In a letter from home

Gwen nodded, "Cool." Then he asked her quidditch team and she beamed,
"Puddlmere. All the way. You?" she asked before leaning towards him whispering, "I like the Cannons too but shhh"

He chuckled when she said that she liked the Cannons.

"I love the Cannons," he said. "As does Pam. Dad doesn't understand but then again he never roots for losing teams whatever the sport is."

Gwen grinned and nodded,
"Yeah I know what you mean. My sister used to say I was insane for rooting for them. She was only for Bulgaria. Nothing else." she chuckled. "My parents encouraged us to play quidditch. It´s good exercise." she explained,
"You´re parents are muggles, right?" she asked curiously.

Patrick nodded, trying to suppress the urge to correct Gwen when she said parents. He had only one parent that he knew of.

"Yeah, Dad's a muggle," he said. "The magical world confuses him dearly, it's almost funny."

Gwen bit her lip, "Sorry, parent. And Cool, I can imagine hats its confusing. The muggle world...is terrifying..to me." she admitted, "Tell anybody and I´ll turn you pink for a month." she added playfully but winking so he knew she wasnt kidding. She didnt like fear, she´d been raised against it.

"It must have been the same for you two, entering our world." she said thoughtfully.

Patrick shrugged. "After twelve years with one parent, you get used to it," he told her after she apologized.

Scared? Of the muggle world? He raised an eyebrow when she said that but nodded when she said that if he told anyone she'd turn him pink for a month.

"Secret's safe with me," he told her. "More for me than Pam. But I guess that's why I got Hufflepuff while she's in the Lion's Den."

Gwen nodded,
"Well Pam´s strong, but so are you buddy." she tossed a pebble.
"And who say´s Puffs are weaker? Blake is one of the strongest people I know and she´s puffly. Don´t tell her I said that, she´d kill me." she laughed.

Tossing a pebble, Patrick said "Dad mentioned in a post script that Mum's funeral is going to be in the summer. Pam might go, just because she's younger--by two minutes but younger none the less."

"So is there anything I can say without either you or me getting harmed?" he joked. "Besides, strength and bravery are two very different things."

Gwen nodded and then laughed,
"Mhmmm, no." she stuck out her tongue and poked him playfully.
"And that´s true. But who said you can only be one? I´m not brave, and I´m not that strong. But I´m insane," she smiled, "And that kinda makes up for it. So lets see what you are Patty." she said tossing another pebble.

"Hmm," Patrick said tossing another pebble. "I may just be insane for hanging out with you, but that's okay. I like reading, hate flying and enjoy just being with my friends."

He chuckled at the poke and rolled his eyes when she stuck out her tongue at him.

"I don't know if I want to go to the funeral," he continued. "What do you think?" he asked her.

Gwen chuckled,
"Hate flying? Then yes, you are insane." she chuckled, "Nah, but you are crazy. Deep down." she smirked.
Then she tilted her head looking at a pebble soaring.
"I think you should go. It gives closure. Trust me, i didnt go to my sisters funeral, and I spend every day wishing I had." she whispered staring straight forward into the night.

"Fear of heights," he explained. "Aren't we all crazy deep down?" he asked.

He frowned, hearing her whisper something but he couldn't make out what. He gave her a one armed hug and a small smile.

"It's in the summer, I've got time to make up my mind," he said. "Closure huh? From what?" he scoffed feeling the anger for his mother come back in spades.

Gwen turned to look at him,
"I get that she wasn´t your mom, but she was your mother. Even if she didnt act it. I´m just saying that, you might regret it. And if you go you can always leave. But if you don go, then you miss it. And trust me on this, that hurts." she tucked her knees close to her and rested her chin on them.

Patrick frowned. His anger towards his mother was somehow making Gwen upset. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked. "I'll go to to funeral," he said. Dad'll drag me anyway, he thought and inwardly rolled his eyes. Merlin he couldn't wait till he was 18 and thereby legal in the muggle world.

He tried to think of something that would cheer them both up but couldn't. So he just chucked another pebble.

Gwen bit her lip and didnt meet his gaze.
"My twin died. I didnt go to the funeral. I regret it." she said simply.
"I don´t want you to have that regret." she said throwing the next pebble a bit more forcefully.

Pat gasped slightly. He couldn't imagine life without Pam in it.

"Thanks," he said, "for being there for me."

Maybe he was being unfair on his mother. He never was given the whole story about why she and his dad fought.

Gwen turned to him and gave him a small smile,
"No problem. You´d do the same for me if the roles were switched."
She took out a pack of gum and popped in a piece. Lately she felt like relapsing. But with how unstable the times were she really didnt think smoking would help her health.
"Want a piece?" she asked.

Patrick shook his head when offered a piece of gum. "No thanks," he said.

He took a pebble from the pile and chucked it.

"So anything new going on with you?" he asked, chucking another pebble after the first one.

Gwen smiled and shrugged,
"not really, but no news is good news right?" she smiled.
"and you? How's Alli? I never see her anymore." sge asked curiously. She liked Alli, she was strong and nice. Not to mention a friend of hers that she hadn't seen in a while.

A big grin formed on Patrick's face at the mention of his girlfriend.

"We're dating actually," he told her. "Been doing so since the start of term in the fall."

Merlin, had it really been that short of a time? Christmas had broken up how much they saw of each other.

Gwen grinned,
"Aww congrats buddy! Say hi to her for me when you see her." she smiled poking him playfully,
"I hope you guys are happy together," she smiled thinking how nice it was that there were still normal couples out there.
Whereas she and Evan...were a bit...different.

"Thanks Gwen," Patrick smiled at her. "I will."

"We are," he nodded. He liked hanging out with her, it somewhat relaxed him. He took a pebble and chucked it.

"I wonder if anyone's been hit by these pebbles?" he asked her.

Gwen blushed slightly,
"Iknowtheyhave"she said quickly *coughing* before smirking at him.
Sometimes the day after another pebble throwing night she would hear people say things were falling off of Hogwarts and that someone should check the roof.
Normally it was all she could do not to laugh.