Chapter seventeen:
This is it
Two weeks.
It was all she could think of, considering she never felt so alone. The fist day at Hogwarts had been better than this. Back in London in her basement she called home, was better than this.
With summer creeping up on her, she sat outside staring at the lake. She had brought this upon herself, by yelling at everyone who tried to talk to her. It wasn't like it was there fault no it was all hers. She had wanted to be alone, and alone she got.
Hugging her knees to her chest she dragged her eyes from the serene surface of the lake to the pictures. Her mother never looked so happy. She was so young, and was enjoying life with her friends.
Sighing Bunny closed the photo album unable to look at it any longer.
In two weeks she would be back in London, away from all the memories, away from anything that reminded her of her past.
When had her past become so unbearable? Because, before she had been lying to herself. Was that it? Was she too afraid to face it, now that the ugly truth was out?
Rubbing her eyes, she sniffed. Her eyes were sore, and her throat was dry. To many nights filled with agonizing screams, and heartbreaking tears. Not enough sleep, and too much crying.
She remembered waking up one morning to find herself huddled beneath her bed, soaking wet, like she had been out in the rain.
Bunny shivered, and dropped her head between her knees, gasping. She had been terrified to find herself not in her bed. Had she been sleep walking? How had she gotten wet? How had she curled beneath her low bed, without waking anyone else in the room?
No one seemed to notice her absence from her bed, not even Mina. Only Luna seemed to be the most worried about her.
A sound dragged her from her thoughts. She looked up to see one of those Thestrals. Its white eyes glowed from the shade of the Forbidden Forest's trees.
She hadn't ever actually seen an animal die, like she had told Hagrid. Had she been more lying to herself, than to him?
She felt the dragon like eyes staring at her, watching her from the safety of the shadows. She shivered at the thought. If she could see them, then her nightmares were real. What Dumbledore had said was true.
Bunny sighed, "I was jus too stubborn, to afraid to believe it. All these years, I never wanted to know the truth." She hugged her arms over her chest, as if it could hold in the pain building in her chest.
Reaching for her album, she climbed to her feet. Bowing her head she started back to the castle. Two weeks left, till she could put all of this behind her. "Soon I'll be safe at home."
The words sounded eerily familiar, and she wondered how being at the candy store would be safer than here. Safe from the pain, safe from the memories, or was it safe from the Dark Lord?
Was that what she meant? But now that she knew he was out there, she would never feel safe again. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Everything had been fine before she had come here.
Glancing around herself wearily, she could feel eyes watch her as she trudged up the stairs to the school. There was only one place she would ever feel safe. And at that moment she wanted to feel safe, safe and warm. She wanted to feel protected from her nightmares, and the eyes of those who watched her from the Forbidden Forest.
She hurried to find safety in the presence of the boy, who always made her feel not so alone.
?????
Harry had been in the hospital much longer than herself. She had been released two days earlier, which gave her a few extra days to mull over her thoughts. Shifting uncomfortably, from where she sat, she yawned. Spending most of the day just watching him, made her sleepy. But she was unwilling to give into sleep if there was a chance he would wake.
Even though Madam Pomfrey was a splendid nurse, Bunny wanted to see for her own eyes if the boy was okay. "Moon, Professor Dumbledore is here to visit with Mr. Potter. I will have to ask you to leave."
Looking over she spotted the nurse, with the old Headmaster behind her. Nodding, Bunny dropped from the mattress, and started across the room. Stopping, she whirled around racing back to the bed.
Ignoring the commanding voice of the nurse, she took Harry's hand in hers. "Now don't you go and wake up without me, okay." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, before she gave into the woman's orders. The doors to the infirmary closed, but Bunny stood there at the door.
Looking at it, she frowned. A few minutes passed, and she suddenly heard Dumbledor's voice. "Good afternoon, Harry." Tears rushed to her eyes, and she desperately wanted to wrench the door open.
She had wanted to be there when he woke up. Bunny turned and started down the corridor. She didn't even stop when she heard Harry shout about Quirrell and the stone.
She moved down the marble staircase tiredly, but she stopped there, her eyes staring down at the floor. She was once again alone, alone to her thoughts.
A chill crept in under her skin, and coursed down her bones. Hugging her chest, she shuddered. She hated to feel alone, when the school was filled with people. What a horrible feeling, to feel alone, when someone walked by, brushing up against you, and walking on.
"Bunny?"
Startled, she looked up to find Ron. Where had he come from? Looking to the Great Hall doors, she noted Hermoine, waiting from Ron to follow her. "Bunny you, alright? You look kind of pale."
She hadn't even noticed they had walked by her. She had been so wrapped up in her brooding mood, that she hadn't noticed how full the room was. The Great Hall was being filled for the End of the Year Feast.
