Chapter 29

"Do you want some coffee or a maybe a hot chocolate?" Alicia asked.

They were in the small kitchen of Alicia's apartment. Alicia had finally managed to stop her tears. It had done her good to cry. She felt much more relaxed around Emma now, as if they had shared something very intimate together. Emma had seen her sister's weakest point. Alicia had nothing to hide anymore.

"A hot chocolate, please," Emma said.

Alicia took out a glass and blew on it three times. A steaming hot chocolate appeared in her hands.

"Whoa!" Emma cried. She was very impressed.

Alicia grinned and handed her sister the glass.

"Now tell me why you came here," she said.

Emma seemed suddenly to remember something and her cheerful smile faded away.

"I came for help. Not for me. It's for a friend. Your friend."

Alicia frowned. As far as she knew she didn't have any friends.

"My friend?" she asked bewildered.

"Maybe you don't remember her, but she remembers you. The doctors told me she whispers your name in her sleep. That's the only moment they can hear her speak."

Alicia felt a strange lump in her throat. She thought she knew who Emma was talking about. Please god, she prayed, don't let it be her!

"Who are you talking about?"

Emma finished drinking her chocolate and then looked up at Alicia sadly.

"Well, Elisabeth Malfoy of course!"

Alicia swallowed.

It had been such a long time since she had heard that name. That day when she had left her whole life behind she had thought she would never see any of them ever again. But the persons from her past seemed to be creeping back into her life one by one.

"What happened to her?"

Emma shrugged.

"Try asking her that yourself. But, I'm warning you, she probably won't be able to answer you…"

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Alicia felt sick as she walked into the mental health institution for wizards. Emma was by her side. The two sisters were holding hands.

Emma spoke to a nurse and the nurse gave her the number of Elisabeth's room.

"How come everyone seems to know you around here?" Alicia asked surprised.

Emma cracked a smile.

"I'm the only person that can communicate with the retarded. I read their bodies and then I tell the doctors what the patients are trying to say. I've been working here for a while, you know, to gain a bit of extra money. The nurses are nice and they trust me. Sometimes I feel like I'm finally useful when I work here."

Alicia admired her sister. Emma was so thoughtful and she really wanted to use her gift well unlike her older sister. Alicia had more power than a regular witch but she had never thought about putting that talent to help the others. She was too self-centred for that.

"When I saw the state Elisabeth was in, I remembered what a close friendship you used to have with her before. Maybe if it will do her good to see you. It might even shock her into actually speaking. The thing is I just couldn't watch her rot in here. The doctors have given up on her a very long time ago."

They walked through long white corridors for a very long time. Alicia could see thousands of doors. Behind each door was a person who suffered because of her handicap. And on and on the corridor went and more doors flashed past. Alicia felt dizzy. She thought of how brave Emma was. Emma wasn't scared to look in the eye of these people.

Alicia heard someone scream. It gave from the room 587. Emma jumped and run into the room when the yells were coming from. Alicia followed her.

A young boy was sitting on his bed. His hair was the colour of dirty blond, his skin was dark, his eyes black. His whole face was disfigured with pain.

"It's okay, it's okay, Nico, Emma whispered holding the boy's hand, tell me what's wrong!"

The little boy gasped and swallowed a few times. He looked at the wall, at his hands, back at the wall. He scratched his head furiously. Emma followed his gestures carefully. She sighed.

"No, Nico, I don't see him. Your father isn't in the room."

The boy shook his head angrily and slapped Emma's hand away.

"He's not here, Nico."

The boy pointed at the corner. There was no one.

"Nico, listen to me. Your father isn't here. But I'm here. There's no need to be scared. You're going to be fine. Nobody is going to hurt you. Your father isn't touching you. He's far away now. They locked him up. He won't come back."

Slowly the boy began to calm down. He wiped his tears away with Emma's hand. He kissed the tip of her fingers.

Emma smiled.

"I love you too, Nico." She whispered.

The nurses came into the room. They thanked Emma and told her she could leave now. Emma nodded. She took Alicia's hand again and dragged her away from the horrifying scene.

They began to walk again without a single word.

"That was amazing," Alicia's voice croaked. She had no idea human could be so good. All these doctors, nurses, and young students like Emma who spend time here to help, were heroes. Alicia had to admit it. Real heroes aren't the one who do something fantastic and magic. No, real heroes are the person who dedicate their life to helping other people. Alicia felt so lucky to be surrounded by such good persons then. She felt like their hearts were pure.

They might not be perfect but at least they did something of their life.

Emma was only fourteen and she had probably done more good to the world than many older persons.

Alicia felt ashamed of her own problems. She felt pathetic and small.

"What was wrong with that boy? What did his father do to him?" Alicia asked her sister.

Emma shook her head.

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Finally Emma stopped in front of the room number 699.

"We're here," she said.

Alicia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She knew this wasn't the moment to be a coward. She had to do this. For her old friend.

Emma slowly opened the door and they went in.

Alicia had to bite her tongue to stop herself from screaming.

There, on a large bed with pale blue sheets, was a woman in her early twenties. Her skin was yellow, her nails green. She had no hair and a huge burn on the right side of her face. Her lips were deeply cut and covered with scars.

"Good evening, Mrs Malfoy," Emma said kindly and approached the disfigured woman.

Alicia stepped forward as well. She felt scared.

Elisabeth Malfoy turned to look at Emma. Her expression was empty.

As Alicia stared at the woman on the bed, she remembered things. She could see the face of a young girl with a pointy nose and blond hair, the smile of a girl who still had her whole life in front of her, the look of girl you could trust …

Alicia's face crisped in pain as she tried to hold in her tears.

How could she have forgotten her? How could she not have thought about her once?

