Black Stained
Author's note:
Hey guys!
I'm terribly sorry for not update the last two weeks. But as always I was busy studying for school and such.
But now I'm back, with more free time and hope to keep up the every-week-a-chapter routine.
I hope you like this chapter.
I'm still afraid some pieces of the story don't ad up or fit in, but if you notice any mistake or plot hole, please notify me so I can fix it.
Have fun reading!
-Jody
Chapter 19: Doctor... Weasley
After some hours of chaos and noise, there was now only silence. They say sounds can help recall memories, happy ones and also negative ones. But for her it was the opposite, it was the silence. Making her remember a silent room, no shuffling in the backround, no water dripping. Not even the wind, it had laid down and seemed to have held its breath in a magical way. It had only returned when the staircase had creaked. And it had broken the frozen moment, had returned her to reality. She had tried to believe it was all a lie, an illusion... But there it was, on the staircase. The proof it all was real and it had all happened. And the sharp edges of the necklace were jamming into the palm of her hand, blood dripping on the floor, forming small pools of dark red.
Another creak awakened her. Her eyes shot open and she blinked at the light right above her. She turned her head and vague and blurry shapes formed in front of her eyes. Disorientated she turned her head to the other side. A sharp pain shot through her head, she couldn't help but wince. Her ear started ringing, but it slowly decreased and fell silent again. With her hands she inspected her surroundings. She was lying in a bed with soft, thin sheats. she let out a shuddering breath, and blinked again. Black spots danced infront of her, but they slowly started to disappear. Her breathing slowed and she calmed down. With her elbows she pushed herself up on the uncomfortable bed. Rubbing her neck she looked around. Her eyes immediately fell on the man in a chair next to her bed. Charlie seemed to be asleep, his eyes closed and his head hanging down in a position Aral imagined to cause pain in his neck later. But she let him be. When she saw him she remembered again. Sad, she closed her eyes and let out a cry, folding her arms around herself. What had she done? Why had she come here in the first place? She had trusted Charlie's judgement, she had hoped he was right... But how could he ever be right? How could she ever live in peace and be harmless to anyone? How could she, a monster?
MONSTER.
She let out another cry, but restrained herself from sheading any tears. She raised her arms and moved her feet to check if she could move without pain, and she could. She didn't hesitate for a moment or lingered any longer. Quickly she jumped out of her bed, which had been a mistake; her head started aching again and she saw black spots everywhere. But she decided to ignore them and took another few steps. She felt light headed and could hardly keep her balans. One hand shot to the side of the bed for support. Her quick breaths returned. She looked down at her legs, mentally screaming at them for not working properly anymore. To her surprise she saw some sort of white/ light blue dress wrapped around her body. She felt uncomfortable in it. She always hated wearing dresses, too airy and she could never move in them properly. Her eyes immediately scanned the rest of her body, she let out a shuddering breath when she found out her arms were being covered by the rather ugly fabric. But someone must have dressed her... He or she must have seen it, the mark. She closed her eyes again, and shook her head. It was at the moment the least of her worries. Let them find out, let them hate her, let them. She glanced back at Charlie for a moment, and she realized how destructive she was. How her power could probably destroy everything at a touch. She had made promises she was never able to keep. He looked so peaceful in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Asleep with no worry-lines on his forehead, or piercing grey eyes. In these moments she really needed a friend, her friend, with the silver eyes. But he wasn't there, he couldn't help her. Her head turned around and she looked directly into her own eyes, a mirror reflecting her miserable appearance. But then something strange happened. Her reflection started to move, but she didn't, she stood there completely frozen while her reflection moved forward and stretched out one hand. Her eyes widened when the tips of her reflection's fingers started to bulge out of the flat mirror, as if the mirror was melting her form out of the glass and metal. After the fingers the rest of her hand reached through and an elbow, shoulder, head, foot, leg, everything started to form. She couldn't breath, her breath caught in her throat. The silver glass form tilted its head up and looked at her with cold eyes.
'Aral.'
'Aral?' She stated back at the -was it her reflection or was it the mirror... or had she gone mad and was this all happening inside of her head?- strange form.
It was an exact duplicate of her, but not made out of flesh and blood, but glass and metal. She now moved again and took a tottering step forward, towards the -thing? Her? This was getting quite confusing...- thing.
