Delicate // Poppy Sweeting

16

We stopped somewhere in the middle of the woods, feeling safe now that we were far enough away and no one had followed.

I leaned against the nearest tree, my hand finally dropping from Poppy's. I was trying to catch my breath but everything was hitting me all at once. Dragons. Dark Wizards. Poachers. Crucio. I couldn't look at her. I can't imagine what she must think of me now. I did the one thing I promised myself I would never do again. Only hours ago I had fully convinced myself I wouldn't. If Ominis found out I used it not only once, but twice, he would probably never speak to me again.

We were silent besides the sounds of the breeze and our labored breathing. After the both of us managed to calm down, I finally looked at her. I could see the fear in her eyes still. The flashbacks of her expression as I cast the spell were burning the back of my eyes. I quickly looked away, sliding down the tree to sit on a patch of clean dirt, out of the snow.

Poppy was battling with her thoughts. Both of us were bleeding from multiple places and I could feel the pain of a bruise forming on my ribs. He might've even broken something with that kick. I knew we shouldn't stay out here long.

"Poppy," I caught her attention, though my voice came out hoarse. "I need to explain-"

"I don't think I want you to." Her eyes said it all. Her voice barely above a whisper. It doesn't need explanation. I threw my head back against the bark and closed my eyes, but all I could see was her face. It was already haunting me.

We were silent again. My entire mouth tasted like copper and my abdomen throbbed relentlessly in time with my heartbeat. I spit out more blood into the snow, painting it a deep crimson. The blunt difference in color only reminding me of what I'd done.

"That dragon," She suddenly spoke up. "It was a Hebridean Black."

I coughed out a laugh. "I'm guessing the egg belongs to it?"

"I don't think she knew they had it, or that we do now. She wouldn't have left without it." She still wasn't looking at me.

"What do we do with it?" I winced, the movement of talking irritating my possibly fractured nose.

She sighed heavily, using her shoulder to wipe some of her own blood off her face. "I don't know. Nothing about this I could've possibly expected. Especially not the egg."

"Well they'll find out soon enough that someone took it. The poachers saw us good enough to make an assumption."

Poppy frowned. "You're right. If the poachers are good at anything, it's tracking their prey. We're it for them now."

I pushed myself to stand, noticing now that the sun was slowly setting. I didn't realize we'd been out for so long. "We should get going. We can figure it out later when we're safe."

-

Back at the castle, I returned the broom to the angry student I stole it from. I would've apologized more if my entire body wasn't aching. Poppy didn't wait for me to go inside, but I knew where she was headed. We'd planned out what we would say to the nurse in the hospital wing, but I still wasn't sure she would believe it.

After being cared for she left without a word. I watched her walk away, cursing myself internally. Ominis' words rang loud and clear through my ears.

If you cast Crucio, you will regret it forever.

He couldn't have been more right. I couldn't have been more of a fool. A part of me was worried Poppy would tell the headmaster, and I would be expelled. Another part of me knew I deserved it. I'd been so close to killing him, another person. The thought of it was weighing heavy on my mind. The nurse could tell I wasn't in the mood to speak and didn't ask any questions. She let me go with a warning look, one that told me she didn't want to see me in there like this again.