| Quidditch practice started up again as soon as the snow had all melted. Harry went around to every dorm room, waking up the players and telling them that they were due to be down at the field early Saturday morning. There was some protesting but Harry was firm on winning the cup this year. The tournaments would begin soon. They had beaten the rest of the houses. The champions they were to play would be determined within the next couple of weeks. Extensive and crucial Quidditch hours were to come within the time they had to play. Cadence worked harder than she had ever worked in Quidditch before. This time all of her efforts were actually going to be put forward into something. On a Sunday night they had finished practicing and Cadence was tired like she had never been tired before. She landed in front of Harry and he only laughed at her. �Tired my dear?� he asked, putting his arm around her. �A little, you might have to hold me up while we walk,� she said, putting her hand on Harry�s arm. �I have no problem with that,� he sighed. They were both caked with mud from the field. Due to the warm spring weather and melting snow, the field was in a muddy mess. None of them seemed to mind however. It was all for the better cause of the game. �I have to take a nice hot shower tonight,� Cadence said, looking down at her robes. �You�ve got quite a lovely spot on your cheek as well,� Harry said, rubbing it off gently with his fingers. �Oh thank you dear,� she shot back sarcastically. �You�re welcome,� he said, smirking confidently. They said nothing as they walked into the castle together. Relishing the last few moments they could spend together before they had to part, Harry let his arm droop down to her hands and clasped them firmly around her own. Cadence smiled to herself and walked closer to Harry. They entered through the portrait hole and stood in front of the separating stairs. �I guess this is where we say goodnight.� �I guess it is.� There was a silence that passed between them for a few minutes and Cadence stepped a bit closer to Harry, raising her hands and laying them on his chest as she usually did when she said her goodnight. Harry put his hands on her arms and Cadence leaned her head forward as Harry tilted his down and they locked lips. Cadence pulled away and realized how close to Harry�s face she actually was. She smiled, raising her hands to feel the soft texture of his face. In this way he was so sweet, so beautiful, so gentle to the touch. She felt his arms tighten around her waist, pulling her a little closer. They touched lips again, softly and slowly, and then Harry broke apart this time. �I�ll see you tomorrow morning,� Cadence whispered. He lifted his hand and slowly traced her jaw line. �I love you.� �I love you too.� They broke apart slowly, heading for the separate stairs, never taking their eyes off of each other for a moment. Then, as if on cue, they turned their heads and headed upstairs. Cadence sighed once she reached the dorms, throwing off her robes and heading for the showers. She didn�t notice that Ginny was sitting on her bed. She cleared her throat. Cadence jumped. �So immersed with Harry that you don�t notice your best friend sitting on your bed?� Her tone was meant to be playful, but it sounded somewhat like guilt was laced in there as well. Cadence turned around. �I didn�t see you, I�m sorry. I need to take a shower before I go to bed tonight. Is something the matter? I figured you�d be asleep by now.� �I almost was,� Ginny answered, stirring uncomfortably on Cadence�s bed. �What are you talking about?� She stepped closer and Ginny jumped up, as if startled by something. �What is it?� Cadence asked suddenly. �What happened?� �Well, like I said, I was almost asleep,� Ginny started, wringing her hands together. �And I found that I couldn�t quite get there and I remembered you had made something in Potions to aid in falling asleep, and while I was searching through your things� well� I managed to� um�� �Out with it!� Cadence said, getting frustrated. �Here,� Ginny said, showing Cadence that she had accidentally knocked over the picture of her mother and father at their wedding. The glass was in a million different pieces, the frame was bent, but the picture thankfully remained unharmed. Cadence bent over and started to collect the pieces as Ginny started hastily explaining. �I�m so sorry Cadence! I didn�t realize I hit anything until I heard it crash to the floor! I�ve been up here for at least an hour trying to explain how to tell you� I�m so ashamed. I shouldn�t have been going through your things.� Cadence stood up and laughed silently at Ginny. �There�s no need to worry,� she said, putting the pieces on her nightstand. �The picture is not harmed and the frame is salvageable. I have to replace the glass, but glass is replaceable.� Ginny looked at Cadence expectantly. �So you�re not upset?� �Well not really, accidents happen. As long as the picture is fine, then I don�t mind,� she said, smiling. Ginny sighed in relief. �Thank goodness!� She put a hand on her beating heart. �I was nervous for a second there.� �I�m sure you were,� Cadence said, grinning. She reached into her nightstand and pulled out the potion. �Now get to bed,� she said, nudging her along. �Thanks Cadence.