On the day of the big Quidditch game, Sharlen made her way down to the dungeons where Harry was serving his detention. They'd continued to be short and distant with each other the past few days, and Malfoy was newly released from the hospital. That night she was slated for her third Ministry course meeting in the Forbidden Forest; an hour after nightfall, they were all to meet at Hagrid's cabin.
Carefully opening the door to Snape's storage cupboard, Sharlen slipped inside to find Harry mopping up a broken jar of what appeared to be eyes of various diameters. "What are you doing here? Snape's only just—" Harry started, but Sharlen covered his mouth gently with a gloved hand.
"He'll be gone for a while," Sharlen said slyly. "I may have relocated a boggart into the Slytherin Common Room and several students have just fainted from seeing a dozen acromantulas knocking over the sofas."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. He took out his wand and with a wave the mess was gone and the eyes restored to their jar. "He said I was forbidden to use magic."
"How cruel," she said with a smirk.
"I deserve it," Harry said meaningfully, peering at her through his bangs. The tips of Sharlen's fingers lingered over his forehead.
"You've been beating yourself up enough, I can tell," Sharlen said quietly. "I know I haven't helped. I'm sorry I've been stubborn."
"I've been stubborn," he protested, arms around her. "I know you have my best interests at heart. You've never shown me otherwise. I was just shaken up and I wanted…" He paused, unsure of what to say. "I wanted you to just blindly support me. Validate me, rather than trying to fix it. That was stupid."
"It's understandable…" Sharlen considered aloud, talking to the ceiling of the tall cupboard. "Look, I know how badly you wanted evidence of what Malfoy's done and I know you were acting on instinct. But you have to be more careful, Harry. You have a big task ahead of you, that much I know. You can't be getting thrown into Azkaban for something as stupid as Draco Malfoy."
Harry smiled and lowered his face down to the crook of her neck, breathing in her hair. She brought her arms up around his neck and hung on. "Do you want me to go to the game?"
"No," he groaned. "As badly as I'm sure it's going, it would be torture to think you were there without me." He stood up straight and looked at her guiltily. "On second thought, if you want to go, I really shouldn't stop you."
"It's okay," she laughed, "I'd rather go for a walk before the Forest tonight. I'll miss you."
"I forgot all about that. I'll come join you after I'm done with this," he promised, leaning back down to kiss her. "We still haven't had the chance to talk about this Ministry training. You'll have to tell me all about it."
"I'd like that," she said, watching the same memory of him and Ginny kissing at the Burrow somewhere in the future fade away for a second time. She left quickly, hoping he wouldn't see the anguish that premonition gave her.
Walking out to the grounds, Sharlen tried to ignore the chaotic sounds coming from the Quidditch pitch. The match was already half an hour in, though she assumed it wouldn't take much longer. She realized she wasn't sure how Ginny was as a Seeker, but she was a fast Chaser and figured Gryffindor might actually not be as doomed as Harry seemed to think they were. Not fixating on the kiss she kept seeing between Harry and Ginny was equally as unavoidable as the wild cheers coming from the pitch—how far in the future was that? They didn't look all that much differently than they did in the present day, a fact that Sharlen found wickedly disheartening… The time to tell Harry who she really was kept drawing nearer and she knew she couldn't keep him in the dark much longer. Was this going to be the result of her honesty?
She walked out by the greenhouses and around toward Hagrid's hut, where she found him outside, harvesting gourds that squirmed oddly. "A little early for squash, no? It's only spring," she called to him as she approached, feeling much more lighthearted than she had since the attack regardless of the thoughts of the future that plagued her. At least she and Harry had made up.
Hagrid turned and held up a giant hand in greeting when he saw who it was. "These're no harmless gourds, Sharlen," he rasped, fighting another one out of the ground. She gasped lightly to see his hands were bloody. "These're weeds, they are."
"Should you not be wearing gloves?" Sharlen asked, looking around for some.
Hagrid waved her off. "I'll be fine, these're mos'ly harmless. They don' like bein' uprooted, see." Satisfied with his progress for the minute, Hagrid stood up to full height and wiped his hands on his coat. "Why aren' ya down at the match?"
"I prefer a walk, it's quite nice out."
"Ah. Not as interestin' without Harry playin', eh?" he said with a crinkly smile.
Sharlen returned it. "I confess you're right. That and he nearly asked me not to go. He's in detention."
