Oshun's eyes did a small flutter, nearly opening. A sleepy rumble bubbled from her lips as her eyelids lifted.
Her bleary eyes shifted to see the blond asleep too, his head knocked back against the backrest of the couch. His fingers were knotted in her curls, his other hand laced with hers upon her stomach.
It took a moment for her to register what time it was and where they were.
They were in the Gryffindor common room at four in the morning. They had fallen asleep studying for an exam for class.
Holding his hand still, she sat up groggily and turned her body to face the coffee table. Still in her sleepy haze, she quietly packed up their books and their studies.
She slung their bags both over her shoulder before she got to her feet. "Draco," she murmured, fingers threading through his to pull him up from the couch.
"Hmm..." he mumbled with his eyes closed.
"Come on," she said softly, tugging him up from the couch with all her strength. "Let's go to sleep in my dorm, yeah? Come on."
"Mhm," he hummed throatily as his eyes slowly opened. He got up from the couch and took the bags off her shoulders to hold them.
Hand in hand, they headed up the girls' dormitory stairs and down to her dorm. She opened the door and walked into her dark dorm. He trailed behind her, shutting the door behind him.
Yawning, he put their bags on the floor by the door and they kicked their shoes off before he guided her to her bed. She saw Forest's bed was empty, so she took note that she was with Tavius.
Draco peeled the sheets open and slid into the bed. He pulled Oshun into bed with him, greedy to hold her possessively in his arms.
She was about to fall into a slumber as she lay down, but something on the nightstand on the other side of her double bed caught her view through the dark. She saw a letter.
And what made her wide awake was the Takahashi wax crescent on the envelope. Her parents wrote her back for the first time in weeks.
"Takahashi," Draco nearly whined with a sleepy voice, his eyes shut as he kept tugging at her to fall into his arms. "Come."
He'd become obsessed with cuddling ever since they first cuddled officially.
Oshun couldn't read the letter now because he was here and she didn't want him to ask questions.
Her parents must have sent the letter in the evening because it was now four in the morning. Forest must've been the one to put it on her nightstand.
Oshun wanted to open the letter and read it, but Draco was there.
So with stiff bones, she lay down next to him and curled into his chest. Her face buried in the crook of his neck, her eyes still gawking at the letter over him.
His strong arms wrapped around her tightly, one hand entwined with the back of her curls. He kissed her head ardently and mumbled a little goodnight.
She just lay there in silence and counted the seconds until she felt his steady, soft breaths against her hair.
It didn't take long for him to fall back asleep.
Eventually, she kissed the side of his head sweetly before carefully slipping out from under his arms.
The only downside was that whenever Draco cuddled her, his grip was tight all throughout the night—never wavered. Even when he was asleep.
On a normal day, Oshun would love to be stuck in his tight grip. But at that moment, she needed to get out of his arms to read the letter.
She just stayed there for a moment, trying to figure out how to not wake him. At last, she wiggled subtly in his arms and inched herself down to slip out of his hold.
When she was free, Baloo hopped onto the bed and slipped into Draco's arms. The cat snuggled into the blond and the blond snuggled into the cat.
She walked over to the other side of her bed and picked up the letter. She quietly tore it open and plucked the folded parchment out.
She unfolded it, the ripped envelope slotted between her fingers. She scanned the letter with such anxiety bubbling inside of her.
Oshun,
Your papa and I are home. Get home as soon as possible. We have much to discuss.
Love,
Mama
She felt like she couldn't breathe. She ripped the letter up and dropped the shreds into the bin.
She was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. She had no time to do anything but to slip on shoes, grab a sweater, her keys, and apparate.
The world around her whirled until she landed on the apparition point of London that was closest to her home. She tucked her wand in the waistband of her pants beneath her shirt.
She pinched her zip-up hoodie shut and walked to her house, her eyes taking in the quiet streets of London.
