The Blood within our veins (Ominis Gaunt)

Chapter Seven

With fall vastly approaching Gianna found herself heavily wrapped up in a scarf and her numerous responsibilities. Her father had owled her again with more reminders about her OWLs and had illicted help by hiring a 7th year Slytherin to tutor her. So now on top of classwork, extra assignments, and everything else she spent Saturday mornings with the Slytherin Head Boy, Oliver Prowse, who was as proud as his namesake. Prowse often sent Gianna home with homework to study for her OWLs despite Gianna's protests that she was in fact studying in her spare time. The worse part was that her father had also offered Prowse a hefty lot of galleons to watch Gianna to ensure she was studying. Somehow rumors of her activities with Jackdaw and raiding poacher camps had reached her father who was far from pleased. Thanks to Sebastian, Gianna often used the disillusionment charm to make her way past him and continued on as normal.

But her days stayed busy. She had just completed the first trial at the Keeper's request. She had made her way through it somewhat easily other that a scar over the crook over her nose that seemed rather deeper than it felt in the moment. All the running around made her brain hurt and she had to reject several invitations to the Three Broomsticks with Natty and Poppy who grew in concern. Gianna could tell from Natty's expressions she weakly disguised;that Natty was beginning to become disappointed with how little time Gianna had to spend with her friends. "I'm not sure how you have time to balance it all." Natty commented the last time Gianna had rejected a trip to Hogsmeade. "It has to be done." Gianna answered simply which caused Natsai to contort her facial features in disbelief but not press further.

Natty and Poppy approached Sebastian and Ominis one day to question them on their perspective after a Transfiguration lecture. Sebastian and Ominis had been chatting to themselves when the two girls sauntered up. Sebastian turned curiously and Ominis's eyes darted at the sound of their footsteps. "Hey you guys, have you heard from Gianna recently?" Natty introduced the topic wanting to quickly address her placed concern. She spoke mostly to Sebastian and Ominis took notice to this. Sebastian shook his head. "She's been AWOL. We rarely see her at breakfast anymore." Sebastian furrowed his brows that matched the contemplative looks Poppy and Natty shared. "We figured she must have been with you guys."  He finished.

"She hasn't. She's ditched our last few trips to The Three Broomsticks." Poppy explained. "Which is extremely out of character. " Poppy frowned. "She loves butterbeer."

"We were wondering if you knew anything about what she's been up to." Natty spoke still focused in on Sebastian. "Beats me. I'm just as clueless as you lot." Sebastian answered. "Sometimes I see her in the common room with that wanker Oliver Prowse. Oftentimes I can't seem to catch her though." Sebastian replied his tone somewhat sad. Ominis's head snapped up at this. "You mean that holier than though 7th year Head boy? Why would she be hanging out with him?" Ominis asked with a surprising amount of hostility. "Dunno. I see them studying together a lot." Sebastian shrugged.

Natty frowned and her shoulder's sank at Sebastian's unhelpful intelligence on the matter. "Thanks anyways. Let us know if you hear anything. We are starting to get worried." Poppy piped in. The group separated feeling a mix of hurt and confusion on Gianna's disapperance.

Meanwhile Gianna sat outside the room of requirement attempting to get herself to keep studying. The room of requirement had been her saving grace. It was a gift from Professor Weasley who had noticed her distress and presented the room to her. It was perfect. Somewhere she could study and get her schoolwork done as well as rest and recuperate after trifling missions. Deek,the house elf Professor Weasley asked to facilitate Gianna with the room, had been just as helpful and an honest friend to Gianna.

She sat outside the room because of how frustrated she had become with her studies and decided a change of scenery would help. Plus the tapestry outside of the room always made her laugh. Gianna drummed her fingers against her potions homework. She felt lightheaded and exhausted. She had been skipping meals to study like her father wanted and although it wasn't wise for her to do so it genuinely felt like the only thing she could afford to miss with everything she had to do. Gianna rubbed at her eyes and her eyes brimmed with tears of exhuastion. She wasn't the type to cry except in anger or frustration. So for her to feel so overwhelmed on top of how hungry and dehydrated she felt her body exhausted itself the only way it knew how.