Creepy images ahoy.


Chapter 51: Your Fault

A Death Eater stood before her, his face hidden behind a white mask that seemed to glow in the darkness. Red liquid dripped from underneath the mask and pooled at his feet. His hand no, claw, she realised – inched toward the mask, and she tried to look away, she didn't want to see what was beneath it. Long nails ripped at the mask which fell in pieces onto the floor to reveal the werewolf's human face, frozen in grotesque agony. His mouth opened in a wide grin, blood dripping from his gleaming teeth.

"You'll pay for what you've done to me. You knew you would eventually, didn't you?" His voice was soft and slow, terrifying yet soothing. It reminded her of Snape and she wondered who the werewolf had been before. Had Snape and the werewolf known each other perhaps?

She stood transfixed, gazing into his hungry eyes. She could almost see herself reflected in them, alone and utterly defenceless.

Then his face began to dissolve, but a moment later, it solidified into Maya's. Lena gasped in horror. Maya's face was nothing but shredded skin. Dried blood caked her face where she had scratched herself with her long, sharp nails. Her narrowed eyes were full of loathing.

"How could you do something like that to him? Even if he is the werewolf who bit me? How could you let him suffer like that? You make me sick!"

The last word came out in an echoing howl; the howl changing to agonising screams as she started to transform. The process more monstrous than usual, her body turning itself inside out as she changed.

When she was done, she turned to face Lena, her red eyes glowing like rubies.

"You!" she shrieked, her voice mixed with grunts and howls. "This is all your fault! I should never have become your friend. You're the reason my parents are in Azkaban and Graham is dead. It should have been you who was bitten that night. Then none of this would have happened. You're the reason I'm like this. You betrayed me!" Maya's big, yellow eyes bored into her. "You did this to me!" she howled.

Another voice joined in. Lena's breath caught in her throat when she realised it was Graham's. His voice grew closer and Maya turned, a wide, welcoming smile on her face as he came into the light.

Lena stared in horror. Half of his face was the colour of curdled milk, while the other half had begun to rot, the rancid flesh hanging off of the bones. His hair was white and brittle. His blank eyes stared accusingly at her.

A third figure emerged from the darkness. Natalie. Her normally cheerful expression was gone. Instead, she was her face was a hard mask of rage, betrayal and anguish.

"You took him from me!" she cried, walking toward Graham. "I loved him and you took him from me! He's dead because of you!"

Maya too went to stand beside him, and the three stood facing her. Graham lifted his arms and she saw that he was carrying a squirming bundle. He didn't need to fold back the fabric for her to know that it was Zach he carried; Zach who was staring at her with mute resentment. Terror filled her; she knew Maya at least could smell it, but the others too, turned toward her, their eyes alight with savage eagerness.

Lena kept her gaze focused between Graham and Maya. She avoided looking at Zach. Of the three of them, it hurt the most to see the look on his face.

"After all we've been through because of you, you owe us a debt." Graham said softly. "You can understand that, can't you? Everything comes with a price. We will take him, as payment for what you did to us. You need to know what it feels like to lose...everything."

Lena tried to scream, but no sound came from her throat. She started to go for her wand but found her pockets empty. She didn't even have her potion piece.

"No, please," she whispered. "Take me instead. Don't hurt him!" She tried to throw herself at Graham, but Maya jumped between them, snarling.

"Oh, we'll take you too, don't worry. But he'll go first. You think we'd have let you keep him?" Natalie sneered. "You don't deserve him, you filthy excuse for a pure–blood!"

Lena screamed as Graham practically threw Zach at Maya who sank her teeth into his neck. Zach's screams mixed with hers, which grew louder as Maya turned to Lena and pounced. Knocking Lena to the ground, she pinned her, her sharp claws digging into Lena's shoulders and legs. Maya leered at her, blood – Zach's blood – dripping onto Lena's face. The droplets burned her skin. Maya's hot breath smelled of decay as she clamped her jaw around Lena's throat, sharp teeth tearing into her flesh. The pain was unbearable.


Arti stared at Maya in disbelief. She hadn't expected such vehemence.

"What are you waiting for then?" Arti asked. "You could have gone after them last week."

"I wasn't going to leave my Pride! Besides, we needed a plan, since I'm sure they went back to Voldemort's headquarters. We couldn't very well go barging in."

