sunlit meadows, waning brooks

chapter twelve // six of swords

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April 22, 1995

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          She couldn't stop herself. It felt as though her legs weren't her own anymore. It was like they belonged to the earth she ran on. The world around her was zipping past at a thousand miles a minute, and her heart was beating just as fast, but she wouldn't let it catch up to her.

          A couple of months back, Evangeline had dropped everything. She stopped doing pranks with Fred and George, withdrew from S.P.E.W., and no longer attended parties. Her thoughts grew so distressing that she needed someone to escort her to and from class every day. Even then, the thoughts didn't quiet, and on a foggy day in late March, she couldn't bear them any longer.

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          Evangeline sat with her back to the side of her bed, her wand in hand, and pointed at her neck. She hated the feeling of his hands on hers, his lips on hers, and she knew two words would get rid of it all. Relieve her of the feeling that someone could do that to her again.

          She was hyperventilating now, those two words repeating over and over in her head. She clutched her fir wand and clamped her eyes shut like she was bracing for impact.

          "Avada..."

          Unexpectedly, Evangeline's locked door swung open, revealing Vienna on the other side of it.

          "Expelliarmus!" Vienna shouted, causing Evangeline's wand to skid across the floor. Evangeline's eyes shot open in shock. She scrambled for her wand, but Vienna reached it first. Vienna could immediately grasp two separate pieces of Evangeline's gray wand. It was silent, except for the broken wand hitting the wooden floor.

          "Evangeline..." Vienna sighed, holding her hand up to Evangeline's tear-stained face.

          "I can still feel him... on me. I don't want to feel dirty anymore..." Evangeline croaked out, her hair matted and her breathing unsteady. She looked like a traumatized child.

          She was a traumatized child.

          Suddenly, Vienna leaped forward and embraced Evangeline. Vienna's arms wrapped around Evangeline's neck, one of her hands scrunching a fist full of blonde hair as she sobbed into the brunette's shoulder.

          "I just..." Evangeline sighed, "I don't want to feel like this anymore."

          Vienna closed her eyes as she rubbed Evangeline's back. Evangeline had only just turned fifteen. How was a fifteen-year-old expected to bear this burden all on her own?

          Vienna took a breath and pulled away from the embrace. Evangeline opened her eyes. They were irritated and puffy. Vienna gave her a slight smile as she tucked Evangeline's curly hair behind her ear. She let her hand glide down until it reached the tips of Evangeline's hair. Then, she kissed her forehead, stood up, and ambled toward Evangeline's desk.

          Evangeline whipped her head around, "Are you leaving?" she asked, quickly wiping her tears away with her floral henley. Vienna shook her head.