When they got there, they found loud music and lots of food. Everyone was talking excitedly and dancing, some eating. Sarah made a bee-line for the food, but Fred stopped her.
"What're we going to do with the map?" He asked in hushed tones. George was right there, also listening.
"You two hang onto it. I think you'll probably want to show it to Lee, though. I'm going to get some food, alright?" Sarah replied.
"Yeah, sure." George said excitedly and ran to find Lee. Fred followed him after a moment of hesitation.
Sarah made it to the food and grabbed some cookies before finding a chair and nestling down in it. It was a big red arm chair and she found it very comfortable, so she wasn't surprised when she began to feel drowsy. Her lids were almost completely down, regardless of the noise level and cookie she had consumed when Fred made his way over to her.
"She's asleep." He said to himself.
"No I'm not." Sarah mumbled and opened her eyes. She was surprised to see how close Fred was to her face. She could feel his warm breath, his lips on mere centimetres from his. Her heart quickened. Her impulse was to close her eyes, and she wondered at it. Fred looked like he was about to do something when someone cleared their throat. Fred's head whipped back and Sarah turned to see who had done it.
It was George. And he had an odd look on his face. Fred's heart had also quickened, but now it slowed. Sarah's, however, would not. Her breathing became laboured and her face became white. She gasped for air and Fred turned back to her. When he saw her clutching her heart, his face also went white.
"Sarah! What's wrong?" He asked, very concerned. George was with him, at her side, in a second.
"Percy! Percy, help! Something's wrong with Sarah! Help!" In a moment the room became quiet as Percy rushed over to see the small girl. Her eyes blanked and started closing.
"Somebody get Madame Pomfrey." He said quietly and it was done. Meanwhile, he slapped her cheeks gently, trying to get her to breath and live again, for she was essentially dead.
Madame Pomfrey rushed in with a potion in her hand. She felt Sarah's pulse and forced the potion into her mouth. Instantly, Sarah gasped and started coughing.
"Madame -cough- Pomfrey -cough-!" She then had a coughing fit and it was a few moments before she could speak again. Her eyes had watered slightly and she absentmindedly wiped away a tear that threatened to trail down her cheek. "Thank you, ma'am. I wasn't expecting that."
"Sarah, we talked about this. You know that I have to send an owl to your parents. If it is going to happen again, let me know. You shouldn't be getting yourself into these situations in your-"
"Yes ma'am. I understand. It won't happen again. I'll be very careful." Sarah replied.
"Even so, I would ask you to spend the night in the infirmary so that I may keep an eye on you."
Sarah nodded in affirmation and then looked down at the floor. Madame Pomfrey looked up and noticed that all of Gryffindor had crowded around the armchair to see if Sarah was alright. Taking Sarah's hand, Madame Pomfrey assisted Sarah up, off the chair and out of the portrait, all the way to the infirmary. Some students tried to follow, but she waved them back, claiming that Sarah would be quite fine for a night and that they could surely leave her be to get some rest. Sarah, on the other hand, did not want to be alone. What she really wanted was a reassuring hug and a cuddle with her parents. Though she did seem to be wise beyond her eleven years, many times she felt much, much younger. One of those times was now.
Madame Pomfrey appeared to have better things to do once she put Sarah in the infirmary, leaving her alone in the dark, oppressive room. It was empty, and once Madame Pomfrey's footsteps faded into echoes and then silence, no sound took their place. In fact, the only sound Sarah could hear was her own breathing in the eerie darkness. It was beginning to really creep her out.
Suddenly, she heard a noise where the door was. A slight creaking on the floor boards. She stiffened, her heart racing. No, no! Calm down! She couldn't afford another attack. With difficulty, she took many deep breaths and managed to calm. It was just the castle settling.
"Sarah?" A voice whispered.
"Fred!" She called, almost sobbing with relief. How she had wished in the past hour to hear a friendly voice, and, like magic, he had appeared.
He wandered over the thresh-hold and muttered a simple spell they had learned earlier in the year that let a bit of light come from the tip of the wand. Spotting her in a bed close to the windows, he made his way over, the map from their adventure in hand.
"I thought you might be a bit lonely." He said rather aloofly. Sarah looked at him with her head titled to the side, a question forming in her mind. She decided that it wasn't too important and shrugged.
"It's kinda scary, to be truthful. I just want my mum and da." She said and sniffed. "And my stuffie Raoul." She was almost crying again.
"You mean your stuffed lion?" Fred asked and produced it from behind his back.
"Raoul!" Sarah cried and took it from Fred. She hugged it to her chest and took a deep, shaky, breath. Fred smiled and then rose to go. "Wait, Fred." Sarah said when she noticed. "I-please, I don't want to be alone... would you mind staying here and... keeping me company?" Fred gulped nervously and nodded. Sarah smiled timidly and took his hand as he sat down in a chair beside her. They looked at each other as the light from the wand slowly faded and they both fell asleep.A/N: Hehe! Me here! What do you all think of this chapter? I have a good idea of what'll happen in the next one, so expect it within the week. Read and Review, please! I love getting reviews, even if they're flames!
