Epeolatry - ✔️

Fourteen

"Shallow waters are noisy; deep waters are silent."
- Unknown

"One month, two weeks, three days, and twelve hours." Athene was spread out on her bed as she twiddled a pencil in her fingers. "But who's keeping track."

After Charlie had left for Romania, Athene had thrown herself into her routine. At precisely 7 a.m., Athene was jogging around Diagon Alley. By 10, she had showered, changed, and opened her store. She hid her unrest by happily helping her customers, but she couldn't hide her feelings from her best friend.

"You need to lighten up," Enya fell onto the bed next to Athene, "He's written you almost every day, and he's already visited you once."

A great sigh left Athene, and she stared blankly at the white ceiling. This had been apart of Athene's perfect routine. Enya arrived promptly - a surprise for both of the witches - with takeout from a muggle Chinese food. Athene ate her sorrows away while Enya gave her a side-eye the entire time. Afterward, they sat on Athene's purple comforter, and the lonesome girl poured her heart out.

This had been the fourth time that this had happened this week.

"Clearly," Enya sat up, "he loves you enough to keep in contact with you-"

"We haven't said the L-word," Athene brushed a hand over her face and groaned, "I was going to say it before he left, but his family was there, and it just wasn't the right time."

The two thought of the events of Charlie's departure and shuddered. Athene had been a mess; her hair had been frizzy, her makeup smeared, and tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. Charlie hadn't been any better either. For a dragon tamer, the man was quite an emotional mess.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have said it then either."

"To make matters worse," Athene rolled onto her stomach, "guess who came to visit me this morning?" By the hunch in Athene's shoulder and the droop of her head, it wasn't hard to tell that she had gotten a visit from the Wicked Witch of the West. "Rita came in and demanded that I close my shop just so that she could get me to go with her to the next task."

Enya watched her with wide eyes, "You're going to the next task?"

"Unfortunately."

"I don't know how she manages to get you to agree to theses things," Enya plucked up one of the many books that were scattered around Athene's bedroom, "I mean, I can hardly get you out of the house on a good day."

Athene groaned yet again. "There are only so many people who can use the 'I-practically-raised-you-and-saved-you-from-a-life-in-foster-care-in-the-states' card."

"Ah," the room descended into silence. Enya, who was flicking through the pages of a Wizarding romance, paid little mind to the book in her hand. Her mind was solely on the girl lying on the bed beside her.

"She'll be coming tomorrow morning so that we can aparate together, so you best be gone by then."

"You can count on it," Enya giggled and threw the book on the floor, "In honor of your aunt, I say we re-watch the Wizard of Oz."

Hogwarts hadn't much changed since Athene had been there last. Other than the light dusting of snow and obvious lack of dragons, the scene in front of her was exactly like the first task. Students dressed in varying colors streamed through down the walkways towards the Black Lake. The lake itself sat in mysterious glory, and Athene couldn't help but wonder what the second task was.