Young Liars

“Did you find it?” Eleanor walked into the study room and collapsed on a dark red couch in front of a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, stretching along the entirety of the wall.

When her dad stayed home, the study was where he spent his afternoons. Reading, writing, and playing chess followed his gardening activities. This routine was unbeatable.

“I put it on the kitchen counter,” her dad removed his reading glasses and closed his book. “It was in my coat pocket.” he shook his head and chuckled to himself.

Eleanor crossed her hands on her stomach and watched the ornate ceiling. “I’m bored.”

“Let me finish the chapter and we can find something to do. Or you can go scavenge the basement for those cauldrons that we talked about.” her dad smiled at her.

“You’re right,” she sighed and stood up. “Keep reading old man, I’ll find something to do.”

“Funny!” her dad tried to act annoyed, but could not hide a smirk as she closed the door behind her.

Eleanor grabbed a key laying on the countertops and a dark blue knit sweater that she forgot to bring to her room from the living room last night. With the sweater on and a key in her hand, she descended the staircase that led to a big locked door. With the key, the door opened in no time, revealing a pitch-black room. It took her a few moments to find the light switch on the wall.

The room was dimly lit and filled with various boxes, full shelves, and old paintings placed against the wall. It didn’t look scary, but neither was it inviting. Or warm.

She remembered hiding here while playing hide and seek with the other kids. Some were too scared to even descend, so Eleanor usually stayed hidden the longest. Sometimes the braver kids would hide with her, allowing them to scare others.

“A cauldron,” she said to herself quietly and looked around carefully. There were too many things in this room. She would use Accio if she was back home. But she can’t here.

Eleanor placed her hands on her hips and started walking around while looking at random boxes and shelves. She thought about calling her dad to come help look. Maybe he could Accio that cauldron to her.

“Aw.” she smiled when she came upon some of her old toys neatly placed on one of the shelves. “Mr. Phillips.” she whispered as she held a soft brown teddy.

Mr. Phillips was bought here in town. Maybe on her 4th summer in England. “Cute.” she placed him down.

Her bare legs really felt the chilliness of the basement.

After the toy shelf, Eleanor stuck close to the wall until she noticed old dusty jars, various dried plants hanging, and some worn-down books. Dad’s potion making supplies. He had the same station of some sort back Home.

Logically, the cauldron must be here as well.

And she was right. Three boxes were stacked on top of each other near the jar-filled shelf. All of them had a cauldron each.

Eleanor took them all down and looked for the best-looking one. She did not want any spills or accidents from an old or broken-down cauldron. If that is to say, she has a chance to study Potions at Hogwarts. She hoped, that her exam results were sufficient.

The box that was at the very top, had the newest looking cauldron. After putting the other two back, she picked up the fairly heavy box and walked back up the stairs.

She could immediately feel the warmth on her legs. Her upper body wanted the sweater off as well. Eleanor placed the box carefully on the floor next to the staircase and went back to lock the door.

Eleanor made sure to put the key in the key box next to the front door before carrying the cauldron up to her bedroom.

The sun was shining bright outside. It was hot. Eleanor and her dad kept all the doors and windows open to let the breeze in.

The next couple of hours Eleanor spent wandering around the old house and making circles around the gardens. Hoping each time to find some hidden fruit her parents did not pick off.

Inside the house, she looked through all the photographs on the walls and framed on the console tables. Some of them were the same as back Home, but others were different.

Dad in his Ravenclaw robes, on a broom, probably the first date with mom, because the same photo was in their room back Home. There was a photo of him with some Gryffindoors, maybe on the last day of school. There was one on the first day of school as well, with his parents by his sides. His big round glasses followed him through the years.

There were photos of mom around the house as well. Less of her childhood of course. Eleanor chuckled when she saw her mom in a similar haircut to hers, probably during the last year of Ilvermorny.

Gradually she found some pictures of herself, from the summers spent here. There was one picture in the upstairs reading nook with the kids she used to play with. 7 of them, sitting on the stairs outside that led to the front door. July 30th, 1990. Her 10th birthday. Holly had spent a week around her birthday here in England. It was the last summer she spent here. And there was the Malfoy boy as well. Sitting at the edge. Hair white as snow.

