Chapter 6
The sun had long since set below the horizon when the young witches decided to visit the house owned by the Fawley family.
For a long time, it had stood empty because it was haunted. But a few years ago, the Fawleys moved in. They restored the half-ruined building to its former glory, which Halcyon found a bit disappointing, as the house lost its eerie charm.
She and Lily used to visit this house often. At first, it was because Lily wanted to find out if it was truly haunted; it took a lot of courage for two ten-year-old girls to sneak out at night.
Once they decided it was safe to leave the warmth of their home, they threw raincoats over their pajamas and quickly pulled on their boots. They had to be very quiet, as Grandma Bluebell had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV.
On that fateful night, the girls indeed discovered that the creepy house was haunted. Under normal circumstances, Halcyon would have turned tail and run until she collapsed from exhaustion, but she didn’t—thanks to Lily.
Halcyon remembered it vividly: how Lily gave the terrifying ghost a critical look and said, “And this is supposed to scare me?” Halcyon thought they were done for, but suddenly, she heard a gleeful laugh that sent shivers down her spine.
“You’re a real piece of work, Red!” boomed the ghost, who was missing part of his right leg. “What’s your name?” He floated high in the air, gazing down at Lily with interest. Though he glowed a bluish hue in the dark, he was still transparent.
“Like I’d tell you,” Lily retorted defiantly. “But you can call me... Johanna.”
Johanna... that’s what Lily used to be called, but after Grandpa Harry died, people stopped using it. Johanna was her middle name, chosen by Harry himself—he claimed it was the most beautiful name in the world.
It didn’t take long for the two ten-year-olds to befriend the one-legged ghost, who proudly sported a thick beard. It turned out he was a rather kind fellow who loved Canadian pranks and a particular porcelain set that was kept in the house—he guarded it like a treasure.
His name was Oswald, but everyone called him Os. Among other ghosts, he was known for scaring off anyone who dared enter the house that once belonged to him.
Everything changed when the Fawleys moved in.
Lily let out a ringing laugh and grabbed Halcyon’s hand, breaking into a run. “Hurry up, it’s almost midnight!” she called into the quiet night. Soon, both girls, breathless, reached the fence that bordered the property. Behind the house was a large garden filled with trees. So far, no one had ever noticed the girls.
Lily was the first to crawl through a hole in the fence. Halcyon could hear her cursing as she pushed through the bushes. She glanced around to make sure no one was on the street... the coast was clear, so she followed her cousin.
It was strange how mist seemed to hover around the sturdy trees. It took Halcyon a moment to spot the three ghosts who were, as usual, playing cards.
“Well, well, look who’s here! My favorite little redhead!” Oswald grinned broadly as soon as he saw the girls. Anyone seeing him for the first time would have screamed and run away, as Oswald looked even more terrifying than usual. Halcyon felt as if blue flames flickered in his eyes. She also knew that if he could, he would have hugged Lily in greeting. “How are you, Johanna?”
“And what am I? A ghost?” Halcyon quipped sarcastically before Lily could answer. Over the years, she had gotten used to Lily being Oswald’s favorite, but it still annoyed her.
“Not yet. Your time hasn’t come.”
Suddenly, Tommy appeared beside her. If he weren’t transparent, he would have looked like a fifteen-year-old boy with sticking-out ears. The girls always felt sorry for him because he could have lived a wonderful, happy life. But fate had other plans, and he died of cholera during an outbreak in his time. Thomas was the oldest ghost of the trio, as he died years before the other two, although it definitely did not look like it when judged by appearance.
“I’m doing alright, Os. How about you?” Lily asked.
“Mice chewed up my portrait,” Tommy sighed mournfully. “But otherwise, I’m fine! Luckily, I have a view of the street. Mary Hopkins was out with her dog three times today and tried to replant some shrubs in her garden. Took her about twenty minutes. It was quite dramatic because she struggled at first.” He smiled slightly and tilted his head to the side.
Lily and Halcyon stared at him in silence for a moment, unable to believe this was his only entertainment. “Good grief, you have such a boring life,” Halcyon finally said with a light laugh.
“Not us, just Thomas,” Bernie chimed in. “Not much happens around here... but we do have some fresh gossip. Mr. Fawley’s in love! And guess what? His wife has a son named Gregor, who knows you, Johanna. Biggest prat I’ve ever seen.” He rolled his eyes.
Lily frowned in confusion. “Wait. Gregor Moore?”
“I think so. He said something about knowing you from primary school, that you’re meant to be, and that he’s definitely winning your heart this summer,” Bernard explained, amused.
Halcyon burst out laughing when she saw the horror in Lily’s eyes. She had talked to this guy last summer, considering him a friend, but then he started pursuing her heart and didn’t take no for an answer.
