Aderic [DISCONTINUED]

Ch 14- You make my day brighter!

The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter grey swirled overhead.

Adelaide slumped onto her seat at the Great Hall. 

Today better be good. Adelaide stared at her porridge, and then sighed, throwing her head back.

She looked ahead when something caught her eye. Cedric was waving over to her form the Hufflepuff table. 'Good morning' he mouthed. She wished it was. She smiled and waved back.

'Guess today might not be that bad' Adelaide thought, feeling slightly better. Cedric had a smile that was contagious.

"Today's not bad . . . outside all morning," said Ron, who was running his finger down his schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures . . . damn it, we're still with the Slytherins. . . ."

"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down.

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

"You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too.

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.

"Yeah . . . and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning.

The usual flapping of wings announced the arrival of the post. Dawn swooped down and gave Adelaide a note and a letter, drank from her goblet of pumpkin juice, gave a cheerful hoot, and flew away.

Adelaide stored the note for later and opened the letter. It was from Ace; at first Adelaide thought it contained some bad news but relaxed progressively.

Dear Addy,

I sent this letter to inform you that I would be coming to Hogwarts with You-know-whom for the You-know-what.

Please don't chide me for writing like this; I just thought it was funny. Moving on, I know you are thinking about Mr. And Mrs. Gracia, I went to check on them yesterday and there has been neither improvement nor degradation in their health.

The doctors still think they would never wake up, but I beg to differ. Don't lose hope Addy and don't let this stress you and work hard at school, make 'them' and your parents proud.

Have a good first day at Hogwarts, and take care,

Your best and I think only cousin,

Ace

Adelaide thought the You-know joke in the letter was ironic, but what Ace told her about her parent's condition and the unnecessary reminder of them, she didn't think she was going to have a very good first day.

She also felt quite guilty as there were not many occasions that she had thought about her parents during her stay at the burrow, but she just felt disconnected from them and she knew it was wrong of her to think so, but her mind couldn't help it.

Hermione interrupted her guilt-tripping, "What is it about?"

"It's from Ace, about my parents." Adelaide said as she stuffed it inside her robes.

"How are they?" Hermione asked alarmed, noticing Adelaide's dull mood

"I couldn't say alright, but their condition has not worsened." Stated Adelaide dully and all three of her friends looked at her sympathetically.