Accidents
September, 1971.
It was a cold afternoon. The summer had officially left Scotland, and now it was all clouds and a chilly breeze. The only good thing about it, at least as Eleanor saw it, was the beautiful colours that would soon decorate the autumn trees. But still, it didn't take away the fact that she felt as if her bones might freeze.
"This weather, it's absolutely horrid," Marlene complained, as the four of them walked to the quidditch pitch, where they would have flying lessons. Eleanor already knew how to fly, but it was still part of the curriculum: "Are we supposed to fly like this?"
"Wait'til winter to start complaining." Eleanor laughed. "My dad said that sometimes his glasses frosted mid-game. He was like a quidditch legend before he left Hogwarts and married my mum"
"Well, I think we should look at this weather as an opportunity." Emma declared, "Hot chocolate, getting sick, and cutting class..."
Lily looked scandalized. "We haven't even been at Hogwarts for a whole month, and you are already trying to cut class!?"
Further down the hill, Eleanor saw her brother and his friends playing around as they walked. It seemed like James and Sirius were passing a ball as Remus just laughed along with them and Peter. At some point, James threw it too far out of Sirius's reach, and it fell on some grumpy Ravenclaw. They just stared at them with that judgement they all seemed to have.
"So you haven't spoken to him, I suppose?" Lily asked, glancing vaguely at James and the others.
Eleanor sighed "You suppose correctly."
"And don't you miss him? I miss my brother all the time."
"Well, it's not the longest time we have gone without speaking to each other. There was all that time that, you know, we couldn't speak because we were babies and we could not speak. And then Christmas of 68' when my parents gave me a doll and gave James a brand new broom, and I went into a silent strike for a whole month."
"But you've never not-talked because of a fight," Lily sighted. She was right, they have never fought like this. And if she was being honest with herself, she really did miss her partner in crime. "He is right there, you should talk to him. At least you have a sibling to talk to."
Eleanor made a face. "So I assume Petunia hasn't responded?"
Lily shook her head. "When I left to come here, Pet said she was going to pretend I didn't exist. I guess she is true to her word.”
"If you ask me, you are not missing anything. I mean, look at them," Emma scoffed. "Men are so childish. We act like that, and we are critiqued like there's no tomorrow."
"Why so bitter, Lang?" Lily mocked.
"Not bitter, just political." To that, Lily rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm not as dumb as you think, you know, just shallow."
"I'll tell you who is shallow." Marlene changed subjects before another fight broke between them, and Eleanor thanked her in her mind. It was already a miracle that Lily was walking with them and not Snape, she definitely didn't want her and Emma bickering, "That Sirius 'little- Satan-spawn' Black." Eleanor couldn't help laughing. It had been more than a week since detention began. Apparently—as she had heard several times before—Sirius had found a way to snuggle his way beside James, and unfortunately, Marlene "He checked himself in every single trophy's reflection. If you ask me, that's the kind of shallowness we should worry about."
"And it's such a shame, too, because he is really cute. So it's James."
"Emma!"
"What? It had to be said."
They kept talking as they made their way to the quidditch pitch. Lily asked Eleanor exactly how Quidditch was played, but before she could even begin to explain, Marlene jumped in and started talking. Her brother was a fan, she explained, and they would spend their afternoons playing in her backyard with make-believe brooms, because they lived in a muggle neighbourhood and it would draw attention to using real ones. It was her first time on a real broom.
When they got there, Madame Hooch was already giving instructions for the day's assignment. But as far as Eleanor could tell, they were told to give fifteen rounds to the pitch and then do some coordination exercises. "But no showing off, Potter," Hooch warned, and then glanced in Eleanor's direction. "Not you, kid, the other one."
Eleanor thought the assignment was easy enough, and she rose to the skies with two of her friends. Lily had excused herself and ran to be with Snape. Soon, Eleanor realized Emma lacked any kind of coordination whatsoever, and soon Eleanor had to move away from her to stop being bumped into.
