I do not in any way, shape, fashion, or form own or have any rights to the world or characters which are the machinations of J. K. Rowling. I did however create the OC in this story and would appreciate that all my fellow writers respect this fact.
Chapter 10
That night I went to bed furious. I didn't understand why I was so jealous at Arianna's closeness to Gabrielle when I knew they were best friends but when I walked through the door and I saw her in what I presumed was her night gown which would more appropriately be considered a silk negligee I just couldn't help myself I didn't want Gabrielle there it felt like she was an intrusion to our usually private weekend discussions. When they touched it just seemed to make my dislike of the situation even worse and I became angry when they spoke in unison and began to laugh together it almost felt like they were laughing at me. Then she suggested that I was merely tired from my week! Honestly! Even if she was genuinely as confused as I was by my reaction. How dare she suggest…How dare she! I had dealt with far worse than a few unruly students. Their closeness was like a slap in the face a constant reminder that Gabrielle knew her better than I did probably in more ways than I did and I really didn't even want to think about that possibility because it only served to make me angrier. I had said I would go see her again the following night but it was not likely to happen my anger was just too fresh. It's almost as if I'm…no, No, NO! That is not possible! I couldn't be. Am I…am I in love with her? I gave a derisive snort that seemed to echo on the walls of my bedroom. What difference would it make if I was? Then I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. It seemed to speak but barely above a whisper, "It makes all the difference, tell her how you truly feel." I could feel a tear slide down my cheek as I wiped it away in haste. Never! My mind screamed as my heart seemed to squeeze tighter making it hard to breathe. I felt a sob and a low moan ripped from my throat as I held myself trying to make the pain stop. I was so afraid to tell her so afraid of her rejection but even more afraid of what I would lose if I didn't.
The next day Gabrielle and I made our way to the pitch and up into the stands to meet up with Celeste. I must admit that Celeste was radiant she had beautiful, shining black hair and piercing blue eyes with a tall lean figure and pleasant features she and Gabrielle made a striking contrast that suited them both. I kissed her on both cheeks in greeting then a wave of anger hit me nearly making me stagger, it was coming from the top of the stands. When I looked up I knew who it was coming from she was the only one who could affect me so strongly and when our eyes met Hermione looked away her emotions clearly written on her face. Then I saw…was that a tear. No! My body tensed and I couldn't move. Gabrielle placed a gentle hand on my back while sharing a look of worry with Celeste. "Iz everzing okay Arianne?" I looked down shaking my head no as I took a deep breath. When I looked back up I gave them both a sad smile, "J'ai fait mal à sa Gabrielle qui n'est pas pas male." (I have hurt her Gabrielle that is not okay.) Celeste smiled at me, "Let uz take our seatz, oui?"I sighed heavily as I ran a shaking hand through my hair, "Merci, Celeste." As we took our seats Gabrielle sat between us taking hold of Celeste's hand while giving me a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze to my knee as I felt another wave of anger assault my senses like a whip across my back. I took a sharp intake of breath as my body tensed once again and it was all I could do to hold onto my glamour for dear life. Gabrielle scowled but didn't look back as she removed her hand from my knee. I was barely able to watch the game as I was consumed by guilt for the pain I had caused Hermione. The loud cheers around me seemed muffled and far away. I was glad when it ended as I said my goodbyes to Gabrielle and her ami intime Celeste. I retreated to my room and stayed there for the remainder of the evening simply picking at the food the house elves had brought me during dinner. Hermione didn't come to my room that night like she had said but I couldn't blame her she was still angry and by Merlin I knew all too well how anger could make you do and say things you would later come to regret but after a week and a half of having to sit through her class while she launched her emotions at me like rogue bludgers was starting to tear me apart. I had had Enough! The constant struggle to maintain my glamour during class and at meal times combined with the constantly wet weather was beginning to take its toll on me physically and emotionally. She hadn't once tried to talk to me about how she felt and by this point I would have been more than happy if she had at least called me into her office and yelled at me like a howler until she got it out of her system but this slow torture of being completely ignored and her ignoring her own feelings was killing me. It was all just TOO MUCH! So after class I waited until all of the students had left and I had her full attention. She looked up at me from behind her desk and glared, "Is there something I can help you with Miss Demetrius?" I