Chapter Text
The smell of burning filled her nostrils as she breathed. A sentimental cry formed in her throat, she felt useless, it was all a failure.
“A fate worse than death.” She whimpered. Ted Tonks put a hand on her shoulder, “They’re just burnt muffins, Ness.”
“I know…” She sighed, “but just look at them!” she insisted, pushing the tray of burnt pastries in her uncles face. “I wanted them to come out alright.” She frowned.
Andromeda Tonks tutted from the other side of the kitchen. “It was a nice try, but you should have put on a timer like I told you.” Arcane scowled at the tray of unburnt muffins Andromeda had made, then scowled even harder at the ruined ones in her hands. “What should I do with them now?”
“Just leave them atop the stove love, I’ll figure something to do with them.” Andromeda told her. Arcane frowned and dropped the tray where her aunt had told her.
“You planning on going out today, Ness?” Ted asked as he sat down at the kitchen table. “It’s been a week or so. Sure your muggle friends would like to see you.”
Arcane sighed. She had stayed home since arriving, expecting her father to arrive any day, scratching at the door. “Maybe tomorrow.” She said busying herself by pouring a cup of tea. “I don’t-”
“If your father happens to come I doubt he will leave before seeing you.” Andromeda said swiftly. “He is on Dumbledore’s orders now, he’ll come back once he is available and I will not permit you to lock yourself up until then.” She gave Arcane a stern look. “Now please, change clothes and go see your friends. Your uncle Ted has gone through the trouble of getting you a bicycle,” Andromeda paused, “You do know how to ride one, correct?” Arcane nodded.
“Good. Now go on.” Andromeda insisted, giving her a tight smile. Arcane turned to her uncle with a pleading look, to which he responded by shaking his head.
“I agree with Dromeda, you need to stop trying to lock yourself in here,” He paused to take a muffin Andromeda handed to him and thanked her quickly. “I heard your mates are down working by the Quay. Not real far, bet you’ll find them right quick.”
Arcane let out a groan. “Fine.”
“Dumbledore’s orders,” she scoffed to herself. Was it so bad she was worried? After all, the last time her father had received Dumbledore’s orders he had ended up in prison on false accusations.
She made it to the Quay quick enough, though only after nearly kissing the dirt a few times. It had been years since she last rode a bicycle, though she remembered how to after a few tries. She rode her bicycle down high street, she did not know if she was not supposed to ride it on the sidewalk, though having that nobody stopped her, she continued. Passing the similar looking High street houses, the Greyhound, and nearly crashing into a parked car on Anchor’s hill. She decided to walk her bicycle after that… The Quay was not an impressive port. Once Arcane saw it, she felt foolish for expecting it to be, Wivenhoe was a river fishing town after all, most of the town cute and charming in the hot weather, though the Quay was muggy and smelled of slightly of Boston public restroom. Arcane wrinkled her nose slightly. When Ozzy had told her he would be working on the Quay, she expected cargo ships, however, the Quay was mostly docked with skiffs, deck boats, a few row boats, a power cat here and there and one shiny cruiser that Arcane recognized as a Sea Ray. That only being because a very grumpy old man that had lived in the same trailer park as Arcane had owned one and hated if the children went near it. There were few people actually working on the boats, though an elder man with who seemed to be his grandchildren did seem to be having a fun time painting his row boat. Looking around, Arcane realized she had no idea which boat Ozzy happened to work on. She stopped at the cruiser, planning to ask the man who was hauling a large ice chest off of the boat.
“Excuse me,” Arcane called out to the man as she walked up. “Could you point me towards the Croft’s boat?” The young man glanced at her, then stilled, setting the ice chest down as he continued to stare at her. “Arcane?” He asked.
Arcane stilled. “yeah…”
“Blimey! You’re looking well!” The young man smiled, taking off his hat.
“Finley?!” Arcane asked in surprise, propping the kick stand of her bicycle.
“Didn’t recognize me, did you?” He grinned at her as she gave him a quick hug.
“Not with all that meat on your bones!” Arcane laughed, squeezing his arm. She still remembered the first time she had seen Finely, thin and lanky, helping his family at the post office. His head had been shaved and he had ported braces, he still ported those, however, now his head was now full of hair, equally auburn as his sisters had been. And as of his figure, he was still a bit thin, though he was not lanky, he was firm and honestly, quite red. “You look so different!” She told him.
“Oh speak for yourself,” Finley blushed. “You just getting back?” Arcane opened her mouth to reply, however Finley interrupted her.
“Oi wait!” He said quickly, “He’ll be skippy to see you.” Finley laughed as he walked to the side of the boat and patted it loudly. “Oi Oz!” He called out.
“What?!” Ozzy’s muffled response sounded from inside the boat.
“Come see!” Finley told him. There was a few dragging sounds and a few thuds, though soon after a creaking sound of a cabin door was heard.