"And we can't even properly scare that boy, for Merlin's sake," Oswald complained with a frown. Halcyon subtly stepped away from him—he was far more intimidating this way.
"I'd say that's a good thing, Os. Think about it... this way, you have time to do so many other things," Tommy said optimistically, sitting down on the grass next to Bernie.
"What things, for Merlin's sake? Staring out the window at old ladies in the garden? No, thanks!"
"You'll find something, Os." Bernie waved it off. "Wanna play with us?" He gestured at the deck of cards.
"Like you have to ask… but why can't you scare that dunce Gregory? You used to pull all sorts of tricks on Argus Fawley, didn't you?" Lily asked as they all sat down on the cold, damp grass.
"Him, yeah," Oswald nodded. "But as soon as that woman moved into the house, everything had to change immediately. Those little brats stole my tea set," he revealed bitterly.
"He's been unbearable ever since… constantly scheming how to get it back. Ugh, he still hasn't managed and never will," Bernie gave Oswald a skeptical look.
"You'll get it back one day, Os." Lily smiled encouragingly.
"And how did they even find out you cared about that set so much?" she asked. Halcyon had started shuffling the cards but noticed how Bernie and Oswald both shot Tommy an angry glare.
"Because of this blabbermouth…," Oswald gritted through his teeth. "Trying to get along with those intruders. He had no problem spilling my secret, yet he keeps his mouth shut about that rotting painting in the attic." Halcyon smirked—she could tell Thomas was getting tired of Oswald provoking everyone.
"So, you really can't scare anyone anymore? Not even Argus?" Halcyon asked curiously.
"That little snake Fawley didn't even mention him. I mean, I could still mess with that junior brat, but I doubt he'd even appreciate my efforts. A year ago, maybe. Back then, he was fun, but now he's just like his old man. No sense of humor."
"His friend died, Oswald. Of course he's sad," Tommy pointed out with a grim expression.
"Oh, come on, he was already humorless before that! Remember what happened at Christmas?"
"What happened?" Lily asked, intrigued.
The ghosts exchanged glances before Oswald continued.
"Fawley senior and junior had such a huge fight that the old man kicked the kid out of the house. All because the kid didn’t like that new woman. You know, the one who can't even do magic."
"Why am I not surprised," Lily said coldly. "There are a lot of disturbing rumors about Fawley."
"Just stupid gossip," Halcyon cut in. "I’ve talked to Argus—he's just a normal guy. Not some dark wizard like people say."
"Amelia Bones, his ex-girlfriend, said he was trying to raise the dead in the Forbidden Forest. And when it comes from his own ex, that means something!"
"Did you hear that from her directly?"
"No, but I heard it from—"
Halcyon rolled her eyes at her cousin. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if she hadn't been a victim of prejudice and rumors herself after she was attacked. The same thing had probably happened to Argus. She seriously doubted he had killed several members of his family as a child, spoken Parseltongue, or traveled the world learning dark spells before he even got to Hogwarts.
"If he were that bad, he wouldn’t have let Potter and Black mess with him back then."
"Oh, for Merlin’s sake, why are we even talking about this?" Bernard sighed. "Anything new with you two? We haven’t seen each other in ages—give us some details."
Halcyon was dealing the cards and was secretly glad it was a full moon, so she could see her hand properly.
"Ehh. Well, I’m seventeen now, so I can legally use magic."
"Oh yeah… that’s brilliant, Johanna!" Oswald grinned. "You could help me get my teacups back." He winked mischievously.
"Sure… and then you’d lose them again with your clumsiness," Bernie muttered.
"Is it just me, Halcyon, or is there something different about you?" Thomas looked at her thoughtfully. In the moonlight, her long scars weren’t as visible.
All eyes turned to her.
"Bloody hell… that scar is wicked!" Oswald exclaimed in awe. "Get a few more, and you’ll be a proper legend!"
✷✷✷
He wanted to be alone to sort out his thoughts.
The day before, he had returned to Cokeworth. The house was filled with a gloomy atmosphere because Vivien, his father’s girlfriend, had suffered a miscarriage. Gregory and Argus’s father were trying to cheer her up, but they weren’t having much success.
The day was coming to an end. The sun was setting beyond the horizon, painting the sky with a multitude of colors, though behind his back, dark clouds were gathering.
He had spent several days at the Blacks'. He was taken aback when Walburga and Orion pulled him aside to talk to him. They told him they had heard that his father had gotten involved with a Muggle, and they understood why he couldn’t bear to stay at home. They didn’t blame him for what Viktor, Argus’s father, had done; on the contrary, they wanted to offer him the chance to move in with them—after all, he was Phoebe’s son, and she would have certainly wished for it.