Alicia stayed in a corner as Emma talked with Elisabeth. For hours and hours Elisabeth looked at Emma without showing any sign that she actually understood what the young girl was saying. Elisabeth's face stayed blank, her eyes half closed, and her dry broken mouth hanging open.

After a while, Emma gave up. She stood up and they decided to go.

Emma went back home to Ginny and Harry.

Alicia knew she had to go home. It was getting dark. But somehow she couldn't face staying alone in her empty sad apartment. She needed to be surrounded by people right now. Alicia went into a famous muggle pub and asked for a few drinks. But she quickly felt dizzy and sleepy, so she walked back to her apartment. It was raining. Alicia liked the rain. She wished it could wash her off all the horrifying images she had just seen. Nico the boy who had been destroyed by his own father, the long white corridors, the nurses, the colour of Elisabeth's skin, her empty eyes … Alicia wished she could forget all about this and go on with her life but she knew she would never be able to do that. If it had been someone else, maybe she couldn't have been capable, but this was Elisabeth Malfoy. Elisabeth was the only person who could have told people where Alicia was hiding. Elisabeth had kept her mouth shut and she had probably suffered from it. Alicia thought of the last conversation she had had with Elisabeth.

"I'm going to do it tonight." Alicia said.

"Tonight? But I thought you had changed your mind!" Elisabeth cried in panic.

"I know but I can't stand it anymore, Elisa! I have to do it."

"Alicia, do you realise that there'll be no turning back afterwards?"

"Yes, I know."

"What if someone sees you?" Elisa whispered. It sounded as if she was crying.

"I don't care, Alicia said in a determined voice, I have made up my mind about this a very long time ago."

Alicia was just about to unlock the door of her apartment when she realised that the door was already open. She frowned and pushed the door to get in.

William was standing in the middle of the living-room. He looked very angry.

"How did you get in?" Alicia asked feebly.

William didn't answer her.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you all night!" he cried. By the look of his face Alicia could see he was hurt. Horrified she remembered she had made plans with William this night.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Yeah, right. I've been really looking forward to this. You know, Ana, I thought you were different but maybe you're not. Maybe I'm wasting my time."

William grabbed his coat to go but Alicia stopped him.

"Please, don't," she begged.

William looked at her.

"Ana …"

"Please," Alicia said again.

William nodded and took Alicia in his arms without a word.

They stayed in each other's embrace for a very long time.

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Alicia visited Elisabeth every day after that. She passed her day locked in her office, pretending to work on the Alan Smith case, and she only let William and Robert in.

Sometimes Alicia bumped into Emma at the mental health institution. They nodded at each other and then went on walking. Alicia knew people would find it suspicious if she spent too much time with the young girl.

Alicia brought Elisabeth gifts and flowers. Elisabeth always took the flower in her hands but she never seemed to realise what she was doing. All day long, her empty gaze was directed to the white wall in front of her bed. She never looked up when Alicia came in. She didn't even blink when Alicia waved her arm in front of her eyes.

It was frustrating to hold Elisabeth's hand for hours, and she didn't even know someone was there for her. Alicia dreaded the evening when she left the office because she knew she had to go visit her friend.

Alicia washed Elisabeth's nail so they turned back to their original colour. She made Elisabeth drink a healing potion so her skin became a pale pink again. She even bought her friend a beautiful scarf to protect her scalp.

"Why are you doing this?" a nurse asked Alicia once.

"I don't know. She's my friend." Was Alicia's answer.

"Yes but you know she will never be normal ever again. Why do you bother so much to make her look like a woman again? It's only going to hurt her. Every time she will look at herself in the mirror, she will see the image of what she used to be. Do you really want to make her suffer like that? Isn't it just better to let her body show what she is in the inside?"

Alicia had never thought about that.

"When I put a mirror in front of her face, she doesn't recognize herself. She doesn't care what she looks like," Alicia said.

"Then why are you doing this," the nurse asked again.

Alicia looked at the woman sleeping in the bed with the blue sheets next to her. Elisabeth looked so peaceful when she was asleep.

"Elisabeth didn't like people who gave up. She always told me that she wanted to look good the day she died. She wanted to leave this world proudly."

"You know you can ask a professional to take care of her look if you want to. We have great wizards in this institution that can make Mrs Malfoy look like an angel."

Alicia shook of that idea.

"No, I want to do it myself. I owe it to her."

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Alicia woke up in a dark room. Bewildered she grabbed her wand and whispered Lumos.

She had fallen asleep in the room 699 on a chair next to Elisabeth's bed. The nurses must have forgotten to wake her up. Or maybe they thought she was going to spend the night with her friend.

Sighing Alicia gathered her things.

"Are you going?"

Alicia jumped in shock. She pointed her wand towards the woman on the bed. Elisabeth was sitting up. She was looking at Alicia and for the first time her eyes were not empty.

"Elisabeth!" Alicia cried approaching her friend timidly.

Elisabeth didn't say anything. Her mouth was half open and her breathing was heavy.

"Elisabeth, it's me!" Alicia said grabbing her friend's hand.

Elisabeth searched Alicia's face. Her mind seemed to be working furiously.

"Ali …" She finally stuttered.

Alicia was touched.

"Yes, it's me," she said happily.

"Ali … I need you to do something for me," Elisabeth whispered with difficulty. She seemed to be putting all her energy in focusing on what she was saying. With horror, Alicia realised Elisabeth couldn't stay long like that. In a few seconds she was going to go back to the state she had been before.

"I'll do anything for you," Alicia said kissing the woman's hand.

"Ali … find … the … people who … did this to … me. They …have … the reverse potion … to … help … me. I will … never… heal… without the … potion. Please …"

Alicia took Elisabeth in her arms as she felt her slip away again.

"I will do what you asked me to, Elisa, I promise. I'll find the potion and you will heal."

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