Tears in Heaven

(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)

Tears In Heaven

Chapter Seven

Emery sunk further under his covers and couldn't seem to stop his shivering. He put a hand over his bare chest where his heart was thumping wildly and felt the warmth emanating from it. The pain welled unbearably and he took his hand away. He looked down and saw the black scorch mark in the shape of a serpent. His eyes filled with tears and he started to hyperventilate.

"Oh god," he whispered in a soft cry, sobs racking his body. "Oh god..."

He heard movement in the next bed. "Emery?" came a soft voice. "Emery, is that you?"

Emery hastily wiped away his tears and pulled his covers back up over his chest. "Yeah," he said back, sniffing slightly.

Tye sat up and went over to peek through his friend's curtains. "What's the matter?" he wondered, his face clouded in concern.

The other boy backed up slowly in his bed and shook his head, still trying to erase any signs of tears - but it didn't matter, Tye already saw them. "Nothing - nothing, I'm fine."

Tye frowned and sat at the edge of his bed. "I don't believe you." He paused. "You never came over during the holidays. I tried sending you owls, but you never replied. What happened?"

Emery averted his gaze and tried to ignore the unbearable pain on his chest. "Nothing happened, just leave it alone, Tye," he said, trying to make his voice firm - it ended up weak and tear-filled.

His friend put a hand on his shoulder and Emery jumped slightly, the covers falling from his grip as he touched his shoulder where a large purple bruise was. Tye's eyes widened as he saw the black serpent on his friend's chest in the moonlight. "Oh god..." he whispered. His eyes wandered back to Emery who had fallen into sobs again. Tye came over and hugged him. "You can tell me, Em - you know you can." The other boy shook his head without words.

"Tye? Emery?" called another voice. "What's happening?" Joey opened up the curtains and looked at his friends. Tye slowly pulled away and met Joey's eyes with a pained expression as if he could feel some of the ache in his other friend. Emery just bit down on his lip and didn't look at either of them. Joey caught sight of the black serpent and felt his eyes widen. "Emery," he whispered. "What happened?"

Emery just shook his head. "It - I just - I just need to sleep on it is all. I'll be okay," he said softly, wiping his tears away.

Tye and Joey just looked at one another for a moment before nodding. "All right then."

The boy closed his curtains of his four poster bed and gingerly lay down. He tried swallowing the lump in his throat and blinked back the next wave of tears that threatened to spill. Anger filled eyes haunted him when he closed his eyes so he just lied there willing himself to stay awake.

~*~

I remember only so little...and the parts of it that I do...well, I couldn't dare share any of those memories with Joey. He's too - innocent for anything like that. He never seems to think that anything bad will happen to him and thinks that the world is safe. I know that it's not and every time I would try to tell him so, he would not listen.

Turning that Death Eater into a stone wasn't a grand idea at all, and I was right - the Slytherin Girl, what was her name? - Oh yeah, Gayle - she knew about it all along. That was how I came to be at the Malfoy mansion. Things can happen in a short amount of time, and things can change...but the changes in me were worse than I could ever have imagined.

I'm no longer me - I can't think straight. There are long periods of time when I don't remember what I'm doing or what happened. When I am conscious of everything, my mind drifts to that time at the mansion...and I seem to fall back into the scene - it's as if I'm reliving it all.

Joey tries to understand - he's desperate to try and help me, but I don't know if he can. He always has the cure for anything that I may have, whether it's humor, or a medicine...he has it - he's like my lifeline. But now...now it's different - I don't think he can help me.

The darkness closes in on me again now, and I'm trying to fight it off. It may be inevitable, but I won't give up fighting it.

~*~

That last day was heartbreaking for Sirius. He kept her in sight the whole day, but any time their eyes would meet; it was devastating for his heart. There was such hurt in her eyes and the expression of deep sadness reflected off his face. At last, Remus pulled him into a spare room. "What's going on? You and Hallie are walking around as if someone's died. What's wrong?" asked the man.

