The Keeper

Chapter 43

I listened to It's Gonna Be Me by *NSYNC, Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar and Roaring 20s by Panic! at the Disco.

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Wow this chapter was long overdue. But it's finally out and I'm so relieved that I managed to produce something after being very unproductive for far too long.

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I'd woken up much earlier than usual. Aleeza and Louise were still asleep, as usual, and so was Sasha. At this point, I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so I slid out of bed and got myself dressed. Although I was up early, it wasn't earlier than breakfast. I made my way to the Great Hall and sat at the Ravenclaw table.

There weren't many people about, and looking back that was just as well. I had only just piled a few strips of bacon onto my plate when someone said my name behind me.

"Y/L/N." I recognised the voice immediately and wasted no time in turning around to acknowledge that.

"Professor McGonagall," I said. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she replied quickly, in a manner that hinted she wanted to move the conversation forward. I kept quiet, therefore, to let her continue. "You'll want to finish your breakfast as fast as you can, as the headmaster is expecting you in his office."

Her comment was more than enough to spur me into gulping down my food, although not too noisily as she was still lingering behind me. Her presence had started to earn a few stares and whispers, which also drove me to eat my breakfast in record time. I stood up the second I swallowed the last bite of bacon.

Her robes swishing behind her, Professor McGonagall led me up the stairs to Professor Dumbledore's office. He was the only person I expected to see inside, but that was not the case.

Three chairs stood opposite the headmaster, who was sitting in his usual chair, his face unreadable. The middle chair was the only empty one. Oliver occupied the chair on the right, but on the leftmost chair sat a person I was not prepared to see.

"Gillian?" I exclaimed, more to myself than anyone else.

If she had heard the disbelief in my voice, it didn't show. Her gaze remained glued to her feet and as she always did when she was uncomfortable, I knew she was chewing on her lip.

"Yes, Y/L/N," Professor McGonagall said. "That's why I needed to bring you here so urgently. I shall leave the four of you to it." Without another word, she turned on her heels and left the office.

I didn't move for a few seconds, still processing that Gillian, the same girl that had never really been a good friend of mine, or any of our roommates; the girl who was always envious of my friendship, then relationship, with Oliver; the girl who had ultimately stolen him away using a damned love potion. I clenched my jaw as I took my seat. Oliver placed a hand on my leg and I smiled at him gratefully.

"I'll spare Miss Brabbing from having to account for her disappearance," Dumbledore began, tilting his head towards Gillian, "as I'm sure she would rather let me do the talking." I fiddled with my nails as I usually did when nervous. "So Miss Brabbing, for the past week or so, has been hiding in the Gryffindor common room and the spare dormitory that is only used for visiting schools."

Oliver and I stared at each other, before turning to look at Gillian with a mixture, of anger, confusion and curiosity.

"Her reasons for doing so I'm sure you can work out for yourselves, but let me tell you now that her stowing away was not done so with pure intentions," Dumbledore continued. 

I was still staring at Gillian and I watched as her cheeks went from rosy to crimson. She sunk even lower in her chair, and for a moment, I felt pity. And even sorrow at the friendship that could've been, if only she hadn't become so blinded by envy.

"She has, to her credit, confessed what her intentions were to me in my confidence," the headmaster said. A little whimper escaped Gillian's mouth. It sounded like she was on the edge of crying, which I could understand. "It took me some time to consider what her punishment should be, and after taking everything into consideration and the quantity and nature of rules broken, we have recommended to her parents that she transfer to a different school."

My face went slack. She was expelled? I wasn't sure how to react. My first instinct was to look at Gillian, which I did. But the tears trickling down her cheek forced me to turn away.

Oliver had removed his hand earlier but suddenly put it back on my leg. I squeezed it this time, grateful for his support.

"If there's anything you wish to say to each other, I shall go pretend to be busy organising some books. Feel free to leave when you're finished and you're all excused from first period," Professor Dumbledore said, standing and walking over to a bookshelf in the far corner of the room.

Both Oliver and I stood up, prompting Gillian to do the same. Shaking slightly, she managed to look at us. Her eyes were red and pity flared up in my chest.

"I..." Gillian choked up for a second. Wiping her eyes, she blinked a few times to compose herself. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done to hurt you both."

It was a pleasant surprise to hear that her voice sounded genuine. Even after all she'd been through, part of me still expected her to act the way she so often did: arrogant, proud and generally mean.

"Thank you for your apology," Oliver replied monotonously. Thinking we should try to be a little kind, I nudged his side.

"Thank you, Gillian. I hope you enjoy your new school." My tone was more sincere than I had planned, but this was a good thing, as her thankful expression told me that she appreciated it.

"I won't hug you," she said, "because that would be a bit much. But I really am sorry for messing everything up."

I nodded curtly and said goodbye as we left the office, Gillian drying her tears behind us.