Edith Cahill and the Two Slytherins

The next few weeks flew by in a blur of homework and prefect patrols and before she knew it it was October. Her and Regulus had seemed to fall into an okay routine. They didn’t chat much. And he was very stiff and cold towards her, but as promised he informed her on Marty’s well being, to which she was very grateful for as the boy in question still hadn’t spoken to her. She had bumped into him a few times in the corridors and he would sped off in the other direction, avoiding eye contact with her at all cost. She considered writing to her aunt Chrissy about the situation, but thought better of it. There was no need to worry her, he couldn’t avoid her forever and until she thought something was wrong and it wasn’t just pre-teen angst she would confront him.

Because of all this Edith had decided to focus on the one thing she could guarantee to district her, studying. Rhea often joked that she should have been a Ravenclaw because of how much time she spent in the library, but truly it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Edith wasn’t particularly academic, she had done well in her small muggle primary school but with a roll of 60 kids it wasn’t hard to stand out. Hogwarts had been a whole different ball game, and six years later she still felt as though she had a tremendous amount of catching up to do. So she tried her best to do so. Her marks were definitely on the better side of average, but she had to study her arse off to even scrape those. Which is why once again she found herself walking towards the library.

She had just rounded the corner and was boating her way towards the library entrance when a low voice called out to her.

‘Off to study again, Cahill?’

She paused and turned around to see Avery, Mulciber and Crouch. All of them were sneering and laughing at her with those haughty looks they always seemed to wear.

‘Yes, Avery I am. I know it must be a shock for you considering how much you struggle with it, but some of us actually like to read.’ She shrugged, appearing much more calm than she felt.

‘Fuck off Mudblood.’ Avery snared back, his face purple with anger.

‘Wow, is that it?’ She scoffed. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to join me in the Library? Your vocabulary would benefit greatly.’

Mulciber opened his mouth, probably to add to Avery’s great display of wit, but he was beaten to it by Crouch.

‘I’d be careful throwing around petty insults, Cahill, after all we only sleep a few doors down from baby mudblood.’ He taunted her, his eyes a cold cruel black that sent shivers down her spine.

‘I’d be careful making threats Crouch, we all know daddy would be so very disappointed if his son got kicked out of school.’ Edith spat back, instantly regretting it as she saw the flash of anger wash over his face.

Before she could even move he raised his wand and she felt a searing pain. She looked down in horror to see blood seeping out of her blouse soaking both her sleeves in seconds. The dark red blood wouldn’t stop, now dripping onto the floor, she swayed feeling a wave of nausea come over her. She stumbled, her blurry vision watching as the three boys ran off. Feeling weak and like she couldn’t hold herself up any longer she sank to the ground, trying to cup her arms to stop the bleeding.

‘Oh shit! Edith?’

Small white dots took over her eyes, she could make out some shoes rapidly approaching her, someone was calling her name, she tried to respond but the words wouldn’t come out, then everything went black.

~

She awoke in the Hospital wing. It took her a few seconds to gather her bearings as the room spun when she opened her eyes.

‘Woah, careful there.’ A deep voice spoke.

She squinted at the blob next to her until her vision cleared, ‘Remus?’ She asked.

‘Yes.’ The boy said softly, his warm brown eyes looking over her with concern. ‘How’s the head?’

‘Attached.’ She replied dryly, reaching for the glass of water by her bed. ‘How long was I out for?’

‘Not too long,’ he replied, smiling lightly. ‘Maybe an hour and a half? Thanks by the way, I was looking for a reason to skip Alchemy.’

‘Glad to be of assistance.’ Edith snorted, though regretted it instantly as her vision swayed. ‘What ah - What happened?’

Remus winced slightly, glancing down at her bandaged arms, ‘I found you in the corridor just outside the library. You were in a pool of your own blood and unconscious.’

Edith grimaced, ‘Sorry about that.’

Remus shrugged good naturedly. ‘Happens to the best of us, who did it?’

Edith sighed, ‘Bloody Crouch. I can’t believe that slimy bastard got me, he's only what, a third year? I don’t think my ego will ever recover.’

Remus opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it as Madam Pomfrey cam bustling in the room. ‘Ah you’re awake. Wonderful, drink this.’

She thrust a glass into Edith’s hand, she sniffed it hesitantly, instantly regretting doing so, and then quickly downed it.

"Good,’ The woman huffed. ‘A blood replenishing potion. You’ll have to take one every two hours for the next six. And we’ll be keeping you in overnight.’

Edith held in a groan. More rapid footsteps could be heard outside the doors until they burst open to see a very red faced Rhea and very worried Professor Sprout.

‘Eddie!’ Rhea yelled, immediately flying over to the seat next to Remus. Her large brown eyes looking over her rapidly in concern. ‘What the fuck!? I leave you for one hour and you almost die!’

