mahogany ; d.m

18 - molten mandposey

The sun hadn't risen the following morning when Athena woke. The sky was still ruled by the night, though there were giant grey clouds which quilted it, settling a climate of low spirits throughout the grounds of Hogwarts.

Athena felt a sullen grief wrenching her gut when remembering what it was she had to do today. Although she'd been anticipating this for quite a while, it felt slightly regretful to be happening so soon.

Despite it being certainly more appropriate, she didn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey. It wasn't something she wanted a fuss to be made over, and if she went to the matron, she feared that it would seem more real.

Therefore, she felt she needed to take matters into her own hands. A while ago, she looked up a potion called Molten Mandposey, a fluid to be taken when one wishes to remove a foetus without any harm to oneself.

She had studied the ingredients, carefully fixating on what she would need and how much, guessing that there would be some in the potions storeroom. She wasn't supposed to go in there but who would know if she went this early in the morning.

Forcing herself out of bed, she stepped onto the numbingly cold floor and started to get somewhat ready to look slightly more presentable.

Hermione didn't wake meaning she could avoid confrontation. She grabbed her wand, for safe measure and left the dormitory, being very cautious not to close the door too loudly.

When she stepped through the portrait, the Fat Lady awoke in a shock, yelping, "Merlin's beard! You're an early bird aren't you."

The corridor was unlit and dismal, a desolate ambience shadowing Athena as she silently headed to the storeroom. From behind, she could hear a shuffling of footsteps so picked up her pace.

Once she reached the room, she shut the door behind her immediately, hoping the footsteps hadn't found or followed her. The small room was pitch black, even darker than the corridor as there were no windows for the natural light to shine through.

She reached for her wand and uttered "Lumos". Attempting to make things easier she tried the summoning spell for her first ingredient, but it didn't work for some strange reason. She tried again and again but nothing happened.

Therefore she had to scan the shelves, browsing through the ingredients, selecting those which she knew would be needed and placed them into a small bag with an undetectable extension charm applied to it.

Floating around the room was a levitating step which Athena used to reach the higher shelves. On the top shelf, were the vial's of dittany, where she carefully picked one from the back.

The familiar feelings from the night before appeared to surface once she had collected every one of the ingredients which now rested all jumbled together in her small bag. She took an inhale to clear the feeling, but tears broke through with the exhale.

She summoned the levitating step to lower to the floor and hopped off of it, crouching down and clutching her chest to contain the heaves and gasps which were escaping her.

She was alone in this; completely isolated in her own secret. And it was for that feeling of solitude that she wasn't certain whether she were making the right choice.

She only longed for someone to show her the way, to tell her exactly what to do and to stand by her side, because she was only sixteen and had no concept of how to deal with such grave situations as this one.

But she was alone with no one to confide in.

Interrupting the chaos of her thoughts, a gentle knock tapped against the hard wood of the door.