So, I survived Endgame. But gods above, the feels! Anyways, enjoy chapter 4!
Chapter 4: Fun at Gringotts
Evelyn wakes to blessedly blissful silence. None of that screaming nonsense from earlier. She pries her eyes open to glare sleepily up at a ceiling that she doesn't recognize. That, of course, has her bolting upright, which turns out to be a horrible idea. The room spins as she flops back down with a groan, pressing the palms of her hands over her aching eyes.
"Eve?"
"Buggering fuck, that hurt worse than last time," she spits out. Of course it hurts worse than last time. The Killing Curse, surprisingly, is actually painless. Having a Horcrux extracted while fully conscious and connected to your nervous system is bound to be more painful. Why that woman couldn't have knocked her out before hand, Evelyn doesn't know.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Dudley asks warily.
"Once the room stops trying to upend itself, yeah, I'll be fine," she hisses. "Do you know where we are?"
"She said she put us up in a room in a leaky cauldron?"
Well, that makes things significantly easier for what Evelyn has planned to do before trying to somehow get to Asgard. Peeking out of one eye, she sees that the room does look vaguely similar to the one she'd stayed in before her third year.
"Food?"
"To be brought up when we ask for it. Is this place really called 'Leaky Cauldron'?"
Evelyn huffs out a weak laugh. "Yeah. We aren't really the brightest when it comes to naming things."
"As long as it doesn't actually leak."
She laughs for real this time. She laughs long and hard until her laughter turns into sobs and she curls up into a ball, letting out all her accumulated grief. When Dudley hurriedly settles onto the bed beside her, she clings to him. Mercifully, he doesn't say anything, just awkwardly pats her back and lets her cry.
"I'm sorry," she gasps out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Eve, no," Dudley rushes to stop her apologies. "You had a reason, it's okay."
"They were all gone," she cries. "They were gone and I couldn't—we couldn't—"
"It's okay, we're okay."
She viciously shakes her head. It's not okay. Her family is gone. Both magical and mundane. All the trials and hardships and joys and triumphs they shared together, gone. Even if she manages to meet them again, they won't remember and they won't be hers. When the grief threatens to overwhelm her, she forcibly shoves it to the back of her mind. Dudley, for all that he changed, can't help her with this. Breaking apart will have to wait until she gets to Asgard and Loki.
She uncurls from around her cousin, furiously wiping away her tears. He gives her a concerned look, but she waves it away.
"I'm fine now," she says, her voice wavering only slightly.
His expression is dubious—rightly so, she thinks—but he doesn't push her on it. Probably realizes there's not much he can do, not with how little he actually knows about what exactly she's been through. "Food then?"
"Yeah, food," she agrees. Food should be simple, and she needs simple right now. "Do we ring for it?"
Dudley pulls a face. "Ah, something about a house elf?"
Evelyn blinks. "I didn't even know there was a house elf here. Huh." She shrugs. "Service please."
With a faint pop, a house elf in a pillow case appears at the end of the bed. "What can Daffy be getting sir and miss?"
Ignoring Dudley's startled yelp, she realizes she has no idea what time of day it is. "What meal is being served right now?"
"Lunch, miss."
Well, she apparently slept in late. Good thing they aren't at Privet Drive anymore. Petunia would've thrown a fit if she'd slept in that late there. "You wouldn't happen to have fish and chips, would you?" she asks hopefully. That and tea are the two things she's missed the most about home. The tea is abysmal over in America, so she learned to live with coffee to not subject herself to that horror, and she never did find anywhere that did as good fish and chips as any she had in England. She'll get her tea fix later, but if they have fish and chips, then she just might start crying again.
"We is having fish and chips. Is that was miss be wanting?"
"Please." Her mouth's already watering and she hasn't even gotten a whiff of food smell yet.
"And sir?" Daffy looks at Dudley, who hasn't made a sound beyond his earlier yelp. "What does sir be wanting?"
"Fish and chips is fine," he says faintly.
