My dreams plague my mind as I sleep. After hours of a peaceful dreamless sleep, my actions have finally caught up with me. The dark mark, although out of my system seems to leave traces within my veins.
My stomach seems to swim as I sleep on the cold floor. One moment I feel the overwhelming feeling of a newfound crush, and the next I am falling back onto the all-too common territory of being the outcast.
I know that even though he and I are friends, that I am staying here and friends with others, I still don't belong. This is not my home, although withering away it is nowhere near my home that lays so far from here.
I slowly open my eyes, it feels like morning, or is it afternoon? I know that I have slept a lot longer than I should have, that's for sure.
I can feel the small but comforting link of Natalia's mind within my own. It is like a blanket or teddy bear, no matter where I am as long as I had it I feel safe. I will always feel as if I am safe in a nice warm bed, the covers pulled up to high and maybe a fireplace sizzling in the back round.
I smile, but stop as my mind seizes with pain. What a terrible headache. My body feels worn and spent, almost delicate in nature. It seems that even a small breeze that comes through an open window would cause me to turn to dust and fly away.
I cover my ears as a knock resounds on the bathroom door.
Ack, It's so loud. Please make it stop; it hurts so much.
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Are you alright, you have been in there for quite some time?" I recognize Hermione's voice instantly. Flicking my hand I unlock the door to let her in.
Wincing I try to sit up as she comes bustling in. Her hair seems frizzier than normal, every bit standing in odd directions away from her head. Still she is beautiful in her own dear way.
Her eyes immediately fall on me, a pool of worry forming in them.
"What…. what are you doing on the floor? Oh, I knew I should have checked on you sooner." She says crouching down to my level.
"I'm fine, I promise. Just regaining my composure is all." I say smiling a little. I lean my back against the cold white tub behind me. The juxtaposition feels nice and calming.
"What happened? I heard you went to heal Malfoy and his mother and then I didn't see you come back down." She says, trying to coax an answer out of my tired form.
Although we hadn't known each other for long we have formed a fast and binding friendship the first time I was here. It was the first contact I had really had with humans in so long, and I am aching for friendship.
She is like me in some ways, too smart for her own good, and an oddball of sorts. Even when she stands next to her two friends Ron and Harry there is some part of her that still doesn't seem to fit, I can relate to that.
I chuckle at her concern; it feels strange but comforting all the same.
"Please tell me what happened? You can't have become this sick after healing them, I hear you heal much more than that before loosing your energy." She says matter of fact.
"Hermione please, let me get my bearings first. I have just woken up after all." My comment doesn't seem to make things better, in fact if possible she seems more worried now than before.
"That means…. you've slept through almost a day and a half. You disappeared yesterday in the early afternoon, and now its late afternoon the next day!" I am surprised it really didn't feel like a long time at all, almost too little time.
"Well, lets see I healed Narcissa, then healed Draco. And before I left I made sure that he had the possibility for a second chance." I says, happy with my encryption. I really don't feel like a ton of questions and attention at the moment, not when my head is pounding something fierce.
"But why? I mean I know that he has been through a lot Elizabeth, but still it's really hard for me to forget who he was in school. He was horrible to us." She looks upset and confused as she finishes waiting patiently now for my reply.
"Look Hermione…I believe everyone deserves a second chance. There are so many things in the world that we don't understand that we don't know how to handle, why live the rest of our life in hell for something we didn't know how to fight.
I know you don't like him but we are friends. I know we haven't known each other long but I understand how he feels and coming into a new place like this trying to start over…. I know how it feels to be caught between worlds unsure of whom to side with.
Please I know you don't like him but give him a chance, I plan on making sure he isn't lonesome while he is here. I don't want you to avoid being around me just because he might be there alright?"
She looks at me, a little taken aback, but humbled. Her expression is soft and understanding now. It is strange having someone I can speak to out loud, I almost feel rusty with speaking in general.
"Alright, fine. I do want to hang out with you while you're here. It's nice to have another girl around. It will be interesting keeping Ron and maybe even Harry from pouncing though. We may have to keep an eye on them. I do understand though." She says chuckling.
I am glad to have help. I raise myself slowly off the ground.
"Hey could you grab me a shirt and pants and such from my room. I think I will take a shower then head down for some food." I say smiling. My head is still pounding but I know I look like a living wreck.
"Sure." She says and exits the bathroom slowly closing the door behind her.
I turn the water on waiting till it gets hot.
Hermione returns quickly with a set of clothes and a towel, I thank her before she leaves then I take a good look at myself in the mirror.
The small oval mirror already has a film of mist on it from the hot running water. My face looks pale in the mirror, paler than usual. On any given day I find myself with lightly tanned skin and an oval like face.
My hair is a mess; it runs in long tangles down my back in a heap of auburn mass at the small of my back.
That is the one feature I love about myself, is my hair. It usually falls in straight waves down my back. My figure is small but mighty, I'm not showing bones but I'm not sporting a fair amount of weight either.
My hips are curved and my legs shapely enough. In truth I find my appearance quite plain to others that have lovely features or intriguing shapes.
Looking away from the small mirror, I strip myself of clothes and nestle into the hot layers of water that pour from the faucet above me.
My body feels alive again, each droplet of water warms me and brings me back to life after the long night I have endured. Each morsel of skin across my bones seems to sing as I finally wake up completely.
Turning off the water, I dry myself quickly. Hermione brought me a nice flowy tank top in a deep shade of purple paired with dark blue jeans that hug my legs and flared out ever so slightly at the bottom.