Sirius looked out the window, refusing to meet his friend's eyes and finally said in a whisper, "I'm leaving - again."

Remus let his breath out through his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh," he said simply. Sirius turned to look at him, wondering if he would be angry or anything like that. "How long?" he asked suddenly, not voicing the question that Sirius had expected.

"I don't know."

Remus looked at him in exasperation. "Well, no wonder Hallie's being all zombie like. Sirius - she thinks you're leaving again."

Sirius frowned. "But - I am..."

"No, she thinks you're leaving," said Remus knowingly.

Sirius blinked at him and finally got the double meaning. "No!" he exclaimed. "Of course not! She couldn't - she couldn't possibly be thinking that! Of course not!" Remus chuckled and pushed him out the door.

"Go tell her then, I fear that she may turn you into a periwinkle pillow again."

~*~

The next morning, Ginny was sitting at the table next to Mae Laurence as usual. Her friend turned to her with a peculiar expression as if to say something, but looked away once more. "What?" asked Ginny.

Mae shrugged. "Nothing." She picked at her eggs. Ginny glared at her and Mae, as if feeling eyes on her, looked up. She smiled sweetly at her friend. "What?"

"What?"

"What, what?"

Ginny laughed and swatted at her. "What were you going to say?" she demanded.

Mae chewed on her lip for a moment, and then someone caught her eye. She grinned and pointed. "Oh look, it's your golden snitch," then picked up her goblet of pumpkin juice. Ginny's face took on a reddish tinge that grew until the color reached to her ears.

"Don't call him that," she instinctively said, making Mae snort into her drink. Ginny quickly looked to see if Harry Potter looked over, which he didn't. However, Ron did and he grinned and came over, tugging Harry and Hermione along. He propped himself down into the open seat beside her and Ginny couldn't help but feel all the more embarrassed.

Mae looked over and smiled at Ginny with another sweet smile as she said, "Hey, Ron!" Her friend positively glowered.

"Erm - hello," said Ron, as if surprised.

With another look at Ginny, Mae held out her hand past her. "I'm Mae Laurence, officially best friend of Virginia Weasley."

Under her breath, Ginny muttered, "Not for long," but Mae ignored her.

Her friend went on. "I don't think we've met before, which is absolutely awful on account of how close your sister and I are." Next to him, Ginny saw Harry and Hermione watching with amusement.

Ron blinked. "Oh - er - it's a pleasure."

"I know," said Mae with a grin.

Ron turned to look at Harry and Hermione with a face that made his friends hide snickers behind their hands. Ginny was glaring at Mae who was smiling at her.

"Sorry, Ron," said Ginny quickly, "but Mae and I have to leave."

The other girl looked innocently bewildered. "No we don't, we have twenty minutes 'til class starts," she began, but Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Well, Ron, looks like you have an admirer," said Harry. Beside him, he heard Hermione laugh; though it was rather louder than necessary. Ron's ears picked up a red tinge.

Steps indicated the usual throng of students coming into the Great Hall.

"Aw, come on, Billy, what's the matter?" asked Tye.

Billy smiled and shrugged. Joey looked over at him with a blank expression, but didn't overlook the inner conflict of emotions within his brother's eyes. What exactly was going on?

In defeat, Tye sighed and looked over at Emery and Joey. "Are you guys in?" He was responded by slow nods. "Well, aren't you lot just bloody giddy today." His gaze landed on Emery. He moved to his friend's side and placed and arm on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, you okay now?"

Emery forced a grin and nodded. "Fine, don't worry."

Billy glanced at his brother. "Hey, Joey, do you still have that stone?"

Joey looked up at him with something like surprise at being acknowledged. "What?"

"Do you have that stone of -," but Joey punched his shoulder lightly.

"Hey, hush - yeah I have it," he replied quickly. He paused for a moment. "Why?" The four fourth years sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Mm...just wondering. Where is it?"

"Why?" repeated Joey, curiosity arising in him.

Billy sighed and rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to know, is that a crime?"

