~Chapter Seven- Divination~
The next day Charms flew by, followed by Divination. Cari had been anticipating this class all day, for although she thought Divination to be the most pointless class a school could offer, she knew that Draco would be in this class as well.
And so it was that Cari followed Lindsey up the ladder and into the Divination classroom.
"Ugh, easy on the incense," Lindsey muttered as she entered the smoky classroom, waving a hand in front of her face. "And I'm supposed to spend a whole period in here twice a week? I think I'm going to pass out…"
Cari was a bit overwhelmed by the strong odor as well, but managed to get used to it fairly quickly. As she followed Lindsey to a table in the back, where the incense wasn't as bad, she looked about the room for a specific white-blonde head. In less than three seconds she had spotted him off to the side across the room.
Cari didn't even have time to frantically whisper this information to Lindsey before the bell rang and class began. An owl-eyed woman with huge glasses and over-exaggerated shawls floated dreamily into the room. Cari turned to make a face at Lindsey, who she knew would understand, but changed her mind at the sight of her friend.
Lindsey really didn't look well; her skin was even paler, making her seem practically transparent, her eyes were closed, and she was breathing slowly in through her nose and out her mouth.
"Whoa, Lindsey, are you okay?" Cari asked concernedly.
It took Lindsey a few deep breaths before she could respond, rather unconvincingly, "I'm fine." Then she grimaced, clutched her stomach and said through clenched teeth, "I don't feel so well." Cari noticed a thin sheen of sweat on her friend's hauntingly pale face now screwed up in pain.
Cari's hand shot into the air and she interrupted Professor Trelawny with an urgent, "Professor, Lindsey doesn't feel well!"
Professor Trelawny turned agitatedly, then said quickly, "Oh! Well, you best go to the hospital wing. Now."
"She doesn't know the way," Cari said, speaking for Lindsey.
Professor Trelawny shook this off and bade Lisa Turpin go with her. The last thing Lindsey heard before leaving (though she was too feverish to be paying much attention) was Professor Trelawny saying, "You see class, I knew this would happen when I gazed into my crystal ball this morning. And I want you to know that you too, may have the ability to See. Now if you'll take out your tarot cards and get into partners we will begin…"
Cari obeyed directions and took out the required set of tarot cards she had had to buy. However, when she looked around the room in search of a partner since Lindsey was gone, it seemed everyone had already claimed one. Cari felt a small twinge of nervousness.
"Anyone without a partner?" Professor Trelawny called out. Cari raised her hand. "Cari? Well let's see, I suppose… oh, here, you're a group of three, well now that won't work. Draco, you go back with Cari."
Cari's eyes widened. What was that she had said? Draco was to be her partner? Certainly not… but lo and behold, here h came walking towards her (albeit with marked reluctance), giving Professor Trelawny an evil look behind her back.
He sat down heavily in what had been Lindsey's seat, glared at Cari for half a second, then pointedly ignored her presence as Professor Trelawny rambled on about the use of tarot cards. After she had finished Draco finally turned to face Cari.
"You go first," he said without emotion.
Cari just nodded; why couldn't she speak? She'd never felt so tongue-tied in her life… she always had something to say!
Going through the set procedure Cari slowly set four cards on the table. Looking over the sheet Trelawny had given them to explain possible combinations she said, "Well… it says you come from a family of wealth and power…"
Draco, lounging back in his seat across from her, arms folded across his chest, smiled slightly. Another moment passes as Cari scanned the sheet.
"You have a natural sense of cunning… also great ambition, ambition for greatness… but only because you fear doing any less…" Cari finished slowly, looking up at him.
The smile had wilted from his face and he would not meet Cari's eyes. Hastily he picked up his own cards and began to carelessly shuffle. Once he had laid out four cards he sat studying the sheet intently.
"These say you are very smart, loyal, and brave…" he began rather sarcastically. Then, "But often… too self-absorbed. And… you wear… a mask? A mask of perfection…? I don't know," he finally exclaimed, throwing down the sheet in exasperation. "This whole thing is stupid."
"I totally agree," Cari said whole-heartedly. We agree on something! her mind trilled giddily. Oh gosh, get a hold of yourself! she promptly reprimanded.
Draco continued to glare about the room. "I hate this class," he muttered.
"I know how you feel," Cari murmured in agreement, shuffling her cards to look like she was actually doing something productive. Draco looked at her.
"Really?" he asked. "You think this is stupid?"
"Completely!" Cari cried softly. And so Cari and Draco spent the rest of the period voicing their mutual hatred of Divination to each other.
