A/N: Mildly inspired by Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. It's a pretty good book, methinks. Enjoy.

Beta love: Huge thanks and virtual cookies to agentmoppet for helping me with the story and for betaing :)

QLFC Round 12: Write a TRAGIC story about NEXT-GEN CHARACTERS

Extra prompts:

3. (word) radiant

5. (opening sentence) It had happened again.

9. (quote) "Mother, I want to see him fly!" - George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones

See You Smile Again

Word count: 2639 (according to MS Word)

It had happened again. And again. And again. As if trapped in a swirling downwards spiral, Roxanne Weasley's mind spun and spun in the darkness until a radiant glow came into view. Unknowingly, Roxanne reached for the glowing ball of light, trying to shake off the dizziness that came from the spinning sensation. Her fingers barely touched the radiant sphere when, as if she was a fish caught by a fisherman, Roxanne was pulled forward.

In the next second, she felt soft sheets pooling beneath her body.

As she opened her eyes, an all too familiar scene came to view. She was in her dorm in the Gryffindor tower, and a pair of hands were shaking her shoulders gently.

"Roxanne, wake up!" She could hear her best friend, Jenna, nudging her out of her slumber. "We're going to be late for Transfigurations at this rate!"

The redhead groaned, but pulled herself up into a sitting position. The moment she stilled, a flock of memories came rushing back. Suddenly, the whole drowning and spinning that was hurting her head made sense.

She was supposed to be… dead? She remembered standing next to the Black Lake, a pushing sensation as she fell into the water, herself struggling to keep above the waterline, and then the stinging sensation of water taking the place of oxygen in her lungs as the depths of the lake pulled her deeper and deeper down. That, before everything went black.

It was only after her blackout that the spinning sensation welled up inside her, as if she was being pulled back by some kind of rope. And now, she was being woken up by her best friend. Did she survive, then?

"What day is it?" she choked out. The situation was confusing, to say at least.

Jenna shrugged. "Tuesday. Why'd you ask?"

"Nothing." Roxanne shook her head, her expression blank. Tuesday was yesterday. Tuesday was when somebody shoved her into the Black Lake.

Then again, Jenna always knew the time.

"Are you sure it's Tuesday?" Roxanne asked, desperately hoping she was wrong.

"Yup!" her friend replied, a small smile playing on her lips. "Don't you remember? We're having that big Potions exam today!"

Then there was no denying it, Roxanne decided. She did write a Potions exam… yesterday? Today? At some point of time. There was no way Jenna would forget about that; after all, she was the studious type.

But then, what was Roxanne doing here, on the morning of her supposed death?

~oOo~

"Roxanne, wake up!" rang a familiar voice through Roxanne's head. She blinked slowly, the face of Jenna clearing in front of her.

What was she doing here again? All Roxanne felt was confusion, mixed with a bit of fear and exhaustion.

Then, it all came back. Yesterday—if it really was yesterday at all—she woke up, memories of dying in the Black Lake tainting her mind. Back then, she found it somewhat strange that she'd have memories of a day she hadn't lived through yet, but at the time, she cast it aside.

It turned out to be a lethal mistake on her part. The drowning and pulling and choking… It all happened again. She was wary as to what had really happened still, but a nagging suspicion in the back of her head was urging her to find out more.

"Hey, Jenna," Roxanne said finally. "This may sound weird, but it's Tuesday, right? The day of that big Potions exam, right?"

"Yeah! I didn't think you'd remember," Jenna replied, her face positively radiating with excitement. "We were also planning on having lunch by the Black Lake, remember?"

It definitely was Tuesday, then. It may have given Roxanne an answer to a few questions she'd been holding, but it also raised several more.

Was this whole 'looped-day-thing' a dream? Was somebody playing a rather cruel trick with her? Or… Did she really die? Was she really teleported back in time, twice in a row?

And if so, why?

Roxanne felt pain shooting through her forehead.

"Ah, yeah," she said, wincing at how small her voice seemed. "How about we decide that after the exam? Or, how about we do it tomorrow?"

"No! The Quidditch team is having a practice today, and it's the only time I can spy on Adam without being creepy. Surely, it's not much of a sacrifice for you to come with me if it's about my love life?"

Roxanne bit her lower lip. Jenna had this budding crush on one of the Gryffindor Chasers, and even though it was hopeless, she kept stalking the boy from within a healthy distance. If it wasn't for the little voice in the back of her head, Roxanne would have said yes. But in this situation… Her life may have been on the line.

