Old Habits, New Friends (Evi)

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Jade had one hell of a night at the Three Broomsticks. It was busy and she had to deal with the jerks and creeps in mass. Two eighteen year old low lives kept smacking her backside, and he wished to Merlin her brother would have shown up with he did, but sadly Ronan was too busy at his own job.

But as tired as she was once she got back to the Common Room, she couldn't sleep. She was too frustrated over her life and when she was like this, she wanted to smoke. True, she had a good three cigarettes on the way back to Hogwarts, but it seemed the more she smoked, the more she wanted another one.

Finding her special hiding place in the dungeons, she sat down and removed her pack. There were only a few left, but enough to get her through the night and to have one between classes the next day. She placed one in her mouth and lit it with the Muggle Zippo she had bought the previous summer.

EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN

[EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN]

Evi liked to spend as little time in the hufflepuff commonroom as possible. Her step-brother was a hufflepuff as well and whenever the two met an argument always happened and Evi dreaded meeting him most of the time, feeling bad about being mean to him but not being able to stop it, there was just too much bad blood between Evi/Owen and Shay/Shay's older brother.

So Evi often spent time out on the grounds or in lightly travelled parts of the school. Since the grounds were sort of off-limits due to Headmaster McGonagall's kidnapping a few months earlier she chose to go to a quiet place in the dungeons instead.

As she walked down the hall she caught the smell of smoke and followed it. "Smoking on school grounds?" she asked as she walked up to Jade who was smoking a cigarette. She smiled.

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Jade was a tad startled when the girl walked up, but then eased back down. The newcomer was a person from her year. She didn't know her name, despite they fact that they probably shared some classes. She traded the girl's smile for a smirk.

"Don't tell me you're going to run off and tell Professor Snug, Puffie," she said. "Don't think I'm killing the students in this castle with second hand smoke all the way down here."

Jade understood the rules well enough- no drinking and no smoking at the school. She broke those rules all the time, but didn't show off. She had her secret places to indulge in her vices, which also included a flask of whiskey she usually carried around with her.

"What the hell are you doing down here anyway?" she asked. "These dungeons aren't supposed to be safe, you know? They say all manner of dark creatures hide down here." Jade shook her head and laughed at that.

EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN

[EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN]

Evi chuckled when Jade asked if she was going to run of and tell Professor Snug about catching her smoking. "Calm down, I have no interest in catching snakes in the act." she said playfully. "I was just messing with you." she said with a shrug.

She laughed when Jade asked her why she was down in the dungeons and mentioned that they weren't supposed to be safe with all manner of dark creatures hiding down there. "Trust me, the dark creatures down in the dungeons are much preferred company to the creature I have to deal with in my common room." she said.

"Relax, I won't snitch on you. My name is Evi Holden. You are?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we've had a couple of classes together. You're a sixth year as well right?"

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The girl sounded sincere enough when she said she wouldn't rat Jade out. Jade wasn't the best at trusting people, but she did relax a bit.

"Alright... whatever," she said when the Puff said she was just messing with her.

Jade laughed a bit when Evi compared the creatures to someone she had to deal with in her own House.

"I thought all you Puffs got along, loyalty and all that," she said. "What is it... boy trouble? Girl trouble?" Jade shrugged at that. She didn't care either way. Whatever floated the Puff's boat.

When Evi re-confirmed that she wouldn't snitch, Jade sighed.

"Alright, alright, I get it, Puffie," she said. "I'm Jade Fylan. If you're gonna hang down here, pop a squat. And yeah, I'm a Sixth Year too. I think I've seen you in one of my classes or the other. I don't keep track." Jade pulled out her flask and sipped it before offering the flask to her. "You like whiskey?"

EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN

[EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN]

Evi laughed. "I am loyal, but that does not mean I am loyal to everyone I meet. Just people I like." Under different circumstances Evi probably would get along really well with Shay. However, with the circumstances that was not going to happen. The disliked eachother really so it was very unlikely that would change anytime soon.

When Jade asked if it was boy trouble or girl trouble Evi laughed. "It's nothing like that. Honestly I haven't really found anyone interesting enough to like in that way so far." she admitted with a shrug. "It's my step-brother actually. It's a long story but we just don't get along and we unfortunately ended up in the same house and year. So I prefer to not be in the common room if I can help it." she said.

