Chapter 2
The next thing she knew- fully knew, all bits back in her brain, her mind in the present- was that she was being given chocolate by Madam Pomfrey.
“Ah, Ms Vance, good to see you’re back with us,” the matron smiled at her as she walked back over with a plate of chocolate. As Emmeline remembered, Madam Pomfrey was usually a little more brisk than she was appearing right now. There was something in that smile though- Emmeline couldn't discern whether it was pity or an attempt at comfort, but after catching sight of her surroundings, the thought left her mind as she saw Lucy sitting at her bedside.
Instinctively she reached out her hands and grasped Lucy’s, “Hey hey hey, I’m alright I’m okay.”
Lucy had clearly been having a rough time since the pitch. Her eyes were red, and even though she tried to mask it, there was fear in her eyes that only began to lessen when she could tell her mother was back with them.
“Are you though?” Lucy said, scooting closer. Emmeline noticed her daughter wasn’t alone, a couple of her friends from the pitch had accompanied them to the Hospital Wing and- her heart warmed- hadn’t left her daughter alone.
Morgan gave Lucy’s shoulder a squeeze and gestured for Alison to follow her back to give the mother and daughter some space.
“Mum…what happened?” Lucy’s eyes searched her mother’s face, concern apparent on her own.
Emmeline took a deep breath. Lucy knew about the war, but not all the details. There were some she would perhaps never know, and some she’d learn later. Still feeling fresh off the dementors’ reminder of her miscarriage, she opened her arms and Lucy fell into them. She rubbed her daughter’s back as she once again told her daughter she was alright. A minute later, when they separated, both pairs of eyes were a little misty.
“Dementors…aren’t my favorite thing. And it reminded me of the war and some other things. But I’m better now. The important thing is to remember that whatever we feel isn’t permanent.” She smiled at Lucy in what she hoped was a comforting way, their arms still connected.
“I’ve just… never really. Seen that side of you,” Lucy quietly confessed. “I didn’t know if you’d be okay…”
“Don’t worry, it’ll take more than a dementor to take me down.”
They stayed quiet for a moment. Lucy glanced behind her and Emmeline noticed another occupied bed, this one crowded by the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
“Harry Potter’s here too. He fell off his broom when the dementors came, but Dumbledore made sure he didn’t hit the ground.”
In Emmeline’s silence, she continued, “Hufflepuff caught the snitch and Gryffindor lost. Not the best game to be at with the dementors and all. Hopefully the rest of the games won’t be like that.” She nudged her mom, “Maybe you can come to another one? Maybe we’ll even win.”
“I’d like that,” Emmeline said softly, eyes locked with her daughter’s.
Morgan and Alison, sensing the family moment had passed, came back from the Gryffindor group.
“Glad to see you’re alright, Ms Vance,” Morgan smiled.
Emmeline’s heart jumped, she still wasn’t used to that face, but she smiled back, “Glad to be alright.”
Morgan chuckled, and glanced back to the Gryffindor huddle, “S’always good when a game ends with no major injuries on our team.”
“Will he be alright?” Emmelin couldn’t help but ask.
“Aye, I think so. He’s just a bit shaken up and upset that we lost the game.”
“Are you two friends?”
Morgan glanced at her, and she quickly followed it up, “I know whenever my friends or I got injured in Quidditch, Pomfrey usually limited it to the team and close friends.”
“Uh. I’d say more like acquaintances. I’m good friends with his good friend over there, Hermione,” she gestured to the girl with the bushy hair. “So I was making sure they were both alright. Harry and I do get along though, just not that close.”
“Oh,” Emmeline felt her heart fall a little. The idea that this could be Marlene’s daughter and that she and James’ son weren’t attached at the hip hurt to think about.
Deciding to push her luck, Emmeline said in what she hoped was a casual way, “You said your last name was McKinnon? It’s funny…I went to school with a few McKinnons and Potters and they always seemed close…”
“I know a lot of people from then don’t really keep up much,” Morgan said a little awkwardly. “I cannae remember the last time my uncle really saw anyone from school-”
Madam Pomfrey was back to shoo the students away. Lucy started to protest, but Emmeline encouraged her to go and have dinner with her friends and that she would be fine.
When the room was empty, save Harry on another bed across the way and his two friends he appeared to be whispering with, Madam Pomfrey came over to Emmeline.
“How are you feeling? Better?”
Emmeline sighed and looked at the matron, trying to fake a smile, “Better than I was outside that’s for sure. Sorry for taking up your time-” she moved to get up, but Madam Pomfrey was at her side immediately, preventing her.
“Why Ms Vance- I would have thought that after your time at Hogwarts you would know better than to try to leave my Hospital Wing,” she smiled gently.
“Thank you Madam Pomfrey but I’m not even a student. I wasn’t injured-”
“Dementors are nasty business. And this Hospital Wing is for all needing tending to. Please. Stay the night. If not for your own health, I’m sure it would put Lucy at ease. That girl…as you know, she’s been through a lot.”
Emmeline knew Pomfrey was referring primarily to the boggart incident. She deflated.
“Fine. I’ll stay a little longer, but really, I’m fine-”
“Best be safe. Besides,” she gestured her head toward Harry, who was saying goodbye to his friends as they left and carried what appeared to be a broken broomstick out of the ward, “I’m sure you’re not the only one who needs company and a break.” She winked and walked away.