"I'm not sure, Jenna. You know, I have this feeling that something will go wrong," Roxanne said, her voice uncertain as were her emotions.

"Come on, what could go wrong? You're being awfully cautious. That's not very Gryffindor of you," Jenna huffed.

Seconds ticked by.

"Fine," Roxanne said finally, hanging her head. She did feel as if something more complicated was going on behind the scenes, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. And for now, she decided not to care about it.

~oOo~

Darkness enveloped Roxanne again, her vision going blurry as the bottom of the Lake neared her. For the third time in a row, somebody pushed her in.

It was in moments like these that she cursed herself for not learning how to swim.

Alas, she knew what was to come next, so when her head started spinning again in a spiral of blackness, she welcomed it, a soundless sigh escaping her lips as she reached for the radiant light once again.

~oOo~

This time, she was up before Jenna could shake her out of unconsciousness. She was wide awake, with a plan forming in her mind.

If she was going to be thrown back a day each and every time she dies, it would only be fitting for her to spend her last couple of hours investigating, right? Maybe, just maybe, if she untangled the mystery behind her death, she would be freed from this loop, this fate, which was almost worse than death.

Having to relive her last day over and over again was not only exhausting; it made Roxanne wish she could've just left the living world without another word. What was the point of keeping her here, in a universe she didn't belong in anymore? Why couldn't she rest in peace?

She supposed this must be the feeling of true despair.

Even so, she pulled herself up in her bed with renewed energy. She was going to solve the mystery, even if it took her fifteen more tries. There was nothing more left for her to discover—it was the only chance she could see at escaping.

"Oi, Jenna," she said, walking over to her best friend's bed, who had just woken up, "you ready for today's Potions exam?"

"I sure am," the brunette replied, yawning. "I'm surprised you remembered, though."

"You know, nervousness and all." Roxanne shrugged. "Hey, um, you know we planned on having lunch by the Lake, right?" Jenna nodded. "Could I skip it? I just realised I have something urgent I must discuss with Professor McGonagall in that particular break, and you know how she is with being punctual."

"Of course I do. Though, I hoped we both could watch the Quidditch practice." Jenna pouted slightly.

"Guess it can't be helped," Roxanne replied. She felt bad for lying to her best friend, but did it really matter now? She wouldn't live to see that goddamn next Wednesday anyway. It was a rather desperate attempt by her, yes, but when she drowned for the third time in a row, something had snapped within her. She couldn't care anymore; she just wanted to end it all.

She did realise that this decision had its consequences, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

~oOo~

Peering from behind the wall of the castle, Roxanne had her eyes glued on Jenna, who, aside from eating her lunch, was staring at the Gryffindor Quidditch team in awe. She was sitting cross-legged near the water of the Black Lake. Aside from her, Roxanne couldn't see anyone lingering out in the open, so she had no suspects. Regardless, Roxanne was positive she would catch the culprit sooner or later. With her eyes transfixed on her best friend, however, she didn't notice the boy who came up behind her, until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

As soon as she felt the touch, Roxanne jumped both from the fear she'd been suppressing the whole day, and surprise. She did recognise the boy in front of her—he was a classmate of her brother, Fred, and he was called Mark—but she had never really talked with him before.

"Hey, Roxanne," he said, his hands fidgeting with something in his pockets.

"Hey, Mark" the redhead replied. "Anything you want?"

"Yeah," the boy said, holding out a slip of paper towards the girl. "Some guy just came up to me and told me to give this letter to you. He said you'd better look out."

"But why?" Roxanne wondered aloud. "More importantly, who was it?"

Mark shrugged. "I dunno."

"I see. Thanks anyway," the girl said, waving a goodbye to the older boy before turning back to face the Lake, where she was expecting Jenna to sit.

Instead, what she could see was her friends struggling against the water, as if a mysterious power was pulling her under. Maybe, the thought appeared in the back of her head, there was some kind of power holding her underwater.

Soon, the realisation hit her. Jenna was dying right in front of her, and she was just standing there, gazing at the scene as if in a trance. She broke into a sprint, hoping she wasn't late as she drew her wand out.

Save Jenna, the thought rang in her head like a mantra.

The closer she got the Lake, however, the less hope she had. She couldn't even hear noises of struggling anymore, and as she reached the shore, she glimpsed as the body of her late best friend was consumed by the deep depths of the Black Lake.

