In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter CLXIX: Moving Forward

As this dusty road now settles and I see what lay before
Every tear that held a broken dream is now shattered on the floor
And now bursting forth in splendor are the blossoms of second tries
Because dreams that bear the mark of love are dreams that never die

Sometimes life can feel so unkind
Sorrow won't define me
So just reminds my soul, my soul

My eyes are open
My heart is beating
My lungs are full
And my body's breathing
I'm moving forward

I found my freedom
I know this sorrow
I know the heartache
I know with fear comes a tragic heartbreak
Well, I'm moving forward
I found my freedom
I found the life that gave the reason to love

"Moving Forward"
Colony House

~

HENRY:

The sun had already set by the time I left the Quidditch Pitch. I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry or both, or shout or scream or both. I settled for spinning in a little circle, sighing heavily, and beginning my trek up to the castle. I was expecting everyone to be in the Great Hall for dinner, so I was more than a little surprised when I rounded the final corner and walked straight into someone.

"Merlin, sorry!" I said. I blinked. "George? What are you doing here?"

"Well, Furls, I do go to school here," he replied with a stupid grin. "Same as you, last I checked. Now if you were to see me in Ilvermorny and ask what I was doing there, your question would be perfectly reasonable, but seeing as we both find ourselves in the school we currently attend, I find your question to be a rather odd one."

I laughed. "You're insufferable. I was just asking why you aren't at dinner."

"I figured I'd take advantage of the toad's absence from her office and drop a bit of this in her tea kettle." George held up a small blue candy. "Don't worry, it won't kill her, we just thought we'd test our hypothermia candy on someone other than ourselves. Want to join me?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." The two of us fell into step together, hurrying directly up to her office. "Speaking of 'we,' where's Fred?"

"He's, er, a bit busy with Angelina at the moment, so I offered to do this myself. Nice to have the company, though."

"Nice to be had. What exactly is your plan for the hypothermia candy? Is it the antidote for the Fever Fudge?"

George shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Nah, the other half of the Fever Fudge just neutralizes the fever, it doesn't actually have the power to decrease body temperature in and of itself. This one is something of a passion project."

"Just to prove you could?"

"Something like that. Ideally, it would help with natural fevers."

"Unintentional ones, you mean?"

"Yeah, exactly. Dear Professor Umbridge looked a little red in the face after the match today. I'm just a concerned student trying to help out a bit, you know?"

I laughed. "Right. That can be our story if we get caught."

George grinned at me, mischief twinkling in his eyes. "We won't get caught. C'mon."