It was in the middle of the night, so the streets were quiet with a couple cars here and there driving by. No one was walking around.
It was nearly April, so the weather was quite cool and not too cold. But since it was dark with no sun, there was more of a chill hitting her as she walked home.
When she got to her house, she unlocked the front door and let herself in. She shut the door behind her and locked it.
She kicked off her shoes and the house was quiet. She wasn't going to call out for her parents since it was the middle of the night.
Instead, she headed to her bedroom to sleep. She closed her door, but left it open a crack.
Not even pulling off her sheets, she simply grabbed her throw blanket and wrapped it around herself before falling asleep.
But she couldn't sleep now.
Her mind was racing a hundred miles per hour and her stomach was tightening with unease.
She just stared at the ceiling, counting the minutes until she heard her parents shuffling around.
_____
When the clock read six in the morning, Oshun unwrapped herself from the blanket and left her bedroom.
She went to the kitchen to cook something since she couldn't sit still for any longer. She wasn't hungry, nor was she thirsty.
But she needed to do something other than sit still.
Her parents would be up soon since they were early birds, so she decided to make them their coffee and tea. As the water boiled on the kettle, she also settled upon making breakfast for her parents.
She steamed egg and custard buns since they were frozen and didn't expire like the rest of the food in the fridge and pantry.
By the time she had everything on the table and she was seated in her usual spot, she heard the footsteps of her parents shuffling down the hallway and down the steps.
When her parents emerged into the kitchen from the foyer, they looked dapper and well. But they looked tired and crestfallen. The looks in their eyes spoke volumes.
"Oshun. Hi, my dear." Gwen hugged her daughter from the side, tighter than usual.
This made Oshun's stomach lurch.
"What—" Her words came to a halt as she licked her lips nervously. "Mama, I— can you tell me what's going on?"
She watched as her parents exchanged grim glances before they took their spots one either side of their daughter.
"What's happened?" Oshun's voice was hoarse. Her eyes frantically darted between her parents as her hands tangled on her lap
Bryson cleared his throat, looping his fingers upon the table. His eyes were gentle and red-tinted, as though he'd been crying. Gwen too.
"This is a lot more complex than we all thought, love," Gwen said in a strained voice, an apologetic expression on her face.
"You know the vial Mama took when she was pregnant with you? The one that healed her and gave you your magic?" Bryson's smooth voice had a tremble in his undertone and through his words.
Oshun nodded slowly.
"It was made out of a plant called the silver lilac," he explained, straightening his strong jaws. "Only one silver lilac has ever existed for centuries in the Wizarding World and Healer White turned it into a serum. He was never allowed to use it or give it to anyone because of it being the only one."
"Theodore Nott's father was the one looking for the silver lilac," Gwen said, taking over. "He was the one who instructed White all those years ago to keep the silver lilac serum safe and hidden—not to give it away."
"But White used it on us to save you and Mama," Bryson said softly with clear gratitude glossing over his red-tinted eyes.
"I-I don't— I don't understand," Oshun stammered, her shoulders tense. "Why do you and Mama look upset then?"
Gwen and Bryson shared yet another glance. He began to weep, dropping his head into his hands.
Seeing her father cry hurt her in unexplainable ways. It was just something about seeing her dad cry. It felt bad and wrong and pained.
"Mama?" She turned to her mother, hot and salty tears threatening to creep over her waterline by the simple sight of her father crying.
"Silver lilacs shorten a person's life—makes them sick." Gwen looked like she was trying to keep herself together. Her chin quivered as she spoke. "The silver lilac itself is what makes a person sick... and you've got it all in your bloodstream due to your magic."
The emotionally unsteady drum of her mama's voice echoed in Oshun's head.
"White didn't know it at the time—no one did except Nott Sr.," Gwen said, her voice beginning to falter. "Papa and I only found out a couple days ago. Nott Sr. wanted to plant more silver lilacs."
