Chapter Text
Abbansbridge, Scotland, was a small farming town where everyone knew everyone. With most people up at the crack of dawn, I was greeted by many of them as I went on my morning run. The rhythmic sound of my feet hitting the pavement helped clear last night’s nightmare from my mind.
“Evangeline!” I slowed to a stop and gave a slight bow in greeting to Mrs. Chang.
“Good mornin’,” I grin, meeting the woman on her front porch. I accepted her hug and a cup of water.
“How are you this mornin’?” Mrs. Chang asked.
“I’m all right, nothin’ like the brisk mornin’ air to wake you up. Did you talk to Cho yet?” I sip from the water, fingers tapping against the glass.
“I did,” Mrs. Chang smiled. “Cho and Cedric are havin’ a fine time in China. She said they should be back on Thursday.”
“That’s great to hear . . . Mamaidh and Mum are missin’ their baby boy somethin’ fierce,” I share a laugh with the woman.
“I understand. . . . Well, I’ll let you get back to yer run. Have a good day, Evangeline.”
“You as well, Mrs. Chang. Give the Doc my regards,” I wave, jogging down the street. A few other people were starting their morning yard work and waved as I passed. My shoes were discarded in the mudroom as the door was closed behind me when I got home. Akira, Mamaidh’s tabby cat, came trotting into the room with a welcoming meow.
“Good mornin’, yah wee devil,” I stoop down to run my hand along her back. Mamaidh was in the kitchen cooking bacon with toast in the toaster.
“Mornin’ Mamaidh,” I kissed her cheek as I slipped behind her, stealing a piece of bacon.
“Good mornin’ lass, breakfast should be done by the time you’re ready for the day,” I give her one last kiss and rush up the stairs, skipping steps. I burst into my room, quickly shower, and change into jeans, a grey tank top, and a purple button-up shirt. I leave the shirt untucked since it was likely to be taken off anyway.
I checked Yukina and Shaka to see if they had any issues digesting their mice from yesterday. They seemed content in their tank. With that confirmation, I grab my satchel from the hook on the back of my door and slide down the banister.
“Mum! How’d you sleep?” I drop a kiss on her hair.
“You are too chipper this morning,” Mum grumped.
“Ignore her, she had the late shift last night,” Mamaidh lovingly kissed her wife’s cheek.
“Why is she awake then?” I direct the question to my functioning mother.
“Breakfast is a family thing . . . I’m not going to miss it for something as trivial as sleep,” Mum huffed, slowly working her way through a cup of tea.
We chat through breakfast before I clean up the dishes and shout goodbye behind me as I leave. Hopping in my truck, I drive a few miles outside of town to get to the Scamander Farm and Ranch. I carefully back my truck up to the barn and cut the engine. I hook the cows up to the milking machine before throwing hay bales from the loft.
I hear barking as I’m about to throw the last hay bale and pause to see where the four-legged animal is standing. Rodney, the German Shepherd, was sitting by the back of my truck. His tail swished across the ground, and I picked the hay bale back up and tossed it down to the pile. When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I was greeted with happy yips and his front paws resting on my stomach.
“How are you?” I ruffle the fur on his face. I get a happy bark in reply. I kiss his head before pushing him off me. I start stacking the bales in the corner. I had Rodney hop in the bed of my truck and drove to the pasture housing the sheep. Dougal raised his head from where he had been lying. The Great Pyrenees stood and trotted over to greet me as I scanned my eyes over the herd, counting the sheep.
“They’re lookin’ good, Dougal,” I praise the white dog as Rodney joins us. “Okay, time to move them.”
I gave the command, and they were off running, herding the sheep toward the gate I walked to and opened. I made sure all the sheep were through before rewarding the two dogs and getting Rodney back to my truck.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help out there?” Newt Scamander was in the barn unhooking the cows from the milking machine.
“Another dog might be necessary soon, Dougal isn't as young as he used to be,” I shrugged.
“We can go down to the next town to see if there’s someone there you like,” Newt said, slowly standing up, his back cracking as he stretched.
