[A/N. I know it's been a very long time between chapters but I've been in
hospital and then there was the whole psyio/rehab thing (which I am still
doing, but not as much) and now I've actually got a week and a half or so
to write two take home exams. I want to get an average of over 70 for
everything so I'm planning on putting in some major work on them. Therefore
this chapter isn't going to be the longest, but I don't think that matters
too much.]
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: My promise.
My Christmas holidays were quiet to say the least. When we were out and trying to have fun I felt guilty about being happy when the Weasley's were in such pain. I mentioned that to Mum and she hugged me. "I know how terrible this feels Sam, and the not knowing is the worst thing. But at least try to have some fun. When you get back to school after Christmas it's probably going to be very hard for you to have any."
"I just wish they'd find her." I said. "And you know what makes it worse?"
Mum raised an eyebrow in question.
"The last time I saw her we were arguing." I said slowly. Mum's arms were still around me, and for once I didn't care that I was twelve and being hugged by my mother. "I mean it wasn't a bad argument or anything, really quite stupid, but it was an argument none the less." I didn't want to tell Mum what the argument was about of course.
"Sweetie, I know that makes it feel worse, but you can't go round feeling guilty about that. After all kids will be kids, and kids will have arguments. It's a shame of course, but feeling guilty about it is wrong."
Of course Dad was in constant contact with Uncle Ron and I heard him talking to mum about it a day or so after she and I had spoken about it. "It's like he's given up hope." Dad said unhappily. "I don't know why, the teachers at Hogwarts are sure she's still alive, but how they can say that when she's been missing so long gets him."
"What about Hermione?" Mum asked. "Wouldn't she have a feeling if Jenny was dead? I'm sure if Sam was hurt, or dead I'd have a feeling. Mother's instinct?"
"She doesn't really speak about it. It's like they think that by speaking about it with each other makes it real. If they could share each other's pain they'd be feeling a lot better." Dad said.
"As better as you could feel considering the circumstances." Mum corrected. "It's just so terrible."
I sighed and backed away from the room. I didn't want to go in there and talk about how I felt because I didn't really know how I felt. I know I missed Jenny, which was something I'd never have expected to happen even a year back, and somehow I knew she wasn't dead. I don't know how I knew that, but I knew it in my bones. Sitting back in my room trying to do my history of magic homework I made myself a promise- regardless of what I'd promised the headmistress when I got back to school I was going to find Jenny. Not only was she like my cousin, she was also my friend.
*****
Our carriage going back to school was quiet to say the least. Greg wasn't even teasing Paul, and even Paul still looked devastated by the entire thing. The only time there was a glimmer of a smile on our faces was when Alforth stuck his head into our carriage.
"It looks like a funeral in here. Cheer up people, nobodies died." And then he laughed. "Oh wait, they might have. Dad told me all about little Jenny Weasley's disappearance, but it's not as if it's any great loss is it?"
Three curses hit him at once- mine, Greg's and Georgia's and he staggered back from the doorway covered in fur, warts and turning pink. We exchanged weak smiles at the spectacle, but they didn't last long.
"You're going to get into trouble for that." Francine commented, and she glanced at Paul waiting for him to kick into head boy mode.
Instead he sighed. "I didn't see anything." He said. "And besides he deserved it the slimy little git."
That was the first time I'd ever heard Paul speak like that, and I was impressed.
"The headmistress owled us over the holidays," Greg told me. "To let us know that if we didn't finish our homework she wouldn't be too concerned. She said to say you're included in that since you're practically part of the family, and being in the same year as Jenny and all.." He trailed off and I nodded. Usually an announcement like that would have sent me into fits of glee, but even that couldn't penetrate my somber mood.
*****
"How was your holidays?" Martin asked me later that day as we piled out of the train in Hogsmeade. He glanced over at the Weasley's. "They still don't know?"
"Nope," I said as we began to walk. "They don't, but I've decided that I can't just sit around and do nothing. I haven't really thought about it yet, but I'm going to find Jenny!"
Martin looked at me thoughtfully. "You sounded really sure then."
"I've got to be." I said with a sigh. "I don't think I can take any more of the Weasley's pain, and I'm sure Jenny's still alive, I've got this feeling I can't explain."
"You know I always thought Jenny was a bit of a pest, but I've grown pretty used to her. And if it weren't for her we could very well have died last year." Martin mused. "Whatever you're planning I'll help."
"Thanks." I said, extremely grateful. "But where to start?"
"How about with them?" Martin asked, nodding his head in the direction of the two Malfoy's. Alforth was showing off his latest broom, a Christmas present from his Dad, and Alison was standing quietly beside him. If anything she looked even paler than usual.
"Definitely a start." I agreed. "And of course there's Michael- there's something fishy going on between him and Snape. And then there's Georgia's note. And then-"
"Hold up." Martin said. "It looks like we've got a lot of work to do."
"If you don't want to help me that's fine." I assured him. "I'll do this no matter what."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to help you." Martin said. "I told you I was in, and I'm in. I was just wondering why you haven't asked the Weasley's to help?"
"Because they might get the feeling I'd been hiding things from them, and I don't want them to know how long I've known about Jenny being missing." I explained.