He looked like Billy. He sounded like Billy. And now he was starting to act like Billy. All this was happening in just one morning - a complete transition from the zombie that was his brother only the other night. What exactly was going on?

There was a dilemma within Joey. He was so desperate to have his brother - his best friend - back, that he pushed all thoughts of abnormality aside to embrace the image he was receiving. "I'm keeping it in our secret spot," said Joey with a small and hesitant smile.

Billy grinned, and Joey couldn't help but cherish it. He had missed it, and now, there it was again - the Forester Twin grin. Billy punched his brother's shoulder. "So how about that prank on Malfoy Tye was telling us about?" wondered the boy.

Joey's smile broadened. This was the Billy he knew, he was thinking - but he was ignoring the feeling that it really was not. What exactly was going on?

Further down the table, Harry's eyes widened when an owl dropped a letter onto his lap. Hermione and Ron looked over curiously. "Who's it from?" asked Hermione, slapping Ron's hand as he poked at the yolk on his fried egg.

"It's from Siri - uh - Snuffles," he stammered with a small laugh. He adjusted his glasses to the bridge of his nose and cut the seal on the envelope.

He was silent for a moment and his friends watched his eyes travel quickly over the piece of parchment.

"Well?" prodded Ron.

Harry looked up at them; his large emerald eyes being slightly shielded by his unruly ebony black bangs. "He's leaving - he's - he says he's going to come back, but he's leaving."

Hermione's thoughtful frown was upon her face, but Ron looked disconcerted. "Well, why?"

"He just says he has a job now - and he needs to contact people," said Harry looking down at the letter once more. When he looked up, his eyes were glowing slightly. "He says to be careful - 'there's something rotten in the state of Denmark.'" Ron's expression was humorous, but not for the moment.

"Shakespeare," said Hermione quietly. "We'd better start trodding carefully." At the questioning glances she received, she went on. "First, the attack on the school - and everyone knows that Hogwarts is the safest place. Next, Billy's being kidnapped. Now, Sirius is leaving on business - he probably knows what's going on."

Ron shook his head. "And he needs to contact people, right?" He shuddered. "I don't get it. Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

Harry's eyes had dropped to his letter once more. "Voldemort's back - that's what's going on," he said quietly.

~*~

Marianna read the letter and felt her heart twist. "Oh, Troy," she whispered in a tearful voice. She looked out her window where a magnificent castle was just barely in view. The young woman shook her head and chestnut brown curls fell to her shoulders. Her hazel eyes glittered with blistering liquid and she quickly dropped her gaze back to the letter.

With trembling fingers, she wrote a reply.

...

Troy brushed the tears away with an angry rush and glared at the man before him. "You won't stop me," he all but growled.

Godric's heart wrenched painfully inside him. "Troy, be reasonable. You need to understand -," but he was abruptly cut off.

"No! You need to understand! I've been trying to tell you the truth! Why won't you listen?" cried the young man. Another wave of haziness blurred his vision and he swiped the tears away with his sleeve. He walked forward, but his father stepped in his way. "Leave me be!"

"I will not!" yelled Ric, almost desperately. "You are my son, Troy, and I love you. I'm trying to help - I don't understand what the matter is with you."

"There isn't anything wrong with me!"

"There is," said his father in a low tone, yet a stern one. "Perhaps you are becoming ill - the plague is passing through..."

Troy shook his head vehemently. "You just don't understand! Uncle didn't do it! I swear by - by Mum's grave!"

Ric's face became white as a sheet. He pointed a shaking finger at his son. "Now you listen here -"

"Ric?" Both men looked over to see a woman walking towards them with a face filled with concern. "What's going on?" she wondered.

Troy's face filled with fury. "Stay out of this you wench," he snapped. Godric's hand came around and Troy fell to the floor. He held his cheek, his eyes burning.

"Ric!" exclaimed Helga in surprise. "What -"

"You stay out of this!" yelled Troy, getting to his feet. She went forward to help him, but he shoved her away. "And stay away from me! Don't think I can't see through your whole damn charade! I know what you've done! You Imprisoned my mother!" Ric advanced on him, but Elle held him back with a hand and a glance. "Now you've bewitched my father under your evil spell!"

