frowned.
"I realized when I was seven," Roxanne chuckled. "My mum tried to spank me for sneaking food into bed, and I somehow teleported across the room. She made me promise to keep it a secret from my dad no matter what, but he found out when my Hogwarts letter came a few years later."
"So your mum was okay with you being a witch?" asked Eva.
"Well, she acted as surprised as Dad when the letter came," Roxanne shrugged. "And when he kicked me out, she didn't speak up for me. Haven't talked to her since that day."
"No attempted contact since then?" asked Eva.
"From me, or her?" Roxanne laughed hollowly. "Why would I bother? Sending an owl home would likely just cause my dad to get violent again. But I did hope, the first few years here, that she might send something...every morning I would wait for a letter from home, like the other kids, but nothing ever—"
Roxanne stopped short. Eva looked up into her face, and saw that she was trying very hard not to cry. Eva hastily cast a Muffling Charm around them and pulled Roxanne into a tight hug, allowing the older girl to sob heavily into her shoulder. It was the first time her tough exterior had broken and she had broken down in front of Eva. She had always been the rock in their relationship, reassuring Eva in times of stress or despair. But now it was time for Eva to return the favor, to be there for Roxanne in her own time of need.
Roxanne did not bring up her parents again after that day. Eva wanted her to know that it was okay, that she could trust Eva with the details of her sordid past. But she also didn't want to uncover her trauma unnecessarily, so she elected not to broach the topic either. Most of their days passed with inconsequential conversation, with silly banter and corny pop culture references, and that was just fine with Eva. Part of getting to know someone was understanding their sense of humor, figuring out their pet peeves and guilty pleasures through trial and error. She didn't need to dig deep into Roxanne's psyche to feel like they were growing closer. Their relationship blossomed even as they delicately danced around their own tragic backstories.
Eva was becoming more attuned to Roxanne's moods, noticing when she became more quiet and withdrawn, signaling that she was privately struggling with something. At first she tried to help by suggesting fun and spontaneous activities for them to do, but quickly realized she wasn't as good at leading the mischief as following it, and it didn't help Roxanne much anyway. The older girl seemed content to just co-exist quietly alongside Eva as she immersed herself in her private studies, feeding off of her calm energy. Perhaps that was why they were such a good match: they each provided the energy that the other needed.
During the third week of summer break, Professor Blanchett approached Eva and Roxanne as they strolled by the lake on a hazy afternoon. "Hey, you two!" she beamed. "Some of the younger students have shown interest in forming an informal Quidditch league. You two are the most experienced players here. Think you'd like to help organize it?"
Eva and Roxanne looked at each other. For once, this sounded like an activity they might enjoy. They happily agreed, and the following morning they stood on the pitch surveying the twenty-odd students who had shown up to try out. There were so few of them that they couldn't realistically make any cuts, but half of them had never flown on a broomstick outside of first-year flying lessons. The first day consisted of basic flying and Quaffle passing drills as the younger fliers did their best not to fall off their brooms.
Eva and Roxanne decided there was little point in dividing by house, and decided to hand-pick teams to roughly equalize the talent level of the players. Four teams of five were formed: two Chasers, one Beater, one Keeper, and a Seeker apiece. Eva took up captaincy of one group, comprising a few skittish-looking youngsters and a fifth-year Hufflepuff who had a tendency to smack Bludgers at his own teammates just as often as his opponents. Roxanne helmed another team, while Ewan Crocker (a returning Ravenclaw Chaser) took charge of another. The fourth team had no active Hogwarts players, but comprised mostly older and more capable fliers to compensate for the lack of experience.
Despite the obviously lower skill level of her new team, Eva had a blast training with her group and showing them the ropes of Quidditch. It was a bizarre feeling to be in a position of authority despite only having played herself for less than a year, but her teammates looked up to and respected her, having watched her spectacular play the previous year. There was a simple joy in watching the young students achieve small but significant milestones, like scoring their first goal, stealing an errant Quaffle pass or evading their first Bludger. Eva volunteered herself for Keeper to allow an eager third-year girl, Jenna Kagan, to try her hand at Seeker; the look of elation on her face when she caught the Snitch made it well worthwhile.
The game was also a lot less stressful when there wasn't anything on the line. They organized an informal intramural cup, with each team playing every other like in the real Hogwarts season. First Eva's squad narrowly bested Crocker's ragtag squad, with Eva intentionally allowing a few goals to keep it close. Then the team of upperclassmen trounced them after a clumsy sixth-year Slytherin accidentally caught the Snitch within the first ten minutes of play by crashing into it.
But by far the most fun match was against Roxanne's team. Roxanne herself volunteered to play Chaser, and she and Eva had a blast squaring off properly for the first time. Eva only managed to guess right on which hoop Roxanne was aiming for about half the time, and the half that she guessed right, Roxanne put so much force into her throws that Eva was nearly knocked off her broom. Both teams racked up so many points in the drawn-out affair that by the time Kagan caught the Snitch, they had more than secured enough points to win the informal Cup.
To everyone's surprise, Headmaster Potter arrived at the conclusion of their match to congratulate the winning squad. It was the first time any of them had seen him since the end of term – he looked exhausted, heavy bags under his eyes, but he nonetheless beamed and congratulated Eva's squad. "I think we ought to reward the winning team with something," he mused, and with a wave of his wand he conjured a small silver cup, engraved with the names of the five winning players.
Eva got surprisingly emotional watching her teammates chatter excitedly that night over dinner, the makeshift cup sitting on the table between them. House boundaries had long been done away with, and students of all affiliations mingled throughout the Great Hall – friends that never would have been made otherwise. Roxanne seemed to sense her sentimental mood at once. "Penny for your thoughts, Prewitt?" she asked softly.
