The Secret Cousin

Chapter Eight: An article and a vial

It was sometime after two o'clock in the morning when Emalia's tired and very full head hit her pillow in her dormitory.

 All her questions had been answered and although some of her initial confusion had been cleared and everything seemed a little sharper she was still confused and if she was being honest, she was also a little stunned.

The next day was a Sunday, Emalia had no classes and had no outstanding work to do, yet she still found herself in a quiet corner in the library with the book that Albus had given to her the previous night. 

In it contained all the secrets of her Veela lineage, what was expected of her and also how to get in contact with some of those who Albus knew for a fact that had been in contact with her mother while she was still alive.

One day Emalia would find them, when she was ready. For now, she just focused on finding out everything she could about her Veela side.

In the headmistress's office that night, it was revealed to Emalia that Professor Guinevere was also part Veela. Her great-grandmother had been a Veela, and her lineage could be traced back to the first male Veela. Because of that, Professor Guinevere had been explaining the ins and outs of being a Veela to her nearly every evening this week.

 She had become the authority on Emalia's education about Veela history and what it meant for them to be a part of the Veela community. Professor Guinevere had told her that Veela's were a very complex race. Although they possessed great beauty, they were also downsides of being of Veela lineage. 

There were some things that not even part-Veelas could escape. They were more in tune with their emotions and as great a benefit that was to them, they were often more prone to anger than others.

One evening, close to the end of term, Emalia was sitting in Professor Guinevere's office when she happened to notice a picture of a younger looking Professor Guinevere and her mother sitting on her desk. 

Emalia was gobsmacked, she did not know that Professor Guinevere had known her mother, first the professor looked a lot older than her mother. Second, she had treated Emalia as a stranger when they first met and continued to do so for the first couple of weeks of term.

Emalia cleared her throat to get the attention of her professor, 'I'm sorry Professor, but how exactly did you know my mother?' 

Professor Guinevere suddenly stopped writing her letter and looked up at Emalia and sighed 'Emalia, your mother was my best friend. We did everything together. After school, when she had met your father the three of us moved to Paris for a time and began our lives as friends.'

She paused for a second wondering how much information she should share about her own life with Emalia. 'For a couple of years your mother and I lived side by side in Paris. Eventually your parents moved to Bandol, where they had you.'  

'There, that was harmless information' she thought to herself.

Emalia looked at her and hesitated. Corisande noticed and softened, 'Child you can ask me whatever you want. Right now, I am not your teacher and you are not my pupil. I am just fulfilling a job your mother is unable to fill.'

Emalia looked at her 'I mean no offence Professor, but I was just wondering why you look so much older than you should be.' Emalia looked at the floor ashamed at her curiosity. Corisande rose from her seat and looked out the window.

'When I was in Paris, I found who I was meant to be with for the rest of my life. He was a close friend of your father's; they had gone to school together. His name was Robert Elliot.' 

Corisande paused to push a stray hair behind her left ear and then continued. 'We got engaged quickly, within a matter of moths of meeting each other and married a few weeks after that. We were happy; we were in love.'