A flash of fire shoots across the sky. Nine. That's how many Holly has counted so far as she lies against the roof of her family's home. Though the night is well into the early hours of the morning, the show has barely begun.
Ever since she was a little girl, Holly would take one night a year to…well, the reason changes. When she was a child, watching the stars was an escape from that cold reality her family preferred to live in. As the stars shot across the sky, like a heavenly stampede, she would fully allow herself to believe in magic, if just for one night. With innocent eyes, there was nothing so magical as Nature's Light Show, as put on by the heavens above. It was wild; it was random; it was messy, as opposed to the white-picket fences and well-kept gardens below her. Above all, the streams of light filled her with wonder. Magic is real, if you know where to look.
But then she found out that magic was, you know, actually real. Wand, wizards, robes, spells, even Merlin, for God's sake. And life soon turned into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Now, this yearly tradition was just a chance to catch her thoughts amidst the chaos that is her life.
Except, Holly would rather forget everything that happened that night. She can't though. Not when Dumbledore's picking her up in the morning.
Another one. Eleven. This one wasn't too special. No tail, just a falling star – just like she felt. Stripped, naked, falling without the one person supposed to catch her.
And it was all her fault…
Well, and that bitch's, Bellatrix.
And Sirius' for falling through that godforsaken veil.
She could just imagine what Sirius would have to say about something like that:
"A bloody veil? You mean, my body just disappeared? Well, where the hell did I even go then!? Honestly, where's the blood and the gore, something fit for an Azkaban escapee? Hmmmm!? How pathetic. In all honest to God truth, though, I always thought I would die from some backfired prank. Which almost happened a couple times….Hey! Did I ever tell you about the time James and I…"
Chuckling at Sirius' rant, she almost reached to clutch the person supposed to be next to her. But that was the problem with imagination: it's never actually there.
Oh, there goes another one. Thirteen? Fourteen? Who knows. Holly used to make a wish at each star that raced across the sky, hoping it would make up for the lack of blown birthday candles, wishbone battles, fallen eyelashes, and every other wish-making activity that required two people.
As great as it was for magic to come into her life, there was one teeny, weeny problem with it: she had hope for the first time in her life. Hope for a better life – a family.
Yes, Ron and Hermione were great, but there's only so much a friend could do. Is it so much to have a father? A mother? A parent, for goodness sake's!
Yet, here she was alone again. All that hope fell through the veil with him. And just like that, a flash of anger ripped through her body ending at that marble-sized lump lodged in the base of her throat.
"Why?" she managed to slip out from behind clenched teeth. "Why did you have to leave me?" she screamed. Or she thought she did. No one came to yell at her, so maybe that ringing echo is just in her head.
Why, why, why. The million galleon question. Didn't he know that she needs him? Didn't he know that he was supposed to be the king that rescues his princess from the tower (or cupboard)? Didn't he know that he was supposed to be the father, the daddy she wanted to hug to death and never let go whenever he came home after a long day of work?
God. Didn't he know that? That she misses him? That he left her alone in the dark?
By now, Holly has completely given up on counting the stars. And frankly, this year has been rather lackluster. Even the stars have left her.
"So help me, Dumbledore, if you go…." she couldn't even finish the thought.
Her eyes suddenly heavy with exhaustion, Holly tried to summon the energy to pull herself up. Rubbing her eyes, she wipes away the tears she didn't even know she had. She didn't even know she had any tears left.
One last look.
Silence.
Nothing.
Not quite ready to crawl into bed, she lets her eyes sweep across the skies, looking for him. There he is: the Dog Star, Sirius. Twinkling with mirth as if he were gazing at the product of some hilarious prank.
With a sigh of frustration, Holly murmured, "I miss you, you abandoning bastard," before turning towards her window.
Just as she was about haul herself back into her room, a glimmer of light streaked passed out on the edge of her vision. Turning back towards the sky, there it was.
And another.
And another.
And another.
Flames of fire and meteor dust lighting up the sky to the beat of some unheard symphony. Horizon to horizon, there were stars and meteors dancing, soaring, flying this way and that, like joyous angels celebrating who knows what.
It was beautiful.
It was magical.
Awe and wonder swelled up in her as a choked sob escaped her lips. All she could do was look at the wondrous display before her. She could feel a light, summer breeze caress her face and hair like gentle hands.
To the rest of the world, if they took the chance to look, it would have seem as if the sky was falling, the end of the world is upon us.
To Holly, it was hope.
"I'm right here, Kiddo."