The Archer

Our last summer

At the end of the day this is Emory Flawleys story. A story of love. A story of how a young girl was forced to become someone she was not. She was given a duty not a childhood. Then by some struck of luck she was given love. This is her summer. Her last summer before her last year at Hogwarts. This is the rawest realest Emory Flawley.

Something changed on the last day of school. As she sat outside of their French castle on her first day there she couldn't get that last conversation with Violet out of her head.

"You're not a good friend you know that"

Emory turned to fully face her, she was about to walk out with her luggage. "What?"

"You kissed Evan when I was with him, it didn't matter if we had an official relationship or not you know how I felt about him. I was there that night when Regulus walked out of our room looking the happiest I've ever seen him. You slept with him and then went to date Evan a year later. They're childhood best friends Emory. You're not a good friend to me and you're not a good friend to them. You're just not a good person"

As she sat now looking at the lush lavender fields she couldn't shake that feelings that Violet was right.

She looked down at her mark, could she really blame everything on it? She slept with Regulus before she got it so maybe she couldn't.

So maybe she wasn't a good person her mark legitimately marked her as a bad person. That's the whole point of it.

She thought of Darren for some reason and thought about how one night in a room hidden away from the Slug Club party they danced to the very distant music. That was the first time he told her he loved her.

He cried. She knew it was because of how even then he knew they couldn't be together in any real way. Years later she looked back at that memory and knew they were always destined to break up.

Emory knew what she had with Evan was something she wouldn't trade for anything. There was just a small part of her that wondered if Regulus would run away with her, he shared her pain, the pain that comes along with being a pig raised for slaughter.

Evan didn't feel that pain. He was a man of duty and he would do anything for her. He was willing to marry her at 16 so she wouldn't be subjected to any pain.

As the days in France passed she missed him. But she loved being alone. She spent all her time reading and walking through the numerous gardens. She went into town and would sit alone at the local cafes and just enjoy being alone.

She stopped thinking about Hogwarts completely. Who cared if she was a bad person and a bad friend all she ever wanted was to be good. And in that moment it didn't matter.

She was seventeen roaming the streets of france in long floral flowy dresses. She was happy. The pain didn't burn as badly. Plus her mother left her alone the entire trip.

Evan sent her letters. She stopped replying after a couple she just wanted to be set free from everything associated with Hogwarts and the dark lord.

"Emory,

My beautiful Emory I miss you. Days here are very dark and even darker without you. I find myself laughing while writing this letter because all I can think about is how I used to laugh at men in love yet here I am. Writing to my dream girl as she fails to respond to me. I know you're enjoying your time out there so that makes me happy for you. I just miss you. Write to me back if you want, if not it's okay, we'll see each other soon.

Evan Rosier"

She did feel bad for not responding but the pool was so enjoyable and so was the cocktail in her hand.

She was actually able to eat and enjoy food for the first time since she got her mark.

She sometimes would put on her favorite David Bowie record and dance around the entire castle. She felt so free. She'd dance for hours and laugh at her own movements.

The sea quickly become her best friend and she would face all her fears and dive off the tallest rocks. She felt so brave, then she would pick flowers on her way back.

She thought once the dark lord was defeated she would run away to their French castle and disappear. She wouldn't mind if Evan came along. She would help him not go to Azkaban and then she would teach him to be good.

She laughed imagining him wearing shorts and just laying in the sun with her. So she asked him

"Evan,

Would you wear shorts and pick flowers with me in France one day?

Emory"

She felt so funny just sending that random letter. No hello, no formal greetings, he was just Evan, she loved plain simple Evan.

A couple days later when she already forgot what she had said his letter arrived. She was eating the biggest bowl of pasta drinking wine.

"To the most perfect girl alive,

Yes, if you want me to I'd pick flowers wearing shorts in France with you. Hell I'd even get brightly colored shirts if it'll make you happy. Anything in this world for you.

Evan Rosier"

She laughed the wine slightly spilling on the floor.

"I love you dark and serious Evan Rosier"

She sent it and then continued to eat and drink alone. It was a beautifully warm night and in that night she really did only love Evan Rosier and knew he was someone she would love to come home to at the end of every vacation.

"I love you more bright and sunny Emory Flawley, you're the only girl in the world I'd ever want to wait for"