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𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

When Elodie was 8, her grandfather had a stroke. He wouldn't wake. She didn't remember much, but she remembered one of the doctors telling her that people in comas can still hear you. She wasn't sure if she believed him or not, but nevertheless spent the numbered days up until his death on his bedside, telling him about the most arbitrary of things.

Some days she would tell him about her schoolwork. Some she would tell him jokes. Some, she would disclose the fact that she had made a book fly in the air, or that she had accidentally set Ernie Smith's hair on fire when he had called her ugly.

Her mother refused to drive her, so every day little Elodie would walk from her primary school to Woodthrope Hospital to talk to her grandfather; whether he could hear her or not.

February 14, 1993: 11:47 p.m.

Footsteps.

"You have to let us see her, Poppy!"

"No students in the Hospital Wing after 9 o'clock! I'm afraid you two will have to come back in the morning."

"You can't do this, we're her best friends!"

"Hey, Poppy, did you hear that?"

An explosion; faint.

Footsteps.

"Els! Els! Oh, Els."

"Elodie... Merlin..."

"Well, on the bright side, she'll miss exams..."

"Don't joke, Freddie, she's petrified!"

"And Hermione... do you reckon they're going to be okay?"

"Yeah, Fred, I bet they're having a right splendid time."

"Shove off."

"You shove off."

"Can you not? Our best friend's been petrified!"

"You mean MY best friend's been petrified."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You know what it means."

"What, just 'cause we haven't talked in weeks means we aren't best friends anymore? It's just a fight, Georgie!"

"Okay, so maybe you don't know what it means."

A laugh, a huff of frustration.


February 15, 1993: 5:00 a.m.

"Someone's up bright and early."

"I wanted to see her. Can I?"

"I suppose. Be quiet."

"Why? It's not like any of them can hear me..."

"Weasley."

"Alright, alright, I'll be quiet."

Footsteps. A hand in her's. It's warm, and large.

"Hey, Els."

Silence.

"George is still asleep. I thought I'd come up here because-well, I wanted to say sorry, even though I know you can't hear me."

A pause.

"So, I'm so sorry, and I regret everything that happened back at home, and I was being stupid, and it's been miserable not being able to talk with you."

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