Hogwarts: The Enchanted Chalice - BOOK 4 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

7: The Yule Ball

The next morning, Nico got a package full of sweets.

'Look! My mum bought me these!' he said, waving a chocolate frog about.

I dropped the piece of toast I was holding and went pale. I remembered now. something I had pushed out of my mind. Too much had come to light since then, I hadn't had time to fully comprehend it. My mum was dead.

'Molly?' he said, looking concerned.

I stood up and ran out the hall. Josh stood up at the Slytherin table and followed me. He caught up with me and put a hand on my shoulder. I flinched at the suddenness and moved away before sighing. I had to trust him, he was putting his reputation on the line to take me to the Yule Ball. He wouldn't do that if he didn't truly feel something for me.

'What's wrong?' he asked and I turned around and hugged him.

He hugged me back and kissed my forehead. I looked up to him with tearful eyes. I could tell him, I could trust him. He cared about me, I had known he was a kind person since we met on the train in first year. I could speak to him about this, he wouldn't judge me.

'The reason I left on Hallowe'en was... they found my mum,' I looked down at my hands, 'She died when I was with her...'

'Oh... I'm so sorry,' he said and hugged me even tighter.

I cried into his shoulder. I didn't know why I was so upset. I hated her. Maybe it was just to do with everything that had come to light. My emotions had got the best of me, but the shock of the revelations must have got to me. From becoming a werewolf to remembering my past to realising the person I was terrified of now was my godfather. It was becoming too much.

At that moment, Hermione came in. She gasped and we stopped hugging.

'Hermione...' I said, my eyes widening. Nico would kill me, the Slytherins would kill Josh. This was going to end badly.

'I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to!' she said and I nodded, 'And... I'm only going to tell you this because I trust you...'

I nodded again. I knew I could trust Hermione to keep quiet, but I was still surprised she would trust me with a secret she was clearly struggling with.

'I'm going to the Yule Ball with Victor Krum,' she looked down and walked away.

I stared after her in shock. Josh hugged me again and then we walked to class. I had Transfiguration and he had Potions so we said goodbye. I felt like a huge weight was off my chest, but I had still kept so much from him. I would have to tell him before it went much further, it wasn't fair to keep my condition secret from him. If he hated me, fair enough. If he told everyone, it was my own fault for being too trusting. But I couldn't live with myself if I kept this secret, I couldn't have a relationship based on lies.

I received my first potion from Snape right on time. He had come to the common room and waited outside for me at our arranged time, and I quickly grabbed it and headed back in, thanking him quietly.

Nico stared at me as I paced the room, waiting until it was safe to leave.

'Aren't you going to drink that?' he eventually asked and I paused.

'No... I'm giving it to Remus, he needs it more than me,' I said quietly.

'Remus will never accept it if it means you aren't taking it,' Nico scolded me, 'So drink up.'

'That's why I'm going to lie. I've got to go send it now, or it will be too late,' I headed for the portrait hole but Nico followed me out. I ignored his presence and headed straight for the Owlery, pulling out my parchment and a quill.