The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 3: Chapter 5

Willow's stomach grumbled. It had been at least twenty-four hours since her last meal, possibly even more. Willow checked her watch and realized only two minutes had passed since Dumbledore left. She groaned and fell back onto the stone floor, throwing her pillow on her face. Her guilt was eating away at her so much that it must be eating into her internal time clock, too. Willow shut down her senses to spare herself from the buzz about Sirius Black still raging through the Great Hall. Why was everyone being so nosy about it? Couldn't they just leave her alone and talk about how cool it was that all four houses were sleeping in the same room?

No, they couldn't, she reminded herself, because this was way too exciting of a turn of events to ignore, and she was selfish for wanting people to shut up for her sake. Willow sighed and stuffed her pillow under her head, staring at the stars in the ceiling. It reminded her of the times she would sleep outside when she was younger. Her entire family would roast marshmallows, have some s'mores, chase fireflies in the backyard, then drag their sleeping bags outside onto the lawn to stare at the stars. Willow traced the constellation of Orion the Hunter with her finger, just as she used to do four short years ago. She remembered the cool night breeze through her hair, the prickle of the grass on her back, the pine wood aroma, his laughter next to her...Her heart became heavy and sat like a lead weight on her chest. She realized her face was growing hot and blinked hard to drive out the threat of tears. Willow tried to shove the memories away, but she kept seeing them in her mind's eye, torturing her with laughter and smiles from her past. Stubbornly refusing to give into her dumb emotions, she seized her sleeping bag and pillow and dragged them into an empty corner.

Percy called out for everyone to go to sleep, but Willow had no intention of following his orders. She couldn't stay in this now stuffy room full of mutterings that plucked at her heartstrings any longer. Making sure no one was looking, Willow transformed into a black cat, padded up to the massive doors leading into the rest of the castle, and slipped out into the Entrance Hall. She bounded up the stairs with no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get out of there. Willow ran farther and farther, ascending countless staircases, until she bounced off a wall blocking her way. She automatically lost her form and transformed back into herself, holding her head where a new bruise was bound to be blossoming.

"Ouch...idiot..." she groaned.

"Oh, come on, I didn't even do anything this time!" a voice complained.

Willow nearly jumped out of her skin. "Fred, George! Merlin's beard, you scared me! What are you doing here?"

"More importantly, how did you get here?" Fred asked. "There's an entire trapdoor and ladder that you have to use to get up here. How did you bypass that?"

Willow glanced around, realizing she had wandered right into the twins' pranking hideout. "Um...I honestly don't know. Wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. Anyway, how did you get past Head Bigshot?"

George rolled his eyes. "Percy didn't even see us sneak out. For all he knows, we're asleep in the Great Hall. How did you get out?"

"Powers, duh," Willow said.

"Ah! That makes sense. I'm sure you've had loads of time to practice them lately, seeing as you don't spend any time in the castle anymore."

Willow flinched. "Guys...I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. You didn't deserve that. I shouldn't unload on you guys like that. Friends don't burden friends with dumb problems."

"I wouldn't call them 'dumb problems' after the way you exploded, but apology accepted," Fred said.

"One thing, though," George said. "How fast do you dry off?"