The Original Witch

Chapter 21

I hear a load noise echo in my room, waking me up from my sleep. I groan quietly as my foggy mind pieces together my surroundings. Tangled in my bedsheets, I sit up slowly, the pain registering as my body moves.

My dream felt so vivid and real, although it was a flashback rather than a dream. Before I think more about the memories that had me tossing and turning last night, I remember why I had woken up in the first place: someone knocking on my door.

"Come in," I call out and silently unlock my door from my bed. My body feels weak and jittery as the door cracks open, revealing Astoria in her robes. She makes her way over to me, an alarmed look on her face as she takes in my appearance.

"Are you alright, Alexia? You look awfully pale." I glance across the room where a tall mirror is hanging from the wall. I look like a mess. My hair is tangled with knots everywhere, my face has no color to it, dark circles, and my skin is covered with a layer of sweat.

No words seem to form in my mouth due to the fact that I am dumbfounded with how my body is reacting to the werewolf venom still.

She tries again, "Do you want me to help get you to Madame Pomfrey?" Before I can offer a response, she struts over to my bed, removing the tower of covers from my body, and wraps her arm around my waist to lift me up. I struggle taking steps, but try my best to make it easier for Astoria to help me.

Normally I don't need help or don't want it, but my body has never experienced a werewolf bite. I would rather be in the infirmary to distract me from my memories pushing to be relived in my mind, but I fear that I will have to suffer some more before I am back to normal again.

We do not speak to each other until we are out in the halls passing other students. Not wanting to to act cold, I decide to make friends with Astoria. "Why did you come up to my room earlier?"

She glances over at me briefly before returning her vision forwards to maneuver me through the swarms of students. "It's already past lunchtime, you missed transfiguration and charms today, so I decided to check up on you. I'm glad that I did because you must be coming down with something."

"Something along those lines I guess," I mumble before speaking directly to her a little louder, "thank you for checking up on me."

Astoria smiles, "what are friends for?"

Friends...there's that word again. At this vulnerable state, I gladly accept the word because after last night, I need to make some new memories.

We eventually reach the infirmary, and Astoria guides me over to a bed before dashing off to potions before she is late. Madame Pomfrey comes over to examine me, "What seems to be the problem dear?"

Surely enough, when she asks this question my vision starts blurring and my throat aches, "I am...so thirsty." She scurries off to retrieve something while I attempt to control the black veins forming underneath my eyes. As she returns, I roll over to my side and lay comfortably.

"Pumpkin juice should do the trick as well as some rest. You look exhausted and drained, so get some sleep." She leaves, making me the sole person in the room. I sit up and grab the cup of pumpkin juice from the table beside me.

Raising the cup to my dryad cracked lips, I take a small sip before cringing at the taste because the juice is not what I crave at the moment.

I advert my eyes over to the entrance, trying to spot a certain Weasley to offer a kind donation to me. I don't have the best view, so in a mere second I am in the doorway searching. I spot him down the hall walking in this direction, so I wave to catch his attention. He immediately spots me and frowns when he sees me gripping the wall for dear life.