Emmeline sat in silence for a bit, watching Harry from the corner of her eye. He seemed distraught, and quite understandably so, if everything the girls said was true. She ran through things to say in her head, but nothing seemed right. She eventually decided-
“What a game, huh?”
Harry looked at her, confused.
“The game. The Quidditch game. You played well, especially given all the circumstances.”
She nodded and swallowed awkwardly, hoping he would engage. When it seemed that all she was going to get out of him was a quiet “Yeah”, she continued.
“You know, I used to play. Beater. The weather alone would have made the game miserable, but then the interference… I hope your captain came by to tell you that you played well.”
At this, she was surprised to hear Harry snort, “My captain didn’t come by at all. Apparently Oliver is trying to drown himself in the shower, took the loss pretty hard. Not that I blame him, I’d probably be doing the same…” He trailed off, but Emmelien still heard him.
“I'm sorry, what? Your captain couldn’t be bothered to swing by? You fell off your broom! At least fifty feet! I remember one time I fell about fifteen feet and James still had me rush to Pomfrey to make sure I was alright. Mind you, I hadn’t even landed on my arm and it’s not like I need much besides those to work since I’m parked on a broomstick the whole game.”
Harry looked up, clearly interested and paying attention now, “James?”
Emmeline hadn’t fully processed her slip up, but there was no turning back now. No alternate way to bring this up or introduce herself. She nodded, “Yeah, James. He was the Gryffindor captain and damn good at it. Played chaser.”
Harry was still looking at her. “James?” he repeated, clearly hoping for more.
Emmeline smiled softly as she felt the words leave her mouth as if they were physical things. It felt as though she hadn’t spoken the words since October 1981, “James Potter.”
She saw the look on the boy’s face and continued, “Best Quidditch captain I ever had. Mind you, I only had two during my time and the other was Melvin and he took the sport very seriously. Went on to play in the national league, if I recall.”
Harry had a hungry look on his face, as if he were starved for any information about his dad. “What was he like?” he asked in a low tone, as if he didn’t know how to form the words or what to ask.
“Well, as I said he was a great captain. He was very focused on the game and loved the sport- a natural flier. But he. He didn’t let his minor obsession with the sport get in the way of how he treated his team, especially in his later years as captain. If I recall, he made captain fifth year. Was a bit of an adjustment for him to find his own captain style, especially after the fanatic we had-”
“‘Fanatic’ sounds like my captain,” Harry mumbled.
“-oh yes. Based on what you’ve told me about your captain, he sounds a bit like Melvin. Too focused on the game to enjoy it sometimes,” she gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sure your captain cares, it’s just hard for people sometimes to stop focusing on what they’re feeling to see everything around them.” She thought of Remus.
“But James, after that first year as captain, James realized that sometimes it’s easier to be a team when you’re not just hanging out and working together on the pitch.” She laughed as she recalled, “Last two years James was captain, he made sure the team met up at the Three Broomsticks at least once a term. I remember in seventh year one of the chasers was in second year and couldn’t go to Hogsmeade, so we brought back butterbeer for him and socialized in an empty classroom for a bit. Ended up learning a muggle game called ‘hangman’. Was a right bit of fun.”
In the fading light that could only be helped so much by the touches around the room, she was having a little difficulty completely reading the look on his face, coupled, of course, with the fact that she had never met the boy in a way he would remember before today, but his facial expressions were so like Lily’s.
“I’m Emmeline, by the way,” she said softly. “Emmeline Vance.” She realized, for the second time today, that she was introducing herself to someone who should have grown up knowing her, like Lucy should have grown up knowing Aunt Lily and Uncle James.
“I’m Harry. Harry Potter,” he said, a slightly defensive look on his face but she could tell that beneath his guard there was hope.
“I know,” she could feel her throat closing a little, and she grabbed for the glass of water on the bed table. “You look just like him.”
“Yeah, that’s what everyone says. That and I have my mother’s eyes.”
“Well, she had the most beautiful eyes, so if you do, you’re lucky,” Emmeline paused for a moment, her mind on Lily. “She would look at people and really see them, you know? Like you could be having a rough day and then she’d look at you and just know and ask and you’d feel better. Her eyes held such emotion- you could tell exactly how she was feeling with just a glance…”
There was a minute of silence.
“Ms Vance, did you know her well?”
“Please, call me Emmeline. And I’d say so. We were roommates for seven years. It’s hard to not know someone well after living together for so long.”
Another few beats of silence.
“Can you tell me mor-”
But he was cut off as Madam Pomfrey reemerged.
“It’s past curfew, lights out,” she waved her wand and most of the torches went out, those that hadn’t dimmed to almost nothing. “No talking, go to sleep. Yes Ms Vance, you too. I don’t care if you’re no longer a student. A patient in my care is a patient in my care.”
Emmeline smiled and rolled her eyes, not that anyone saw, “Of course, Madam Pomfrey. Good night.”
The matron left. Emmeline could hear Harry shuffling in bed to get ready for sleep.
“If you’d like, I can tell you more about them in the morning.”
“I’d like that very much, thank you.”
“Good night, Harry.”
“Good night, Emmeline”