Arti let out a small laugh. "You're thinking like a Slytherin and she was thinking like a Gryffindor," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust, not caring whether Maya was offended.

Maya gave her a small smile. "Sometimes I think she should have been Sorted into Gryffindor, she has a tendency to go running headlong into things than most Slytherins I know."

"You're not the first one to tell her that."

"So she's gone then?" Maya asked, her expression softening, her brow creasing with worry.

Arti nodded, not trusting herself to reply.

"Were you going to tell us?"

"I–how'd you find out?"

"Roger came to tell us. And even if he hadn't, I'd notice if my best friend were missing."

"I had other things to worry about. My Housemates were going mad and the other prefects needed all the help they could get in case things got ugly. Besides, none of us could have done anything about Lena anyway. "

"That doesn't change the fact that I ought to know. I'm her best friend and the alpha of our Pride."

"And you think you know better than her family? You think I ought to be spreading this about?"

"I'd rather hear it from you than some ridiculous rumour spread about by someone else. And what do you mean 'family'? Roger told me you weren't exactly caring either."

Arti fidgeted under Maya's gaze, bracing herself as Maya's expression darkened, but Maya turned abruptly and walked out the door. Arti breathed a sigh of relief – she had had enough for one night – and followed Maya, wondering what was going on as Maya weaved through the crowd until she found Greengrass, who didn't look at all surprised to see her there.

"You just had to do it, didn't you?" Maya asked. "What did you say to her?"

"She hasn't told you?" Greengrass asked, nodding at Arti, who wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor. "Or Kreger? I'm surprised they haven't trumpeted this to the skies. Well," she added, her gaze shifting to Arti. "I can imagine you wouldn't, considering your actions."

"I'm asking you. What did you say to her?"

"Does it matter? What's it to you?"

"She's my friend!"

Greengrass's gaze flicked over Maya, her lip curling. "She's the reason your cousin is dead. Her and her stupid ambition to prove herself better than the rest of us!"

"That wasn't her fault! None of this was her fault!"

"Wasn't it? She's more to blame than you are."

"I don't blame her," Maya ground out.

"You should. Her sister certainly does, and probably told her as much."

Maya fixed Arti with a withering stare and Arti looked away. She wanted to protest and explain, but she couldn't with Greengrass present.

"She asked me to protect him. Him and Kreger and Smythe. Instead she gets P–Graham killed."

"I don't blame her," Maya repeated, and Arti wondered what kind of person Greengrass was that she didn't even flinch when Arti wanted to flee to her dormitory and bury herself under the covers. "You had no right to say what you did. Why'd you do it?"

"Someone had to. You just weren't brave enough to do it."


Ollie Moon crept along the hallway, trying to block out the shouting downstairs. Daddy and Uncle Leo were arguing about something he didn't understand. He wanted his Mummy or his sisters but they were out. He supposed he could go find Buttercup, but it wasn't the same. The only other person in the house was Lena.

He crept to Lena's room and carefully opened the door. He'd been told not to bother her, but she had been home since sometime after lunch and he hadn't seen her yet. He hadn't seen her since Easter and he'd missed her. Maybe now that she was home, she could play with him.

He smiled eagerly when she moved, but she didn't seem to be waking up. She tossed and turned as though she were having a bad dream. Frowning, he crept across the room and climbed onto Lena's bed. He grabbed her arm and started to shake it, hoping she would wake up.


Arti hurried after Maya who had turned and stormed away.

"Wait," she said desperately, but Maya didn't stop.

She darted forward, putting herself in front of Maya and blocking her path. Arti could hardly look at her; Maya's eyes were so cold. Maya reached out and tried to force Arti out of the way, but she planted herself firmly, wincing as Maya's hold tightened.

"I don't blame her about Graham," she said quickly. "I never have."

Maya let go of her arm. "Don't you?"

"No," Arti said, shaking her head vehemently. "Not at all."

"What do you blame her for then?"

"I don't blame her for anything. I just...I just don't like the way she dealt with the werewolf. I wish she'd done it some other way."

Maya eyed for a few moments and Arti knew she could tell that Maya knew she was holding something back, but all Maya said was, "But you couldn't tell Greengrass that, obviously, so she thinks you do."

Arti nodded, letting out a breath.

"What's happening in Slytherin? Things looked tense at dinner."