"Daffy be returning shortly with sir and miss' food." With another pop, the house elf disappears, and Evelyn collapses while giggling after getting a good look at Dudley's face.
"What was that?" he demands. "That looked like a little troll, goblin thing!"
Evelyn can't help her snort. "I'd recommend not saying that when we go to Gringotts later, cousin mine. The goblins will take serious offence, and let me tell you, that's something to be avoided. And that was a house elf. Usually you'll see them bound to a particular wizarding family, but establishments have them as well. They're a bit like having all the hired help rolled up into one little helpful creature."
Dudley blinks rapidly. "What's Gringotts and why the bloody hell would goblins be there?"
Evelyn tilts her head to the side. "I could've sworn I explained that to you. Gringotts is the bank here, and the goblins run it. We'll be going there after we eat to see what can be done before my eleventh birthday. Don't think I'll get access to much, but I just want to check regardless." And start poking at how to get that bloody Horcrux out of Lestrange's vault without having to ride a fucking dragon through the bank's ceiling. Avoiding having to reenact that particular nightmare would be greatly appreciated. Evelyn's pretty sure Loki would try and lock her away if she did, and she'd rather not have to hex her husband silly for the attempt.
"Right, goblins run banks." Dudley scrubs a hand over his face. "And do you have any idea what we're doing after that?"
"I had planned on trying to figure out a way to reach my husband."
Dudley nods. "Your husband, right. Who was he, again? That Draco guy?"
Now it's her turn to pull a face. At one time, maybe. They'd raised Teddy together—and the mere thought of her son, now truly lost to her, is a horrible punch to the gut that she will not dwell on right now, thanks—and she'd been happy with him. She'd honestly thought that maybe they could have a life together. Then Hela had grabbed her and dumped her into Loki's lap. Draco had been easy, for all that the mere idea was ridiculous. Loki had challenged and excited her in ways no one else ever had before.
"No, not Draco," she whispers, suddenly immensely glad that she won't have to deal with that particular explosion, cowardly as the thought is. She smiles weakly at her cousin. "Loki of Asgard, actually."
"Ah," is all Dudley says, his head bobbing up and down in a parody of a nod because he just keeps doing it.
Well, she officially broke her cousin.
"Just ignore that little fact for now," she suggests, patting him on the shoulder. "You look like your brain is hurting."
"Why are you so impossible?" he groans, flopping backwards to bury his face in a pillow.
Even though he can't see her, she grins down at him. "I'm a Potter, love. We are never ordinary. Our luck doesn't allow for anything less."
"Bloody Potter Luck," Dudley mutters as Daffy pops back in with two steaming plates.
"Lunch for sir and miss," the elf says, depositing the food onto a table snapped up before disappearing again.
"Merciful magic, that smells amazing," Evelyn breathes, scrambling off the bed and onto one of the two chairs provided as well. Not even waiting for Dudley to join her, she cuts off a big hunk of fish and puts it in her mouth despite the heat. The moan she produces is probably something she should save for her husband, given how red Dudley's face goes, but the fish is so fucking good.
"Can you please not?" Dudley requests, settling opposite her and tucking in as well. "I'd like to be able to eat too, thanks."
She points her knife at him in mock warning. "I've not had decent fish and chips or tea in eight years. I will bloody well make whatever sounds I choose, thank you kindly."
Dudley stares at her before shaking his head. "Nope, just not asking."
Evelyn has to resist the urge to cackle. It's not hard, what with the delicious food in front of her. So instead she just smirks at Dudley from across the table. He, in turn, pointedly ignores her. They eat their meal in relative silence, only a few appreciative noises escaping her every now and then. None of them as obscene as that first one, though.
She's licking lingering salt off her fingers, humming happily under her breath, when Dudley suddenly asks, "Eve, is there a reason your hair's red again? I thought you had black when we were young."