'Are you me?' She asked, confused.
But it didn't answer her. Her cold eyes still piercing her slightly parted ones.
'Leave.'
'What are you? Have I gone mad?'
'You. Must. Leave. Now.' Every word was pronounced expressively.
The words echoed through the room and they seemed to cut Aral. The cold pained her.
'It is in everyone's best interest if you leave, immediately. For you, the reserve and Charlie.'
It took a few steps towards Aral, now only a few feet away. Aral had closed her eyes, confused, angry and feeling remorse, sadness. It was right she should leave.
'Think of your brother Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, Ron and everyone else.'
'Can I never be happy? Not even here?' She closed her eyes. Knowing she had to leave.
It took one last step and placed each hand and a side of Aral's pale and thin face. With the strength and speed she moved, Aral received a slap on both sides and her eyes shot open, shocked by the sudden pain. The cold glass and metal eyes in front of her, piercing right through her.
'LEAVE.' A booming voice echoed through her head again. And she clapsed her head with both hands, eyes squeezed shut.
An agonizing scream left her lips and filled the chilling air. It didn't sound long. Aral's eyes shot open and the form had disappeared, she was alone again. No, not alone... Charlie! She turned around and saw him, still in his chair. He hadn't stirred at her scream. She frowned, hadn't she screamed pretty loudly just now? Or had she really gone mad and was everything happening inside of her head? She shook her head again. This all felt too real to be fake. Her eyes fell on the heavy wooden door at the side of the room, just six beds away from her. Leave.
She had to leave now. This place had been her last hope, her last shot at happiness and it hadn't worked out. Happiness isn't for the evil. The head aches and spots hadn't appeared anymore, and she decided herself to be fit enough to travel. She had to leave now. Slowly she walked over to the door, as if once she had exited this room she would never be able to go back. But before she reached the door she froze yet again. Her head turned towards a bed. She thought her bed was the only one occupied, but there seemed to be another person in the room. She walked over to the side of the bed. Her breath caught in her throat. The man was injured so badly her heart beat quickened again and her hand shot up to her mouth, covering a shriek. Had she done this? Had she caused this? Tears welled up in her eyes and her stomach turned. She wanted to run away. She wanted to...
'Aral?'
The voice startled her and she hastly turned around with a shriek. A pair of dark grey eyes met her green ones. The tears, welled up in her eyes, almost rolled down her cheeks.
Charlie crossed the room and spread his arms, as if wanting to embrace her. But before he could she took a few steps backwards. He frowned.
'Aral?'
'No.'
He sighed. His tired eyes blinked a few times and he let his arms fall to his sides.
She struggled to find her words.
'Did I- did I do this?' With a trembling hand she pointed at the heavily injured man, unconsiously in his bed.
Charlie only shook his head.
'No, you have nothing to do with his injuries.'
She wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the ground. In the back of her head, the glass and metal screamed at her again.
LEAVE
When he was sleeping, it had been easy to pass him and leave him. But now he was awake and his presence and pleading eyes locked her in the room, not wanting to leave.
He stretched out a hand.
'Come. You should go back to bed.'
'No.' It seemed to be the only thing she was able to say then.
He sighed again.
'Aral, please, you need rest.'
She turned back around, facing the man in bed. She didn't want to look at him either and therefore closed her eyes.
'I don't need rest.'
'Than what do you need?'
She heard him approach her slowly.
'I' She lifted her head. 'need to leave.'
'Leave?' His voice was steady and cold, but there was a faint layer of anger underneath. Anger? He had never been angry, not towards her at least.
She turned around and faced him. She almost came nose to nose with him, he had come very close to her.
'Yes.' She took another step towards the door before he could say anything again to stop her, because she knew that if he kept talking and kept urging her to stay, she wouldn't even be able to take one step out of that door. But instead of speaking any words he grabbed hold of her wrist. The movement froze her for only a second.
'Charlie.' Her voice wasn't trembling, it was firm. Determination radiating from her.
'You have to let me go.' She tried to pull away but his grip was too strong.
He pulled her towards him, away from the door.
'No.'
She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off.
'Because it means you are running again.' He shook his head. 'And what Gryffindor runs from her problems?'