Argus didn’t know what to say. “If they could, they would definitely adopt you,” he recalled Regulus’s words.
It terrified him that they had found out. If there was one thing that made Argus angry at his father, it was his choice of partner. There was truly no worse time to fall in love with a Muggle and build a life with her. It was exactly such mistakes that led to entire families being murdered!
Before returning to Cokeworth, he had stopped by Alfred’s for a few days. The visit left a bitter taste in his mouth because he was there when Reymond received a letter that made him turn pale. Then, he informed them that Death Eaters had murdered his father.
The worst part was that their family had never been well off financially. Mr. Gibbs had once racked up debts that now fell on Mrs. Gibbs, who struggled to find decent employment. Eleanor Sarah Gibbs was an excellent playwright, but after an incident at the Black Lily Theatre (where Walburga Black was the director)—when she had been tasked with looking after the Black brothers, only for it to end with Regulus being chased by a Boggart—she was fired, tarnishing her reputation.
Reymond had to quickly find a part-time job—Damocles Belby, Alfred’s father, offered to help him find one.
Beyond the town of Cokeworth, there was a meadow that was rarely visited. The grass was damp, and Argus noticed various slugs lounging in it. He walked up to a large oak tree with a bench underneath. From there, he had a view of a sunflower field with the setting sun behind it. He thought of Lucinda, who would undoubtedly be marveling at the beauty and snapping photos. She loved photography and often organized her massive collection in the common room.
A few days earlier, when he and Regulus had visited Mrs. Winstone, she told them that Lucinda had been making albums for her friends. Sadly, she hadn’t finished Argus’s. He didn’t even want to go into her room—it brought back too many memories.
Amoret Montfort was there with them, sharing a few stories about Lucinda. Argus smiled at them.
He only took a few books—ones that Lucinda had read over and over, always urging him to read them as well.
Inside one of the books, he found a few bookmarked photographs and a folded piece of paper. He was surprised to see that one of the pictures was of him, frowning at some parchments. He had no recollection of Lucinda taking his photo in the library. The second picture was of a beautiful butterfly on a daisy. Then, his eyes landed on the folded paper.
It was her list of things she wanted to do before she died. His heart ached as he read it. Before he even realized it, tears were streaming down his face.
He didn’t finish reading because suddenly, a scream echoed from somewhere behind him. A painful scream. Argus quickly jumped to his feet, carelessly stuffing everything back into the book. Then, he looked down the hill and saw a black dog sprinting towards him, holding its leash in its mouth.
Before Argus could properly react, the creature was already upon him. It enthusiastically leaped, knocking Argus off balance and sending him tumbling to the ground. The dog began licking his face. It didn’t take long for Argus to grab the collar and hold the dog away from him. He was relieved that it was only greeting him and not trying to bite him.
“Muffin! You idiot!” a girl ran up, clutching her arm. Her voice was filled with frustration. The mentioned Muffin cowered and hid beside Argus, as if expecting him to protect him from the girl. “I’m so sorry if he knocked you over—he’s… he’s still a puppy and really wild.” She launched into apologies but then froze when she realized who she was talking to.
Argus was just as surprised when he realized he was staring directly at Halcyon Proudfoot. Her usually sleek hair was now curly, messy, and sticking out in all directions. She was out of breath, evidently from sprinting after her unruly dog.
“It’s fine,” was all he said. He noticed that Proudfoot was looking at him differently—she must have seen that he had been crying.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
It was definitely obvious.
Great.
“I said it’s fine.” He quickly got to his feet, and the dog stood up with him. “What happened to you?” he asked, this time using a gentler tone.
Halcyon examined her injured hand before replying steadily, “It’s fine. Just a bit of scraped skin, nothing major.”
Argus nodded in understanding, and an awkward silence followed.
Even though he had spoken with her before, he still had no idea what to expect from her. She had always seemed very distant and reserved. Anyone who didn’t know her immediately found her a bit intimidating—whether it was because of the way she dressed or because she never looked particularly friendly. The only time she allowed herself to be truly herself was when she was with her friends.
“Do you want me to patch it up?” he asked, as nothing else came to mind.
“Fine… just don’t unspell or conjure anything on me.”
They sat down on the bench, while the dog moved around them excitedly, wagging its tail the entire time. Eventually, Halcyon ordered it to lie down at her feet. Argus noticed that she had rather interesting shoes—they were just regular canvas sneakers, but they were bursting with cheerful colors, and each one was different.
"You call this 'nothing'?" he marveled as soon as he saw her hand. He carefully held her wrist, examining the injury, which didn’t look good at all. The skin on her palm was severely damaged—he was sure it must have burned terribly. He lifted his gaze to the girl, who let out a nervous chuckle.