Godric's lips were taut in a tight white line. "Troy -" but the boy pushed passed him.

"I hate you!" He slammed the door shut and ran into the night.

The last Godric would ever see of his son from then on was Troy's fury filled tear-stained face.

...

Marianna sat up slowly when she felt someone shaking her. In the darkness of her room, the only light present was that illuminating from a candle. She sat up and felt a hand press against her mouth.

"Shh, don't be frightened, it's just me," she heard someone whisper. She fumbled to sit up and grab the candle off her bedside table. Once held before her, she saw Troy's familiar unruly black hair cropped short. His large pale blue eyes were gazing at her in the orange glows.

"Troy, what are you doing here?" she whispered back, wrapping her blanket tighter around her self. He sat beside her on the bed and kissed her lips softly.

"Hello to you as well," he murmured. She shivered, but not from the cold.

"Troy -," she began again.

He sighed and looked down at his hands. "I ran away - that's what I'm doing here." When he looked up at her, his eyes were glowing brighter than usual. She knew he had been planning to leave home, and he had even invited her to go along with him - she had refused.

"I already told you I couldn't come," she replied.

"Marianna, I love you - I need you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I need you to come with me." She shook her head, her face becoming shielded with her brown curls. He gently pushed her hair behind her ear. "We can be together. No parents forcing us apart - we can live where status doesn't matter. We can live where no one will care that you're the daughter of a farmer and I of the wizard Godric. I love you, and you love me. Where we shall go, no one can or will keep us apart anymore."

"We can't just run away from problems. Adults deal with them - as we must." She saw his pain within his eyes - she could always read his emotions within the depths of his blue orbs. "We can't just run away, Troy."

He turned away and stood up with a wave of his hand. "There's no way to deal with something like this. Everyone is so judgmental and they just don't bloody understand! Even if the answers are right before them, they push it away for the sake of living in security. Godric didn't want to see that trollop called Helga Hufflepuff was a traitor, not - not my Uncle Salazar..."

"Don't turn away from him, love," said Marianna softly. She stood up and touched his shoulder affectionately. "He's your father. It pains him that the love of his life is lost. How would you feel, if the same thing were to happen to you?"

Troy turned around to look at her. He pulled her into his arms. "That won't happen to me - to us. We'll be together forever - I wouldn't ever let anything like that happen to you."

She slowly pulled away and looked up at him with solemn eyes. "Troy, try talking to him - try to make him understand."

He shook his head. "I've tried! You don't know how many times I've tried to tell him the truth about what happened! He just won't listen! He refuses to believe -," but he stopped for his voice broke with a sob. Marianna hugged him tenderly and kissed his right temple.

"Shh, it's all right. Come." She took his hand and quietly led him outside.

"You do believe me don't you?" wondered the young man in a quiet voice.

She smiled softly. "Of course I believe you - I love Serpise just as much as you, remember?" she asked with a small laugh. His expression brightened at her laugh. How he loved her laugh. She looked up at the moon. "But Troy - I don't believe that there is anything you can do."

His eyes widened. "Of course there's something we can do! We can rid Uncle from his imprisonment in Slytherin Castle and he can help us overthrow that wench Helga!"

But Marianna shook her head in another wave of curls. "No, I mean - do you really think we can remove Godric's spell? Everyone knows he is the greatest wizard of all time - who are we to stand up against him?"

Troy took her hands in his. "I've something I've been meaning to tell you," he said softly. She looked at him expectantly, her heart fluttering from his unnerving and loving gaze. "I'm a Seer."

Her eyes widened. "You - but - are you sure? How do you know?"

He smiled. "I see things in the fire - in my dreams...Uncle told me I was - he is as well. You know how powerful Seers are - what they can do." She nodded and he went on. "Well, I am one - think what I can do - and with you by my side, we can overcome anything." He stepped closer to her and she shivered again as his warm breath touched her cheek. Her eyes fell to his lips. "Please come with me, Marianna, please," he pleaded. She tore her gaze away from him and closed her eyes. He held her to him gently, yet tightly. "I need you - I love you."

