Begged and borrowed time - Tom Riddle

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏

Summer had arrived, and the reencounter between Harry and August after that night in the infirmary was, to say the least, peculiar. Potter's habitual stutter had made a return in her presence, and she found herself unable to sustain eye contact with him for more than a few seconds before her freckles transformed into a telltale blush on her cheeks.

Lying on her back in her familiar room, her dirty blonde hair flowing over the edge of the bed like golden waterfalls, August couldn't help but wonder if this awkwardness was the reason behind Harry's silence throughout the summer.

"What do you think, Jim?" she asked her Niffler, who was engrossed in chewing on some sort of coin. He looked at her with absent-minded curiosity at the mention of his name. "Should we try our luck today?"

The girl got out of bed, using wandless magic to open her wardrobe, and then proceeded to put on a jacket for their little adventure. Fumbling in her pocket, she retrieved an old silver chain, toying with it in front of Jim until he noticed. "Do you want to come with me?"

Without hesitation, the Niffler stashed away the coin he had been playing with into his pocket and scampered over to her. August opened the door from her room, concealed within the castle's walls. Before she could blink, the chain had been yanked from her grasp, and she watched in surprise as he darted down the labyrinthine corridors of the ancient castle.

August made her way up to the owlery, the spiral staircase leading her to the quiet tower. As she reached the owls, she selected the couple of parchment letters for her, her nimble fingers sliding effortlessly across the paper. With a twinkle in her eye, she reached into a small sack of coins, the jingling sound resonating in the otherwise quiet space. The Niffler was quick to abandon his current obsession-a shiny ring-and scurried over to her, his eager eyes locked onto the promise of a shiny object.

On her journey back to her room, she couldn't resist the temptation to open the first letter. It was from Rosier. He had at least shown the decency to write to her and respond to her letters, but the warmth that once characterized their correspondence had faded. His words were short and devoid of the usual affection, focusing solely on her summer experiences. It was as if someone was watching over his shoulder as he wrote, or perhaps even composing the letters for him.

Given the reputation of the Rosier family, Flamel couldn't help but assume that strict family rules were to blame for his distant tone.

The second letter, however, held no sender's name, and as August cautiously opened it, she was greeted with a colorful explosion. Two small fireworks burst to life, painting the room in vibrant hues, while a downpour of confetti rained down upon her. August couldn't help but break into a smile, recognizing the mischievous signature of two twins.

In this second letter, the mischievous Weasley twins explained that they, too, had not heard from Harry all summer. August's heart skipped a beat as she read those words, her thoughts racing through the worst-case scenarios that might have befallen Potter during his absence.

After a brief account of their own summer adventures and a generous sprinkle of jokes, the twins extended an inviting offer to August. They proposed that she spend what little time remained of the summer with them at The Burrow, where they could collectively devise a plan to locate and check on the whereabouts of the green-eyed wizard.

However, just as she reached the end of the letter, a sudden movement in the corner of her eye sent her heart racing, and she gasped, taking a startled step back.

"Headmaster..."

The sight of Albus Dumbledore in the room had taken her by surprise. His silver hair and half-moon spectacles lent him an aura of wisdom, while his soft chuckle revealed his gentle demeanour.