A/N: So here I am with my first fic posted in a .doc in eons and eons. Hope you all enjoy! This is chapter two, and I have chapters three and four already written, so expect them after some editing of them and meditating about them. This chapter is more what I think of as a mood setter, sorry it's so short, but that's just how long it decided to be. Who am I to argue?;) Reviews are of course! of course! welcome! As are flames; it's chilly today anyhow;)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related (I do own Mrs. Phorge), all that jazz belongs to J.K. Rowling and her respective companies. These words in this order are mine, though.
Archive: Of course! Just let me know!
Rating: Realistically, PG.
Pairing: Eventual Percy/Neville, practically none of it so far, so if that squicks you, no worries yet, but if it doesn't, step right up and stay tuned. Please consider this as a SLASH content WARNING.
Summary: The after effects. A ficlet from Neville's POV. No romance in this chapter. I like it, though! Please R&R! Newly updated with chapter 2! Enjoy!
Toast and Marmalade
Chapter Two: Letter
Gran says I'm looking better, now. She says I don't look so pale anymore.
I didn't know I'd been pale at all.
I decided a week ago that I should get up really early to watch the sunrise. But I forgot to set my clock to wake me, and so the next morning and I slept in too late.
Gran hasn't been waking me up like she normally would; she says I need to rest. She didn't say it to me, though. I only just overheard her talking to Mrs. Phorge, a witch who lives up the lane from my Gran and me.
I didn't know I needed rest, either. Maybe that sounds bitter, but I don't mean it to. I really don't! I'm not at all resentful – maybe I'm just still confused. I remember everything really clearly. But sometimes it'll get foggy. Like I've worn the memories out. Maybe I need to stop trying to remember so much and so often...
I got a letter from Hermione the other day. She said she thought it was about time somebody informed me of what was going on – she said she'd had a letter from Ron: the Weasley's were doing alright; the Order was still having meetings (She knew because Ron's parents were often rushing off to them) but she didn't know what was going on in the meetings. She heard Dumbledore sent Harry several posts over the summer; she said Harry must know a lot more about what the Order has been doing than she does, but that he hasn't really been writing to anyone.
She said that there had been talk of Harry going to stay at the Weasley's for break, but that it didn't look reasonable for that to happen anymore.
She'd had a letter, she said, from Professor Lupin, too, asking how she and her parents were doing. He'd sent one to Ron's family, also (she'd asked if he'd sent one to my Gran?). She said he'd sounded really down, but sort of hopeful.
That made me feel kind of hopeful, too. I don't know exactly what I was hopeful of, just that everything worked out, I guess, that everything went back to the way it had been. I don't think that's possible anymore though; too much has gone on...too much has been started and too much lost.
She finished by asking if I'd been reading the Daily Prophet? There had been an article on Minister Fudge in there, and they'd briefly mentioned Percy Weasley. He'd been promoted. She said she couldn't have cared less – the way he'd acted! Treating his own family so poorly.
She hoped I was holding up.
She sent her best wishes.
Hermione.
It made me sad, to hear that everyone was doing about as well as I am. Maybe I'm doing better than they are, though? That might be even worse.... I felt bad, too that she sounded so mad at Percy; I wasn't happy, but I wasn't mad at him. I didn't think I'd tell her that, though. I didn't want her to be mad with me, too.
It's not that I was defending what Percy'd done. I guess what he's still doing. I just felt sorry for him. He'd wanted something so badly.
I think...
But, I think the first thing that comes along and the thing you really are looking for aren't always the same thing. I don't think Percy realized that.
I don't know what it is really, either, the thing that lately we're all trying to find. But I know I'm on the right side to find it.
The next morning, after the letter, I remembered to watch the sunrise.
A/N2: Well,hope you all enjoyed it! gets nervous It's been a really long time since I've posted anything, so please review, aw, go on! Become an R&R mastah! Has shiny badges to hand out...!