She swallowed and looked up at him. "I love you too, Troy," she whispered. He bent his head and their lips met in a sweet kiss. It was long - but not without feeling. She felt her knees weaken, but he held her in support. When they broke apart, their quick breaths were the only things heard in the night besides their pounding hearts. "I'll go with you," she said quickly. "I'll go."

His heart melted and he was filled with joy, but there was guilt within him as well. Now that she was actually agreeing with him, he wondered if this was right for her. Her life was a good one - and a happy one. Who was he to take her away from it? He looked down at the ground and being the gentleman he was, he said, "Are you sure?"

She nodded and rested her head against his chest. "I want to be with you - wherever you may go."

Tears prickled at the back of his eyes and he blinked them away. He couldn't seem to help the goofy smile upon his face. "I - I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do." He paused. "But I must admit, I really love the idea of being with you every moment of my life."

Marianna pulled away to look at him with a grin. "I know, your pleads were very dramatic." He laughed softly and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "God, I love you so much," she said softly.

He gulped and said, "I love you too." She led the way back inside where she began to pack her things. Troy, meanwhile, sat on her bed and pulled something out of his rucksack. Once she was ready, they left her cottage home and made their way to the woods. He kept a protective arm around her and couldn't help but smile through his troublesome thoughts.

It was a long journey until they were out of the Forbidden Forest and soon it was morning. They decided to take a rest. Marianna sat before a tree, resting against it, and Troy was right next to her. He fumbled with his hands for a moment before reaching into his cloak to take out something.

He looked at her hesitantly. She glanced over at him and smiled at his nervous expression. "Second thoughts?" she wondered.

His laugh was a bit louder than necessary. "You could say that," he replied. He gulped and turned so that he sat across from her. With a slightly trembling hand, he held out the object. "M-Marianna, will you wear my - my ring?" he asked in a shaky voice.

He saw her eyes widen and chewed on his lip. When she smiled and jumped to hug him, he laughed as he fell backwards. She pushed herself up on her arms and pressed her lips against his. All thoughts left his mind and he put his arms around her. When they broke apart, he was breathing quickly. "Is that a yes, then?"

She laughed with a nod and kissed him again.

...

Draco sat up with a start. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. Once his heart was beating at a regular rate, he got up to get dressed.

~*~

Sirius walked into her room when his knock wasn't responded. As he stepped through the door, he was just in time to see Hallie walk out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe. Her hair hung in wet strands and she was toweling it down.

"Hallie," he started and saw her jump in alarm.

She grinned sheepishly. "Hey, Sirius. I didn't see you there," she said. A small smile escaped his lips. "Oh, and about - about you leaving, I just wanted you to know that I'm - I'm fine with it. I can deal with this. I mean, we've been separated for more than a decade - I think I can handle this."

He nodded slowly, his smile fading slightly. "Er - right," he replied quietly.

She smiled brightly and plopped down on the bed to brush her hair. "So, what is it you were going to say?"

"Oh - it - it was nothing," he replied softly.

~*~

Draco saw Gayle leave the common room and with building curiosity, left a short moment after her. He followed her down the corridor and watched as she made her way to the west tower. Suddenly, as she turned the corner, he heard her exclaimed of, "Oh!" and a clutter of things falling to the floor.

Harry knelt down to pick up his things. "Sorry about that," he said, glancing up. His brows rose when he saw whom it was. "Oh, you're Malfoy's friend, aren't you? The new Slytherin?"

Gayle blinked at him for a moment before helping him pick up quills and rolls of parchment. "I do have a name you know," she said with a small grin. "I'm Gayle Avery." She brushed back a strand of auburn hair from her face and held out her hand. Harry looked puzzled but shook it with a slight smile.