"Elayne was angry at Greengrass – she was there when Greengrass said things – and then, I'm not sure, I wasn't there when it all started. I–Roger and Adrian came, after they heard the news and…" She spread her hands. "When I came back the whole House was yelling at each other. It was like all the pent-up rage just came out. They were arguing about all sorts of things." She looked around. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but you'd find out soon enough, even without Lena here."

"I suppose it had to happen sooner or later," Maya said, leaning against the stone wall. "Does Snape know?"

"I think so, but then, he probably won't get involved until he has to, and I don't think it'll come to that. The oath seemed to keep everyone fairly well behaved. I just hope they'll behave themselves over the summer."

Maya nodded, looking down at her feet. "This wasn't the way I wanted to end my seventh year.'


The werewolf's breath was hot and loud against the side of her face as the blood poured from the wounds in her neck. Lena screamed, her eyes flying open as she struggled to free herself and sit up. She wouldn't have resisted had she not known that Zach was alive, but she could smell him and hear him breathing. Her immense relief seemed to dull the pain. In fact, it was almost gone now. But Maya wasn't about to let her go, her claws tearing through Lena's flesh. Her screams were growing hoarse, her throat raw.

Zach began to scream again before his screams turned to sobs. She tried to push the werewolf – Maya – off of her, to get to Zach, but her arms refused to move. The terrified sobs continued...

Something wasn't right. The other person was young and definitely male, but it wasn't Zach. Where had he gone? Was it Graham? No. And where was Maya? Lena struggled to make sense of everything.

Lena awoke with a groan, blinking several times to clear her vision. Her heart thumped painfully. Her nightgown and sheets were soaked with sweat, sticking to her clammy skin. Cautiously she raised herself on her elbows. Ollie was curled up in an opposite corner of the room, thumb in his mouth and eyes wide as tears cascaded down his face. Except that it wasn't Ollie's face she saw now, but Bernie's, streaked with tears as it had been at Graham's funeral. Had it only been two days since then? It felt as though it had been years. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lena fell back onto the bed.

Running footsteps came nearer before the door burst open and Uncle Andy and Father burst into the room. Ollied sobbed harder as the door slammed open and shut.

Uncle Andy scooped Ollie up, whispering soothingly to him. Ollie buried his face in his father's shoulder, clinging to him as he hurried out of the room.

Lena let her eyes wander around the room. It took her several moments to figure out where she was. She was in her room, though it didn't feel like her room. The bed, and all the other things around her, her books, her clothes were all hers, but she felt as though she was in a dream, or that she was in someone else's life.

The memories of the last week didn't feel like her own, as though that too had been a dream. But she knew it hadn't. The scars were all too evident, rough and ragged beneath her fingers. How could she have done such a thing? She hadn't just killed him, she had destroyed him. To save her friends, and his would–be victims, yes, but also for her own enjoyment.

How could she have come to this? The thought of hunting prey in her Animagus form had been repulsive enough, even if her animal instincts thought nothing of it and she did hunt – once she had learned the proper technique – with the least amount of suffering for her prey?

And here she had killed another human, albeit one who lost control of his human mind roughly twelve days out of the year, but human otherwise. He had begged for his life, begged for mercy, and she had given him neither.

She wondered why her face was wet and her hair damp and matted. Reaching up, she brushed her fingers against her cheek and they came away wet. Lena slid back under the covers trying to suppress the urge to throw up, for that would mean getting out of bed and she didn't think she ever wanted to get out of bed again.

A hand pulled back the covers and she stiffened, then relaxed, as her father's worried eyes met hers.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

She hadn't called him that in over ten years.


"I suppose you're going to start nagging me – us – to pick a side," Greengrass said with a sigh as she and Arti walked into their dormitory. Bulstrode and the others hadn't followed them, having no doubt stayed behind to gossip.

Arti regarded her, thinking about how best to phrase her answer, hoping to delay the inevitable argument with Greengrass. As annoyed and angry at Greengrass as she was for what she had said to Lena, she was glad to have someone on her side, however tenuously, and she didn't want to ruin that just yet, though she knew it would happen sooner or later.

Elayne and Maya might sympathise with her, about what Lena had done, but they didn't seem to – or couldn't – understand her the way Greengrass could, at least for the moment.

"Are you the type to stay neutral throughout, or will you declare for the winning side at the last minute?"

"It'll depend on who's winning, of course."

'I'm sure Voldemort would be pleased to have you join him at your convenience."