“I still need to muck out the stalls, check the fields, and run a few errands for Mum, so maybe tomorrow?” I suggest, getting the pitchfork and wheelbarrow out.
“Tomorrow will work,” Newt nodded. “Don’t forget to stop inside before you leave. Tina wants to see you.”
I nod and get to cleaning the stalls. The cows were put out to pasture as I hosed and scrubbed the floors. With that done, I walk around the fields, checking for any spots that look like they need a closer look. There was one spot where I wandered into the field to look at the leaves of the spring barley. There was a bit of mildew spotting on a few of the plants. I made a note on my phone of the location of the mildew and how many plants were affected. When I finished my field check, the sun was halfway to the horizon from its peak.
The cows were put back in their stalls before I trudged up the path to the house. Tina stood over the stove, stirring a large pot as Newt chopped a salad.
“You’re too thin,” Tina tutted when she saw me.
“I’m not too thin! I’m a healthy weight,” I scoff.
“There’s not a single bit of fat on you,” Tina pinched my side, making me yelp and dance out of her reach.
“Leave her alone, Tina,” Newt chuckled.
“Thank you, Newt,” I crouched down as quick paws approached the kitchen. A small black dog barreled into the room, skidding to a stop before me. “Teddy!”
An excited bark was his greeting as he jumped up to try to lick my face. I laugh as I push him down. He rolled over to expose his belly, and I lavished him with attention. I stayed to talk with the elderly couple as the soup finished, and I was handed a dish filled with enough for my family to have dinner tonight, along with a fresh loaf of bread.
I run into the grocery store to grab a few things for Mum and pick up the dry cleaning before driving back home for the day.
I was driving through the neighborhood when a streak of black ran in front of my truck. I slam on the brakes and hold the dish of soup so it doesn’t spill. Hagrid comes running from his backyard to scoop up his Rottweiler puppy.
“He’s not listenin’ too well to his trainin’, is he?” I asked as I rolled my window down.
“No, but I’ve got ‘im house-trained,” Hagrid sighed. I lean a bit to the side to avoid Fluffy looking for pets.
“I’ll see if I can find some time to come help,” I say, waving as the giant of a man lumbered back up to his yard, where his Great Dane Buckbeak was sitting.
“I’d appreciate it, Eva. No better trainer in the town than you,” Hagrid called over his shoulder. I wave as I continue down the road. I shook my head at Hagrid’s praise, I wasn’t the best trainer in town. Oliver trained competition dogs for a living. Newt trained the best herding dogs in this and the three closest towns. All I did was teach dogs how to sit and obey.
“I’m home!” I call as I kick off my shoes. “Tina sent soup!”
“Blessed day!” Mum appeared in the mudroom and took the dish from my hands. “And there’s bread! We need to send your cinnamon apple waffles tomorrow.”
“Let her come into the house, Bella,” Mamaidh moved Mum by the shoulders so she could get the dry cleaning from me.
“They’re tryin’ to cut down on sugar,” I inform Mum as we exit the mudroom.
“That’s no fun,” Mum scoffed.
“Go wash up for dinner . . . we’ll get this dished up,” Mamaidh instructed. Polaris, Mum’s Maine Coon, followed me to the bathroom. He wound between my legs, almost knocking me off balance.
“I’ll cuddle after dinner,” I gently nudge him with my foot to move him out of the way. I take my seat at the table, and we dig into the food. I tell them about my plans to go with Newt to get a new dog tomorrow.
“Just don’t bring any home with you,” Mum warned.
“But it’s okay for Mamaidh to bring home stray cats?” I pointedly look at Akira and Polaris.
“They were the only two we kept out of the many Min has brought home. If you bring one home, there is no chance we’ll get rid of them,” Mum gave me a knowing look. I grumble to myself, not wanting to concede. She did have a point though. After dinner, Polaris got his promised cuddles, lying on top of me as I read a book on the couch. Akira shoved her way into the cuddle pile not long after we had settled.
“What language is that one?” Mamaidh asked as she sat in an armchair, her book in her lap.
“Italian,” I glance at her as my fingers gently run through Polaris’s thick, black coat.
“How long have you been learning Italian?”
