Once Aries pried herself from Regulus' arms, she walked outside of his room and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the steps.
Earlier Aries had been on her way to the dungeon and was met by a dementor inside of a broken open broom closet. The terrifying experience that her mind and eyes allowed her to witness brought the girl to a panic attack, only to be found by her brother only minutes later.
The scene she had watched, the demonstration of Aries worst fear only emphasized and brought back the same feeling of pure terror that she felt back then.
She was a Black, and as much as any other cold hearted Slytherin had desired to be in her position, it held consequences. Perfection was not only required or sought out, but to be better than perfect was mandatory.
If she was not perfect, set herself a hair out of line, consequences were suffered and learned from.
Suddenly Aries felt tainted, as if the very essence of her name put a dark mark on her life. That no one could really accept her because of where she came from and what she had been through.
Emptiness and hate spread through her body like wildfire. No one had ever truly wanted her, loved her, knew her. There were times it felt as though Marlene was only there for show, for good looks to instill ties between Slytherin families.
Suddenly, Aries flew off the steps and ran. Her body was taking her somewhere her mind wasn't fast enough to understand.
Up.
Air.
She just needed more oxygen.
The tower. She climbed up the moving stairs. Her eyes didn't search for Filch, but thankfully she didn't need to. Vacant stairs and vacant corridors sat below her while her legs slowed from exhaustion.
Aries ran her hands through her hair as her insecurities began to rise up her throat and choke her. Aries arm suddenly becoming itchy as her other hand came up to scratch it.
It wasn't enough with Aries short nails that she itches harder, her breathing beginning to falter.
Seeing the Gryffindors common room entrance gave her hope to find Lily. The red head knew exactly what to say and do when this occurred.
With the knowledge of the common room password due to her friend, she made it into the red room before collapsing beside the fire place.
What if she could never be enough? That for the rest of her life she would be alone. Lily didn't deserve to be motherly toward Aries. She felt selfish for even thinking about taking her friend away from her much needed sleep.
Aries didn't realize that she began to draw blood, while her mind scrambled and suddenly released. Her brain fogged while her body began to numb. Tears had already released and were dampening her white top. Tears mixed with the blood on her arms creating such a sting that if it wasn't for her gift, she would've passed out.
Passing out may have been the better option.
The thoughts of everyone in the castle came at her like a sledgehammer to her school, a cry of pain released from her while she grabbed her head and leaned again the warm wall close to the heat.
What she didn't realize during this panic attack was that there was someone still in the common room. In fact, a very familiar someone had gotten back from the kitchens only moments ago with food stacked in his hands and his glasses somewhat askew.
When he himself realized someone was in the common room, he had froze. Getting a detention for being out past curfew wasn't so bad but it was unnecessary and avoidable to his view point.
Once the boy had heard the painful cry and a thud, he was quick to pull out his wand and drop his food on the nearest chair.
A light had shown through his wand and he quickly spotted his tutor on her knees squirming in pain with blood dripping down her arm. Of course it was a shocking sight to behold at nearly midnight but he shot out fast to aid the girl.
"Bloody hell. Meredith." The bespectacled boy spoke gently, soft and slowly reaching out to touch her knee. He remembered how Sirius reacted when he had only just moved into the Potters house and made sure he wouldn't scare her off.
The touch nearly sent Aries into shock as she felt herself flinch but allowed him to try again, "it's just James, Meredith what happened."
"It hurts." She whimpered, unable to move, "make it stop.
James looked at her hands and towards her arms, the opposite was bloodied as well, "I'm sure we can fix it with a simple spell-"
"Make them stop!" Aries cried out, cutting off his quick and slightly worried words.
"The wound looks deep, maybe we can go to Pom-"
"All the voices. There so loud." Aries gasped, her lungs feeling like they were closing in on her.
"What voices?" James was very confused now. He didn't know what to do.