"And Dumbledore?"

"He'd be much more gracious about it, I'm sure."


"You're safe," Father said soothingly, as he helped her sit up and handed her a handkerchief.

"Safe." Lena wrinkled her nose. The word left a bitter taste in her mouth.

It hurt to look at him, his eyes full of guilt, pity and sadness. It reminded her too much of the night that Maya had been bitten. Lena looked away.

"I'd ask how you feel but that's probably the worst question to ask you."

"Like an Emily Dickinson poem," Lena said dully.

He glanced over to and she followed his gaze to see that both Adrian and Roger were in the room. She was shocked that she hadn't noticed them until now.

"Which one?" Roger asked, coming toward her.

"The one about the brain and haunted corridors."

Roger nodded absently. He started to reach out hesitatingly but stopped as though afraid that she would break if he touched her.

"Cervantes was wrong."

"What?"

"About being unafraid while you sleep. Sleep doesn't take away the fear, the guilt, the grief. It just twists them, makes them worse."


Maya slipped into the Gryffindor common room, glad that everyone was too engrossed in revising for their exams, or homework to notice her. She went to join Dean and Lindz in their usual seats near the window.

"Oh, there you are," Dean said, looking relieved.

"Is it true?" Lindz asked, chewing her lip. "Did something happen to Selena?"

"She's not physically hurt, but Greengrass–" Maya took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing. "Greengrass blames Lena for Graham's death, and thinks that Lena's joining the DA and flaunting all the pure–blood rules – to make herself seem better than the other Slytherins – has caused all this."

Dean groaned. "She can't be that thick. I mean, I suppose she could…." He trailed off, glancing at Maya who waved off his apologetic look.

"She's jealous isn't she?" Lindz asked slowly. "She's jealous that she can't get all the attention. Rather un-Slytherin, since most of them prefer to stay in the background."

Maya felt as though she had been hit over the head with a Bludger.

"Selena didn't," Dean pointed out.

"That makes a whole lot of sense," Maya said slowly.

"What's Greengrass jealous oft?" Dean asked.

"That Selena's part of the DA, that she's getting all the attention because she's a Slytherin, and being friendly with Harry and the rest of the Houses while she's not. Not to mention, it was Graham and her and Blaise who helped bring about inner-House unity."

"So why doesn't she join the DA?"

"Because," Maya said, "she's afraid of making the wrong decision. If she joins us, the people she's been associating with, like Parkinson and Bulstrode will be her enemies and she's afraid that she – and her family, presumably – won't be protected well enough because Harry and everyone else won't trust her or like her enough to care about them. And she doesn't want to join Voldemort because she doesn't like how he deals with Muggles and Muggle–borns, and of course, if she were to join, she can't back out. Well, she could, but the consequences would be deadly. At least if she stays neutral, she's not actively opposing Voldemort, which is the safest option. If Voldemort were to win"– Maya ignored Lindz's hiss of dismay –"then it's better for them if they stay neutral. She assumes that he'll be more lenient."

"Voldemort? Lenient?" Dean scoffed.

"He can be. He – as far as we know – let Pettigrew live after he re-joined him, didn't he? And Snape's still alive and you'd think he wouldn't be after what he's done, if the rumours are true, Malfoy, and all the others who denied having been his supporters to save themselves after he fell the first time. Besides, he can't go killing all of them, there wouldn't be any left."

Dean nodded, though he looked unconvinced. "I don't care why Greengrass did it, I wish she hadn't."

"We all do," Lindz said, squeezing his hand.


Buttercup appeared with a tray. She took one look at Lena and let out a wail of misery, nearly dropping the tray, which Father Summoned and set on Lena's bedside table.

"Oh, Mistress Selena!" she cried. "I is failed! I is not being there to protect Master Zach."

"Shut up," Lena snapped without looking at her. She couldn't stand the noise. It reminded her too much of Zach.

Buttercup abruptly stopped howling, her mouth snapping shut as she looked up at Lena, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were large and fearful. It was, Lena later realised, that this the first time any of them had ever given her an order or had been been angry with her.

Father gave Lena a sad look, pressing the palm of his hand against his temple before kneeling beside Buttercup, who looked up at them, her wide eyes brimming with tears. Lena didn't care.

