Lost in spells and shadows

Chapter 28: A gamekeeper's tale

A few weeks had passed and it certainly was much more longer than Adelaide anticipated. Whenever she was not in classes, she was studying or playing her Violin and reading. Sometimes, with Sarah, Alice and Lily's begging she would join them on their outings but she would return back soon to her own space. She made sure to check on her sisters and they were not faring that much better but they were healing little by little, something that Adelaide was failing to see that would happen to her as well.

It was finally their first ever trip to Hogsmeade, and after giving their permission slips to Mcgonagall, Sarah, Alice and Adelaide walked up to shops, checking on Zonko's joke shop and Honeydukes.
Adelaide bought some special candies for younger siblings. Edmund would definitely like these sour ones. She said while she bought some of the sour candies from the nearby stand. All in all, she bought some cauldron cakes, cheering cherry tart(something that she really needed these days), crystallised pineapple, chocolate balls and some no-melt ice cream. Though most of them were for her Helena and Edmund, since even with the greatest will power she didn't have the appetite and the need to eat something would make her feel nauseous.

"My wallet is definitely crying blood, now." Alice remarked as she carried a heavy bag full of Honeydukes' products.

"Oh wait, i need to buy some new quills and papers, please wait here." Sarah said as she dashed inside a shop.

"It's nice finally having you here with us, i felt as if you wouldn't come today." Alice suddenly spoke.

"Well, i promised Helena and Edmund that i would come and buy something for them."

"Ah, so you mean that it wasn't for us that you came here." Alice was looking annoyed now.

"No, well, i'm here am i not?" Everyday was a chore for Adelaide, every passing breath was a challenge itself and she was already loosing it. So to be here and not have the urge to return to the castle till now, was something of an achievement.

Thankfully Sarah arrived putting a pause to their conversation. "Let's go to the three broomsticks, shall we?" They were supposed to meet the 4 Gryffindor girl there and it was something that Adelaide was most nervous about. True, when they were even the three of them she still felt withdrawn and drained but perhaps it was because of the larger number of people, whenever they joined them, that made that feeling worse for her.
It's ok. Just get a drink, sit there for a few minutes and then you may go.

They passed the shrieking shack, and Sarah said: "Do you reckon if the ghosts are there now?"

Adelaide nearly coughed at the question, since they didn't know that those «ghosts» were in fact a werewolf, who happened to be Remus. And so she thought that the best course of action was silence, since she didn't want to give her friend away.

"I doubt it. Let's just not get too near it, shall we? I really am not interested in finding it out myself." Alice said dully and made her pace quicker as if the ghost were going to suddenly appear and jump on her.

They reached the three broomsticks and it was already crowded there, full of students. They saw the girls already sitting there, waving their hands at them.
"I'll buy all of our drinks for us. I suppose, since this is our first time here, we can have the famed butter beer, right? 7 butter beers?" Marlene said as she jumped from her chair.

"I want tea, if it's all right." Adelaide said, as she didn't think that she could drink beer after not eating breakfast fast that day. (Since she was playing violin and forgot to go downstairs and if she was going to go to eat something, she would be late, she forwent it.)

"Well, um, ok." Marlene said a bit confused. Then she returned with their drinks, with Lily helping her.

The girls talked excitedly about their trip, while they were surveying the inn for familiar faces. James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, Frank and Somerset were sitting nearby.