In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter XCVI: Runs in the Family

HARRY:

Lucy folded up her piece of parchment into a tiny square and slipped it into her backpack, blinking quickly to clear the moisture in her eyes. When I glanced away, I realized I wasn't the only one watching her. Neville was staring, too, an odd expression on his face.

Suddenly, the compartment door banged open, and blond curls streaked past me, followed quickly by a sleek black ponytail.

"Lav," Lucy gasped, pushing herself to her feet and hugging Lavender Brown, then Parvati Patil.

"You're so tall!" Lavender gushed, now having to look up slightly to meet Lucy's eyes.

Lucy's pale cheeks flushed a bit. "Taller, at least."

"Do you really have your dog?" Parvati asked in a stage whisper, eyeing the basket.

Lucy blushed harder and nodded. "I reckoned you two might want to meet him."

She knelt and lifted the top off, and a black and white flash of fur appeared. He immediately bolted for the open door, but Ginny jumped up just in time and slid it shut.

"Thanks, Gin," Lucy said, sighing with relief. "He's... a tad energetic. Being cooped up in that basket..." She shook her head just as he indignantly shoved his nose against her chest. "Hey, it's not my fault. Now go be social, you have new people to meet."

She shoved him away and toward Lavender and Parvati, who were already giggling uncontrollably as they tried to get him to sit still long enough to be pet. Neville got down on the floor of the compartment, too, and Tuck darted toward him, nearly knocking him over.

Lucy's expression faltered, and tears sparkled in her eyes again.

"What is it?" I asked in a voice only she could hear, gently taking her by the arm and pulling her back up onto the seat next to me.

"It's just..." She swallowed hard, then answered in a whisper, "The morning Cedric and I left for school, last summer, Tuck was... something like this. He barreled into Cedric's room and just kept licking Cedric's face over and over and over and over. He'd never been quite so affectionate before, and he hasn't been since. It was like..." She shook her head. "It was as if he knew, somehow. Which is ridiculous, but..." Tears glistened in her eyes once again, and she hurriedly swiped them away. "Some nights, Tuck would just whine at Cedric's door. I would try to get him to come to bed with me, but he would lie down in front of Cedric's door and refuse to move."

Tuck barked happily, then ran a couple of laps around the compartment before running back to the middle and letting Lavender and Parvati and Neville to pet him. Ginny made her way over to Luna and read The Quibbler over her shoulder. Lucy turned to look out the window, and I could tell her mind was distant even though she was right next to me.

Lavender and Parvati left with the food trolley came, and Neville asked if he could keep Tuck entertained rather than returning him to the confines of the basket. Lucy glanced away from the window only long enough to smile a bit and say Tuck would like that. She said she wasn't hungry when I offered her a Chocolate Frog, which I doubted was true since she hadn't eaten very much at breakfast. I wanted to protest, but she returned her attention to the hills rolling by outside the window.

Ron, on the other hand, announced "I'm starving!" upon his arrival, Hermione just behind him. Lucy slid over to the window, away from me, and rested her head against the glass, and Ron quickly took the space that had been created between the two of us. Hermione settled on my other side.

She huffed. "Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House. Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" Ron asked, biting the head off a Chocolate Frog.