Chapter Sixty One: Minister For Magic
Through the rest of September Lina became extremely jittery, the Minister For Magic had yet to turn up and the more time that passed the worse Lina felt. She would tell herself she was being silly, that there was nothing to worry about, she wasn't in any trouble but the truth was she just wanted it over and dove with.
"Miss Black" Lina jolted out of her thoughts and looked apologetically at Remus "are you with us?" Lina nodded sheepishly "then I'll continue. De-" Remus was interrupted by a hard knock on the door. "Yes?"
The whole class looked behind them to see who was entering. It was Cedric.
"What can I for you Mr Diggory?" Remus asked.
"I've been asked to get Eve, Lina Sir" the class all turned to Lina.
"Of course, Miss Black" Remus gestured to her.
Lina packed away her things and followed Cedric back out the class "where are we going Ced?"
Cedric kept looking straight ahead as he answered "headmasters office" Lina gulped. Cedric took a quick look around the corridor and when determined they were alone dragged Lina into an empty classroom "What'd you do?" He asked.
"Nothing," Lina said almost offended "but I have an idea as to what this could be about."
"Your dad?"
"Isn't everything. I don't think I can do this."
Cedric comfortingly hugged Lina "it'll be alright Eve."
"Can you go in with me?"
"Unfortunately not, but I'll be here after all right."
Lina nodded, they left the classroom heading for the headmaster's office, Professor McGonagall was waiting for her "follow me Miss Lina" the office entrance was already open so all they had to do was go up the moving stone steps, McGonagall didn't need to knock as they got to the door.
The Minister For Magic was someone Lina had only ever seen in the paper, Remus had mentioned him once or twice and of course Mr Weasley but she had never given him much thought. That was until she was sat in front of him with no other choice but to think about him. Lina cast a glance to the right where both McGonagall and Dumbledore was sat.
"Miss Black," Cornelius Fudge said drawing the attention back to him "sorry to pull you out of lesson like this but I need to ask you a few questions."
Lina folded her hands together "about my dad" it wasn't a question.
"Well yes," fudge leaned forward slightly, his hands resting in the table.
"What'd you want to know? If I've been hiding him, well you caught me, best you go check under my bed."
"Now Miss Black, the ministry is just ensuring we leave no stone unturned your father is an-"
"An extremely dangerous person, yeah I know considering that's the only thing I get told about him."
"Miss Lina" Professor McGonagall said, "the sooner you answer the Ministers questions, the sooner you can go."
Lina sighed, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin. "What'd you want to know?"
"Has your father tried to contact you in any way?"
"No."
"Do you know where he may be hiding?"
"No" Lina was ready to snap, one more question she clearly wouldn't know the answer to and she would.
"Do you have any idea why your father may have chosen now to escape?"
"No, and I'm going to save you some trouble Minister by saying that every question you ask me the answer will most likely be no."
"Miss Black I understand-"
That was it. "No, you don't! How could you possibly understand how I'm feeling, what I'm going through. You don't know what it's like to have the whole school look at you like a criminal or to be scared of you, I have done nothing. I never knew my dad, I don't know where he is, I don't know why he broke out and I don't know why he picked now to do so, am I done here?"
Fudge looked to a shocked McGonagall and a placid Dumbledore who both nodded. Lina stood and was about to leave when she remembered Andromeda's and Remus's conversation. "He may be mad but Merlin did he love Marlene, the way he looked at her. Her death destroyed him."
She turned back, fury in her eyes "one last thing Minister if my dad was such a bad person, such a good death eater then why do you conveniently forget that my mum was murdered by them because he loved her, you might not believe me but he did" off to the side Professor McGonagall gave a small nod of agreement "why would he help the people that killed the love of his life, doesn't make sense to me. Good day Minister."
Lina ran out the office and out the castle, the stone walls that usually felt comforting suddenly became the most suffocating thing imaginable. Lina stopped at the black lake and let everything go. She screamed, a wild noise that could rival a banshee, she threw her hands out before her, her magic surging out creating a wind torrent, the still lake was no more waves crashed against the shore spraying Lina with water.
When she was done she fell to her knees panting heavily, the waves still lapped against the shore but were much smaller now. Lina wasn't sure if it was the quiet of the lake or all her emotions finally catching up to her but she began to cry, a heart-wrenching cry that formed from deep within her.
"Eve!" Cedric shouted his voice off in the direction of the castle.
Lina started to cry more, of course out of everyone to find her it had to be Cedric.
"Eve!" Cedric yelled again, he was closer this time.
Lina wanted to tell him to go away but she couldn't get any words out between choked sobs.
"Eve!"
Lina still not able to speak turned around and saw Cedric striding to where Lina was but then out the corner of her she saw something, she turned her head to the forbidden forest, a dog, a big black dog exactly like the one she had seen during summer. Lina couldn't break eye contact with the dog, the eyes they seemed so familiar like something from a dream without realising it she had calmed down enough so that her violent sobs were gone and replaced with small hiccups.
"Eve."
Cedric was closer now, she blinked and when her eyes opened the dog was gone. Lina picked herself up and as she walked over to Cedric, Lina realised they'd only been back a month and she had already disappeared on Cedric twice.
Cedric upon seeing Lina ran to her and hugged her "you're soaking wet and you've been crying" he said his hands on her cheeks gently rubbing them with his thumbs.
"Yeah" Lina replied holding onto his wrist.
"Professor Lupin has been looking for you, Danny and Lucy too."
"I'm sorry for making everyone worry. I'll go find Remus when schools finished. But for now, I think I'm going to go have a nap, my head hurts and I'm exhausted."
Cedric walked Lina to the common room, he asked her about the meeting and Lina explained not going too in-depth, she was too tired for that. She had a quick shower and changed into her pyjamas when she re-entered the bedroom Cedric was sitting patiently on her bed.
"You know," she said "being questioned like a criminal is great and all but it really wasn't on my to-do list for this year" she laid down on the bed her arms spreading out like she was trying to make a snow angel.
"Saving it for next year?" Cedric asked as he laid the bed covers over her.
"Yeah." When Lina looked comfortable enough Cedric went to leave but Lina caught his arm. "Stay. Please."
Cedric crumbled under Lina's look, she wasn't herself Cedric had never seen her look so fed up with the world "move up then" he took his robe and shoes off and laid down next to Lina who cuddled into his side, her arm resting on his stomach.
They laid in a bliss silence for half-hour and just when Cedric thought Lina had fallen asleep she spoke: "ced, I've been thinking maybe it'll be best if I give up my spot on the quidditch team."
"Best for who," Cedric asked shocked.
"Everyone."
"No one" he corrected "Eve your the best Merlin damn chaser in the school. No, I'm captain and I refuse to lose you, lose my co-captain."
"You sure? I don't want to be a problem."
"Your anything but a problem" Lina let out a great big yawn "sleep eve."
"Will you be here when I wake up."
Cedric knew he best head back to lesson but he couldn't "always."