Sirius
"Stop talking!" Aries nearly yelled, her brain was on over drive, everyone's dreams, thoughts, nightmares were crowding and screaming.
As if the world was finally on her side, her heart had taken enough and her body shut down. Feeling weak and helpless, Aries eyes clouded and closed, her body falling into Potters arms.
James was still for a few moments, shock and confusion were on his face while his heartbeat quickened. Never had he been in such a situation before and never did he want to be in it again.
Thinking as fast as he could, he decided it might be best to bring Aries back to his dorm. If he's quick enough, he could make it to the lavatory and get her bandaged up.
With a heaving sigh, he positioned her in his arms, and abandoned his food in the common room.
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By the time James had managed to get into the lavatory and place Aries comfortably on top of the sink countertop, she had shifted and awoken.
How Aries was so calm when she awoke was beyond James, so he took to his own and began summoning a water bowl and began filling it with sink water.
James had seen Remus getting bandaged up enough over the years to remember how to properly do it.
When Aries spoke, he had already started dabbing the wounds on her arm, "You know you didn't have to do this." Her voice had become scratchy.
He remained silent, unsure how to respond and merely continued to take care of her self made wounds.
She watched him in silence while he carefully took her hand into his and cleaned the dried blood from under her nails. A frown present on his face as he did so.
"Why do you do this to yourself." His first words to her were quiet, but loud enough for her to understand and think on.
She shrugged, "reflex."
"What happened to make you need this kind of reflex." He pushed the matter, his eyes finally looking back at hers.
His brown against her grey.
"You can't help me, James." His name on her lips shocked him, "You're too pure and kind. You barely know who I am and yet here we are. My brother sleeps mere feet away and yet I'm still afraid to look at him...you don't know what it's like James. I wouldn't wish what I go through on any enemy, and I wouldn't wish the knowledge of my past and present on anyone either. Little scratches and panic attacks are only the subtitle of my story."
"You shouldn't have to go through it alone." James spoke softly, "you don't deserve this." He began wrapping one of her arms with white appendages.
Aries swallowed roughly. Very few had said those words to her. But only now had they sunk in deep. Potter had know her for such a small amount of time and somehow already had made up his mind that she deserved better than daily bruises and scars.
"James."
"Yes."
Sensing the girls hesitation through words, he finished bandaging her other arm and looked back at her softly.
Aries was already looking down at the uniform skirt she still wore with furrowed brows. With a deep breath, she blew it out and locked eyes again with his brown ones.
Before she could utter a word, he was already nodding his head, "stay the night, you can take my bed. I can find you something to change into."
Aries nodded.
When James came back into the private lavatory, he had already changed into his own pajamas and had found a spare hoodie, t-shirt and sweatpants for her.
"Hey James." Aries stopped him before he could leave, "did you find this shirt with Sirius' things."
The boy shrugged, "it was laying around." He gave her a lopsided smile, "why".
"Because it's mine." It was an old band that she used to listen to on the front and a guitar outlined on the back. Aries thought her mother found it and disintegrated it.
James smile widened slightly at that before exiting the lavatory.
Aries got off the sink counter and faced the mirror. Her complexion made her want to cry, pink stains from tears leaked down her chin and blood had stained her white sleeved top.
Her hair had taken to a rather messy look while the rest of her just felt gross. Peeling off her top first, she changed out of her bottoms and into the sweatpants, leaving herself in only her bra.
Turning her body away from the mirror, she unclasped her bra and looked back at her reflection.
Long lines, healed over, stretched down her spine and parallel to it. Smaller scars laid all over, but the most noticeable was the scar that laid between her left shoulder and lower right hip.
Not wanting to look any longer, she pulled her old shirt over her head. Barely in time to notice the door opening and James stepping through.
"I found some extra pillows and blankets, when you're ready."
Aries nodded, pulling her wand from the pocket of her skirt and walking out rather blindly into the dark room.
A dim light lit the way to where Aries would be sleeping. By the time James had put out his light, Aries was already asleep.