“A few weeks now . . . I moved on from Manderain after Doc. Chang pronounced me fluent.” I look over to see her fond smile.
“Do you regret graduating as early as you did?” Mamaidh curled her legs under her, getting more comfortable.
“No,” I turn my attention back to my book. “I’d never felt welcomed in that school, so it was a relief to graduate and move on to University.”
“You were only a teen,” Mamaidh sighed.
“She probably would’ve graduated a lot sooner, Min,” Mum walked into the room, drying her hands on a towel. “I’ll never forgive that man for taking you from us.”
“I’m just glad you found me when you did,” I close my book, wrapping my arms around the gently purring weights on my chest.
“We’re glad we found ye as well,” Mamaidh smiled, tears gathering in her eyes.
“And we know Cedric loves having you as a little sister,” Mum said, kissing my forehead.
“I don’t know if he told you, but Ced and Cho are goin’ to be back on Thursday. Cuttin’ it a bit close to the family reunion,” I recall my conversation with Mrs. Chang this morning.
“He told us,” Mamaidh confirmed. We stay up for another hour or so before going to bed.
My dreams were filled with memories of my first sixteen years of life. I had been moved from home to home to work as a slave in a trafficking ring. My biological father, the head of the trafficking ring, had drugged Mum when she worked undercover in his forces. Mum didn’t know she was pregnant until a month later. I still don’t know how he got me from Mum after I was born.
Since I was small for my age, I was always forced to clean in the small, hard-to-reach spaces. I got stuck once and hadn’t been found until the house started getting messy again, and they noticed my absence. The feeling of the walls pressing in closer permitted my dreams, waking me up far earlier than normal. I held my breath, not daring to make a sound as I tried to calm my racing heart.
I sit up, finally taking a breath as I search through the dark for my phone. Once the flashlight was turned on, I felt as if I could breathe again. I buried my head in my knees, recalling every good memory from the last eleven years. When that didn’t work in calming me down, I got out of bed and softly pad down stairs to the room housing our exercise equipment.
I lifted weights, did sit-ups and push-ups, used the pull-up bar, and pounded on the punching bag until I was exhausted. I flop onto the ground and stare at the ceiling, panting for breath. A soft meow alerted me to my company before a head was pressed against my hand in search of pets. I sit up, running my hand over Akira’s back as she circled me. I sat there until it was four-thirty before getting up to change for my run.
I blared music in my headphones as I ran, the sound of my feet on the pavement not enough to distract my thoughts today. I was on my return trip back to my house when I passed the Chang family’s house. No one was on the porch this morning. I furrow my brow, confused. I slow to a stop and pull my earbuds out. There was no one out in their yard this morning. Huh. I checked the time to see that I was a bit earlier than normal, so I dismissed the observation as nothing to worry about.
I got home, and Mamaidh wasn’t in the kitchen making breakfast. Akira and Polaris were sitting by their bowls, yowling when I went to walk by them. I sigh and fill their bowls with food before showering and getting dressed for the day. Mamaidh still wasn’t up, so I started making breakfast.
The toast and sausage were done as I sauteed tomatoes and mushrooms, eggs frying in another pan. I look at the clock and furrow my brow when I see what time it is. Mamaidh should be up by now, she has class in two hours and she still needed to drive to the university. I plate the finished food and turn the stove off. It was eerie how silent the house was. I climb the stairs and knock on my mother’s door. When I received no response, I opened the door to see Mamaidh and Mum still in bed.
“Mamaidh, Mum, breakfast is ready.”
No response. Worried, I approach the bed and gently shake Mamaidh’s shoulder, calling her name. She doesn’t even shift. Panicking, I feel for a pulse. I sag when I find the steady beat. I shake a bit harder, but she still doesn’t stir. I round the bed and try to wake Mum, but get no results. Desperate, I run to the bathroom and fill a cup with water.
“I’m sorry,” I wince, throwing the water on Mum. Nothing!
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mutter, racing down the stairs to grab my phone from the kitchen counter. I dial Doc. Chang’s number and pace as it rings. Voicemail.
