ghost stories - h. potter

Thirty-Six

"I have a question," Ginny stated and Belle nodded, hitching her bag up higher on her shoulder.

"What's up?" Belle asked, turning her head to face the redhead girl.

"You - you told Harry about your Clairvoyancy last month, didn't you?" Ginny asked and Belle nodded.

"I did, yeah. Has he said anything?" She asked curiously and Ginny shook her head.

"No, actually. I was just going to ask if you would ever consider telling the rest of the family. Like Mum and Dad, maybe, just about Fred."

"I'm going to," Belle said, causing Ginny to look over at her.

"Wait - you are?" She repeated and Belle nodded.

"Yeah. Next chance I get, I'll tell them. The rest of your family and Teddy are the only ones who I really have left to tell. Cedric doesn't want me speaking to his parents - he thinks it will bring back too many painful memories for them which is understandable. I'll tell Teddy when he's older, though, and able to understand what I actually mean." Ginny nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry if it seems like I'm pushing you to-" Ginny started but Belle shook her head, cutting the girl off.

"Don't apologise. The moment I became friends with Ron, Harry and Hermione I knew I'd have to tell them. It's just taken me a year to work up the courage to do so," she replied and Ginny placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"George, Hermione, Harry and I will be there to back you up in case anything goes wrong. Don't worry about it," she said and Belle smiled.

"Thanks, Ginny," the younger redhead smiled and waved goodbye as they split off in different directions. Belle greeted a few people who called out to her, the smile still present on her face until she reached the Ravenclaw common room. It was fairly empty, seeing as most students were sitting outside, basking in the warmth of the sun while the others were still finishing off the exams.

As she tucked away her books, she stripped out of her uniform and headed for the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes in her hands, just to freshen herself up before the afternoon. She hummed gently to herself in the shower as she washed her hair, her mind unable to properly comprehend the fact that she had one week left until she graduated. Then she was no longer a student.

Sighing as she finished rinsing her hair, she turned off the shower and stepped out into the bathroom, the mirror foggy. She wrapped a couple of towels around her body and her hair to dry herself off with as she reached up, using her forearm to clear the mirror. Belle wiped the water droplets from her face and gave herself a small encouraging smile, just as she usually did, before she started drying herself. She changed into a pair of cuffed, blue jeans with a pair of red muggle shoes and tucked her white shirt into her pants. She slid on a belt and buckled it, before throwing on a loose, denim jacket. She straightened it and smoothed out the creases in her shirt before she reached up and pulled the towel from her head, allowing her curly hair to tumble down onto her shoulders. Spying her wand on the counter, she picked it up and stared at her hair in the mirror for just a moment, before she waved it over the wet locks. It dried instantly and fell past her chest in soft, wavy curtains, something she definitely wasn't used to.

She figured it would be nice to do something different and put a little effort into her appearance, seeing as it would be the last time she would see many of her classmates for a while, some forever. Tucking her hair behind her right ear, she headed out of the bathroom and tucked her wand into her pocket, before sighing gently and closing the door behind her.

When the clock hit four, Belle left the Ravenclaw dormitories and headed down to the Great Hall, where a large crowd of the seventh-year students had gathered.