Trusting Ghosts | James Potter

22

Carina pov.

"Paige! Where are you?!" I called, down the hall. I had seen her run out and had followed behind her. But she was to fast, I took to long getting up. I fumbled around for my wand, holding it in my hand as if it could help.

James and Remus came through the door, "Where is she?" Remus demanded.

"How would I know? She's feeling a lot of emotions right now. Remus what did you say to her? Tell me exactly!" I yelled.

"Nothing, I just, I asked her out ok! I said, Paige, will you go out with me?" He stammered out loudly, clearly frustrated.

"Are you insane?!" I screeched at him. "She is not in the place where you can ask that! Her father just died four days ago! Give the girl some time." I said trying to calm down.

A passing first year in the hall gave us a strange look. "Scram kid" James exclaimed. The girl gasped before turning on her heel and running down the hall.

"Ok, forbidden forest? No to obvious..." I muttered to myself as I started pacing the floor. "The lake? She does like the lake, but it's so open. She would be spotted. Ugh!!" I groaned as I held my head trying to think.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. We will figure it out." James said, placing his hands firmly on both my shoulders to stop my pacing.

"She could be anywhere right now James. What if she gets hurt? What if... What if she does something to hurt herself James? What then?" I asked fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.

"We will find her, Remus go find Sirius and Nicole." James said turning to Remus. Remus nodded and rushed into the common room. James hugged me and I hugged him back, wrapping my arms around his middle. "We will figure it out, Care, we always do." He whispered.

Nicole burst into the hall asking a million questions a second.

I broke away from James, not missing the surprised look on Sirius's face. "Nicole, calm down, Paige ran away, she-. We are going to find her, ok? You and Remus go check the library and the halls in case she stopped there. I have a feeling she's outside though. We three will search the forest and the lake." I explained.

"What?" She asked, utterly flabbergasted.

"I'll explain later. Just go!" I urged.

I watched the two run out the door before turning to James and Sirius. "Ok here's the plan. James, you search the lake. Sirius, you cover the west side of the forest and I'll cover the east. Meet at the whomping willow in an hour. If you find her, shoot sparks in the air with your wand." I said already turning to the door.

"We should stick together if we're going into the Forrest. I'll go with you at least." James said jogging to catch up with me. I nodded.

We walked as fast as we could down the stairs and through the castle until I reached the forest edge. I tried to spot anything that looked like Paige had been through. I walked to where we had been before, years ago we had felt adventurous and sat on some rocks to eat our lunch in the forbidden Forrest. But we saw a Centaur and haven't been back since.

I reached a jagged boulder with a girl on top. Paige stared blankly at her hands.

"Paige? It's just me. Carina." I said, taking a step closer.

I scrambled up the rock as it was fairly short. I perched close to her. "What are you feeling?" I asked, trying to ask a question she wouldnt have to give a long answer too.

"Confused, angry, depressed. I'm like a blender, all these things came together and they are all mixed up. I feel like... like a bannana smoothie." She said, she voice breaking. She started crying on the word smoothie.

They were awful, snotty, headache inducing cries of pain. "I miss him! Oh God. He's gone. My life is so messed up!" She sobbed on my shoulder as I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

"Shh..." I said as smoothly as I could. "It's ok."

I looked at James who was staring up at us, trying to give us time. " James is here. We all went looking for you. Do you want to see him?" I asked.

She shook her head no so I nodded at him to go. We looked at each other bedore he nodded back. He slowly walked off looking back every so often. Me and Paige sat there like that until she sat up. "I just want to go to bed." She snuffled.

"Ok, I'll lead us back." I said.