Another photo was of her and Draco, both sitting and waving from a tree branch high up.

Down the hallway, she found another photo placed on a bookshelf. She was swimming in the lake with some kids that she couldn't quite make out the names of, as they were all with their heads turned. She could though, from the hair, tell which one was Draco Malfoy.

“Thinking about going for a swim?” her dad walked up the stairs with the same book in his hands.

“Is it far?” she remembered swimming there, but she could not place the exact location.

“About a 20 minute walk. But it’s a beautiful day, you might see more people than usual there.” he came to inspect the photos as well. Smiling at most.

“I’ll go, bored anyways.” she sighed and went into her room for her swimsuit.

“Be careful! Take your wand just in case.” Eleanor nodded. “And take the bracelet.”

The bracelet. Tap twice if you need help. At least that’s what her parents said when she received it as a gift before her first year. She never had to use it before. Currently, it was somewhere in her backpack.

Her parents had one each as well, never taking it off.

Tucked away in rural England, Eleanor seemed to forget the dangers looming over Europe now. Her parents’ trust in her did not help to remember as well.

Eleanor grabbed the same knit sweater just in case, throwing it in the backpack with everything else. She put on her swimsuit and her shorts with a button-up shirt right on top.

Before leaving her room, she grabbed her black wand from the window still and started searching for the bracelet. Her hands wandered blindly through all the sections of the backpack until she felt a cold little stone. She found it.

The bracelet would be of more help than the wand. It was of no use here until school starts. But even if she did not want to be expelled before starting, she still carried it around most of the time.

Eleanor’s dad walked her out and reminded her of where to go. It was straight ahead, through a wooded hill that was visible from her bedroom window.

“I’ll come to check on you if you take too long,” her dad took a bite of an apple. “Or your mom will if she’s back early. Be careful.”

The walk did take around 20 minutes. Before entering the uphill woods, Eleanor passed a family of no-maj’s walking back from the lake. Two little kids were fighting over something. She said hi, everyone did in America.

The woods weren’t that thick, and a lot of sunlight was shining through, even if the sun was already fairly low and all orange. It was pretty. She used to go swimming in the lakes or in the ocean back home. To get there, she would walk through the woods as well.

The lake was big, one side of it wasn’t even visible due to it making a turn, and trees covering that side. She could see some larger hills on the other side as well.

There were some people, but they were swimming in the distance. She expected a bigger turnout due to the weather.

Eleanor looked around for a spot to put her things down. A few rocks near a patch of grass looked good so she walked towards it. It also seemed like a less popular spot, at least she hoped it was, as another couple walked passed it and continued walking to where the other people were.

She turned to face the lake while taking off her shoes and shorts. Maybe it was the thicker woods on this side, or the rockier shore. But it didn’t make much difference to Eleanor, who unbuttoned her shirt and walked towards the water.

The water was cold. She stood knee-deep in it before taking a deep breath and continuing to walk deeper until she could take a good dive and warm herself up.

The coldness soon became refreshing in the heat. She swam out more and took a moment to appreciate the nature surrounding this lake. In the distance, she could hear someone laughing.

This was relaxing. This was what she needed today after a few lazy days.

While swimming around she would once in a while look on over to where her backpack was, making sure it was still there.

The water was dark. She could barely make out her stomach, let alone her legs.

By the time she was far away from her side of the lake, she started slowing down and turning on her back. Watching the tree line fall away. Every sound was drawn out and distant. Her body became cool, from not moving much. But she continued floating.

Only a fairly loud splash disturbed her peace and made her turn around. She noticed a wooden pier sticking out. It looked old but she couldn’t remember it from her childhood trips to this lake.

Eleanor did not see who it was, nor the bubbles. Just disturbed water near the pier.

A blonde head emerged from the water. It did not see her yet.

Eleanor moved her fringe out of the way and frowned. Was it the Draco? The same boy she used to climb trees with?

The hair must have been a dead giveaway to Eleanor. Everything else had changed. Tall, lean. His face was pointier too, but she couldn’t tell from that far.

It didn’t take much to convince herself to swim towards him. Taking a look back to see if her things were still in place, Eleanor slowly swam towards the boy, who still hadn’t noticed her.

“Draco?” without thinking she called out.

