Lost AIAOY 1

Chapter 15

Rebecca stared up at the ceiling of the Hospital Wing late that night, her head full of thoughts that revolved, essentially, around 'what the fuck.'  The moon had long since begun its descent and it could scarcely be called night any longer, instead early morning.

She had rested and rested and, despite the fright the others felt at the idea, she wanted to go back to her dormitory with Hermione.  Rebecca wanted out of bed and to move freely once more.

But, she settled for picking through the sweets left on the table and eating until she fell back asleep.  Licorice wands remained her favourites of the wizard sweets, but chocolate frogs were a close second.  One for chocolate-wanting times and one for when chocolate just wouldn't do it.

"Immobulus!"  Rebecca cast quietly, negating the jumping charm on the frog before she opened the lid entirely.  She had learned after one too many promised sweets that jumped away the little cheat Fred and George teased her endlessly for.  Smiling as the frog-shaped chocolate melted on top of her tongue, Rebecca tilted the card to the window so the late-night light could illuminate the card for her to read.

And there, in the too-late-to-call-it-night-to-early-to-call-it-morning, Rebecca figured out why 'Nicholas Flamel' had been so familiar when Hagrid had let it slip weeks earlier.

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"Careful!"  Harry chastised, putting her away from the door that had opened towards Rebecca.  There had been plenty of clearance, but this was how it had been all morning.  She had yet to even get a chance to tell the other first years about what she had learned with how occupied the three of them were with 'protecting' her.  "That could have hit you."

"And I could drop dead right this second from a blood clot."  Rebecca answered drily.  She could handle clinginess and she was growing to appreciate affectionate, but overwhelming was slowly pushing her towards the edge.  

Harry paled and looked as if he might be ill.  "What is that?  Do you feel...clotty?  Do we need to go back to the-"

"I feel as I always do."  Rebecca said with only a hint of an edge in her voice.  Enough to make Harry stop, but not enough for him to think she was truly upset with him.  "Can we join the others now?  I had something I wanted to tell you lot."

"Of course."  Harry answered, as if he hadn't extended their joining Hermione and Ron in the library by nearly ten minutes with his rearranging of their walking formation in the corridors for 'safety.'  Fred and George had been the same way through breakfast and lunch, watching her every move and treading around her as if she were made of glass.

It was infuriating.  She had been through worse than exhaustion and, while she had never brought anything back to life before, it was hardly worth it if it meant that they were all going to treat her differently.  

"Good afternoon Rebecca!"  Hermione said chipperly.  She had been the least coddely towards Rebecca, slightly selfishly.  Hermione wasn't sure how Rebecca had gone the holidays in the room alone: It was far too reminiscent of how lonely Hermione had been at her last school and she was ready for her roommate's return that night.  "Good walk?"

"Brilliant."  Rebecca said with a little shake of her head at the question.  Good walk?  What was she--on a leash?  "I found Nicholas Flamel, by the way."

"What?"  The three of them shouted in unison.

Rebecca grinned, looking at them each in turn.  "I found him."

"When?  Where?  How?"  Harry sputtered, shaking his head in disbelief.  

"We've been with you every minute."  Ron said quieter, hoping Madam Pince didn't kick them out for how they'd shouted.