Chapter 6

I waited till no one was up and I snuck out after Hermione. I ran out into the courtyard and looked around. No one was around and I sighed. Then I heard it. More howling. I ran in that direction when I noticed how calm the whomping willow was. I look up and then it began to move rapidly. CRAP I moved out of the way and fell on my butt. Pain shot up my back where I had hit the wall. Ugh…I shouldn't be out of bed…I got away from it so it couldn't hurt me and then I watched as Hermione followed by what it looks like Ron, Harry and Snape. I gasped when I saw Sirius Black and Professor Lupin. What the hell was going on.

I watched as the scene unfolded and jumped high when I saw professor Lupin turn into a werewolf. Holy Crap…..It looked at Hermione and I growled furiously. It had heard me and my eyes widened but something came over me. I bared my teeth at him and he took a step back and turned his attention back to the golden trio and the adults. And then there was another howl deep in the forest. The werewolf turned and looked back and another calling howl came…it sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. And then the werewolf took off. I inched back and ran the opposite direction to the infirmary hopefully not being seen.

When I got back everything was swirling in my head. I layed down in my bed and looked at my half finished work left carelessly on the table. I sighed and blew out the candle by my bed. What is going on….all of a sudden I heard a sound like the door creaked open and I waited, I turned and there was Hermione with Harry holding Ron up as he limped into a bed. Hermione rushed to Madam Pomfreys quarters and knocked loudly. I rolled over away from them and listened to what was going on. I heard the bustling as Madam Pomfrey looked over Ron and then I felt a hand on mine as Hermione came around to look at me. I squeezed her hand and she knelt so our faces were even.

"Hi."

"Hi."

She stared at my face and I hers.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to find Harry and Ron…they got themselves in trouble…"

"I could have guessed that much…what's going on Hermione…"

Hermione sat down on her knees and explained to me what happened. Which I already knew since I had seen it. I nodded and held her hand closer.

"You told me not to get in trouble or hurt…same goes to you okay…"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"Of course silly…"

I smiled at her and scooted over so she could join me. She looked over at the boys and saw they were all too preoccupied by Ron to realize where she was so she took me up on my offer.

I held her close to me and I felt my hands trembling.

She must of felt them too because she took them into her hands and began to rub circles on my hands. I calmed down and looked at her face. There were cuts from what I presumed was when she was trying to get under the whomping Willow. I lifted myself up and began to heal her cuts on her face and arms. I could do that much since they were small.

"I dare say Ms. Knight. That's some fine healing skills you have there."

We both jumped as Madam Pomfrey came round to inspect Hermione.

"I was just coming by to see if you were doing well but it seems Ms. Granger has and I find you doing healing spells on her. I must admit I'm impressed."

I blushed and she patted me on the leg.

"It's good to see you looking less pale." I smiled at her joke.

"Thank you Ms. Pomfrey."

She patted my leg again and then went to go fuss over Ron again.

"It's not over is it…"

Hermione stared at me and I stared back and she shook her head. She was contemplating on telling me something.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She jumped and I gave her a quizzical look and watched as she rung her hands together. She watched me while tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Gaile…do you want to stay with me over the summer?"

My eyes widen .

"I mean…if you want to..you don't have to or-"

I cut her off by putting a finger to her lips and she stopped and watched me silently.

"okay."

She blushed and smiled warmly.

"okay."

We both grinned and then she got up off the bed.

"I have to go do something okay…"

"Yeah…sure…"

"I'll…I'll see you soon…"

"Right."

After that everything went back to normal. I never did see Hermione after that. For some reason the school year ended just like that. I was let out of the infirmary and returned to my dorm. As requested and finished up my school year I knew Hermione did some fantastic things because I heard a few things about how Buckbeak mysteriously disappeared and so did Sirius Black…I can only imagine that the golden trio was behind it. But I did receive a letter from her telling me that something came up and that her parents wanted to take her to France for vacation. France huh. I might just end up studying French just because. Well…you never knew when that was needed.