* * *
It took Lisa and Lindsey about 15 minutes to reach the hospital wing, a trek that could've taken half the time had Lindsey not had to take a pit stop. Lisa waited outside the bathroom for several minutes until Lindsey finally emerged, shaking slightly, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Lisa was about to ask if she was really okay but Lindsey limply raised her other hand and continued carefully down the corridor.
Lindsey was actually beginning to feel a little better when Lisa finally led her into the hospital wing… but not well enough that she was immediately sent back to class. Madam Pomfrey first did some tests and asked Lindsey some questions.
Madam Pomfrey briskly concluded, "Well, it's not a virus, or a jinx or curse. It seems to me you have a severe allergy to whatever Professor Trelawny burns in that room of hers. So you should be feeling better before lunch; don't breathe the smoke and you'll stay better."
"But I have to go to Divination," Lindsey said softly, not believing she would ever feel better, let alone by lunch. "Twice a week! Do I have to just fail the class?" As soon as she said it she found the prospect quite to her liking.
However, Madam Pomfrey said simply, "Oh no, you'll go to Divination. You'll just have to drink an allergy suppressant potion before class, which should prevent your reaction from occurring again."
"Oh."
Lindsey was slightly disappointed by this fact, but not entirely. She never wanted to be that sick ever again. Some allergic reaction; she thought she was going to die! Then Lindsey noted with slight surprise that she was indeed feeling a little better. Not much. But some.
"What exactly is it I'll have to drink?" Lindsey asked suspiciously.
"It's not something I have, you'll have to go ask Professor Snape," she said, writing on a small piece of parchment. Finishing with a flourish she handed the parchment to Lindsey saying, "Here, this is what you'll need. I'll get a message to him that a student needs a potion, otherwise he's sure not to believe you."
Lindsey took the parchment and nodded. Although she was still gradually getting better the longer she was away from the incense, she still looked like Death and wasn't so sure she'd be able to eat anything at lunch despite Madam Pomfrey's assurances.
There fore Madam Pomfrey allowed her to go back up to the dormitory until lunch. Lindsey gladly complied, while Lisa was made to head reluctantly back to Divination.
And so Lindsey spent the rest of the period in her bed, staring at the ceiling while Lisa suffered through Divination. As the bell rang and the students crowded into the Great Hall Lindsey headed down from Ravenclaw tower, feeling worlds better.
She sat down at the Ravenclaw table and Cari instantly pinned her in a frosty glare.
"Thanks for leaving me alone in Divination," she said bitterly.
"Hey! I thought my stomach had gone inside-out! Back off!" Lindsey defended herself. Cari broke into a smile.
"Oh I was just kidding, I really don't care," she said lightly.
"Oh, thanks a lot," Lindsey replied sarcasically.
"We had to work in partners you know."
"No, I didn't know, but all right."
"Do you want me to tell you what happened?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Okay, so you left and I was sitting there all alone, right? So then we had to get into partners for tarot reading or some such nonsense, and you left so I didn't have one."
"So…?"
"I got partnered by Professor Trelawny."
"What's your point, Cari?"
"She partnered me with Draco!"
Now Lindsey finally understood Cari's hyperactive behavior; she thought she had been acting with even more vitality than usual. To aggravate her she decided to remain totally apathetic.
"Oh. Well, that's cool," she said, poking at a turnip on her plate.
"Yeah, yeah it was!" Cari said elatedly, buttering a roll with gusto. Her euphoria was too great to be bothered by Lindsey. Still, Lindsey thought, At least she's eating. Most of the rest of the meal was spent with Lindsey being quietly amused at the overly enthusiastic Cari.
Finally, as the meal began to near its end, Cari seemed to realize life had gone on after her Draco encounter.
"So how did it go in the hospital wing?" she asked as if she'd just remembered.
"Eh. Turns out I'm allergic to Trelawny's incense. I have to go after dinner and see Professor Snape for a medicine, er, potion… thing," she replied, sounding indifferent, but not taking her eyes off her plate.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Cari asked earnestly.
"What? Why?"
"Just… because," she answered, lacking anything better to say. Lindsey thought she was nuts, but appreciated her concern.
"Uh, thanks but no thanks, Cari," she replied. Cari shrugged.
After lunch time dragged on through Double Herbology, a class, Lindsey thought, she would rather eat the dirt in than sit through. Cari tried fruitlessly towards the beginning of class to get her to pay attention but soon abandoned her futile endeavor.
And so it was that Lindsey was the first out of the greenhouses when the bell rang. She silently trailed alongside Cari and Lisa as they made their way back to the Great Hall.