The Quiet One

16. A quadrate of memories ends

A messenger comes in the middle of Potions that we have to go to the hospital wing.

Birdy raises her eyebrows in hope that we can go.

"Yeah, you can go. Just be back in half an hour!"

"Thank you!"

We run to the hospital wing and wonder what could possibly be happening. Is it news that he didn't make it?

Eddie has to live. Otherwise, I'll be heartbroken. I probably won't be me. I'll go back to The Quiet One, all silent and not wanting people to be near me.

Eddie and Birdy bought me out of my shell. I'm not the same person I was 3 years ago.

We get to the hospital wing and go through the doors.

Madame Pomefrey is standing over him and chatting.

She looks up and sees us. "Oh, you got my message. Would you like to come over and say hi?"

We tiptoe over to him.

"Hey, Eddie." I say.

"How have you been?"

"I've been better," he says. "But I'm better now that you two are here."

I smile. "That's good to hear."

"Yeah. I just have to stay in here for a couple more days until I'm fine to go. But I'm on crutches! Just because my leg is a bit tender, so it just has to get stronger."

Madame Pomferey walks away to go to other patients, which leaves a bit more private talk to us.

"Cool," I say. "It's been awfully lonely without you here."

"It's been lonely here too," he says.

"You've been sleeping the whole time!" exclaims Birdy.

"Yeah, I guess."

A moment of silence.

"It's good to have you back," I say.

"It's good to see you both." He smiles, and there's a glint in his eyes that are almost talking to me. It says, especially you, April.

I smile back. Life is gonna be a lot different from now on.

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

My birthday passes and I get a few gifts, then the holidays come around and we're all going home. As usual.

We play a couple of games of truth or dare (not dangerous, of course) and fill up on chocolates and sugary treats.

"Wow! This is so freaky, a whole 4 years of wizardry has passed. It doesn't feel right, if you ask me." says Eddie.

"Yeah, it feels just like yesterday we met for the first time on this train, and you were so talkative!" I say, aiming it at Birdy.

She rolls her eyes. "That was 11 year old me. I'm different now."

"Yeah, you are. 4 years later," says Eddie.

We all laugh and watch the world go by as we chugga-chugga-choo-choo! through time.

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

The holidays came around, and I have Eddie and Birdy around for a day.

"Wow, your house is so much bigger to what I expected!" says Eddie.

"You've been here before though, you realise?"

"Oh, yeah, I must have come when our parents had gatherings all the time. Oh, I remember that. Sweet memories."

I laugh, and so does Birdy.

"I still really don't believe it though, 4 years of us! This should not be happening."

"Yeah," we all agree.

We go up to my room and Eddie is amazed at all the paintings.

"See, I remembered that we weren't allowed to go upstairs, and your mum was always so strict about that," says Eddie. "I was always so curious."

"Hey, at least now you know!"

"Yeah. But I love all your murals and artwork. My mum would screech if she saw me doing that."

"Well, my mum is pretty chill, so I can kinda do what I want. She is protective, but she's really chill."

"That's cool."

"So uh, you guys want food?"

"Yeah, I'm a wee bit peckish."

"Okay!" I say, and take them back downstairs for a snack of crackers and various dips.

___________________________

Boom!

So, we are halfway through! The end of this was quite hard to write, because holiday chapters are the worst. But, I got through it, and here we are.

Get ready for an adventurous Years 5-7! I hope you guys all enjoyed the first half, and like the second even more!

Thanks guys;
~Sydney