"It's all right," he said gently. Lena's temper flared, though she wasn't exactly sure why. "You did nothing wrong, we've told you that." He glanced up at Lena who stood glaring down at them. "But I think it would be best if you two stayed away from each other for a while. Why don't you go to Hogwarts?" Buttercup nodded, her eyes downcast as she wrung the lace napkin she wore. "This isn't a punishment." His lips twitched slightly. "Think of it as a reprieve. Besides, you'll have company there. You have friends there, don't you?"

Buttercup nodded. "Yes, Master," she murmured before disappearing.

Father looked up at Lena and sighed.


The arguing continued after dinner, as Arti had suspected.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"Ashamed of what? Defending people who can't defend themselves from people like you? Standing up for what's right? It's you who ought to be ashamed, panting after that maniac like a lovesick puppy! I hope the war lasts long enough for me to be able to fight. I'll be sure to be the one to catch you."

"Why are you still here? If you support You–Know–Who, then you shouldn't be allowed to stay!"

"I swore the oath. I swore not to harm anyone, same as you."

"But why? Wouldn't you rather be out there killing Muggles or whatever his lot does?"

"Is it wrong of me to want to be safe for as long as I am able? Once I leave the castle, my life will be in danger."

"Oh, bully for you. There are scores of Muggles and Muggle–borns dying by the day!"

"As they should be. But I am a Slytherin after all."

"What will your Master say when you tell him that you didn't join him at the first opportunity?"

"I can bring him more information about the goings-on at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I'm sure he'd be so grateful to know about the pitiful plights of the adolescent!"

"At least I went to him."

"Because you want to, or because you don't think you have a choice?"

"Have you even seen what they do to Muggles and Muggle–borns?"

"Why, have you?"

"No, but I've heard. As much as you despise them, could you really torture and kill them? Because you'll be doing plenty of both. Can you really do that? Listen to them screaming and begging for mercy as they die agonizing deaths?"

"I don't have to listen to this!"

"You should, since once you join Voldemort, you'll have to listen to much worse. You can't refuse to do it. They'd torture you instead. You can't escape. If they run, they'll find you."

"Doesn't Dumbledore's lot take them in? The ones who run?" There is an undercurrent of desperation.

"Probably some, but not the insignificant ones, only those whose families are in You-Know-Who's inner circle and would therefore be a target; the ones who have the most vital information. As for the rest, neither side probably cares enough about them to keep them alive."

The arguments subsided somewhat after the fifth– and seventh-years came to the sudden, unanimous realisation that they still had exams in the morning and began to threaten the others with gruesome consequences if they didn't stop yelling. Apparently this didn't violate the oath, as no one came to get them and send them home. Arti wondered if anyone had noticed and if they had, if any of them were willing to test the limits.

Most of the arguers simply took themselves elsewhere, but a few grudgingly ended their arguments, though for how long Arti couldn't say. Some, thankfully, seemed to have come to the conclusion that they wouldn't succeed in changing their opponent's opinion and so had given up.


Lena sat with her eyes on her hands twisting in her lap. The silence stretched on until Father spoke again.

"Your friend Elayne filled me in about what happened," he said finally. His expression darkening. "And I understand Daphne Greengrass wasn't the only one involved."

From across the room, Adrian ground his teeth.

"I almost pity Arti," Lena said. "Now she's only got Greengrass for company since I doubt the House is taking kindly to either of them at the moment."

There was a flash of anger in Roger's eyes, but it was gone a moment later.

"Greengrass should never have said what she did," Roger said, his voice taut. "That selfish little–"

"How is it not my fault? I let him and Natalie take Zach because we wanted to be alone for a while. If we hadn't been so selfish, then they'd have taken us instead and he wouldn't be dead. I killed Maya's cousin and the boy Natalie loved."

Father patted her hand. "You couldn't have known it would happen. Nothing could have prevented this."

"We should have known–"

"If anyone's to blame," Roger said, "it's Dumbledore. You'd think he'd have realised that Slytherins with ties to Death Eaters ought to be watched. Especially given the fact that something's happened every year since Harry's been at Hogwarts. Not that I blame him in the least. Not that all of them have been Slytherins, but what with Carrow and Dursley having been involved with them, you'd think he'd be smart enough to take precautions."

"And that's insignificant compared to Lockhart and Quirrell and the fake Moody," said Adrian, shaking his head in disgust. "Even Harry figured it out." He swallowed. "I'd hate to think what's next."