Hagrid nodded knowingly. "Dumbledore was bent outta shape abou' tha' bus'ness, see," he said solemnly.
"Harry was too," Sharlen said quietly, stepping closer.
"Harry should know bet'er," he insisted in a growl. Sharlen hung her head and nodded. "The Malfoys are all terrible, bu' 'Arry should know bet'er than to retaliate like tha', self-defense or not. He can control his magic bet'er 'n tha'."
"I agree with you," Sharlen said earnestly. "I've spoken with him about it."
"Well o' course it's not yer place to keep 'im in line," he grumbled, standing full height again. Sharlen turned to look where he was; hoards of students were falling over themselves leaving the Quidditch pitch to giant roars and cheers. "Looks like tha match is ov'r! Who d'you reckon-?"
"Hard to say, isn't it…" Sharlen muttered, squinting slightly. "Hold that thought." She transformed into an owl and soared over to the pitch as students continued to make their way up to the castle. From above, it was easier for her to see the Gryffindor Quidditch team—and by the way each member, including Ginny and Ron, were being carried on the shoulders of their fellow students, it was safe to say Gryffindor had earned the Cup.
Sharlen returned to Hagrid and transformed back with a simple, pleasant, "Gryffindor!"
He roared with his own cheering and clapped a few times, watching the blur of Gryffindors closing in on the castle entrance with a smile. "Ron will be really pleased. 'Arry too." He wiped his hands on his trouser legs again and took two giant strides toward the entrance of his cabin. "Come in, this calls fer a cuppa."
Having never been invited alone into Hagrid's hut without Piotr, Sharlen beamed and followed him in, delighted to see Fang when he bounded over to her.
As Hagrid served the tea, talk quickly turned to the Care of Magical Creatures class. "So yer really do like it?" he asked sheepishly.
Sharlen nodded vigorously, one hand on her mug and the other stroking Fang's heavy head on her lap. "Oh yes, it's wonderful to be able to work with animals. I've enjoyed every creature you've shown us."
Hagrid nodded happily and took a long swig. "Tha' really warms me, it does. Mos' of the studen's, well… I got sor'of a bad rap with Buckbeak and then the flobberworms 'n Skrewts…" He trailed off and shook his great head a few times. "But I think i's pretty good now, yeh?"
"I certainly think so," Sharlen agreed again. "When Snape was home schooling me, we worked in almost all the standard subjects Hogwarts students did except magical creatures, so I had almost no experience with any creature at all, save a few spiders or stray cats here or there…" Hagrid was watching her solemnly now and she nervously felt compelled to keep talking. "I mean, I wasn't really let outside and the houses we lived in were cleaned out so there really wasn't any opportunity… But I really like the thestrals, I think they're just beautiful, really."
Hagrid cleared his throat and leaned closer to Sharlen over the table. "I know yer of age now, and I was wonerin' if ol' Snape would agree ter let yer stay here over the summ'r and help me tend the creatures." Sharlen stared at him openly. "Dumbledore, great man that Dumbledore, he's had odd jobs fer me of late and seein' as you enjoy the animals so much, I figured—"
"Yes, absolutely yes," she interrupted, beaming. "If I can, I really want to. Thank you so much. I will see if I can."
After a second cup of tea Sharlen left Hagrid and Fang, excusing herself to meet her Ministry group outside. The sun had set half an hour before and the sky was nearly dark. Once outside, she saw the usual Aurors assembled, along with Lupin, Snape, and McGonagall. A few students seemed to be making their way down.
Kingsley Shacklebolt gave her an approving nod as she approached. "Punctual."
"Alright there, Down?" Tonks said lowly. She was standing close to Lupin and looking particularly unhappy.
Sharlen tried a smile. "Yes, Tonks, thank you. I was just with Hagrid. He asked if I wanted to help him tend the creatures on the grounds over the summer," she said, looking pointedly at Snape. His face remained very still, but his aura betrayed sadness.
"The way this is going it's likely you'll be with the Ministry over the summer, interning with our office," Moody growled, taking a swig from a flask he kept at his hip. Tonks frowned at him. Sharlen realized, a lump forming in her throat, that she had her flask with her and Moody's blue eye was on it under her cloak. "I take it your teachers know about your other form?"
"Yes," Sharen answered, and McGonagall turned up the corner of her mouth. "It's how I get to classes. Dulls the auras of the other students."
