AN: Hey guys! I know I said I'd start updating regularly, but unfortunately life got in the way yet again - sorry to everyone that was waiting for a chapter - from now on, I will try to update once every two days.
Also, on more positive news, we managed to hit 10 reviews! Thanks so much for all your support even when updatees weren't consistent. It means a lot! As promised, next chapter is a BONUS one. Hope you enjoy!
"He died when I was 8. And it was my fault."
Blake cleared his throat, not daring to make contact with his friends.
"He was a coal miner - well, he wanted to be a doctor, but his parents died when he was 12. There wasn't really any support for him, so he couldn't - that, and the fact that he wanted to earn money as soon as possible. I was born when my parents were only 20, you see. In his second year of university - that's Muggle further education - he dropped out to take care of us.
"He was doing okay though - my mum and dad started a small business about 3 years after Connor was born, but Dad wanted to keep the coal miner job, for security, y'know - sorry, I'm digressing," Blake said, embarrassed. Looking up, however, no one seemed to mind. They were all looking at him with the same expressions they'd worn when everyone else was speaking.
"Anyway, I wanted to see where he worked, so he took us all there. But we got unlucky."
Blake cleared his throat again.
"Long story short, there was an accident. The tunnel we were in collapsed. Dad probably could've made it but - but he threw us to safety first. He… he didn't want to take any risks," Blake said, the familiar shame and regret etching to reveal itself again.
"He didn't, y'know, die immediately. He was hospitalised, but 2 days later… Anyway, I'm grateful we got the chance to speak to him before he passed. He was a good man, and an even better father."
There was silence again in the room.
"Thanks," Zabini said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him. "I mean, thanks for-" the boy tried to clarify, before Blake threw a water bottle at him.
"Shut up, Zabini."
"I-"
This time, it was a scroll that was thrown at him.
"Shut up, Blaise."
"But-"
As Charlotte and Greengrass reached for their wands, Zabini quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright!"
"Anyway, we didn't finish our game," Blake said, picking up his 3 card deck again. "I was about to win!"
Greengrass rolled her eyes.
"You were about to win?" Blake nodded. "Right, and I'm Merlin."
"She's right," Zabini said smugly. "I have 2 cards left."
"I have 1," Greengrass countered with a smirk.
"So do I," Charlotte said triumphantly.
"My cards are better though," Blake said, unfazed.
"What?" Tracey cried suddenly. "How do I have 10!"
The Slytherins laughter echoed well into the night, and for the first time perhaps ever in Hogwarts, Blake found himself being able to let his guard down.
/
That night, the girls left and the two boys had climbed into their respective beds. Blake was on the verge of sleep when Zabini interrupted him.
"You're involved in a lot of the stuff that's happened recently, aren't you?"
Blake froze, unsure of what to say.
"I don't-"
"Relax, Renshaw. I'm not stupid, and you're not as subtle as you think. You were involved with the Philosopher's Stone last year, and with the Basilisk last year."
"What makes you think that?"
"Oh, please," Zabini said sarcastically. "Dumbledore had a conversation with you, you were always sneaking off, and the night that the whole thing happened, the excuse was that 'you had an accident'? And last year, you were always sneaking out at night too - I barely even saw you after Connor was petrified. It wasn't hard to connect the dots."
I need to be more conspicuous.
"Seems like you like playing detective, huh Zabini?"
"I didn't do any investigation," the halfblood reminded him smugly. "I just used the clues given to me. And before you start pissing yourself, don't worry. I haven't told anyone, and I don't intend to."
If Zabini had said that before tonight, Blake wouldn't have believed him. I'd probably have Obliviated him too. But now, he thought, remembering back to just hours ago when Zabini had opened up to them - to him - Blake wasn't concerned.
"I appreciate it."
"On one condition."
Oh?
"Next time you do this bullsh*t that involves anything dangerous, I want to help."
Blake raised an eyebrow at him through the darkness.
"Shut up," Zabini said, throwing a cushion at him. "I just don't like owing you."
"I'm only looking out for myself here."
Isn't that what you told me two years ago? Blake thought with a grin he couldn't hide.
Apparently, there were some things you couldn't do with someone without trusting them, and fighting a horde of soul-sucking, evil Dementors was one of them.
/
Blake was walking back to his dorm from the Forest after his normal self-training sessions when a voice he'd never heard before called his name.
"Blake! Blake!"
That's presumptive, he thought as he turned. Calling a stranger by their first- oh.
"Hello, um…" he responded, unsure of what to address the girl before him as.
"Call me Astoria!" the girl beamed at him. Astoria seemed like a completely different person to how she'd been on the night Blake had found her. SHe was standing straight, skin far fuller in colour, and generally seemed much healthier. If anything, it seemed that she only had a mild flu at most. But Blake knew better.
"Thanks for helping me," she said, still smiling widely. "Daph told me you saw me and rushed me to the Infirmary. I'm in your debt - I would've almost certainly died otherwise."
Blake almost guffawed. This girl is… completely different to Greengrass. I mean, the only logical explanation is that she's acting up, but I don't think…
"Daphne told me you also promised to help her with finding a cure for my illness," she continued, her smile turning sad now.
"And I really appreciate the help. But I just want you to know that really, it's fine."
Huh?
"You don't have to," she said, her voice far less chirpy now. "I've been trying to tell Daphne but she won't listen."
"You… you don't want her to find a cure?"
"It's not that," she sighed, and Blake was at once reminded that the girl before him - no matter how smiley and chirpy she seemed - was dying.
I don't know how I didn't see it before, he thought. Once he really started looking, it was obvious. Sunken, tired eyes, stress lines, pale skin. No child should look like this, Blake thought. It was as if Astoria Greengrass had been to war and back - but then again, I guess she has.
"So many generations of my family have tried their best to cure the curse, Blake. It's no secret the family's been rich and influential and powerful for hundreds of years, and we've always thrown everything we could at the curse. But it never worked. Minds just as bright as Daphne and Mother's have tried, but none of them succeeded. It's… it's impossible to cure, and I'm okay with that."
Astoria looked at Blake determinedly. The boy felt numb.
"I've made my peace with it, really I have. I just want to spend the rest of the time that I have left with the people I love, but I can rarely do that - everyone's always working - on me! Father's always talking to people about it, Mother's always in her lab, and on the rare occasions I see Daphne, we basically always talk about my curse. Otherwise, she's always with Mother in the lab too!"
Astoria looked at him pleadingly now.
"I … I was hoping you could talk to Daphne. From what she's told me about you, she respects you a lot. Your opinion could-"
"No."
Blake turned away, continuing back on his path swiftly, resolve steeled.
"The reason why your family isn't spending as much time with you as possible is because they refuse to give up, Astoria. Y'know, Greengrass didn't even mention the possibility of you dying. She spoke of it as a deadline by which we have to succeed. And if I wasn't certain before I am now. I'll make sure you live, Astoria.
"No one should have resigned themself to death, especially not a child. It's admirable that you have the maturity to think that way, and that you want to spend your time with your family, but you're doing it with the wrong mindset.
"Everyone's clock is ticking, Astoria. Everyone should want to spend time with their family, but that doesn't mean we just wait for death to take us. I don't know about you, but if I knew my sibling could die, I'd do everything and more to stop it. And even if I couldn't, I'd damn well make sure that I delayed it as long as possible.
"Because I want to spend time with everyone I love and care about for as long as possible. So does your sister, and your parents. That's why no matter how long it takes - no matter how hard it is - none of us will give up on you."
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