Eleanor loved flying. She loved the way the air caressed her face, the way her nose became numb from the cold, but she especially loved that she could just turn off her brain. It was like muscle memory. She barely had to think about the moves she was going to make or the direction, she just went along.
With the corner of her eye, she noticed someone flying close to her, maybe a little too close for her liking.
"Training for the ballet, Potter?" Sirius mocked her: "You know, if you went any slower, you'd be going backwards."
"It's not a race, Black," she scoffed. "Where is my dear brother? Did he finally get bored of you and dumped your arse?"
"I could ask you the same thing. But I already know the answer." She rolled her eyes, but he kept talking. " How about I race you for him?"
Was he being serious? It was the most ridiculous thing she had heard. He is just being Mr. Satan-spawn, she thought to herself, just asking for trouble. It was better to ignore him, and he would just get bored and fly away. She just had to ignore him. That's all.
"What is it, Potter? Don't tell me you're scared." Sirius laughed, and she tried so hard not to smack him right there. "So the hat made a mistake with you, didn't it? Are you just a coward?"
For some reason, that stuck in her mind. Sirius was an obnoxious little pain in the arse, but that didn't mean she wanted him to think that she was a coward. She wasn't. She was raised with the values of bravery and integrity.
Eleanor glanced where Madame Hooch was standing, she was looking back at the first-years, but she seemed completely absentminded. Eleanor sighted, what was there to lose anyway? She already had detention until christmas. Besides, the Potters were not cowards, and she had a duty to defend her name. "I'm not scared, Black," she declared. "I was just giving you a heads start."
And just like that, Eleanor bolted through the air like a golden snitch, all grace and control. Sirius scoffed, but it was muffled by the air and the sound of his own speed. They moved around, dodging the rest of the class as they became no more than spots in the background. Sirius was fast, really fast, she had to give him credit, but he hesitated when he moved. Eleanor had born-confidence in a broom, like it was only an extension of her.
She looked back at Sirius, and wiggled her eyebrows, teasingly. It was his fault, anyway, he shouldn't have dared her. His face turned red, and he tried to match her speed, and he almost did it, but she was still faster. As she speeded away, she let out a giggle. He didn't seem to like that, and Eleanor realised it as soon as it happened.
She felt a hard pull on the back of her broom. One second, she was in the air; the next, she was falling. When she crashed, the force of her speed sent her rolling all over the ground. But she wasn't alone; besides her lay a very not-happy Sirius Black, and she would have cared if her arm didn't hurt badly, very badly.
"Eleanor!" Emma was the first person to come close, jumping to pick her off the ground—not very carefully, but the intentions were there. James came running too, and it took only one second for him to start fussing all over his sister. Emma began getting rid of the dirt all over Eleanor with the sleeve of her shirt, getting it just as dirty. "Oh, dear God, are you okay? You look wretched."
"Thanks, Emma." Eleanor shook her head. She couldn't think clearly. Had he really pushed her? "Im fine"
"Are you sure? You fell from very far," she said, wide-eyed with terror. "And at very high speed."
"She's right, Ellie." James pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Why were you—"
"Make room, everybody, make room." Madame Hooch opened her way through the crowd Eleanor hadn't noticed had gathered around them. Her face warmed with shame. "Well, you two seem to have gotten yourselves in quite a pickle," Hooch said, putting her hands on her hips. "I said 'no showing off'. I did not realise I had to worry about both Potters." Eleanor watched her brother smile at that, and she narrowed her eyes. "Can you both stand?" Both nodded, and Eleanor noticed Sirius was leaning on Remus slightly. It only took one look at his guilty eyes for her to know he had, indeed, pushed her to the ground. The bastard.
"Well, I would still like to get you checked out, that was a horrid crash you had. Lupin, Pettigrew, walk with Black and Potter—boy Potter, I mean—and... I'm sorry, kiddo, what's your name?"
