Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 120

With the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw approaching, the two teams were all hard at work, practicing day and night between classes and after. But Diana's state of mind couldn't allow her to focus.

     She was filled with guilt, because if anything bad had happened to Remus's parents was completely her fault. But the trouble was, she had no idea if anything had happened to his parents or not, because throughout the past few days Diana had been avoiding Remus to the best of her abilities. She was too afraid that if she saw him again, something even worse would happen.

     "How are you feeling?" Layla asked Diana on the morning before her Quidditch game.

They were sitting at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, having breakfast. Although Layla noticed that Diana hadn't even touched her plate.

"Like I've been punched in the stomach by Hagrid," Diana grumbled.

"Well, that's an image." Layla snorted. "C'mon, eat your breakfast. You can't play on an empty stomach."

Diana didn't answer. She had just caught sight of Remus, sitting next to his friends on the other side of the Hall, at the Gryffindor table. He looked horrid, even though the full moon wasn't for another two weeks. But the bags under his eyes and his pallid face made it seem like he had gone through the worst transformation of his life only minutes ago.

      Suddenly feeling like her heart was trying to pound its way out of her chest, Diana shot up to her feet. "I should get going. Warm up." And without another word or even waiting for Layla's reply, she briskly left the Great Hall.

     The weather couldn't have been worse for a Quidditch game. Freezing cold, with grey clouds brewing on, bringing with them a blizzard.

Not even a Bludger could be seen rushing up their way, let alone the small Golden Snitch. The crowd's cheers seemed faded against the storm. The players could even barely see each other.

"The score is 20-20! Still no sign of the Golden Snitch!" The commentator's voice boomer through the magical microphone.

Diana's heart was beating rapidly as she held her broom in one hand and the bat with the other, flying in the air and trying to defend her teammates from raging Bludgers.

It was a good thing the weather was so horrid, because that way nobody could see just how distracted and out-of-focus Diana was.

Her head was pounding. Her heart was racing. Every inch of her body felt numb with cold, and she could barely breath. The thunder roared, and just then, as she was flying against the merciless wind, a Bludger gushed toward her out of nowhere, hitting her arm.

Diana yelled in pain, losing control of her broom as she fell to the ground. The unbearable pain in her arm was the last thing she remembered before the world went black to her eyes.

***

When Diana felt her consciousness coming back to her, the pain was gone and yet there was a stiffness in her arm that was weighing her down.

Slowly opening her eyes, she was faced with the high ceiling of hospital wings. There was no light inside other than the moonlight creeping in through the tall windows.

"You're awake."

Diana almost gasped at the sudden sound, but its shock was nothing compared to when she realized who the voice belonged to.

"Remus! What the hell are you doing here!" Diana hissed once she saw him, sitting on a chair right beside her bed. "Have you gone mental!?"

"It's okay, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't mind. She's got a soft spot for me," Remus said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I'm not talking about her and you know it!" Diana said angrily, trying to sit up on the bed, only to end up wincing in pain.

Remus shot up to his feet, gently assisting her to lay back, but she resisted. "You should rest."

     "And you shouldn't even be here!" Diana retorted. "What if Evan finds out? I put you in danger just by being with you, Remus. I put your parents in danger. I don't want that to happen again."

     "My parents are both fine," he said, sitting at the edge of the bed, right beside her. "They weren't home when the Death Eaters arrived. They're in hiding now. Everything's fine —"

     "No, Remus! Everything is not fine! What if they were home? Have you even thought of that? They would be dead now. Do you understand? Do you understand what us being with each other means? It means that you, your family, and everyone we love would never be safe, as long as we stay together. And I can't let that happen."

Remus remained quiet, a pained frown carved on his forehead.

"Diana, I..." he whispered, reaching out to hold her hand tightly in his. "I love you."

Diana froze, suddenly feeling as though there was no air for her to breathe. As if every limb in her body was broken, paralyzing her.

At last, Diana managed to move her head, shaking it slowly left to right. "No... no... don't — don't say that —"

"I will say it because it's the truth!"

"I can't, Remus! I can't! I'm being married off to the Rosier family in a few months! Do you understand!? It's over! You and me — we're over!"

He stared back at her, his eyes an empty abyss. He was silent, waiting for her to say something. To take her words back. But Diana didn't speak. She just looked away from him, knowing if he caught his eyes, she would burst into tears.

      She couldn't even remember the last time she had cried, even as a child. And her pride certainly didn't allow her to do it now, especially in front of him.

     She had to be strong for the both of them.

     It was for the best.

     "Is that you final word?" Remus muttered, his eyes fixed on her fiercely.

     "It is," she said, trying her best not to stutter out the words.

     She closed her eyes shut when she felt Remus standing up and moving away from her, the sound of his footsteps fading away as the distance grew between them.

    And then, when she opened her eyes again, she was all alone in the dim hospital.