“Hey, Doc, it’s Eva! Um, Mamaidh and Mum aren’ wakin’ up. I found a pulse, but nothin’ I do is gettin’ a reaction. I don’ know what’s goin’ on. Please call me back as soon as ye get this,” I hang up and dial Mrs. Chang. When I get her voicemail as well, I hang up and slip my shoes on my feet. I run down the street to the Chang’s house and knock on the door. No answer. I curse under my breath and run over to the Wood family house. No one answers when I knock here either. With a fortifying breath, I round their house to their backyard and hop their fence. Their sliding door was unlocked and I stuck my head into the house.
“Oliver? Mr. Wood? Mrs. Wood?” No one responded. A whining sounds from further in the house and I follow the sound to their kenneled Bernese Mountain dog puppy, Puddle.
“Let’s get ye outta there, yah wee laddie,” I open the door, and Puddle bolts up the stairs. I follow him to Oliver’s room. The puppy was nosing and licking Oliver’s hand that dangled over the edge of his mattress, but there was no reaction.
“Ollie, yah need tah wake up,” I shake the man’s shoulders to no success.
“Shit,” I flap my hands to dispel some of the anxious energy building in my chest. I bring Puddle down the stairs and out to the backyard. I collapse onto a chair and watch the puppy run around for a bit before doing his business.
My mind was racing. What happened to everyone? Was this affecting the entire town? I need to see if anyone else is awake. I put food in Puddle’s bowl and left the back door open so he could go to the bathroom whenever he needed to during the day. I run back to my house and get the keys to my truck. Driving around a deserted town confirmed my worst nightmare.
No people were walking to the shops, no cars in any of the parking lots, and no movement in any of the houses I passed. My mind goes to the farm and I change my direction to head out of town. Maybe the Scamanders were spared since they didn’t live in town.
“Newt?” I hollered as I climbed out of my truck. There was barking coming from the house and I hesitated before hurrying to hook the cows to the milking machine. After getting that started I ran to the house and opened the door to a frantic Rodney who herded me to the master bedroom. Newt and Tina were both asleep as well. Teddy was curled between their legs on the bed, his eyes looking at me with so much sadness. I pick the Daucshund up and cuddle him to my chest as I lead Rodney from the bedroom. I sit in the middle of the kitchen floor after feeding the dogs.
I stare at the cupboards in front of me before I remember the cows and get up to unhook them from the machine. I grab some food for Dougal before leaving the house. Teddy whined as I started to leave, and I felt my heart hurt for him. I grab his favorite shiny gold ball and hold the door open for Rodney and Teddy to leave the house. I turn the milking machine off and get the cows out to pasture.
Teddy sat on the passenger seat of my truck as I drove out to Dougal and the sheep. Teddy excitedly ran through the sheep as Dougal loped over to greet me. I give him the food and sit on the ground with him next to me.
“What am I goin’ tah do?” I whisper. Dougal lifted his head from his front paws. His brown eyes seemed to search my face before lying his head in my lap. “I was supposed to find ye someone we could train as a replacement.”
I stayed out there until both Rodney and Teddy were done running around. I take them back to the barn and have them stay in the house’s yard as I scrubbed the stalls. I grabbed a bottle of fungal spray and walked around the fields to see if the mildew had spread or popped up somewhere else. Teddy was getting tired from how short his legs were, so I tied my button-up shirt into a sling to hold him on my back.
After applying the fungicide to the mildew-spotted plants, I completed my rounds and looked at the two dogs I was about to leave alone for the night.
“Screw it,” I sighed. I walk back into the house and collect the dogs' favorite toys, food, bowls, and beds. I heaved Rodney’s cage into the bed of my truck and secured it so he could safely ride to my house. Teddy went into the cage with Rodney, and I went back in for Pickette, the beta fish I had gotten Newt as a gift three years ago.
Dougal was going to be left with the sheep, and he had no idea that this was going on. I lightly thump my head back on the headrest of my seat. The drive to my house was uneventful and revealed no indications that any one person had woken up. I bring the dogs around to the backyard once I get home and let them run around as I get their things brought in and set up. The sunroom was going to be their kennel room, leaving the rest of the house as Akira and Polaris’s space.