She pauses mid lick, blinks as the question registers, then reaches up to tug on a lock. Surprisingly, not only is it the familiar shade of red she acquired after losing the Horcrux the first time, it's also far longer than Petunia ever allowed her to have. She's a bit amazed she hadn't noticed this before. "Not a sodding clue," she replies. "It changed the first time I lost the Horcrux. Did I have it before the soul piece was removed?"
"You blew up the stairs," Dudley stresses. "I wasn't worried about your bloody hair color. Why?"
She shrugs. "Then I haven't the foggiest. Just chalk it up to Potter Luck and be done with it. You'll only give yourself a migraine otherwise trying to logic it out."
"Trying to apply logic to you is enough to give anyone a migraine," Dudley mutters.
She grins cheekily. "I do so try. Now, are you finished? If you are, I'd like to head to Gringotts now. No telling how bloody long this'll take."
"Yeah, I'm done." He slides out of his chair only to go over to a stack of cloth she hadn't noticed before now. "We're apparently supposed to wear these before going out into Diagon Alley." He holds up two cloaks. "She also left us a change of clothes."
Evelyn frowns. "That's oddly specific. How would she even know our sizes?"
Dudley gives her an incredulous look. "You think I know? I was just bloody happy you'd stopped screaming. I didn't think to ask about the offer of free clothes."
"Another thing to talk to Hela about," she grumbles, walking over to grab a cloak and her change of clothes. "Washroom?" He points to one of the two doors. She nods in thanks before striding purposefully over to it. "I'll knock before coming back out, so you change too." She doesn't wait for a reply, simply shutting the door firmly behind herself. Clutching the clothes to her chest, she draws in a deep breath before making herself look in the mirror.
It's sort of what she expected, yet at the same time, not.
Her hair is the familiar red tangled curls she gained twenty two years prior. Sharp emerald green eyes stare back at her warily, and above them is an already fading lightning bolt. She has to admit, she's looking forward to no one being able to use that to recognize her. With a slightly manic grin, she realizes she can even play dumb about the stupid thing if she plays her cards right. No more stupid Scarface!
The state of the rest of her body, however, is definitely cause for concern. She's really short and almost gaunt with how skinny she is. She sighs. Loki is going to fuss up a storm and probably force feed her potions to try and do damage control. Maybe she'll manage to be taller this go round, she thinks wistfully.
The clothes are simple enough. Jeans, surprisingly, and a green collared shirt. If Evelyn didn't know that there's no feasible way for Loki to have been a part of choosing said clothes, she'd accuse him of trying to stake a claim. In the end, she just puts both on, grimacing at how freaking tiny the pants are. She has nothing on her to be able to work with her hair, so it'll just have to be what it is.
She knocks hard on the door, and when Dudley doesn't protest, slips back into the main room. He got jeans as well, and a plain black shirt. He stares at her in horrified fascination, her old clothes having done a pretty good job of covering up her slimness.
"Not a word," she warns, pointing a finger at him. "I'll be fine. Leave the fussing to my husband."
Dudley, of course, ignores her and walks over to grab her in a rather tight hug. "I'm sorry," he whispers desperately into her hair.
She sighs, patting him awkwardly on the back. "We were kids, Dud. We were kids and your parents not the best of role models. I forgave you for all that, remember? We even went to therapy together and everything. Please, please, please don't start bringing it back up."
"Sorry, sorry." He hurriedly backs away, clearing his throat. "So, Gringotts?"
They both know what he's doing, but since Evelyn has absolutely no intention of opening that box back up again, she let's it go. "Gringotts," she agrees, easily throwing her cloak around her shoulders. Dudley, attempting to copy her and utterly failing, manages to get himself thoroughly tangled. "Want help?" Evelyn asks mildly, her lips twitching as she fights to hold in her laughter.
He shoots her a glare. "Not all of us are dramatic ponces," he grumbles, tugging helplessly at the fabric.
"Hah, if you think being able to put on a simple cloak is ponce worthy, my husband would blow your mind," Evelyn chuckles, stepping up to help set him to straights.