� Ginny disappeared and Cadence took her shower, which was long, hot, and well needed. She put on her pajamas and headed to her bed. Sitting down slowly, making sure no pieces of glass had somehow ended up in bed with her, she settled herself nicely and sighed. It had been a long day and the days would only get longer. Quidditch practice was more rigorous each day, and things only continued to heat up in the status of the tournament. All Cadence had to do was work hard and achieve what she had set out to do. There were other things plaguing her mind as well. She had never told Harry about some of her troubles. She often thought about what Professor McGonagall had told her that night in the hospital wing when she had landed there for a second time. She had given only a brief account of the situation at hand, but she had not explained or elaborated at all. Maybe she thought it best that Cadence not know some things. Cadence needed to know, though. What did the necklace have to do with anything dark or evil? How had it become evil? If it was evil, Cadence wanted nothing to do with it. She had to get it out of her possession as soon as possible. She had enough hanging over her head as it was. She stared at the necklace. It was sitting on her nightstand, as if staring at her. It was either ready to be taken, ready to be opened and studied, or ready to be cast aside. Cadence still debated on what to do. Searching through the notebook, Cadence had found the spell that Harry�s and her mom had put into it. It was a friendship spell, a spell that would keep their souls bonded together for years and years, and even beyond their life span. Cadence smiled, hoping that both of them shared that same kinship wherever they were now. Yet something puzzled Cadence. Professor McGonagall told her that if the necklace had been tainted, no matter what kind of spell was inside of it became evil. Even such a strong friendship spell as the one that her mother had set inside of it so long ago. That still didn�t explain what had become of the second necklace, however. All McGonagall had told her was that it was lost on the night she had been killed. As Cadence began to add everything up in her head, she jumped out of bed with a sudden urge to hold the necklace, slipped on her robe and slippers, and ran out of the dorms. It was only nine thirty and the rules said everyone had to be in bed by ten. By this time most students were going up to their rooms, but Cadence was determined to figure out what it all meant. She raced out the door and ran to Hagrid�s cabin. She noticed the dim lights inside were still on as she pounded on the door. �What is it?� came the voice inside, and a rumbling sound came as the door was swung open. �Oh, hi there Cadence. What are ya doin here?� �I have a question. May I come in?� �Was that the question?� She shook her head and ran underneath Hagrid�s arm, taking a seat on one of his chairs. He saw that her hand was clutched in a fist and frowned as he sat at the table in front of her. �What�ve ya got there?� She opened her hand showed him the necklace. Hagrid�s face turned almost ghostly pale. He leaned forward to get a better look. �Is that�?� �It�s the necklace my mother used to own, and the same one that Harry�s mother had. You obviously know what this is about, don�t you Hagrid?� Hagrid stood up and walked toward his fireplace. �I dunno.� �Yes you do! Please! Tell me!� Hagrid sighed, looking at her from his place by the fire. �Cadence� you�ve been learning an awful lot bout unicorns, ay?� Cadence nodded. �Ya know well �nuff the color of a unicorn�s blood.� Cadence looked down at the necklace. �Silver,� she muttered. �Tha�s right,� he said, coming over to sit down at the table again. �Now listen ter me Cadence, I�m not gonna give ya straight answers, right? I can�t. This isn�t a matter ya want bringin ter me.� She stared at him. �What do you mean? I don�t understand!� �Figure it out, you�re a bright girl you are.� She stared at the necklace and remembered some of Harry�s story about his first year at Hogwarts. Her mouth dropped open. �Do you mean� that when Voldemort attacked my mother� he put his spell in the necklace?� �Ay,� Hagrid answered. �I told ya, yer a smart girl. Now, let me ask ya this. Do ya want to have something as dangerous as that in yer possession?� She shook her head almost before he finished the question. �Best to be getting rid of it.� �But how?� He stared at the necklace for a few seconds and then sighed. �I�m not sure.� Cadence left Hagrid�s cabin, thanking him over and over again for his help. It was almost time to be getting into bed, and she was sure she had enough information to remain satisfied. However she wasn�t satisfied in the slightest. If something so evil had come into her possession, how was she to get rid of it? If Hagrid didn�t know, then who would? Sitting down on her bed, kicking off her slippers and robe, Cadence sighed dejectedly. She set down the necklace and picked up the picture of her mother and father. A tear came to her eye. �I miss you so much,� she said quietly, touching the face of her parents. As she began to feel it however, she noticed some kind of bump in it she had never recognized before. She frowned and slowly turned over the picture. There was writing on the back no doubt, and it was in her mother�s handwriting. It was addressed to her. �My dearest and most precious Cadence,� it began. �It may seem odd to receive a message like this now, but trust your mother on this. You have my necklace with you, and for whatever reason you are reading the back of this picture, the frame has been broken. If the necklace is to ever become tainted with the curse of You-Know-Who, make sure to destroy it as soon as possible. I�m sure that if anything were to happen to us, your grandmother would take it upon herself to send you to Hogwarts. If you are there, take the necklace to the Unicorn Clearing and throw it back into the pond. There it will be washed away, including the spell within it. Make sure you wash your hands in the river afterward so as not to have any of the spell remain on you. I love you very much.� Cadence dropped the picture on the ground. It had been that easy from the beginning. She almost couldn�t believe it. She looked at the necklace on the desk and decided that enough was enough. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it tonight. No matter what. |
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