It was supposed to be a quiet night, another one of the many nights that Eoin spent in the restricted section of the library. Having snuck in so many times that the Headmistress had given an unspoken approval to his actions. The night was quiet and peaceful for most of the night, not changing until he stood to return a book to its proper place on the shelves. Feeling something tugging on the back of his robes, turning his head to face who he thought was going to be Mrs. Norris or Filch reminding him aggressively to leave.
To his surprise, it was the opposite. His head tilted down to see a short gryffindor witch, one that he had grown fond of and knew he spent most of his nights here. Before he could even speak her name she spoke. Quietly asking him if he could help hide her for the night. Her voice sounded tired, as if she had been struggling for weeks. He didn’t need to think about it for long before telling her yes, quickly putting away his books and taking her to the one place he knew no one would look for her.
The Ravenclaw Common Room. It was late enough that only the prefects would still be awake. The riddle door closed behind the two of them as he took her to the lounge, sitting and letting her relax next to him. Both sitting in silence for what felt like an eternity before she finally explained why she had come to him. Someone was trying to control her, pushing her further and further away from who she was, away from everyone else she considered close. She didn’t even feel like herself around him anymore.
Eoin was quiet while she explained, not speaking until she was done. “You’re safe with me.” As short as the reply was, Mercy knew he was telling the truth. Her body leaned into his as his arm wrapped around her side. “I wish I could just forget him and be done with it all”. The statement made the Ravenclaw think for a moment before gently nudging her off of him. Stepping away for the briefest moment to gather a potion making kit and some of the supplies he kept hidden under his bed. Returning and setting them up in front of her to begin his work.
She smiled softly as he worked, only asking the question when the scents of cream and honey came out of the cauldron. “Is it going to help me forget him?” Eoin poured a small amount of it into a glass and offered it to her. “No, but it will help you feel like you again.” Her hand reached to take the glass and drink from it without hesitation, he hadn’t lied to her before and so she had no reason to distrust him.
For the first moment or so she didn’t notice anything different. Then with a gentle warmth she noticed that the world seemed just a bit brighter, the cool breeze of the night felt refreshing against her skin. It was as if the world had been in black and white for so long and now she saw color again. The first was the distinct blue lining of his house robes, the next the red of her own. Finally it happened, she heard the voices she hadn’t heard for so long. The ones someone else had silenced, each whisper felt like a sweet kiss in her mind.
They knew he would help keep her safe, the angels told her to trust him. The smile returned to her lips as she noticed the warmth of his hand getting her attention. “Come on, let's find you somewhere to sleep for the night.”