I'll Catch You (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Temporary Withdrawal

"Are you feeling alright?" Laura asked as she sat on her bed, cross-legged and sorting out her make-up brushes by scale of fluffiness. I looked up at her from my four-poster, unable to see her fully because of the bright lights streaming in through the window.

No, no I wasn't alright. I had taken the last of my potion this morning and I could feel it wearing off by the minute. The warm spring breeze was tickling my skin, and the light was too harsh compared to what I was used to. I could deal with feeling something, but as soon as the potion wore off? The pain would step back into my brain, squeeze my heart until I thought it would burst.

I could deal with feeling something, but if it meant feeling everything? I'd rather feel nothing at all.

"Yep" I tried to keep my voice level as I flipped the page in my potions text book.

"How're the boys doing?" Kelly asked, laying on her bed and levitating her notes around her head.

"Good, I guess. They've started putting the shop together. George says that they'll be open before school lets out." Holding the book open was no use, my hands were shaking so badly. I sat my book on the foot of my bed and leaned back, pinning my hands down to the pillow with my head.

"Do you think they'll still do the mail-order once the shop opens up?" Laura asked curiously.

"I don't bloody know" I gritted my teeth together. Without the calm of the potion, I was set on edge. The light hurt my eyes. They shakes exhausted my body. The questions hurt my brain.

Both Kelly and Laura went quiet. They looked at my cautiously before turning to each other with raised eyebrows. "Well, I'm going to see Neville" Laura shrugged and left the room without even putting away her brushes.

"And I do believe that Lee and I need to spend some... quality time together" Kelly smirked and left the room as well, letting her notes float down onto her bed to their own accord.

I sighed and closed my eyes, unable to bear the light for another second. I didn't need the potion, it was a stupid idea to take it in the first place. I mean, I should be smart enough to deal with it on my own.

A knock came from the door, loud enough for me to hear, but quiet enough for me not to know where it was coming from. Probably just Laura or Kelly coming back into the room and not wanting to disturb me.

"Come in" I said, pressing the heels of my palms into my eyes, pushing back the pressure that was building up.

They stepped into the room heavily, closing the door behind them and flicking the lock. They didn't move or say a word, but stood in place at the end of my bed.

"Well, what is it?" I said irritably, squeezing my eyes shut as hard as I could.

"Hello Acelynne" the shrill voice said again. My eyes snapped open and I sat up too quickly, causing the room to go black for a second, followed by a blinding light that pierced my eyes and made me cry out in pain.

"You're not real" I said as I rubbed my eyes, blinking spastically in an attempt to adjust to the light.

"I may not be real" Alexi toyed with her wand, spinning it around her fingers before pointing it loosely at me. "But I'm in your mind, stuck like a memory." She paced around to the side of my bed, flicking her wand and pinning me down in an instant.

"You still can't hurt me" I countered through clenched teeth as I struggled against the invisible ropes.

"Oh Acelynne, naive, naive Acelynne" she shook her head and laughed under her breath. "Pain is in the mind. For example..." She waved her wand and created another slash down my stomach, ripping my shirt to expose the bloody flesh. "I've just cut you. You know it's not real, but your brain, your brain is telling you to feel because that it what is supposed to happen when you get hurt. You're brain is trying to make this as realistic as possible."