Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 19

On Monday morning I wake early in the dormitory. I look down at my arm. The new skin is still healing. I close my eyes, feeling tears prickling behind them. I hate being a vampire.

I stay in bed with the curtains drawn until I hear all the other girls leave. I drag myself out of bed and get dressed slowly. I look in the mirror and sigh. I have dark circles under my eyes and I'm as white as a sheet. My eyes are blood shot from crying. I pull my right sleeve down over my hand to hide the new skin and pull my bag onto my shoulder.

Arithmancy, Potions and Charms fly by, as things often do when you're dreading something. Lining up outside Transfiguration I pray George won't try to talk to me. I wrap my arms around myself and stare at the ground. I hear Fred, George and Lee approaching, talking loudly.

“Ari!”

I push past Georgiana to get into the classroom and sit down at my desk, letting my hair fall in front of my face to hide it from view. As he walks past, George drops a note onto my desk. I brush it off, watching it bounce across the floor. My insides tighten up and I squeeze my eyes closed. I will not cry.

After Transfiguration I wait until the class has filed out, then walk up to Defence slowly. I arrive just as Lupin is starting and sit down in my seat. I force myself to pay attention, even though I feel empty, like I just want to stare at a spot on the table and forget the world. The lunch bell rings and the class files out. I stare down at my book. My insides are coiling like snakes. I feel like throwing up.

“George, don't you have somewhere to be?” Lupin's voice asks.

“Not really,” George replies, “I need to talk to Aurelia.”

I close my eyes. I hear Lupin sigh.

“George-”

“I know, her parents don't want us talking,” George interrupts, “please, professor, just for a minute.”

“Aurelia?” Lupin asks. I gather my things and hurry out. I run up to Muggle Studies as fast as I can. Why can't he just leave me alone?

After Muggle Studies I return to the dormitory and sit on my bed with the curtains closed. I start on my homework, trying to block everything else out, but I can't. I pick up one of my pillows and bury my face into it and scream until I lose my voice.

I work at my homework until it's finished. All the other girls are in bed asleep. I finally finish and pack my things away. I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I change into my pyjamas and lie down, ready to sleep, but as soon as I close my eyes memories flood back to me. My parents' cold faces, that look in their eyes of disappointment. I roll over, curling up into a ball. I'm never going to risk that punishment again.

I have Arithmancy third period on Tuesday. We're given a lot of homework and I'm thinking about that as I walk out of the room. I'm so deep in thought that I nearly don't notice Angelina leaning on the wall opposite. I feel like my blood has turned to ice.

“Hey,” she says. I glance around. The corridor is deserted, but I don't feel safe talking with her. I turn and hurry down towards Potions.

“Aurelia, wait!” she calls, hurrying after me, “what's going on? You weren't allowed to be around George, now you can't talk to me either?”

I duck my head and break into a run. I feel sick to my stomach. For a couple of months there I had friends. A boyfriend! And now I'm back to being alone. Because my parents want me to do well at school. If I wasn't so scared of them, I'd refuse to go to classes, fail tests, but... I can't do that, because in the end, it would be worse for me.

I'm the last one to arrive to Transfiguration after lunch. As I walk in I glance at George. He's sitting with Lee at the back of the room. We make eye contact for a second, then he looks away. I feel a sting and sit down quickly, noticing Chrissie's pleased look. She turns around and starts talking to him. I bury my nose in my book, fighting back tears.