“If you dropped the fish chest again, I swear I-” Ozzy halted once he caught site of Arcane. The pointed at her, “You!” Arcane let out a burst of nervous laughter as Ozzy hopped off the boat and rushed towards her. Arcane grinned and opened her arms in welcome as he embraced her “When you get back?!” He asked as he spun her around. “You’re taller!” he continued, setting her down and pushing her back to get a look at her.
“Am I?” Arcane asked, shifting her feet. Ozzy nodded.
“Your hair’s longer as well.”
“Really?” She asked touching her head. “Yours is too.” She mentioned quickly. “Both of yours.” She nodded at Finley. They had both changed so much, especially Ozzy who had always been a bit broad, though now he was toned, along with his hair that had been short and spiky, was now licked back in a cap, the tips sun-bleached, while his skin did indeed port the Californian-style tan he had promised.
“Thought you done well forgotten about us.” Ozzy said taking of his cap and shaking it. “You stopped writing.”
“Me?!” Arcane questioned. “You stopped writing after Christmas!”
“Hold on, you were writing?” Finley interrupted.
Arcane and Ozzy shared a look then let out a small laugh.
“Doesn’t matter,” Arcane waved off, “How are things around here?”
“Ay boys!” A voice called from down the way. “Don’t be leavin’ the fish chest in the sun!” Finley’s father, Bertie Croft bounded towards the boat. “This lot go bad, I’ll be taking its due out of your pa-” His eyes fell upon Arcane, who waved nervously. The man blocked the sun from his face with his hand and squinted in her direction. “You Ted’s lass?”
“I am.” Arcane nodded. Bertie nodded in return.
“He phoned me ‘bout you, said you’d be coming down.” He glanced at the two boys, then back at Arcane. “Let the lads load the chests we ‘ave down below into my truck and I’ll let ‘em off for the day. You can go grab yourselves a bite for lunch.”
“Thank you.” Arcane smiled as the boys ran to hustle the chests.
“So…” Arcane began, grabbing a potato crisp off her plate. “How have things been around here?”
“The usual,” Finley shrugged. “good fishing season though. Dad reckons we may be able to get a new car soon.” Arcane gave an impressed nod. “That’s really good. You guys decide which one yet?”
Finley shook his head. “Folks are seeing to that themselves. Last time dad mentioned money, Gil hounded him on letting her a nose fix.” Finley smirked. “Wasn’t til dad handed her a hammer and told her to do it herself did she finally shut up. Though of course she went to Evie the next day to cry about it.”
“Oh Evie! How she doing?” Arcane asked.
“Doing fine.” Finley nodded, his cheeks pink. Ozzy smirked at him. “Got pulled out of that posh school,” Ozzy mentioned, “Dunno why, but she’s up at school with us now, Gil’s class.”
Arcane wrinkled her nose. “How fun.”
“Oh for her it is,” Ozzy scoffed, “Once Gil got hold of her she had streaks done in her hair, started wearing those miniskirts and had her nails painted fluorescents. Wouldn’t recognize her if you saw her.”
“Really?” Arcane asked in disbelief.
Ozzy nodded. “Gil’s done a right job of making another version of herself.”
“She hasn’t changed that much.” Finley said in a small voice. “Her folks are fightin’ a bit, she’s… distracting herself.”
“What about Matt?” Arcane asked, seeing Finley’s face.
“He’s doing on,” Ozzy mentioned. “Says his old man has been a pain, trying to get him to focus on entering some posh Uni next year.” He finished with a stretch.
“Doesn’t help that Gil’s been foxing him non-stop,” Finley mentioned, “Batting her eyelashes so much I bet he feels a breeze.” He said reaching for his cup.
“I thought she was set on getting a famous boy… After becoming a model, that is.” Arcane mentioned.
Finley laughed into his drink. “Gil’s dream of becoming a model was made dust right after school started.”
“What do you mean?” Arcane asked.
“Mhm,” Grunted Ozzy, who had taken a drink of soda. “it’s because that new girl I told you about. She’s a doll, but has been driving Gil mad.”
“Why?” Arcane asked.
“Well,” Finley shifted in his seat. “she is quite beautiful, looks like one of those girls from my mum’s beauty mags.”
“Had Gillian notice she’s not all that.” Ozzy grinned, twitching an eyebrow. Arcane smirked.
“I would say I feel bad to her, but I honestly don’t.”
“Don’t expect you to, she was right foul with you all last summer.” Ozzy mentioned.
“Well Gil’s fowl with every pretty girl.” Finley added, blushing slightly. “But, you know, she’s quite sensitive herself… Took mum months to get Gil to eat correctly after someone told her something, had to remove the locks from the bathroom and all that.” Finley frowned.
“Not to be a prat Finley, but you think that would change her.” Ozzy scoffed. “But no, she seems to have coughed up the last nice qualities of herself and washed them down the toilet.”
“Easy.” Finley said in a warning voice. Ozzy raised his hands in surrender, then proceeded to take a bite of his sandwich.
“So, did you get to fix your motorbike?” Arcane asked, after a bit, wanting to change the subject.