I thought about not returning home but I never even sent letters from school to my mom. And I had to see her. I walked home from London since I had very little money and when I finally made it home it was the next day during the evening. I snuck in and found my mom in the kitchen. She was humming which surprised me. I watched her and saw how she was actually happy and I was wondering what happened.

"Mom?"

She jumped and turned around as if I was a ghost from the past.

"Abby…what are you doing here?"

"I-…I'm home from school mom…"

Before she could answer the door opened with a click and a loud booming voice that was not my fathers yelled "I'm home."

I looked at my mother in shock and she grimaced.

The man walked in and looked at me quizzically and then to my mother.

"Joan? Who is this? A guest?"

"It's no one…she was just leaving."

I think at that moment…my whole world crashed because I realized I wasn't anything to anyone…not even to my own mother that I thought loved me.

I looked at her and she looked back at me and I looked at the man that wasn't my dad.

"Why."

She stared at me and then said something that broke my heart for good.

"He is my world."

I don't remember leaving. I don't even remember grabbing my trunk and my owl sky but I did and I ended up in front of a phone booth. I looked at it and realized. I didn't have anyone to call and then Hermione's letter came to my mind. I pulled it out and realized her house wasn't that far from here from the address she gave me so I could send her a letter. I pulled a piece of parchment out and scrawled a quick note and handed it to Sky. I told her to go find Hermione and she took off and I began to walk in the direction of her house.

I was down the street from her house when Sky came swooping down and landed on my shoulder with a note in her mouth.

I jumped and looked up at her and she hooted happily. I snickered cause I realized Hermione probably gave her her first owl treat.

"Your getting spoiled love."

Sky hooted indignitely and I giggled.

"Gaile!?"

I jumped again and looked up. I hadn't realized I was about to walk past Hermione's house without noticing. I stopped and looked at Sky she still had a note in her mouth so I took it and opened it.

Gaile,

You caught me just in time. I leave for France tomorrow morning so if you need to talk I'm here.

Love,

Hermione.

I blushed and then looked up at the girl of my growing affections.

"Um…thanks for the letter…just got it." I held it up to her and she grinned as she leaned a little too far out of her bedroom window.

"What are you doing walking around in the street in front of my house at night?"

"Um…." I couldn't think of anything well I could…but the stuff In my mind right now would be considered flirting and that's never a good idea.

"I didn't expect to see Sky rush off but then dive bomb abruptly. I thought she was going to drop the letter but then I heard your laughing. I was actually shocked that you were this close…"

I blushed. "Yeah…well I sent mine…a few blocks away…I didn't realize how close I was…but…I just…" I looked down and played with my jacket.

"D-do you want to come up?"

I looked up at her rather quickly and then looked down in embarrassment. "Um…if it's okay…"

I never seen Hermione rush away so fast that I could hear her all the way from her room to the front door and I think I did the same because I was right outside her front door when she threw it open and then I was in her arms as she basically threw herself at me. In my letter I had told her what happened with my mom and if it was okay if I talked to her about some stuff and well I tried to hold back the tears I really did but when I felt the warmth from her hug and then remembered all the hurt I felt just a few minutes ago I just let go. She hugged me so tight that I knew she was trying to hold me together. I think seeing me broken was enough to hurt her too because I felt her trembling.

She ran her hands through my hair and mumbled soft encouragements in my ear. Not that I could hear them when I was crying as hard as I was. She held me outside her front door till I slowly began to calm down and then she let me go and softly led me inside her house by my hand. We walked up the stairs, and to her bedroom where I walked in and looked around. I felt my ears turn red as I realized she was waiting for me to make the first move or even say the first words.

