Keep Running Until You Cannot Run Anymore
"I think I am going to go out." I said, breaking the tense silence gently.
"Are you alright, Henria?" Hermione asked kindly. I slowly brought my gaze to her face.
"Actually, no I am not." I replied. The room was deathly quiet. "I am, however, going to leave this room with my owl and do...something."
"Do you need some one to go with you?" Harry asked with concerned lines etched into his face. I turned towards the door and started heading for it.
"No." I replied curtly.
"Wait!" Draco called after me, "You need to unlock my door!"
"Do it yourself!" I shouted over my shoulder.
"Damn it!" I heard him yell before the Common Room door shut behind me.
I took a deep breath and started for the Entrance Hall. I was going to get out of this castle and run off my anger. Perhaps the Black Lake was big enough. I had seen it on the way in. I think it is perfect for running off anger or too much food.
My pace was fierce on my way down to the Hall. I think I bumped into two or three people. Good thing I left Denali to fly out a window or he would be throwing a fit. Well, it was not that great. I really miss Denali.
"Miss Sownbinder, may I have a moment of your time?" a sharp voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced over to see Minerva looking at me expectantly. I paused my march.
"No, I don't think you may." I replied none-too-politely.
"I beg your pardon?" she sounded appalled at my answer.
"No, you may not." I said through clenched teeth.
"Come into my office this instance!" Minerva snapped. Students had stopped walking in the middle of the hallway to watch us. I do not think any of them had ever seen anyone defy Professor McGonagall.
"Not until you tell me why you did not think it was important to notify me that I am rooming with a kid who almost killed my uncle! You tell me that Minerva, and I will gladly let you have a moment of my time." The back of my eyes were burning. "Until you can do that, have a nice evening." and I spun on my heel and pushed my way through the circled that had formed around us.
"Miss Sownbinder!" I heard her yell, but I blatantly ignored her, "Henria!" she shouted, but I kept going. "Go to your dorms! Now!" her voice was like a whip.
I flicked my wrist and flung open the Entrance doors. I sprinted down the steps. When I hit the stone pathway I did not slow down. In fact, I think I started going faster. My pace did not lighten up when I felt my feet hit grass either. My legs decided to go even faster.
I heard the flap of Denali's wings as he flew behind me. They followed me as I sped across the distance to the Black Lake. I kept my pace as I started my journey around it, feeling a burning sensation in my lungs.
When I had decided to sprint as far as I can, I never thought I would go around the whole of the Black Lake. The vigorous pace that I had started at had made it impossible. Although, when I found myself an hour after I started in the same place, I amazed myself.
My breathing was ragged and my chest burned with a fire that was so hot, I thought I might die. I could feel a cramp starting in my left leg. I noticed that Denali had fallen behind at about three quarters of the way around.
But my legs would not stop.
My legs kept pumping and I had no choice but to keep going. I could feel sweat drizzle down my face. It was rushing down my back and chest in massive floods. I could feel my clothes sticking to me because they were drenched. My hair was plastered to my skull and neck.
And still, my legs kept going.
I was almost halfway around the lake on my second pass when my legs finally gave out. I lost all feeling in them and I dived head first into the ground. I broke my fall with my arms, but even then I fell pretty hard.
I felt a rock jut into my ribs, causing even more burning in my lungs. My arms were scrapped and scratched in various places. Even with my arms to break my fall, I still hit my head on a rock. As my world started to go black, I heard Denali land on the ground beside me. I started to reach out to stroke his wing, but everything went black.
Draco Vision:
"Damn it!" I yelled more out of annoyance then anger. 'Now what am I going to do? I thought to myself as I heard the Common Room door slam.
"Look at what you did, Malfoy." Potter accused. He raised his wand level with my head, "Imped-"
"Harry James!" Granger scolded, "Put your bloody wand down before I body bind you for the mess you have caused!" I looked over at Granger to see her wand pointed at Potter.
"I caused?" Potter looked dumbfounded. 'Not that that is anything new to see.' I thought with a mental smirk. "I did not try to kill anyone of any importance!"
"No, but you are just as bad as Malfoy for dumping that on Henria. That was inconsiderate and you did it only for personal gain." Granger lowered her wand as she stood there and berated Potter.