Speaking of the cats, they came to investigate what I was doing. Polaris sat by the sliding door as he watched the two dogs run around, and Akira followed me around.
“We have a few guests stayin’ with us,” I sat cross-legged next to Polaris. He regards me for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the dogs. Akira sat in my lap, joining the viewing.
I let them get used to the idea of having dogs in the house before opening the door and recalling the canines. I stop them a bit away from the door and have them sit so that the felines can approach them at their discretion. Polaris was the first to approach, padding over to sniff at Teddy. Teddy wiggled where he sat, excited to meet a new friend, but not wanting to move until I gave permission.
Rodney was just as excited, but he had a harder time staying seated. He kept shifting his position, standing up to move a few paces to the side. Polaris finally moved on to Rodney and sniffed around him a bit before Rodney couldn’t hold onto his excitement anymore. He stood and sniffed at Polaris, accidentally knocking the cat to the ground. Polaris swats at the German Shepherd and takes off running in the backyard. He played with the two dogs for a little while before they were all coming inside.
I sit on the couch and pull my phone out of my pocket to see if there are messages from anyone. The only notifications I had were from games and YouTube. I hesitate before calling Cedric. I bite my lip as I listen to the phone ring. Voicemail.
“Hey, Ced. I-I don’ know what’s goin’ on in China, but . . . Mamaidh and Mum aren’t wakin’ up. . . . No one’s wakin’ up. If yer jus’ asleep, can ye call me in the mornin’? Please? I-I need tah know if . . . if yer awake,” I cover my eyes with my hand, hating how my voice shook. “Please?” The line beeped, letting me know that the message had been sent. I look up to the ceiling to try and stop my tears.
Polaris meowed, pushing his way into my lap to rest his front paws on my shoulders and bump his head against my jaw. I laugh, finally letting the tears I’ve been resisting all day fall as I bury my face in his shoulders. My shoulders shook from the force of my cries. I felt the couch dip as Rodney sniffed at my face with a whine.
“Aye’m fine,” I say through a sniffle. He was persistent though, not giving up until I lifted my face and he attacked me with slobbery kisses. I giggle at his affections, freeing one hand to gently push him down and give him pets. He pressed his head against my thigh and rolled over to give me access to his belly.
“I love ye, laddie. Both o’ ye,” I cuddle Polaris closer as I relax into the cushions. I keep one arm wrapped around Polaris and rest my other on Rodney’s chest as I open Google on my phone. There was nothing about what was happening in rural Abbansbridge or anything else. No new updates on any news station or website I could find. There wasn’t even a broadcast going.
“Bloody ‘ell,” I murmur, lowering my phone as the reality of my situation hits me. “Everyone’s asleep.”
I look back at my phone screen and see what time it is. I need to get to sleep if I’m going to have enough time to do everything tomorrow. I refresh the page in one last attempt to find any good news. My heart feels like it stopped. There at the top was a post made six hours ago. ‘Is anyone awake?’ posted by KittenLove98.
This is too good to be true. My finger taps the link, and I feel tears fall as I read the chain of responses.
Thank God! I thought I was the only one! - DoveyDove<3
Do either of you know what’s going on? - Delacour’s_Flower
I have no idea. Here’s my number so you can call. - KittenLove98
I memorize the phone number and switch to my keypad to type it in. I hesitate before clicking the green call button. I close my eyes, preparing myself for the line to go to voicemail.
“Hello?” her voice was like a soothing balm on my nerves.
“Ye answered,” I breathed, pressing my phone closer to my ear.
“Of course I did. I’m Hermione, by the way.” Hermione. Like the flower.
“Eva,” I gently push Rodney back down before he can try to kiss my tears away.
“Eva, I’m currently on a video call with the other two if you want me to add you,” Hermione offered.
“Yes, yes o’ course,” I take a deep breath. I gave her my email and ushered Polaris from my lap so I could find a laptop.
“The email has been sent . . . I don’t know how long the internet is going to keep running without anyone doing anything,” Hermione mentioned as I frantically searched the living room for Mamaidh’s laptop.
