Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Twenty Two

A laugh left her lips at the feeling of the warm summer water. Turning, she found Tom lounging on a rock, his own feet dipped in the lake.

He held a smile and waved at her, his eyes shining crimson against the reflection of the water. "Be careful," he called, gesturing to the slippery rocks along the shore.

"Relax, I'm always careful."

And then she tripped, the world spinning as black suddenly enveloped her.

The last thing she heard was Tom shouting her name, the sound of his voice muffled by the water. It felt warm on her skin, and she felt that sense of calmness wash over her again.

She wanted this to happen, she wanted to fall this time.

But all too soon, the water became like a thousand needles poking into every nerve, turning her body into a block of ice. Delilah went rigid, to the point where she couldn't move.

The weight of this new change caused her to sink further into the depths of the lake, the sunlight dimming with each second.

The moment Delilah hit the floor of the lake she came to, a dull ache shot up her spine before a pounding began in her head. With a slight groan, she pulled the blanket towards her and rolled over, only to end up letting out a yelp as she felt her body fall from the couch.

Delilah shot up, making her vision swim and her headache worsen. Rubbing at her temples, she looked around the room in a brief moment of confusion before she realized where she was.

She couldn't remember much, but somewhere in her brain she recalled dancing and singing like a complete idiot. Wincing in her own embarrassment, she prayed Tom got shit faced enough to forget that.

It was relatively dark outside, so it must've been early morning. Looking to Tom's door, it was shut and she could only assume he was still asleep.

Thank Merlin.

Burnt wood, parchment, and cigarettes danced around her, almost like fresh spring air. She looked down at the blanket tangled around her body, his pillow also smelled painfully like him.

But that pain seemed to dull the one in her head.

With a sigh, Delilah carefully got up, her balance only swaying slightly. As she folded the blanket, her eyes kept shooting towards Tom's door, making sure it stayed shut.

What the hell was that dream?

Grabbing her wand off the floor, Delilah's socked feet carried her across the room silently as she left the common room. She made her way back to the dungeons, but as she rubbed at her head, a trip to the infirmary sounded like the smart move.

Was Madame Fontaine even up? Delilah tried to focus on the large clock at the end of the hallway, but the numbers kept swirling around into incomprehensible squiggles.

Nonetheless she needed some sort of potion to help with her hangover. Lifting a hand, she absentmindedly touched her neck, she could almost feel where Tom's lips had laid in her dream.

She then grimaced, "stupid self conscious."

When she got to the hospital wing, Delilah knocked twice before she heard a muffled voice. A few seconds later the door swung open, revealing Madame Fontaine in her night robes.

"Merlin, what've you done this time?" The woman's eyes ran over her quickly and she waved a hand. "Nothing, I've just got a bloody hangover."

Madame Fontaine huffed but seemed clearly relieved Delilah wasn't on the brink of death for once. "Drinking on school grounds, hm?" She shook her head in disapproval, motioning for Delilah to follow her.