The truth

[Joanna Miller]

I lay on the forest floor after walking away from quidditch practice.
The soft carpet of leaves was dry and dying with the autumn.
Which meant the trees above were bare, so I could see the sky through the dense criss-crossing network of branches.
"So, now I know the truth." I say softly to myself, to the sky, to anyone or anything that was listening. "And I wish I didn't."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I walk into the forest after Jo. I say, "Jo, whats really wrong?"

[Joanna Miller]

I shrug. "Just can't concentrate, I suppose." I lie.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

" Beep beep. My keen lie dectecter brain senses you are lieing." I say.
'

[Joanna Miller]

"Wow, they're pretty good." I sigh, still not tearing my gaze away from the sky.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Jo, I want to help you. Infact I can't stand when people are sad, so I have to help cheer people up." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

I don't say anything for a moment. "If you don't like people being sad, maybe you should turn away and go back to practice and forget you saw me here."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Can't do that Jo. Your my friend and I feel obligated to help you get over whatever is going on." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"Then good luck and my deepest sympathies."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I sit down next to Jo, and say "Ding dong. Cassy physicoligist is here. Time to open up and tell me whats wrong."

[Joanna Miller]

I sigh.
Maybe it was time to talk to someone about everything.
I hadn't yet.
It was eating me up from the inside.
Maybe I'd feel better.
Or maybe I'd feel worse.
Oh well, take the risk and all that.
"You know my parents-...you know I don't have parents?"

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Didn't know that, but go on." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"Well, I don't. I haven't since-...since half-way through 6th year. I found out-...My brother-...Now my brother's gone too." I say, starting to cry again.
The tears well up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks and onto the leaves I was lying on.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I hug Jo and say, "I'm so sorry."

[Joanna Miller]

"Don't be. He got himself killed. He deserved it." I say miserably. "The stupid asshole was a death eater."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Oh!" I say in shock. "Then why does it make you so sad that he is dead?" I ask.

[Joanna Miller]

"He was still my brother. He was all I had left." I sigh. "Even if he was a death eater. I don't know how to feel about it all. I'm so ashamed that I've spent so much time crying over his death when he deserved it. I don't know I'm supposed to feel." I say desperately.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Its okay. I would think you would be heartless if you didn't cry alittle. You should feel sad, but don't let someone like him get you too down." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"I don't know where it all went wrong." I say quietly, silent tears still jogging down my cheeks. "I just don't understand."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Your not supposed to know everything. If you knew how your whole life was going to be, life as we know it would well not be like life." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"If this is life as we know it, I'd rather not be here at all. What kind of messed up life is this, if the only person I had left was a stupid death eater and then he gets himself killed and I have no one. I don't have anyone left." I say miserably.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"You have me, and all your other friends, and you will never be able to rid yourself of me." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"I know." I smile weakly. "I was talking family-wise. But I know I'll never be able to get rid of you lot."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"I consider close friends as family." I say.

[Joanna Miller]

"I guess."