She took a deep breath as she lay in her hospital bed for the last time. Today was the day Cara would have to move back into her old dormitory that she couldn't even remember with girls that she barely knew.
"Back in the Swing of Things," Dumbledore had told her. And that is what she thought of as she lay there looking lifeless with her eyes closed.
"Miss Connors?" a distant Madam Pomfrey yelled.
Just one more minute, Cara had hoped for herself. But alas, it would not be so.
"Miss Connors!" Pomfrey yelled irritated, "Did you not hear me yell for you?"
"Sorry, I forgot my name," Cara said sarcastically oozing with annoyance at the whole situation.
"Time to get up, Miss Connors," Pomfrey sang, "On your feet and get dressed."
Cara moaned as she dragged herself from the warmth of her sheets. Pomfrey exited as Cara slid clothes and a cloak her parents' had sent her; this would be the first time where Cara wasn't in her pajamas for the entire day. She tied the strings attached to her cloak by her neck unconsciously.
Slowly, Cara took a few steps out of her closed off bed. No one but Madam Pomfrey bustled around the Hospital Wing.
"Ah! You look nice!" Pomfrey smiled and Cara simply looked pissed, "No need to worry, your trunk will be transported up to your dormitory before you even make it up."
Cara sighed and headed for the door.
"Darling wait!" Pomfrey rushed over to Cara handing her two potions, "This will help with your nightmares and this will keep up your health."
Cara took the bottles examining them. Suddenly, Pomfrey grabbed her into a hug making her feel quite awkward.
"I hope this transition is smooth," Pomfrey said sweetly, "I hope the best for you."
Cara almost snorted; yes, she was very, very bitter this morning.
Instead Cara gave her a smile that didn't quite reach ear to ear; with a nod of her head, she was out.
She took the stairs quickly and coolly, avoiding the shocked stares of others. When she reached the beginning of Gryffindor Tower, she picked up her pace. She was basically at a sprint.
She just wanted to get there now… the stares of people were frustrating her. As she turned the corner, she smacked into what felt like a wall.
"Ow!" Cara cried out.
"Shite," the other murmured rubbing his chest.
Cara opened her eyes trying to calm herself in order to calm the pain; but of course it would be Sirius Black. She looked at him with something that resembled pity. When he noticed the absence of her scared stares, he had almost wished for them to avoid these pity- like looks.
"Erm-sorry," Cara whispered and tried to run off.
"Wait, Connors!" Sirius yelled after her, she felt obligated to turn to him, "What are you doing outside the Hospital Wing?"
Cara let out a long and loud breath, "I'm moving back to the dormitory."
"Already?" Sirius said surprised and slightly annoyed. At least someone could relate to Cara's feelings.
"Dumbledore asked me to get back into the swing of things," she rolled her eyes.
Sirius bit the inside of his cheek. He took in her appearance. She wasn't better, far from it! What the hell is Dumbledore thinking sending her back into the world like this?!
After a beat, Cara said awkwardly, "Well, I'm gonna go now."
"Right, yeah," Sirius nodded, "I'll see you around, I guess."
Cara bit her lip as she spun on her heels and walked quickly down the corridor.
Sirius slowly walked to the Great Hall for breakfast letting the frustration drip out of him so he wouldn't take it out on anybody…or say something stupid.
Cara was at the final corridor that was supposed to lead to the Gryffindor Common Room; unfortunately, she didn't know where exactly to look.
"Think," Cara whispered as she walked up and down the corridor.
Nothing came to her. She let out a sigh of annoyance.
"Can I help you m'lady?" a portrait of a knight in shining armor asked her.
Cara looked at him as he moved about on his restless horse, "I'm afraid I'm lost. I don't know where the Gryffindor Common Room is."
He looked at her funny but then puffed out his chest, "Have no fear, I will take you there immediately, my sweet damsel."
He raced off through the other portraits and Cara struggled to keep up with him. He came to a halt in the center of the corridor.
He smiled a charming grin, "Here we are, m'lady."
"Do you know the password?" A lady… who was kind of 'chunky' and well, very mean.
Cara shook her head no.
"Well," the Fat Lady looked down at her in disgust, "then I simply can't let you in."
"But I'm a Gryffindor!" Cara yelled back fiercely.
"Then you should have read the bulletin for the password before you left this morning," the Fat Lady glared down at Cara.
"I wasn't in there this morning," Cara was so beyond annoyed.
The Fat Lady laughed in her face, "What a lady you are."
"What?" Cara looked at her confused, "Wait! Are you insinuating that I- I—no! I'm Cara Connors! I haven't been here all year."
"Oh Cara Connors?" the Fat Lady said weirdly calm, "why didn't you say so?"
She then swung open revealing a portrait hole. Cara slowly stepped in and in another two steps, the Common Room opened up in front of her. It was packed with students and as the first few caught sight of her, more people turned to stare at her. She turned red with embarrassment and frustration and just… every emotion the world had to offer!
"Cara!" Dori called to her and stepped out from the crowd, "I'll take you to the dormitory."
Cara knew that Dorcas Meadowes was one of her roommates but she still felt awkward following this random girl to the place she was expected to live for the next few months.
"Here we are," Dori said at the sixth landing.
She opened the door and five beds lay out in the room. Two girls, Emmeline and Marlene, sat on what Cara assumed were their own beds. They smiled and stood pulling her into an awkward hug.
"Your bed is there," Marlene directed her with an overly friendly smile.
"Thanks," Cara gave her a half smile with eyes that said KILL-ME-NOW.
Cara walked over to the bed and sure enough her trunk lay underneath it. The girls were still staring and Cara wanted to snap on them. She had had enough of all the staring!
"Do you want to go to breakfast with us?" Emmeline asked politely.
Cara shook her head, "No. Thank you though."
Emmeline smiled and slowly the three walked out but not before Emmy said, "If you need anything, owl us and we'll come help."
"Yeah, thanks," Cara said hoping they would just leave already.
Emmeline nodded and left the room closing the door behind her.
Cara laid back into her bed sliding the drapes around her closed. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
It wasn't time yet. This was all moving too fast for her. Yes, she could speak now in sentences. Yes, she could understand words. And she had vague memories of some things that made up her old life.
But she wasn't ready.
She had just began remembering. And with remembering came the nightmares. She couldn't deal with that. She cries out at night; what if someone heard her? Pomfrey gave her that potion though. But if she drank it then she wouldn't remember…
Cara simply was not ready for the "swing of things"!
But even as she felt her eyes drooped, she knew what she had to do. If she was going to sleep here with these girls then she would have to take the potion. She would have to not remember. She slid the liquid in her mouth and laid there with her eyes wide opened. A few minutes later, she was knocked out cold.
She wouldn't have a nightmare today.
She would muddle her way back into the "swing of things".