Anna poked at her boiled egg, watching the yolk start to congeal at the top. It was a gloriously sunny day, though the air was still frigid with cold. The light reflecting off of the snow outside shone through the Great Hall windows.

Anna felt slightly hollow inside. It wasn't guilt that weighed her down, though. It was worry, and it made her sick. She stayed up all night now, staring solemnly at the canopy of her four-poster. She looked out windows and down staircases, waiting for the brown-haired girl she knew so well to finally appear.

It hadn't bothered Anna at first. Jill was the kind of person who would mysteriously disappear for a few days and suddenly turn up with the typical "My mother was sick. I had to go home."

Anna had always had a niggling feeling she was being lied to. In the past, she'd been ignored by Jill, too, as well as brushed away, so the result was an entirely foreseeable explosion of anger. Jill really should've paid attention better to her friends, after all. Anna had bottled up her feelings for so long, and simply couldn't take it anymore. Their friendship was dead.

For quite a while, Anna had treated her ex-friend like Jill was invisible. Anna hadn't cared, and that was still the truth.

When Jill didn't turn up to lessons for several days, Anna never noticed. It was only when Lisa pointed out that the "poisonous, traitorous little beast" was finally gone that Anna realised. She still hadn't cared, not even when the days turned into a week and a week into a week and a half.

But as the weeks passed with no sign of Anna's former-friend, a small tendril of worry started to grow.

Anna was still angry at Jill; still had no desire to be friends with her. Yet here Anna was, sitting in the Great Hall, staring at her egg and wondering why the hell she was worried.

Lisa wasn't worried. Lisa didn't care. Lisa wasn't even curious, not even for the sake of a good gossip.

"You're not seriously going to ask McGonagall where Jill is, are you?"

The brown-haired girl to Anna's right brought her back to reality and the present. Anna scowled, lines creasing her forehead.

"Yes, Lisa. I want to know what happened to her."

Lisa sighed.

"She's probably just gone back to wherever she lives. No doubt she's being home-schooled, Anna. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I'm curious." Anna replied moodily, flicking a bit of egg at her friend. Lisa brushed it off.

"Why do you care, anyway?"

"I don't."

"Fine, then."

"Fine."

They both stared at Anna's breakfast and the miniscule salt-grains scattered all over it for some time.

"So are you going to ask McGonagall, then?" Lisa broke the silence.

"I already told you yes. Stop bothering me."

"Just asking."

"No, you're bothering." Anna drove her fork into the egg in annoyance as she said it.

A few first years walked past them, chattering loudly. Anna wondered whether she was cold-hearted for not having noticed about Jill Thompson's disappearance. She decided not. Lisa, however, was not done with her lecture.

"And if you work out where Jill is, are you going to write her?"

"Probably not." The blonde-haired girl replied.

"Probably, or not?"

"Not."

"Good, then."

"Yes, good."

"But you're still going to talk to McGonagall."

Anna stood up, her fork clattering to her plate loudly. Everyone else was too busy with their conversations to notice.

"Yes, Lisa! I am! I don't care about Thompson, I hate her and she was a downright idiot to the both of us! But I want to know where she is, okay? I'm curious."

Lisa blinked, unfazed.

"Whatever." Was her friend's only reply.

Anna took one look at the congealed egg yolk on her plate and decided she'd rather just hang around the halls until McGonagall came back. She wasn't really hungry, anyway.

Half an hour later, Anna knocked softly on the door to McGonagall's office. She'd discovered where it was from a couple older Gryffindor students. They'd been sent there one day after placing dung-bombs near the Slytherin Common Room.

"Enter," Came the reply.

Anna pushed the door open softly, revealing a small room with simple furniture. McGonagall sat at her desk, marking assignments.

"Miss Green?"

Anna felt her mouth go dry. It was one thing knowing what she wanted to say to a teacher, quite another actually saying it.

"Is there anything you wish to tell me?" McGonagall looked up, distracted by Anna's silence.

The girl took a deep breath.

"I've -I've noticed Jill hasn't been around, lately."

McGonagall winced horribly, her glasses almost slipping off her face. The quill jerked, a few blobs of ink flying off it. Anna felt another twinge of worry. What had she said to upset the professor so?

"You are referring to Miss Thompson?"

"Yes. I was wondering why she hasn't been at school lately. I haven't received any letters or anything."

McGonagall sighed, peering through her spectacles at Anna. She seemed slightly sad, Anna noticed.

"I regret to inform you, Miss Green, that your friend… moved away recently… Miss Thompson will not be returning to Hogwarts."

Anna frowned, confused.

"Moved away?"

"She's being home schooled."

"I thought her parents were muggles."

"A Ministry witch or wizard will continue to teach her magic, away from the school. Is there any other questions?"

Anna's worry dissipated. Jill was completely, perfectly fine. There was nothing to worry about.

"No, Professor. I think I'll get to classes now."

McGonagall smiled, though the smile was very weak and thin. Anna wondered if she should ask where Jill's address was so she could write to her, but the image of Lisa's scorning face loomed in her memory. No, Jill wouldn't want a letter from her anyway. Anna walked out of the room, saying goodbye to the transfiguration teacher and closing the door quietly. She leaned against it, taking in the bright light coming in through the windows and the darker light permeating the end of the hallway. The feel of the oak door on her back was comforting, reassuring. Jill was fine. Jill was fine. As Anna leant back on the door, momentarily forgetting about classes, a sniffle came from inside the study. If she had listened more closely she would have heard quiet sobs as well. McGonagall was crying.

But Anna did not listen.

Instead, she strode off in the direction of the potions classroom, satisfied that everything was going to be alright. She never knew – nor did anyone, except a select few – that Jill Thompson was not being home schooled, and the small, brave, 12-year-old girl had, in fact, never left Hogwarts.

Finis

A/N: I said I would do an epilogue, didn't I? It took me a few months but I wrote it!

Anyway, this chapter was a bit happier than I wanted it to be, so I added in those last few lines to depress everyone. I've always wanted to write a chapter from Anna's POV. I got a bit sad writing this because how Anna believes Jill is still alive, and how she still cares slightly even though the friendship's dead.

I'm going to do an author's note next chapter (may or may not take a few months to write) just explaining the whole why I wrote this etc. so that's something to look out for.

Tell me what you thought, what you liked about this fic and what you didn't (maybe i'll edit it in the distant future) and whether or not you found this sad. Leave a review! Even if it's one word, I don't mind.

-Always A Dragon