glared right back as I began to feel my frustration at the situation push me toward the breaking point. "Yes Professor Granger I seem to be having a spot of trouble understanding you of late. I was hoping you would clarify a few things for me in your office." She sneered at me and answered in a menacing tone, "I'm sorry Miss Demetrius but at the moment I don't have the time to help you comprehend what you cannot in class I have a faculty meeting to prepare for. So if you will excuse me?" I grabbed my bag and stood abruptly, "No offence Professor Granger but do you honestly think that I can't tell when you're lying to me or have you taken leave of your senses to the point that you have forgotten that I can read you like an open book?" Her jaw tensed as her body went rigid, "How dare you speak to me in that way Miss Demetrius! You have no right!" That was the final blow. No Right! NO BLOODY RIGHT! "At least I dare to speak Professor Granger which is far more than you have managed in the past week and a half and I have every right or have you forgotten your agreement at the beginning of term to be in control of your emotions so that I do not lose control of mine?" The fire in the fireplace at the side of the classroom flared and Hermione flinched, "Have you seriously forgotten that I need my Professors to maintain some level of emotional stability in my presence so that I do not lose control of my glamour? I have no problem discussing with you why you seem to be so furious at me of late but I cannot allow this to continue I will not endanger my magical education nor the safety of my school mates for the sake of your desire to be stubborn and relentlessly silent on this matter!" By this point her anger had become a tsunami of rage as she stood with her hands balled tightly into fists. I walked swiftly and with purpose past her desk towards the stairs to her office not giving her a sideways glance doing my best to keep my emotions in check. The classroom unlike my bedroom had not been fire proofed. I could feel her eyes boring into me the whole way her rage attacking my heart like a thousand tiny daggers. "Don't you dare? DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME ARIANNA DEMETRIUS?" As I walked across the threshold of her office I slammed the door shut behind me my glamour lost as I sat in the chair in front of her desk my legs no longer able to hold my weight my bag dropping to the floor with a soft thud. The tears sizzled down my face as my body became wracked with sobs my stomach lurched as I listened to the thunderous stomps of Hermione approaching up the stairs. When she entered she slammed the door shut with a loud boom nearly taking it from its hinges. I cringed. My beautiful ferocious lioness, I turned to look at her finally letting her see how much her constant anger had affected me. The intensity of her emotions crashed into me and with each wave I felt every nuance of the underlying current, her fear, her anxiety, and her jealousy, everything all at once. The tears became a torrent rushing down my face. I begged and pleaded hoping it would abate at least some of her anger, "Please…please Hermione talk to me. I can't take anymore of this. I…I don't care if you yell at me scream at me but please anything but this!" Her hands where still balled into fists but she took several deep breaths as she seemed to be calming herself at least a little, but before she could speak I clutched my stomach putting my hand over my mouth. My body simply couldn't take anymore I held it back just long enough to ask, "Hermione please could…could you transfigure me a pale something I can throw up in?" She looked at me in alarm then quickly did as I asked. I held it to me tightly as the water poured from my mouth like that of a drowning victim and I had been drowning both emotional and physical for several days. I threw up a few more times before it seemed to subside. Hermione's anger had all but died away as she watched me puke up my guts her face growing paler by the minute. I laid my head on the side of the pale as I glanced at her getting some modicum of comfort from the cool metal against my fevered skin. She walked over to me cautiously and as she leant down to place her hand against my skin I flinched, "Please don't my skin is too hot you'll get burned." She raised an eyebrow in question looking at me skeptically, "I need you to help me get back to my room but I can't hold my glamour so we'll have to take the back way. I need you to fire proof yourself with the strongest incindia solvo charm that you can manage and let Madame Pomfrey know to meet us there." She looked at me for a moment her brow scrunched in thought, "Alright…but we will be discussing this later." I smiled at her as best I could and nodded my head in understanding. After placing the fire free charm on herself she sent her patronus a rather happy little otter off to inform Madame Pomfrey but before it left her office it settled on my shoulders then nuzzled my neck and kissed my cheek dashing off leaving its owner confounded by its actions. Hermione turned back to me completely confused, "It's never done that before." I chuckled weakly, "We should probably get going and I'm sorry about this but I don't think I can walk on my own." She nodded at me