Moody nodded and took another swig. The Aurors talked to the professors until all the students were assembled and Hagrid emerged from his cabin with his giant crossbow, Sharlen waiting quietly, listening, wondering what trials they would actually find in the Forest. She knew Harry had been in there several times, but she had never entered beyond the thestrals' paddock clearing.
Kingsley stepped forward and addressed the students. "We'll be entering from here, as the centaurs typically run further north of the Black Lake and we don't want to run into them tonight. Should you meet a centaur, you are not to attack or say a word; send up red sparks with your wand and we will come calm the situation."
"You leave the centaurs ter me," Hagrid grumbled. "Outta their minds, they are." Snape looked extremely disinterested in what was being said.
"Can you send sparks without a wand, Down?" Dawlish asked. Sharlen held up her right hand, her fingers tingling warmly, and red sparks erupted around it.
"We'll be splitting up, so have your wits about you. Some of us will be out to attack you, as will several of the creatures. You are not, under any circumstances, to mortally wound anything you face tonight," Kingsley continued. "These are reactive trials. Let's begin."
Sharlen removed her gloves and pocketed them in her cloak, setting it aside, along with her flask, on the fence of Hagrid's garden. The other students watched her wearily, never having seen her without gloves on, but she didn't want to be impeded by the extra fabric if she had to run. She followed the group of Aurors and students into the darkness, followed closely by the Hogwarts professors, and knew immediately that when they gave the signal to split up, she would be transforming just to have better visibility. The deeper they went, the thicker the trees and the more the moon was obscured. It wasn't long before she couldn't see much at all, her ears straining for sound.
After what felt like twenty minutes of walking, Moody stopped them, calling from the front. "This here's far enough. You have two hours." She heard him dismissing the students one by one and felt his heavy, gnarled hand on her shoulder pushing her off to the left. "Off you go. Stay alive."
Sharlen took a few more tentative steps, opting to remain in the darkness rather than use Lumos; she could see a few other students had chosen to do so, wands out, as they walked further away from her in the Forest. They'll be easy targets, I can still see them from here, she thought, watching their lights become smaller but not yet dimmer. She transformed into an owl and flew up among the branches, thanking her improved sight as she set off.
For several minutes, nothing happened. It was hard to quiet her wingbeats with so many branches blocking her path, but she was confident she was better off in the air than stumbling over tree roots on the ground. At one point, she came across another student, one of the two Hufflepuffs, breathing hard and being stalked by Dawlish. As quietly as she could muster, Sharlen transformed back into her body and perched on a thick branch above the Auror, who was about to curse the loud student. Stupefy, Sharlen thought firmly, hand outstretched toward Dawlish, who fell to the ground Stunned instantly.
As she returned to her owl form, Sharlen thought it might be best to track the Aurors and disarm them rather than wander around waiting to be attacked. She flew up above the canopy of the trees and looked down, hoping to see the wandlight of another. After a few minutes, she heard a scream and flew to that direction instead.
From above, Sharlen saw the Gryffindor girl, Mary, running through the trees, tripping over roots and shooting spells over her shoulder at something Sharlen couldn't see. The girl was very tall, her long legs able to carry her quickly on more level ground, but she was struggling through the thicker brush and branches of the forest, her medium-length light brown hair disheveled and knotted. The trees around them shook and the sound of heavy footfalls echoed in her ribcage. She flew down through the branches and transformed in front of Mary, who was startled into yelling once more. Sharlen held up her hands before her, telling Mary to get behind her and the girl did so without delay, wand raised. The insides of her ribcage kept rattling within her until a giant, a real giant more than twice the size of Hagrid, came barreling before them, blinking several times in the darkness to focus. It seemed to be confused that there were now two of them, and held out his humongous hands.
"Since when are there giants in this forest?!" Mary shouted, close to Sharlen's ear. She flinched and waited for the giant to make a move—he was smiling and had stopped advancing more than one casual footstep at a time. Each step he took made Mary and Sharlen take several quick steps backward.
"Try to be quieter, we don't know what other attention we're drawing out here. Did he hurt you?" Sharlen asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the giant. Everything she'd read about giants told her they were malicious and dangerous, but this one didn't seem to have a violent streak; in fact, his aura was completely yellow and pink. He was feeling friendly.
