The Calm Before the Tempest - Book 2

Chapter 3: Hell on Earth

Liberty

"You what?!" Hissed Liberty Lestrange from her bedroom at Lestrange Lodge, staring in disbelief at one of her best friends', who'd Apparated right to her doorstep not ten minutes before. "Randon Rosier?" She repeated Evan's gasped words as he paced back and forth in front of her, roughly pulling on his white hair.
Liberty could not believe what he was telling her. She could not imagine the horror in which Evan had felt at the reappearance of what was - undoubtedly - one of the worst (uncaptured) Death Eaters to ever serve He Who Must Not Be Named. Liberty knew this, owing to her grandparents' glorified accounts of the Wizarding War during the long and tiresome summers which Liberty was confined to the house.

"Rosier was one of the first!" Liberty's grandmother would say over dinner, with a tone of great admiration. "Taunt his sons all he knew. Very skilled wizard is Randon." She'd compliment.
     Liberty shivered, knowing the fear that she felt would be nothing to what Evan would feel, having to live under the same roof as the old wizard until they returned to Hogwarts after Christmas.
     Evan stopped by her window, looking dishevelled as he turned to meet Liberty's questioning gaze.
     "Ivan and Junior are back too." Explained Evan with a deep frown on his usually smooth face. He shook his head. "You should've seen him." He added in utter bewilderment. "It was like I was the golden child. Not Junior. He called me Evan. He - asked about Hogwarts."
     Liberty saw her friend shake violently in disgust, aware of how much he hated the name he shared with his own - dead - Death Eater father.
Silence fell around them as Liberty tried to think of the right words to comfort him. But she couldn't seem to find anything to say. What could she say, when they both found themselves in similar situations?

Liberty sighed deeply, sitting on the floor of her room and pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a loose match that she ignited on the sole of her black combat boots. But even the nicotine did not mask the nausea.
"You know what this means, don't you?" She said quietly, looking upwards at him through a cloud of smoke. They shared a long look and he nodded. "They're all starting to get...restless. Eagerly awaiting - something. And the Ball-"
     Liberty was cut off by Evan's exasperated groan.
     "Don't." He hissed, scowling as he resumed his pacing. "Whatever hell I thought tomorrow would bring, is nothing compared to what it'll be like now." He huffed as Liberty continued to watch him. "I dread the reaction he'll have once he realises that Storm is a friend of ours. AH!" He yelled, slamming his fist against the emerald bedspread of Liberty's polished four-poster.
     Liberty winced, slowly rising to her feet, taking another inhale of smoke.
     "Yeah." She dragged out, walking over to her desk by the window, taking up the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. "I don't think we'll see Storm at the Ball. Nor do I think we'll see much of her when we're back at Hogwarts." She held out the paper and waited for Evan to acknowledge it. "Remember this moment." She added with a scowl. "This is where it starts."
    "What?" He hissed again, apparently too bombarded with emotion to pay much attention to what she was saying. He caught sight of the crumpled front page and snatched it from her hand, yanking it under his nose, his eyes scanning the headline.
     "Shit." Was all he said and Liberty scoffed at him.
     "Too fucking right." She replied, taking another long inhale from her cigarette. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't already left. If not, she's going to need all the help she can get-"
"Not from me." Evan retorted harshly and Liberty blinked, taken aback, before she rolled her eyes.
     "Meaning?" Liberty pressed, standing opposite him with a stern expression. "I thought you'd gotten over your-" she made a face, gesturing to him. "-moping."
     Evan clenched his fists at his sides. "If I'm seen with or near her, it'll only make things worse. She'll have enough to worry about without our lot-" he spat venomously, "-trying to worm their way in. No." He shook his head firmly. "I'm not going to compromise her by being close to her."