“I don’t either. I would think that everything would shut down after a while . . . internet, cell reception, electricity. . . .” a French accent filtered through the speaker.
“I need tah build a roo’ cellar . . .” I mutter, pausing as I think of that, wiping the last of the tears from my face. The power going out means I need a cooler place to store all the produce from the farm and gardens around town. “Print off some directions before the power goes out.”
“You're going to build a root cellar? Where do you live?” I shake myself out of my thoughts and continue searching for the laptop.
“Abbansbridge, Scotland,” I absentmindedly share, making a noise of triumph when I spot the laptop plugged in by the entertainment center. Why it was plugged in there, I had no idea.
“Have you always lived in Scotland?” a third voice asked.
“I was born in Britain but grew up all over,” I sit back on the couch with the laptop powering on in my lap. Something moved in my peripheral vision, and my heart leaps thinking it was Mamaidh or Mum finally coming down the stairs. I deflate when I realize it was only Rodney trying to eat the food off the table.
“Rodney! No, get down!” I hop off the couch and hurry to the table. Rodney whined at the chastisement and lay down in the doorway. The food had already been picked over by Akira and Polaris.
“Eva?” Hermione’s voice comes from the phone.
“Sorry, sorry,” I huffed in frustration at myself. I should’ve taken care of this before I left. I log in to my email and set the laptop on the counter as I click the meeting link from Hermione. I hang up as the meeting connects and give the three women a sheepish smile.
“Hi,” I look down as Rodney came over to lean against my legs.
“Hello, Darling. I’m Pansy,” the woman with straight black hair introduced herself. Her green eyes and the paleness of her skin had me thinking that she had ancestors from Ireland.
“Fleur,” the French woman smiled through the screen.
“And I’m Hermione,” her hair was a voluminous mass of curls that reminded me slightly of Mum.
“You all have flower names,” I slap a hand over my mouth after registering what I said.
“What?” Hermione blinked a few times as her brow furrowed in confusion.
“There’s a rose named Gentle Hermione, Fleur is French for flower, and Pansy is self-explanatory,” I turn on my heel to collect plates off the table and hide my blush.
“Oh my god, she’s right!” Pansy snickered.
“You speak French?” Fleur seemed to have perked up when I chanced a glance at the screen.
“Yeah,” I shrug, placing the plates in the sink.
“Why did you learn the language? An elective in school?” Fleur sat forward, resting her chin in her hands as she beamed.
“Oh, um . . . I learned it about twelve years ago. I did take it as an elective, but it was just another reason for the kids to pick on me. I picked it up quite quickly,” I kept my eyes on the soap bubbles that were growing in the water.
“That’s terrible! What do you mean by just another reason? What other reasons were there?” I flinch a bit at the question. I don’t want to talk about this, but I guess it would be better for them to leave now instead of after I get attached.
“Um . . .” I try to think of how to answer the question as I start scrubbing the dishes. “I didn't grow up in the best conditions? I was a wee lass for my age, and my clothes never fit. I was very lanky.”
“That’s no reason for them to ridicule you!” Fleur was starting to sound mad, and I hunched my shoulders.
“Fleur, what are you talking about?” Hermione interjected.
“I have half a mind to find these bullies and put the fear of god into them!” Fleur huffed.
“What’s going on? Bullies?” Pansy said.
“Eva was bullied at school for how quickly she picked French up,” Fleur huffed.
“There’s nothing you can do about it now, that was a couple of years ago,” Hermione tried to calm her down.
“I doubt they would remember the loser from eleven years ago anyway,” I finally looked back to the screen to see three incredulous faces.
“You do not look twenty-nine,” Pansy slowly said, and I flushed.
“I um, graduated early.” I brush a lock of hair behind my ear, scrunching my face when I get soap bubbles in my hair. “I’m twenty-seven.”
“Did you go to university?” Hermione asked.
“Graduated with a degree in agronomy,” I placed the last dish on the drying rack and wiped down the table before walking to the living room. I nudge Akira over so I can sit with my feet tucked under Rodney.
