LUNAR (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

Thirteen. Hogsmeade.

Evelyn was waiting for Caiti, as planned, on a little bench outside Honeydukes. Hogsmeade was bustling, as it always was when there was a Hogsmeade weekend. Evelyn had used to think that the village was always this way, but when she had gone to take her apparation test at the end of her sixth year, she had realized that this had been a very false misconception. There had been almost no one there that day. She'd seen a few older wizards pottering about, sending parcels off at the post office and a bunch of birds chirping and hopping around on the cobblestone street near the entrance to the Three Broomsticks, but otherwise it had been quite silent. It was peaceful.

Hogsmeade when the students were there was not peaceful at all. Still, Evelyn liked to see the Halloween decorations up. There were stacks of pumpkins outside the post office, most definitely held up by magic rather than physics, a garland made from colorful leaves and decorated with little twinkling fairy lights — real fairies of course, something Evelyn had still not gotten over — running up and down one of the alleyways between two buildings, and a mouth watering display of pumpkin flavored treats inside the window of Honeydukes beside her.

More and more students started to appear coming down the path from the school now that it was getting a little later in the day. Evelyn saw Caiti approaching, got up and started making her way to her.

Caiti waved vigorously when she caught sight of her. Evelyn noticed she was carrying her school bag, which seemed odd. When she got a little closer, Caiti started jogging. Evelyn picked up the pace too and they hugged when they met in the middle.

"Oh my god," said Caiti. "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

"You too," said Evelyn, beaming at her. "This year has been so weird. How've you been?"

"Good," said Caiti. "I mean, sort of. Kind of awful actually. I hate Hogwarts with you guys gone. But it's fine. School's good I guess."

Evelyn frowned and pursed her lips. "I don't want you to hate Hogwarts."

"I mean it's fine," she said. "It's just not the same without you and Marlowe. And Sean, I guess."

Evelyn laughed at that.

"But anyway, what about you? How've you been?"

Evelyn shrugged. "I like my new job," she said. "The girl I work with is really nice. She's older but she doesn't make me feel stupid. We just talk about her dating escapades all day."

"Well that's good," said Caiti. Evelyn wondered if she had noticed that she hadn't said anything about living with Sean. Probably not. It was probably only Evelyn that was so hyper aware of it, because she was so hyper aware of everything to do with Sean right now.

"Yeah," said Evelyn. "Well. It's really good to be back here. Feels like old times."

Caiti nodded. "It does since you're here. Do you want to go walk around some of the shops first or something? Anything in particular you want to do."

"Sure," said Evelyn. "Start at the end?" Caiti nodded and they headed down to the end of the street to start poking into the shops one by one. Evelyn balled her hands up inside her sleeves and glanced around. It was chilly outside.

"So, I have to tell you something," said Caiti after a minute. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.

"Okay, go for it."

Caiti nodded, rolled her lips together like she wasn't quite sure how to put it, and then said, "Okay. So..... wait. You have to swear to me that you won't tell Marlowe anything about this. Or Sean."

"Got it," said Evelyn. "I won't say a word."

"I mean it Evelyn. You have to swear it."

"I swear it," she said.