A Letter 2 Years Late

Chapter 22 - Hope

Thirty-six days left.

I was beginning to think summer would never come at this rate. I still haven't gotten a reply from anyone and it's really bugging me. I should be focusing on exams but instead, I just stare out the window waiting for an owl to come flying in.

"Tressa are you paying attention to me?" I blinked and looked up to where Rose was waving her fork of food in front of my face.

"Sorry what did you?" I grumbled. I picked up my fork and played around with my untouched food before stabbing it with my utensil and shoveling it into my mouth. I looked at Rose expectantly but she simply glared at me.

"I said, have you been studying for your finals? There is a lot to review, especially since this is your first year here," Rose said concerningly.

I swallowed what was in my mouth and scoffed; "Of course I have,"

Rose however, wasn't buying it. She stared at me with that piercing look of hers.

"We're going to the library after classes today. No, you don't have a choice, I will drag you screaming and kicking if I have to," She said menacingly, before adding in a sickly sweet voice, "See you guys later!"

And then she was off, skipping out the Great Hall with her books in hand and her ponytail bouncing up and down with her.

"Well good luck, you're gonna be at the library all night," Kaitlin laughed. I groaned and picked up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. Just what I needed, an all nighter in the middle of the week. This wasn't going to kill me at all.

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

I was walking through the dark halls of the stone walled dungeon, on my way to potions class. I had stepped in not a moment too soon as Professor Forester burst right in behind me. I frantically looked around for a spot to sit and noticed Scopius motion for me to take the seat next to him. I smiled and grabbed the seat, pulling out the necessary materials for the class.

Abby, who sat in front of me with Kaitlin and Karen, leaned back and whispered;

"Something's up with Forester,"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

The twins and Scorpius leaned to listen too. I could see from the corner of my eyes that Penelope was staring at us oddly and Cecilia was feigning hurt for not being included in the conversation. I smiled a little at that.

"Look, something seems off," Abby explained, or at least tried and failed to.

"I don't get it," Scorpius deadpanned.

"Look carefully, it's like he's been sleep deprived and worried as hell,"

"Funny how you would notice and we didn't," Kaitlin replied.

"Yeah I was just talking to him yesterday! What do you think could it be?" Karen added.

"I don't know but something's bothering him and I have a strange feeling tha-" But poor Abby was cut off mid-sentence as Professor Forester spoke up to begin the lesson. It took about ten minutes for Professor Forester to assign a new potion and return to his desk without another word.

"That was a short explination, not even a 'if you require help, you may come to me as long as it is a valid question and not a stupid one'," Cecilia remarked, showing up beside me.

"Yeah, I was just telling them how something seems up," Abby said, not bothering to turn away from her cauldron.

Cecilia nodded in agreement and returned to her cauldron to start her potion. I opened my potions book and began to brew my confusing concoction. Half way through the class, while i awaited for my potion to thicken, Scorpius turned to me and spoke up;