Somber

Chapter 53: Trouble.

Dedicated to @ImaMalikGirlxx :)

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Chapter 53: Trouble.

Skye's POV

The sickening feeling in my stomach turned to dread. I sat still staring at Harry for what was probably two minutes before he spoke again, breaking me from my trance.

"Skye, they are hurting him as we speak," he said, enunciating each word carefully. The dread quickly turned to panic, and that was enough to get me out of the bed and shuffling around, searching the room for a pair of shoes. Once I found them, I moved towards the door. From my peripheral vision I could see that Zayn was still in the same spot, not having moved a muscle. I turned to him.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked him, incredulity in my voice.

Zayn's expression was closed off. Like he didn't want me to read in it what was going on in his head. "I'm not even supposed to be here. I can't get involved," he replies.

"Tell me you're kidding, Zayn. They're hurting him," I snap, a little agitated.

Zayn's eyes leave mine. "Maybe you should stay as well".

I laugh unamused. "Not gonna happen," I argue. To this, Zayn's gaze returns to mine swiftly. Fire burned in them. He looks like he wants to protest. "I owe him... and he's my friend," I add. This effectively shuts him up. He doesn't say whatever he had been prepared to say and just looks away.

"Go then," he mutters.

I look at him for a few more seconds, noting that he's upset. I didn't want him to be. But it's Frederick we're talking about. He's saved my life more than once. I can't just let him suffer whatever fate the fey had thought up for him. So I turned my back on Zayn, and marched out of the room with Harry by my side.

As we're taking turns, passing by corridors and finding our way outside, I look at Harry.

"What exactly happened?" I ask.

Harry doesn't say anything first, but then he sighs. "He was upset when Zayn got here. We were with you in the room when he showed up and Frederick couldn't seem to stand the idea of being in the same room with him, so he left. After a while, I went after him, but by the time I found him, he had gotten in trouble already. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm assuming he picked a fight with somebody. Fire Wardens have crappy tempers, if you hadn't noticed by now". I smiled at Harry's last comment. But the smile wavered and vanished quickly. Frederick hated being around Zayn and I didn't blame him. I don't have any siblings, but if I did, I wouldn't care much for the person who took their life.

"I can't blame him," is all I say out loud. As we're walking across snow covered fields of grass, I feel Harry's gaze on me. I don't look at him though, I keep staring straight ahead.

"He finally told you didn't he?" he asks.

I say nothing at first, though I knew what he meant.

"He feels responsible for my parents death," I finally say. The words taste bitter in my mouth.

"Do you think he is?" Harry asks in return.

"I," I pause, "right now I don't know". I glance at my moving feet as I walk. "It just seems like people around him always end up getting hurt".

Harry mulls over what I said. "You're right. But consider this. Too much weight has been dropped on his shoulders. I think he's done the best he could given the circumstances".

"Do you really believe that?" I ask.

"I do. Zayn has done more good than he realizes. He's just stuck on the things that went wrong instead".