the girl who lost it all [d.m]

twenty two: inviso

inviso: look, visit, inspect

———

ELARA was still reeling days later.

Her mind couldn't seem to shut off. There was a constant murmur, a whisper that made her want to clutch her head until it stopped. It said all kinds of things—ring, Horcrux, Draco, Draco, Draco—and it felt as if someone was playing a broken record in her head.

It was driving her insane. She couldn't sleep at night, couldn't even come out of her room for the first two days after it happened. Not only had the whole event left her with a muddled mind, it also bore the gift of a skull-splitting headache—so bad she couldn't move from bed the first day.

"Elara?" Valerie's muffled voice pierced the silence of her bedroom. "Elara, I'm coming in."

Elara groaned, currently sat on the armchair, her head in her hands and opened her mouth to tell Val to come back later but her friend was already pushing open the door, flanked by Iris. Both looked tensed and worried, their eyes sweeping over the messy bedroom.

"I haven't been able to clean," Elara said, hoarsely, as her head pounded. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Iris waved her statement away and approached, cautiously. "What's going on, El? Are you sick?"

"She has to be," Val murmured, eyes skimming over Elara's disheveled form. Heading over to the small table, she poured a glass of water. "Did something happen?"

Elara squeezed her eyes shut, her hands pulling at her hair as the ache behind her eyes increased. "Just a...headache."

"This bad?" Iris inquired, crouching in front of the armchair and taking her hand. Immediately, she dropped it, as if she'd been scalded. "Val, she's burning up."

"Elara." Val was in front of her too now, one gentle hand coming under her chin to tip her head up, the other raising the glass of water to her lips. "Why don't you tell us what happened so we can help?"

Elara shook her head as she forced down mouthfuls of water, her throat parched. "It's just—"

"Don't you dare say it's just a headache," Val chided, placing the half-empty glass onto the dresser. "You didn't come out of your room for two days and even when you did, it was just to go sit in the snow in barely any clothes and you haven't come out since. Have you even eaten anything?"

Elara shook her head.

Iris exhaled. "Right." Straightening, she moved for the door. "I'll get her something to eat and a Draught."

"Don't...Don't tell Hermione," Elara croaked out, suddenly feeling cold to the bone and shivering. Val immediately grabbed the blanket from the bed and draped it around her shoulders.