𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟏𝟏𝟗 - 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐨

𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙, 𝙊𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 since his being admitted into the Hospital Wing and to say he was worried was beyond an understatement, he was anxious to speak to her or just see her at all.

He had thought she might've been inclined to use the invisibility cloak to come see him and without the Marauder's Map he couldn't tell if she had even been near enough to take a peek, all he had received from her was a handmade honey cake with a small tag saying "Get Well Soon, love Phee" and he had turned it over countless times to see if she had hidden a letter, even holding up the paper casing the cake was placed in into the light to see if she had snuck a secret message but nothing.

Come the morning he and Ron were discharged from the Hospital Wing he was expecting Ophelia to be there with open arms waiting to hug him and he was hurt to find the corridor deserted apart from a few straggling first years, he began to get a sinking feeling that perhaps this was on purpose.

"Mate they probably just thought it was going to be after breakfast," said Ron encouragingly though he didn't seem entirely convinced by his own words, "Come on, we should head down there now and see them both."

"You don't think she knows about the elves do you?" said Harry quietly as they turned onto a seventh-floor corridor that was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying, the girl remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.

"I swear they're getting smaller," he said.

"Never mind her," said Harry, a little impatiently. "You don't think Dobby told her do you?"

"I don't know," said Ron, "Have you asked him?"

Harry shook his head, "I should probably go down to the kitchens and see him and Kreacher, see if they know anything yet."

"Or you could go down there and tell them to stop stalking Malfoy, y'know before Phee catches on that you went behind her back." said Ron in a murmur to make sure the passing fourth years didn't overhear him, Harry shot him a disgruntled look, "You already know I don't agree with it, so you can imagine the girls' opinions on the matter--"

Suddenly a voice behind them called, "Harry!" giving him an excuse to turn his back on her.

"Oh, hi, Luna. "

"I went to the hospital wing to find you," said Luna, rummaging in her bag. "But they said you'd left. . . "

She thrust what appeared to be a green onion, a large spotted toadstool, and a considerable amount of what looked like cat litter into Ron's hands, finally pulling out a rather grubby scroll of parchment that she handed to Harry.

". . . I've been told to give you this. "

It was a small roll of parchment, which Harry recognized at once as another invitation to a lesson with Dumbledore.

"Tonight," he told Ron once he had unrolled it.

"Nice commentary last match!" said Ron to Luna as she took back the green onion, the toadstool, and the cat litter. Luna smiled vaguely.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" she said. "Everyone says I was dreadful. "

"No, I'm serious!" said Ron earnestly. "I can't remember enjoying commentary more! What is this, by the way?" he added, holding the onionlike object up to eye level.