November Snow

t w e n t y - n i n e

"You look so much like your mother." He said "Except you have your father's eyes."

"You know my father?" I asked "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"He doesn't worth the story, November. He is on the Dark side."

"Is he still alive?"

"I'm afraid yes." He said and turned to leave "I wouldn't be glad about it if I were you. He's done horrible things."

He left me there, thinking about he had said. My father, a Death Eater, how painfully it sounded to me. Maybe that was why he left my mother? I had never had a question about his existence in my entire life, and yet now my mind was flooded with them. Did he know he had a daughter? If he had, then where was he when each member of the Avery House found their way to heaven? Where was he when his wife died? Didn't he care for them at all?

I looked at the clock. Five minutes to midnight, and yet I was wide awake. My head was bustling with questions and possibilities. My gaze dropped to my hands on my lap and I moved uncomfortably. It was then that I realized there was something in my pocket. I pulled it out, a piece of crumbled parchment. On it was undeniably Juliette's handwriting.

Thought you should know, Malfoy hadn't left the hospital wings ever since he brought you there. Yes, HE BROUGHT YOU THERE. He only left the moment we saw you waking up. He was very worried, you know. I really hope some romance would bloom.

Jules.

Sounded very much like Juliette Tughorn, I must admit. She had been hoping for romance between me and Malfoy ever since the beginning of the year when she found out we had been talking with each other without insults and remarks.

I heard the door creaked open and a shadow casted on the white fabric standing between me and the entrance. The footsteps didn't sound like Madam Pomfrey at all, so I immediately grabbed my wand and pointed at the intruder. Turned out, it was Malfoy.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I should ask you the same thing." I lowered my wand "What are you doing here?"

"Are you alright?" He asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Did you break the rules just to pay me a visit?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, I'm planning to pay the Weasleys a visit." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'm stupid for asking." I chuckled "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine, breathing and kicking as any other living being. So, go back to the common room before Madam Pomfrey gets back. She'll get irritated because you intrude the hospital wings."

"At this rate, I think I might be intruding a little more often." He said "You should stay out of trouble, I don't think anyone would try to break your hospitalizing records."

We laughed. Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead. We both blushed in deep red, redder than Ron's hair, hoping that the dim light wouldn't expose your red faces to each other. Malfoy mumbled a goodbye and quietly slipped out of the room only few minutes before Madam Pomfrey came in and insisted, in a rather irritated voice, that I should go to sleep.

-----

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss..." Dumbledore spoke in front of everyone in the Great Hall.

We all gathered for the feast, ending the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I wasn't supposed to leave the hospital bed, according to Madam Pomfrey, but I insisted that I should come and join everyone. Diggory's death had been the topic of every conversation I had heard from the students, mostly everyone was grieving for him. The teachers, though, had another thing to worry about. Voldemort. Harry had been claiming that the Dark Lord was back, not all believed him besides his close friends and Professor Dumbledore. I found no reason for him to tell a lie about such thing.

"Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard-working, intricately fair-minded and most important, a fierce, fierce friend." Cho Chang was holding back her sobs at the Ravenclaw table as Professor Dumbledore continued his speech "I think, therefore, you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort. The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this, but not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory. Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever." Juliette clutched my hand and I gave her a squeeze "Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave, and true right to the very end."

"You know, after this, nothing would be the same." I said "He's back, anything can happen now."

"We're no longer safe anywhere." Juliette nodded "But at least we'll have each other's back. And Harry's."

"And Harry's." I repeated in agreement.

-----

"If he's back, Headmaster, I believe Miss Avery is no longer safe."

"Indeed, she may be in greater danger than Mister Potter himself. But there is one thing we are sure, he won't kill her. He needs her powers."

"But still, we have to protect her at all costs."

"I do not doubt that, Severus, for if her heart turns dark, the Dark side will be unstoppable."

"Should we tell her the truth, Headmaster?"

"When the time comes. It will be soon."