ᕼᑌᖇᖇIᑕᗩᑎᗴ ʰᵃʳʳʸ ᵖᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

𝟎𝟗

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𝟎𝟗.
Mysterious gifts

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Ivy's return in the castle was very confused. Harry and her walked through the tunnel in silence. He killed her mother. That thought was stuck in her mind and didn't leave her for the rest of the night.

Ron and Hermione watched the two nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what they'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them.

When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. Ivy ran into her dormitory, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was empty.

She got on the window sill and looked at the stars, as she did whenever the pain was harder to bear. She looked at those dots of light, so far from her, from her worries. She put her head on the wall behind her and kept her eyes fixed on the moon.

In time like this she wished to have some photos to look at. Photos where her parents were happy, where she was still too young to understand. She had nothing. Not a photo of her mother, a memory of her father.

A crack from the door made her turn to it. Hermione entered the dormitory, a bit hesitant. She stopped at the door, ready to leave if Ivory wanted to stay alone, but the girl smiled reassuringly and Hermione walked towards her.

"I'm sorry"  Hermione whispered truthfully. She loved her best friend and it pained her to see her like this.

Ivory got off the sail and Hermione opened her arms. Ivory blew into her arms, finding comfort in her best friend.

Hermione caressed her head gently while she hugged her, keeping her broken pieces together.

"What if I'm like him?" Ivory spoke her doubts.

"You're nothing like him, Ivy. You're sweet and good. Blood doesn't define us" Hermione comforted her and Ivory was so grateful to have her.

Hermione guided her towards her bed and made her lay. She lay with her too, keeping her arms around the little Black and the two fell asleep together.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

"Harry, you look terrible." Ivory said as soon as he entered the common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, and Ivory and Hermione, who had spread their homework over three tables.

"Thanks, Rory" Harry said sarcastically and Ivory winked at him.

"Always a pleasure"

"Where is everyone?" said Harry looking around.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to Ivory. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry.