Black

XXVII / The Official Incident

Monday 

January 5, 1978

Great Hall

It seems to be a general trend in the life of myself and my friends to begin the day by having a group breakfast in the Great Hall. Today was no exception. 

We spent a bit of time discussing this and that before Lottie reached into her pocket and pulled out a sherbet lemon, proudly pointing out that it now read '050178 8PM' and that she had noticed before any of us self-proclaimed 'super sleuths' had. We deduced this meant that it was finally time for our long-awaited meeting with Dumbledore to discuss the fate of the world and such. 

James announced that he thought it rather short notice considering we had Quidditch practice tonight, but he would just have to move practice to six rather than seven. Classic Dumbledore, interrupting my dinner time. 

I would suggest cancelling Quidditch practice, due to the apparent fate of the world being on our hands and everything, but, well, you know... it's Quidditch. On another note, I have only just now realised that the only two of us left eating are Lottie and I. 

Normally I would be offended, it's not like my friends don't know I can sometimes miss things, but it gives me a good opportunity to chat with Lottie, someone who isn't as invested in the Bloody Prat... actually, I don't know how many of them can be classified as Bloody Prats anymore.

Anyway. 

"Lottie, can I be candid with you?" I said after a second.

"What?" Lottie asked, looking up from her eggs. "Oh, where did everyone go?"

"Beats me."

"This always happens." 

"Speaking of things always happening, can we chat about something?"

"Ooh," Lottie raised an eyebrow. "Miss I-don't-chat-about-things-with-my-best-friends-anymore wants to chat?"

"That's fair... I suppose I may have been a bit self-engrossed this year."

"Year? It's been 1978 for like, four and a bit days, Eve."

"You know what? I'm getting a somewhat snarky attitude from you, and I'm not exactly a fan."

"That's fair," Lottie echoed. "Although, in my defence, one of my friends was recently murdered in cold blood by a raging psychopath and my two best friends are off gallivanting with their shiny new boyfriends, whilst I just end up sitting here alone with my eggs."

"That's not true... you've got Marley and Alice too!"

"It's not exactly the same is it." Lottie stared at me with a woeful expression. "And don't you say anything about Peter because he left me at the beginning of the ball and ever since he's been on my bad list."

"Since when did you have a bad list?"

"Since the end of last year."

I took a second to digest all of what Lottie had said before continuing any further. I have an awful habit of saying whatever's on my mind without actually thinking it through, and it really didn't seem like an appropriate time to do that sort of thing. 

"Alright... Well, I'm sorry for the part I had to play in all of this. I must confess I have been slightly preoccupied with my conflicted feelings toward my current relationship status and have not been paying much attention to the needs of those around me."

"Oh," said Lottie. "I hadn't actually expected you to apologise."

"I can apologise! I apologise all the time!"