A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Warning: contains mentions of suicidal thoughts and actions
Word Count: 608
Susan toyed idly with the bandage around her wrist. She hated waiting rooms, hated waiting in general. Being the niece of an important ministry official had its benefits sometimes. This was not one of them. Maybe some of her problems stemmed from that, from being someone in a way to being no one now? Maybe her aunt being so important had made her more of a target? Could that have something to do with the lack of control she felt now? She shifted in the hard plastic blue seat.
The waiting room was horrible in her opinion. The magazines, Witch Weekly, Quidditch Monthly, Baby Mania, were all terribly out of date. She was pretty sure the Wasps hadn't won the cup since the late '70s. The room was an awful mix of slightly off white colors ranging from beige to egg shell to almond. She wondered if the neutral colors were supposed to be soothing. She found them suffocating instead. Were all waiting rooms this bad?
"It's not that bad," Astoria commented, picking up one of the magazines and flipping through it. "I mean, just because no one's worn lacy cuffed robes since forever..."
"Ron did, to the Yule Ball," Susan commented, glad Astoria had come with her for support. It had been hard enough gathering up the courage to come here, she couldn't imagine if she'd been forced to come alone. Astoria had always been there, by Susan's side since the beginning, when things hadn't been this rough. Not for the first time, Susan was glad Astoria had been sorted into Hufflepuff and not Slytherin like her older sister, Daphne.
"I forgot about that," Astoria laughed, putting a hand on Susan's. She pretended she didn't notice the bandage, despite the fact she'd been the one who's put it there after finding Susan's wrist bleeding heavily the week before.
"Happier times," Susan muttered.
"Not really, I mean, more ignorant times, yes, but not really happier. There was the threat of war, the fact we were children in a school run by a man who didn't seem to care if we lived or died."
"My auntie believed every word he said," Susan mused.
"True, we didn't even know the truth about most of it. Remember the super secret DA?"
"Everyone knew about it...even half the Slytherins."
"Exactly. You've been through worse than this, and come out mostly unharmed," Astoria commented, reaching up and tucking a strand of Susan's strawberry-blond hair behind her ear.
"It's different now. There's this whole new world that we're being forced to adapt to, with no preparation..."
"I know it's scary. I'm terrified for you most of the time, worrying that I'll be too late to save you if you... you know."
"Tory, I... I'm..." Susan searched for the words to say, to promise the witch she loved she wasn't going anywhere. She wished she could make that promise. Her fingers hit against the bandage, her face flushing in embarrassment as she remembered the blade she'd used.
"You're fighting, Susan, that's all. It's a fight and your body is used to fighting so it does that instead of finding another way. That's why you wanted me to come with you today, isn't it? To make sure you actually see the therapist and don't sneak out the fire escape?"
"Maybe," Susan admitted.
"Susan Bones-Greengrass?" the receptionist called. Susan glanced over at Astoria.
"Go, try to confront your inner demons. I'll be right here waiting if you need me," she promised giving Susan a quick kiss. Susan nodded, rising slowly and walking towards the almond colored door, wondering if maybe this would finally bring her some peace.