"Emma Lang"
"Right, Lang, you and Potter Boy walk with your friend in case she faints or something." Emma went a few shades paler, but she still locked arms with Eleanor and gave her a confident smile. "Evans, please take care of the class until I get back. Please don't let anyone kill each other in my absence." Lily nodded, frowning.
Madame Hooch led them to the hospital wing, passing a weird statue of a unicorn over a fountain that Emma didn't fail to comment about. Eleanor had ever been there, but then again, she never fell out of her broom until that day, so it was a day of firsts. The hospital wing looked an awful lot like the Great Hall, just changing the tables for beds with white sheets and privacy screens. Madame Pomfrey, the matron, was a very nice woman. She looked like she was in her early 30s, and had a very kind smile.
As Eleanor sat at one of the beds, Madame Pomfrey asked, "Hello, honey, what seems to be the problem?"
"Those two idiots were racing instead of doing the simple, safe assignment I specifically said, and they fell from their brooms."
"Oh, I see," Madame Pomfrey smiled, softly. "Well, there is no reason for you to be stuck in here, honey. I'll just give them a quick check, and I'll let you know," and just like that, she sent Madame Hooch away without giving her a word on it. She glanced at Eleanor and then at Sirius, who was sitting in the bed next to hers. "Okay, then. Is there something that hurts?"
"My arm"
"My head," Sirius admitted, softly. Eleanor had never seen him so vulnerable. She felt almost sorry for him. Almost.
Madame Pomfrey checked Sirius first, because according to her, a bump on the head was more dangerous than a bump on the arm. Eleanor had to bite her tongue before she let out a comment about how they should not worry about Sirius's head, since it was pretty much empty. She doubted her wit would be of much help anyway.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Emma whispered while picking grass leaves out of the curls in her hair.
"I know. I'm already fine."
"How did you fall anyway?" James asked her, his eyes dancing between her and Sirius, "You never fall."
She shrugged. Any other day, she wouldn't have failed to tell James what his friend had done. But for some reason, she kept quiet. Soon enough, it was her turn to get checked out. Madame Pomfrey moved her arm up and down, folded, and unfolded. Eleanor twitched in pain a few times, other times, she just blinked and tried to keep the tears from falling to her face. She would be damned if she cried in front of Sirius Black.
When she was done, Madame Pomfrey saw her and told her she had sprained her shoulder. She gave a quick swing with her wand, and Eleanor felt her bones crack into the right place. "Well, I think that's all I can do." Madame Pomfrey smiled at them sweetly. "I would like to keep you too here for an hour or so, just to see if there are any side effects to your fall, but I know better than to ask two rule-breakers to keep still, so I think you are good to go."
Eleanor smiled at her. Madame Pomfrey had a sweetness and calm that came with her presence that she had only seen her mum have. It was rather refreshing, to be honest. Did she really think she was a troublemaker? For some reason, it made Eleanor happy.
Madame Pomfrey did indeed let them go. When the hospital wing's doors opened, Lily and Marlene were already waiting for them.
"Oh my God, Elle, are you alright?" Lily asked, "It all happened so fast..."
"Im fine. Why does everybody keep asking that? I don't even have a scratch on me."
"Well, you didn't see what we did, or you would have freaked out too." Marlene opened her eyes as she spoke. Eleanor was worried they could fall off her face. "I nearly got myself injured, just go see if you were alright."
Eleanor let out a laugh. "Well, that would have been very moronic."
"Ellie, can I talk to you?" James spoke. Eleanor turned to see him and instantly nodded. They walked away from the group. She wanted to stop fighting, she missed her brother, and if he was ready to talk, she would listen. Eleanor sat on the floor, her ass hurt a little, but it made sense because she had actually fallen on it thirty minutes before. "So, I wanted to apologize for, you know..."
