Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognise from the Harry Potter universe or the Smallville universe. Nor do I own the song 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' by Kelly Clarkson.
"Seems like just yesterday, you were a part of me. I used to stand so tall, I used to be so strong. … Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong. Now I can't breathe, no I can't sleep. I'm barely hanging on."
The week passed laboriously for Dianna. Each day, she followed the exact same routine. Rising from a sleepless night at the earliest possible time. Not even bothering to eat something for breakfast. Attending classes, there physically but her mind much further away. Missing lunch and dinner in favour of completing homework, even though she knew it was poor quality. Finally, attending detention for Umbridge, venting all her anger and frustration at the world.
By the end of the week, Dianna had stopped looking in the mirror. She was in no doubt that there would be dark bags under her eyes, her hair lank and messy, her body skinny from missing so many meals. After her final detention with Umbridge, she left the most hated room in the castle and made her way back to the common room sluggishly. It was later than usual; Umbridge, finding no reason to throw out more detentions to Dianna, dragged it out for almost another hour.
Dianna wheezed the password out to the Fat Lady breathlessly. The portrait door swung open and she stepped deliberately through, carefully clutching the sides. A wave of nausea rolled through her stomach and she suddenly felt dizzy, her head light. She didn't even have time to see who was in the room before her eyes closed and her body fell, slamming into the carpet.
Consciousness returned, light shrouding her closed eyelids. She was lying on a bed, she assumed, her head resting on a fluffy pillow.
Dianna opened her eyes, sitting up swiftly, only to be pushed back down. Madam Pomfrey, the school's matron was watching her, her eyes hawk-like.
"What happened?"
"You tell me, Miss Queen. How many meals have you missed this week? You look fatigued, how much sleep have you had?"
Madam Pomfrey was mixing potions ominously beside her when the door burst open, Professor McGonagall striding down the room and stopping at her bed. To Dianna's surprise, Harry Potter, of all people, was walking slowly behind, a mixture of worry and trepidation marring his face.
"Potter! I told you to go back to your dormitory," barked Madam Pomfrey. "You must seriously doubt my skills if you do not think I can handle a case of dizziness."
Harry looked awkward. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay," he said, looking anywhere but the bed Dianna was lying on.
McGonagall glared at him, before relenting and Madam Pomfrey told him to take a seat and keep quiet. She turned back to Dianna, thrusting her one potion after another. "Nutrition, Miss Queen, and something for all the blood you've lost this week. What on earth have you been doing to your hand?"
Both Harry and McGonagall's eyes snapped to Dianna's left hand, lying limply by her side. The cuts were still raw, her skin smudged scarlet red. Dianna's nose was catching that iron scent of blood.
"Um," Dianna started to say, but McGonagall had already connected the dots in her mind.
"You had detention with Professor Umbridge all week, yes, Miss Queen?"
Dianna could only nod. McGonagall very suddenly became irate and angry. "I had heard rumours about these detentions!" she cried. "If only someone had come forward and told me! I'm going to get Albus."
She rushed from the hospital wing feverishly. Madam Pomfrey had begun tending to Dianna's bleeding hand, waving her wand to clean it and wrap it in gauze. "Now, tell me honestly, Miss Queen. How much sleep have you had this week?"
Dianna replied, weakly, "Not much."
When Madam Pomfrey stared at her, she elaborated, "I've been having trouble sleeping. A lot of trouble."
Pomfrey nodded and flicked her wand, summoning another potion. "And how many meals have you missed? You look like you've been starving yourself."
Dianna swallowed, her throat dry. "Not intentionally, Madam Pomfrey. I just haven't felt hungry." She could feel Harry's eyes on her. Madam Pomfrey was tutting under her breath.
"Understandable, Miss Queen, with all that has been going on, however you cannot let this continue. I can give you a dreamless sleep potion to help with your sleeping but you must make sure you eat something every day."
Dianna nodded, just as the door swung open again to reveal Professor Dumbledore and a still-agitated McGonagall.
"Dianna," Dumbledore began. "I trust that Madam Pomfrey has you well under her care. Professor McGonagall here has informed me of your detentions. May I see her hand, Poppy?"
Madam Pomfrey nodded tersely and revealed the now-healing scars on Dianna's skin. Dumbledore's eyes roamed over the wound but his expression was unreadable.
"Poppy, does Dianna need any more medical help?"
She shook her head. "I have requested a meal from the house elves and she's got the dreamless sleep potion for once she's finished."
Dumbledore nodded. "Let's retire to your office then. Harry, perhaps you would like to keep Dianna company while she eats."
The three staff members entered the office at the end of the room, the door firmly closed behind them. Dianna waited awkwardly before a house elf appeared with a sharp crack. She gasped, accepting the food, her mouth gaping at the creature in front of her, proffering delicious-smelling fare. The elf quickly disappeared.
Dianna soon turned her attention to the food. She had to eat. In her despair, it had seemed pointless. Without Oliver, what was there?
The whiffs of roast chicken, thick gravy and delicious Yorkshire puddings were suddenly very tempting. She hadn't realised how hungry she was and finished in record timing, putting the plate onto the bedside table and downing the pumpkin juice. Harry was watching her from the other side of the room.
"Are you okay now?" he asked.
Dianna nodded. "Did you take me here?"
Harry nodded wordlessly.
"Why?" she asked.
"I couldn't leave you on the floor."
"Even though you seem to hate me, or whatever?"
There was an uncomfortable silence. "Dianna," Harry said. "I'm sorry for what I said before. I didn't know."
Dianna just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Harry. You're right, you didn't know."
"It doesn't excuse what I said."
Dianna stared at him. He was sorry, she could tell.
"Why did you say it?" Her tone was commanding.
He visibly swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I was … annoyed. That you were meeting with Dumbledore. He won't even speak to me."
"You're right, that doesn't excuse it." Her words cut through his weak tone.
"I was jealous that you could just appear whenever you wanted to and get whatever you want from your clearly very loving home life. I didn't know that you are an orphan. I was jealous."
Dianna read through his words. "Harry, are you an orphan?"
Harry nodded. "I didn't know that, either," she finally said.
He moved closer to her and sat down. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like," Dianna said.
Harry just nodded again. "It's okay for Ron and Hermione who go home at the end of the year to their families. They don't understand."
They sat for a while, each wordlessly thinking over their revelation about each other. Harry and Dianna shared something in common; they were parentless.
She watched as he stood up, said goodnight and left the hospital wing. She drank the tasteless potion Madam Pomfrey had left for her and barely had time to lay down before her eyes closed and she was asleep.
Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews, etc.!