✔️ 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓&𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 → 𝑓. 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

30 | A B S E N C E

•••

and without you is how I disappear.
•••

   Three weeks since Fred and George had left and there was not one single letter. Not one sign. Three weeks.

   "You know it's probably Umbridge holding the letters back", Draco muttered at her, as Lynnea was once more staring up at the daily owls high up the ceiling. But she couldn't take her eyes off them. "Gosh, Bailey, stop it! You're a Slytherin, we don't whine about nonsense like that. And now get your lazy ass up, we have a test to take!"

   Lynnea let out a deep sigh and stared into Draco's stealth grey eyes. "You're right. Of course you're right. Let's ... let's just go."

   Three weeks nothing happened. She was waiting for Pansy to strike, she was observing Draco for any hints he knew more than he should, but really nothing happened, and Draco turned out to be the last remaining person whose nearness she could take. It was of course nice to spend time with Tracey and Daphne as well, but somehow Draco seemed to understand all those things the two girls would just shrug off, and since Lynnea heared them talking about Fred most probably had already forgotten about Lynnea and found someone new, she kinda avoided them.

   "Hey Lynn, how're exams going?", Harry said, catching up with her after taking the Divination test.

   "Oh, I failed so damn hard", Lynnea laughed nervously. Since Umbridge had blown up the DA they had barely talked to each other. "Told the auditor his wife would get triplets because Jupiter is standing parallel to Venus in June, just to look up from the christal ball straight into Meduslalem's face." But despite of that, OWLs didn't go that bad at all. The first week had passed rapidly, and there now were just two exams left, Astronomy tonight, and History of Magic by tomorrow.

   "Hey Ron", Lynea added, turning to the ginger. "Have you heard anything from ... you know ..." She slightly blushed and bit her lip.

   "Fred and George?", Ron suggested. "No. We haven't heard anything from anyone lately."

   "Umbridge is controlling the owls", Harry softly spoke. "Sirius isn't answering as well, and I don't dare to write him. Don't break your head, I guess Fred wrote you tons of letters, but toadface has any singe one of them."

   With a sigh Lynnea tried to crack a smile. After a short talk she returned to her dorm. Just two more days and those stupid exams would be finally over. Lynnea could hardy wait for it. For now she just wanted to lay down for a while, as she was about to get a real bad headache. She was jealous with all those blessed souls that had nothing to worry about at the moment but OWLs. Lynnea's head was about to burst, and she couldn't imagine anyone who even almost felt the same big bunch of crap. But at least it seemed like Pansy was too stuck with her exams as well, so Lynnea had one thing less to worry about. But the way she looked at Lynnea from time to time send shivers down the girl's spine.

   Reaching the dorm she wanted nothing but to throw herself on the cozy four poster bed, but noticed an envelope on the emerald green sheets. Written in a scrawly handwriting was her name on top of it. Her heartbeat fastened as she liftet the parchment with trembling fingers and opened it.

   Hey Bails,

   I'm sorry I didn't write for such a long time, I was pretty busy with the shop. Also I wasn't sure how to be able to send you letters without getting caught by Umbridge. But now I think I found a way, and if you're reading this, it obviously worked.

   But still I can't tell you everything I want in this letter, also I miss you badly and need to see you. I know you have a break between your exams on Tuesday, Ron told me, so I thought I could visit you. Of course I can't come up to school, thanks to old toadface, but maybe you could come down to the ground's gate at 7 p.m.? I hope you received the letter and I'll see you soon.

   Yours,

   Fred

   Her heart threatened to jump right out of her chest. First she threw a gaze at her watch. It was almost seven. If she'd go now, she'd make it in time. But then she stared back at the letter. This was Fred's writing, of that she was sure.

   "Stop being that paranoid!", she hissed at herself, and before she could waste another thought about it, she shoved the letter into the pocket of her robe and went back into the Great Hall. It was empty, everyone was having dinner now. Stepping on the grounds she fastened her steps down the hill, passing Hagrid's hut and then started to run the last about five hundred meters to the huge gate that was flanked by the two stone hogs.

   "Fred?", she whispered, wrapping her fingers around the cold stealthy rods. "Fred, are you here?" No answer came when she listened into the silence of the dusk. The sun was about to set, painting the sky red and purple. There wasn't even the slightest noise. But maybe ... maybe she couldn't see him. Maybe this was part of the protection spells of Hogwarts. She didn't know a lot about them, even though she tried reading 'Hogwarts - A History' for more than once, she never made it far into this book.

   She opened the door, it loudly scratched over the ground, so she threw a last gaze over her shoulder to make sure nobody was watching her, then she stepped out. Half she was expecting that Umbridge would jump out of one of the bushes to punish her or finally kick her out. The door crushed back into its locket, Lynnea jerked around. This has devinitely not been her best idea. Maybe she should return to the castle, seemed like Fred wouldn't come. He might was too busy or took the wrong date, or Ron told him the wrong -

   "Ron ..." She froze, her body fully alarmed now. How could she have been that dumb? Ron couldn't have told Fred the date! It was not even two hours ago that Ron told him he hadn't heard anything from Fred and George ever since they left!

   With a fast movement she was back at the gate, when suddenly cold hands laid over her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, before it fell and fell, as her brain refused its service.

   "Surprise, darling", a raspy voice whispered into her ear. Immediately she twirled around, trying to reach for her wand. "Has no one told you it's dangerous to linger outside all alone? There're a lot of bad guys out here just waiting for cute little girls like you." And between his fingers he played with her wand like it was a chopstick, with an amused expression on his face he watched the color leaving Lynnea's skin.