Secret Wings [Remus Lupin]

Chapter 12: Fainting and Ghosts

Chapter 12: Fainting and Ghosts

Slughorn awkwardly started class after our depressing conversation. I know, I was such a little bucket of sunshine, wasn't I?

Remus and the boys were looking at me with sympathy, which wasn't appreciated. I didn't want pity, I wanted my mum. I didn't talk or look at any of them.

The place between my shoulder blades was killing me. I swear I thought I was going to pass out, but I fought the pain and got out my cauldron, scales, and text book just like everyone else.

"Alright class, turn to page 12 and start brewing. " Slughorn commanded.

The potion was a Minor Healing Potion, easy enough. I turned on the heat on to my cauldron on medium, and started getting the right amount of ingredients using my brass scales. It was then, as I was adding my first ingredients to my potion that I felt a sudden sharp pain from my shoulders that caused me to cry out and gracefully-when I say this I mean completely ungraceful- hit my head on the table as I fell to the floor.

The last thing I heard was Remus yelling. "Stella!!!"

Then there was darkness. And a dream, of course. Just great.

DREAM

I was in my mum's art studio with her, watching her state at a blank canvas. She was waiting for inspiration to hit her-this usually took a while. I was six years old, and sitting nearby amused as her face got all screwed up with concentration.

"You look funny mummy." I stated, with no filter what-so-ever. Mum just laughed a melodically as usual, and looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh really?" she said tauntingly. She was about to do something, I could tell, but before I had time to react she flung paint on me with her paintbrush. I gasped and started giggling madly. "Who looks funny now, hmmmmmmm?" she smirked playfully.

I stuck my hand in a nearby blue paint bucket and splashed some at her, tipping over the bucket in the process. "Oh it's on now sister!" mum laughed, getting more paint in me.

Before I knew it the room was in chaos, paint splattered the walls, floors, furniture, and mainly us. I heard someone coming up the stairs, my dad.

"Mummy! Daddy's coming up! Get some paint ready!" I giggled, and hid behind a chair, with some ammo. Mum was hiding behind the door, ready to dump a bucket of yellow paint on Daddy as soon as he walked in.

Daddy waltzed in only to be drenched in yellow liquid by Mum. I was too busy rolling on the floor laughing to sash paint on him. Suddenly me feet left the ground, an I was spinning in the air, it felt like I was flying. My dad had picked me up and was twirling me around, I was laughing my head off.

"Faster, daddy, faster!" I cried. "Spin me faster!"

Eventually he got dizzy so he had to stop, we collapsed in a giggling paint-covered mess to the floor. I look over and see Mum standing by staring at the canvas with a snails on her face. I walk over to her and look too. The canvas is covered in multicolored splattered paints, it looked marvelous.

"It's beautiful." Mum whispers. Dad walks over, and puts his arm around her waist and whispers, "Just like you." Into her ear.

"I think it's gonna be a good seller." I chirped optimistically. Mum smiled down at me, running a hand through my painty hair fondly.

"I'm sure it will be."

END DREAM

I woke up, and stared at the white ceiling for who know how long. That wasn't just a dream it was a memory, a good memory from when I was 6. I felt tears welling in my eyes, and pressed my palms to my eyes as if to stop the tears from falling. I was so tired of crying.

My shoulders didn't hurt anymore, but my head was throbbing pretty bad. With my hand I felt a bandage wrapped around it. What happened?

I strained my memory, and then I remembered. My hurting shoulder blades, the concerned Remus, and the the head banging while simultaneously fainting in Potions. Just lovely.

I sat up and I saw I was in a white hospital bed, just like similar ones lining both side of the room. On the bedside table was a potion with the label of Pain Potion. I drank it, I mean it was obviously meant for me anyways. Nobody else was in the clinic but me.

I got out of bed, and changed out of my hospital gown, and into my school robes, that were lying nearby. No matron tried to stop me as I left through the wooden double doors, I guess that meant I was free to go.

I wasn't sure what time it was, so for a while I just wandered around the castle. No real destination in mind. I was on the fourth floor when my belly gave off a hungry growl.

I sighed, time for food I suppose. I went down the kitchen, and noticed that the students were all eating dinner in the Great Hall. I kept on going to the kitchens, I didn't want to go in there.

Mitzy, as the awesome house elf she was, was already waiting my arrival.

"What may I get you today, miss?" she squeaked.

"Ummmmm," I thought. " How about a big bowl of mashed potatoes?" I loved mashed potatoes, they were my second favorite food.

"Right away miss." Mitzy scurried off to get my order.

I sat down at my table and sighed, I was so tired. My shoulders ached still, even after the pain potion. "Please just kill me now." I muttered to no one in particular.

After eating some delicious food, I wandered some more. Running my hands over the stone walls, walking corridors my mum might have once walked. I didn't mind the loneliness, I found the quiet tranquil. Nice silence for thinking.

But of course too much thinking can lead to thoughts that are better left alone. Like all the doubts, and pain of the past.

Like how much I don't deserve Remus's friendship, or my mum.....

Snap out of it Stella! I commanded myself. Dwelling on those thoughts will only bring trouble, best to just bury it all.

It was when I was turning a corner that I ran smack into something, and fell to the floor on my butt. Ouch. I looked up to see a ..... Ghost?

Did I forget to mention that Hogwarts has ghosts? Well it does, one ghost for each house and more. The one I happened to run into was the Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicolas or Nearly-Headless Nick.

"Hello Sir Nicolas." I said politely. Just because he was dead didn't mean he didn't feelings.

"How did you fall down, dearie? I'm a ghost, you can walk right through me!" he exclaimed.

Oh yes, I suppose it wasn't normal to not be able to walk through ghosts. What did this mean? "Oh um, I don't know honestly, but I'll try to watch where I go next time. " I gave him a tentative smile before walking away.

"I don't suppose you're lost are you?" sir Nicolas asked nonchalantly. I looked around realizing I actually had no idea where I was.

"Ummm, I don't really know where I am, I don't suppose you could should me to the common room?" I asked sheepishly.

"I don't mind at all! Come this way, I'll show you. " He smiled at me before floating down the ancient halls of Hogwarts.

When I successfully made it back to the common room, after I thanked Sir Nicolas, I went strait to bed. My shoulders were still aching something awful and I felt exhausted.

As I was drifting off I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with me? I mean first the hurting shoulders and now not being able to walk through ghosts? I was anything but normal.

Then I pondered, it's almost like I'm dead or something, only ghosts can't walk through other ghosts. Why could I?