Eriseds

Chapter 7

Year 7 

Camille

Camille carried her lunch bag across the grassy knoll, looking for a spot to picnic. She wanted to let the sunshine warm her face. Under a lone Dogwood tree, a blanket was spread out. Camille smiled as she approached. The white haired girl was wearing pink trimmed glasses that were about two sizes too large, reading an upside down Quibbler. 

"Lovely day, Luna." Camille said, plopping down beside her. Luna sat up and lazily smiled at her. 

"I suppose so. Though I did have my favorite pair of pineapple studs stolen this morning. Have you seen any nifflers running about?"

"I can't say that I have, but I have seen a few snakes." She watched Pansy enter the garden area with two Slytherin girls, both second years. It's no wonder how she and Draco got along so well. They mirrored each other. Both power hungry with idiots clinging to their every word like it was giving them a reason to exist. She dropped her gaze back to Luna who was already staring at her.

"Can I sit and eat lunch with you?"

"Anytime," Luna smiled back, a bruise on her shin that was healing disappeared as she did so. Camille was thankful for the peaceful company. That's why she and Luna had been casual friends throughout the years. Luna had a way of making you feel calm and normal. The pair chatted about the changes of the school and their expectations of the year. The conversation was light until Camille asked about Harry.

"I haven't heard anything. We don't speak." Luna's voice dropped when she said this, her face stoning as she looked Camille in the eyes. 

Rumors quickly spread about Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Fred's younger brother, and Hermione Grainger on the first day of school. None of the "golden trio" as they were often referred to, returned to Hogwarts this year. She'd heard rumors of everything from that they were locked up in Azkaban to them being captured by Death Eaters and beat to death. No one quite knew where they were or what was happening, but their absence didn't go unnoticed. 

"You don't think they're captured or running away do you? Do you think you'll ever see them again? Are they okay?"

"We don't speak." Luna cut her off. The soft nature of her voice was completely stripped. The two stared at each other in silence, Camille shocked by the new tension between the two. Slowly, she began to gather her belongings when another pair of shoes appeared to her right.

"Can I interrupt?"The voice asked above. 

Camille followed the voice to the face. Blaise was standing beside her. 

"I was about to leave." Camille stammered.

"I won't bother you then." He gave a small smile to Luna and then started looking around the courtyard clearly searching for someone to sit with.

"But you can walk me to my next class."

"Sure." Blaise helped her to her feet and handed Camille her satchel. She crumbled the bagged lunch remains and placed them in a waste basket that conveniently appeared and disappeared as soon as the bag entered the mouth of it. Luna picked the copy of The Quibbler she was formally reading and held it upside down. Camille chuckled to herself when she glanced at Blaise's face. Clearly the two couldn't be more different. 

"Bye Luna." Camille raised her hand to wave. Luna looked up at her and paused before responding.

"He's okay, you know. He's in a good place. Everything is good."

And with that, she went back to reading as if the pair were already gone. Camille and Blaise turned and started walking towards the castle. Unease came over Camille as she replayed what Luna said in her mind. 

"Thanks for letting me walk you, but I did want to ask you something."

Camille's attention snapped back to reality as paranoia set in which should have been there in the first place. Obviously he didn't  have anyone else to talk to and the two were acquaintances, but it was still out of the norm. 

"I wouldn't even be asking, but Daphne and Tracey think I need to be more trusting, my friends think I'm being stupid, and I can't ask her two tagalongs because they will just lie. I don't think you'll lie to me."

Blaise stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop walking. She took two steps backwards to put distance between them. 

"Do you know if Pansy is seeing someone else? I can't shake this feeling that she's cheating on me. I overheard a few of the younger students talking about her hanging all over someone, but I didn't catch who they were talking about."

Camille knew this question was coming and she wanted to avoid it. Although she detested Pansy, she knew it wasn't her place to destroy her relationship, which clearly needed some repair. Happy couples don't cheat. Happy couples don't leave. At least not until one person decides they don't love you anymore and they blindside you. One moment you have plans for the future and within a second, your future gets put in a box in the back of a closet and all you're left with is "what ifs." Camille responded the only way she knew how. She stood up a little taller, tossing an unstraightened piece of hair over her shoulder and smiled at Blaise. 

"I think you're being a bit presumptuous to assume that anyone else would want to put up with Pansy." Camille grinned at her own prod, but was genuinely surprised when Blaise smiled and rolled his eyes.

"You're right. She is a lot sometimes." A burst of laughter from a group of Hufflepuff girls pulled their attention. Two girls stood on opposite ends holding  string and a small figurine on a unicycle wobbled across the thin line. The figurine spouted famous phrases from a former headmaster, a classic toy from a local joke shop in Diagon Alley. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to be exact. 

"Please let me know if you hear anything."

The sound of Blaise's voice brought her back to reality, the internal knife in her stomach began to intensely twist. 

"Sure thing." Half dazed, she turned away from Blaise and started walking in the opposite direction of where she was meant to go. She could hear Blaise's muffled questions, but all she wanted was to get to her bed. She tried to keep her pace to a hurried pattern, afraid that running would cause someone to ask questions. Down the cobbled flight of steps and into the seventh year girls dormitory to the right. Camille found herself alone once more. Other students at mid morning classes, she allowed herself a moment of release. She threw her satchel onto the bed, kicking her shoes into one of the makeshift walls. She tried taking deep breaths which only forced her to start feeling lightheaded. 

Her internal battle of self preservation and self destruction was hot and wild in her subconscious. Knowing it would send her into a spiral, she chose to open the chest of drawers and reach into the slats between the second and third drawer. Her fingertips felt the cool metal as she searched for the mirror. Once in hand, Camille climbed into her four post bed and pulled the satin green comforter over her body. She allowed the mirror to press against her chest for a moment before pulling the mirror to her face. Instantly, the mirror changed.

"Lookin' in the mirror's not going to change anything. At least it  hasn't for me. Every time I look, I get uglier."

Camille laughed and looked up from her bed. Fred was leaning against her chest of drawers. His red hair tousled to one side, a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes "W" across his broad chest. He must have just come from work. 

"You always have to make a joke out of everything." Camille giggled, pulling the covers back to get out of bed.

"Nonsense, I'll come to you." Fred took his time, taking off his shoes and laying his wand on the side table. He raised the covers and climbed into the bed behind Camille. He draped one arm around her torso and kissed the back of her head. 

"I have missed you so much."

"I have missed you too."

Camille rolled over to face him, but all she found was empty sheets, realizing she'd made the entire senario up in her mind. She looked into the mirror. A red haired boy was nestled into the back of her head. For the next hour, Camille would lie in bed knowing exactly what, or who, Luna was referring to. 

He's okay

Of course he was and she was the one left falling to pieces.