and returned her wand back to her wand pocket in her robes then walked over and took the bucket from my lap surprised that its contents was nothing but water. I leaned back into the chair in preparation to stand, "I will explain when we get to my room." Hermione grabbed one of my arms and slowly hauled me up alarm showing in her features once again, "Arianna your body temperature…Merlin's pants you're burning up!" I leaned into her heavily as we headed toward the stairs and the back exit. I nodded my head, "My body temperature is actually normal at 40˚Celsius instead of the usual 37˚ and so when I have a fever it's quite high." Thankfully we didn't run into anyone as we made our way to the dorms but as we walked I became paler and weaker as my hair and eyes began to grow dim I began to realize just how sick I was. When we reached my room I all but collapsed on the couch in front of the fire and Madame Pomfrey joined us shortly after. Hermione looked at me worry etched into her features and then turned to Madame Pomfrey her eyes pleading for an explanation and thankfully the older woman replied, I just didn't have the strength. "Miss Demetrius is allergic to high moisture content in the air and it would seem has not been applying the proper drying charms to her room thus her lungs have begun to fill causing her to quite literately drown." I glared at the older woman when I felt Hermione begin to panic though it didn't do me much good she just glared right back. "I've brought the fire whiskey and the dragons breathe potion just in case." I groaned as Hermione looked at her in utter shock, "The fire whiskey will do no good by this point and I refuse to use the dragons breathe potion as anything other than a last resort the last time I took it I required a week or so just to recover. There is really only one option that will fix this." I lowered myself onto the floor as best I could and crawled slowly over to the fireplace. "Madame Pomfrey I need you to place the incindia solvo charm on yourself as well as a drying charm on the room and for both of you to stand back what I am about to do could be extremely dangerous for the both of you if I lose control in my weakened state. You are not to touch me until I tell you it is okay to do so. Do you both understand me?" They both nodded and stood a good ten feet away as Madame Pomfrey did as I asked. I looked at the flames a bitter smile on my face I had only ever had to do this once before and it hurt like hell I was literately about to eat fire, breathing it into my lungs till it had evaporated all the water that had begun to drown me from all the moisture I had inhaled. I began to speak in my the fathers language which sounded like a series of hisses telling the fire what I expected of it making sure to stay completely focused bracing myself against the sides of the fireplace as I opened my mouth wide to allow it entrance. It seared down my throat and filled my lungs hissing loudly when it began to evaporate all the water in them, steam billowed from my mouth as I let out a silent scream. My entire body shook from the intense pain as I struggled to remain in control until it had finished because while I was fire proof I was only fire proof to a point and it would take me several days of nothing but bed rest just to recuperate. It felt like ages before it finally finished snaking its way out of my body and returning to its original form. I dropped like a lead weight to the floor completely exhausted and unable to move. I could feel blackness begin to seep into the edges of my consciousness and just as I was about to pass out my Da was there his body materializing from a human sized tower of flame. I rolled my head to the side and looked up at him apologizing with my eyes unable to speak as he scooped me up into his massive arms and held me protectively to him. He turned around and glared at Hermione as he began walking towards my bed stopping only when I silently asked him to by weakly placing my hand over his heart. He looked down at me sadly then laid me in my bed. He whispered into my ear, "Either you tell her soon lass or I will I won't allow this to continue. Where you honestly so distraught that you couldn't even see how sick you really were my wee angel? What's more lass you didn't even attempt to use the proper drying charms on your room and that Arianna Agnes Demetrius is unacceptable!" My eyes welled with tears as I clutched my father's tunic pleading with him to give me more time just a little more time. He touched his forehead to mine so we could communicate telepathically, "Da please I promise I'll tell her besides I think she has already realized how she feels for me. I need something to drink Da my throat is still burning." He lifted his forehead from mine and kissed my cheek then turned to the side and spoke to Madame Pomfrey, "Madame Pomfrey my child will need a special drink to help her heal since she obviously can't drink water while recovering it is a combination of three parts pumpkin juice and one part dragon's blood with cinnamon. Would you be so kind as to get that for her now? Her throat is quite parched and there is no point giving her dreamless sleep potion or anything for pain her body will simply burn through them too quickly." Madame Pomfrey