THE SHADOW PATH ⎯ james potter

[046]

chapter forty-six:

one day you won't be

Ellie lay on her back in the dimly lit dormitory, staring up at the ceiling. 

The sounds of Charlotte's soft breathing and Dorcas's faint snoring filled the room, creating a sense of stillness that contrasted sharply with the storm of emotions swirling inside her. 

She hadn't been able to sleep since returning from the Shadow Path—Barty's terrified face haunted her thoughts.

The image of him, trapped and helpless in that twisted world of shadows, wouldn't leave her mind. 

His voice, desperate and broken, echoed in her ears. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his hand, reaching out, only to be pulled back into the darkness. 

She felt useless. Powerless. 

What kind of friend was she if she couldn't even save him?

Quietly, careful not to wake the others, Ellie turned to her side and reached into the drawer of her bedside table. Her fingers brushed against the familiar cool metal of a small object—a miniature broomstick keychain.

James had given it to her for Christmas a couple of years ago, back when their friendship was simpler, before her feelings for him had grown so tangled and complicated. 

It had been a playful gift, something he'd probably chosen without much thought, but it had meant the world to her.

Now, as she held it in her hand, the tiny broomstick glimmered faintly in the moonlight filtering through the window. 

Ellie rolled it between her fingers, feeling the smooth edges, and sighed. The weight of everything felt heavier tonight—the missing wizards, the shadows, Barty. 

And then, there was James. 

Always James.

She thought of him, how he had looked at her earlier after she returned from the Shadow Path. 

His eyes had been filled with so much concern, but there was something else there too, something she hadn't been able to place. 

The way he had rushed to her side, how he had watched her so intently. 

Ellie wondered if he could see right through her, if he knew how deeply she cared about him—how badly she wanted to be closer to him, even though she felt like she could never say it.

Her thumb traced the edge of the tiny broomstick as she thought back to all the times James had made her laugh, all the times they'd spent together. 

He was always there for her, but tonight... tonight she wished more than anything that she could find comfort in his presence.

But she couldn't focus on that right now, not with Barty still missing. 

She clenched the keychain tightly in her hand and closed her eyes, as if holding onto it could somehow ground her. 

She needed to find a way to save him. She couldn't let the shadows take him—not after everything they'd already been through.

With a heavy sigh, Ellie tucked the keychain under her pillow and curled up beneath the covers. 

She knew sleep wouldn't come easily, but she allowed herself a small moment of comfort, clutching the memory of James's gift close to her heart.

She would figure this out. For Barty. For all of them.