The Crow

Chapter 37. Drained

Neveah Crow

I was falling... I was falling and there wasn't a single thought in my mind. Perhaps there was... but I can't remember. Maybe it was something along the lines of, "I'm sorry," or, "I'll miss you."

No... It doesn't feel quite right. It feels too close to goodbye.

I was at peace. I felt the rain, I felt my magic drain, and I was okay with the end. But then there was panic.

The cold was a sting against my spine. I felt my bones crumble to ash and my heart beat the speed of a phoenix. Alas, you would never be able to tell. You would look at my body and see nothing. No pain, no agony, just waiting for signs of life.

There is something that makes us all equal. Muggle or wizard, we share the same rule. You cannot cheat death... or so we thought.

Where light should have greeted me, I met fire against my skin. A body ripping itself apart to live again. And it succeeded.

I gasped the empty air, my eyes whirling for an understanding. There wasn't a second to think before I had leaned over, vomiting on the stone floor. Tears caught in my eyes, my body aching at every movement.

"There, there... you're alright, sweetheart." A warm hand ran up and down my back, brushing the hair from my face. "You're okay now. You're okay."

I finally caught my breath, shutting my eyes to prevent nausea. Slowly, I sat upright. Daring to open my eyes, I turned to see...

"Narcissa?"

"Hi, darling..." She gave me a weak smile before wrapping her arms tightly around me. The last thing I felt before I lost consciousness again.

When I awoke again my body felt weak. Still feeling as though every inch of my body was bruised, but I was mobile. A warm lit lamp brought light in the dim, unfamiliar room.

I was in different clothes, belonging to someone other than me. Knit blankets weighed down my legs. Vials among vials stood on a far table, some empty. My head rang a thousand bells. I couldn't think. I couldn't understand.

It was as if every thought I tried to conjure was hit into space before I even had the chance to hear them. Nothing made sense. The only question I could summon... How am I alive?

The metal door shuddered. Someone was coming. I rushed to find my wand, searching beneath the blankets, the pillow. Nowhere.

"Don't be frightened, love. It's just me." Narcissa stood before the door, a soft smile on her face. She held a tray of fruit and tea, setting it on the table next to me. "I'm glad you're up. That journal really was correct, hmm?"

"The journal? Do you mean-"

"You must have so many questions... I'm afraid I only have half the answers." She walked toward the far table, sorting through the vials before choosing one.. "I'm only an accomplice in this all. Severus will answer anything you need."

"Snape?" My voice echoed inside my head, causing a flinch in my body.

"Now, now... Don't overwork yourself so soon. You're still healing." She sat back down, uncorking the vial containing a deep red and orange liquid. "Drink this."