Obliviate My Rebellion {Book 3}

8. Rory's Diagnosis

"So, you're both going to Hermione's house?" Mrs Weasley said slowly, staring at both Hermione and I. "For what exactly?"

"Hermione's got all my notes for potions homework in her house." I lied. "And I can't understand anybody else's notes. So we're just going to go there, get them and come back. Homework will take my mind off everything..."

Mrs Weasley's face softened, and I felt awful for lying to her. "Well that's fine then, dears. Be back for dinner though. It's not safe out anymore."

"We will," Hermione said breezily. "Come on, Rory."

I smiled at Mrs Weasley as genuinely as I could, before Hermione grabbed my arm and pulled me into the hall. "Right, so the appointment is at twelve, so if we leave now, we'll get there in time."

Today was the day of my diagnosis with Madam Pomfrey. It'd been a few days since Harry was convicted as innocent, and finally Hermoine and I were off. It'd taken us long enough to find an excuse for the two of us to leave the house.

I'd gone against Hermione's idea of just telling Mrs Weasley and the others about what I was going through. I didn't want the others to worry about me, or give them more reasons to look closely at me at dinner. And I feared if they would think it was all an act, that I was just trying to find an explanation for my behaviour....

"Rory?" A small voice said. I flipped around, to find Hollie leaning over the staircase. She clutched an extendable ear in her small hand and looked rather worried.

She dashed down the stairs, and threw her arms around my waist. Scared, I looked at Hermione with wide eyes. "Are you sick, Rory? Please don't leave me too!"

I felt tears come to my eyes, and I was rendered speechless. How could I explain to a nine year old the whole complexity of the situation without scaring her? I knelt down in front of Hollie, and held onto her hands.

"I'm not sick, Hollie, not really."

"But you were lying to Molly, and you wouldn't do that unless it was serious," Hollie said, and her bottom lip trembled. "Are you going to die?"

The fear was so clear in her voice, that I put my hands on either side of her face. "No, I'm not." I said with certaintiy. "My mind is just a little bit broken from all that's happened recently. You know like when we'd have eggs and soldiers on your birthday?"

Hollie nodded reverently. "Well the nasty people have been hitting and hitting at my head with a spoon, and now all my happiness is starting to pour out of my head. So I have to see a nurse so that all my happiness can go back in, and stop me being sad, okay?"

Hollie hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "So you'll be okay?"

I stroked Hollie's dark hair. "I'm always okay, silly."

Hollie practically strangled me with a hug before saying, "I can't lose one of my sisters. I'd have to make a deal with death to bring you back!"

I could feel tears coming from my face, so I wiped them against the back of my hand. "Now look, you've made me cry! I have to go now, Hollie, but I'll be back. And I'll be better soon, okay? No making any deals with death when I'm gone, right?"

Hollie had a slither of a smile on her face. "Okay, Rory. I promise."

And then she wrapped her arms around me one last time before she slowly went back up the stairs, with almost a skip in her step. I smiled, pleased that Hollie wasn't so worried any more.

"Ready?" Hermione said, and I nodded.

We slid past Mrs Black's portrait silently, and went outside. The air finally seemed to have lost some of it's humid qualities, leaving London with a comfortable heat with a whisper of a wind.