gave a simple nod of her head and bustled out of the room leaving Hermione alone with me and Da. I got really worried when I looked between Hermione and my Da as the room began to fill with a pregnant silence. My Da was looking at Hermione with an intense stare seeming to size the woman up though he could read anyone with a single glance and without effort, he was doing it more for affect than anything silently letting her know she was in some way responsible for my current condition which I'm pretty sure she already knew after all My Hermione was exceptional smart even if she was oblivious to her own emotions most the time. She seemed to wither under his stare and I couldn't blame her I had been on the receiving end on more than one occasion and it was by no means a pleasant experience. Da's presence was by itself stifling his hair was like mine a writhing mass of flame on his head but brighter and white at the roots he had the same intense dragon eyes and preferred to appear as a hulking Scotsman accent included when in human form. A 6' 4" towering frame of nothing but muscle a simple white tunic and a red, white, and gold tartan kilt covered his bulk but in no way diminished it. I was barely holding onto my consciousness and only due to his presence, a single arm angled over me in a protective posture. I tugged at his sleeve in an attempt to give Hermione some sort of reprieve from his gaze. When he looked down at me a wave of pain caused my body to spasm taxing my already overtaxed muscles I writhed as I did my best to hold in a scream. Thankfully Headmistress McGonagall came in followed by Madame Pomfrey who was caring a large jug of the reddish orange liquid mixture Da had requested breaking the suffocating silence. Madame Pomfrey placed the jug beside my bed and filled a glass handing it to my father. He scooped me up with one arm pulling me towards him so I could drink, "Ready or not my wee flame." I winced but nodded as he lowered the glass gently to my lips. I drank slowly doing my best not to choke as the cold sweet liquid quenched my burning throat, drinking about half the glass before he pulled it away I groaned and shivered as I felt my charred throat begin to heal. Da looked over at McGonagall who was standing a short distance from my bed, "I presume you are Headmistress McGonagall." She nodded her head, "Yes Lord Pyralis." He sighed and closed his eyes taking a deep breath as I felt him doing his best to not snap at the woman in front of him, he could be really overprotective sometimes. I whimpered as I tried not to tense, he looked back at me smiling apologetically. Then he returned his attention to McGonagall, "Arianna will require at least three days of nothing but bed rest. I wish to have Professor Granger in charge of caring for her." This was not a question, "I am sure you can have that arranged without much trouble. Am I correct Minerva?" Again not a question but she nodded her head in the affirmative, "Yes Lord Pyralis." I was slowly feeling my strength return but I was still beyond exhausted as I pulled on his tunic again pouting at him for the imposition he was putting everyone else in, "Daaah!" He looked at me raising an eyebrow at my pouty expression and whiny tone, he spoke quietly but firmly, "Aye, lass? …While I'm glad your throat is healed enough for you to speak might I remind you that no amount of pouting will change my mind and that you are in no position to question me on this matter." I could feel tears begin to sting my eyes as I looked away clutching tightly to the piece of his tunic in my hands which was a mistake as I yelped at the intense pain. He enfolded me in his arms and settled himself behind me leaning back against the headboard so that I could lie back against his chest. Once I was settled he helped me drink the rest of the dragon juice, as I called it, in my glass. I snuggled into his massive frame letting his strength and warmth comfort me, "I'm sorry Papa I know I've made a mess of things but I honesty saw no other way and we both know how complicated and frightening intense emotion can be. How most tend to ignore the discomfort that kind of emotion can cause." I smiled lazily into his chest, "I am not incapable of making mistakes Papa for all your biased opinion of me I am still only 17." I felt his chest vibrate as a low rumbling chuckle escaped his throat, "Aye, that you are my wee flame but that is no excuse to lose sense of yourself. If you had waited any longer…I love you too much to allow that grave a mistake." I raised my head and kissed his heart then lay my head back down as he began to run his finger through my hair and rub slow comforting circles in my back. "Sleep now Arianna I will stay with you for as long as I can." I nodded into his chest, "I know Da you always do." Then I let the blackness take me as I felt the command in his voice wash over me lulling me into a deep sleep.
Well ladies and gentlemen if you weren't feeling the tension before you sure as hell are now! Hehehe! Anyways I felt I should remind you that feeback and constructive criticism are a writer's bread and butter. Let me know what you think. Also I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your support it really makes my day when I find favorites add email in my inbox.