Through the Dark

Chapter 31: Missing Someone

Though the others could see him wanting to join in, the boys looked at him and asked him if he was sure. Hunter nodded again, saying he was fine.

As it was, Jesse offered to keep him company while the two other boys skate. Hunter gave her a small smile of thanks, to which she said, "No need to mention it."

"Oww!" Hunter jumps up in surprise. That had hurt his tongue! Stupid chocolate...

"Hey, you okay, Hunt?" Jesse asks, clearly concerned, "Oh wow, is your cup still warm, Squirt?" Jesse says all of a sudden. Hunter looks up to her and nods.

"Yeah. Why? Is yours not anymore?"

Jesse shrugs, "Nah. Maybe you chose well; you didn't remove the cover for a while."

Hunter only bit his lower lip and took a glance at Jesse's cup, then toward Andrew's and Gerard's abandoned cups. To his surprise, Hunter sees Jesse's cup still and without steam. Same as with the other boys'.

Hunter looks at his cup. Then to Jesse. She was currently laughing at Andrew and Gerard's antics on the frozen rink and her cup, which spilled slightly at the expense of her laughing hesterically at their friends, did not seem to bother her. They were sitting here for quite a while already.

He looked at his cup. It was still steaming as though it was fresh from boiling.

He started to feel something in his palms. They were warming up. They were tingling!

"Hey!" Andrew shouted from the rink, breaking Hunter's wonderment. Gerard must have pushed him, knocking him over on his butt. They were now chasing each other on the rink, still laughing. Jesse was laughing along with them.

Hunter shook his head and noticed that the tingling sensation in his palms were gone. He looked at his cup. It lost its steam from being exposed to the cold.

"Did you see that?! It was so funny!" Jesse laughed. When she saw Hunter's dazed look, she immediately clasped his shoulder to get his attention. Immediately, he looked back at her and gave her a smile. This reassured her slightly.

"Is everything alright, Squirt?" She asked. He smiled wider.

"Yeah. I just... Uhm, thought of Dad."

She sighed, still smiling. She squeezed Hunter's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. Everything's gonna turn out fine."

Hunter smiled and said thanks. Then she let go of his shoulder and focused back to where Andrew was trying to bury Gerard in the snow, laughing loudly.

Hunter looked at his hands. For a moment, he felt as if his fingertips were warming the cup. It was as if his Magic was there, resting, making his cup warm for him.

Hunter shook his head. He has no Magic anymore. Jesse was right, he had covered the cup, preserving steam. Nothing more, nothing less. Turning back to where Gerard threw a ball of snow at Andrew, he laughed with Jesse as it hit Andrew's head.

Yeah, Hunter continued to convince himself at the back of his thoughts with melancholy; it was just coincidence- nothing more, nothing less.

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Central City || 7:00 PM
|| Hartford's Residence ||

Ezra stared at the paper, hoping in his heart of hearts that it was simply gossip that was written there. He wanted to come to Malfoy Manor all of a sudden and smack Lucius in the head.

While Ezra hated Sirius Black for all the right cockiness he had, he cannot help it but feel bad, too. He had, after all, Obliviated all people connected to Harry Potter for his safety. With the exception of Dumbledore, they just had to do it.