‘Quite down Miss Ahuja.’ Professor Sprout huffed. She turned to Edith with a worried expression, which was strange on the usually laid back teacher’s face. ‘Miss Cahill, Dumbledore will be coming down to talk with you about the incident. We have written a letter to inform your aunt and your brother has been informed as well.’

‘Where is he?’ Rhea hissed looking around the room. ‘Has that little shit not even bothered to-’

‘Miss Ahuja!’ Professor Sprout cut in sternly.

‘Sorry.’ Rhea muttered.

‘All right that’s quite enough.’ Madam Pomfrey snapped, eyeing Remus and Rhea. ‘Off you two go. You can come check in on her after dinner, but right now she needs rest.’

‘But-’

‘Out!’ The women huffed.

Rhea gave her a defeated look, leaned down and squeezed Edith’s hand. ‘I’ll come back straight away.’

‘I’ll be fine, go.’ Edith waved her off, a strong wave of affection overcoming her. She turned to Remus and gave him a smile. ‘Thanks Remus, I owe you one.’

‘Careful what you say, you know who my friends are right?’ He grinned, before his expression turned soft. ‘Rest up Edith.’

She smiled softly and watched them both leave. Trying to ignore the sting she felt from the lack of Marty’s showing. She didn’t have long to think about it when once more the hospital doors burst open.

Professor Dumbledore strode into the room, his face more serious than Edith had ever seen it before, with Professor McGonagall following at his heels.

He stopped at the end of the bed, looking her over and his face now much softer. ‘Miss Cahill, I believe there was an incident today outside the library.’

Edith sucked in her breath nervously and glanced at Professor Sprout, who gave her an encouraging smile. ‘Yes sir.’ She spoke. ‘I was making my way towards the library to get some study in, when Crouch, Avery and Mulcider approached me. We go into a bit of back and forth. Avery called me a mudblood and I snapped back, then Crouch did well, I don’t actually know what spell he cast, but I started bleeding. They ran off just as I began to lose consciousness.’

Professor McGonagall's eyes kept darting towards the headmaster, a tense expression on her face. Dumbledore was pointedly ignoring her. ‘Thank you Miss Cahill for telling us. Mr. Crouch and the others will be dealt with accordingly. Poppy? Will you see to it that Miss Cahill is well rested? And would some extra days off class be a benefit?’

‘No seriously I’m fine!’ Edith cut in, mortified at the very idea. The last thing she wanted was any of that bloody Slytherin gang thinking they had succeeded in traumatizing her. It was pretty and she knew it, but the idea of Alecto Carrows’ smug face was more than enough motivation.

He observed her over his glasses, then gave an almost defeated sigh. ‘Very well then.’ He glanced at McGonagall for a second, before turning to her with a small smile. ‘Your brother is in Slytherin house is he not?’

Edith paused, looking up at the man in confusion. ‘Ah, yes Sir he is.’

‘Hmmm. I must say in all my years of teaching I have never seen such a thing.’ He paused, his blue eyes growing more intense. ‘Family can be a confusing thing, but I find tracing back through the past can sometimes make sense of one's actions in the present.’

Edith was sure she now looked like she had been hit with a confundus. ‘Uh - yeah?’

‘Very well. Rest up Miss Cahill.’ He smiled, before turning on his heel and marching off, McGonagall following closely after.

Edith stared off at the door.

‘All right, sleep.’ Popfrey huffed. ‘You need plenty of rest.’

Professor Sprout gave her a soft smile, ‘I’ll get it sorted with your teachers that you are to miss a day of class. Are you sure you don’t want some extra time? There's nothing wrong with needing to process something like this.’

Edith shook her head, ‘No thank you professor. If anything, I'd like to move on from it as quickly as possible.’

The short woman looked as though she wanted to argue, but stopped herself. ‘All right then. Well if you need anything you know where my office is, yes?’

Edith nodded, giving the women once more smiles as she left the room. Before huffing in annoyance and settling down into the hospital bed. Dumbledore's words playing on her mind in a constant loop.

~

The next day she was discharged from the hospital wing, much to Madam Popfrey’s disapproval. She quickly rushed to her common room, had a quick shower, and rushed down to the great hall in hopes she hadn’t missed breakfast.

She quickly spotted Rhea and b-lined over to her. ‘Hello.’ She whispered, quickly sitting down. Eyes from all over the hall were glancing towards her, word must have gotten out.

‘Edith!’ Rhea rushed around the table and sat right beside her. ‘I wasn’t sure if you would get let off today. Are you feeling better?’

‘Good as new.’ Edith smiled, though it was slightly forced. She glanced over towards the Slytherin table. Crouch was absent, but Avery and Mulciber were sitting there, laughing away with their fellow housemates. She felt rather disturbed to see Black sitting across from them, no expression could be found on his face, but he hardly seemed to disapprove of his classmates behavior.