"I'm Harry -"

"Potter," she finished for him. "Yes, I know - doesn't everyone?" She was surprised when he blushed.

"Er - right."

Draco rolled his eyes. Blushing like an idiot - what is it with Potter and girls? He stepped around the corner and was met by an exclamation of surprise by Gayle and a quick brandishing of a wand by Harry. He smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "I suggest you make better acquaintances, Potter," he said nodding to Gayle. She averted her gaze and handed over the last quill to Harry.

"Draco -," she started, but Harry cut in.

"It seems like we've had this conversation before, Malfoy," he retorted. Draco narrowed his eyes. "Well, like I said before, I'll choose who I hang out with."

The blond headed boy raised his brows and his eyes glimmered with something like amusement. "So you say - until you're proven wrong." Harry scowled at him. "You don't know her type," he went on.

"Look, Draco," said Gayle, but Draco quieted her with a look.

Harry ignored him. "Gayle, do you want to walk with me to Potions? I think we both have it about now," he said to the girl. She looked surprised and shot a look at Draco who looked at her calmly back.

"Er - all right, I suppose," she said uncertainly. Harry led the way down the hall and she looked back at the Slytherin.

"Don't come crying back to me when you find out I was right, Potter," called Draco, his words echoing down the hallway.

Harry glared, but didn't look back. At that moment, he didn't care what Malfoy said or even if his words had made sense. At that moment, he just wanted to pull one past the boy. He glanced over at the girl beside him and couldn't help but suddenly feel that Malfoy was right. The only reason he had chosen to go on talking with her was just to aggravate his rival.

They were halfway down the hallway when she abruptly stopped. He turned around as well to look at her. "You know, he's right about me," she said quietly, looking at him squarely.

Harry shrugged. "How do you know him anyway?"

Gayle smiled with a shadow of bitterness. "Just by chance a few years back," she replied, but he heard the guarded undertone. "I can walk on my own the rest of the way, Draco's not in sight anymore," she said after a short moment, then turned on her heels and walked down the hallway. He watched after her with a somewhat startled expression before going on to Potions.

~*~

Tye, Billy, Joey, and Emery went down the hall talking in quiet whispers.

"Aw, come on, Joe," said Tye, slapping his back.

Joey shrugged. "I don't know," he glanced at Billy. "I just don't know if I'm in to doing this."

"Well, why not?" wondered Emery. Joey took another look at Billy whose expression was unusually perked at the idea of this particular prank.

"It's just - it was just something Malfoy did once," he replied, in a low tone. Tye rolled his eyes.

"What was it? Bullying the first years or running around with his Death Eater father?" replied the boy sarcastically.

Joey just gave him a look and shrugged.

They turned the corner and were just in time to hear Malfoy say, "Don't come crying back to me when you find out I was right, Potter."

Tye turned around to grin at his friends and pulled out a jar of the purple jelly from his school bag. Draco turned around and started walking down the hall when he saw the four fourth years standing in his way. When he swerved to move past them, they blocked his way. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you standing in my way for?" Tye held up the jar of purple jelly and he scowled.

Joey suddenly took the jar from his hands. "Uh - guys, we're going to be late for Transfiguration if we don't go now. We don't want to get McGonagall riled. Let's go," he said quickly.

Malfoy raised his brows at him, but the boy wasn't looking at him. "What's wrong with you today, Joey?" asked Emery with a slight frown.

Joey looked at him for a moment, then averted his gaze.. "Nothing's wrong with me, I just - let's just go." Emery noted the cold tone towards him from his friend and felt a pang inside himself. He took a step back.

Billy grabbed the jar from his hands. "No, we're going to deal it out with Malfoy," he said, a slight grin upon his face.

Draco crossed his arms across his chest. "Oh? And how do you plan on doing that, Forester?"

The boy scowled at him, but Joey said, "Come on guys, let's go, all right? He hasn't done anything."

"Yet," muttered Tye. Joey shot him a glance that made him shut his mouth with a snap.

"He has done something," said Billy in a low voice, his shoulders taut with anger. "He's a traitor."

