Closed Lakeside Revelations PV Edme Achillian

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It was times like the last few weeks of school that reminded Edme why summer break existed. Whether it was cramming for the end of the year or separating important tasks from the more trivial ones, there was very little time for rest. The school had begun to work in an almost mechanical way, like gears turning inside a clock. There was a system to everything you did, no matter how small. The young Ravenclaw had grown quite tired of it.

Edme had woken up that morning with a pounding headache and knots in her stomach. She had managed to relieve the pain only slightly through excessive amounts of water and breathing strategies, but it wasn’t uncommon for these symptoms to start appearing that close to the first night.

She had made the arbitrary decision on her way out of breakfast to take a small walk, perhaps to soothe her nerves about the encroaching moon or to get some fresh air before she practically suffocated. She was well aware of the mess she presented as on her way out, and became even more aware of it when she crossed paths with Avery, who was headed in the same direction. Of course Edme couldn’t say no to spending some time with the other.

As the two continued on through the grounds towards the Great Lake, Edme didn’t spare much thought to the amount of time left until she needed to go the shack. There was a kind of trance to Avery McCall’s features, and the Ravenclaw could never put her finger on it.

“Kinda? It’s crazy!” Edme exclaimed, disregarding her lack of energy with the exasperated response, “I don’t know what I’ll do this summer. We’ll definitely need a plan for staying in touch.” It seemed her accent was much more defined on that particular day.

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Date: 06/04/23 | Time: Morning
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An amused giggle manages to break free at the impassioned exclamation. Avery regards them with a slight tilt to her head, only just managing not to trip over a rock as they continue down the path. It was only a matter of time at this rate. "That it is," she concedes with a hum.

Deciding she'd very much not like to wipe out in front Edme, Avery pivots once more to walk normally. She falls back in step at the Ravenclaw's side, gently bumping their shoulders together in acknowledgment. "Absolutely. Not sure what you'd do without me there to badger you for months." The statement is accompanied by a teasing smirk despite the fact that the sentiment definitely went both ways. "It would, truly, be a dull summer otherwise."

Avery tucks her hands into her pockets, turning her attention out towards the lake. A look of consideration passes over her features, brow furrowed slightly as she mulls the dilemma over. "I have been considering getting an owl. But not sure when that may be if it happens, so. Not entirely helpful at the moment. Will you have a phone?" she questions, turning to look at her companion once more.

Whatever remaining thread of thought almost immediately sputters out as an all too familiar fluttering settles in Avery's chest instead at the sight. The morning sun only served to complement her naturally handsome features and was proving exceedingly distracting. The Hufflepuff flounders for a moment, trying to pick the conversation back up despite losing her train of thought. She looks back to the lake once more, hoping the slight coloring in her cheeks is faint enough to simply be blamed on the sun as well. "Hopefully the weather holds up. Should bode well for tonight if it does." Nailed it. The weather, classic fallback plan as always.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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Edme's worries were easily whisked away as the Hufflepuff carried through the conversation as elegantly as a swan. Although from how the girl stumbled past a misplaced rock, that was about as far as the elegance went. Edme didn't mind, though. She found it quite endearing.

Once the other had finally turned around to come by Edme, there came the childish warmth that the Ravenclaw always felt around her. She couldn't conceal the small smile that arrived whenever she was nudged by the other, so she let her gaze travel to the ground only slightly.

"Oh, I don't know," Edme responded, "The home phone, sure. Now that I'm technically a member of the Anderson family, I don't really know what my perimeters are. I suppose we could still just use the muggle mail system." She shrugged lightly. With the summer being so close, she had been trying to remember some more muggle concepts. Being a half-blood wizard was funny that way. It was so easy to forget that there were other ways of doing things that weren't magical, even if you had lived with them for most of your life.

And then it was silent. Silence had become something Edme dreaded, especially towards the end of her second year. Earlier on it might have made her feel comfortable and relaxed. But now, it made her feel isolated, and quite frankly a bit insane. But silence with Avery was different. Her presence warded off any reaction to quiet that wasn't just the energetic reminder that Edme was with Avery. It was serene, almost.

The question that broke the silence, though, took away the serenity and replaced it with confusion. Edme stopped in her tracks, looking over to Avery for the first time in a few minutes and scrunched her eyebrows. "Tonight?" She asked, wracking her brain on what could possibly be happening on tonight of all nights, aside from the obvious transforming-into-a-werewolf-for-twelve-hours.

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Date: 06/04/23 | Time: Morning
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Avery subconsciously maintained the distance between them as they walked. Or the lack thereof, that is. The Ravenclaw's presence was always accompanied by some inexplicable gravitational pull to remain close. To draw out inevitable farewells. She wasn't quite sure how to explain the pull, but she figured maybe that was alright. Maybe simply basking in the sensation was enough for now.

A moment passes before Avery responds, considering the dilemma. "Well, I'll go ahead and give you both my address and number then. Cover all the bases just in case," she adds, tilting her head just enough to level a small smile Edme's way. The approaching summer brought with it conflicting feelings she'd not been fully prepared for.

Their little Irish farm was such a far cry from life at Hogwarts. As much as she missed her family, it was hard to ignore just how out of place she felt there nowadays. The promise of keeping in touch with her friends, with Edme, over the summer did wonders to ease some of the simmering anxiety that had settled in. The Hufflepuff would gladly cling to any part of her new normal that she could in the time away.