"He already makes my head hurt, and I thought we agreed not to bring him up again."
"You're going to have to accept it at some point."
"Not today I don't," he hisses back, which, fair.
With one last tug, she has the cloak situated properly over her cousin's shoulders. "Right then, shall we go?"
Dudley waves a hand at the door. "After you. I haven't the foggiest where we're going."
She places her hand on the door knob before turning back. "Do we have a key?" she asks. "For that matter, how long exactly do we even have the room for?"
Her cousin holds up a key and replies, "Two days. We gotta figure something out by tomorrow, even if it's just rebooking the room."
Evelyn nods. "Easily done," she says, throwing the door open and marching determinedly out. She throws her hood up, hearing Dudley scramble to get the door locked and hurry after her. He huffs under his breath once he does, knocking his arm into her in mock irritation. She just grins to herself, glad to have him beside if nothing else.
Getting into Diagon Alley, thankfully, goes off without a hitch. Evelyn has a brief moment of panic when she realizes she has no wand to open the the doorway, but they manage to approach it along with a group that they can slip in with.
"Blimey," Dudley breathes, and Evelyn can't help her proud grin. For all the Wizarding World's faults, Diagon Alley is rather spectacular. Stepping into it the first time is a bit like seeing Hogwarts as a first year when the boats round that last corner. Magical beyond all reasonable forms of description.
"Come on, Gringotts is down at the end," Evelyn says, tugging at her cousin's sleeve when he remains rooted where he is. He stumbles after her, head whipping in every direction to take in every last little detail that he can. It tears at her heart, but she completely and utterly ignores Eeylops Owl Emporium as they walk by. She can't bear the thought of accidentally seeing the owl that might be Hedwig.
When they finally get through the first set of doors to the bank, Evelyn pauses to let Dudley read the words carved into the silver doors they still have to go through. It's an experience and a rather good warning.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Well that's terrifying," Dudley mutters, shuffling a bit closer to her.
"That's rather the point, I think," Evelyn laughs, reaching out to push open the door. "Keeps people from—"
The sudden blaring of alarms cuts her statement short.
Evelyn blinks stupidly as the door she just touched continues to swing open without her help, revealing every goblin on the floor suddenly up in arms. "You've got to be kidding me," she says flatly when all eyes snap onto her.
"Your luck bloody sucks, Eve," Dudley grumbles.
"I didn't do anything!" she hisses back, even as the goblins close ranks around them.
"Witch, King Ragnok will see you now," one commands, eyeing her and Dudley warily.
The twitch of an eyebrow is the only form of frustration Evelyn allows herself to show. "Joy," she deadpans. "Well, lead on, then. I wanted to talk with someone anyways. Might as well be King Ragnok."
"King?!" Dudley's strangled shriek brings her more joy than it probably should, given their current situation of being led into previously unknown depths of the bank. "We're going to see a king?!"
"Cousin mine, stick with me long enough, and I'll introduce you to the bloody king of Asgard," she drawls. After she rips him a new one for his abysmal parenting skills, however. She has eight years of ammo lined up, and by the grace of magick itself, she's going to use it, damn it! The pained moan he produces has her grinning just a bit viciously. There's a brief moment where the steady thudding of boots falters, but when Evelyn looks at their escorts, nothing shows on any of their faces.
The door they're led to, surprisingly, is not big and large and gold and covered in gems like Evelyn had expected. Well, she supposes it's large for a goblin, but a full grown wizard could still easily fit through it. The wood is stained darkly, making the little inlaid silver stand out all the more.
One of the two guards standing on either side of it knocks three times as they approach before opening it. Evelyn sweeps in, confident in every step she takes for all that this entire situation has her rattled. She has absolutely no idea what set off the alarm, but it's definitely something to do with her. Dudley is a silent shadow now, hovering at her elbow. For that, she's grateful. He's probably terrified out of his mind, but so long as he stays quiet and lets her talk, she's fairly certain she can get them out whatever this is.