"No, he just shouted 'HERMY' at me and started chasing me," Mary answered, wand trembling. "Let's try to stun him together, my spell alone did nothing."
"No, lower your wand," Sharlen ordered, lowering her left hand. She held her right out to the giant and walked toward him, Mary loudly whispering objections behind her. The giant stooped low to touch her hand with one of his massive fingers, each digit almost as big as she was. He beamed. "He's not dangerous. He isn't a threat."
Sharlen waved goodbye to the giant animatedly and he waved to her in return, veering back the way he came pleasantly. She turned back around to Mary, who looked awestruck. "You have to be able to tell what's friend and what's foe. He actually could have been good protection, maybe I should get him back…"
"Are you crazy? Walking over to a giant like that?" Mary shouted at her.
"His aura was completely friendly," Sharlen protested, gesturing for her to keep her voice down again. "He meant us no harm at all."
"Well whatever you do, don't get him back," Mary muttered huffily.
"You're right, he would actually just attract more attention to us," Sharlen agreed thoughtfully. Mary's shoulders fell defeatedly, as that hadn't been what she meant whatsoever. Sharlen added, "For what it's worth, it's rather hard to Stun a giant. I would recommend a stronger spell."
Mary just looked at her, incredulous.
"I'm able to see better in the dark as an owl," Sharlen continued. "If you want to stick together, I can fly ahead and maybe we can take out a few more of the Aurors."
"Take them out?" Mary asked.
"Yes—I figure it will be more beneficial to try and stun or disarm them rather than waiting for them to attack us, wandering around in the dark like this. And don't use Lumos, you stick out like a sore thumb like that."
Mary agreed to her plan and Sharlen transformed, flying up and staying above her head.
They had no idea how much time was passing in the Forest; they walked for quite a while without meeting anyone, Mary gesturing which way they should try based on the location of the stars she could see. She was apparently rather skilled with Astronomy, and Sharlen was grateful—her sense of direction wasn't the best and she didn't have anything specific to start tracking. Just when she was wondering if time was up, one of the female Aurors attempted to curse Mary from the left side.
The girl dove out of the way and shot back a Stunning Spell, but the Auror mirrored her dive. Sharlen transformed behind her while the two dueled, but the Auror saw her at the last second, catching a glimpse of white from the corner of her eye and redirecting "Expelliarmus!" at her. Sharlen got hit, but, with no wand to disarm, she simply fell backward over the thick roots. Throwing her hands up and over, Sharlen ripped one of the larger branches above from the old tree above her and swung it through the air at the Auror. She was not quick enough that time and was thrown backward, the branch over her.
Sharlen ran over to her and levitated the branch off her torso, worried she had overreacted; the Auror coughed and wheezed.
"Are you alright?" she gasped, kneeling over the Auror.
She sputtered but overall seemed very pleased. "I didn't see that one coming! I'm fine, just got the breath knocked out of me."
"Good. I'll choose a smaller branch next time."
"Aye, that would be kind."
"We have to stun you now," Sharlen said quietly.
"Aye, you do," the Auror said with a grin. Sharlen let Mary do the honors and they continued along.
"We must be almost done, don't you think?" Mary asked wearily. "I don't know what you've run into but these Ministry Aurors just hiding out ready to curse us is really stressful."
Sharlen actually felt relatively calm. "Don't you think sneaking around in precarious situations with people who want to curse you is exactly what becoming an Auror is going to be like?"
"Who's there?" said another student, very close by. He came into view from behind a tree, wand drawn toward them—one of the Ravenclaw boys, Daniel. His hazel eyes seemed to shine in the dark, and Sharlen had to admit she felt more comforted with his arrival than she had teaming up with Mary; he had a Beater's build. He lowered his wand slightly to see them and breathed a small sigh of relief. "I thought you might be Moody again. He is ruthless."
"Good, it may as well be worth it," Sharlen muttered.
Mary's trembling hand found her shoulder. "You should be careful what you wish for…"
Sharlen turned around and her jaw dropped; nearly as big as the giant had been was a spider, drawn to full height on all eight legs, creeping toward them—acromantulas. Around it Sharlen could see a slew of others of varying sizes, and at their feet, hundreds of thousands of regular-sized spiders scurried around. Above their heads Sharlen could see more, so many more, in and out of and dangling from webs as far up as the trees could reach.