“How long ago did you get the degree?” Pansy was looking at me like I was a puzzle to figure out.
“Nine years,” I look to the side, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“No wonder those kids bullied you,” Pansy scoffed, making me flinch.
“Pansy!” Hermione admonished.
“Eva’s a genius! They were jealous of her,” Pansy defended herself. I glance back at the screen to see Pansy holding her hands out in surrender as Hermione glares into the screen. I went to say something, only to click my mouth shut as Akira climbed onto my chest and curled up under my chin.
“She is adorable,” Fleur commented, getting the other two’s attention.
“Kitty! Aw, look how cute they are!” Pansy gushed, leaning closer to her screen.
“This is Akira. Mamaidh rescued her and her siblings from the university campus where she works. Akira refused to leave no matter how many times we tried to give her a good home. Mum claims Akira did it just to torture her,” I smile fondly at the memory.
“Does your Mum not get along with Akira?” Fleur smirked.
“Nah, they get on great. And Mum can’t say anythin’ since she begged for us to keep Polaris after Mamaidh brought him home,” I laugh. The Maine Coon lifted his head at the mention of his name. He was basking in front of the empty fireplace.
“Polaris? Can we see him?” Pansy seemed to light up. I rotated the screen until they could see the giant cat. Teddy was curled with his back pressed to Polaris’s, and I could see a sliver of Rodney’s back. Turning a bit more, I showed them the German Shepherd before focusing the camera back on me.
“Blimey, you have a lot of pets,” Hermione mentioned as she looked off the screen. She bends out of the frame and reappears holding an orange ball of fluff. “I only have Crooks to keep me company.”
“Monsieur Crooks looks like he lost a battle with a door, mon amie,” Fleur giggled, her grin enhancing her beauty.
“He is adorably ugly, and he is mine,” Hermione defends with a fond smile as she hugs her cat closer.
“The dogs aren’t mine,” I deny, sinking into the cushions more as I shook intrusive thoughts out of my mind. “They belon’ to Newt. I’m workin’ on his farm and I couldn’t leave them there by themselves.”
“Well, I would love to have a companion,” Pansy sighed wistfully.
“Where are you?” I asked, furrowing my brow in concern.
“I’m usually in Ireland with my Mhamó, but I decided to visit a friend. I got to Britain last night and was going to surprise him today, but then this happened and I wasn’t able to contact him.” Pansy gave a trembling smile.
“My situation is similar to yours,” Fleur admitted with a sympathetic look. “Though I’ve been in Britain for a few days now.”
“You could come to my house! I have a guest room and a comfortable couch that many of my friends have slept on,” Hermione gasped.
“Do you have a car? You would probably need to come pick me up since I used an Uber to get here,” Pansy grinned.
“I have access to a vehicle, so I would just need your address.” Fleur was also beaming at the thought of staying with someone awake. I knew my smile was weak, so I hid it in Akira’s fur.
“What about you, Eva?” Hermione’s smile dimmed a bit when she saw my expression.
“I have to stay here,” I shrug. “The cows need to be milked, and the sheep need to be sheared soon.”
“Are you sure?” Hermione asked.
“I’m sure,” my smile was broken by a yawn that I covered with my hand.
“You look tired,” Pansy frowned. “Are we keeping you up? How early do you need to get up for farm work?”
“I’m up before the sun most days,” I lean my head against the back of the couch.
“You should go to bed, mon amie,” Fleur softly suggested. I hummed and let my eyes close. The drone of them making plans to convene at Hermione’s the following day lulled me to sleep.
I wake up to a dead laptop and shrug as I close the device, plugging it in before getting ready for my run. I bring a small backpack with water bottles and a bowl and hook Rodney and Teddy onto their leashes. We ran for a while before Teddy started flagging. I slow to a stop and fill the bowl with water, letting the small dog drink first before refilling it and letting Rodney have his fill. I start at a walk to assess Teddy’s willingness to continue.
“Come on, laddie,” I bend down and put the Daucshund into my backpack, making sure he’s comfortable before running with Rodney close to pulling on his leash. I get back home and dress for the farm, trading my usual outfit of jeans and button-up for shorts and a cut-off shirt. Today I was going to shear the sheep, and it was going to be warm sitting in the sun.
