An Heir

Part Twenty Four- Just a Theory

The sun had just risen and I was beginning to change back, it couldn’t have been past eight, which considering it was a Thursday was a whole lot less than ideal. I woke and I was in the hallway on the staircase. My head was pounding by the time I had gained my body back and there was blood flowing from my nostrils. My back felt bruised and there was a deep scratch across and over my shoulder that I tested with a finger, pulling it open to see how dirty- and how deep the wound was. Meanwhile I was walking back upstairs and into the room I'd fallen unconscious in and pulled my knickers and half of my school uniform on, I had transfiguration in thirty minutes and I was hoping that I wouldn't be late. I heard Professor Lupin crash into something downstairs and groan loudly, I would have smirked had I the ability to- I knew exactly how he was feeling.

I finished getting dressed, cleaning the blood from my face and some of the muck from the wound on my shoulder in a little bowl I conjured up and filled with water, waiting a little while before I walked back downstairs where Professor Lupin was fully dressed and re-up-righting furniture.

“Are you ready to head back to the castle?” He asked as I emerged from the staircase, nodding a hand strayed to my back and I scratched at the scaling around the nape, it was incredibly itchy and I was feeling seriously uncomfortable.

“I'm sorry about the scratch on your shoulder, I hope it isn't too deep, I'm afraid I had very little choice- you are quite a bit stronger than I am.”

“I attacked you again?” I asked apprehensively, when he nodded my shoulders dropped like a great weight had suddenly crashed down on them. “I'm so sorry Professor I really-”

“You don't mean it… come on, up to the school before people notice that you’re gone.”

“I think the girls in my dorm might have by now Professor,” I commented wistfully.

“Well let’s not give them any other reason to believe you’re a rebel.” He smiled- he was trying to cheer me up but I couldn’t fail to notice the jaw marks around his throat and the fact that he was limping heavily as we walked through the passage.

“I'm afraid you might be a little late for class.” Professor Lupin told me breathlessly as we reached the mouth of the tunnel, with a shrug I replied.

“It’ll be okay, Professor McGonagall knows where I've been.” I was sounding gruff but I had nothing on the Professor.

The bell sounded just as we walked through the main doors to the castle and we walked around the side of the castle to a door that wasn’t too far from the greenhouses.

“This leads into the teachers’ lounge, we should stay here to avoid notice and then I can get you up to the Hospital wing.” I nodded and had it been any other morning I would have smiled.

“Professor no offence but I think you need it more than I do,” I indicated to his face, hands and his leg which appeared to be hurting him after we’d walked a little further.

“Imogene-”

“Professor I’ve just got a few scratches-”

“I've seen what I did to your shoulder and they are not just scratches, and I’ve seen your scales too so you can’t tell me that they're nothing either.”

“The scales are a physical effect of Sthyss healing me, and it’s not like they affect me.” I lied as he opened the door into the teacher’s lounge and shut it hurriedly after me with a flick of his wand.

“Professor, we should be alright if we go separately to the hospital wing.” I said trying to think logically through my pounding head.

“I just need to make sure Professor Snape is there to meet us.” He grumbled something slightly under his breathe and I sat back on the chair behind me in exhaustion. I closed my eyes and waited patiently, there wasn’t too much light in the room and I was far enough away from the open window that I wasn’t shivering too badly.