Sage LeClair

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

The break was officially over and everyone had returned back to Hogwarts. I was out of the hospital wing days before anybody returned, and I spent a few days after I got released with Mercy in the hospital wing. We messed around and talked, and after she got released, we would hang out in the library and talk or read, but after everyone returned, we said our farewells, and promised to get together soon. 

Before everyone came back though, I had went back to the common room. I had too, after all, that's where my bed is. The night I went back was like facing a nightmare that I never wanted to see again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I faltered at the door, unable to answer the simple riddle that the door had given. I realized that I was shaking, running my fingers along the deep marks in my arm where I had torn at my skin that night. Yeah, I was pretty angry, but when Madame Pomfrey offered to me to remove them, I refused. I would keep them there as a mark of my bitterness towards my family.

Eventually, I answered the riddle and entered the common room. I found the book laying on a table, carefully closed and dusted off. I picked it up, and put it into the bookshelf. It would be gone soon, as the shelf is constantly replenishing itself with new books. If anyone did happen to pick it up, then they would just have some missing pages.

 I went back up to my bed, and laid my head back on the pillow Quinn had made me, and I felt Hecate curl up on my chest, purring. I ran my hands through her soft, midnight black fur, as I picked up the photo album from John, flipping through a few pages, and smiling. I popped one of the cookies that he had sent me into my mouth. It was heavenly. I placed the album down on my bedside table, and drifted off to sleep, my parents completely out of my mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But as John, Quinn, and Topaz came running to greet me, it was like that entire night hadn't existed. It was like I was living in black and white, and the moment I saw them coming towards me, everything lit up in colour. I hugged John tightly, and then embraced Quinn and Topaz, my entire body alive. Topaz was pulled away by some of her Gryffindor friends, and waved goodbye to us. John, Quinn and I began making our way to the Ravenclaw common room, John and Quinn talking about their Christmas break. We enter the common room, both of them telling their adventures and stories. They both have some much joy and cheerfulness when they talk about their family. I drop my eyes when John asks the fated question.

"What did you do over break Sage?"

" I..I.. just kinda... h-hung out around t-the school. N-not much really..." I manage to stutter out, my fingers subconsciously tracing the scars hidden under my sleeves. 

"Huh, okay. We really did feel bad about not being here with you! We loved your presents though!" said John, smiling at me. But I can see it in his eyes, he knows something is up.

"Yeah, I did Sage. That notebook was absolutely beautiful! Mmm the smell of fresh parchment... my favourite." said Quinn in her warm voice, smiling at the memory.

"Yes, my ukulele is awesome!" exclaimed John, "I played it quite a bit, but Mum made me leave it home." 

We talked for a while about the normal stuff, and then we started on the homework that had been assigned for Christmas break. Nobody really did the homework until the last minute, unless you were like Quinn, who had probably finished it the first day we got it. While John and I scurried to finish the work, Quinn read a book about Spells, and occasionally peeked up over the brim, looking at us with a face of amusement. Eventually after a few hours, and some help from Quinn, we were finished.