Courage

-19-

Book: Courage
Chapter 19
Word Count: 3198

Needless to say, Professor Lockhart's lessons became a bit toned down after the pixie incident. Normally Lockhart would read extracts from his book, which Layla found very dull. Everyone else seemed to feel the same way and life at Hogwarts became a tad bit boring over the next month. Layla was very glad when the weekend arrived.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were planning on going to Hogwarts on the Saturday a few days before Halloween, but Layla had politely declined the offer to go, too, since she was still fearful of leaving the castle most days as she continued to find herself in places she didn't remember going to.

As Ron and Hermione went to watch Harry's Quidditch practice early on Saturday morning before they would go see Hagrid, Layla took the time to sleep in. When she did wake up, she saw Hermione's bed still empty. Lavender and Parvati were still sleeping, meaning that they'd, too, decided to skip breakfast and sleep in for the weekend.

Grabbing her diary quietly so she didn't wake up the two sleeping girls in the room, Layla reached for her quill and ink and began writing to Tom like she did every morning. She wrote to him about how concerned she was that she kept ending up in places without remembering going there.

It's just so strange, don't you think?

Yes, it does seem rather peculiar, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

Are you sure?

Yes, very.

Okay, then. Well, I'll speak to you soon, Tom. Bye!

Goodbye.

Layla then placed her diary, her quill, and her ink pot on her bedside table, deciding how she wanted to spend her Saturday. She wanted a day just for her. She loved her friends with all her heart but she was with them everyday. She wanted to be alone for the day.

So, with a sigh, Layla tucked herself back in bed and set a charm on her own wand to ring loudly when lunch started, deciding to have a few more hours of sleep.

It wasn't until lunch that day that Layla finally saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She sat down with them and they began to tell her all about their morning. How the Slytherins appeared on the pitch during the Gryffindors' practice, how they introduced Draco as their new seeker, and how Draco had called Hermione a mudblood when Hermione stood up for the Gryffindors.

"He did what?!" Layla went to stand up, planning on connecting her fist with Draco's face, but Harry stopped her. With a scowl, Layla sunk back into her seat.

"It's okay," Hermione chimed in from opposite Layla. "Ron tried to defend me and hex Malfoy with a 'eat slugs' charm, but because of his wand, the hex backfired and we had to take Ron to Hagrid's as he vomited up slugs. It wasn't a pretty sight."

"Wow," muttered Layla. "I'm actually not hungry. I'll meet you guys back in the common room." Layla went to leave, but Hermione had stood up and pulled Layla aside, out of Harry and Ron's hearing range.

"Layla, are you sure you're not hungry? You can't just not eat because... because of what Malfoy said."

"That's not the reason," reassured Layla, but a part of her knew she was lying. "I'm just not hungry. I'll see you later."

With that, Layla turned and exited the Great Hall. She headed up the flight of large steps and walked along the before ascending another flight. The new corridor she found herself in had a layer of water flooding the ground. It splashed every time Layla took a step.