Forever, I Promise

Gillyweed

The cold winter air stung my face as I walked along the bridge, stopping, at last, to peer out at the lingering morning fog settled over the black lake. The mist clung to my eyelashes, condensing into small droplets. Harry stood a few spaces over, dew glittering in his tousled hair, and Hermione and Ron arguing amongst themselves farther ahead, Hermione stomping further away every few minutes.

"How many days now?" I asked, looking out the opening in the wall.

"Twenty-six." Harry paused, leaning on the ledge next to me. "Longer than usual. And fifteen until the second task," he put his head in his hands, "for which I have no idea what I'm going to do."

"That is longer than usual," I replied, choosing to focus on his first comment. "Do you think he's all right?"

"Oh, I'm sure," Harry muttered, head still in his hands. "He's just so busy. So much to do. No time for letter writing." That earned a smile from me. He picked up his head and I saw a faint smile etched onto his lips.

"Padfoot always writes back, Harry. Always. Even when we don't think he will." He nodded, the ghostly smile vanishing.

"I just wish he would do it more." He turned around, putting his hands on the ledge and leaning his lower back against it. I moved to look at him. He peered over at Ron and Hermione, who rolled her eyes, unaware of her audience. "What do you think they're talking about? How pretty Krum is?"

I chuckled. "Probably homework. Ron's been dreadfully bad lately. I don't think he's done a single assignment." Harry smiled. "We should write to Molly." He laughed a little and warmth spread through my chest. He needed to laugh. He needed to stop worrying. But that wasn't like him.

"Have you gotten any letters?" He said it nonchalantly, almost as if it were teatime and we were talking about the weather.

I bristled a little as he looked at Ron and Hermione. "No," I sighed at last. "Not yet." He glanced at me and squeezed my hand on the ledge.

"She'll write. I know she will." I nodded and he looked back at the not-couple couple ahead of us.

My mother was the 'she' in question. We didn't always get along and, despite my father's pleas, she refused to show any maternal love. She was ice cold and rock hard. And she wanted me to be just like her.

"Well, what are we going to do?" I changed the subject. "Have you looked at any spells, or... or anything? Anything at all?" He rubbed his glasses with his shirt sleeve. He bit his lip in thought.

"Not really." He glanced my way and I tried not to show any concern or disappointment. Blank face, Rue, I told myself. You were raised for this. "I mean, not that I haven't tried. I went to the library the other day, it's just..." His voice cracked. "I just..." he trailed off. "I don't know. Have you looked at all?"

Hope glimmered in his eyes. Maybe I would know, maybe I could save him. Have the answers.

"Yeah, I looked. For awhile actually." He cracked his neck, looking closer at me. "But nothing." He deflated. Visibly. The air leaving his chest and the faith pulsing out of his pores. "Not yet," I added. "Harry, we can do this. Ok? We'll figure it out."

"Yeah," Harry glanced over at our friends ahead of us, "Yeah, I know."

***

The greenhouse was oddly quiet. Maybe because of the recent cold front that had hit Hogwarts. All of the creatures and plants that were usually ear-shattering were quietly chirping to themselves. And thank God the mandrakes had matured, they were beginning to get on my nerves with their teenage moans and groans.

Neville stood beside me as I sat on a dusty stool, pouring over my newest library find. He was carefully clipping the leaves of a poisonous cowbane plant, setting them aside for Professor Sprout. After a group of Doxies had been set loose in the third-floor corridor by the infamous Weasley twins, students were getting bitten and had to go to the hospital wing. Not only was the prank unoriginal (it had happened once before in 1988), it also caused terrible pains that lasted weeks for those bitten. They could only be treated with Doxycide, which just so happened to be out of stock everywhere. Very convenient.