Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
.
ONCE the adrenaline wears off, everything starts to hurt.
I found myself arriving at the Astronomy Tower, my chest felt like it was burning up inside and my legs were stretched and pulled in all the wrong places. I didn't want to go back to the Common Room yet, not when Ernie and Ruby were probably waiting to find out where I had gone to.
I just needed some time alone for myself. Funny how that's all I've been needing nowadays.
The tower looked different in the afternoon. Even without the stars, the setting sun and the glittering lake was already a view.
I collapsed near the terrace and tried to regain my breath, swallowing whatever saliva I could produce to lubricate my dried-up throat.
Without the distraction of my heartbeat, the stinging on my hand was intensified now. It balanced between a scale of bearable pain all the way to what feels like rubbing alcohol in an open wound.
The whole time I'd been cradling my scarred hand to my chest, not once daring to look at it. This was the only time I had to assess it properly.
Gingerly, I placed my left hand on my lap, swallowing back a sob when I saw its state. The writing was still bright red, running diagonally from my wrist all the way to my knuckles. Small beads of blood dotted around the open skin, some even streaking down. The entire area was so red and pink it was hard to remember what my actual skin color looked like.
I couldn't even find any surface on my left hand that wasn't as pure as before. The healing scars from the knife cut I got was still there.
I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying out loud, only letting a few tears slip down as I stared at it again.
I must not provoke others.
That's definitely going to leave a mark; a constant reminder of Umbridge's teachings and cruel punishments.
A shuffle of footsteps and a call of my name drew my attention from my hand to the landing of the stairs.
"Lovett?"
Draco stood there, watching me with knitted eyebrows and purses lips. His hands were tucked into his pockets.
I inhaled sharply, my stomach dropping heights when I realized it was him. I furiously wiped my face with my uninjured hand, stood up and turned my back to him.
"What do you want?" I tried to say, wincing when my voice cracked towards the end.
The sound of footsteps came closer and I had to refrain myself from rolling my eyes.
Once he was five feet away from me, he scoffed. "Obviously to hang around here, Lovett. I need some time alone, so if you could just leave—"
I gave a cry of anguish. I know, dramatic, but I figured it was the best way to express how I truly felt at the moment.