Her mouth immediately went dry and the spider flew at them; Daniel threw a Stunning Spell at it but it seemed to have no effect, despite hitting the acromantula square in the chest. He and Mary tried together and the spider recoiled but only just so. Sharlen held out her hands and tried with them, and with the three curses together it fell to its side. Twenty more huge spiders advanced over the body of their peer.
IMPEDIMENTA! she screamed desperately in her mind, both hands outstretched toward the giant spider coming the fastest. It slowed, but another was right behind it. Impedimenta! Bombarda! Expulso! Incarcerous! IMPEDIMENTA! "Run!" she shouted aloud, and that's all the two students had to hear to turn tail for the other direction, throwing curses over their shoulders past Sharlen, hoping to hit one of the pursuers.
The three of them rushed through the trees, willing one another not to trip on the branches, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Looking around wildly, Sharlen realized they wouldn't be safe in the trees either as spiders of all sizes and speeds advanced in the branches as well. One the size of Fang fell on top of Daniel and they crashed to the ground; from several feet behind them, Sharlen levitated the spider off of him and threw it back behind her into the stampede of millions of legs rushing behind them. She grabbed Daniel's arm and yanked him up to keep running. He recovered quickly, one hand on her shoulder to help propel her faster.
Harry and Ron had escaped the acromantula nest in second year—she remembered the story when they told her about the Chamber of Secrets. They followed the spiders, she thought frantically, the spiders were fleeing the school. Was it fire? She couldn't remember in her panic.
The basilisk! she thought, wrenching herself free of Daniel in a full stop and turning toward the spiders. She had to give it a try.
"What are you doing?!" Daniel shouted back at her as he and Mary continued running away.
"Go! Send up sparks!" Sharlen called back. Serpensortia! she thought firmly, and from her outstretched hands joined together at the heel of her palms sprang a black snake, which landed heavily on the ground. Engorgio was next, and she raised her right hand higher and higher, drawing the snake larger before the spiders as if it was rising from the ground. Once the head of the giant snake resembled that of the size of a small car, she lowered her arms slightly, braced in case it didn't work—a simple black viper was no basilisk after all.
But she'd tricked them. The spiders instantly recoiled, falling over themselves to stop their trajectory and rapidly scurry in the other direction, not waiting to find out that the serpent's eyes wouldn't kill them. Even the spiders above abandoned their cause, heading back to the nest as fast as their legs could carry them. The snake's hiss was so loud she had to block her ears. Once she was sure the spiders were gone, she thought Vipera Evanesca weakly, whipping her left hand back and forth through the air as if erasing a blackboard, and the giant serpent vanished. She sank to the ground, the surge of adrenaline leaving her feeling heavy and weak. She gripped her knees, willing herself not to pass out.
"Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake, stay awake…" she whispered over and over to herself, pinching her eyes closed and taking deep breaths. She didn't want to see the world sliding away.
"Incredible," came a stunned Lupin several long seconds later. Panting, Sharlen looked around with her legs crumpled beneath her to see all the Aurors, students, and professors together behind her. They had all just arrived to respond to the sparks. Tonks and Dawlish came forward and lifted her under the arms to bring her over to the group.
"That was quick thinking Miss Down," McGonagall urged breathlessly, her hat askew. Sharlen's eyes found Snape in the darkness and there was nothing but pride in his aura, though his face betrayed only careful consideration. "You were trying to trick them into thinking it was a basilisk?"
"I was. Harry's told me about it," she panted, swallowing hard to try and cure how dry her mouth was. At the mention of Harry, Tonks raised a sharp eyebrow at Lupin and Moody.
"Are you okay?" Lupin asked, putting a hand on her shoulder while Tonks and Dawlish kept hold of her, inspired by her shaking.
"I… I'm not feeling well," she admitted, feeling lightheaded. She thought she might be sick, now that the adults were with them and she was still unable to relax. Snape seemed tense and ready to move quickly if she collapsed again.
"Aye, adrenaline can take a lot out of you," Moody growled, both eyes on her.
"Tha' was brilliant, tha' was!" Hagrid bellowed. "The acromantulas are a bit unruly, now Aragog's s'all gone…" He sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve; Sharlen thought this was an enormous understatement. "And I'll thank you fer not attackin' me brother Grawp, he was excited ter meet yeh! I told him to stay scarce and outta the way tonight, but 'e just loves makin' new friends." The other professors frowned at him, clearly annoyed and disapproving.
