AN: I've added a new chapter to my fic over on AO3 as well guys if any of you are reading it :) x

Arianna spent most of the following week curled up in bed. It was all Ellen could do to force her friend to eat and drink… and even then she only managed water and perhaps a slice of toast. The only thing Arianna would voluntarily do, would be to write in her diary…

Monday May 26th 2014

Dear Diary,

My life is over.

My parents forgot me.

Hieronymous brought me back to Iris…

I don't want to be here.

I miss my parents.

I'll never see them again.

Why did this happen?

It's not fair…

Tuesday May 27th 2014

Dear Diary,

My stuff came today… Ellen had to get Professor Potsdam to help her with a charm to make my wardrobe bigger on the inside to get it all in. It's basically a room in there. I don't have anywhere else to put it.

I haven't seen Hieronymous since he saved me… Dad was going to shoot me. He thought I was an intruder.

I don't want to leave my bed. Maybe if I stay here, I'll wake up, and it'll all have been a bad dream.

I'm not that hopeful.

Wednesday May 28th 2014

Dear Diary,

Ellen is forcing me to eat. I don't want to. I feel sick to my stomach. Even water makes me want to vomit.

I wish she'd leave me alone.

Thursday May 29th 2014

Dear Diary,

Hieronymous hasn't come to see me. He hasn't even asked if I'm alright.

I don't think he cares…

I always was a bother.

Friday May 30th 2014

Dear Diary,

Ellen's been so understanding… She knows what I'm going through. She understands. She still insists I do something. Something to take my mind off the pain.

I don't want to move. I don't want to make this horror real… It's not real. It can't be real.

Saturday May 31st 2014

Dear Diary,

It's real.

It's horribly real.

I've been sat here for a week almost… Just staring at the wall. This is wrong. I can't just do nothing all day.

Ellen is right. I should do something.

I'm going to go and talk to Hieronymous… Even if he doesn't want to see me. I need to get out of this room.

With a sigh, Arianna closed the small book, and slid it under her pillow. Ellen looked over from her desk at her, as she did each time she heard the book close. Arianna gave her a small smile, and Ellen looked taken-aback. Arianna hadn't smiled since her return to Iris Academy.

Slowly, Arianna got out of bed. She felt stiff, and like the air was made of thick syrup. She began the ancient ritual of getting dressed… Ancient, because it felt like years since she'd done it. She had not changed out of her grey pyjamas since going to bed after the best day of her life. She'd had no idea she'd experience the worst day of her life just hours later.

"Arianna?" Ellen said, her voice full of hope, watching Arianna pull on a pair of worn jeans and a simple, white t-shirt with three blue flowers printed on it.

"I'm going for a walk." Arianna said, her voice raw from not being used for a week. "I think it's time I got out of bed…" she muttered, and Ellen smiled.

"Okay, I'll be here if you need me."

Arianna nodded, attempting a small smile of gratitude. It seemed to satisfy Ellen, who went back to her book.

The halls were cooler than their stuffy dorm room, and Arianna took a deep, cleansing breath. Of course, she'd been out of her room before now… To go to the toilet or have a shower. But she'd never appreciated it like she did now.

What's the point in dwelling on it and being miserable? None.

She found her way to Hieronymous' rooms very easily, as it was a route engraved into her brain.

But doubt clouded her mind. If he'd wanted to see her, wouldn't he have come to see if she was okay? Wouldn't he have at least asked Ellen how she was doing? But he hadn't done any of that… He hadn't comforted her. He'd given no kind words of advice; not that she'd expected any of those from him, but still… She worried.

Finally, after what felt like years contemplating it, she knocked tentatively on the door.

When it opened, there he stood, hat and all, and she smiled a little. But he was frowning. Not his usual, slightly grumpy frown… A proper frown. Her smile faded.

"Um… H-hello, sir." She stuttered, feeling like calling him by name now would just make him angry.

"What do you want?" he said harshly, and she flinched.

"I… Uh…" she felt tears welling in her eyes. He was shunning her… She held them back. "N-nothing sir… I'm sorry." And she hurried away with her head down, trying to contain the tears that had sprung unbidden to her eyes… Why was she crying? It had been obvious from the start. He wanted nothing to do with her… So she went to the only other person she could. Professor Potsdam.

The Headmistress was sat at her desk, filling in paperwork with a bright smile on her face. When she heard a reserved knock on her door, she looked up.

"Arianna, dear! You must be feeling a lot better to be out of your room! Ellen told me you wouldn't leave your bed." Then the cheery Professor saw the tears glistening in her student's eyes. "Would you like to talk, sweetie? Come and sit down." She indicated the chair across from her. Arianna silently made her way to the chair, and sat. She had her hands clasped in her lap, and her head was down. "What is it?"

"I… I'm feeling better about my parents… I mean… I miss them…" she murmured. "But there's no point dwelling on it, right? It won't change anything."

Professor Potsdam frowned. "Yes, my little sapling… That's right. So, what's the matter?"

A silence stretched between them.