"Fair enough..so how do we go about this?" Martin asked.
"We'll go to the library tonight after the welcome back feast and work on details." I said. "And then, we find Jenny!" It was though, easier said than done.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: My promise.
My Christmas holidays were quiet to say the least. When we were out and trying to have fun I felt guilty about being happy when the Weasley's were in such pain. I mentioned that to Mum and she hugged me. "I know how terrible this feels Sam, and the not knowing is the worst thing. But at least try to have some fun. When you get back to school after Christmas it's probably going to be very hard for you to have any."
"I just wish they'd find her." I said. "And you know what makes it worse?"
Mum raised an eyebrow in question.
"The last time I saw her we were arguing." I said slowly. Mum's arms were still around me, and for once I didn't care that I was twelve and being hugged by my mother. "I mean it wasn't a bad argument or anything, really quite stupid, but it was an argument none the less." I didn't want to tell Mum what the argument was about of course.
"Sweetie, I know that makes it feel worse, but you can't go round feeling guilty about that. After all kids will be kids, and kids will have arguments. It's a shame of course, but feeling guilty about it is wrong."
Of course Dad was in constant contact with Uncle Ron and I heard him talking to mum about it a day or so after she and I had spoken about it. "It's like he's given up hope." Dad said unhappily. "I don't know why, the teachers at Hogwarts are sure she's still alive, but how they can say that when she's been missing so long gets him."
"What about Hermione?" Mum asked. "Wouldn't she have a feeling if Jenny was dead? I'm sure if Sam was hurt, or dead I'd have a feeling. Mother's instinct?"
"She doesn't really speak about it. It's like they think that by speaking about it with each other makes it real. If they could share each other's pain they'd be feeling a lot better." Dad said.
"As better as you could feel considering the circumstances." Mum corrected. "It's just so terrible."
I sighed and backed away from the room. I didn't want to go in there and talk about how I felt because I didn't really know how I felt. I know I missed Jenny, which was something I'd never have expected to happen even a year back, and somehow I knew she wasn't dead. I don't know how I knew that, but I knew it in my bones. Sitting back in my room trying to do my history of magic homework I made myself a promise- regardless of what I'd promised the headmistress when I got back to school I was going to find Jenny. Not only was she like my cousin, she was also my friend.
*****
Our carriage going back to school was quiet to say the least. Greg wasn't even teasing Paul, and even Paul still looked devastated by the entire thing. The only time there was a glimmer of a smile on our faces was when Alforth stuck his head into our carriage.
"It looks like a funeral in here. Cheer up people, nobodies died." And then he laughed. "Oh wait, they might have. Dad told me all about little Jenny Weasley's disappearance, but it's not as if it's any great loss is it?"
Three curses hit him at once- mine, Greg's and Georgia's and he staggered back from the doorway covered in fur, warts and turning pink. We exchanged weak smiles at the spectacle, but they didn't last long.
"You're going to get into trouble for that." Francine commented, and she glanced at Paul waiting for him to kick into head boy mode.
Instead he sighed. "I didn't see anything." He said. "And besides he deserved it the slimy little git."
That was the first time I'd ever heard Paul speak like that, and I was impressed.
"The headmistress owled us over the holidays," Greg told me. "To let us know that if we didn't finish our homework she wouldn't be too concerned. She said to say you're included in that since you're practically part of the family, and being in the same year as Jenny and all.." He trailed off and I nodded. Usually an announcement like that would have sent me into fits of glee, but even that couldn't penetrate my somber mood.
*****
"How was your holidays?" Martin asked me later that day as we piled out of the train in Hogsmeade. He glanced over at the Weasley's. "They still don't know?"
"Nope," I said as we began to walk. "They don't, but I've decided that I can't just sit around and do nothing. I haven't really thought about it yet, but I'm going to find Jenny!"
Martin looked at me thoughtfully. "You sounded really sure then."
"I've got to be." I said with a sigh. "I don't think I can take any more of the Weasley's pain, and I'm sure Jenny's still alive, I've got this feeling I can't explain."
"You know I always thought Jenny was a bit of a pest, but I've grown pretty used to her. And if it weren't for her we could very well have died last year." Martin mused. "Whatever you're planning I'll help."
"Thanks." I said, extremely grateful. "But where to start?"
"How about with them?" Martin asked, nodding his head in the direction of the two Malfoy's. Alforth was showing off his latest broom, a Christmas present from his Dad, and Alison was standing quietly beside him. If anything she looked even paler than usual.
"Definitely a start." I agreed. "And of course there's Michael- there's something fishy going on between him and Snape. And then there's Georgia's note. And then-"
"Hold up." Martin said. "It looks like we've got a lot of work to do."
"If you don't want to help me that's fine." I assured him. "I'll do this no matter what."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to help you." Martin said. "I told you I was in, and I'm in. I was just wondering why you haven't asked the Weasley's to help?"
"Because they might get the feeling I'd been hiding things from them, and I don't want them to know how long I've known about Jenny being missing." I explained.
"Fair enough..so how do we go about this?" Martin asked.
"We'll go to the library tonight after the welcome back feast and work on details." I said. "And then, we find Jenny!" It was though, easier said than done.