"Brother," Sharlen laughed weakly, holding a hand to her head. "Of course."
"You knew he wasn't a threat, she said," Moody growled, gesturing to Mary.
"He meant us no harm. It's like he just wanted to say hello," Sharlen explained, now standing on her own.
"You're the one who stunned me, yes?" Dawlish asked. Sharlen nodded.
"She got me, too!" the female Auror said with a toothy grin, as though this had all been wildly fun for her.
"Let's get out of this bloody Forest," Moody grumbled, "Those spiders aren't likely to stay cozy in their hole forever."
Making their way out of the Forest back toward Hogwarts, the Aurors spoke to the students one-on-one regarding their trial, giving tips or congratulations where deserved. Snape stayed beside Sharlen as she relayed what she'd done to Moody.
"And then, you know, the serpent and the spiders," she finished, pulling small twigs from her hair.
"I couldn't even find her," Tonks added. "I looked for her nearly the whole time."
"I was an owl," Sharen told her.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, Down," Moody told her in his gravelly voice. "You analyzed and understood your surroundings, ran surveillance, protected your own, spared the innocent, and showed good reactivity."
Sharlen felt embarrassed and wished Snape was out of earshot—she had never been given so many compliments in her life. Tonks frowning at Moody yet again brought her back down a peg or two.
"Several of your peers won't be joining us next week, but I want you ready for the physical exam," he muttered lowly, leaning down closer to her. She nodded her agreement as they emerged through the treeline onto the moonlit grounds. The Aurors departed toward the gates, talking amongst themselves, and the teachers escorted the students back up to the school.
"That was really great magic, Sharlen," Daniel told her as they followed McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape. "I didn't even know spiders were afraid of snakes."
"Basilisks, really. I hoped I could trick them if I made it really big. I wasn't sure that would work," she corrected him, instinctively reaching for her flask. She froze when she realized she had left it down at Hagrid's.
"I'm glad you stuck with me," Mary added with a sigh. "I guess I'm really not brave enough to be an Auror. Or a Gryffindor…"
"You're fine, you're fine," Sharlen muttered distractedly. "On an assignment you'd at least typically have some idea of what to face, you were just caught off guard." She stopped and turned around. "I left my cloak and gloves, I've got to go back."
Daniel and Mary gave her little waves and continued on to the castle. Sharlen ran down to the garden, grabbed her effects, and took a long draught of her potion before heading back the way she came, taking her time. Her limbs felt so heavy with each step—she had never felt adrenaline like that before. Nausea and exhaustion simmered within her violently. She fought the unbearable urge to sink down to the grass and just stay there.
As she neared the school, she wondered how rowdy the party in Gryffindor Tower was after their victory; she had already deduced that it was unlikely she would see Harry after all, as his detention had ended hours ago and he never came to find her.
Resolving to head straight to the bath, she was startled to see Harry and Ginny together as she came around the greenhouses. With mutual gasps, they each took a giant step apart. Slow, steady, heavy dread blossomed in her stomach and out to her limbs as she considered their auras, none of them speaking—Harry's bright red was fading guiltily to green while Ginny's red echoed prideful purple and inside, closest to her physical frame, a similar green guilt was starting to spread. "Oh," she managed her shocked lips to form, "hey you two. Celebrating the match?"
"We were, yes," Harry said hesitantly, taking a step toward her, farther away from Ginny.
"Alone?" Sharlen asked.
"Well…" Ginny muttered.
"In the dark?" Sharlen asked, trying to keep her voice level and calm, though it was high despite her best efforts.
"The Common Room is noisy right now," Harry said, closing the gap between them. He looked as though he wanted to reach for her hands, but she had not replaced her gloves after retrieving them. "We just... fancied a chat." Sharlen kept her eyes locked on his, trying to tell herself that if something had happened between the two of them, he would let her know, just as he did after Christmas.
"I'll bet," Sharlen said quietly. Ginny and Harry seemed to freeze, and she quickly added, "But of course the Gryffindors should be celebrating! I just finished my Auror course in the Forest. Congratulations, Ginny." She was sure she was going to be sick. She wanted to flee.
"T-thank you," Ginny said breathlessly, unable to hide the rouge in her pale, freckled cheeks. Harry's aura was entirely green by this point. "W-will you be coming up with us? To join the party?" she asked, uncharacteristically kind.
