Clover Hawkings and the Triwizard Tournament

18. Cass Remembers Something Important

This chapter is written from the POV of Clover's aunt, Cass, whom we last heard about in chapter six. 

I put a Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby, up there because of it relates to her character, but, more importantly, to prove there is a Beatles song for every occasion. 

High on a pile of laundry, the Weasley's clock oversaw the kitchen. It had nine golden hands, one for each Weasley, pointed to various places- Molly's was home, Arthur, Percy, Bill, and Charlie's were all at work, and the rest of them were school. Stacked against it was a smaller clock, with only two hands. Part of the clock was covered up by a piece of paper magicked onto it, but on the other half, Harry's hand flicked from school to danger to school.

Molly paused, staring at it, sighed, and then tore her eyes off it and handed me a cup of tea.

"Thanks." I love tea, although the painful memories that came attached to the warm drink were...less than warm.

"Not a problem, dear," Molly wraps a knitted shawl around her neck and sits across the bar from me. 

I look back down at the cup and think of all the times that I've cried over it. I pray this time won't be the next.

"So?" Molly prompted. "What brings you here?"

"Well, um.." The loneliness. It was creeping in again. The feeling of cold-no, just a lack of warmth. It's bare feet on tile, fluorescent lights late at night, kicking all the covers off when you can't sleep. Clover did that for years. It's because of her I feel this- because of this big, fat mess of lies life has ensnared us in. Humans will love and because of that, the world is doomed. We will do anything for our children, our spouses, for their warmth. Maybe it's not the warmth- we just don't want to be lonely. 

I look up. "He's coming back."

Molly's face tenses. "I know," she whispers in a hushed voice.

He took away my sister. My husband. My niece- well, her innocence, at least.  I can avenge all of them- at a price. One I might not be able to pay.

"It's-it's just," I struggle to word this as carefully as I should. "My efforts to stop him from coming back will...hurt my niece."

Molly pats my hand sympathetically. "Dear, how do you fathom that?"

"I.."

Seeing this as a victory, my old friend pushes forward. "We don't know that he's coming back this year. When he does, it will be hard to talk to her about it, yes. Especially since Clover is, well.." I stare at her, hoping it makes her uncomfortable. That's a line one doesn't cross. "Well, anyway. I'm sure all our children are very busy with the Triwizard Tournament, even if the planning was lacking. I just can't believe Dumbledore let Harry compete! I mean, he's just a boy!"

"So true," I say, trying to disguise the flatness in my voice. I should probably talk to Clover about her mother. I mean, her sacrifice was important. Is important. Even if she doesn't take it well, and I lose the only person I love. Well, if You-Know-Who does come back, I'll lose her anyway. But I can't bear to think about that way of losing her.

"-I mean, I thought they had good safety measures this year! Sure, Karkaroff has always been a little bit...well, you know, Death Eater-"

What she said just registered in my mind, and I spew tea all over the table. Sputtering and red, I choked out: "Karkaroff?"

"Yes?" Molly gave a wave of her wand and the tea I spat over the table disappeared.

"Karkaroff is at Hogwarts."

"Yes, now I told Dumbledore when he was over here before the start of the term he needed to keep an eye on him. Which he already knows, of course, the man is brilliant-"

Karkaroff. A Death Eater. (Changed, my ass) A Death Eater that certainly worked with Charlie. Charlie and her husband Victor and...Clover. Clover has seen this man, a Death Eater.

Oh. My.

I had broken a promise. I had let a terrible secret slip, if not from my own lips, from Clover's questioning mind.

Clover had nightmares for months, but eventually, they went away...

Until that day in October when Clover's friend reported Clover having nightmares.

I had known I would have to tell this secret, someday.

I just never thought it would be when Clover already knew some of it. That girl, one of temper and autumn leaves, of solitude and mischief- she knows no lines, and this is no exception.

Telling her would be hard, but this is messy. Who did she tell? Who's noticed? What conclusions has she drawn? I of all people know that once Clover has drawn a conclusion, there is little drawing it back.

If she figures it out...she'll be in terrible danger. More than she was before. They will know that she knows, and despite her many smarts, negotiation isn't a strong point. Then again, hexes are, so who knows.

"I gotta go," I tell Molly, hurriedly gathering my things.

"Oh-okay. Are you quite alright?"

I paused at the door. "Thank you for the tea, Molly. And it's not me I'm worried about."

I burst out of the house, running through the frost-coated grass- once I've reached the Apparition point, I raise my wand, and with a faint pop, dive into the rocky, uncertain future.