"Aurelia!"
I ignore Georgiana's call and duck into a nearby classroom,spelling the door locked behind me.
I've been avoiding her and George for the past week and a half,hiding away in the library or various little nooks and crannies I'vefound around the school. I've become very good at avoiding them. The irony of last year being forced to avoid them and this year choosingto do it has not been lost on me.
I heard Georgiana trying to open the door and hurry over to thewindow. I open it and look down. It's about a three story drop, butI've been practising a spell that slows my fall. I climb out so that I'm balancing on the ledge outside the window, take a deep breath andjump just as I hear the door open behind me. I feel my fall slowingand land a little harder than I would have liked, but not hard enough to cause any damage. I hurry around the corner in case shelooks out after me and sigh. This is getting harder and harder.
I adjust my bag on my shoulder and walk out into the grounds,heading for the forest. I haven't slept in the dormitory for ages,preferring to sleep in an old office I found. The bed is dusty and everything smells damp, but it feeds into my plan of avoidance. Whichprobably isn't the healthiest way to address an issue.
I walk toward Hagrid's hut and check my watch. I'm a little latefor my lesson, but I'm sure Hagrid won't mind. He's probably caughtup with the skrewts.
I leave my lesson with Hagrid nursing a few small burns and anintense hatred of those creatures. I trudge up to the castle fordinner feeling twice as disgruntled as I did this morning. I sit downnext to Lucas and he turns away from his friends.
"Good lesson?" he asks. I shake my head and start eating.
"George spent all day outside Ravenclaw tower," Lucas says,"if you're going to dump him, at least let him know."
"Mffm mfmmfmff."
"Try to swallow before speaking," he laughs. I chew hard,trying to get my mouth clear.
"I said I don't know what I'm going to do," I sigh, "I justdon't know."
"Oh, come on, Aurelia," Lucas says, "you fought to be withhim all last year and now you're just going to throw it away?"
"That was before..."
"Before you found out he drinks?"
"Before he hurt me."
"He didn't mean to, you know that," Lucas says.
"That's a slippery slope," I say, "he didn't mean to hurt mywrist, he didn't meant to break my nose, he didn't mean to cut myhead off and burn my body."
Lucas raises an eyebrow slowly.
"And what about Georgiana?" I point out, "what she said."
"What she said was bitchy, but I think the reason it hurt somuch is because you know it's true," he says, "not saying thatyou deserved it! You work so hard for your grades, you hardly evertake a break, maybe they're just feeling a bit neglected."
"That's not my fault!" I exclaim, "my parents-"
"I know!" Lucas interrupts, "I know you have a lot ofpressure on you. All I'm saying is maybe you need to think about howthey feel. You put school work before them nearly every time."
"But-"
"I'm not arguing with you!" he says, "it's just something tothink about."
"Yeah, thanks," I mutter, picking my bag up and slinging itover my shoulder, "let me just go and contemplate my self-loathinga little more."
I pick up my plate of food and walk upstairs to the empty officeI've taken over. I sit at the desk and eat, despite not feelingvery hungry at all. I know deep inside that Lucas is right. It wouldfrustrate me too if George kept blowing me off to study. Or doanything, really. I sigh and instinctively rub my wrist. I get alittle twinge of fear every time I think about that night. Maybe Ineed to just hear what they have to say.
After I've finished this essay.
I wake up the next morning feeling exhausted. I climb out of bedand get dressed into some comfy pants and a loose jumper. I feellike studying outside today, so I pack my bag and go down to get some breakfast. I went hunting last night, so I'm not too hungry, butI pack up some croissants and fruit as study snacks and grab a jugof orange juice before heading out into the grounds. I sit down under the shade of a tree and get out my potions homework.
It's an uncharacteristically warm day and the warmth is making itdifficult to concentrate. I feel all warm and snuggly in my comfyclothes. The air even smells warm. I shake my head to clear it and refocus on the work in front of me. A few other students spill intothe grounds, walking around in groups, talking and laughing. There'sa group down beside the lake, a couple of them wading in the shallows, splashing those on the land. I watch them for a fewminutes, wishing I could join them. I check my watch and sigh. I'vebeen at this essay for three hours and I'm nearly finished. All Ineed is another half hour of concentration, then I'll let myselftake a break.
