VIOLET (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

11.

There were signs already that Jack was leaving St. Mungo's soon. Most of his things, which on previous visits had been strewn everywhere, were now packed up. Jack wasn't really up to playing with anything anyway. He seemed especially tired. Marlowe wasn't feeling too hot himself, but nothing like he'd felt last month. He hadn't had a match this time. He hadn't pushed himself so hard.

At the moment, Marlowe and Jack were alone in Jack's hospital room. His parents had gone down to the cafeteria to get him something to eat, though Marlowe had warned them he might not have much of an appetite on full moon days.

"Marlowe," Jack said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Does it hurt?"

Marlowe swallowed. He had always tried to be honest with Jack. He had tried not to sugarcoat anything. It didn't seem fair to pretend it wasn't what it was. Still, he was afraid to scare him.

"A little, yeah," said Marlowe. "It hurts while it's happening, but it only lasts a minute and then it's over. With the potion it's not so bad."

"You said the potion tastes bad."

"It's terrible," said Marlowe. "Worst thing ever. But it does help. It's worth it. You want to feel like yourself, you know? It helps you feel like yourself."

Jack still looked apprehensive.

"My girlfriend makes it for me," Marlowe said. "Once you get out of here, she can make it for you, too. She's working on making it better. She wants to make it so we don't have to transform at all. Then it wouldn't even hurt."

"I hope she does" Jack said.

"Me too. I think she will. She's very smart."

Then Jack started to cry. He had never cried while Marlowe had been there. He always seemed to be in such good spirits. It positively broke his heart.

"I wish this hadn't happened to me," he said. "I don't like this."

"Yeah," Marlowe said. "Yeah, me too."

Jack's parents came back in then and his mum swooped in with a hug.

Marlowe hoped she didn't think he'd made Jack cry.

He glanced at the clock. He needed to go soon.

"Jack," Marlowe said, and Jack made eye contact with him. "Listen... tonight isn't going to be the most fun night of your whole life. I'm not going to pretend it is. But you're going to survive it. I did. And you're way tougher than I am."

Jack smiled a little bit.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," he said. "And I want you to have something to look forward to. So I have something for you, but it's in this envelope, and you can't open it till tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay," said Jack in a small voice.

"You promise?"

Jack nodded.

"Pinky promise?" asked Marlowe, holding out his pinky.

Jack smiled a little bit bigger, linked his pinky around Marlowe's, and said, "Yeah."

"Alright," Marlowe said, smiling back at him. "I better get going, but I'll see you soon. And next time it won't be here. That's good news, right?"

Jack nodded.

Marlowe held his hand out for a high five, pretended to need to shake it out even though Jack hadn't really hit his hand that hard at all, and then he stood up.

"Bye, Marlowe," said Jack.

"See you later, bud," Marlowe smiled.

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