Doe (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Twenty-Two

                 

"I forgot to ask for your question yesterday, Doe." Kitty smiled eagerly at her.

"What?"

"You never got to ask your daily question."

"Aren't we getting a little old for this now?" Doe sighed, through a mouth full of hairpins.

"No. I like playing this game."

"Fine, well your period can count as yesterday's one." Doe sighed exaggeratedly.

"So what do you want to know today?" Kitty bounced on her seat.

Doe paused. She thought for a moment. She had woken up feeling strange, irritated even, and now she felt reckless. She looked at Kitty's perfect face in the mirror, wondering if she dare.

"I can see you have a good one, spit it out." Kitty laughed.

Doe sighed, put down Kitty's hairbrush tentatively, "Does Draco love Francis?"

Kitty stared up at her in the glass, her pale eyes narrowing. Doe blushed under her hard gaze.

"You don't have to answer. It's stupid." She hastily picked up the hairbrush again.

"No Doe. You want an answer don't you?" Kitty's voice was low, "You want an answer, not your sister?"

"No!" Doe exclaimed, "I was just wondering, because I'm unsure about it now. But it's silly to have asked you."

"Why is it silly to ask me?" Kitty demanded, "I know my brother better than anyone."

"It's silly because he's already shown us the answer." Doe tutted.

Kitty looked scandalised, preventing Doe from brushing her hair, "What do you mean."

"Whenever Francis has asked him indirectly, he answers with something stupid or the Lurie thing about not loving anyone. He warns her off all the time."

"That doesn't mean, he doesn't." Kitty glared.

"So he does love her still?" Doe asked.

Kitty looked angry with herself, "I think so, but it doesn't matter. He'll always do what he wants regardless."

Her day after that went like the one before. As she did her chores she kept thinking about what Francis' reaction would have been had she heard Kitty. Perhaps she would have been happy but then maybe not, it made Doe angry to think he was going to do nothing about it. Since he had begun to court Darlin, she wondered if she felt more hurt than Francis sometimes. She supposed, that not being in love with him, she had it harder to forgive him.

She went to lunch with Kitty. As soon as they entered the dining room, she sensed the atmosphere. Tim had caught sight of her and his words died on his lips. Doe sat down at the table tentatively, keeping her down to avoid the boys' awkward glances.

"Don't stop on our account." Kitty demanded as she flourished a napkin.

Tim glanced again at Draco but remained silent. The clashing of cutlery intensified in the silence.

"Come on. What were you saying?" Kitty protested.

"Nothing, Kitty." Tim hastily growled.

"Was it about Francis?" Kitty asked in an innocent sounding voice.

Tim frowned at his plate as if it had spoken offensively to him.

"Yes, Kitty. How clever of you." Draco drawled.