"Ron?" Tears filled her eyes, and never had she been so happy to see the red haired boy. Throwing her arms around him, she held him tightly to her. "Bunny?" He was flushed with embarrassment, but his arms still hugged her back.
"Harry woke up, he's okay! I heard him, I heard him in the infirmary." She choked on a sob, but her arms only tightened around the boy. "He's going to be okay."
She looked up then, a smile breaking out onto her face. Warmth filled her, and she hugged Ron again, this time kissing his cheek. "Aw Bunny, what about us? Don't we get a kiss?"
"We? How bout just me? Don't bother with Fred here, he wouldn't know how to cherish a kiss like I." Bunny giggled, and pulled away from Ron who had turned a nice shade of red, and looked at the twins. "Hey Fred, George." Running to them she hugged them to, and after several persistent pleas, she kissed their cheeks.
Hermoine tapped her foot impatiently, "well now that we got that out of the way, lets go talk with Harry!"
Ron shook his head to clear it, "Right! Come on!"
Bunny shook her head, and watched the two Gryffindores race up the marble staircase. "Alas Buns, that frown appears on your face once more. Quick Fred, fetch Ron!"
Fred snorted, "Ron! Why Ron when she can have me?" George rolled his eyes, before he slung his arm over the blonde's shoulder. "You do plan on coming up this summer, right?"
"To you're house?" Bunny flushed ducking her head slightly to hide her face. Fred chuckled, as he came around to face her. "Yes our house. Mum wants to meet you."
Bunny shook her head, "I don't know." She thought about Vicki and Jim. Thought about her home. She missed it, now that she really thought about her friends at work. She missed her bed, and the busy streets of London.
"No? B-but, how can you say no? Won't you miss us at all?" George sounded pathetic, and even looked ridicules from where he was knelt on the ground in front of her. "Please, please Buns!" Fred chuckled, before he dropped to his knees, "Yea, please!
Looking from one to the other, she couldn't tell them apart. "Oh you two!" She giggled, covering her mouth, she couldn't help but laugh at their strange antics. Jumping to his feet, George pumped his arm in the air; "I'll take that as a yes." Fred nodded, also getting to his feet.
"Well it appears the feast is about to begin, shall we?" Bunny nodded, her stomach growling at the sound of food.
"Food here we come!"
Fred grinned, "yea! Make way."
George pushed the door open, and the three slipped into the Great Halls unnoticed, and made their way to the house tables.
?????
"Well, this is it then. I'm going home today. I only have a few hours, so I thought I would say good-bye." Luna watched cautiously from where she was perched on Bunny's shoulder.
Sighing, the blonde turned to leave, but a faint sound stopped her. Looking back, a faint smile formed on her face.
This is good-bye?
Looking, she felt her heart ache, why did it sound so formal? "I'll be back next year." she paused, why did she feel like none of that mattered?
"Good-bye"
She couldn't see him, not under the dark surface of the lake. But she could fell him there, watching her. She could hear him in her head, could hear his voice within her mind.
Good-bye.
The boats that would take them across arrived. The other first years, and Hagrid joined her at the edge of the lake. "Oy Bunny, ready to go?" She looked up, and nodded, joining the giant in one of the boats.
When everyone was settled, the boats began to cross the lake.
Bunny looked to the water, and faintly wondered, why she had been saved. Why he had let her go, when he could have taken her to the bottom of the lake with him.
She reached down, grazing the water with her fingertips. She felt something brush across her fingers, and she shivered.
But the touch was enough. She withdrew her hand, as the boat stopped on the other side of the lake. With Luna on her head, she climbed from the boat, and followed the others to the train. The trail was steep, but unlike last time, it wasn't muddy.
The more distant she put between herself and the lake, the more faint her connection to it, grew. So it was truly Good-bye. She was never going to see the merpeople again, but they would see her. They would never let her see them again, and they will hope she will forget them. And maybe in time, she will.
As she boarded the train, and slipped into the empty compartment where her trunk was, she sighed. From where she sat, she stared at where the lake lay behind the thicket of trees.
"Good-bye." She didn't need words to know why she had survived beneath the darkness of the lake. It wasn't the merpeople who had saved her. It had been her mother.
Resting her head against the cool glass, she closed her eyes.
As she slept, her body relaxed, and her mind opened up to the past. While she slept, she forgot about everything, and dreamt of nothing, but her mother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey peeps. Sorry this ending took forever. But I have a good excuse for it. My comp crashed, so I was unable to get to my files, and hence the long wait for this chap. But anyway here you. I spent all day working on it, and I hope you like it.
It might take me a while, but I'm working on the next story already. Bunny Moon and the Unwritten Diary. So stay tuned. Hehe Ttyl LP signing out.
