The Wilderness Years

Chapter 2: Better Than Drinking Alone

It was the night of the new moon, and so Artemis and her three closest girlfriends had met for their monthly night out at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. As the sound of a piano drifted across the crowded bar, the four old friends talked over a round of drinks, with one thing - or more specifically, one person - being the principal topic of discussion.

Thomasina bloody Thistlethwaite.

"I'm sure she didn't mean any harm," said Penny, as forgiving as always. "She probably didn't realise that it would upset you for her to-"

"To what, Pen? To listen to us talk about all the times I nearly died and then put forward the things that happened as projects for work? To completely steal Badeea's idea and pass it off as her own?"

"Maybe she forgot about Badeea mentioning it and thought that it was her own idea."

"Trust me, she didn't," said Artemis. "I feel so stupid for telling her all those things. I dunno why I did. I guess I just thought she was nice before."

"Did you?" Tonks pulled a face. "Because I only met her that one time and I thought she seemed like a right cow. Even before she took all that stuff you and Badeea told her and used it to get ahead at work, I thought she was pretty rude. She never even asked my name, just spoke like I wasn't there, and the way she was asking that stuff about Rowan..."

Across the table, Chiara frowned deeply. "Wait. Why did she want to know about Rowan?"

"Well, at first it seemed like she was just after gossip, but now I reckon she was looking for more ideas to use as fodder for Bagman and Crouch. Either way, not great, is it?"

"No, I suppose not," sighed Penny. She finished her drink and summoned a gingham coin purse from the pocket of her cloak. "Well, it's my round. Who would like what?"

As Penny and Tonks left to fetch more drinks from the bar, Artemis was left alone at the table with Chiara, who regarded her with a look of concern in her pale eyes.

"What that girl did, it was really unfair," Chiara said quietly. Artemis shrugged and swirled the last dregs of firewhiskey around the bottom of her glass. "Trust me, I know more about keeping secrets than almost anyone, and you don't need to feel bad that you told her anything. What she did was her fault and not yours."

"Yeah. I guess. Still, it's just... I mean, I could tell her that I'm angry with her, but it's too late now. She's gone and said it all, so the harm is done. And Bagman and Crouch liked 'her' ideas, so it looks like the challenges will be the ones she's suggested. So even if I do say something, it won't change anything. I'll still have to work on all this stuff knowing exactly where the ideas for it came from."

"You don't have to work on it. You could leave."

"And quit two jobs in the space of six months?"

"I know it might not look good, but if it's going to make you this unhappy..."

"No." Artemis shook her head. "No, that would be like she's won. No, I'll... I dunno. I don't know what to do." She sighed. "Whenever I have to make important decisions, I alway try to think what Rowan would do if she were in my situation."

Chiara smiled sadly. "That's really lovely."

"The problem is, more and more I find myself not knowing what Rowan would do. I'm not sure if that's just because things are different now, or because..."

Artemis' voice tailed off, and she stared at the ice melting at the bottom of her otherwise empty glass. She could feel Chiara's eyes still on her.

"Because what, Artemis?"