When I see you.. (James Potter)

Chapter 16: The Promise

She rubs the palms of her hands, which were still burning, against her uniform skirt, in an effort to make it stop. Her mind wanders around conversations and betrayal, how her parents could have let it come so far. She never had felt so bad as in the past days, and even though she thought that if Dumbledore would know about her, everything would be better. Now, she just wishes her parents would have kept it a secret. 

For long, she walks up and down the dorm room. No one interrupted her, as classes were still going for an hour till it was midday.

She lets herself fall on the floor, in front of her bed. Her back leaning against its side. Her gaze wanders over the room, staying stuck at her backpack that she had dropped at the entrance when came back from divination class. She raises her hand, in order to cast a spell that would bring her backpack to her, but the rage had weakened her, and even though her palms were still burning full of magic, she wasn't able to do the simplest trick. She sighed, grabbing for her wand that she had stored on the inside of her robe. 

"Accio", she mumbles, and the backpack came flying effortlessly. She grabs it, letting her wand fall to the ground, not sure how she was feeling about it. For a second, just a glimpse of a second, she felt like a normal witch. 

Joy had already tried multiple times, to be a normal witch. To simply deny her powers and restrictively use her wand to cast magic and also using the correct spells, actually saying them out loud. The longest period of time that this actually succeeded with it, was one month, and this only when she was younger. The older she grew, the stronger grew her power and the harder it was for her to deny it. If not used, her magic would make its way out through itching palms or meaningless, little casts. But, of course, Joy would never tell anyone that, sometimes, she is not the master of her magic. 

She fishes out a piece of parchment, her quill, and a little jar with ink with the intention to write a letter to her parents. Asking them about the news and how they felt about the fact that she had to stay in Hogwarts over Christmas break. However, with no intention of sounding taunting or indicating that it was their fault because, in fact, Joy doesn't feel any grudge for her parents.

„Dear Mom and Dad,

I miss you. These days, everything is crooked. It's so much colder here in Hogwarts and I just wish to spend my Christmas holidays with you. 

My magic feels stronger, but I can keep track of it, no worries. It's just that no one here understands me, not as you do. And I know you trust Dumbledore, so I will keep trying to strengthen my trust in him. But, I rather keep my trust in the four of us, you, Mom and Dad, Logan and myself. 

Lots of love, 

your Joy"

Joy makes sure to seal the letter appropriately. The thought of her family made Joy feel better. She gets up and makes her way out of the dorm and Slytherin common room to get to the owlery. When leaving the common room, she found herself in the dungeon. She always hated the fact that their common room was down there, so cold and dark and when comparing it to the Hufflepuff common room that, rumors say, is close to the kitchen.

As she jogs up the stairs from the dungeons into the main corridor, she has to adjust her eyes to the brightness of the winter day. It was cold in the corridors still, but not at all dark. The reflection of the sun in the snow leaves the whole corridor in bright light.  

She makes her way through the corridor, looking outside through the floor-deep windows, trying to revolve her mind around something else than her problems.

"Joy!"

Joy hears running steps behind her, and her heart softens as she recognizes the voice of her little brother, Logan.