Marmoris | Rabastan Lestrange [1] ✔︎

07 | VOICES

"I know a thing or two
about pain and darkness."

★

NOT WANTING HER friends to know she'd given in, Phoenix tapped on tiptoes out of their dormitory the following morning, Rabastan's book tightly pressed to her chest. His scribbled words had made her curious, so she sat herself down on one of the emerald-green sofas in front of the fireplace. Mornings were her favourite part of the day, especially really early in the morning, when the Common Room was still empty and nobody would interrupt her reading.

At first she stared at the book's cover for a couple of seconds before she finally opened it. Already within the first sentences she realised it was a poem, which, in her opinion, made a story very hard to read. Some people said it was a more artistic kind of writing, but to her it took the flow of the story. You had to overthink everything and she was pretty sure there was nobody actually talking in poems. She was more into books with normal texts, where she could fall into their world and didn't have to concentrate while reading. But her curiosity won and with a deep breath she started to read. In her head a story about goddesses, Greek soldiers, princes and cities developed, and with every word it seemed to become easier to read the poem.

She found herself actually enjoying the book and suddenly jumped, when she heard somebody coming down the stairs. Quickly she closed the book and shoved it into her bag, which was already prepared with her supplies for school. To her surprise there was nobody entering the Common Room and she couldn't hear the sound of footsteps anymore. She glanced around the room, but it was still empty, only filled with the noise of the flames in the fireplace right in front of her.

She furrowed her eyebrows and slowly got up, pulling her bag on her shoulder, when she suddenly heard a noise. "Let us in."

Then another voice. "Don't push us away we are a part of you."

And there were other things she couldn't make out. Most of them were not mean, but very strict. Phoenix looked around the Common Room once more, although nothing had changed, her heart pounding fast against her ribs. She slowly walked backwards to the stairs, but flinched at a loud shriek. Out of impulse she pressed her hands on her ears, but it didn't stop. The high pitched scream grew even louder and her head started to hurt. Phoenix gasped and stumbled backwards, her bag falling to the ground with a loud bump.

"You can't run from your destiny."

"Fulfil your task, you coward, you unworthy girl."

"You are a disappointment, let us show you what you could do."

Phoenix fell onto her knees. Her head felt like there were a thousand knifes pushing into it and she helplessly pressed her palms against it.

"Please make it stop," she whispered, not able to grab any proper thought.

"You'll be the downfall of everyone you love."

"They shouldn't have chosen a coward."

"Unworthy!"

"Coward!"

"Traitor!"

★

RABASTAN HAD JUST left the bathroom when he heard somebody cry out in pain. It was definitely a girl's voice and knowing the sound of it, he was pretty sure he knew which girl it was. The book in his hand fell to the floor as he exchanged a look with Regulus, who had just woken up, still lying in his bed, and then Rabastan stormed down into the Common Room.

There she was.

Several students had gathered in their pyjamas around Phoenix, who was kneeling on the floor, her hands pressed to her head. Again she let out a sound of pain. He didn't know why it even bothered him, he didn't really know his best friend's sister, but seeing her like that made something in him crack. He pushed through the gathered students, who didn't even try to help the girl, who pulled on her hair and mumbled words he couldn't make out. He fell to his knees in front of her trembling body, grabbing her head with his hands, but she didn't respond to his touch. He realised her cheeks were feeling wet; she was crying.

"What are you all staring at? Fuck off," he screamed at the other students, who stood there staring at the suffering girl.

He lifted Phoenix head a little. Her eyes were closed, moving under her eyelids, and an expression of pain was covering all of her face, just like tear strands. He shook her lightly. "Love? Phoenix, come on what is it?"

She didn't answer, she didn't even open her eyes, and panic arose in his chest. This was definitely not a thing she would usually do. That's when Dawn came rushing down the stairs and ran over to him. "We need to get her to the hospital wing."

He nodded, placing one arm under her knees and one under her shoulders, lifting her up and following the brunette girl out into the dungeons with quick steps. They basically ran to the hospital wing with Phoenix whimpering in Rabastan's arms and burst through the portal without bothering to knock first. Madame Pomfrey, a young healer with light hair, was standing on a bed's side in the back of the room, but looked up and immediately came running over as she saw the unconscious, trembling girl.

"It happened again?" she asked while she ordered Rabastan to place her down in the bed closest to them. Without any word he followed her orders and softly let her down on the soft mattress.

"Yes, but differently than last time. She didn't respond to anyone talking to her. She's completely gone," Dawn explained throwing a concerned look at her best friend.

"Wait, this isn't the first time this happened?" Rabastan asked with widened eyes.

"Miss Prince can explain to you later, Mr. Lestrange. First, I need you to be silent, I have to concentrate," the healer ordered them and hurried away to get what she needed.

Rabastan looked at Phoenix, who was pale and winced uncontrollably. He had never seen anything like this ever before and he had to admit it frightened him not to know what was going on. Madame Pomfrey returned with a potion. "Hold her."

Immediately Dawn hurried to her friend's other side and grabbed her by her arm and her shoulder, but Rabastan stood there completely frozen. "Come on, Lestrange. Can you care about something else than your own pride, at least once in your life?"

It was an easy thing to say for her. How should you do something you had never done before? He had basically his complete life been fighting for himself, not really caring about others. It worked quite well, looking at how it turned out, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it. He didn't even really know Phoenix, but somehow she made his wall of strength crack. Still he couldn't see her hurting like this, although he didn't understand why. So he did the same thing as Dawn. Phoenix moved against their grip but they tried to keep her still, so Madame Pomfrey could make her drink the potion. They waited a moment and then the girl's body relaxed.

"I gave her a sleeping potion. It worked last time, but we can't be entirely sure. She'll wake up in a few hours, but you two have to go to your lessons. I'll take care of her."

Dawn nodded and smiled thankfully. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."

The healer smiled in return and walked away muttering something about the Blacks starting to be constant visitors. As soon as she was gone Rabastan turned to Dawn. "This happened before?"

A sad expression took over the girl's face. "Yes, twice. The other times it was Sirius who found her."

"The traitor?"

"Who happens to be her brother. What does it matter whether he's a bloody traitor or not? Well, it's not my story to tell anyways. I don't trust you, Lestrange. The book was a nice thing to do, but I still don't. She can tell you herself if she wants to."

Rabastan didn't answer as Regulus burst through the doors in that very second and ran over to them. "Is she alright?"