I finish my conclusion and blow on the ink to dry it faster beforerolling the parchment up and tucking it into my bag. I screw the topback on my ink and get out an apple. I kick my shoes off and wigglemy toes. The sun just grazes them if I stretch them out. I bite intothe apple and sit back, closing my eyes as I chew.
"Aurelia?"
I nearly jump out of my skin and my eyes fly open. George isstanding a few feet away, looking at me uncertainly. I grip thegrass with one hand, my apple still in my mouth. George shifts fromone foot to the other.
"Can we talk?" he asks. I swallow hard and nod slowly. Georgesinks down into the grass next to me and I shift away from him alittle. He doesn't seem to know what to say. He stares at the bottomof the tree, opening his mouth and then closing it repeatedly.
"Look-"
"We have a really shitty relationship," I interrupt. I staredown at the apple in my hands, turning it over and over, looking atthe skin and the exposed flesh.
"I-"
"We're just so different," I say. I hear George take a deepbreath.
"I really care about you," he says quickly, taking one of myhands and threading his fingers through mine. I swallow and look up,surprised to find him mere inches away from me. His eyes catch mine and hold them, his gaze burning into me. I try to lean back, but thetree trunk is stopping me from going anywhere.
"Aurie, you have no idea how important you are to me," Georgemurmurs, leaning closer to me. I can't look away from his eyes. Ican't lean back. I can't move. But when he leans forward, closing the distance between us and pressing his lips against mine, I loseany desire to be anywhere but here.
At first George's kiss is desperate, greedy, like he doesn't thinkhe'll ever get to do this again, but as I start to kiss him back herelaxes. His lips fit so easily against mine, soft and firm all atonce. One of his hands brushes against my cheek and back through myhair, cupping my head gentle, cushioning it against the rough barkof the tree. The apple drops from my hands as I reach up to touchhis face. It's soft with the beginnings of prickles scattering hischeeks and chin. I loop one arm under his to pull him closer to me,pressing into him. George's hand in my hair tightens and he draws meagainst him.
My heart is pounding in my chest, my fangs straining at my gums,but I barely register it. I lose myself in the kiss, forgettingeverything but the moment. It becomes a blur, a desperate, dark blur.
"Ouch," George pulls back a little, "not so hard."
"What?" I ask, dazed, my head light. He presses a couple offingers to his lips. His soft, perfect lips. I start leaning towardshim again, wanting to kiss him more.
"You bit me," he says. Immediately my head clears and I situp, panic flooding through me.
"What?!"
He takes his fingers away from his mouth and they're stained withblood. I feel as thought my skeleton has turned to ice. I look athim in absolute horror.
"It's fine," he laughs, "you just nicked me. Here, you havesome blood on your lip."
I instinctively flick my tongue over the area and taste the sharp,metallic tang of blood. My fangs rip themselves from my gums as thetaste of George's blood fills my mouth. I feel a need so strong in the bottom of my stomach that I nearly gasp. I stagger to my feet, myhead pounding with fear.
"Where're you going?" George asks as I grab my books, "Aurie-"
"Stay away from me!" I shout from behind my hand, trying toretract my fangs, "just... Stay away!"
I sprint up to the castle and hide in a broom closet, sinking downonto the floor and shaking all over. I might have turned George.What do I do? Who should I go to first? Will they make me leave Hogwarts?
A million questions spin through my mind, making my head spin. Ibury my face in my knees and pray the panic will subside. I wishLupin was here, he'd know what to do. I could go to Moody... No. Noway. He'd probably slay me on the spot. Professor Flitwick is thenext best bet, but I can't imagine explaining to him how it hadhappened.
Maybe I could just wait. There's a chance that it wasn't my fangsthat nicked his lip, maybe he'll be fine. I'll just have to keep aneye on him for the rest of the week and if I see any sign of him changing, I'll go to Dumbledore.
Of course, if I want to keep a proper eye on him, I'll have tomake things up with him. I sigh deeply. Time to eat some humble pie.
__________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading! Sorry about the long gap between posts. I started back at university and then got pneumonia and things just got more hectic from there :P In 9 days I'll be on break, though, so I'll try to get a few more chapters done during the holidays. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!