“Oh b’oody ‘ell!” Ozzy exclaimed, covering his full mouth. “I ‘idn’t tell you!” He held up a finger and began to chew quickly, taking a drink to wash the rest of his food down. “I did,” He said wiping his face, “I did fix it. Almost lost a few fingers doing so, but yeah.”
“That’s great!” Arcane smiled. “Can I see it afterwards?”
Ozzy shook his head, “You can’t.”
Arcane knitted her brow. “Why?”
“Got stolen.” Ozzy said casually. “By my parents.”
“What?” Arcane asked, feeling confused. Ozzy’s parents, to her knowledge were addicts living… somewhere.
“they popped up just before Christmas,” Ozzy explained. “that’s why I didn’t get back to you, things were just so…” Ozzy made a sour face. “Never seen my Nan angry, ever, until my folks were at home.” He dipped one of his chips into some ketchup. “Took months until Nan finally got them to leave.” He said popping the chip into his mouth.
“How she get them out?” Arcane asked curiously.
“Mhm,” Ozzy grunted before swallowing. “She told them if they weren’t gone by morning she’d call the peeler’s.”
“The what?”
“The policemen.” Finley explained. “Oh,” Arcane nodded gratefully.
“Yeah,” Ozzy continued, “Nan told them that, then they disappeared, along with my motorbike.”
“No!” Arcane exclaimed sympathetically.
“It’s true,” Finley nodded. “Ozzy came to my house the next day asking if Matt and I had stolen it again.”
“Again?” Arcane questioned. Finley gave a smug smile.
“He was riding outside sounding his bloody engine every morning. So Matt and I hid it for a week.”
Arcane let out a laugh. “Where you hide it?” Finley smiled and shrugged.
“He won’t say,” Ozzy said bitterly. “Not even now that the damn thing is gone.”
“Have to keep it secret in case you get another.” Finley played. Ozzy replied to this by shooting him a playful glare. Arcane gave a soft smile, and Finley noticed.
“What?” He asked, taking a bite of his food.
“Nothing,” Arcane replied. “You just seem so different from the last time I saw you… You look good.”
“Oh,” He grunted, his cheeks going a bit pink. “Thanks.”
“So,” Ozzy cleared his throat. “Got any plans for the summer?” Arcane took a sip of her drink then shook her head. “Nothing yet, you?”
“Working with Fin’s dad for the most part.” He said, nudging his friend with his elbow. “Though we’ve all been heading up to Colchester from time to time.”
“Colchester?” Arcane repeated.
“The next town over.” Finley mentioned through his bite of food.
“Yeah,” Ozzy concurred. “Got better shops and a cinema up there. Matt reckons some summer films are bound to show soon, though Fin’s obsessed with the Street Fighter film that showed last month.”
“Oi, you said you liked it.” Finley said defensively.
“Not after seeing it four times Fin.” Ozzy scoffed. Arcane smiled, “I’m not a fan of Street Fighter anyway,” Arcane said, although she did not know what it even was, “So, are there any other movies?”
“Dunno” Finley shrugged. “They change them after a time, post up new ones and if there’re no new ones, they’ll show old ones.”
“It’s not a big cinema like in London, so they don’t always have new ones to show.” Ozzy added.
“That’s fine,” Arcane shrugged, “When are you guys going again?” They boys shared a thoughtful look.
“Well, I’ve got my turn all this week,” Ozzy said, turning to Finley, “You got evening free?”
“Yeah, but dad doesn’t like us being out of town in the evenings,” Finley answered, his mouth partly full. “Especially with the girls.”
Ozzy nodded, then flashed a smile at Arcane. “Well go soon.”
Arcane spent the next few days stopping down by the Quay around lunch time with snacks Andromeda would send for them to eat together on their break, while in the evenings they would hang outside the Coop with Matt. Gillian and Evie had not bothered in joining them since now they would spend their days at some youth club where- according to Finley- the cool crowd spent their time.
Arcane did not mind their absence, the company she had was enough to shoot the breeze. Especially since Matt was keen on everyone seeing his new skateboard, which to their luck was perfect to try out on the Coop’s parking lot’s wheel stoppers that had been changed from cement to metal rods. Matt had already eaten dust trying to glide over one, though after a good laugh, everyone else decided to give it a try. Even Finley, who more often than not, fell harder than Matt. In the end Finley had scraped his cheek in a way that made Arcane instinctively reach for the healing paste in her purse, however, she did not have her purse. Andromeda had made her promise not to carry it out with her during the summer. Though after the boys had walked her home she told them to wait as she ran inside and smudged a Band-Aid with her paste before returning outside and placing it upon Finley’s scrape. By morning his face was as good as new, which the boys found a bit strange, though after Arcane’s insistence that the parking lot is quite dirty and that it was fairly dark out, everyone began to forget it. It had only been a normal No-Maj scrape on a normal No-Maj boy in a normal No-Maj town, where nothing magical occurred, except, in the house at the end of De Vere Lane, where on that normal night an owl flew into the Tonks house kitchen.