Draco. Draco quickly turned to her. His face was hardly readable to Eleanor, but he did seem confused. And concerned?

For a few moments, he almost looked frozen. “Nell?” and then it seemed like he said that without even thinking. Surprising himself.

“Draco Malfoy?” Eleanor let out a short laugh and picked up the pace of her swimming.

Draco pushed his wet hair back and slowly moved towards Eleanor. He still looked confused, but this time, Eleanor could sense some curiosity.

“Wha-” he said in slight disbelief.

“What a surprise.” she laughed again as she swam closer. Draco did not move. Now she could really see all the changes in his face. But she noticed the dark circles and tired eyes too.

“What are you doing here?” his brows stayed furrowed as he studied her face. And the changes to it.

“Taking a late afternoon trip to the lake.” Eleanor lowered half of her face underwater for a moment before reemerging.

“No, I mean-”

“Staying here for a while,” she smirked and started swimming towards the pier.

“A while?” Draco’s eyes did not leave her for a second, following her to the pier.

“A long time.” she gave him a quick answer before pulling herself out of the water.

The light wood of the pier turned dark immediately as she took deep breaths lying down. Draco followed her out. With a bit more grace.

While Eleanor was catching her breath he quickly threw on a green sweater. “How long?”

“The whole year.” Eleanor shrugged and sat up to meet his eyes.

His blonde hair was all over his eyes again. Just like her fringe.

Eleanor moved the hair and put a hand up, to block the lowering sun from blinding her while she looked at the boy in front of her.

“You look confused.” she laughed and pulled her legs to her stomach.

“I am.” he studied her for another moment. “What-” Draco gave a short laugh in disbelief. “I don’t understand-”

“I’m here for the whole year, Draco.” she couldn’t stop herself from smiling when he frowned even more.

“You are staying for the whole year?”

“And we will see each other at Hogwarts.” she searched for a reaction, a readable one.

“That joke of a school.” he almost whispered.

“Shoot! We have a rebel!” she mocked playfully and laid back with her elbows holding all the weight.

Draco didn’t reply to that and finally left her eyes alone. “Leaving Ilvermorny for Hogwarts?” he asked.

“Well,” she looked around. The sun was setting. How long was she here for? “My parents got called to help at the Ministry-”

“Your parents still working as Aurors?” his face had stiffened from when they first saw each other in the water.

“My mom now works with MACUSA’s Investigation Department. Dad’s an Auror still.”

He did not say anything to that but continued listening.

“They didn’t want to leave me alone in the States. And I did want to go to Hogwarts at least for a year.”

Draco scoffed at that. “You’re choosing Hogwarts over Ilvermorny?”

“I’m not choosing anything. I’ll be back at Ilvermorny next year,” she frowned. “Besides, weren’t you the one who talked my ears off about the one and only Hogwarts?” Eleanor laughed and completely laid down on the pier.

Draco snorted and looked away.

Was his sweetness all gone?

“A lot has happened during these 6 years.” he finally said and fixed his hair.

“Tell me about it.” she chuckled to herself and sat up. Of course a lot has changed.

The sun was no longer shining through the trees. It was much lower now and the hill blocked most of the sunlight from hitting the lake.

The people that were somewhere in the distance had started packing their bags, but Eleanor did not seem to notice.

They both sat quietly. Eleanor was looking up at the sky while Draco disturbed the waters with his feet.

“Did your parents let you come here alone?” he finally broke off the silence.

Eleanor smiled. Even as kids, her parents would let her play outside for longer than his. “Yeah, but I got this.” she shook her hand to show him her bracelet.

He seemed to know what that was immediately.

“Did yours?” she asked before remembering where his dad was. Azkaban. Draco’s dad was in Azkaban.

“No.”

Eleanor sat up and sighed. She could read his face. “Are they-”

Before she could even ask, Eleanor felt a short vibration coming from the bracelet. Draco looked down at her hand as well. “We said to use it when in danger, but they just call me for dinner most of the time.”

Draco gave her a thin smile and pulled his feet out of the water.

Eleanor moved closer to the edge and submerged more of her legs underwater. “Listen, this was unexpected.” she slid down into the water. “But I’m not doing much until school starts. If you ever want to-”

“Okay.”

“Good. I’ll see you around, Malfoy.”