It takes a few steps for it to finally register that Edme is no longer by her side. Avery teeters to a stop, turning to look at her with her own momentary confusion. She meets their gaze and offers a slow, hesitant nod in response to the question. "Yeah, for stargazing tonight." Hands still tucked in her pockets, Avery idly rocks back and forth on her heels in an effort to keep moving in some small way. The subtle flush makes a reappearance. "If you, uh, still wanted to that is. Totally cool if not though!" Despite the attempt to tamp down her own potential disappointment, the reassurance comes out both rushed and timid in equal measures.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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Edme felt a small bit of disappointment in her chest as she realized that she wouldn’t be able to see Avery much over the summer, if at all. Spending time with her had become so regular, the idea of not getting to talk with her every day felt foreign. It was so strange that you could live most of your life without someone and still feel like you’re missing a piece of yourself without them.

But at current time, she was faced with a much bigger problem. Of course she remembered talking with Avery about stargazing. They had it all planned out, down to the exact time they’d meet. Of course, by that time Edme would already be on her way to the shrieking shack, if not already there.

But now she was met with the conflict. It hadn’t been some sort of unspoken agreement between the two that they had to tell each other everything. There were many things Edme didn’t know about Avery, and she was alright with that. But it was one thing to have secrets, it was another to lie on behalf of them. But what was she supposed to say? ‘Oh no, sorry Avery, I can’t go stargazing because I was actually bit by a rogue werewolf as a child and now I have to go to a shack every full moon to avoid harming those around me. Maybe next time!’ Probably not the best way to put it.

Instead, she said, “I want to, but uh…” She fiddled with her sleeve, trying to find the right words. “I can’t. At least, not for the next three or so days.”

In all honesty, she had only admitted her lycanthropy to a few other people at Hogwarts, most of whom were werewolves themselves. It didn’t come up very often in conversation, and it wasn’t like she was very proud of it, so she preferred to just keep it quiet. She wanted to say more, but decided it was best just to let Avery respond first.

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Date: 06/04/23 | Time: Morning
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Avery can't quite withhold the slight slump of her shoulders at the news. The nighttime rendezvous was one of the few highlights of the week that she'd been wholeheartedly looking forward to. But the clear reluctance written across Edme's own features did wonders to soften the blow into nothing more than a momentary wisp of disappointment. Their admission is met with a small, wistful smile as the Hufflepuff tilts her head in quiet contemplation.

"Well I'll certainly miss you, but it's not a problem. We could always try for another night if you'd like," she offers quietly, taking note of the apparent nerves of her companion upon catching sight of them fiddling with their shirtsleeve. She slowly leans across the gap between them just enough to lightly jostle Edme's shoulder with her own in quiet acknowledgement, pairing the gesture with a softened smile. It was still strange how used to someone's presence you could become in just a few short months.

Avery peers at her thoughtfully for a moment longer, maintaining her place at their side and silently soaking up the additional warmth their proximity provided. "Is everything, like, actually okay though?" The solemn question is followed by a brief pause as the query brings about its own onslaught of possibilities.

Avery couldn't help the small prickle of worry that there was something wrong that was more than a momentary avoidance of the stars. She considers the thought a moment longer before a question suddenly occurs. "You didn't land yourself in detention, did you? Cause if so, I'm offended I didn't get invited to partake in whatever these rule breaking activities were." An amused smirk accompanies the joke as she attempts to bring at least some levity back to the conversation and help dispel at least some of the budding anxiety.

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𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Edme Achillian
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Edme could clearly see that Avery was disheartened by the news, and it killed the Ravenclaw to have to cancel on her at such short notice. She should have checked the moon schedule when she got the chance, but with her load of homework and classes and end of the year activities, she hadn’t found the time. Still, she nodded vigorously, replying, “Yes, definitely. I’m sure we’ll have an open day before school ends.”

It should have been easy for Edme to tell the other girl, whom she trusted so very much, that she was a werewolf. It wasn’t like admitting to a crime, there was no guilt in something she couldn’t control. But still, a piece of her worried that the revelation would be too much for Avery to handle, and she’d break it off right then and there. Not that she would, just that she could.

At the initial question, Edme swiftly responded, “Yes. Of course. I’m mostly fine.” She continued to hint at what she was leading up to, but she of course had to be aware that this wasn’t a guessing game. It was only a matter of time before she had to tell someone, anyways.

The joke gave Edme a light chuckle, but still it was edged with nerves. Merlin, why did it have to be so hard? “No, no, nothing like that. Definitely not that.” She hadn’t gotten a single detention in her time at Hogwarts, and she intended to keep it that way, at least until maybe 6th year. But no, certainly no rule breaking until then.

She then had to make a decision: lie to the best person in her life or admit that once a month she turned into a bloodthirsty animal to the best person in her life. The answer was quite obvious, but still it sent chills down her spine.

With a deep breath, she said slowly, “Okay, I have something to tell you, and you must promise not to freak out.” She stepped closer to Avery, so that she could read her expression as she spoke. “The reason why I can’t come stargazing with you is not because I’m in trouble. It’s because I’m…” she grunted in frustration, finally spitting out with a little more energy than needed, “I’m a werewolf!”

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