dancing in the shadows (R.A.B)

orange juice and heartbreak

chapter four: orange juice and heartbreak

"Who I am is not yours to call great, James Potter!"

    

               EVE DOES NOT THINK she has ever been so angry in her entire life. 

The first week at Hogwarts passed by quickly. Most of the time she spent alone, since she didn't quite have a friend group, but on the day of her date, Marlene helped her get ready.

The news about Eve accepting the invite had spread across the school like wildfire, because Eve had never really been on one before. She had been asked a few times, sure, but never actually accepted since she didn't know them well enough, and yeah, she had kissed a few boys at house parties but that never counted either. Strangely, boys seemed too just like to stare and flirt with her, but never actually ask her out. 

So on Saturday morning, Eve got up and didn't even change out of her pajamas before she bounded toward Gryffindor tower, lazily giving the portrait the password - which Marlene had given her the day before - and then practically bounced up the stairs. 

All the girls were excited for her, and despite the early hour, they helped her get ready heartily. Eve thought she looked incredibly pretty. She was wearing a black jean skirt, a slowly white satin top - her favorite material, of course - and for once, sandals instead of boots. 

She scowled when she realized she still didn't have any jewelry. Maybe, if they lasted, Colton would buy her some. 

As she skipped down to Hogsmeade - they were meeting at the Three Broomsticks - Colton took over her thoughts. He was handsome, incredibly so, yes, but she cared less about the looks and more about the fact that he was one of her closest friends. She didn't really have many of those; yes, she had quite a few friends and was acquaintances with practically everyone, but she didn't have anyone that really knew her. Her and James were still siblings, but they hadn't been close since James practically abandoned her for his friend group back in first year, and however much she loved the Gryffindor girls, they would always be closer to one another than her, and she was sure at least half of them still thought of her as "Potter's sister."

Colton seemed to be one of the only people who seemed to see her. He had never compared her to James, even though the two of them were friendly, and he was always there as a shoulder to lean on when she needed it. He wasn't her best friend, but they were close enough, and so Eve really was looking forward to their date. 

Which brings us back to the point. 

The Three Broomsticks was crowded, but Eve was able to secure the same booth they always sat in, and went ahead and bought two butter beers. She drank hers slowly while she waited for him to show. 

And he never did. 

She sat there for nearly two hours. Rosmerta came and gave her a new butter beer, on the house, with a sympathetic look. 

The thing was, she wasn't even angry, just confused. Even if he didn't want to be on a date with her, then fine, that was okay. She was fine with just staying friends, but ditching her when they have a tradition? This is what she thought about as she walked slowly back to Hogwarts. 

She had been planning on them going into Honeydukes to snack on some chocolate, which would hopefully satisfy her hunger. Unfortunately she had spent her entire time in the village sulking, so she really was starving, which is why she took a bee line for the Great Hall to eat. 

If Eve had just gone to Honeydukes that day, her life would've stayed the same; no good friends and living in her brother's shadow. But not going into Honeydukes irrevocably caused a domino effect that she would never be able to recover from. 

She stalked up to the Ravenclaw table, completely ignoring the whispers and stares she was sure she could feel and hear behind her back. Plenty of people had seen her sitting alone at that booth in Hogsmeade, and she was sure the rumor mill had already started.

She grabbed a biscuit and plopped down, staring resolutely straight in front of her. When she finished her biscuit, she took a is of water, smoothed her skirt, and stood up. 

"Lina!" a voice called, but she didn't turn. There was only one person that called her that and she didn't want anything to do with him. 

Unfortunately, he was not giving up easily. "Lina! Evelyn, come on, Lina-"

She spun on her heel, glaring up at him. "Yes, Colton, why don't you take up more of my time today?"

He sighed, blue eyes sad. "Lina, please, I can explain-"

"Look," she pushed a finger in his chest, "I get it if you didn't want to go on a date with me, honestly, I do! But to break a tradition, a tradition we made as friends, when you know how hard summer is for me-"

"Lina!" he interrupted, loudly, and then lowered his voice when he noticed how obviously people were trying to listen in. "Lina, listen, okay? Okay, look, lots of boys have been wanting to ask you out-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Eve growled. "Besides, barely anyone ever has-"

"I'm getting to that!" he said back, "Lina - Evelyn, look. I shouldn't be telling you this, but - but you're my friend, so just listen, okay?" he waited for her reluctant nod before he continued. "Your brother has been practically threatening any boy that even looks at you with interest. I guess you didn't notice, because you weren't really interested in anyone, but - really, Lina, he's got blackmail on everyone. I haven't the faintest idea how, but he does. And he has something on me - it's just, it's dangerous, if it gets out. And I care for you, I really do, but Lina, I can't - I can't risk that."

Eve stared at him, stunned. "You're telling me - you're ditching me because my brother told you so? Morgana, Cole, I thought - I thought you of all people-"

"It's dangerous," he insisted, but he really did look sorry. "For me, for -"

Eve glared and stormed away. Just as she neared the door, her brother and his stupid, stupid friend group walked through, immediately grabbing the attention - as they always did - of the entire hall. 

And suddenly, Eve felt like she might just explode in anger. It was one thing to be forgotten by her parents, to be second best to his friends, but it was a whole other thing when after years of ignoring her, her brother feels as if he has some right to screw up her life. 

She stormed forward, vision red, and pushed her brother so hard in the chest he stumbled back.

"How DARE you?!" Eve yelled, pushing him again and again. "How dare you- How dare you even think you can go around controlling my life!"

"Woah, woah, woah," James said, trying to catch Eve's wrists as she went to push him again. "Lyn, Lyn-"

"You can't do this!" Eve was shouting now, and she knew she had the entire Halls' gaze on her, but she couldn't stop the overwhelming anger. "You can't do this James, God! You can't pick and choose who I am, what I do-"

"Lyn," he said, almost sternly, "Okay, I know what this is about, but Lyn, really, you're just - you're my sister, and you're great, and-"

"Who I am is not yours to call great, James Potter!" Eve shouted, feeling her eyes begin to prick with tears. "I don't even know you anymore!"

And before she could burst into tears, she grabbed a jug of orange juice and tipped it upside down over her brother's head. He froze, blinking, as his pulp slid down his face, the sticky drink sinking into his robes and hair. 

The Hall began to erupt in laughter, but Eve did not turn back as she walked out of the room, teacher's and student's alike shocked looks on her back at the normally well behaved student. 

A pair of silver grey eyes watched her curiously, sympathetically, from the Slytherin table.