𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 | 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

Surprises Kill

author's note: attached above is a little atmosphere-setter i thought you'd enjoy :) adoration and fortune cookies to whoever uses their finite time on planet earth to read my words.

October 3, 1992 - a continuation

Elodie could feel the tears already blurring her vision as she ran to the dungeons. Her feet were seemingly taking her there of their own accord- her mind was too busy occupying a million different places at once. She flew the door to his office open and saw his head fly up from the essays he was grading.

"Miss Florence-" He paused, noticing the obvious derangement across her face. He knew, he had probably known the second she stepped into the room.

"When were you going to tell me?" She seethed.

"I-"

"Were you going to wait until I turn 17, and I'm not your problem anymore? Or better yet, never tell me at all?" The hurt was plastered in her eyes. "I searched for you for years. Every day of my childhood was spent wondering why my father didn't love me enough-love my mother enough-to stay."

"Your mother was a mistake, Elodie. So were you." He spat. His words stung, but not as much as he probably intended them to. Her mother had spent 11 years reminding her she was a mistake.

"Just because you make a mistake doesn't mean you can walk away from it forever. Especially not when that mistake is a person." She willed her tears not to run down her cheeks.

"You don't need me, Elodie. I would have made a terrible father." Was that regret she saw in his eyes?

"Well, you're right about that." She said finally, and the room was engulfed in a tense silence. Elodie broke it. "S-so now what? You go back to your precious little life, and I still don't have a father?"

"I was never your father, Elodie."

"Well no shit." She said through gritted teeth.

Don't use that language with me." He snapped.

"Whatever, dad." Elodie hissed the last word as if it was an insult, and tears were replaced with a burning hatred.

"Don't call me that." Snape said quietly.

"Yes, father dearest."

She wanted him to seethe. She wanted him to feel the anger that was 14 years lost.

"Elodie, I swear-" Snape's fists were clenched and he looked like he was trying very not to curse her.

"You swear what?! You swear you'll make the rest of my life hell? News check, you've already been doing that." Elodie shouted.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get. Out."

"My pleasure." She fumed, slamming the door loudly behind her. The tears that she had been holding back finally fell, and they stung her face as she ran down the darkened hallway. Elodie wasn't looking where she was going when a familiar voice called out for her.

"Oi! Mudblood! What the hell are you doing in the Slytherin dungeons?" She whipped her head around to see Draco Malfoy casually leaning on a railing, flipping through the pages of a book.

"Mind your business, Malfoy." She sniffed.

"Awh, is the baby mudblood crying?" He mocked.

"I swear to Godric, I will hex you in your sleep." She narrowed her eyes, taking a step towards him.

"Swear to your little founder all you want, you wouldn't dare." He smirked.

"You're right." Elodie nodded seriously. "I wouldn't." Draco turned, satisfied.

"Petrificus totalus!" Elodie muttered, and Draco's body stiffened like a board, falling backwards down the staircase.

"I said I wouldn't hex you in your sleep." She said slyly. His eyes were glued open in fear, and she gave him a small wave before turning on her heel.

Her momentary gratification from hexing Malfoy vanished as she wandered the abandoned halls of the castle, and was replaced by heartache. Snape was her father. She never wanted to look in a mirror again. She never wanted to look at her black waves or her pale skin and know that is was his.

She hopped over an open archway, letting the cool night air waft over her face. All she wanted to do was be alone. People were too full of surprises. And surprises kill.

Elodie stumbled down the grassy hill, feeling like she had swallowed a giant boulder.

"Hello." She said stupidly, talking to the willow that towered high above her. "Please don't hit me." She crouched at its base, crying, almost waiting for the branches to reach out and smack her in the face.

To her amazement, no blows came from the tree. Rather, it took one of its smallest branches and caressed her cheek. Elodie was, at this point, quite used to magical objects and their curveballs, but she wasn't sure if it annoyed or comforted her that the Whomping Willow had some up it's sleeve.

"Consistency would be nice." She told the tree, and it made a sort of shrugging motion. She smiled softly at it, and leaned her head against its base.

"Elodie?" A voice came from what seemed like a universe away. She barely even moved her head. Go away.

"Els, what are you doing?" It must've been Fred. His voice was just half an octave lower than George's, and it always sounded ready to make a joke.

"Nothing! Just... reading." She invented, feeling like an idiot. There wasn't a book in sight. She quickly made to wipe the tears off her face before Fred could come into clear view.

He gave her an exasperated sigh. "Really, Els. I can tell when something's wrong."

"Um, I was just in detention." She sniffed.

"I know. What happened?" He inquired. She let out a stifled sob.

"I was sorting through the old files in Dumbledore's office. I wanted a look at mine, obviously, b-but the names of students' parents are on the form." She explained.

"You didn't... find out who your father was?" His eyes were as wide as the moon.

"Y-yes." She sobbed. He quickly crouched down to put his arms around her.

"Who-"

"George a-always said our hair looked alike." She hiccuped.

"Not- not Snape?" His jaw dropped.

She nodded, turning around so she could rest her head on his chest. "He doesn't love me. Now I have no one. No one that loves me. I always held out hope that my father would show up one day, and at the very least, he would love me."

"P-people do love you." Fred stuttered.

"No, people like me. Theres a difference." She shook her head, tears burning her eyelids.

"I- me and George love you, I mean." He offered.

Elodie collapsed into his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck. The Whomping Willow lightly stroked her hair. Fred held her closely, pressing his face into her neck. He closed his eyes, breathing her in. Elodie's tears ran down his shirt.

"Y-you promise?" She sniffed.

"I promise."

From that day on, things changed between Fred and Elodie. Things that they both tried their absolute hardest to ignore.