Krenya: Sorry! But here it is…and finished! Da-da-da-dah!

Chapter 21

About Time

"Time to get our last guest of honor."

The twins entered the Infirmary. It was empty except for Beth, sitting in her cot, looking out the window. "Hey, good-looking!" George sat down on the cot next to hers.

Beth looked at the twins, and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Having fun?" Fred asked.

"Tons," Beth said dryly.

"We got something that I bet you'll have even more fun at."

She watched them silently.

"It's a party for us," George said.

"You know, for beating those demon wolves," Fred said.

Beth turned away.

The twins looked at each other. "Aren't you happy?"

"What do ye think?" Beth said bitterly.

"My guess would be no."

"Wow, ye're so smart."

"Why, thank you."

Beth sighed, still not looking at them.

"It's not every day we have someone as beautiful as you telling us we're smart, even though we already know we are."

"Ye know what, ye may be clever, and that even sometimes comes in handy, but ye're very stupid."

"We resent that."

"Can't ye ever be serious?"

"No," Fred said.

"Can't you not be serious?" George asked.

"Come on, we did just beat creatures even grown wizards find difficult to defeat."

"Can't you be happy?"

Beth whirled. "Ye don't get it, do ye?"

"Of course we do."

"Then why do ye keep bugging me?"

"Because you shouldn't be sulking."

She hit the bedpane. "Ah'm not sulking."

"Right."

"Look, if ye don't know what Ah'm feeling, just leave me be. And leave me alone even if ye do understand, in which case Ah don't understand why ye're acting this way."

"What way?"

"So happy and normal and carefree."

"And that's bad?"

"Don't ye remember?"

"What?"

"We killed them." Beth's hands clenched the blanket, veins standing out.

"Yeah, well, they were trying to kill us first," George said.

"Remember, Beth, they didn't exactly show much regard for human life," Fred added.

"But he was good. Stormclaw helped Jusea and me escape, so if he could be good, so could the others. And I took that chance away from them."

"Are you going to let the criminals go free just because most of humanity is good?"

Beth sighed, her hands relaxing their grip on the blanket. She turned away, black hair falling over her shoulder to veil her face. There was a moment of silence. "Can ye two just leave?" Her voice was low and hoarse.

"Okay." Fred winked at George, and he nodded. They walked away, but as they reached the door, they heard a small sniffle.

The twins about-faced and walked back. They sat on either side of her, and she buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders started shaking, and the twins put their arms around her.

-----

"I can't believe you guys did that without me."

"Sorry, Lee."

"Yeah, it's not like we planned it."

Jusea smiled at the twins' and Lee's conversation, and she noticed Beth beside them, laughing. "Beth seems to be doing better," Jusea said to Oliver. He nodded, smiling, his eyes on his little sister.

The Common Room was filled with Gryffindor students shouting, laughing, playing games, setting off Filibuster fireworks and eating the food the twins had somehow supplied. The other students said they knew how to get into the kitchens; Jusea found it easy to believe.

The portrait hole opened, and McGonagall entered. "Uh-oh," someone whispered.

The professor's mouth tightened. "This is a school night, Ah believe, so ye should be resting for your classes tomorrow."

"But, professor, we are," Fred said. McGonagall simply looked at him. He spread his hands before him innocently. "Honestly, I feel like I'm all prepared."

"Ah would like to see that preparation in your essay due tomorrow, Mr. Weasley. Now—" She ignored it as Fred's eyes widened. "—to bed, all of ye."

"Yes, ma'am." Still whispering and snatching food from the table, the students filtered up the stairs to their rooms.

Jusea looked at her watch. It was ten o'clock. "Oh, my goodness. I need to get back."

"Ah'll walk ye back. If ye don't mind, professor," Oliver added to McGonagall.

"Ah suppose not, but return promptly, Mr. Wood."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jusea and Oliver left, and they walked through the halls, chatting occasionally. They stopped before a window, the stars visible outside. The hallway to either side was blank. "Um..."

"Here we are," Jusea said.

"Oh. Well, good night."

"Good night." Jusea really didn't want to leave just yet. "Nice robes. They're pretty."

"Oh, thanks.Ah like yehrs, too."

"Thank you." Jusea stepped forward to touch Oliver's robe. "Is this wool?"

"Aye. And what's yehrs?"

"Fleece."

"Oh, that's good stuff."

"Yeah, it is."

He took a bit of her robe between his fingers. "Does it keep ye warm?"

The wall opened. "Why don't you two just kiss already? I swear, Jusea, if you don't, I'm not letting you in." The red-haired Ravenclaw shouting at them paused a moment, green eyes narrowed, then slammed the windowed wall shut.

Jusea could feel her face going pale. "Oh. Um, that was Juliet. One of my roommates. I suppose I should...go."

"Yeah." Oliver was red. "Well, um..."

Jusea leaned forward, closer to Oliver. She closed her eyes; their lips touched.