Quiet in the Eve

The Day After

On Christmas evening, Evelyn and her family sat around the dinner table in somewhat silence. Every once in a while they'd talk about their gifts, but not for very long. Joseph and Evelyn didn't even get much, which was fine. Joseph was given a whittling kit and Evelyn got a couple books and a portable writing desk.

After dinner, Evelyn went off to the living room and sat in the corner. She pulled out a writing tablet and her quill and used her writing desk for the first time. She wrote:

'Dearest Helen,

I hope you had an amazingly, excitable Christmas! I certainly did!

I got a portable writing desk and two new books! I got a new copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, because my old one was falling apart, and I got the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I haven't read it, but my mum did when she was younger.

She said it's very enjoyable.

I can't wait to see you again next week. The holidays can't stay long enough for me, but I'm excited to get back to school.

Your dear friend,

Evelyn'

Evelyn smiled with satisfaction at the letter and folded it up. After slipping it into an envelope, she set it inside the storage space in the writing desk, waiting to be sent tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning was Boxing Day and Evelyn smiled out at the new layer of snow that was laid the previous night. She opened her window and breathed in the amazing cold air that the wind gave her. Apparently, Joseph didn't like it all that much.

Joseph: (standing at Evelyn's door) Shut the window, Yaka! You're making it freezing in here!

Evelyn: (turning around) It's not hurting you! Go downstairs where the fire is! It'll warm you right up!

Joseph grumbled off and Evelyn grabbed the letter she wrote for Helen. She whistled out her window and two owls appeared in the air in front of her.

Evelyn: Let's see, which one of you beauties should I use today?

The smaller, tawniest owl hooted with anticipation. It told Evelyn 'Pick me! Pick me!'.

Evelyn: (giggling) Alright, alright!

She tied the letter to the owl's foot and leaned close to him.

Evelyn: (whispering) I'm sure you can find the Morsbury residence, can't you?

The owl hooted and took off. Evelyn closed the window and shut her bedroom door, then she pulled on some clothing for the day and made her way downstairs. Joseph was sitting at the table with a real sour look on his face. Her mother was in the kitchen putting breakfast ingredients together.

Tina: (in the middle of a conversation with Joseph) ...it's not like your sister took it. I'm sure it'll turn up, Joey.

Evelyn: (intrigued) What'd he lose?

Joseph: (shooting an angry look in her direction) None of your business, Yaka! It's not like you don't already know anyway!

Tina: (calmly) Like I said, she did not take your whittling kit. You either misplaced it or.....

Joseph: (accidentally snapping at her) I didn't misplace it!

Tina: (incredibly cross; crossing her arms) Don't use that tone with me, Joseph Alexander! Go cool off before breakfast! Now!

Joseph pushed his chair out from the table and walked upstairs to his room. They heard his bedroom slam, but not even ten seconds go by before they hear his voice again.

Joseph: I found it in my closet! May I join you again?

Evelyn: (holding back laughter; mouthing) What the hell?

Tina: (looking up to the landing) Come on, Joey. 

As they sat at the table, Joseph repeatedly apologized for blaming Evelyn for taking his whittling kit, to which she always responded:

Evelyn: No, no. It's alright.

Their dad wasn't there that morning. Theseus had asked for him at his house, so Newt left. Evelyn wished she could go too, but it was really because she wanted to see Samuel. She hadn't had an actual conversation with him since the first day of school and she had a theory it was because of Laura.

Laura was a nice girl, though, so Evelyn couldn't see why Samuel had such a problem with her. She sometimes spoke longer than she needed, but that was just an aspect of her personality. Evelyn liked the fact that she talked a lot, because Evelyn didn't like to talk for extended amounts of time.

Maybe that was why Samuel didn't like her. He liked to be the center of attention and when he wasn't, he got mad. But that didn't really make much sense to Evelyn, because he had the keeper position for his Quidditch team and from what Evelyn has heard, Keeper's get more attention than Beater's.

Joseph: (looking up from his whittling) What're you thinking about, Evie?

Evelyn: (looking over at him) I was just thinking about something I wanted to ask Sam.

Joseph: (smiling) Why don't you write him a letter?

Evelyn: (chuckling) I could do that, but what I want to ask him is more like a confrontation question. If I wrote to him, I probably wouldn't get an answer.

Joseph: (setting his whittling down in front of him) Is it about his "rivalry" with Laura Gage?

Evelyn: (looking at him; confused) How'd you know?

Joseph: She's the only thing he talks about with me. You do realize he likes her, but doesn't think Uncle Theseus would approve of it, right?

Evelyn shook her head. Joseph laughed a little bit before picking his whittling back up and digging the knife deep into a part of the wood. Evelyn couldn't believe what she was just told. Samuel liked Laura?! That was absurd. From everything Evelyn had overheard from Samuel, he was an amazing actor. He made everyone around him think he couldn't stand her, because he liked her. It was weird for Evelyn to think Samuel liking anyone, because he was a lot like his mother when it comes to his feelings.

Before she met Theseus, Emma was a shy girl who bottled up her feelings. She was from a pureblood family who expected great things from her, but all she wanted to do was meet someone she loved and be an artist. Her family had disapproved of her ideals in life and sent to summer school every year. They thought finishing school would do her good, but it just made her even more resentful toward them.

Then, when she met Theseus, she said she felt she had something worth fighting for and she ran away from her home. Evelyn had heard this story so many times that she started to break it apart and realized she more or less became more independent than ran away, because she was thirty-six when she met Theseus.

Evelyn couldn't wait until next week, because she could tell Laura about what she'd learned. This was the best Boxing Day she'd had since forever.