"It can't possibly get any worse," muttered Roger.

Lena had a feeling it would, but couldn't bring herself to say so.


Much to Arti's surprise, Millicent Bulstrode approached her later that night. Only the fifth- and seventh-years and the prefects were awake, as most of them had been quite busy over the last week and had a lot of work to do.

"I'm so sorry about Pansy. She's an idiot without any tact."

Arti nearly fell out of her chair, though whether her surprise was from the fact that this was probably the first time she had ever heard Bulstrode speak more than five words that weren't something inane or bigoted, or whether it was because she was apologising, she couldn't tell. Still, she wasn't fool enough to trust Bulstrode. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, as the saying went. Gathering herself, she looked up.

"No, she doesn't."

"We've got to be careful how we do things, especially now, don't you think?" Bulstrode asked, sitting down in the chair beside her. Arti nodded slowly. "Interesting rumours going 'round about your sister and what's happened over the last week. You too, since you seem to have stopped talking to her."

"And if I have?"

"You'd be useful to us. The Dark Lord would reward you handsomely for the information you could give him." It took all of Arti's effort not to show her displeasure. "You'd be more favoured than most of us, if you did." There was something like disdain in her voice, and perhaps some jealousy.

"Yes, because the only things you could bring to him were things he already knows, or the trivial doings of children."

"You'd be surprised. People are far less discrete than you would expect," Bulstrode said, her gaze roaming around the room. "Especially when they think that you're stupid and won't understand what they're saying." She smiled like a Cheshire kneazle. "We're not as stupid as you think, Flint and Parkinson and all the others. Well, most of us aren't. Crabbe and Goyle are debatable."

Arti leaned back and surveyed Bulstrode, her heart thumping. What did she know that she shouldn't? Had anything the DA was doing been overheard by people who shouldn't know? But what could the DA have let slip that Bulstrode would find important? And if she knew anything, why would she be stupid enough to admit it? She wished Lena were here to tell her whether Bulstrode was bluffing or not. But she wasn't, so she would have to do this on her own. She wasn't dumb enough to fall for Bulstrode's trap and start babbling. The trick would be to get her talking instead.

"You're not just doing this to win the war, are you? If I join you, you'd get a reward because you were the one who brought me over. Well, no, the credit wouldn't entirely be yours, Greengrass gets most of the credit. Not that it'll do her any good. So what's in it for you? A small elevation in status?"

"I'm a half-blood, and my family isn't as old as yours is. I'll need all the help I can get."

"You're one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, we're not. Well, our grandmother was a Crouch."

"That's true, but you're not half-bloods. No, I wouldn't get much, but something is better than nothing. And since Parkinson's attempt failed…" She smiled in satisfaction. "Not to mention her brother running off with a Muggle, they've lost their status. Maybe now my family can rise again and be as great as it once was. Or better yet, greater than we have ever been."

"And you think I can offer you that chance?" Bulstrode nodded. Arti was reminded of an eager puppy and suppressed a giggle. She leaned forward. "You can do things on your own too, without my help. Bring Greengrass and Nott over – or back over in Nott's case – to your side. His father would appreciate it too, I'm sure. And who knows? You might get him to keep his eyes off Astoria Greengrass and look elsewhere."

Bulstrode's expression turned slavish. Arti took her chance and slipped away, shaking her head in disgust.


Mother came home late that evening. Roger had refused to leave Lena's side, though Adrian had gone hime, after both Lena and Roger had promised to let him know of any news.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier," Mother said as she came hurrying in, still in her Healer uniform. "We had quite a few patients today so they needed all the help they could get."

"That's all right. Father had things well in hand. I haven't needed much of anything."

The unspoken 'yet' hung in the air between them.

Mother took a bottle out of the pocket of her robes. She uncorked it and handed it to Lena.

"Dreamless Sleep," she said. Lena nodded. She had recognised the smell. "But of course you would know that," she added, but Lena hardly heard her.

"You took some from the hospital?" she asked, looking at her mother in awe.

She shrugged. "We can always make more and there wasn't time to make any for you tonight. I should have guessed you might need more and brewed some, but this works just as well. I didn't think your father would remember to get any from Madam Pomfrey. Drink. You need it."

Lena didn't argue. She gulped down the entire bottle. It would be nice not to remember for a while.


The Emily Dickinson poem in question is "One need not be a Chamber - to be Haunted."