It took me two beats to realize she had accused Potter of personal gain. That caught me as odd.
"Wait, how would that be for personal gain?" I asked bewildered that I, Draco Malfoy, could be used as personal gain for Harry Potter.
"We hate you, right?" I nodded in response to her question, "Well, Harry hates you with a vengeance. So he tried to get Henria to either seriously harm or kill you."
I glanced at Potter and shrugged my shoulders slightly. I turned to my door and pulled out my wand. I said a silent prayer in hopes that if someone heard me, they would help me unlock my door. I pointed my wand to the doorknob and murmured, 'Alohamora.' I heard a soft click and smiled to myself.
"Where the hell do you think you are going, Ferret." Weasley said to my back. I bit back a very rude come back.
"Going to my room, Weasel. Is that illegal now?" I waited two seconds. "I didn't think so." I opened my door and stepped into my room, closing the door softly behind me.
Henria Vision:
I felt a small pinch on my arm through the haze I was in. I felt almost drunk. My brain was sluggish and everything felt numb. Everything felt numb until I came into full consciousness. That is when I realized everything was sore.
I lifted my head and immediately stopped all movement. I moaned as my head started to pound. I brought my hand slowly to my head and started to feel for any gashes. My fingers were shakey with pain.
When I did not feel anything that would cause severe blood loss, I slowly sat up. I knew at this point in time that standing would only lead to passing out. So, I sat for a few minutes and looked around for something to help me stand up.
I spotted a tree about ten paces away. I took a slow deep breath and started to crawl my way to the tree. It was a painstakingly slow process. I had to make sure that I did not move anything that would cause me to flinch because that would only lead to more pain.
When I finally made it, I rested my forehead on the trunk. The left side of my ribcage was burning. I placed my hand on it and felt a break. Great, I thought, I broke a rib. Lovely. I mentally shook it off and started to stand up.
At first, my arms shook a lot because they did not feel like pulling my weight around. After they had done their job, my legs were the ones shakey. They felt almost like jelly as I placed all my weight on them. I had to hold onto the tree for five minutes before my legs finally stopped wobbling.
I looked around and found the culprit who woke me up. He was perched on a rock, watching me carefully. I patted my left shoulder and he flew off the rock and descended upon it. The comfortable weight made me feel a lot better.
We made our way slowly across the field. I was limping because of the cramp in my left leg. My thighs were stiff and my calves did not like flexing. The arches of my feet hurt and it made it even more difficult to walk.
I ascended the stairs to the Entrance Hall and felt some relief. All I had to do now was open the door and go to the Head's Common Room. My ascent of the stairs was slow. I was becoming impatient with all this slow moving that I had to do. I pressed on the door.
"Locked!?" I exclaimed loudly. At this point, I was too tired and in too much pain to even care if I woke the castle with my yelling. I looked at Denali and said, "Well, my fine, feathered friend, know any other doors that will get us in?"
In response, he lifted off my shoulder and flew to the side. I followed him around a corner and saw a small door into the castle. I motioned for him to come and perch on my shoulder and headed for the door.
When I stepped through the door, I saw that we were close the Entrance Hall. That means that I was closer to my bed and sleeping and maybe a bath. I could feel myself start to soak out the stiffness. I closed the door quietly and started for my dorm.
After half an hour of walking, I got to the door. I whispered the password and stepped through the doorframe into the Common Room. Immediately upon entering, I was engulfed with bushy, brown hair.
"Henria! Oh Merlin!" Hermione squealed in my ear. She squeezed me so hard that I felt a sharp pain in my side.
"Oh blast it all!" I said through clenched teeth. "You moved the fracking rib!" I shoved her off and gripped the wall. I resisted the urge to bite my tongue. I use pain to get through pain.
"Moved the rib?" Ronald asked with a puzzled face. My vision started to go in and out, his puzzled face became fuzzy.
"Yes, that is what I said. Moved the rib." I replied as leaned against the wall. I heard a door open.
"Granger, do something or move out of the way!" a familiar voice yelled. I looked up at Draco and saw his outline moving towards me.
"I think I am going to pass out." I said before I felt my limbs go numb and started slipping down the wall. My vision went black and the last thing I remember is seeing Draco's mouth move, but no sound came.