The markings scattered his back, interlocking and over-layering to weave a tapestry of anguish and indescribable pain.
As she opened her eyes, the comforting smell of coffee and parchment filled her nose. For the first time in 5 years she had opened...
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"You're looking particularly bright and cheery this morning," Sirius looked down at Harper who had her eyes closed and was resting on the table in the library.
She mumbled something inaudible as he sunk lower in his seat.
"I feel like a babysitter..." he sighed, turning to look out for anyone coming towards them. "I don't need taking care of!" Harper sat up now, rubbing her eyes. "You look like a zombie and I'm not the one who passed out in Professors Binns' lesson earlier." He countered. "And I'm going to pay for it in detentions." She grumbled again and let her head fall down onto the table.
"Hey guys," Remus rounded the corner and approached their table. "Thank Merlin!" Sirius jumped up, "Am I free to go?"
"Gee, ouch." Harper glare at Sirius. "You're the one that's being miserable!" "You're the one that's being an arse!" "Just go back to sleep." "You go back to sleep." "What's that even supposed to mean?" "It's a simple enough instruction."
Remus chuckled as he watched them bicker back and forth.
"Right, I'm going, I'm going. I'm gone." Sirius exclaimed, dashing out of the library.
"Have a fun afternoon?" Remus asked, sitting down beside Harper at the table. "Putting up with Sirius is like putting up with a baby. A big hairy baby." Harper frowned.
"I don't know why you have everyone watching over me." Harper grumbled. "I'm busy prefecting and I'm worried you'll pass out somewhere around school from exhaustion and I won't be able to find you."
"I don't see why you don't just write to your mum. Then you'll be able to sleep without worrying and I won't have to keep track of you." Remus stretched out. "I'm not a lost puppy." Harper rolled her eyes.
"I really don't understand you. Your mother is horrid and you hate her, yet you care so much what she thinks of you." "Well... yeah..." Harper shrugged.
"Come here," Remus pulled her into a hug. He rested his chin on top of her head and held her tightly against his chest.
The two held each other in a warm embrace, hoping that the other's company would be enough to solve their problems.
If Harper had been more awake, she would have noticed there wasn't a prefect meeting that afternoon. If Harper had decided to go to the Owlery and send her mother a letter, she would have bumped into Remus sending one of his own.
Later, Harper dragged her feet along the corridors, hoping and praying that the day would come to an end and she could crawl back into bed.
However, going to bed would involve going to the dormitories, where she'd most likely bump into Lily.
Although she was also likely to bump into Lily in the empty hallway. This fact Harper found out all too soon.
Their heads collided violently, sending the two girls flying backwards and yelling obscenities as they clambered back to their feet. Then their eyes connected.
"I need to head to Charms." Lily mumbled, keeping her eyes glued to the floor as she tried to move past.
But, Harper was a Gryffindor, and despite being terrified of confrontation she gripped Lily's arm gently to stop her leaving.
"Lil, I'm sorry."
Lily opened her mouth to speak but no words came out and after a moment she clamped her jaw shut again.
"Sorry I... Er sorry I didn't write over the holidays." Harper murmured. "I'm not angry at you... I just want to know why." Lily smiled at the nervous girl.
"I left home." Harper replied weakly. For the first time, she spoke clearly about what she'd done - almost coming to terms with it.
No more words needed to be spoken between the two friends. Lily pulled Harper into a hug and they stood, comfortable in the embrace.
Despite their differences and at times extreme distance, the two girls shared an unspoken bond that connected them. After all this time, and after all the drama that followed them due to their friends, they always found their way back to each other.
They both took care of everyone else around them, but together they could take care of the other.
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Ik this chapter is short, sorry I just needed to fit in a few key bits before the story can continue moving forward and is it bad that I've written the epilogue to this story already? - I kind of got really inspired for it and then focused more on that than this chapter
Anyway thanks for all the reads and votes it really means a lot
SUPER QUICK QUESTION What patronus do you guys think Harper would have
