Sketchbook ~ A George Weasley Fanfiction

Chapter Seven - The Letter

A letter. My eyes were wistfully locked on the picture on the page. It wasn't drawn especially good or anything, but something about it made my heart pound. I stayed up late last night to finish up a couple drawings. Mostly things I didn't understand; a potion, a graveyard, and a letter. Never once did I draw a letter before I got one, so this one must not be from my family or if it is it must be something important. Maybe somebody died? I don't know who else would write to me. Old friends occasionally do, but the book wouldn't warn me about it.

So, I head to the Owlery (taking my sketchbook with me because Lavender seems to be getting more nosy these days, not that I believe she could ever actually get into it). It's the urge I feel that pulls me there, like ropes were wrapped around my arms and legs tugging me along. A small feeling of ache in the pit of my stomach that can only be satisfied when I understand what the picture means, and once I do it's like the knot unties.

I felt the cold draft from the room before I'd even stepped into it and hugged my sweater even closer to my body. I hadn't noticed him standing there until I walked inside the room, but he had apparently heard me coming and was shoving a letter into his pocket. Harry Potter was probably the last person I was expecting to see standing alone in the Owlery.

"Hi," I said. I've talked to Harry before, sure, but I've never actually been alone with Harry. We'd always been around other groups of people when we'd talked and it was always small exchanges. I had a gut feeling that this time I wasn't going to get out so easily without conversing with the boy who lived.

"Hello," He said, nodding at me, the awkward windowless room growing more awkward. Although, I didn't get much more in before my bird barrelled through the open window, envelope in beak and lands right next to me. I grabbed the envelope from her grasp and gave her the spare treat I had brought. Because I didn't want Harry to see the letter, slipped in between the pages of my sketchbook. I didn't know what it was gonna be, so I didn't want to potentially risk freaking out in front of the Harry Potter nonetheless.

"Good timing," Harry said.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I had a feeling. And also I like to come up here sometimes." Technically neither of those were a lie. I did have a feeling and it is a nice empty place to draw with a great view of the grounds.

"Well, I should probably get going," Harry said. He walks past me and out of the owlery when I feel inclined to do something I don't usually do. Start a conversation.

"Hey, Harry," I said and watch as he turns in his tracks, stopping only a few feet away from me. "I know people aren't saying the best things about after what happened and you being a champion and all, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm on your side and believe that it couldn't be your fault."

I saw him smile slightly at my words. It must be nice knowing that someomes on your side when the whole school seemingly turned against you.

"Hermione told me that you defended me. I appreciate it," He said.

"It's no problem. I'm on your side in all this, it can't be easy," I said and he genuinely looked appreciative and I felt for a small moment that a bit of understanding passed between the two of us. Maybe we could even be good friends.

There I go with getting ahead of myself with the whole friends thing again. Godrick, Paige, not everyone wants to be your friend.

When I moved towards the exit, my sweater sleeve got caught on a nearby post, pulling my arm back and spilling the contents in my hands onto the floor. I grabbed onto the door frame and Harry rushed over and caught my other arm before I fell into my last shred of dignity.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, letting go of my arm once he noticed I was stable.

"Yes," I said, "thank you," but Harry wasn't focused on me anymore. His attention was fixated on something else, staring right at the drawing in my book that lies open on the ground. The drawing of the Graveyard.