"King Ragnok," she says, dipping into a bow because curtsying without a skirt is just too weird. "Well—"
"I do not need your simpering pleasantries, witch," King Ragnok snarls, standing at the base of a throne that, again, is far less gaudy that Evelyn expected. "Explain to me why you dared bring Soul Magic into my bank!"
Everything in her stills.
"And how, exactly, do you claim to know I did?" she asks softly, straightening back up to look Ragnok in the eye.
"We have wards, witch, wards that your people only dream of learning, and your magic reeks of it." He points his sword at her. "Do you deny this?"
"I deny nothing," she throws back. "Now what, exactly, has you all up in arms over that little fact?"
"Soul Magic is dangerous and I make it a point to know when anything dangerous enters my bank."
Evelyn tilts her head to the side, lips curling back in a snarl when one goblin takes a step towards her cousin. "Touch him and I'll gladly demonstrate why exactly I caught the eye of Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard. And don't think I'm just a squeamish little human. I've fought in two different wars and have seen my fair share of death," she growls, slipping into their native language to make sure they know she's serious. She'd made it a point to learn Gobbledegook after the war and the entire fiasco at the bank.
That seems to give Ragnok pause, because he holds up a hand and all goblins freeze where they are. "You know our tongue."
She raises an eyebrow. "I know a fair number of things, probably more than my so called Magical Guardian would care for me to." She bares her teeth at him. "Would you like a demonstration?"
There's a moment of silence before Ragnok shakes his head. "No, I think not. However, you still haven't explained how and why you brought Soul Magic into my bank."
"The how, I suppose, is because my husband used Soul Magic on me. Unfortunately, it seems like some remains of it still linger in my own magic, regardless of the fact that it should've left by now. As to the why?" She gives Ragnok a disbelieving look. "Why does anyone visit a bank? I wanted to see my account manager and do whatever I could before my birthday when I'll take up the mantle of Lady of House Potter, House Gryffindor, and House Slytherin."
"You willingly let someone use Soul Magic on you?" Ragnok asks incredulously.
Her expression falls flat. "Well, it was either that or die. Surprisingly, I chose the option where I might live."
"Eve?" Dudley whispers hesitantly, placing a hand on her arm.
"I said they were all gone, didn't I, cousin?" Her laugh is broken and sharp. "Every last one of them dead as the Realms collapsed one by one." She fixes a wild look on Ragnok, who actually takes a step back in the face of her grief. "We used Soul Magic, King Ragnok, because we had nothing left to lose. We were the last two left, my husband and I. We were the last that remained of those not in hiding while the world fell to pieces around us. Does that sound like a suitable time to use Soul Magic, your majesty?"
Silence falls again. She's getting rather good at making that happen.
"It appears we have misjudged you entirely," Ragnok intones, sheathing his sword. Then, to Evelyn complete and utter amazement, he places a hand over his heart and bows to her. "Well met Evelyn Rosalie Potter, Warrior of the Realms."
Stiffening her spine, she returns the bow. "Well met King Ragnok, Director of Gringotts Bank."
They both straighten back up, regarding the other with the respect of an equal.
"How may Gringotts assist you, Warrior Potter?" Ragnok inquires.
"I'd really like to talk with my account manager if at all possible," she requests a touch dryly. "There are things I'd like for him to prep for our meeting on my birthday, as I have plans to be in Asgard until then."
"Of course. Griphook will take you to Account Manager Barchoke's office immediately."
Evelyn dips her head respectfully. "My thanks." She starts to turn, only for something to occur to her. "Is this nonsense going to happen every time I try and visit my vaults?"
Ragnok seems to consider this. He doesn't look anymore fond of the idea than her. "I'll have our Curse Breakers look into it. I will have an answer before you leave."
"Lovely. Honor and glory to you, King Ragnok."
The goblin king blinks in obvious surprise before a wide grin spreads across his lips. "Honor and glory to you as well, Warrior Potter."
Evelyn returns the grin, then turns on her heel and follows Griphook out of the office.