Self-conscious and insecure Evelyn Garrick has a history of comparing herself to others, longing to be anyone but herself.
She is trapped in her own mind and is drowning in her negative thoughts.
She meets a boy. A boy who also struggles to accept...
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Evie sat with Pippa at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast on a Wednesday morning. Pippa was spooning some Hash Browns into her mouth while she flipped through her Charms textbook.
"Don't you want some breakfast, Evie?" Pippa asked. "There's bacon and eggs."
"I'm not hungry," Evie muttered. She had her head resting on her folded arms.
Pippa raised an eyebrow. Evie had been... different lately. She wasn't the happy, bubbly Evie Pippa knew and loved. She was quiet and almost boring. Pippa didn't know why.
"But you love bacon and eggs!" Pippa exclaimed.
Evie shrugged and lifted her head. "I've been feeling ill lately. I don't have much of an appetite."
Pippa nodded slowly and finished her breakfast. "I have to go to Charms. I'll meet you afterwards, okay?"
Evie nodded. "Ok. See you later."
Pippa left for the second floor while Evie made her way down to the dungeons for Potions class.
Evie kept her head down, even as she entered the classroom. She made her way to the desk at the back of the classroom and pulled out her textbook.
Slughorn soon entered the room and began the class. "Settle down class," he said. "Now. Today's potion is pretty tricky, so get into pairs."
Evie grimaced. She didn't want to work in pairs. Who would she pair up with?
The seat beside her was filled before Evie could ask the question aloud. Evie looked to her left to see none-other than Remus Lupin.
"We can be partners," he said simply.
"What about Peter?" Evie asked, knowing that Remus usually paired up with the short boy.
Remus shrugged. "He'll be fine. I want to be your partner today."
Evie nodded slowly, her cheeks going the tiniest bit red.
"The draught of the living dead is a particularly advance potion that sends the drink into a death-like slumber," Slughorn was saying. "Don't worry, I won't make any of you drink it! You have two hours."
Evie flipped through the pages of her textbook until she reached the right page.
"I'll get the ingredients," Remus said as he peaked into her book. "You can set up the equipment?"
Evie nodded as Remus left. She heated the cauldron and took out her weighing scales.
"I think this is everything," Remus said once he returned with his arms full of the required ingredients. "Let's get started."
Working with Remus was nice; it wasn't stressful as she expected. She liked working alone, and felt another person would make it harder. But that wasn't the case with Remus.
Although it wasn't stressful, it made Evie's heart race. It may have been a coincidence, but Evie noticed how Remus' hand seemed to always brush hers, and his touch seemed to linger whenever they passed equipment to each other.
"It's not the right color," Evie said an hour and a half later. "It's meant to turn completely clear."
Remus looked in the cauldron. "There's a slight tint of purple, but it's barely noticeable," he reassured her. "I say we leave it. We don't want to mess it up by going against the instructions."
Evie nodded slowly. She wasn't used to giving up on a not-perfect potion.
Remus and Evie sat down behind their bench. They were the only two finished, except for Severes Snape, who had worked alone and seemed bored out of his mind.
"I haven't seen you much lately," Remus spoke. "Since... that party."
"We're not talking about that," Evie said, surprised by her own cold tone. "I should have never gone to that party."
Remus looked taken aback. "Ok sorry. I just wanted to ask if you were alright."
"Well I am," Evie stated. She suddenly felt badly about her behaviour. "Sorry," she mumbled.
Remus nodded in acceptance. He didn't reply with words, but looked around the classroom.
They sat in silence; it was an awkward one, which Evie wasn't used to with Remus.
"Um- Hogmede is this weekend," Remus began after a few minutes. "Are you going?"
"I might go with Pippa but I haven't planned anything."
Remus bit his bottom lip. "Well, I was wondering-if you didn't already have plans- if you wanted to go with me?"
Evie's breath got stuck in her throat. After she composed herself, she spoke "With you? You don't mean- like a date?"
Remus jumped slightly. "No of course not!" He insisted, although he had gone quiet red in the face. "As friends."
Evie stared at him for a few moments, and he stared at her.
Realising their position, Evie looked away with a small cough. "I mean- Pippa might want to go with somebody else. So Ok, I guess."
Remus gave a small smile. "You'll go with me?"
Evie smiled back. "Yeah. I will."
They didn't speak after that, but their smiles and quick glances spoke more words than their lips could.
