Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 142

Isabella didn't take the sleeping draught for two days, and she didn't write to Tom for those days either. 

Finally, she gave in. 

She pulled the diary out of her bag as she sat in the corner of the library. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, coughing slightly. It must be because she wasn't taking the sleeping draught, but she did feel like she was coming down with something.

'Tom.' she wrote tentatively. 'Are you mad at me?'

Tom didn't respond. 

'I'm sorry. I guess I overreacted.' Isabella continued writing. 'I know you were only looking out for me.'

Tom still didn't write back.

'And I've understood what you were trying to say.' Isabella wrote with a sigh. The things she had to do just to get him to write back.

'Yes, I was acting rather foolish. And I've found a way to get it all out of my head as you said. So, will you write back to me now? Please?'

'Did you throw those flowers away? Or did you wait for them to wither on their own? Is that why it took you two days to realise what you did wrong?' Tom wrote after long last.

'At least you are writing.' Isabella scribbled brightly.

'Answer my question.' was Tom's reply.

'The flowers didn't last for many days anyway.' Isabella wrote timidly. 'It was gone within a day itself.'

'Did you even take the sleeping draught?' Tom demanded.

Isabella hesitated for a second, then decided to lie.

'Yes.' she wrote.

'Don't lie to me.' Tom's handwriting came in a dirty scrawl. 'I am not a fool, Isabella. So don't you dare lie to me.'

Isabella sighed and dipped her quill in ink again. 

'Fine. I didn't take it.' Isabella wrote. 'I used this time to finish my homework, so I have a lot of free time in my hands. And I am studying hard like you said too.'

'You didn't take it?' Tom wrote and Isabella knew he was livid. 'Do you not know what it does to your health?'

'I'm fine.' Isabella wrote. 'I just have a slight cough. It should be gone soon.'

'Bella, how can you be so stupid?' Tom wrote. 'You don't skip out on taking your sleeping draught. You are never in your best condition, so you cannot do something so ridiculous like that.'

Isabella dipped her quill in ink again, stifling her coughs.

'I'm sorry.' she wrote. 'It won't happen again.'

'So, what is the alternative you've decided to take on now?' Tom asked.

'Ah, about that. The full moon is today.' Isabella wrote. 'I asked Remus out on a date for this evening.'

'Didn't he refuse?' Tom wrote.

'No, he agreed because of the timings.' Isabella wrote. 'The moon is going to come out earlier today. I was lucky that he was a bit too excited about the prospect of having a date, that he forgot to check the lunar chart carefully.'

'So Remus thinks he'll get to spend some time with you before his transformation.' Tom wrote. 

'Yes.' Isabella scribbled.