If I Lose Myself

Chapter Five: Astoria

Chapter Five: Astoria

October 1996

Astoria has been sick for nearly a week now. Though thankfully, she's been a lot better since then. She had hoped two weeks ago, particularly on the first day that she started tutoring Draco, would be the last time. But come Friday in that particular week, she was hit with the most unpleasant of colds to the point that Pepperup potions from Madam Pomfrey weren't enough. She refused to stay in the infirmary for the rest of the week, hating the smell of other sick people like her. It would have made her feel even worse than she already was. And when thankfully granted pardon to stay in her dormitories all week, that's when she started sneaking off into the library.

While her sister disapproved her getting out of bed while sick, she digressed that she couldn't bear to lie there and do nothing about her unnatural illness. She's read muggle books about people having terribly low immune systems, but none explained why her immune system was worst than anything ordinary. Her parents haven't got an idea as to why she's only shown symptoms of countless illness since she started attending Hogwarts. They'd have thought it had something to do with the school, but after coming back for the summer after her first year – she still spent days bedridden due to random colds and high fevers. They even had her checked in St. Mungo's, but not even the wizarding Healers knew why it was so.

And nothing frustrated her more than unanswered questions.

Of course, other than that, having to miss an entire week of classes was all the more frustrating. If she's lucky by tomorrow and could come back to classes, she'll be able to catch up on her subjects, though fruitlessly, including her tutoring with Draco. The very thought alone increased her stress that by the time she finished reading through a Healer's Guide to Uncommon Illnesses, she shoved the book back onto its shelf and left the library.

Astoria had wanted to at least explain to Draco why she'd been gone for a week now. But for the first three days of being bedridden, Daphne had kept her under wraps – and that meant hexing her room should she attempt to leave and checking on her after each class. Her sister brought her meals up and practically locked her away from the world outside her dormitory. Really, as much as she loved and appreciated her sister's concern, it irritated her how she kept babying her. She's fifteen, for Merlin's sake.

Although apart from that, she suspected that Daphne didn't want her to keep hanging around with Luna Lovegood. That issue was never addressed face to face, and her sister seemed to tolerate it just a bit, but Astoria knew Daphne didn't want her to be associated in any way with the Ravenclaw girl.

By the fourth day, she managed to unhex her room – after having read it in an advanced book somewhere while being quarantined in her room, thus sneaking off during Daphne's classes. At that time, she had completely forgotten about trying to find Draco, but also because she didn't want to have him telling her sister that she's sneaking off in the day. Astoria may be powerful when it comes to hexes, but her sister was ultimately better at it. She didn't need a new hex on her door every now and then.

Her thoughts as she weaved through the hallways were interrupted when she accidentally bumped into a tall figure. Astoria nearly fell off if it hadn't been for an invisible force that helped her back up. The witch looked up distractedly to find that she had actually run into the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. He was clad in purple robes and a slightly pointy hat of the same color.

"Ah, Ms. Greengrass. My apologies for running into you," The professor said apologetically.

Astoria shook her head immediately. "Oh no, I should be the one apologizing, sir. I wasn't looking."