"I've had worse," she tried to sound nonchalant. "It just stings a little, that's all. It'll stop in a while."
From playing Quidditch, he often ended up with small injuries, so he had quite a bit of practice with healing spells. It didn’t take long before the girl’s hand was good as new again.
"How did that even happen?" he finally asked out of curiosity.
"Well…" She examined her now-healed hand. "I was out on a walk with Muffin. Then, for some reason I don't understand, some flies started dive-bombing me, and I freaked out because they got tangled in my hair. This idiot thought I was messing around, so he tried to snatch the leash from me. And then, in the middle of our little tug-of-war, he noticed you and, of course, just had to see you… I was holding that stupid leash the wrong way, and it burned my hand. That’s all."
Argus burst into laughter at the image. Muffin immediately perked up and joined in the excitement, enthusiastically licking Argus’s face once again.
"I'm glad at least someone finds my misery amusing," she crossed her arms over her chest, but her eyes twinkled with amusement.
"You're just clumsy…"
"I'm not! I just have bad luck," the girl stubbornly defended herself. "Besides, I thought no one was around… but whatever. Do you smoke?" she asked, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her pocket. Argus was slightly taken aback.
"You know that's harmful, right?"
"Imagine that, I do," she muttered, cigarette between her lips. "Anyway, what are you reading?" she asked as she exhaled a puff of smoke. Before he could answer, she grabbed the book and examined it.
"The Chronicles of Narnia… Hey, give it back!" He reached out to snatch it from her. But she jumped back.
"Wait, wait!" She raised a hand and, for the first time, smiled genuinely. "I'm not going to hurt it. I've always wanted to read this series but never really had the chance. Is it any good?"
"I haven't read it yet," Argus admitted patiently.
"Doesn't matter…" She opened the book, and some photos along with a list slipped to the ground. Argus quickly picked them up. "Oh… You could have just said you had secrets in there." She handed the book back immediately.
"It's nothing."
"Judging by your face, I'd say it's something," she smirked, the scar on her lip curling slightly. "Love letters?" The smoke stung Argus’s nose.
"No," he snapped irritably. "Just… this book belonged to Lucinda," he added, his voice suddenly quiet as memories flooded his mind. The girl’s expression shifted instantly, her teasing smirk disappearing.
"So… are those her love letters?" she quipped after a moment, raising an eyebrow.
"No, not that…" He smiled faintly, picking up the paper. "It's just a list of things she wanted to do before she died," he explained and handed it to her. He had no idea why he was telling her this, but maybe he just needed to share it with someone. Halcyon could be annoying sometimes, but Argus knew she had a good side, too.
"Whoa, this is genius!" She grinned as she read it, her eyes lighting up. "I might just steal this idea… Looks like we're about to start a minor crime spree," she laughed, pointing at items eight through ten. "'Steal something from a store, steal a shopping cart, steal a traffic sign'… Damn, I’ve never even thought about stealing a sign. Brilliant." She laughed, but quickly stopped when she noticed Argus’s blank stare.
"Are you planning on completing it?" Halcyon asked after a moment. "You know, to honor her memory or something. I think she'd be happy if someone carried out these things."
"That’s a good idea," Argus admitted after some thought. It really was a good idea, though there were some things on the list he couldn't imagine himself doing—and some he didn’t even understand what they were. What the hell is Star Wars? "I’d just need a partner."
"I can lend you Muffin." She winked. "He’d definitely help you with this one… wait… oh, here it is. 'Wear only dresses for a whole week.'” She barked out a laugh and stroked her dog. "But seriously, if you need help with anything, I’m in… I know a good music shop and where to score some weed."
"Wait, what?"
She grinned conspiratorially. "I’ll show you tomorrow."
Muffin suddenly spotted a bird near a field of sunflowers. First, he barked, then took off running. Halcyon yelled after him, but he ignored her completely, dashing through the sunflowers.
Argus expected her to jump up and chase after the dog, but instead, she just sighed and leaned back on the bench. She loosened her hair and tried to fix it. He noticed that in the sunlight, it had an inky blue sheen.
"Hopefully, that idiot comes back," she muttered calmly. They could see Muffin moving between the sunflowers, chasing something. "And hopefully, he doesn’t eat anything weird… Do you have any food on you?" She kept staring ahead.
"Unfortunately, no."
"Never mind, never mind. This will have to do."
Eventually, Halcyon figured out how to get her dog's attention. She and Argus started tossing a stick back and forth, which, of course, caught Muffin’s interest. He immediately tried to snatch it—either by jumping at them or waiting for the perfect moment. Then Halcyon suddenly took off in a sprint, and the black whirlwind of energy instantly chased after her. On the way back, he proudly carried the stick in his mouth.