Chapter Six - The Secret is Out
The whispers didn't start after Evangeline left her dorm.
The moment she rose from her bed, groaning tiredly as her arms rose above her in a slightly energizing stretch, she could hear her roommates whispering to each other. Evangeline didn't think much of it at first. She had stayed up most of the night wondering how her soreness and swelling had disappeared so quickly, and had just lazily swung her legs off of the bed and began rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes before she froze.
Evangeline got up from her bed and entered the bathroom. The accidental slam of the door caused the other girls to jump, making them wonder out loud if she had heard them. Indeed she did, but she didn't want them to know that.
She pressed herself against the door, sliding down as her chest heaved with fear and panic, the words "I can't believe she's related to Professor Snape!" echoing through her mind.
Evangeline was confused. She had done everything right, she was sure of it. She never mentioned her father by name, never talked about his interests, or what he looked like. Not only that, but she wrote her letters to him in Scottish Gaelic and he responded in Scottish Gaelic. There's no way anyone could know that language, even if they were born in Scotland! It's a dying language. Her mother had so herself.
How could they . . . ?
No. No, it is not possible that they found out from her. Evangeline had been careful from the beginning. She knows she was. There is no way in the name of Merlin that she outed herself as Severus Snape's daughter. Evangeline stood up, firmly nodding with a sure look as her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line. She walked over to the sink, wetted her toothbrush, and put on the toothpaste, bringing it to her mouth just in time as her doubt set in.
Or did she out herself?
She shook her head. No, Evangeline thought to herself, brushing her teeth. I definitely did not do that. Someone probably just noticed how similar we look and started a silly rumor. All my father has to do is deny it and this will all blow over.
However, as she changed into her Hogwarts uniform and took her ADHD and anxiety medication, the fear of what these girls and anyone else knew lingered at the back of her mind, slowly sowing seeds of self-doubt and uncertainty.
Evangeline entered the Great Hall alongside her House, tuning out the not-so-quiet whispers that floated around her, overlapping until they were nothing but the unintelligible muttering that one would hear in horror movies. Even as she tried, she could hear the small bits that stuck out to her: "fake", "abuse", "teacher's pet". A part of her wanted to listen, to know what kind of rumor they were spreading and why they would say those things, but another part was ready to yell at them for saying such things – to get in their face and defend her father; and Evangeline ultimately knew that pretending she couldn't hear them was the best solution.
As she sits down near Harry, Ron, and Seamus, Evangeline can't help but notice their distrustful looks and the unmistakable fear that whitens Neville's round face, leaving him unable to look her in the eyes. While they couldn't be classified as close friends, Evangeline couldn't help but feel upset at how quickly they seemed to turn on her. Although, they might not have. Better to test it first.
"What?" she says, pretending that she doesn't know what's got them all worked up.
"You're a Snape," Ron bluntly replies, confirming her suspicions.
"Excuse me?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes in irritation, her lips curling into a sneer. "That's a very rude thing to say, especially since I'm nothing like him."
"No," said Seamus coldly, "but you are his daughter."
Evangeline feigns confusion, her eyes widening slightly as her lips parted. She shakes her head, firmly saying, "No, I'm not! What in the name of Merlin made you think that?"
"Malfoy said so," said Harry, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "He told us how his father saw you and Professor Snape at Diagon Alley, and said that you look like him when he was young."
She laughs incredulously. "That is – you don't really – this is completely absurd! Neville, are you hearing this? Can you believe –?" Evangeline places a hand on Neville's to reassure him, and becomes taken aback when he pulls away the second she touches him. Her eyes darted around the table to brush off the action, and she was just now noticing the glares she was receiving from everyone.
Her eyebrows crinkle in confusion. Real confusion this time.
Evangeline looks back at Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Neville, and her immediate reaction is to defend herself, but no words come out. She just stared at everyone at the table, her expression darkening as her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared. Suddenly, Evangeline's expression changes to one of acceptance, her gaze landing on the wooden table. Her dark eyes, which had once glittered with determination and defiance, were dull and passive. She sighs heavily. "Some things never change," she mutters bitterly, her lips curling into a faint, pessimistic smile before standing up and storming out of the Great Hall.