Love and Black Magic

Chapter Forty-Two: Mandrake

Eternity, this is what time looked like all over Hogwarts, everyone was excited for the start of Quidditch matches, just in a week, except for two people who counted the days to see their friend wake up once and for all.

"So, teacher, when can she wake up?" Lily questioned Master Sprout with Meryl and Minerva accompanying them.

"In eight days, she will be back, the mandrakes are almost ripe," said the teacher as she turned to the plants next to her in the greenhouse.

"Thank you," Lily replied, repressing her happiness at that moment.

Meryl and Lily left the greenhouse, directly to their common room quickly, avoiding the snow that still persisted, turning the surroundings cold and icy. Red and yellow scarves fluttered in the wind while the girls tried to calm them down. They arrived at the Hogwarts grounds and met the aurors who guarded the perimeters of the school garden. They were about fifty magicians, all in a red, green or black robe with the wand in hand, scrutinizing each student with their eyes and although they sometimes intimidated them, these magicians smiled at the students to appear harmless. They passed by a woman who was almost in front of the entrance of the castle and stepped aside to give them a nice step.

They entered the school bluntly and despite the good news Lily was quite depressed.

"Eight days is too much," Lily commented to Meryl.

"There was twenty-two before," the blonde encouraged her. "In addition, Frank Longbottom has received his deserved."

"Good point," Lily said as she removed one of the few posters left against her friend.

"And we've managed to stop putting up more posters since that day, that's a merit," Meryl said quite happily.

"Have he suspected that about us?" The redhead asked, unable to hide a little fear in her voice.

"I doubt it, he should have seen us sitting in the library, and don't be afraid of him, he's just a harmless boy," Meryl replied, confused.

Lily nodded; she couldn't hide that her friend was right. They went up two more floors and entered the painting, they had no choice but to do potions. Lily felt strange, she remembered that Frank used to help them do their homework, but now she only watched them from a distance, totally silent. Meryl noticed Lily seeing Frank and she looked at him menacingly as the boy changed his facial expression to remove himself uncomfortably and then get up, with his notebook and pen, to the boys' bedroom while observing his former friends.

"What was that?" Asked Lily curiously.

"It's a good way to keep it away," Meryl said, releasing a laugh that Lily imitated.

The darkness was covering the common room even though it was lit by some torches and the cozy fireplace where Lily and Meryl worked leaving a small distance between them and the fire.

Meryl gave a yawn which could only prove how tired she was. Classes, although it was something she did not enjoy, fatigued her too much.

"Do you want to go to sleep?" the redhead proposed putting an end to her work that would be delivered in a few hours.

Meryl thought for a moment, her writing, compared to Lily's, was small and insignificant, it lacked many important facts and the size of the paragraphs did not cover even half of the parchment. She sighed and then replied.

"I think it will be the best." She took the pen and returned it to the inkwell and then placed the scroll on her forearm so she could climb all at once, got up from the ground and waited for Lily to follow her.