"What're we going to do with the map?" He asked in hushed tones. George was right there, also listening.
"You two hang onto it. I think you'll probably want to show it to Lee, though. I'm going to get some food, alright?" Sarah replied.
"Yeah, sure." George said excitedly and ran to find Lee. Fred followed him after a moment of hesitation.
Sarah made it to the food and grabbed some cookies before finding a chair and nestling down in it. It was a big red arm chair and she found it very comfortable, so she wasn't surprised when she began to feel drowsy. Her lids were almost completely down, regardless of the noise level and cookie she had consumed when Fred made his way over to her.
"She's asleep." He said to himself.
"No I'm not." Sarah mumbled and opened her eyes. She was surprised to see how close Fred was to her face. She could feel his warm breath, his lips on mere centimetres from his. Her heart quickened. Her impulse was to close her eyes, and she wondered at it. Fred looked like he was about to do something when someone cleared their throat. Fred's head whipped back and Sarah turned to see who had done it.
It was George. And he had an odd look on his face. Fred's heart had also quickened, but now it slowed. Sarah's, however, would not. Her breathing became laboured and her face became white. She gasped for air and Fred turned back to her. When he saw her clutching her heart, his face also went white.
"Sarah! What's wrong?" He asked, very concerned. George was with him, at her side, in a second.
"Percy! Percy, help! Something's wrong with Sarah! Help!" In a moment the room became quiet as Percy rushed over to see the small girl. Her eyes blanked and started closing.
"Somebody get Madame Pomfrey." He said quietly and it was done. Meanwhile, he slapped her cheeks gently, trying to get her to breath and live again, for she was essentially dead.
Madame Pomfrey rushed in with a potion in her hand. She felt Sarah's pulse and forced the potion into her mouth. Instantly, Sarah gasped and started coughing.
"Madame -cough- Pomfrey -cough-!" She then had a coughing fit and it was a few moments before she could speak again. Her eyes had watered slightly and she absentmindedly wiped away a tear that threatened to trail down her cheek. "Thank you, ma'am. I wasn't expecting that."
"Sarah, we talked about this. You know that I have to send an owl to your parents. If it is going to happen again, let me know. You shouldn't be getting yourself into these situations in your-"
"Yes ma'am. I understand. It won't happen again. I'll be very careful." Sarah replied.
"Even so, I would ask you to spend the night in the infirmary so that I may keep an eye on you."
Sarah nodded in affirmation and then looked down at the floor. Madame Pomfrey looked up and noticed that all of Gryffindor had crowded around the armchair to see if Sarah was alright. Taking Sarah's hand, Madame Pomfrey assisted Sarah up, off the chair and out of the portrait, all the way to the infirmary. Some students tried to follow, but she waved them back, claiming that Sarah would be quite fine for a night and that they could surely leave her be to get some rest. Sarah, on the other hand, did not want to be alone. What she really wanted was a reassuring hug and a cuddle with her parents. Though she did seem to be wise beyond her eleven years, many times she felt much, much younger. One of those times was now.
Madame Pomfrey appeared to have better things to do once she put Sarah in the infirmary, leaving her alone in the dark, oppressive room. It was empty, and once Madame Pomfrey's footsteps faded into echoes and then silence, no sound took their place. In fact, the only sound Sarah could hear was her own breathing in the eerie darkness. It was beginning to really creep her out.
Suddenly, she heard a noise where the door was. A slight creaking on the floor boards. She stiffened, her heart racing. No, no! Calm down! She couldn't afford another attack. With difficulty, she took many deep breaths and managed to calm. It was just the castle settling.
"Sarah?" A voice whispered.
"Fred!" She called, almost sobbing with relief. How she had wished in the past hour to hear a friendly voice, and, like magic, he had appeared.
He wandered over the thresh-hold and muttered a simple spell they had learned earlier in the year that let a bit of light come from the tip of the wand. Spotting her in a bed close to the windows, he made his way over, the map from their adventure in hand.
"I thought you might be a bit lonely." He said rather aloofly. Sarah looked at him with her head titled to the side, a question forming in her mind. She decided that it wasn't too important and shrugged.
"It's kinda scary, to be truthful. I just want my mum and da." She said and sniffed. "And my stuffie Raoul." She was almost crying again.
"You mean your stuffed lion?" Fred asked and produced it from behind his back.
"Raoul!" Sarah cried and took it from Fred. She hugged it to her chest and took a deep, shaky, breath. Fred smiled and then rose to go. "Wait, Fred." Sarah said when she noticed. "I-please, I don't want to be alone... would you mind staying here and... keeping me company?" Fred gulped nervously and nodded. Sarah smiled timidly and took his hand as he sat down in a chair beside her. They looked at each other as the light from the wand slowly faded and they both fell asleep.A/N: Hehe! Me here! What do you all think of this chapter? I have a good idea of what'll happen in the next one, so expect it within the week. Read and Review, please! I love getting reviews, even if they're flames!