“Do you think I should keep the wool? I could maybe learn how to make things,” I ask the animals as I scroll through my phone looking at websites. I get Rodney into the truck and set off for the farm, stopping at the main produce farm on my way. Rodney runs around the yard as I walk through the crops. They seem to be coming along nicely.
When I got to the Scammander Farm, I checked on the cows and set them up with the milking machine. Wandering through the fields, I made sure to turn the ringer on my phone off so it didn’t startle the sheep when I was with them later. The mildew had diminished by quite a lot since yesterday and I was glad to see no indication of it spreading.
Once the cows were finished being taken care of, Rodney and I set off to the fields to find Dougal and the sheep. I let out a shrill whistle, an answering bark sounding from further away. I motioned for Rodney to help and prepare the equipment for shearing. The two dogs herd the sheep over to me and I catch my first victim.
It took hours before the sheep were all sheared.
“I was supposed to find your replacement yesterday,” I run my fingers through Dougal’s fur as I take a break from collecting the wool. “You don’t have many more months left in you.”
Dougal accepted the affection before trotting over to the sheep when I threw the bags of wool into the bed of my truck. Rodney came sprinting over and jumped into the cab, waiting for the drive home.
“We’re going to make a few stops,” I tell the German Shepherd with a pat on his back. I drive around town, making note of how many outside cats I saw before stopping at the Longbottom house. Mrs. Longbottom had a chicken coop in her backyard that was going to need reinforcements to protect them from foxes and the feral cats. I collect the eggs from the nests and put them in a bag of wool to protect them during the drive. I remember that Neville left Trevor here after his last visit and got him into his carrier to bring him to my house.
I stop by a few other houses to check their gardens before getting to Hagrid’s. Buckbeak and Fluffy were loaded into the back of my truck with their cages before I stared at Aragog’s tank. I shrug and lift the entire thing off its stand and slowly walk out to my truck. I secured the lid to make sure it didn’t fly off while I was driving and collected the rest of the items needed to care for the animals.
My last stop was the Wood household, where Puddle joined the collection of pets in the bed of my truck. I paused and stared at Puddle through the bars of his cage as I recalled information about the Bernese Mountain Dog breed. They’re guardian dogs. Mind made up, I finally return home where I let the dogs out in the backyard. I let Teddy join them as I bring everything else inside. The eggs were put in a basket on the counter and the wool was shoved into the corner of the living room.
I finally get Aragog situated and go to look at my watch only to see that I had forgotten to put it on this morning. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I saw that someone was calling me. Knowing it could only be one of three people, I swipe to answer the call, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder.
“Hey! What’s up?”
“Oh my god, you answered! Guys! Eva answered!” The Gileage flowed through the speaker, and I frowned as I opened the sliding door to let the canines in.
“Pansy? Were you cryin’? What-”
“Eva! Don’t do that to us!” Hermione’s voice was thick with tears.
“Do what?” I readjusted my phone, putting it on speaker as I dismissed the lock screen. I had hundreds of missed messages and fifty missed calls.
“We’ve been trying to -”
Multiple cats yowled and hissed at someone.
“Hey!” I yelled, dropping my phone as I rushed to pull Puddle back from his attempt to climb the cat tree.
“The cats don’t want you on here, Pud!” I hold the squirming puppy in my arms as I walk back to where I had dropped my phone.
“-ing on? Eva?” Fleur’s voice came over the speaker as I picked up the device.
“Sorry,” I huffed. “You know what? I’m going to start an online meetin’ . . . yeah, that will be better than holdin’ my phone.”
“Okay?” Pansy said in confusion before I hung up. I grab the laptop and sit at the kitchen table with Puddle sitting in my lap. I shot the link for the meeting to Hermione’s email and it didn’t take more than a few seconds for them to join. The three women were crowded around Hermione’s computer when the call connected. There was evidence of tears on all three of their faces. My heart pangs at the sight, knowing it must’ve been because of my unattentiveness to my phone.