"He wanted to plant more, so could slip them into the Wizarding World water supply to get rid of all people with Muggle blood." The vulgar words were like poison on her tongue. "Which was why he didn't want White to give away or use the only silver lilac all those years ago—he needed to do more research on it."
Oshun was paralyzed. A vile foreboding churned and tightened every inch of her figure.
"The silver lilac only has an effect on those who aren't pure—the simple purity of one's blood is what protects Purebloods from being affected by the silver lilac. Thus the reason I wasn't affected by the serum," Gwen went on, filling her daughter in.
"That's why Nott Sr. was so possessive over it," she said quietly with a falter in her words. "He was really bloody angry when he found out that the silver lilac serum was gone from White's home. That's why he started a lookout and an investigation to find out what happened to it."
"Nott Sr. is one of the most scarily entitled people known to man." Bryson had stopped crying, now an angry flare in his siren eyes with tear-stained cheeks. "He thinks that the Wizarding World would be better off without anyone with Muggle blood."
"He's brainwashed his own son, Oshun," he said with a grimace. "Which was why we told you to stay away from Theodore."
"Nott Sr. brainwashed his son even more throughout the holiday," Gwen said evenly, blinking tears from her eyes. "Theodore's become unhinged. He's got pressure on him and vile, impossible standards to live up to—by his father."
Oshun couldn't move. She could only listen.
"Theodore was a kind, precious boy. I knew because his mother and I used to be good friends before she died." Her mother's tone softened wistfully. "But Nott Sr. put all the wrong sorts into Theodore's head after his mother passed."
"We don't know what other stuff he told Theodore," she continued, "But we just know he's not in his right mind at the moment. He's drowning under the pressure from his father."
That explained why Theodore seemed so off since the holiday. Explained Mavi's recollection of her time at Nott Manor.
"Nobody other than the people in this house knows that the silver lilac was used on us," Bryson stated firmly, but there was an emotional waver in his stern voice. "We must keep it that way until we find out what to do."
"Oshun," Gwen said softly, reaching to grab her daughter's viciously shaking hand. "Have you noticed any strange things going on with yourself lately? Throwing up vile waste? Random bruises? Feeling faint?"
Oshun nodded, a gesture that was barely visible.
This set Gwen off into tears as her head fell to the side of her shoulder, clasping her daughter's hand tightly between hers.
"We're going to find a way to heal you from this sickness," Bryson told Oshun sternly, though more tears sprung from his eyes. "Just do not use your powers anymore in case it worsens your health even more."
Oshun unconsciously thought back to all the times she experienced the exact symptoms her mama mentioned.
The magic in her blood was insidiously killing her.
She was going to die.
_____
The tears didn't come until Oshun was back at Hogwarts in the afternoon. Perhaps the news was only dawning deeply onto her.
She sat on her bathroom floor in her dorm, sobbing her heart out, distraught. Her back pressed against the cold wall of the bathroom, her knees tucked to her chest.
She blubbered hysterically into her hands and the hot tears stung as they stained her blotched cheeks. She made sure she was alone in the dorm before she completely broke down.
She was going to die. That was all she could think about. That was the only sentence flying across her mind.
Her chest heaved, crying out for air. She couldn't pull herself together. She tried to steady her hands, but they were shaking too violently.
"No, no, no," she kept muttering to herself as she shook her head from side to side. "Please, no."
Her sob violently wracked her entire body and it made her sickly. She couldn't breathe.
Her parents had told her before she left that she didn't have more than a few months left before the magic in her blood fully impacted her health.
Even though they denied that she was going to die, it changed Oshun's view on everything.
She only had a few months left, so she was going to make the most of it. She didn't want to waste any time.
At the moment, her parents would be doing research on things to save Oshun—perhaps they were in denial or there was possibly a way to save her.
But deep down, Oshun was trying to prepare herself for the one letter from her parents that told her that there was no way to save her.