At home I never wear these clothes usually, most days I stick with jeans and a regular t-shirt. Here though I find as an opportunity to wear all the clothes I could never wear before.
Drying my hair a little I brush it out swiftly and leave it somewhat wet to dry. I stretch out my wings and shake them lightly trying to shake off the water without getting it everywhere.
I open the door and head for the stairs.
The house seems quiet, only the moans of my footsteps seem to show any signs of life.
Just as I reach the first step I hear Narcissa's door open behind me.
"Oh, you, you incredible woman." Her face has been taken over by a smile that seems to alienate her face it is so large.
She rushes over to me and throws her arms around me.
I laugh a little at her enthusiasm knowing full well she had seen her son's now bare arm.
Sure enough looking past her shoulder I see Draco standing in her doorway a not-so-subtle smirk cascading across his face.
He looks happy. Even his clothes seem brighter. When I rescued him his clothes were blackened and grim. Now he has a clean white button up shirt and simple black slacks on. I notice his shirt is a long sleeved shirt, but to my happiness the arms are rolled up past his elbows to show off his now unmarked skin.
He catches my eyes and smiles. I can tell he isn't used to the emotion, even when smiling his face looks like it is dealing with a humorous intruder. The usual haunting depths of his face look silly yet handsome, stricken with such a smile.
"Now mother, your choking the poor girl." He says jokingly walking towards us after he closes the door.
"Oh sorry dear, but this really is incredible. How did you do it? It makes no sense I thought it couldn't be removed." Narcissa says finally letting go of me, looking at me now from an arms length.
"Um…it's hard to explain. No one knows it can be done most likely because there aren't any others like me. I kind of took the mark into me if that makes sense. It's an odd way of doing it, but as you can see it worked." I say smiling at her questions.
"Took it into yourself? So that's what happened, you were right that I wouldn't feel anything but I'm sorry that you did. You didn't look like it felt like nothing for you. How did you get it out?" Draco asks. His eyes look concerned now and somewhat guilty. He is next to me now and I chuckle at his emotions.
Just like me he isn't used to sacrifices from humans. It is a strange thing and in this world at this time it doesn't happen very often.
I look up at him; he is about a half foot taller than me now. I rest my hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly.
"Don't feel bad. Yes it didn't feel lovely, but it was worth it…trust me. Well without giving you the gruesome details I simply got rid of it the way you would food that doesn't settle with you." I laugh lightly, just glad that the night was done with.
"Have you eaten yet dear, I bet you are famished after everything. It is curious how you did it; we must speak about it later though.
Draco and I are famished, it's close to dinnertime now and breakfast and lunch were a bit awkward. You are kind of like our conversation starter; I must say we were hoping you would be there with us at dinner.
It feels strange right now, everyone isn't really sure how to start a conversation at the moment." Narcissa says laughing a little nervously.
Draco nods as well. I am starving so I turn back around motioning them to follow me with a smile.
"Well I have talked to Hermione once more. I know this is a strange situation. I mean you are both in a place with strangers or people that you haven't gotten along with.
Draco I hope you will be happy to know that Hermione will be keeping a watchful eye on Harry and Ron to make sure they behave.
I don't think she will be having outbursts either, she seemed keen on making this a more welcoming place." I say looking a little back to my left at Draco.
His mother is a bit behind me and Draco is walking almost next to both of us at the distance he is between us. He looks down at me as he walks his eyes seem to shine more silver in the light here.
"That's good. I can't blame her though you know. Still it wasn't like I had much of a choice, they were always the enemy by word of my father, now that I can assess things for myself…I hope that they might see me as a friendly acquaintance in the future instead of enemy."
Draco responds, his eyes reflect a small trace of boyish hope before it is lost in the cloudy depths of his iris.
I nod in agreement.
We chat as we walk, talking about the headquarters and it's strange but effective location. We converse on the people they both knew and who they are related too even.
Finally we reach the bottom of the staircase.
I am slightly nervous as I hear the voices ahead of us. They rise in octaves from high to low and everywhere in between. I know dinner has already started, and I hope that this won't be too awkward.
I enter with Draco and Narcissa on either side of me.
The talking around the old wooden table seems to die instantly.
I escort the two to a set of 3 chairs that Hermione has saved next to her at the end of the head of the table. I smile at her as I sit next to her; Draco sits next to me, and Narcissa next to Remus, the head of the table. To his left is Tonks and after her are Sirius, Harry and Ron. Ron's dad sits next to him talking with Kinglsey.
Mrs. Weasley is busy in the kitchen getting the food onto plates. It seems that we had made it just in time.
The room is still silent and I can feel Draco shifting nervously once in a while in his seat.
I sigh. This is truly ridiculous.
"Alright well sorry to disappoint everyone with ending this awkward entrance so early but I am starved, how about we resume this tomorrow eh?" I smile, looking about the table.
Tonks laughs first and then everyone else follows suit.
"Quite right. What's the point in awkwardness, we all know each other maybe in different ways but we are all here for a reason so I say let us eat and be merry!" Tonks says rather loudly, but smiling nevertheless.
I notice heads nodding and smiling slowly as bowls of pot roast come flying between us from Mrs. Weasley's wand. The conversation continues like nothing has happened after people are happily settled in front of their food.
I look over at Draco catching his eye. He smiles, noticeably relieved at the end in the silence. I smile back before winking once then turn back to my meal and begin shoveling it into my mouth.
Usually I have better manners, but at this moment I feel like I will throw up again just from lack of food.
I look around the table smiling as I eat. It feels more comfortable now, there are still glances from Harry and Ron across from us towards Draco but other than that dinner is quite uneventful.
