Hell Heart ❤️‍🔥 Harry Potter [1]

xi. Run Away

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xi. Run Away
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THE CALM FROM the previous night evaporates from her body the minute she sees Dean the next morning, his expression grave and his voice quiet.

"T, something happened," he starts, trying to stall for as much time as he can before he has to tell her.

"What happened, Dean?" she interrupts immediately, feeling her knees start to quiver slightly.

"Well, as you know, I share a dorm with Harry... I think he was having a nightmare – no, a night terror – he was shaking and shouting," Dean shudders at the memory. "He – I was so worried –"

Thea inhales slowly, and closes her eyes, trying to get rid of the stone in her stomach and the tightening in her chest. "Is he in the hospital wing? I don't care about first lesson – "

"No, I don't know where he is. He's not at school anymore," Dean says quickly, not looking at her.

Thea and Dean walk to Potions, wrapped in a heavy and uncomfortable silence. She won't be able to talk to Harry now until after the holidays; she can send him a letter, maybe, just to make sure that he's OK. Maybe.

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The moment Thea steps into her house, her mother embraces her in a tight hug. The truth is, Thea has missed her mum. Despite their differences, she still really does love her. She just hopes she's done enough to protect her, to protect them.

"Thea, I missed you so much! How was school?"

"It was OK," Thea says. "It's different, with Professor Umbridge. Everything's changing, and I – I'm not sure I like it."

Her mother sighs, stepping away from Thea.

"It's all changing for the better, Theabel – Dolores is on our side. The Ministry is your friend, not working against you like Harry Potter and Dumbledore are trying to tell you."

"Right," Thea says shortly, not having the energy to argue. "Whatever."

"Anyway," says her mother, "I'm having a meeting tonight – the Minister himself is coming over."

"Right well, let me know when the idiot –"

"Thea!"

" – has gone."

The aching in her head magnifies as she makes her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She flops onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering why her mother is so strange. She's always been ushered up to her room whenever her mum had visitors over, a Silencing Charm on the locked dining room door. She never questions it; she knows it will achieve nothing but an argument.

After what feels like three hours, Thea turns over on her bed, now staring at the wall. Soft darkness has started to filter in through the window, the only glow of light coming from her lamp. She set up her record to play Queen softly, Freddie Mercury's voice crooning Save Me, her favourite. She's always loved her room; it makes her feel comfortable and alone, except for Zelda, who's curled up next to her on her bed.

Standing up, she tries to shake the sickening boredom from her bones by walking over to her dressing table and starting to count out the spare Galleons in her money box she's squirrelled away since she was about seven.

Then, her mum calls her name. Thea sighs heavily, and her cat jumps down onto the floor and follows her down the stairs.

"Yes?"