Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. At the end of the story, I am probably going to rewrite a few of the chapters. I am not going to do it now, though, because I already have enough problems updating without having to rewrite stuff.
Disclaimer: I unfortunately will never own Harry Potter.
Enjoy!
These Past Shadows
Ch. 9: The Message
I return to the hospital with thoughts of the weird incident filling my mind.
At least that gives me something interesting to tell Ginny, I think cynically.
Some people consider my personality to be really pessimistic. I would not hesitate to agree with those people.
I have learned that in order to take everything with a grain of salt. If that makes me a pessimist, then I'm fine with that. What people don't know is that I keep everything in a negative light so that I don't get hurt. If you don't think that anything will turn out well, you will be less disappointed if it doesn't. And if it does all end well, it is a pleasant surprise.
So my negative attitude is my protection from disappointment and hurt.
When the hospital enters my field of vision, I sigh, dreading my return to my training.
I enter the hospital and walk up three floors to the wing where the magically diseased patients are treated. I ask the woman at the desk where I might be able to find Evan. She tells me to look in room 394.
That's weird, I think. I don't remember a patient being in there.
I walk through the door and see Evan standing over a girl with long gold hair. And I am at his side in a second. Because I recognize that hair. Only one girl that I have ever met has that shade of hair color.
"Daphne," I whisper. My voice breaks because it looks really bad. Her eyes flicker open.
"Tori," she mumbles, half asleep.
I feel the tears fill my eyes. "Daphne," I say again, trying not to cry. Then I whirl on Evan.
"Please tell me that you can cure this," I say. There is a pleading note in my voice that seems to surprise him. He always thought that I was a supporter of Voldemort. A Death Eater wouldn't beg over something like this. They would be happy for the death, even if it were the death of a beloved family member.
Oh, that's right, I think angrily. Death Eaters don't love, either.
"Urm...Ms. Greengrass, I'm afraid that if the next couple tests don't come back positive...well, it will be extremely unlikely for us to be able to revive her."
"No," I whisper, kneeling beside my sister's bed. "Daphne...you have to survive."
"I don't know what I'd do without you," I sob. The tears fall freely down my face now, and I don't even care. This is Daphne. She's been through almost everything with me. And she still has her whole life ahead of her. Why did it have to be her? It should have been me. I have nothing. I do not think that I will ever marry, ever have a future like Daphne's.
It isn't fair. She has everything going for her. How could this have happened? And, more importantly, why now?
I jump when Evan lays his hand on my shoulder. "You should take the rest of the day off," he tells me. I nod, wiping my tears away.
"I'll be back, Daphne," I promise.
I walk home, the events of today weighing heavily on me. I remember my promise to Ginny and check my watch, relieved to see that I still have hours before I have to meet her.
When I reach my apartment, I change into some more casual clothes. I am about to go back to the hospital when I hear the floo network swell. Curious, I walk over to it.
I am shocked when I see Draco Malfoy standing there, looking so sad that I almost feel bad for him. When I close the door, he looks up and sends me the angriest glare that I have ever received.
"Hello?" I ask cautiously.
"You're an arse." It was said with no feeling. Not a single drop of emotion reached his voice. "An arse, and a great git."
"This, coming from you, the prat that doesn't even know the meaning of the word. Tell me, dear Slytherin Prince, what did I do to deserve this sudden hatred?" My voice oozes sarcasm.
He sends me a mean glare that would have any sane individual running in terror. But the only feeling that it got out of me was the feeling of my skin crawling in fear.
"I bring a message for you. Amycus Carrow has taken my mother hostage in order to get to me. And my sources say that he was able to do this because of you." He says it tonelessly, but I can see the anger and accusation in his steely eyes.
Something inside me shatters. I knew that nothing good could come out of giving the Carrow brother the information, but I had been in a bad mood.
"Oh my God. I swear that I never wanted anything to happen. To any of you. Damn, I feel horrible," I babble, trying to keep the sobs back. It's all my fault. "I'm a terrible person," I whisper, looking up at him with horrifying realization in my eyes. Then my chin comes up. "I'll help you save her. It is my fault, after all."
He looks surprised and shocked at my outburst.
"Y-y-you will?" He asks, shocked. "Why?" I ignore the fact that this occasion, him unable to find anything else to say, would be perfect blackmail later. I think that I've done enough.
"Because I made a mistake, and I intend to make it right," I say.
"They left no trace," he says slowly, as if I'm a stubborn little kid that doesn't know what they're talking about.
"And your point is what?"
"Fine," he snaps. He takes a seat on my couch and motions for me to sit across from him. I love how he thinks he can boss me around in my own house. I smile sadly and shake my head.
"My sister is in the hospital. She could die. I must go to her," I say. He nods. I wait a few minutes. He doesn't move. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Get your arse out of my house!" I screech.
He smirks at me before leaving the way he came.
Alone at my flat, I grab a carton of ice cream out of the freezer, curl up on the couch, and turn on the first sappy romance movie that I see on my shelf. This ritual always helps me when nothing in my world is going right.
When five o'clock comes, I throw the empty ice cream container away, pause my movie, and walk out the door to meet Ginny.
Aw...poor Tori...
So many things in her life are going wrong! Will things stay bad, or will something happen to make everything look up?
Keep Reading to Find Out!
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~Nephi Lockwood
