Bella stepped out of the shower and cleared the mirror of condensation; she studied her reflection. Wide blue eyes stared back at her. Her pale face looked rounder. She shook the thought out of her head; it wasn't like she gained all nine pounds in her cheeks.

Bella ran her fingers over her ribcage. She tried to put on a brave face for her dad but this was killing her. Every meal, every bite, was an immense struggle. Over the past week, pain like she had never experienced washed over her time and time again. She finally understood she would never see Reece again; they would never lay under the stars together talking about their hopes and dreams, they would never ride the Tube again on the way to school, they would never laugh together again. But what got Bella the most was the fact they would never talk again. Reece was her other half, and quite frankly she didn't know how to function without him.

Bella breathed deeply and towel dried her hair. She knew her parents were doing the right thing; she accepted that she was alive and Reece was dead. Some sick, small part of her was jealous. Reece got off easy. He was dead. He didn't have to try and pick up all the pieces of his broken life and put them back together.

"Is everything okay in there sweetie?" Her father asked, interrupting her thoughts as he knocked softly on the door.

"Yes," Bella said softly, her voice thick as she pulled on her sweater and lounge pants.

"Can you please come out?"

"I'm coming," Bella said, hanging up her towel and grabbing her brush.

She opened the door and found her father standing right on the other side. She rolled her eyes. Her father had always been overprotective of her; she assumed it was from his years as a Death Eater. She didn't know much about that time in her father's life but she did know that he was familiar with the evil in this world and that tended to make him overly cautious as far as Bella's safety and health.

"Dad, I know you're just worried but I promise you I've never thrown up intentionally and I have no plans to change that…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw a figure move in the living room; she peered around her father and saw Harry Potter writing his essay relaxed on her couch. He was polite enough to pretend he didn't hear anything but there was no way he missed their conversation.

Seething, Bella grabbed her father's shirt and pulled him into the bathroom.

"What's up with this kid? Did he blow up your classroom or something?"

"What?" Severus asked, prying her fingers from his shirt.

"This is the second night in a row he's here. You could have told me so I didn't have a nice chat about vomiting in front of him," she said, smacking her father's arm.

"He cursed a student in my classroom. Uncle Albus is giving him private lessons during the normal detention hours so now is the only time I'm available. Plus, he could use the extra help."

"Well I could use some privacy!" Bella said. "Do you think it's easy for me to have you parading my condition around in front of him?"

"I'm doing no such thing. I haven't walked up to him and discussed in depth your Anorexia Nervosa."

"Well you may as well have," Bella accused. "First you bring me my 'special tea' while he's sitting right next to me and then you make him think I can't even walk to the kitchen counter to grab my French book and now you're hovering outside my bathroom door just waiting for me to throw up…"

Severus shook his head, hands in the air.

"I'm sorry if you feel I'm 'parading your condition' around in front of Mr. Potter but I don't think the situation is as dire as you're making it out to be Bella. Mr. Potter is many things but dumb is not one of them; your physical appearance alone makes it clear you're ill. It shouldn't be any surprise to him that I want you to take it easy or that you need medicine."

"Fine, fine, fine," Bella said, waving her hands in the air. It had been a long while since Severus had seen her so obstinate; he actually was quite glad for it and considered it as sign of her returning health. "Just limit the amount of embarrassing behavior from this point forward will you?"

"Yes," said Severus seriously. His smile gave him away.

"Now I'm going to go study in my bedroom," Bella said, heading for the door. Her father caught her hand.

"I don't think so Bella. I want you either in Mr. Potter's company or my own."

"But there's nowhere to study in your lab," Bella whined.

"Well there are plenty of places to study in the living room," Severus offered.

"He's sitting in my spot," Bella complained, hands on her hips.

"I think you'll live," her father said, stroking her face.

"What?" Bella asked, exasperated.

"Well, even if it's out of frustration it's still really good to see you acting like your old self."

"I'm glad this amuses you," Bella said, wrenching the door open and walking out with as much dignity as she could muster. When she looked over to Harry, she saw he had moved spots. Her face turned bright red when she realized he could hear their entire conversation. She grabbed her laptop so she could practice her pronunciation with her head phones; that way at least he wouldn't expect her to talk.

She ignored her father and Harry as she sat on the couch and pulled a blanket over top of her terrycloth bunny slippers. She was sure it was her father's mission in life to embarrass her. She was 30 minutes into her hour lesson when she noticed Harry standing beside her.

"What?" Bella grumbled, removing her headphones.

"Your father asked me to give this to you," he said, holding out her customary tea cup. Sighing heavily, Bella reached out a hand to grab it. "If it makes you feel better, he made me one too."

Bella smiled as she took her first sip. The soothing warmth she had grown to appreciate spread through her body, and she relaxed down into the couch cushions.

"What're you studying?" Harry asked as he took his own tea and walked back to his seat.

"French," Bella said, smiling. "I want to live in Paris next year during my last year of high school."

"Wow… that's really brave," Harry said, leaning toward her and taking a sip of his tea.

Bella could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't expecting it to be so strong.

"It's okay," she said softly, looking at her tea cup. "I know you know about… me. You don't have to drink the tea to make me feel better."

"Hey, I really like this tea. I'll be sure to get the recipe for the next time I have to play a Quidditch match in a blizzard; it'll warm me right up."

Bella laughed softly, still unable to meet his eyes.

"And for the record, I didn't exactly curse a student in your father's class. I may have accidentally fallen on my wand after a bully insulted my best friend and said bully may have incidentally grown slimy green warts all over his face."

"Well it sounds like fate intervened," Bella said, this time meeting his eyes. She was startled; he was studying her intensely, and the depth of his green eyes unnerved her. "I'll be sure to talk to my dad about punishing a student for something clearly out of his control."

"I would appreciate that," Harry said, setting his tea down and picking up his books.

All of the sudden, Bella had a sharp stomach pain. She tried to hide it, but she winced.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to get your dad?" Harry asked, standing.

Bella shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

Bella nodded.

"I'm fine," she said, breathing deeply.

"You don't look fine," Harry said, sitting back down.

"Why you sure know how to compliment a lady now don't you?" Bella joked, closing her eyes.

"I just meant you look sick," Harry said, faltering.

Bella laughed.

"Look at me. Of course I look sick. I am sick."

"I know," Harry whispered, looking down. "Your dad told me to get him if you needed anything. He said to get him if it even looked like you needed anything. To me, it looks like you need something."

Bella shook her head.

"He can't do anything," she explained. "I'll be fine. Really. Can we please just get back to studying now?"

Harry examined her carefully, and then nodded.

"Good. Thank you," Bella said, before slipping her ear phones over her head.

Once again, for the second night in a row, Bella found herself dozing off on the couch in front of Brownie and her new friend. She woke slightly as Harry was packing up his things.

"Monday night, same time." She heard her father say.

"Sounds good sir," Harry said.

Bella could hear Severus open the door for Harry.

"For the record sir, I'm sorry about your daughter."

Bella's ears perked up.

"What do you mean Potter?" Severus asked.

"She just seems really sweetie is all. She doesn't deserve such a terrible disease."

She heard her father sigh.

"I whole heartedly concur Mr. Potter."

"Well, have a good night Sir."

"And you Mr. Potter."