"Lucy." Dominique took a breath that filled her with a dangerous courage, the one that had sorted her into Gryffindor. Her cousin turned on her heel to face Dominique.

"Yeah? Oh, hi Dom." Lucy nodded, her Slytherin robes flowing around her as she walked towards Dominique. "So what's up?" She asked in her quiet way, as though she knew about what Dominique was going to say. Dominique bit her lip, and tears almost flooded her eyes.

"It.." She faltered. "It-It's." Dominique took a breath, but it was heavy and shaky and sadness filled her eyes. Lucy would have had to be an idiot to not know what was coming. "It's about Louis." She said, brushing her hair to the side. "I.." But she never got the chance to answer. Lucy burst into tears.

"You don't need to tell me." She said, her body vibrating with every cry. "He's dying. Louis is dying." Lucy's eyes peeked out from behind her dark red hair. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew. And you didn't tell me." Dominique reached out to put a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"I was-" Dominique started, but Lucy shrugged the elder girl's hand off her shoulder.

"There have been so many rumors. They say that he's dead." Lucy cried. "And then they ask me and I don't know. They say 'Lucy where's your boyfriend? Is he dead Lucy?'" Lucy wiped the tears off her cheeks, and, still crying, ran out into the busy hallway.

"Lucy wait -." Dominique said, but it was too late. Lucy was already gone.

Dominique returned to the common room, her face also flushed with tear tracks. James was sitting in one of the plush chairs that were seated around to common room, clearly waiting for her. As he saw her, James stood up from his chair, but he saw Dominique's face, and his high spirits fell. Dominique walked towards him.
"Did it work?" He asked, although they both knew the answer. Dominique shook her head, and put it on James' shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sorry Dom. I really am." A fresh tear made it's way down James' cheek, and dripped onto Dominique's shoulder, leaving a salty trail of water on James' face.