She wasn't supposed to die here, she thought.

A single tear rolled down Roxanne's cheek. Was this the cost of her plan? Was this the sacrifice she had to make in order to discover the identity of her murderer? Most of all, would it still be worth it, if Jenna died with her?

As Roxanne kept on sobbing, kneeling right next to the Lake, she suddenly remembered the piece of paper se had been given and which she was still clutching. Trembling in grief, she smoothened the slip out. There were seven words scribbled down on the parchment.

Mother, I want to see him fly!

Roxanne's eyes widened. She knew where she'd heard this before, she knew all too well, but why was it brought up at a time like this? What did that memory have to do with anything? Did it have to do with the case at all?

And why… Why was she reminded of it now? There was only one other person in the school who knew about it, but that couldn't be…

Roxanne let her shoulders slump, the piece of paper falling onto the ground unceremoniously. She didn't know what to feel anymore. There was fear. There was anxiety. There was nervousness, grief, sorrow, regret, and a hint of something she couldn't quite place yet. Understanding? Surprise? She didn't know.

Not that she had time to figure it out. As she was about to grasp the remaining piece of the puzzle, she was once again pushed into the water headfirst.

"I didn't mean to," she said as the oxygen left her lungs once again.

Soon, she welcomed the all too familiar blackness.

~oOo~

It was different this time. This time, the darkness held a flashback. It was as if a memory of Roxanne's was displayed on a screen. Little, eleven-year-old Roxanne was standing by the window of her room, which was in an apartment on the top of a four-storey building, a fluffy white cat cradled in her arms. Her eyes were glinting with excitement as she neared the window.

"Roxanne, dear, put Fluffy down!" she heard a voice coming from behind, which the redheaded girl recognised as her mum.

"But Mother, I want to see him fly!" tiny Roxanne replied, holding the cat a little bit tighter. "They say cats always land on their paws, and that's kinda like flying, isn't it?"

"Roxanne, you can't throw Fluffy out of the window. It's dangerous," came the stern voice of her mother.

Little Roxanne huffed once and threw the window open anyway. "If we never try, we'll never find out if he really does land on his paws." With a swift movement, the cat was shooting downwards.

Roxanne didn't want to see it. She heard the sickening thump at the end of the scene, but she didn't dare to look at it. To this very day, it filled her with horror.

She had killed her brother's cat, and it was all her fault.

She wanted to get out of there. She wanted it to end, for it to be over and done with, for it to be forgotten once and for all.

Reaching for the glowing ball of light that, as usual, loomed near her—an escape from the darkness—Roxanne realised that this was going to be her last chance.

~oOo~

Much to her surprise, Roxanne woke up with anticipation instead of fear. Her whole day, leading up to the ominous lunch break was tainted not with the anxiety she had felt before, but with silent resignation.

Much to her surprise, Jenna didn't seem to remember the events of yesterday… Well, today, since it was still that particular Tuesday.

Still, throughout the day, Roxanne remained blissfully calm. She had accepted her fate, it seemed. There was nothing left for her to take. If she wished, she could have ended it herself, but she wanted to give the culprit the satisfaction.

An eye for an eye, huh?

As she kneeled beside Jenna at lunch, she let out an involuntary smile. It was sickening, and she knew that somewhere deep down. Yes, it was expected of her to pay for her wrongdoings, but was her life the correct price? Was that goddamn cat more important than her?

Roxanne didn't know anymore. Somewhere, buried deep under her resignation, she was furious. It was unfair; life was unfair, and so was death.

"Hey, Jenna," she said, about halfway through lunch break. "Don't you want to go talk to Adam? I think after practice is the best time to get closer to him, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, you're actually right!" Jenna's eyes lit up. "But, is it okay if I leave you here alone?"

Roxanne shrugged. "I'll be fine. Now, go. Bye, Jenna." She waved as per a goodbye that she knew would be the last.

As she was pulled under the water, she caught a glimpse of fiery red hair, hiding behind a nearby tree. The boy wore an equally sickening smile on his face as he waved his wand in complicated patterns.

Right before the waves crashed over Roxanne, though, she felt icy fear crippling down her spine.

She didn't want to die, but it was already too late. Betrayal flashed in her eyes as the darkness enveloped her for one last time.

"Why did you do it, Fred?" she said.

This time, there was no radiant light that greeted her.