Chapter 11
J. Finch Fletchley is somehow not as surprised as he should be that there is a murderer on the loose. It probably has something to do with Harry- most things have to do with him. (He’s not over the snake incident, as much as that embarrasses him. And Harry called him Justin- weird.)
They all cling to each other, tucked in each other’s spaces like sardines in a can. J. Finch walks where he has always walked in the formation- nestled up to Cedric, always close. (but never close enough.)
Leanne runs in, excited, as Leanne always is.
“Guys! GUYS! THE WHOLE SCHOOL CAME TO MY SLUMBER PARTY! Why is everyone so sad and frightened!?”
Susan Bones sighs (she does that a lot, J. Finch has come to find. She’s always worried- as worried as him, though he tends to not express it at all) and brings up the painting- and it really is sad, because she’s a beautiful woman and now she’s all torn up by that Murderer- also probably because of Harry- (who looks a LOT like Susan, now that he thinks about it.)
Things are chaotic- that is, until the crowd parts, and Cedric tells them all that they’re going to be spending the night there. J. Finch is disappointed- he loves many things- his old cat back home, watermelon flavored beans- but he especially loves his bed.
Cedric looks disappointed too, which is a shock to Justin. He’s never disappointed for long- he’s the puffiest Puff out of all of them, so his attitude being dampened makes J. Finch nervous.
But Cedric once told him everyone gets scared. Cedric does. And clearly, so does J. Finch. It’s normal. It’s- it’s not cowardly.
At least, that’s what he tries to convince himself.
Cedric takes a deep breath, so Justin does too.
“But hey! How about a story to help you get to sleep?”
Hannah slightly perks up, eyeing Cedric warily. “Maybe a story about the Puffs?”
Something in Cedric’s eyes glisten with a bit of joy- and suddenly, as it seems it always is when Cedric is involved, things make sense again.
J. Finch leans in, reaching towards Cedric’s words- towards Cedric. “A cool one?”
Around Justin, the rest of the Puffs turn their attention towards the older boy in the way they always do. Cedric tells a story about the first Puff, a woman named Helga that he can’t help but imagine as a badger-like sock puppet with Leanne’s voice. There’s the first Snake and Brave and Smart, and they talk about games and magic and the school and blonde rich assholes. Cedric talks and talks, and the world falls away until it’s just Justin and him alone in the great hall at night. There’s no murderer on the loose or nervousness or faking it until he makes it, because he doesn’t need to do that with Cedric. It’s just the two of them.
That is, until the headmaster tells them to sleep rather harshly.
J. Finch wants to know how it ends, yes. But he mostly just wants to hear him finish it.
Cedric leaves then to sleep with the other 4th years. It makes Justin’s heart ache. He doesn’t know why.
He curls up on himself, arms up near his face, and drifts off to an uneasy sleep.
Moments later he’s awake again, and Megan is apologizing for being mean, and it’s so sweet that he runs into the group hug that’s going on and throws his arms around whoever he can reach.
And maybe it’s because he’s a Puff, or because he’s naturally naive and trusting, or because he’s a child, but when he closes his eyes surrounded by the warmth of his friends, he can almost imagine Cedric is still with them.
With him.