Nothing But You // N. Longbottom

Fourteen: Madam Pomfrey

The burning sensation in Norvina's body was evident, now more than ever. As she fought to open her eyes under the harsh iridescent lights, she could see two shadows standing near her, one above and one in a bed beside of her. With the searing burn of her eyelids, she closed them again.

"Norvina." 

The young girl opened her eyes again, desperate to find the familiar voice in the room. A room that she did not remember entering at all, she panicked. How did she get here? Why is she here?

She sat up out of fear, fear that she was somewhere she shouldn't be, somewhere she might get in trouble for being in. As she sat up, the startling stabbing pain in her side and shoulder made her let out a pained hiss. She looked down at herself, feeling the cotton fabric gown against her scarily pale skin with scattered bandages on various parts of her body. Something was not right. Not at all.

"Norvina, are you alright?" Neville spoke to her, waiting for her to come to her senses. He had been patiently and eagerly waiting for her to wake up, however long that took. He had seen just how many bruises scattered her frail body, and it both terrified him and worried him sick. It took everything in him not to use the killing curse on the Carrow that had done this to his girl.

"Nev..." Norvina gulped, not understanding the situation at hand, but she stopped when her eyes meet the dark bruise on his face, "what happened?"

Neville sat just beside her, in a bed to himself. His face was distraught. With a nasty black bruise covering his left eye, an eerie slice against his right cheek and a busted lip, Norvina's heart shattered. What had happened? Who hurt Neville? She was saddened at the sight, but that quickly turned into unrelenting anger. She was torn away from her fury as Neville's hurt voice broke through her thoughts.

"You...you don't remember?" Neville looked at the girl, stunned. He wished that was true, so she didn't have to know. He thought maybe that would be easier for the both of them; she wouldn't eat herself up about the pain their both in and he wouldn't have to explain to her any of the gruesome details. 

He didn't want to relive it. Not any of it. He couldn't listen to the sound of her screams, the sounds of bones breaking and skin being punctured. He just couldn't do it.

Seeing the look on Neville's face, that's the moment it all came back to her.

"When will you two learn?" The Carrows rolled their eyes, "We'll have to teach you the old fashioned way."

Neville and Norvina looked confused, just as two fists collided with their faces, sending them to the ground.

Norvina felt dizzy, looking around the room for Neville. He too was lying on the floor, being kicked by one of the Carrows. First in the stomach and then in the back. Letting out pained grunts, Neville looked at Norvina.

"STOP!" Norvina screamed, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks, "Leave him alone, please!" This made the Carrow stop to look at the girl, smiling from ear to ear. Norvina shivered under the man's gaze, looking back at Neville, who looked absolutely terrified.

"Norvina...don't." Neville pleaded with her, trying to keep the focus on him so she wouldn't be hurt. He couldn't witness her be in any more pain than she'd already been in.

The Carrow only laughed at the girl, "You should have listened to us, you should have done what we told you to do. Then none of this would be happening." He gestured at Neville before slamming his back to the ground and heading over towards Norvina.

He slammed his fist into Norvina's cheek, sending her straight back to the ground with a painful thud. Norvina groaned as the pain of hitting the hardwood floors had hit her. The Carrow used her moment of weakness against her to wrap his fingers around her neck to keep her on the floor.