I looked down and then at her, for once I wasn't scared to touch someone else so I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms loosely around her I was looking in her eyes and put my forehead on hers. I let her see all the pain I was feeling and she closed her eyes and moved closer to me and our noses brushed I kept watching her because for once I was so sapped of strength that I didn't care I just needed her. I waited and I could feel her cool breath on my cheek as I closed my eyes and let her presence surround me making me calm again.

"I don't want you to be sad."

I had heard her. Or more like felt her say that. We were close enough that the vibrations of our voices were enough to know what the other was saying.

Her hands were grabbing my shoulders from under my arms and she pushed me closer to her and tangled her hands in my shirt as she trembled. I pulled her closer until we were hugging again and her nose was brushing my neck and my cheek was caressing her ear.

"I'm sorry."

I felt her grip me harder and I did the same.

"It's not fair…why am I leaving…and you have to stay hear alone…you don't even have your family anymore…"

I rubbed my hand along her back and felt her shudder.

"Hermione it's not your fault…if anything…it's my parents fault…you also didn't know you were going to France with your parents when you asked me to come stay with you. I don't blame you."

I heard a sob and I pulled her back to look at her but she wouldn't let me.

"I don't want to leave you."

"Then don't…not tonight anyway…"

"Okay…"

"So I can sleep here tonight then."

"Yes."

"Okay."

I let go of her and she tried to hide her tears. I pulled her chin up till she was looking at me and held her face in my hands I became bold for once in my life and I leaned in and kissed away her tears.

"Mio…don't cry please…not for me. You don't need to just being here is way better than my sadness and yours. Let's just be happy." I felt my heart flutter as I watched a blush dust her cheeks and I smiled.

We both went down and grabbed my trunk and I pulled out some night clothes. I sat Sky in her cage with a few owl treats that Hermione handed me and then we both got ready for bed.

"Gaile…"

"Yeah?" I turned around and she was standing there in a nightgown. I gulped.

"Remember what we were talking about that day in the infirmary before everything got crazy?"

"Yeah…I do"

"I think now I know that my love did change."

"oh….well if it makes you happy then I'm sure it's for the better don't you?"

"yes." She smiled so big I thought I had seen all her smiles but this one was new.

"Come sleep with me?" she asked it very innocently but I couldn't help but feel my ears begin to burn and I knew I was falling hard for my first best friend. I still haven't figured out if it was bad that I was falling for a girl or the fact I was falling in general. I thought love wasn't that easy to find.

"Of course."

She smiled and pulled the covers up and climbed in and held out her arms for me. I went to her and let her guide me to her side. I've never felt so warm in my life and as she wrapped a leg around mine and an arm around my middle I stared at her. She pulled me as close as possible and then gave out a content sigh and I smiled at her weirdness.

"You know…most best friends aren't meant to be this close…"

"Yes they are…especially when one of them is hurting as bad as you."

"True…"

"Gaile. You are never alone…you know that right?"

I didn't answer her because honestly I've always felt alone. I mean…she was leaving tomorrow to go to France for a few months while I was left on my own until school started again. I shrugged and she sighed heavily

"Gaile I love you okay."

I tensed and my eyes widened. I struggled to get out of her hold but she wouldn't let me and she continued to talk.

"Your one of my best friends I'm not going to let you be alone."

That's when I realized she meant that kind of love, best friend love. I was kind of disappointed. I stopped moving and nodded.

And that made her content enough that she left the subject alone. I was silent and I couldn't help but feel more
alone then before. I felt Hermione's breathing slow and then she was asleep and I was awake.

The last words I said to her before I didn't see her again till the following year was something I won't soon forget. Not even after I woke up before dawn and left without a trace cause I knew she couldn't follow me even if she wanted. Those words were ones I wouldn't say lightly…and those were…

"I love you too…Mio…"

Well this was a bit long to write. sorry it took so long. I just wanted to point out that I haven't gotten any reviews? it's kind of worrying xD since I don't know if you guys don't think this is a good story or not. Well let me know I am a blooming author need some adviceeee xD lol thanks for reading~