When Jade invited Evi to sit with her to hang she accepted the offer. "Thanks." she eyed the whiskey. "I've never tried it." she said. She accepted the flask though. "Thanks." she said with a smile before trying it. She coughed a little. "That's strong." she said coughing a bit more.

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Jade smirked again when Evi tried to explain herself.

"Chill, okay?" she said. "I'm just messing with you, Puffie."

Jade listened as she spoke of her deal with her step-brother and then raised an eyebrow after Evi gave her last name.

"Wait... Holden? Has trouble with a stepbrother?" she laughed a little. "Holy s***, you're Owen's sister, aren't you? Nice little guy. A bit too smooth for my taste, but nice. But Owen's always going on about this stepbrother. He does speak highly of his sister though. Again, guessing that's you. It's good to have a brother to watch your back." Jade sighed a bit. "Don't know where I would be without mine."

Jade smirked again when Evi reacted to the alcohol.

"Firewhiskey takes some getting used to," she said, taking the flask back and sipping it before lighting up another cigarette. "Anyway, don't let this guy get you down. Family ain't perfect, so you just have to stick with those you can rely on." Jade felt Evi was lucky. Her trouble was from a guy she wasn't related to by blood. Jade had a mother and father she despised.

EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN

[EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN]

Evi smiled, "Sorry Slither, just people tend to raise an eyebrow at me if I say anything bad about anyone. Especially since I'm a prefect now." she said with a shrug.

She laughed, "So you know my little bro?" she asked. "And yes, I am Owen's big sister." she said with a chuckle. "Yeah Owen's amazing, but if you don't already know him he can seem a bit push offish." she said with a chuckle. "Who's your brother?" she asked curiously.

"Firewhiskey huh?" she said nodding, the taste still in her mouth. "Well first time I've tried it, it's not bad, but real strong." she said with a shrug. She sighed when Jade said not to let the guy get her down. "I wish it were that easy. But my dad and step-mom are so determined to make one big happy family it's disgusting. I don't really care much for step-mom either. She's the reason we had to leave New York. Sometimes I do like it here, but New York was amazing." she said.

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Slither? That was a good one- almost as good as Puffie. Jade had a feeling she and Evelyn would get along well. Which was kind of nice. It might be good to have a friend aside from Ronan.

"So let them raise an eyebrow," she said. "Just because you're a school prefect doesn't make you an angel. I mean let's face if you're going to go around busting those bad pumpkins at this school, you have to shows some guts." Bad pumpkins like Jade maybe?

Jade smirked about Owen.

"Nah, I think he and I are good around one another," she said. "I mean we're not best mates or anything, but he can make me laugh. And my twin brother's name is Ronan. We're not identical though. Hell, we barely look alike at all."

She took another sip of whiskey and offered some more to Evi.

"Some time I'll have to hook you up with some drinks at the Three Broomsticks. I work there, you know?"

Jade listened as she spoke of her parents and how they wanted the family to love each other. What she would do for parents like that.

"They're just wanting what they feel is best for you," she said. "Be glad they want love in the family. Not all parents want that."

EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN

[EVELYN ANABELLE HOLDEN]

Evi smiled. "Well, that's one person that thinks that way at least." she said of Jade saying that being a prefect didn't mean she was an angel and that she needed guts to bust the bad pumpkins at the school. "Unfortunately, too many people think otherwise here." she sid with a sigh.

She laughed, "Well, that's good at least. I'm always worried he doesn't really know anyone in his house. I was sorted into Hufflepuff so can't exactly check up on him, and really he would hate it if I did." she said with a smile.

"Ronan? Oh yeah! I've seen him around. You may not look alike but being attractive runs in your family for sure." she said with a chuckle.

Evi shrugged and took another drink of the whiskey when it was offered to her. She didn't see how it could be a problem. "That sounds like it would be a lot of fun. I'll have to take you up on that sometime. Best I can do in return is use the prefect thing to help keep you from getting into trouble going in and out of the school and what not." she said trying to think of how she could repay Jade getting her drinks at the three broomsticks.

Evi nodded. "I'm sure you're probably right." she said. "But it's not possible between us 'siblings'. There's too much bad blood because of our parents for us to get along and play nice." she said honestly.