Eleanor opened her eyes nearly as much as Marlene had before. James Potter, apologizing? His day was certainly a day of firsts. Never in her whole life, she had heard those words leave her brother's mouth. She was going to enjoy it. "No, James, I actually don't know. Can you elaborate?"
James opened his mouth, closed it, looked at the sky, and said, "You know... for the whole explosion thing in Potions class?" Eleanor blinked, like she didn't know what he was talking about. James got very red, but he continued, "I'm sorry for pinning the blame for that on you and your friends."
"I'll forgive you," she said. James smiled. "But only if you tell me who actually did it?"
"Did what?"
"James!"
"Ok, ok, sorry, but you had it coming," Eleanor laughed, and she pushed him slightly. "Well, if I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad."
"I wont," he said, looking at her, doubtful. "Twin swear?"
When they were kids, both went through a stage in which they lied to each other all the time. It would be silly things—like if one had taken a sweet out of the kitchen—but it became a complete mess, so they invented the words 'twin swear'. It was sacred, and they said the truth and nothing but the truth. Even when they grew out of that stage, they would still invoke it from time to time.
"Twin swear," he answered, "Pete did it. I told him to spread it evenly through the class because he is freakishly quiet, like a rat. But I guess he thought you wouldn't get mad. He was a little mistaken."
"Only a tad," Eleanor laughed. "Is that all you wanted to talk about, Jaime?"
"First of all, do not call me that, and second, I actually wanted to talk about something else."
"Go on"
"Sirius pushed you, didn't he?" Eleanor looked away, cowardly. His tone made her feel like she was a little girl talking to her dad. "I know he did, I saw him."
"Well, then why are you asking?"
"I wanted to know if you would tell me," he said. Eleanor looked back as James pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn't tell me things."
"You kind of did," she admitted before even realising it. "We got to Hogwarts, and we kind of drifted away, You made your friends, and I guess I made mine." She had friends, but it was still a weird concept to understand. The people she knew before were more James's friends, but Lily, Emma, and Marlene were hers only.
"I could stop talking to Sirius, if you wanted," James offered. She knew he would. James was the most loyal person to ever exist. "He hurt you, and you are my sister, just say the words."
Eleanor shook her head. "Don't. He is alright, I guess. And he is obsessed with you, so it's good for your ego."
James laughed "Well, then, I think that's all I wanted to discuss. Do you have anything to add?"
"Yeah. Don't be a stranger, Potter."
"Never, Potter"
→──✦──←
It had been two weeks since the beginning of detention, which meant they had a horrible long way to go. It wasn't because of Remus, she liked his company and thought they could become actual friends—maybe —but school was starting to get serious, and so was the homework. Detention was taking too much of her day, she barely had time to go through all her other assignments. Sometimes she thought she might go mental.
James didn't seem to be having as much trouble as her, she had this as soon as they began talking again. They'd spend a few afternoons together studying, which meant she also spent those afternoons with Sirius, Peter, and Remus.
It gave her some perspective as to how the group worked, and she had to admit, it reminded her vaguely of her own friends, but without all the bickering and passive-aggressiveness. James was like the leader, everything was always his idea or had to be approved by him. It wasn't on purpose, but all three seemed to want his attention. Sirius was the bad influence, which was self explanatory. Peter was always trying to be on everybody's good side, and Remus... he was just really cranky and didn't talk unless he had something important to say.
Eleanor didn't mind spending time with them, Peter was kind, and she was used to being around Remus anyway, but sometimes Sirius could be a pain in the arse. That rude little Satan spawn. Not even Marlene liked him, and she liked everyone. But Eleanor was trying to be a nicer, calmer version of herself. More zen, as Emma described her earlier.
"So, what are we going to do about Snape?" Sirius asked that afternoon.
They were sitting in the library. It was one of those days she preferred staying in. The sky was in that never ending cloudy state, and she didn't want to risk catching a cold. She had enough on her plate.