"Does Professor Grabiner hate me?" she finally whispered, and if Petunia Potsdam's full attention hadn't been on the girl, she wouldn't have heard the sentence. As it was, she leaned back in her chair with a light "Hm…"

"Whatever makes you say that dear? I know he comes across as disliking people. But you and I both know it's not what he really thinks. He just looks grumpy."

"But he didn't just look grumpy… He…" but she couldn't finish the sentence, as a wave of coughs took her over, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Professor Potsdam handed her a handkerchief, and she dabbed at her eyes, before violently blowing her nose. She took a few deep, steadying breaths, before placing the handkerchief on the desk before her.

"Better, dear?" Professor Potsdam asked, gently. Arianna nodded. "Never a good idea to hold back one's tears, you know. Always let them out." Another nod. "Okay. So he was colder than his usual frigid self?"

"Yes… H-have I done something wrong? Did I upset him?"

"I very much doubt that, dear… Hieronymous is prone to these strange little moments. I'm afraid there is little I can say to you to help…" Although that wasn't a complete lie, she saw no point in telling Arianna something that was unlikely to help her either. "This is something you will simply have to work out on your own. But if you feel you need to talk about anything, I shall be more than willing to listen."

"O-okay… Thank you Professor." Arianna said, and she left.

For a while, she wandered the halls with little purpose. When she finally returned to her room, Ellen was coming out of the door.

"Arianna!" she cried, a little startled. "How are you feeling?"

"Um… okay?" Arianna answered, not sure herself. But Ellen smiled kindly.

"It's time for dinner. Will you come with me today?" she looked hopeful, but not expectant. She was perfectly ready to accept no; there was little point in pushing Arianna too far.

"I'd like that…" and Ellen's smile brightened further, with a hint of surprise. They walked towards the dining hall in companionable silence, until Ellen decided to make light conversation. "Um… the dragon toy on your bed… Was that-?" she didn't finish the question, suddenly regretting the line of questioning. But Arianna smiled sadly.

"It was a birthday gift, from my parents. I used to love Dragons as a kid."

"It's old then?"

"Oh no, they got me it last week… Before-" Arianna trailed off, her breath shaking for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, no! It's alright." Arianna insisted. "I'm kind of… coming to terms with it, you know? I'm still sad, but it's alright."

"I know how you feel." Ellen said, and for once it wasn't an empty statement, like such statements ordinarily were. "Did they make you name it? Mama always used to make me name my toys."

"Yeah…" another wave of sadness assaulted her as she remembered what she'd called the little red dragon.

"What did you call it?"

A blush rose to her cheeks, and tears pricked at her eyes. "H-Hieronymous…" she muttered, embarrassed. Ellen didn't react at first.

"I suppose it kind of suits, doesn't it?" she finally said, and Arianna could hear the laugh behind her voice. Arianna did not laugh.

"Yeah…"

It was strange to sit in the dining hall when most of the student body was away. At most, about ten people were in the vast room at one time, and Arianna turned pale when she saw a familiar figure sat at one table in the corner, hunched over a book, with a forgotten plate of watery Spaghetti Bolognese beside it…

She picked at her food. The mince was tasteless, and the pasta was bland. She only managed about two fork-fulls, before she thought she'd throw up. Ellen seemed quite happy to eat it, as did the rest of the room… Except one other.

Hieronymous Grabiner's food was still untouched, and clearly cold. Arianna couldn't tell what book he had open in front of him, but he was clearly engrossed in it (as usual).

She didn't quite know what possessed her to go over to him. In the back of her mind, she knew he hated to be disturbed while reading, and he'd already made it clear he didn't want to see her. But she went anyway…

She felt like a medieval warrior, sent to face the dragon of the mountain, with nought but a sword. Her chances were slim, but she went anyway, lured by the promise of glory…

For a moment, she stood there… He hadn't noticed her, too engrossed in his book. Ellen watched from the other side of the room, biting her lip. It was clear something was wrong. Thankfully, the rest of the room was too busy eating to pay them any attention.

Finally, she spoke. "Professor?" her voice was steadier than she'd expected, a false strength derived from nerves; the kind an actress relies upon.

He looked up. For a moment, she felt her confidence, however false it was, drain away as their eyes locked. His were fierce, clearly irritated about being disturbed.

"What?" he growled, and she nearly lost her nerve again, as the tears threatened to return. But she stood her ground, albeit tentatively.

"Why- um… Have I done something to upset you, sir? Whatever it is, I'm very sorry." It came out a bit too fast for most people to pick up, but Hieronymous Grabiner was not most people, and his frown deepened as he considered her question. "It's just… You seem to not want to talk to me." She could feel the formality in her voice… A formality that she'd thought they'd abandoned in private conversation. But apparently not.

He closed his eyes, huffing out a breath through his nose. In one slow, fluid movement, he placed a bookmark in his book, closed it and stood, shifting the book to rest under his arm.

"Perhaps we should talk in private." He said sternly. It was not a request… It was an order. Arianna gulped and nodded minutely. He turned and stalked out of the room. As she followed, Arianna spared a glance back at Ellen, who looked worried.

Yay tension XD