Beneath Her Skin

Chapter Sixteen

Alastriona pushed the chicken around on her plate, her eyes drifting closed every minute, head dropping, startling herself awake each time.
Tie loose and askew, hair knotted, she knew she was a mess. She could feel eyes constantly following her around everywhere she went, in her classes, the cold hallways, in the Hufflepuff Common Room and in the Great Hall. 

Alastriona had suffered through one of the worst weeks of her life, completely isolated, completely alone and without anyone to turn to, to lean on. Tears dropped onto her uneaten chicken, she sniffed harshly, wiped the tears off with the sleeve of her cloak and stood abruptly.

Alastriona left the Great Hall, she held her head high, eyes straight ahead, vision blurred enough that she couldn't see someone walking right towards her.
Alastriona grunted and rubbed the shoulder someone had knocked into. "Sorry." She mumbled, moving to get around but a hand gripped her wrist tightly and she finally glanced up.

Pansy Parkinson's scrunched up face sneered down at her, but her steely eyes didn't hold their usual venom. "Breen."

"Piss off, Parkinson, I'm not in the mood." Alastriona answered lowly, the blood heated in her veins, she ripped her wrist out of the Slytherin's grip.

Pansy smirked at her, backing away with her hands raised. "All right, all right. Careful Breen, your mother's ways are starting to shine through." Pansy winked at Alastriona and headed to the Slytherin table.

Alastriona sucked in a deep breath and uncurled her fists, she left the Great Hall and shook her head to herself. Pansy Parkinson had some real nerve, she'd have to put a stop to that sooner rather than— Alastriona stumbled on her feet a little, trying to change the direction her mind was going.

"Alastriona! Alastriona, wait!" 

The Hufflepuff stopped and turned, her heart thumped painfully, Dawn and Tracey approached her on fast feet.

"Hey," Tracey started, wrapping Alastriona up into a quick hug, she stepped back when Alastriona tensed and wouldn't hug her back. "You okay?"

Alastriona shuffled on her feet, "I'm fine."

"Red." Dawn whispered, "It'll be okay, they'll cool off eventually—"

Alastriona scoffed at them, shaking her head. "I don't care, they can stay mad at me forever, I don't care." She could tell they didn't believe her. "I'm better off by myself and so is everyone else."

"You don't mean that, Alastriona." Tracey tried to reason with her. "Why don't you come back in and we'll have dinner together? Just the three of us."

Alastriona ran a hand through her hair, hand getting caught on a knot, her hands drifted to her tie instead, undoing it fully and letting it dangle around her neck.
"Madrona is out there." She snapped at her friends. "Maybe all this happened for a good reason, because if she knows that I have people I care about then she'll come for them too." She waved a hand at the two girls in front of her. "You two had better follow suit with the others or she'll find you as well."

Dawn took a tentative step forward. "You don't know that, Red."

"I do. I know it, Dawn. Madrona won't stop now that she's out." Alastriona's words flowed freely and quietly in the corridor. "She'll come after me. She needs to finish what she started and when she sees I've created a life of my own, surrounded myself with friends and family, she'll take all of it away from me." She sucked in a deep breath, dark eyes flicked between the girls. "So just— just stay away from me."

"Alastriona, please, just let us help you." Tracey pleaded.

Alastriona's face scrunched up. "Just leave me alone, okay? I don't need help, I don't need you, I don't need anyone." The low words cut her friends deeply, she could see it on their shocked faces, she laughed humourlessly to herself and left them standing in the hall.