Two weeks.
It was all she could think of, considering she never felt so alone. The fist day at Hogwarts had been better than this. Back in London in her basement she called home, was better than this.
With summer creeping up on her, she sat outside staring at the lake. She had brought this upon herself, by yelling at everyone who tried to talk to her. It wasn't like it was there fault no it was all hers. She had wanted to be alone, and alone she got.
Hugging her knees to her chest she dragged her eyes from the serene surface of the lake to the pictures. Her mother never looked so happy. She was so young, and was enjoying life with her friends.
Sighing Bunny closed the photo album unable to look at it any longer.
In two weeks she would be back in London, away from all the memories, away from anything that reminded her of her past.
When had her past become so unbearable? Because, before she had been lying to herself. Was that it? Was she too afraid to face it, now that the ugly truth was out?
Rubbing her eyes, she sniffed. Her eyes were sore, and her throat was dry. To many nights filled with agonizing screams, and heartbreaking tears. Not enough sleep, and too much crying.
She remembered waking up one morning to find herself huddled beneath her bed, soaking wet, like she had been out in the rain.
Bunny shivered, and dropped her head between her knees, gasping. She had been terrified to find herself not in her bed. Had she been sleep walking? How had she gotten wet? How had she curled beneath her low bed, without waking anyone else in the room?
No one seemed to notice her absence from her bed, not even Mina. Only Luna seemed to be the most worried about her.
A sound dragged her from her thoughts. She looked up to see one of those Thestrals. Its white eyes glowed from the shade of the Forbidden Forest's trees.
She hadn't ever actually seen an animal die, like she had told Hagrid. Had she been more lying to herself, than to him?
She felt the dragon like eyes staring at her, watching her from the safety of the shadows. She shivered at the thought. If she could see them, then her nightmares were real. What Dumbledore had said was true.
Bunny sighed, "I was jus too stubborn, to afraid to believe it. All these years, I never wanted to know the truth." She hugged her arms over her chest, as if it could hold in the pain building in her chest.
Reaching for her album, she climbed to her feet. Bowing her head she started back to the castle. Two weeks left, till she could put all of this behind her. "Soon I'll be safe at home."
The words sounded eerily familiar, and she wondered how being at the candy store would be safer than here. Safe from the pain, safe from the memories, or was it safe from the Dark Lord?
Was that what she meant? But now that she knew he was out there, she would never feel safe again. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Everything had been fine before she had come here.
Glancing around herself wearily, she could feel eyes watch her as she trudged up the stairs to the school. There was only one place she would ever feel safe. And at that moment she wanted to feel safe, safe and warm. She wanted to feel protected from her nightmares, and the eyes of those who watched her from the Forbidden Forest.
She hurried to find safety in the presence of the boy, who always made her feel not so alone.
?????
Harry had been in the hospital much longer than herself. She had been released two days earlier, which gave her a few extra days to mull over her thoughts. Shifting uncomfortably, from where she sat, she yawned. Spending most of the day just watching him, made her sleepy. But she was unwilling to give into sleep if there was a chance he would wake.
Even though Madam Pomfrey was a splendid nurse, Bunny wanted to see for her own eyes if the boy was okay. "Moon, Professor Dumbledore is here to visit with Mr. Potter. I will have to ask you to leave."
Looking over she spotted the nurse, with the old Headmaster behind her. Nodding, Bunny dropped from the mattress, and started across the room. Stopping, she whirled around racing back to the bed.
Ignoring the commanding voice of the nurse, she took Harry's hand in hers. "Now don't you go and wake up without me, okay." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, before she gave into the woman's orders. The doors to the infirmary closed, but Bunny stood there at the door.
Looking at it, she frowned. A few minutes passed, and she suddenly heard Dumbledor's voice. "Good afternoon, Harry." Tears rushed to her eyes, and she desperately wanted to wrench the door open.
She had wanted to be there when he woke up. Bunny turned and started down the corridor. She didn't even stop when she heard Harry shout about Quirrell and the stone.
She moved down the marble staircase tiredly, but she stopped there, her eyes staring down at the floor. She was once again alone, alone to her thoughts.
A chill crept in under her skin, and coursed down her bones. Hugging her chest, she shuddered. She hated to feel alone, when the school was filled with people. What a horrible feeling, to feel alone, when someone walked by, brushing up against you, and walking on.
"Bunny?"
Startled, she looked up to find Ron. Where had he come from? Looking to the Great Hall doors, she noted Hermoine, waiting from Ron to follow her. "Bunny you, alright? You look kind of pale."
She hadn't even noticed they had walked by her. She had been so wrapped up in her brooding mood, that she hadn't noticed how full the room was. The Great Hall was being filled for the End of the Year Feast.