"Ellie, can you pass me your Herbology essay? I want to check something," James said, and she nodded as she began looking for it in the sea of parchment and books that were on the table. "What do you mean? There is nothing to do with Snape; he is an ass."
"Yeah, I know that, but I was talking in terms of revenge."
Eleanor frowned "Has he been messing with you again, Remus?"
Remus shoked his head. Of course, if Snape was indeed messing with Remus, she didn't think he would admit it, not to her at least. Peter looked up from his parchment with a confused expression on his face. "But I've heard he's been calling you Loony Lupin, you know, because of the whole 'broken nose' thing."
"See? Even Peter has had enough of Snape." Sirius hissed, even though that was not what Peter had said. "We need to shut his mouth once and for all."
James eyes gleamed with mischief. "And how do you expect us to do that?"
"I don't have exactly a plan, it's more like an abstract idea," Sirius admitted. "But still. It will be the statement of the year. The best practical joke ever made."
The four boys became very silent, like they were contemplating a million ideas on how to get revenge on him. Eleanor thought it was silly, and she didn't want to be a participant in it, especially because she remembered the crying mess Lily had turned into the last time something happened to Snape. But she also knew better than to try and convince James not to do something.
"What do you think, Ellie?" James asked her, and the four boys turned to her, expecting, "Any ideas?"
"Well, the plan is that it's more of a four-lads job, no offence."
"None taken, Black. And why do you think I have any idea? I'm not vengeful, and I'm certainly not helping you either."
"That's a lie. You are the most vengeful person I know. Remember the time Nancy Wheeler made fun of your stuffed bear and you lit her doll on fire?" He asked, and she turned completely red. Of course she remembered. Before she could stop him, James started telling him the story. "Nancy was a neighbour of ours. She hosted these ridiculous tee parties with the other girls and their dolls. Eleanor wanted to join, but for some reason I cannot comprehend. But she has never been the doll-type, so she only had the creepy teddy bear that was missing an eye and looked like it was falling apart..."
"Mr.Hugs is not falling apart!" And he is not a bear, as she wanted to say.
"He totally is. Anyway, she tried to join them with Mr. Hugs, and Nancy laughed at her face and called her... What did she call you?"
"Don't remember," she did, but it was a little too embarrassing to tell them. The whole story was embarrassing, to be honest.
"Well, the point is, Eleanor didn't like it, so she went back home fuming, and I may have or may not have helped reach the top cabinet for some cooking oil and a pack of matches, and Eleanor set Nancy's doll on fire along with the tee table and some horrid plastic biscuits." By the time the story ended, the four boys were cracking up, and even Eleanor was smiling as she remembered the way Nancy and the other girls were terrified of her after that.
"So you used to be fun," Sirius mocked.
"That was a long time ago," she retorted, trying hard not to smile. "I'm retired now."
"But if you weren't," Remus began saying, laughing slightly, "what would you advise us? From one non-vengeful person to another."
Eleanor thought about it. Remus wasn't like the others; he wouldn't get carried away with it and end up coughing Snape on fire like the others. As long as he was involved in the plan, she could trust they wouldn't cross a line like the last time James tried to do anything. Besides, it was only a harmless joke, right?
"Well, if I were to give you any advice, which I won't because I'm against all this, I would tell you not to do anything over the top that could get you caught, because then you'll get detention, and he'll have the satisfaction of knowing he outsmarted you. It has to be personal; something that only he will know that it was you who did it. And James, did you bring the cloak with you?" He nodded. "Then use it, and don't hurt him. Lily is my friend."
"We won't hurt him," James promised, with a solemn look on his face. It was one of the very few times she had seen James take anything seriously, so she believed him.
"You better not be lying, or the doll wont be the only thing on fire," she threatened. "Anyways, has anyone seen my Herbology essay?"
She did not find that essay, and had to restart again before heading to class. It was the weirdest of things. Eleanor had just finished it, laid it on the table, and then it was gone.