‘Bastards.’ Hissed Rhea, seeing where Edith was watching. ‘They have gone around the whole school declaring what happened, it’s like they are proud.’

Edith snorted. ‘They are.’

‘Well it’s disgusting.’ Rhea declared. ‘Black had a right go at them in the hallway last night. That wiped the smiles off their faces.’

‘Regulus?’ Edith asked, confused.

‘No!’ Rhea rolled her eyes. ‘Sirius of course! Lupin must have told him and Potter what happened, they all seemed pretty pissed. Last time Avery hospitalized that first year one of them enchanted him bald for a week. Wonder what they will do this time?’

Edith tensed, her eyes traveling down the Slytherin table until they landed on the one person she really didn’t want to see. Her brother hadn't visited her. She had declared the moment she thought it wasn’t him just being a pre-teen she would intervene and say something, but she found herself too hurt to do so. She was giving him space and had some sympathy towards his struggling, but this wasn’t something she could have ever imagined, they had always been so close.

‘I hope they don’t do anything.’ Edith sighed. ‘I don’t think it would do anything good.’

‘Oh please don’t tell me you're thinking about that little brat.’ Rhea hissed, glaring over to where Edith’s brother sat. ‘He’s taking it too far this time Eddie. I know I told you leave him, but now I think it’s time for a good kick up the ar-’

‘Just leave it.’ Edith stopped her. ‘I don’t know what to do about him and honestly I don’t even know if I want to speak to him right now. I got a letter from Chrissy this morning, she was absolutely freaking out. I don’t want to cause anymore family stress.’

Rhea didn’t look thrilled, but she also didn’t argue, something Edith was very grateful for.

‘Come on.’ She muttered. ‘Let's got to class.’

~

Edith really did not want to go to her patrol shift. Lilly and Potter had both separately come up to her and offered to swap her shifts, for some stupid reason she said no. On one hand she desperately needed a distraction, on the other hand she didn’t really want that distraction to be Regulus Black.

She couldn’t say she had a personal issue with him, she didn’t. He had been fine for all their patrols so far. He hadn’t done or said anything to cause her any discomfort. So Edith knew she really didn’t have much room to complain. But after seeing him in the great hall that morning, cosying up with the people who had stood by and witnessed her near death, it had served as the harsh reminder of who he was. More importantly, who he was going to be. So when she approached the boy outside the prefects common room, she simply did not have it in her to muster her usual politeness.

‘Black.’ She greeted stonily.

He observed her quietly for a few seconds, making Edith want to run and hide behind a wall. ‘Cahill,’ he eventually replied.

She didn’t wait for anything else and began marching on their now familiar route towards the dungeons. She had mentally prepared to go the whole shift in silence. It wasn’t as if Regulus Black was once for small talk and chatter anyway. All the conversations they’d had, had been led by her. So, naturally, the boy decided this would be the one day we seemingly wanted to chat.

‘I see you’re back in full health.’ He said, glancing at her as they walked.

‘Yes well, I can only apologize for that.’ Edith snipped

He stopped walking completely, turning to her with a look of confusion. ‘Why would you apologize for that?’

Edith scoffed, outraged at the ignorance he was portraying. ‘Oh I just thought you’d be annoyed that another Mudblood didn’t end it. You’re little friends certainly seemed disappointed to see me today.’ She spat.

It wasn’t like her. She was always polite. Always believed in smiling in the face of the enemy. In showing them that no matter what her spirit would remain intact. It was out of character for her to be so angry. But that’s what she felt. Looking at Regulus Black she felt nothing but pure loathing. She loathed how unfazed he was by everything, how little he cared, how comfortable he seemed with all that was happening. She had been terrified. For a few moments she thought her life was over, and he and all he stood for all would have celebrated. For the first time ever she understood the anger on the Gryffindor boy’s faces when they walked past the Slytherins, because for the first time she felt it. She was angry too.

He watched her in silence. His grey eyes were ripping her apart, scrutinizing her every movement. He remained calm as always.

‘I never wished for your death.’ He said, his tone low.

‘No.’ She spat. ‘But you wouldn’t have given a shit if it happened.’

It was a stupid argument. She knew that. Why would he care? Muggleborn or not they were not close in the slightest.

He raised an eyebrow, still watching her. ‘Would you have cared if I died?’

She glared at him. He didn’t understand at all. ‘It’s not something we will ever know. You aren't in a position where it’s a risk.’

He let out a laugh. It was low, hollow and humorless. ‘You don’t know a thing. You have no idea what it’s like.’

‘No.’ She said, her voice now soft and broken. ‘You're right, I don’t understand.’

They spent the rest of their patrol in silence.