"I don't think I should," Sharlen muttered in a voice that sounded as if it had been cut in half. She was afraid to touch Harry and potentially see a vision of something she didn't want to be true. She reasoned with herself that their auras alone couldn't make her sure that anything had happened. But it was abundantly clear they were hiding something. "House pride and all that. You two go on without me."
"Aren't you coming inside?" Harry asked, searching her eyes. "Should I walk you to your dorm? It looks like the Forest took a lot out of you." Sharlen was sure he was referencing the tangled mess of her hair and the dirt on her skin and clothing, not to mention what remained of spider webs she'd run through with the others. She felt her stomach lurch at how perfect Ginny looked.
"Oh no, that's okay. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. You know where to find me if you need to talk to me about anything," she said, her eyes not leaving his as she steeled herself. She leaned up, kissed his cheek, and walked past the two of them into the castle.
Ascending the stairs, leaving both of them behind, she was altogether relieved and extremely disappointed that the vision had been of a simple train ride on the Hogwarts Express. Hoping she would find herself better able to focus the next morning, Sharlen walked herself to her dorm and promptly curled up in her bed, feeling empty.
When she made it to the library the next morning after finally washing, Ron and Hermione were bickering in loud whispers behind a large text. Sharlen stopped behind them and said, "Shouldn't you two be celebrating?" which caused them both to jump a foot out of their chairs.
"Sharlen! Where have you been?" Hermione asked quickly, eyes darting to Ron sternly. "I thought you would have joined us for the party last night."
"I was with Hagrid," she said quietly. "We were having tea before going into the Forest."
"Oh, that sounds nice," Hermione said politely. "Much nicer than the rager in Gryffindor."
"Yes, I ran into Harry and Ginny outside last night." She'd felt the words come out of her mouth casually but surprised herself with how quickly she brought it up. Something inside her felt too quiet, focused. Ron choked and began coughing viciously at these words. Sharlen watched him with a blank face. "They apparently needed some quiet, too."
"Yeah, well, Harry is a real prat sometimes and he can have all the quiet he wants as far as I'm concerned," Ron growled, scowling with arms crossed. Hermione looked nervous and hopeless.
"What's he done to upset you?" Sharlen asked, looking between the two of them.
"It meant nothing!" Hermione cried fretfully.
Sharlen's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed a gag.
Hermione continued in a rush. "Oh I can't believe he didn't tell you. Last night when Harry came back from detention and found out we won the match, Ginny ran at him and he just kissed her without thinking."
A high-pitched sound, equal parts quiet and loud, filled her ears.
"Prat," Ron growled.
"They went to go talk about it and he told us it was thoughtless and stupid and he hadn't meant to do it," she went on. Sharlen kept her breathing even and her fingers found the amber necklace.
"Absolute prat," Ron continued, shaking his head angrily.
"I thought he would tell you about it but since it meant nothing and he said it won't happen again, maybe he just wanted it swept under the rug to not cause anymore problems," Hermione finished, watching Sharlen nervously.
"Okay," Sharlen said simply. Inside she felt oddly calm, the eye of a storm.
Hermione and Ron said, "What?" in unison.
"If that's what he said then we'll leave it at that," Sharlen explained. "Harry is not a malicious person. I know he wouldn't hurt me or Ginny frivolously. Everyone... makes mistakes."
"Yeah, well, that mistake wasn't fair to you," Ron said firmly, hands forming fists on the table. "Or to my sister."
Sharlen smiled at Ron. "Thank you for thinking of me." The two watched her carefully for a minute. "I know you're both aware of what he has ahead of him, and it's wearing on him. Of course as with anyone we have to make sure he knows when he's in the wrong," she added carefully, "but let's let him have this one. Really. I'm sure he's… torn up about it."
"Well, how are you about it?" Hermione asked. She reached for Sharlen's gloved hand.
"I'm sad, of course… but I know he loves me," Sharlen said in a quiet voice. "I regret that Ginny was hurt too. And should they choose each other…" She swallowed, remembering her future vision of them. "I will respect it. But I will stay by Harry's side as long as he needs me there." She nodded to Ron and Hermione, gathered her bag from the floor, and left the library with a little wave back to them.
Selfishly, Sharlen thought, Now's as good a time as ever. I have to tell him now while he has a chance of forgiving me.