"It's nothing," Eva muttered quickly. "Just...thinking about what my parents would've thought watching me lead this team. They always encouraged me to play team sports, before...well, you know. Doesn't matter anyway."
Eva cleared her throat hastily and returned to her meal, hoping to be done with the conversation. But Roxanne gently tipped Eva's chin upwards so that she was forced to look directly into her eyes. "It's okay to not be okay, you know," she said. "You don't have to put up that tough exterior in front of me. I'm here for you, no matter what."
Something broke in Eva's resolve as she stared into the deep, empathetic blue of Roxanne's eyes. She'd fought to keep her own emotions in check around Roxanne, wanting to provide a steady foundation whenever the other girl was suffering. But Eva had baggage of her own she needed to sort through, and Roxanne seemed willing to help her unload it. "I miss them," she whimpered, as she buried her head into Roxanne's shoulder. And for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, she mourned the loss of her fallen parents.
One final milestone remained before the end of the summer, as July morphed into August: Eva's sixteenth birthday. She awoke on the thirteenth of August feeling melancholic, the thought of her parents still weighing on her. Her previous fifteen birthdays had all been spent in Brisbane with her parents, and it was the one day where they enjoyed each other's company. Even after starting at Willoughby and leaving her old Muggle life behind, her birthday had always been a special occasion where there was no boundary between them – just two loving parents and their adoring daughter.
Roxanne must have instinctively known the significance of the day, because she didn't leave Eva's side once. It was as though she was determined to remind Eva at every waking moment that she was loved, that she was not alone. Eva appreciated that more than she could put into words – she needed the distraction, the little nonsense activities that Roxanne put them through that morning and afternoon to keep them occupied. She was still dumbfounded that anyone found her worthy of their time and attention, especially someone as buoyant and carefree as Roxanne. I don't deserve this, Eva thought. But she would never admit it aloud, for fear that it would all come to an abrupt end someday.
There was one thing Eva hated more than anything else, and that was being the sole center of attention. So she was mortified when, as dinner came to a close, all the students circled around to sing her 'Happy Birthday' and present her with a cake the Hufflepuffs had ordered from the house-elves in the kitchens. It was adorned with sixteen sparkling candles and a gorgeous Golden Snitch made of frosting. Eva insisted on everyone getting a piece before she did, but they left her with a generous portion anyway, most of which she stored away for future late-night enjoyment.
Just when Eva thought the surprises were done for the day, one more shocking development arose as everyone prepared to finish their desserts and head back to the dorms. The great oak doors slammed open, and an unexpected visitor strode into the Great Hall with purpose. Eva did a double-take when she saw this visitor, a face she knew quite well but had never laid eyes on in person: the Minister of Magic herself, Hermione Granger.
A hush fell over the students as they stared in awe at Hermione, who marched straight up the center aisle, a stern expression on her face. "Didn't know she was back in the country," Roxanne muttered to Eva. "Thought for sure she was too afraid to show her face here again."
Everyone watched with bated breath as Hermione approached the Head Table, where Harry tentatively stood to greet her. They exchanged a formal handshake, and Hermione leaned in to whisper something in Harry's ear. They had a brief hushed conversation as everyone, even Professors Weasley, Lovegood and Blanchett, watched on with high interest. Then, without warning, Harry turned to exit the Hall through a side exit, Hermione hot on his heels.
Hermione cast one look around the Hall as she exited, eyes passing over the gawking students with seeming disinterest. For a split second, Eva could've sworn that Hermione's eyes lingered on her for longer than most, but the moment passed as quickly as it came, and the Minister disappeared from sight.
"Blimey, would it kill that witch to smile once in a while?" Roxanne chuckled. "Might help dispel some of the rumors that she's an uptight dictator."
But Eva was barely listening. "I want to go and meet her," she announced, standing from her seat.
"Are you mad?!" Roxanne blanched. "She and Potter are probably on their way to his office to tear each other's heads off. Haven't you seen what they've been saying about each other in the Prophet?"
"Even so," Eva shrugged. "She's been my hero since I was ten. I might never get the chance again."
It was exceedingly rare for Eva to be the one seeking trouble while Roxanne trailed reluctantly behind. But that was the situation they found themselves in as Eva led the way through the castle towards the Headmaster's Office. They took the long way around, ducking through several secret passageways in case Ginny was prowling the wing looking for stragglers, before arriving at their destination.
"Erm...can we go up, please?" Eva politely asked the stone gargoyle, which stood impassively before the entrance. "We'd like to see the Headmaster, if possible...and Minister Granger."
At this, the gargoyle immediately sprung to life and jumped aside to grant them access. Eva and Roxanne shared a surprised look. Was Granger the password, or had the gargoyle simply honored their request? Eva wouldn't ask questions. She led the way up the spiral staircase, Roxanne close behind.
What would she say? Eva wondered. She'd dreamed of this moment for years: meeting her heroine, the woman she'd looked up to since learning she was a witch. Would she be able to compose herself? Could she form coherent sentences, ask for practical advice? She stood before the great oak door to the office, heart pounding, fighting to contain her excitement.
Eva raised her fist to knock, but Roxanne stopped her. She pressed her ear lightly to the door, frowning, and Eva did the same. There were sounds emanating from inside the office – sounds of conflict? She and Roxanne exchanged worried looks. But no, it didn't sound like struggle after all...no voices yelling at one another, no spellfire being exchanged between the two supposed public enemies. Then what was the odd, rhythmic noise they heard?
Roxanne's eyes went wide as she realized it too. She grabbed Eva's wrist and gently guided her back down the staircase, tip-toeing back down to the greater castle below. Eva could not make heads or tails of this new development. But there was no mistaking that sound in her mind now: the sound of passionate lovemaking between the two great war heroes.
