chapter forty-four; inside out "Because all you do is breaking people."
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Lucy Reese Collins
I LOOK IN THE MIRROR ADMIRING THE DRESS I AM WEARING. We are getting ready for the New Years Ball at the Lanchester's and I am just hoping that it actually will be fun because everyone will be there. Theo, Charles, Hudson, Nathaniel, Josephine... This is meant to go wrong. I break the stare in the mirror and look at the letter laying on my nightstand. My dads trial will take place in the first week that we are back in Hogwarts again, that's why Mary keeps us both home. I feel anxious about the trial because now that things are rough with Jo, I don't know how she will respond to everything. I play with the letter while reading it over and over again. Child abuse, murder, presumably a death eater...- I close my eyes for a moment. He could get a death sentence for this and that's also why I am scared. I may hate my dad and he may have done horrible things to me, but I can't lose him too. He is still my dad after all.
"Darling, are you-" Mary stops talking when she sees the letter in my hand. She walks towards me and slowly takes it out of my hand. "I know this is hard for you and I am sorry you had to experience all those terrible things and if you don't want to testify, don't do it then. I want to see the man who murdered my husband and son get punished but not if I will lose one of my girls in the process." I smile a bit trying to hide the pain. "Thank you, Mary." She puts the letter back on my nightstand and looks at me. "You look absolutely beautiful, tonight sweetheart." I laugh as I brush my hair behind my ear. "We should go." We both walk downstairs where Jo is already waiting. I get a cold look from her what makes me roll my eyes. I hate fighting with her. We both grab Mary's arm and apparate to the Lanchester's.
~
Later that night Theo and I are walking into a bedroom and he closes the door after. I sit down on the bed and fall backwards. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep fighting with Jo, I can't keep secrets for her and I don't know if I can testify against my dad." I mumbled while looking at the boy who sits down next to me. "Remember how I said that you shouldn't tell her when we were chilling in the courtyard together?" I nod a bit wondering where he wants to go with this. "I changed my mind, you have to tell her, Luce. You can't keep this a secret anymore. It's too big. If you don't tell her, it will hurt you both." I run my hand through my hair and sigh. "I know, but how am I going to tell her this? It has ruined her life." He pulls me up and into a hug. "I know, Luce, but you have to." "I know," I whisper and after we let go of each other. "We should go back, what if they miss us?" I say while looking at the door. "I will go first to give you a minute okay?" "Yes, thank you." "Of course, everything for my best friend." He grins and after he leaves the room. I look around for a moment. On the nightstand, I see a picture we made last year during a Hogsmeade trip. Charles is holding me and on my other side, there is Nathaniel smiling at the camera. Cassius stands next to Charles and Noah next to Nathaniel. We are all laughing and having fun, god I miss those times.
