A/N: Here's another chapter. Enjoy :))

Chapter 145: Lighter

True to the teacher's word, the nurse came in just a little over fifteen minutes after they left, and just in time; both Selene and Harry were on the verge of falling asleep, and they couldn't let that happen before the checkup. She looked very worried, not managing to hide that like she usually did, especially when she spotted the two kids laying nearly unconscious on the beds, massive blood bags connected to their arms.

"Ok dear, now look at me. Hmm, okay, a little unfocused but the massive blood loss can be blamed for that. You're just fine. In fact, besides the fact that you're about to fall asleep with your eyes open, I think this is the best I've ever seen you."

"Well, well that's certainly ve-very reassuring. I'm j-can I go to sleep now Poppy?"

"Of course. I'm going to check on your brother."

Merely a few minutes after the girl had drifted off into a blissfully dreamless sleep, the nurse was done, rather happy with the results she had gotten.

"Now children, they are in no danger of their condition worsening at the moment. However, you should keep an eye on them while they sleep; if they start choking or convulsing, wake them up so they can calm down or start breathing properly again. Also, they have to take that potion in the blue bottle once every four hours. It's to accelerate the recovery process. For now, I gave it to them. Most likely I will be able to come administer it myself, but if I don't, you have to. Only a quarter of a glass each. Understood? " They nodded and watched her exit the Chamber.

"Do you think she's worse than Umbridge? Riyep I mean. Though I don't see how anyone could be worse than that." Ginny asked.

"Well, that's what she thinks."Draco pointed his chin in Selene's direction."It had something to do with her speech or something."

"It was quite frightening, yes. I wouldn't put it past her to finally give Filtch the right to hang children by their toes like he has always wanted to if given the opportunity."

"Maybe. So we have to stick together and not give her any reason to suspect us of anything."

"Well, isn't that easy to say? If she is indeed a Death Eater, I believe that it is safe to assume she's been informed about all of us. And I don't know about you, but I more or less betrayed her master. He doesn't really care for this type of people. But I must agree that we should stay out of her way and protect each other the best we can."

The next few hours passed by without any incidents, the little cascade falling from the mouth of the statue of the head of Slytherin being the only sound. The ones that were awake were either reading or trying to go through the assignments that they had been given that day, and the others were just sleeping peacefully, no convulsions or choking whatsoever. It wasn't really what any of them had imagined. Surely, everyone hoped that the procedures would go smoothly, but knowing their luck, they expected something to go bad at some point, a slip of a hand, a few seconds wasted, a little too much pressure; any of those could've led to a disaster. But none of that happened; thankfully.

Harry was the first to wake up. His eyes fluttered slightly, not being very sure of where he was and for the moment not quite remembering what had happened. It was all still a bit dizzy and confusing. The faint memory of pain was prodding at his mind, and he dismissed it, letting it in the past, where its place was. Some searing pain and screams, flesh sawing itself together and a slight hint of vanilla. None of those seemed to be connected in any way, although they surely were somehow, right?

But there was something that he knew for sure. He felt so light, like a weight that he wasn't aware of had just been lifted of his bones, and a very heavy one at that; like he was just about to start flying any moment now; it was like they said: you never now just how sick you feel until you are healthy. And Merlin, he had been very sick and heavy. Taking in what felt like the first proper breath in his whole life, air clean and cool against his aching lungs, he opened his eyes fully and smiled broadly, watching his friends (and Draco) stand and hurry to get to his bed. His sister seemed to still be deeply sunk into unconsciousness, her furrowed eyebrows and downturned mouth slowly but surely melting into a calm, maybe even serene expression.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Peculiar. Whatever you want to describe that thing as, I'll stand by dark haze. That's just how I fell it was like before. A curtain over anything that I laid eyes upon. The air feels lighter and soothing, the sheets softer. I just-I feel so alive now, you know? Like I have just been born. I have no idea why, but I just am so happy. "

A soft smile lit Ginny's face up as she pushed her brother aside and sat on Harry's bed, next to his legs, gently taking his hand into her own.

"I'm so glad you're fine, and that all of this went well. You look so much happier too."

"I know Gin, it's fantastic." he pulled her in and kissed her, provoking a strangled sound to come out of Ron's throat.

"Oh, get over it Ronald."

"Finally fed up with Ron's shit I see." A hoarse voice was heard from the other bed's direction. It was Draco's turn to scramble to his feet, the most elegant scrambling any of them had seen, and in a couple of seconds he was sitting in the same position as Ginny, but merely caressing his fiancée's face, a loving gaze directed towards her.

"Do you feel that too Sel?" Harry managed to ruin the mood, but the girl seemed willing to answer to his question.

"What? The light and weightlessness? "

"Yep."

"Affirmative. It feels weird and fantastic at the same time."

"That just about sums up everything good that ever happened to us."