"You can't judge a book by its cover, Rhea"
"Yeah well, I can judge a person by their thoughts"
For Rhea Devereux, being in other people's mind was as easy as taking candy from a baby. Being born with the gift of Legilimency, it was something she wa...
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Night had finally come, and Rhea went to the Great Hall, not before drinking one of the potions. It was as if she did it nonintentional, it was like a habit now.
But she felt so happy and was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize when she drank another of the blue potions, or maybe it was two more? She wasn't sure but waved it off.
The day was just so amazing, she didn't imagine a little detail like that would matter.
"You look happy" smiled Josh
"I'm always happy" shrugged Rhea while both of them left the Slytherin common room.
"I mean happy happy"
"Happy happy?"
"I know you" said Josh, "and I know when you're really happy or..."
Rhea took a breath but said nothing.
They sat on the long table at the Great Hall and started talking about class.
Rhea turned her head off her plate of food when she felt a little dizzy. For a few moments, it was as if the entire hall spun around. But it stopped, and Rhea didn't give it much thought.
Not much time passed, and Rhea felt dizzy once more. The Great Hall was spinning again. Her head hurt too much. She felt her eyes close and her body began to go numb. With all of her strength, she stood up.
"Are you feeling alright?" Josh asked and Rhea nodded.
"Yeah, just a headache, I'll go take some fresh air"
"I can go with you"
She smiled weakly, "I wouldn't dare to drag you with me when you're about to eat pie, Joshie"
"You sure?"
"Yeah" she said, "I'll see you in the common room?"
Josh nodded and Rhea left the Great Hall. She just wanted to get to her dorm and sleep.
But her body didn't have the same idea. Rhea stopped feeling her legs and her vision blurred. Her eyes began to close until everything went black.
✧☽✧
When she woke up, she met the very judgmental eyes of Madam Pomfrey.
"Oh, hello" Rhea said as she sat on the bed, "I think I haven't eaten anything, maybe I fainted because of that-'' she added but madam Pomfrey raised her hand making Rhea silent. The matron proceeded to take out one of the empty blue potion vials and looked at Rhea in great concern.
"Miss Deveraux, you shouldn't be consuming this," she said as she sat in the chair at the side of Rhea's bed, "for how long?" she asked.
"Not so long," she lied.
"Miss Deveraux," said Pomfrey, narrowing her eyes, and Rhea knew she felt sad for her. She felt worried for her.
"Fine" Rhea said, "over a year," she whispered, playing with her fingers.
"ONE YEAR!" madam Pomfrey exclaimed, "you don't know how much damage you've been doing to yourself" she murmured as she took out various strange colored liquids, "yes, this... better this one, perhaps this"
The sound of the door opening moved Rhea's attention from madam Pomfrey and her medicine to Sirius and Josie, who entered the medical wing, running.
"Rhea!" Josie said, a lot of worry in her voice, approaching Rhea and bringing her in a hug.
"Fuck, Rhea, what have you done?" Sirius asked, just as concerned, taking Rhea's hand.
Rhea felt her head explode as she listened to every single worried thought of the three people in the room.
She couldn't imagine what it would be like to face all of voices in the classrooms or in the Great Hall.
"I'm sorry" she said, looking at Josie and Sirius, "for everything, I-"
"Don't apologize, Ree" said Josie, her kind smile making Rhea smile a bit.
"You two, out of here" said Madam Pomfrey sternly, "she has to rest, you can see her tomorrow."
"But-" Sirius started to say.
"Tomorrow, Mr. Black," said the matron, ushering Sirius and Josie outside, closing the door when both of them were outside, "well, look, you will have to take these so that your body recovers the strength it lost while taking that" she said, pointing to the empty vial on a small table, "you'll have to come every week too, a little checkup, that's all..." she continued but Rhea fell asleep. Or pretended to fall asleep.
She didn't want to face whatever would come next.
So, she just simply laid there, eyes closed, trying as hard as she could to shut all the voices.
