dancing in the shadows (R.A.B)

broken mirrors

"Don't call me that," Eve scowled. 

"Regulus calls you that," Barry scowled right back, now trying desperately to wipe his sticky hands onto the table. 

Eve flushed. "I just want to go check on Andi, that's all," she insisted primly, getting up and smoothing down the front of her skirt. "This has nothing to do with Narcissa or Regulus."

That was a lie, and they all knew it. Eve felt like there were pieces of herself missing without her two friends, and they hadn't even been gone for long. Narcissa, Regulus, and Bellatrix had all been called back to their manors for three days, excused and everything. A few others had disappeared too, including Colton and one of Eve's old Ravenclaw roommates. No one knew why - or if they did, they certainly weren't telling Eve. 

Andromeda was the only Black relative staying - apart from Sirius, but no one really counted him anymore - and Eve was still confused on why. Andi and Bella were practically attached at the hip, and it was incredibly strange to see one without the other. 

Still, Eve missed her friends, and they had only left a day ago. Not to say she didn't love the ones that were still at the school, but, well - Lucius and Rodolphus whispered about who knows what all hours of the day, and Barry and Rabastan were so hopelessly infatuated with each other it made Eve hurt from their obliviousness. 

So. Andromeda. 

Eve knew where she would go, and she hurried to get there; Moaning Myrtle's flooded bathroom, an area where Eve knew Andromeda went to escape, as no one wanted to get into a conversation with a chatter-box like Myrtle, or get themselves soaking wet in bathrooms that took multiple times to flush.

The door creaked when it opened, hinges rusted through and squeaking. "Andromeda?" Eve called, voice echoing. "Andi, are you in here?"

Eve fell silent, and for a second the whole bathroom was silent too. Then it was full of resonating sound again, retching noises coming from the stall farthest from the door. 

Eve winced but walked forward, dropping her bag onto a rare piece of dry ground before pushing open the stall door. 

Andromeda was knelt on the tile, head over the toilet and hands gripped hard onto the sides. Her hair was falling forward, and Eve rushed to grab the locks and pull them away from her mouth, holding it back. The curls threatened to slip out of her hands, and Eve hurriedly pulled her own hair out of its ponytail and used the hair tie to pull Andromeda's hair into a sloppy bun at the base of her neck. 

"I'm fine," Andromeda said when she finally stopped, and then promptly leaned back over, almost choking as she threw up again. Eve rubbed her back in what she hoped was a reassuring way, and waited for a long five minutes until she stopped. 

"I'm fine," Andromeda said again, almost shoving Eve away as she stood abruptly. Eve stumbled back, almost slipping on the wet floor, but managed to catch herself on the stall door before she could fall. Andi stormed by, shoes clacking as she stood in front of one of the mirrors, setting her hands down onto the sides of the sink. 

Eve stood behind her warily. She had never seen Andromeda so angry before; the closest she could think of was when Eve had performed the protection ritual on Narcissa, and Andromeda had glared at her for five days before finally telling her to never do anything like that ever again. 

"How are you so okay, Evelyn?" Andromeda asked, her quiet voice amplified tenfold in the quiet bathroom. 

Eve hesitated, "I don't understand."

"Your family doesn't give a shit about you," Andromeda said, cold and unforgiving. "Your brother still thinks that you are a child. Your friends left you at the earliest opportunity that they could, and the group you're in now hides secrets like it's a fun little game."