The disbelief in his words was loud and clear.
'One that doesn't belong in Gryffindor at all. A monster.' She spoke.
When the last word fell from her lips he loosened his grip and finally let her go. She snorted.
'I don't belong here and I should never have come.'
She avoided his eyes and for the last time turned towards the door. Her hand reached for the door handle and her fingers slowly closed around the knob. Finally she was leaving.
Running away.
The words echoed judging through her head.
Such a great Gryffindor you are. She retorted to herself.
She let go a shuddering breath, and filled her lungs with a fresh amount of the cold air of the room. Maybe the bed and blanket weren't that bad, after all. Her hand twisted and the lock clikked open.
'Wait!'
Mentally sighing, she froze in her movement. Again. A part of her was irritated by the fact he didn't let her go, and another part was... what was it? Relieved? She didn't turn around, though she knew he took a step towards her again. Why did he have to stand so close to her all the time? Did he know he smelled amazing and had to show off his bisceps-
Focus. She growled to herself, mentally punishing herself for wandering off like that.
She felt and heard his steady breathing on her neck, prickling and taunting her.
'Where will you go?'
Charlie, somehow again, managed to surprise her. No arguement, no words forcing her to stay. He didn't judge her on her going on the run, not out loud any way.
But where will you go?
Where could she go? No home, no job. Could she move back to her appartment?
She started to doubt everything and wasn't sure anymore what to do. She sighed. Bloody, Charlie.
One simple question and I already start to doubt everything.
'Away.' She sattled for that.
'Anywhere you can be happy?'
'Happy?' She snorted. 'People like me don't get to be happy.'
'People like you?'
They still weren't facing each other. Her hand still on the door knob, though the strenght of her grip started to fade, her focus on other matters. Matter, actually. Charlie. Because it stayed silent, her mind slowly and unconsiously started to wander back to his scent and muscles. Back in the chair, his arms had been crossed around his chest they had been bulging-
Focus!
What was his question again?
Trying to pull her thoughts back together, Charlie slowly put one hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
His eyes.
Merlin, those pretty things looking at her.
She didn't want to answer any questions anymore. Just stand there and forget everything, her problems, her life. Everything except... Charlie. She sighed again. When she didn't say anything he quirked a brow, urging her to answer.
'I know you once told me you weren't ready to share, but Aral, there's no other option. I can't help you unless you talk to me.'
'Well, maybe I don't want your help.' But they both knew it was a lie.
Now it was his time to sigh. He crossed his arms and Aral granted herself a quick glance before focusing back on his eyes again, a soft pink blush on her cheeks.
'How about this; we compromise.'
Aral frowned, obviously not quite getting the idea.
'We both know that if you really wanted to leave you would have done it already, but you haven't which means you really don't want to. So you go back to your bed and open up a bit, I will listen and then, only then, you may leave if you still want.'
He was leaning towards her and using his height to try to intimidate her. Intimidating; no. Appearing like a huge bear; yes.
She pursed her lips, not wanting to give in, but also really wanting to give in. She grunted and let go of the doorknob. Once she was back in bed she realized how cold she was, and she suddenly became very aware of what she had been dressed in. A dress, yikes. While she wrapped her self into a burrito with her blanket she took the time to inspect Charlie. He looked very tired, still dressed in what he was wearing the last time she saw him, which was when-
She almost killed a powerful dragon and put everyone in danger. That time. Great time that was.
He handed her a glass of water, though she didn't really know why. But she was thirsty... could he read minds too?
She tried to bury her guilt and sorrow by covering everything in a thick layer of sarcasm, it works for a while, but just shortly; the feelings always come back, like knives.
'So, you want me to... open up, Dr. Phil?'
'Doctor Who?'
She choked on her drink and coughed loudly, trying to get some air. She had to laugh too, which made her look pretty strange.
Strange.
Doctor Strange.
Another wave of laughter overflowed her. Charlie just sat there, with absolutly no clue of what was happening.
'I'm sorry... Muggle jokes.'
He moved in his seat untill he had found a comfortable position, which -to Aral- seemed to be impossible in that wooden chair. His spread his hands in a 'go-on' gesture.
So she started talking. A lot.
