closed // emmeline + gideon
Many thoughts had crossed Gideon’s mind when he woke up in the chaos that was Hogwarts that morning. Who could have done something so horrifying and cruel to a bunch of innocent kids was prominent, the one that angered him most. How did this happen was the one that seemed to have no answer, and frustrated him to the point where he was biting nails again like he had when he was younger. But one word ━ or rather, one name ━ was on his mind almost through the entire, unbelievable first hour. Emmeline.
He hadn’t seen her in the common room as he raced downstairs, and one peek into the girls’ dormitory told him she wasn’t there either. He’d asked all of the others he knew that they knew her if they’d spotted the girl, but there was no answer there either. Gideon, who had always known himself to not be very prone to panic, was currently experiencing exactly that, to the extent where he could feel his heart beating in his chest and there was sweat dripping down his neck. Where was she where was she where was she. The question repeated itself in his head over and over again until he got sick of the sitting around and waiting in the common room and raced out, desperate to find her.
There were no names released just yet, but the fact that all the victims had been muggleborn or half-bloods was something that resounded throughout the castle. Emmeline was a half-blood too. What if she was one of them? He didn’t know what to do with himself at that thought. It was the one thing that would set him off completely, that would consume him whole if he kept it on his mind long enough. It made him want to scream and cry and throw a hit at someone all at the same time. If she had been hurt ━ there was no telling exactly what Gideon would do.
He found his hand curling around his wand at the sheer three seconds that thought had been in his mind, but by a sheer force of will, the will to find out more first, the will to find her, he let go again. No, there was no time for retribution. Not yet, anyway.
His feet pounded the stairs as he continued his search, students jumping out of his path as if he were one of the more terrifying Slytherins, though he supposed the look on his face was wild enough for the resemblance to definitely pop into their minds. Only briefly did the thought pass his mind to apologize, to soften his expression. They were in a panic too, they were also worried about those they cared about. But he was too worried about Emmeline to spare the time. He had to find her. Or find out more. He had to ━ he couldn’t rest until he knew something.
The walking had quickly turned into sprinting as Gideon reached the ground floor, first in the direction of the library. He frantically raced through the room, searching every corner for her face until the librarian gathered herself enough to scold him and send him away, swearing up and down that she had not seen Emmeline. The Great Hall was next ━ and Gideon swore he’d caused a first-year to trip on his way over there. All of his worries, thoughts, and emotions faded when he entered, however, and found her sitting at the Gryffindor table.
“Emmeline,” His voice was high-pitched and on the verge of breaking as he neared her, still not able to believe that she was real. That she was alright. He couldn’t help himself as he pulled her up and into his arms, wrapping them around her carefully and breathing in the smell of her hair, a smell he had feared he never would again. “You’re alright, oh thank Merlin, you’re alright.”