That she was going to die whether they wanted it to happen or not.
At last, she pulled herself together and forced herself not to cry because she had classes to attend and a lunch in the Great Hall to show up, though she wasn't hungry.
She took a shower to start fresh for the day. When she got into the shower, her breathing was shallow and laboured.
The water poured from the shower head and hit her bare skin as she stared straight ahead. The beating of her heart was hard and rapid, nearly painful.
She could feel the beat in her ears and in every bone in her body. Her bottom lip trembled and there was a sudden lump clogging her throat.
She was frozen, feeling paralyzed. Her body was completely still and unmoving.
She didn't even blink. She couldn't speak or even make a sound. She couldn't even control her staggered breaths or her erratic heartbeat.
She could only stare straight ahead. She stayed like this for ten involuntary minutes. Unmoving and still.
She soon got ready for classes and packed her bag. She made sure her eyes weren't red and swollen before she left.
She strolled down to the Great Hall, plastering a pleasant expression on her face. Her eyes saw Forest and Joaquin at their usual spot at the table, so she made her way over there.
"Hi, sweetheart," Joaquin greeted warmly with a smile. "Where've you been? We missed you this morning."
"Just needed to do something," Oshun replied evenly. Even offered a small smile that was nowhere near sincere. Her knee bounced under the table and her hands tangled upon her lap. "Did I miss anything for morning classes?"
"Nothing important." Forest waved a dismissive hand as she scraped a cheese spread onto her cracker. "But if you want, I can still catch you up."
Oshun nodded and felt sick as she stared at the food on the table. "Have you guys seen..." she trailed off when her eyes settled on the person she was looking for.
But he wasn't looking at her.
He was looking at another girl.
Fingers entwined with the other girl. Smiling with the other girl. Kissing the head of the other girl. Laughing with the other girl. All starstruck over the other girl.
The other girl. The other girl. The other girl.
Oshun didn't know if it was still from the news she got this morning or the sight of her redhead being lovey-dovey with Romilda Vane, but another sob was rising quickly in her throat as her bottom lip shook.
Perhaps it was both.
She quickly shot up from her seat as the tears welled in her eyes. Her friend's faint voices of concern rang inside her ears as she nearly ran out of the Great Hall with unsteady legs before she could break down.
She didn't make it far before she collapsed on the side of a corridor, by the wall. Her hand was planted on the stone wall to try to get a grip on something, but the tears were falling and they were falling fast.
Her sobs were heartbreakingly loud and echoed down the corridor. She didn't even care if people were staring at her.
A scream tangled and rumpled deeply inside of her. It pushed against her chest and battered around in her tight throat.
But she didn't let the scream out. She didn't even know why.
She was going to fucking die soon anyway, so she didn't understand why she didn't just scream.
It was the news of her shortened life that made her so vulnerable and weak at the moment. And as the big cherry on top, seeing Fred with another girl just broke down the walls inside she forced up during her shower.
She would never cry over a guy like this, so maybe it really was about the news she got this morning. But Fred wasn't just any guy.
Her head was fuzzy and it began to throb horribly with pain. She suddenly felt sick. A sickly feeling tugging at her stomach from the inside.
Oshun felt a cold grasp on her elbows, helping her to her unsteady feet. Her head was hung low and her breaths stuttered in sync with her chest. By the smell, she knew who it was
Draco's arms threw around her shaking body and he hugged her impossibly tight. One of his large hands sprawled on the back of her neck, fingers tangled in her curls as he kept her head to his beating heart.
She curled into his chest, her fingers clutching the material of his button down as she sobbed loudly into his chest.
Her fat tears dampened his shirt and her legs felt wobbly beneath her. She was falling against him, unable to stand herself
The blond hummed small shhhs and it's okays and I've got yous in her hair, holding her protectively.
But if only he knew that Fred wasn't the actual reason she broke down out of nowhere. If only he knew what she couldn't tell him.