The Little Lightning Girl

19-A Vision of Hope

I landed in the lobby of St. Mungo's, where a welcome witch cast a spell to clean my clothes. Rose and Kaley weren't far behind me.

Together, the three of us rode the elevator to the third floor where Alana's room had been for the past few months. I wondered, briefly, if it felt like months had passed for Alana. I'd read that people in comas often interpret time differently, and I wondered if that was the case now.

Still, her hair had grown even longer and her previously hollowed face was fuller than before. A glance at the doctor's chart beside her bed told me that she had grown an inch. The chart also showed other changes in muscle density and such. I handed the chart to Rose in case she wanted to see it and sat down on the right side of the bed.

"Alana, you're sure taking your sweet time with this coma. Aren't you sick of it yet?"

"James!" Rose scolded me.

I shrugged, "What? I'd be sick of it. Plus, they say it's good to talk to her, she might actually be able to hear us."

I turned back to my unconscious friend, "So, Sparky, you're really missing out on Quidditch this year, we're gonna have a really solid team. Everyone misses you and your constant nagging, and absolutely no one misses you being more productive than the rest of us combined. Sorry for the teasing devushka, I'm just trying to make this better for you, and for us. I miss you, I wish I could talk to you for real."

Rose had taken up a seat on the opposite side of the bed and I noticed her holding Alana's hand in a deathgrip, "This chart says you've finally got an ass, looks like Kaley and I owe you ten sickles."

I snorted, "You made a bet on whether she'd get a bigger ass?"

"No," Kaley interrupted from the foot of the bed, "We bet on who'd get one first."

I shook my head. I'd never thought about how close these girls were, but if they made bets like that, they were just like me and my boys. We'd bet on some ridiculous things over the years too. Alana, Rose, and Kaley had been practically inseparable ever since their Sorting in first year, I should have known how deep their friendship would be.

"So, little miss sunshine, we're thinking of taking a vacation next summer, cause you'll for sure be awake by then," Rose continued, "and we figured... Hawaii. You can show us around and teach Kaley and me how to surf, she's gonna suck but you know I'll be fine."

Kaley elbowed Rose, "You wanna bet? A Galleon says I stand up on that board before you."

Rose snorted, "A Galleon? In your dreams. It'll be the ten sickles, as usual."

Kaley rolled her eyes, "Fine."

"You hear that, Alana? She agreed."

"Cause I'm gonna win."

The determination on Kaley's face made me believe her, but Rose quickly countered, "Like hell you will."

I laughed at their antics, but when they turned to look at me, I quickly shut up. They were serious about these bets, if the murder in their eyes was any indication. I lifted my hands in surrender, "Sorry, I didn't know you were serious."

"Deadly serious! If we don't bet on these things, the victory wouldn't be nearly as dramatic."

And there was the Weasley temper.

A mediwitch, the same one as always, came into the room and smiled at the three of us huddled around Alana's bed, "Hello, children. Good to see you."

We all nodded and spoke in unison, "Hi, Candice."

"She's still looking good, all things considered. The only thing keeping her in a coma is her, so wish her well."

We all turned back to Alana and looked at her. I wondered if she knew we were here. The mediwitch must be an idiot because of course we were wishing her well. There was literally nothing else we could do for our friend. She'd been this way for almost nine months now, and the world was moving on without her. But I couldn't seem to move on.