RUN - James Potter

Chapter 13

"Rough night?"

Usually such a comment from Taylor would only result in Asterin snapping back at him, instead, she groaned as she massaged her neck. Antonella was stretching her arms, with her shoulders hurting as if daggers had been stabbed into it four times over. They had awakened to find Matilda had already left, leaving the two Ravenclaw girls to curse her name loudly, and with plenty of profanities. It was no help that their next class was a practical... for defence against the dark arts.

Erika giggled into Elsie's ear, as Taylor spoke again, "Are you going to be okay for the practical?", with his eyes filled with concern, "You looked like absolute hell."

Asterin groaned again, as she refused to even eat. Antonella knew that her mind was focusing on the pain in her neck, as she did with her arm. The constant electrifying sensation in her shoulder, every time she moved to pick up her cup of morning English breakfast tea, was enough to know she was screwed for her practical.

"No thanks to Matilda," Asterin groaned again, as she claimed that her neck was too sore to even see straight - or eat the buttered toast Erika had made her. "No fucking thanks to that snake."

The laughter from Erika and Elsie bounced around the small group of five, with Taylor following suit with the two other girls. Asterin begged them to stop their infectious laughter, as it hurt her to laugh - and unfortunately this only made Antonella shriek in pure humour. However, this laughter died very quickly when Elizabeth Edwards sat down next to Antonella.

"Good morning Fortescue," She said, in her giddy voice, "Ready for the duelling practical?"

Antonella had nearly spat out her tea. Duelling practical? With the one day her wand arm was nothing but a bundle of utter pain, she had a duelling practical. Before, she was screwed, and now she was fucked. She did not need to reply to Elizabeth, for her to recognise that she was not ready. The wide eyes must of gave it away. Her laughter was horrific, as she claimed that she wasn't ready either and that they should be duelling partners for the day. In which, Asterin reminded her that Antonella was her duelling partner.

"Stop sabotaging my grade and get your own duelling partner," Asterin had said, loud and proud. And with a humpf, Elizabeth left their end of the Ravenclaw table and made her way down to the top end where her friends sat.

"We're fucked," Asterin said, "All because of fucking Hoggs."

A pair of hands begun to massage Antonella shoulders, the fingers pressing down against the sore muscles, a cruel sensation. A foreign sound came from her voice, a wave of pleasure overcame her as the fingers circled down from the crook of her neck to her shoulder blades. Her eyes closed hid that her eyes were dizzily rolling to the back of her neck, and her mouth shut to stop anymore sounds from coming.

It was Matilda's hands. Antonella knew this, as she had massaged her knots from the nap of her neck, when she first started at Hogwarts. Silently, she forgave the girl that made her shoulders scream in agony.

"Me next!" Asterin cried out, and one of Matilda's hands moved to Asterin's neck and the other remained massaging Antonella's right shoulder blade. Neither spoke as the pleasing fingers removed the pain.

Antonella decided to ignore the laughter and comments from her friends, saying 'they curse her name, yet melt at her fingers', and 'Matilda literally has them in the palms of her hands'. Instead, she focused on the deep massage until Matilda stopped and took the seat next to Antonella.

Groaning in unison with Asterin, Matilda laughed as she spoke, "We have fifteen minutes until we have Defence Against the Dark Arts," brushing her black hair from her face, "Aren't you excited?"