"Ron?" Tears filled her eyes, and never had she been so happy to see the red haired boy. Throwing her arms around him, she held him tightly to her. "Bunny?" He was flushed with embarrassment, but his arms still hugged her back.
"Harry woke up, he's okay! I heard him, I heard him in the infirmary." She choked on a sob, but her arms only tightened around the boy. "He's going to be okay."
She looked up then, a smile breaking out onto her face. Warmth filled her, and she hugged Ron again, this time kissing his cheek. "Aw Bunny, what about us? Don't we get a kiss?"
"We? How bout just me? Don't bother with Fred here, he wouldn't know how to cherish a kiss like I." Bunny giggled, and pulled away from Ron who had turned a nice shade of red, and looked at the twins. "Hey Fred, George." Running to them she hugged them to, and after several persistent pleas, she kissed their cheeks.
Hermoine tapped her foot impatiently, "well now that we got that out of the way, lets go talk with Harry!"
Ron shook his head to clear it, "Right! Come on!"
Bunny shook her head, and watched the two Gryffindores race up the marble staircase. "Alas Buns, that frown appears on your face once more. Quick Fred, fetch Ron!"
Fred snorted, "Ron! Why Ron when she can have me?" George rolled his eyes, before he slung his arm over the blonde's shoulder. "You do plan on coming up this summer, right?"
"To you're house?" Bunny flushed ducking her head slightly to hide her face. Fred chuckled, as he came around to face her. "Yes our house. Mum wants to meet you."
Bunny shook her head, "I don't know." She thought about Vicki and Jim. Thought about her home. She missed it, now that she really thought about her friends at work. She missed her bed, and the busy streets of London.
"No? B-but, how can you say no? Won't you miss us at all?" George sounded pathetic, and even looked ridicules from where he was knelt on the ground in front of her. "Please, please Buns!" Fred chuckled, before he dropped to his knees, "Yea, please!
Looking from one to the other, she couldn't tell them apart. "Oh you two!" She giggled, covering her mouth, she couldn't help but laugh at their strange antics. Jumping to his feet, George pumped his arm in the air; "I'll take that as a yes." Fred nodded, also getting to his feet.
"Well it appears the feast is about to begin, shall we?" Bunny nodded, her stomach growling at the sound of food.
"Food here we come!"
Fred grinned, "yea! Make way."
George pushed the door open, and the three slipped into the Great Halls unnoticed, and made their way to the house tables.
?????
"Well, this is it then. I'm going home today. I only have a few hours, so I thought I would say good-bye." Luna watched cautiously from where she was perched on Bunny's shoulder.
Sighing, the blonde turned to leave, but a faint sound stopped her. Looking back, a faint smile formed on her face.
This is good-bye?
Looking, she felt her heart ache, why did it sound so formal? "I'll be back next year." she paused, why did she feel like none of that mattered?
"Good-bye"
She couldn't see him, not under the dark surface of the lake. But she could fell him there, watching her. She could hear him in her head, could hear his voice within her mind.
Good-bye.
The boats that would take them across arrived. The other first years, and Hagrid joined her at the edge of the lake. "Oy Bunny, ready to go?" She looked up, and nodded, joining the giant in one of the boats.
When everyone was settled, the boats began to cross the lake.
Bunny looked to the water, and faintly wondered, why she had been saved. Why he had let her go, when he could have taken her to the bottom of the lake with him.
She reached down, grazing the water with her fingertips. She felt something brush across her fingers, and she shivered.
But the touch was enough. She withdrew her hand, as the boat stopped on the other side of the lake. With Luna on her head, she climbed from the boat, and followed the others to the train. The trail was steep, but unlike last time, it wasn't muddy.
The more distant she put between herself and the lake, the more faint her connection to it, grew. So it was truly Good-bye. She was never going to see the merpeople again, but they would see her. They would never let her see them again, and they will hope she will forget them. And maybe in time, she will.
As she boarded the train, and slipped into the empty compartment where her trunk was, she sighed. From where she sat, she stared at where the lake lay behind the thicket of trees.
"Good-bye." She didn't need words to know why she had survived beneath the darkness of the lake. It wasn't the merpeople who had saved her. It had been her mother.
Resting her head against the cool glass, she closed her eyes.
As she slept, her body relaxed, and her mind opened up to the past. While she slept, she forgot about everything, and dreamt of nothing, but her mother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey peeps. Sorry this ending took forever. But I have a good excuse for it. My comp crashed, so I was unable to get to my files, and hence the long wait for this chap. But anyway here you. I spent all day working on it, and I hope you like it.
It might take me a while, but I'm working on the next story already. Bunny Moon and the Unwritten Diary. So stay tuned. Hehe Ttyl LP signing out.