╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗
❝ too mean to the world ❞
╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

𝓔𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10th 1977

"Angel, can you please explain to me why my parents are talking about you having some kind of infestation of strays at Malfoy Manor over the summer?" Evan speaks up as we sit on the steps leading from the whomping willow to the school.

"Oh, that's just me" I shrug.

"What have you done this time?" He chuckles.

"My father said I was ungrateful. That I should be kissing his boots for all he's done for me" I explain "So I ate the boots. And clawed up every other pair I could find. The house is also covered in cat hair, and no one can figure out where it's coming from"

"Father is losing the plot" I add with a proud grin "It's brilliant"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're having fun" Evan smiles positively while Mallory sniggers, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"When is your brother's wedding?" Pandora asks me curiously.

"Thursday" Evan answers.

"I forget that you're related to the bride" Mallory points out.

"Love, we're probably all related" I counter, the raven haired girl and the blonde making a disgusted face while Evan and I laugh.

Before my friends and I can continue our conversation, I see Remus headed right for us.

"Hey, Remus" I chirp happily.

"Don't 'Hey, Remus' me, you manipulative liar!" Remus spits and my eyes widen at his harsh comment.

"What's going on?" I ask, standing up.

"You bet on me. The only reason you spoke to me was because of a stupid bet!" Remus retorts.

"Rem, no" I frown worriedly "It's not like that"

"Save it, Evangeline! Crouch told me everything" He declares.

"Please let me explain" I plead, grabbing his arm.

"Don't fucking touch me!" He growls, pulling out of my grip and I stumble, Evan catching me.

"Watch it, pal!" Evan warns the Lupin boy.

"What happened, Moony?" Sirius asks, appearing with James and Peter.

"You were right, Padfoot. She's just a snake" Remus says and the trio look at him, wide eyed at his venomous tone.

"What are you talking about, mate?" James questions, glancing at me as tears fill my eyes.

"She bet on me. It was all a game to her" Remus tells the boys who look at me in disgust.

"It wasn't a game to me" I cry out as Remus storms off "Remus, please!"

"How could you do that to him?" Sirius asks me in disbelief.

"It was just a stupid mistake. I didn't mean to hurt him, Siri. I swear" I sob.

"Moony trusted you!" James yells at me in anger.

"I know! I'm sorry, okay?" I yell back, tears streaming down my face.

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Sirius screams in my face and my lower lip wobbles as I cry.

"Get out of her face!" Regulus barks, storming towards us.

"Stay away from Remus" Sirius warns me before walking away with James and Peter in tow.

"What the name of Salazar Slytherin happened here?" Regulus demands in concern.

"Reggie, I messed up" I choke out.

"Barty told Remus about the bet" Evan explains to the younger Black brother.

Regulus tries to pull me into a hug but I shake my head and storm off, my sadness bubbling into rage.

"Hey, don't do something you're going to regret!" Mallory hollers, chasing after me.

"Not without me!" Evan adds.

I find Barty sat in the Slytherin common room with a smug smirk on his face, Amycus sat on the sofa diagonally to where he's sat in an armchair.

"How's your halfblood boyfriend?" Amycus asks sarcastically.

"You are a dead man walking, Crouch!" I spit in anger.

Before I can pull out my wand to hex the smug boys, Regulus snatches it out of my hand and gives me a warning look.

"Don't be foolish, Evangeline" He mutters under his breath.

"He has ruined everything for me!" I argue.

"Please" Barty scoffs loudly "I did you a favour"

"A favour?!" I shriek, lunging at him and Evan grabs my arms, pulling me back.

"It's not as if you could ever be with Loopy Lupin. I mean, he's not pure blooded nor a Slytherin. Your parents were never going to let that slide, Angel" Barty explains himself.

"Then it's my problem to deal with, Barty, not yours! We are not fucking friends and I don't want your twisted favours, you psycho!" I scream at him, completely ignoring the hurt clear on his face for a split second.

"I was just trying to help. You were getting too attached" Barty defends himself, glancing at Regulus who refuses to look at him.

"I suggest you sleep with one eye open, Crouch" I warn him.

"Are you threatening me, Malfoy?" He sneers in disbelief.

"I'm warning you" I correct "Stay out of my way"

I give the him and the Carrow boy one last glare before turning to my friends.

"I need some space for a little while" I declare and they all nod in understanding.

"Be safe" Mallory pleads.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As I'm sat under an oak tree by the black lake, my knees pulled to my chest as I watch the water, someone sits down next to me. I turn my head slightly and my eyes widen in shock at the sight of Lily Evans' red hair.

"Are you lost?" I ask in confusion.

"No" Lily smiles kindly "You look like you could do with a little company"

"Why do you care?" I scoff, picking at the grass with a frown.

"I don't know" Lily shrugs.

There is silence for a while which I appreciate wholeheartedly and I find myself not exactly hating Lily's company. Lily annoyingly radiates a calm and welcoming energy that you just can't help but slip into, feeling completely relaxed and almost at home.

"Lily?" I mumble quietly and the redhead looks at me.

"Yes?" The green eyed girl smiles.

"I'm sorry for bullying you" I apologise.

"It's okay" Lily waves me off.

"No, it's not" I argue, shaking my head "I'm so nasty to you all the time and you're never anything but kind in return. I call you a filthy mudblood and you sit with me because I look lonely. That's not fair"

"I forgive you" Lily assures me with a warm smile.

"You're too nice" I tell her.

"Everyone deserves a second chance" Lily states.

"Not everyone" I counter.

"Well, you do" Lily replies and I smile.

"Thank you, Lily" I hum and Lily smiles, shrugging nonchalantly.

"You know, you're too mean to the world" She tells me.

"The world has been mean to me" I reply simply.

"The world has been mean to us all" She retorts "You just gotta suck it up sometimes"

"That's easy for you to say" I grumble, picking a flower from the grass.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lily questions curiously.

"It is supposed to mean that what you class as mean is definitely nothing compared to what I have to suck up on the daily" I elaborate vaguely.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks me with a warm reassuring smile.

"Wow" I chuckle.

"What?" She frowns in confusion.

"The reply I was expecting went more along the lines of 'Oh boohoo, the pureblood has issues. Don't we all?'" I explain with a snort and Lily's frown deepens.

"Being a pureblood doesn't prevent bad things from happening to you and although everyone has issues in their lives, that shouldn't be a sentence used to dismiss your feelings" Lily declares and I look at the redhead in awe.

"I think I'm in love with you, Lilypad" I announce dramatically and she giggles, shaking her head at me "Seriously, Potter has some competition"

"Speaking of James...He told me what happened with Remus" She admits.

"And you're still speaking to me?" I ask in surprise.

"They didn't let you explain yourself" She replies.

"No, they didn't" I sigh, laying my chin on my knees "Not that I think it would make much difference. They all hate me now"

"Why did you do it, Angel?" Lily questions, sounding like a disappointed mother.

"Because I've been hopelessly pining over Remus since first year and I was never allowed to talk to him outside of school work because of who I am, because of my halfblood and muggleborn hating family" I explain to the Evans girl "So when Barty proposed a bet that gave me an excuse to talk to Remus whenever I wanted without the Slytherins on my back, I jumped at that chance"

"I know it's shitty of me, but I wanted him...even if it was just for a moment" I add, my eyes tearing up "It's a moment I'll never forget"

"I understand" Lily assures me, taking my hand in one of hers and stroking my hair with her free hand "I've got your back"

I lean my head against her own and tears roll down my cheeks as I squeeze her hand, smiling weakly at the warm feeling of home that emits from Lily Evans as she holds me in her arms.

"Thank you, Lilypad" I murmur.