Malfoy's sneer transformed into a scowl. "You wouldn't know anything about it, Forester," he replied. His gray eyes tinged with a bit of green were stormy and as cold as ice.

"Oh, you wouldn't know how much I know," Billy said in a cold tone. Joey had never seen him look the way he did just then. In the glow of the sunshine outside, his brother's face seemed almost shadowed by a strangely sinister expression. He shuddered and felt his stomach sink into frigidity. "You've betrayed everyone close to you by what you've done." Draco's scowl faded into a bewildered frown. There was something strange about Billy... "And you deserve everything that's coming to you." He brandished his wand, but Joey quickly intervened and grabbed hold of his arm.

"Billy, let's go," he said in a low voice.

Slowly, Billy turned to look at him and blinked. His vision seemed to clear. "Joey?" he said quietly, an undertone of fear in his voice. He swayed slightly. "Joey - something - something's," but he stopped suddenly and swayed on his feet. His eyes unfocused and seemed to cloud over before focusing once more.

Joey averted his gaze and turned to Tye and Emery. "Can you guys bring him back up to the dormitory? I'll go down to McGonagall's office and tell her that Billy's sick," he said, his voice soft. His friends bore puzzled expressions, but did as they were told. Joey turned to Draco.

The older boy had his arms folded across his chest and an expectant expression upon his face. "What was that about?"

Joey was looking at him in contemplation and finally he said, "Thanks."

"What?" asked Draco, his legendary blank expression diminished and overrun by surprise.

The other boy shrugged. "I never had the chance to say it - so, thank you."

"For what?"

Now, Joey seemed a bit apprehensive and shifted slightly. "For...what you did for Billy, for me - for bringing him back."

Draco nodded curtly. "Oh, that - I don't really know why I did that - it's nothing to thank me for." He turned to walk away, but before that, he said, "Watch over him - don't let him out of your sight. There's...something wrong."

Joey watched until the blond disappeared down the corridor before turning on his way.

~*~

Remus hugged her as she cried. Her body shook with restrained sobs that were finally being released. It was quite a while before they subsided. With a hiccup, she looked up at him. "Don't - don't tell him about this, Remus, please," she said softly, her large sapphire eyes glowing with more tears. "I don't want - want him to know about it." Her cheeks were rosy from crying and he supposed that it was also partly from embarrassment.

"Of course I won't," he replied reassuringly. She gave him a wobbly smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"You're great, you know that? You're the best brother I could have ever had," said Hallie with a laugh and another hiccup.

He too chuckled and rubbed her back. "Thanks - and you're the best sister."

They slowly parted and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I wonder how the boys are, they haven't sent us any owls in a while."

He rolled his eyes. "It's been a day and a half since they left," he told her.

She smiled sheepishly. "Still..." There was a short silence between them. During their years together, there had been many of them - though it wasn't bad at all. Most times, it was comforting. Just knowing that they had a friend there and not having to talk to keep them entertained was a very reassuring feeling for them. After all they'd been through together, it was a whole new step in their friendship and they understood the silence implicitly and gratifyingly.

The sun outside seemed to brighten and Remus raised a hand to block his eyes. Hallie smiled at him and stood up to close the curtains.

The day will come, so soon you'll find

The secret kept in thy heart and mind.

From one to another, reoccurrence found,

And the past beholds, destinies are bound.

Thy heart's greatest desire shall soon come to be,

And two hearts shall become one for eternity.

Your fate is to be fulfilled, a chapter complete

And the one hero's legend will end in a great feat...

The words faded and just as suddenly as it brightened, the light died away. Hallie shut the curtains slowly and came back over. She saw his expression. "What's wrong?" she wondered.

He shook his head like a dog shedding off water. "Uh - nothing, it's...nothing." She looked at him in disbelief but didn't question it. Slowly, he stood up and feigned a yawn. "I'm kind of tired - I'm going to go take siesta," he said with a grin. She smiled and he felt her penetrating gaze on his back as he went to his room.