Bess tossed and turned in her bed during the night due to the horrible secret she had learned from Neville. She wondered how she had found herself in a world that had such evil people in it. Finally, she gave up on sleeping and reached for a glass of water that was on her nightstand. Due to the fact that her hand was shaking, she knocked it onto the floor and it shattered.
"What's going on?" Nancy muttered sleepily. "You okay, Bess?"
"Sure," Bess grunted as she fixed the glass.
"Hey, who do you think you're talking to?" Nancy whispered so as not to wake the other students.
"I don't know if I should tell you," Bess replied.
Nancy sighed and got out of bed wearing a pink nightgown. She sat on Bess' bed on pulled the curtain around them.
"Something is bothering you and I want to what," Nancy demanded with her arms wrapped around her knees.
"I don't think Neville would appreciate me telling you," Bess refused.
"Does this have something to do with what happened in class?" Nancy asked with her eyes narrowed.
"It has everything to do with it," Bess confirmed.
"Look, I promise it won't go any further than me, but this will only tie your stomach in knots if you try to keep it to yourself," Nancy declared.
"Maybe you're right," Bess agreed.
"Spill it or else," Nancy demanded.
Bess told Nancy the horrible story that Neville had related to her. The pain of telling the story made tears start to form in Bess' eyes. When Bess finished the story, Nancy lurched back.
"Oh, my!" Nancy gasped with her hand over her mouth. "It's no wonder that Neville was so shook up in class."
"Nancy, what kind of a world have we wondered into?" Bess shrieked as she started to cry.
"Oh, Bess!" Nancy cooed as she put her arms around her friend's back and stroked her hair. "You know there are people like that in the Muggle world too."
"That doesn't make it any easier to deal with," Bess panted.
"I know," Nancy sighed as she patted Bess' back. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I think so," Bess confirmed as she finished crying.
"Try to get some sleep," Nancy ordered as she started to return to her bed. "You have a big day tomorrow."
"Thanks, Nancy," Bess replied as she lay down in bed.
"Anytime," Nancy replied as she pulled the curtain back.
Bess got up the next morning without further incident. After she got out of bed, she got dressed and went down to the Gryffindor common room. She smiled when she saw a banner proclaiming her birthday hanging from the ceiling. Bess knew that Nancy must have hung it before she went to bed on the previous night.
"There's the birthday girl!" Nancy piped up, carrying a red box with a bow on it and a small cake with a candle on it.
"Where did you get the cake?" Bess wondered out loud.
"Fred and George told me how to get into the kitchen," Nancy answered. "Now make a wish!"
Bess blew out the candle and Nancy clapped.
"What did you wish for?" Nancy questioned.
"You know the rules!" Bess refused, completing the private joke that they shared every year.
"Open your present," Nancy demanded.
Bess ripped open the paper to reveal a blue formal gown.
"It's beautiful!" Bess squeaked.
"I thought you could wear it during the ball," Nancy explained.
"It matches my eyes," Bess declared.
"George should be waiting outside by now with a present," Nancy explained as she heard a noise coming down from the boys dormitory. "And speaking of presents."
Neville wondered down the stairs carrying the gift wrapped box that his grandmother had sent with a slight blush in his cheeks.
"Hi, Neville!" Bess called out. "Is that for me?"
"Uh… yeah," Neville replied as he handed Bess the box.
Bess eagerly ripped opened the gift wrapping to reveal a box of chocolates.
"Oh, thank you!" Bess cried out as she gave Neville a hug which made him blush completely. "Neville, I think we could become closer friends if you weren't always so shy around me."
"Okay, Neville answered.
Bess left the common room with her friends to collect her present from George knowing that Beauxbatons and Durmstang would be arriving later that day.
