The Dark Mark (The Girl Who Lived part II)

And Then It Hit Me

Scarlet's Point of View: I woke as the sun began to rise. Draco laid beside me, holding me tight in his arms as if to prevent me from escaping. "Morning". He said to me. "Morning". I said back. Today was the day that I would begin easing back into what was my everyday schedule. Draco insisted that I stay in the Hospital Wing until I was completely cured. But I told him that before my guardians make a decision on where I should go for proper treatment, that I should try my best to recall the bits of memories that I had lost. Even the slightest thing such as recalling the names of the ones who've been visiting me, seemed to make their day just a bit brighter.

Plus, being in the Hospital Wing was no longer fun. It had stopped being fun the day after when I was motivated to do something and the professors would not allow me to do such a thing. Being hospitalized when I am in no way physically sick, isn't quite as enjoyable as one would assume. First, was the work I was missing. Some say that I acted like that girl who was always reading. And if she wasn't, she had a book tucked under her arm. There was always this constant nagging at me in the back of the head about my school work and how I was neglecting it. About how I should've spent my time better by doing something otherwise than being idle in the Hospital Wing. Maybe it wasn't even my conscience. I always heard my conscience speaking to me with my own voice. But this was a different voice. Perhaps, it was that bookworm of a girl whispering those words in my ear.

Second, the food provided in the Hospital Wing was down right, awful. I would've been lucky if they had fed me the grass from outside. Even the vacuum of a boy wouldn't even touch it. And he ate food off of the potions room floor. It can't get much worse than that. I'd pick at it a few times. Dividing the chunks of yellow, green, and orange into their specified categoies. Green mush, yellow mush, and orange mush. There was no different tastes within these various shades of colors. When the food was divided into its general color that it fell into, I would fold my napkin that was on my lap and place it over the food. I didn't like being wasteful when there were others who weren't as fortunate as I was to get this slop that barely fit under the food category. But the taste was so horrid, I wouldn't even feed it to a pig who eats slop and nothing but literal garbage all day. I couldn't even persuade the vacuum of a boy to get within one foot of the stuff without him getting this repulsed look on his face. I would push away the food only to have the only female of the Weasley siblings to nag me on my eating habits.

How it wasn't healthy for a growing person to not eat. "Then would you like to try this?" I offered, holding a spoonful of the goop near her mouth. I'd won the battle. Today, I finally no longer had to stay in this overly sterile environment. I rose from the bed along with Draco. The sun that shone through the window which would normally give someone a radiant golden glow, made his skin appear even grayer. I lifted my hand so it gently touched his cheek. He held it there. We were interrupted by three of what appeared to be his henchmen. A girl with a scrunched up face and two guys who appeared to be your normal everyday thugs that you'd see on the streets. The girl referred to as Parkinson, shoved her way in between the two of us. "Scarlet, you remember Crabbe and Goyle, correct?" Their names were still fuzzy in my mind, but I nodded anyway.

They escorted us to the Great Hall. I took my place at the Gryffindoor table. Everyone I had met at the Hospital Wing when I awoke was there. Well, almost everyone. The bespectacled boy wasn't there. Although I suppose I should stop referring to him as "the bespectacled boy". Hermoine often corrected me when I called him this aloud. Not that he was around too much to hear it. He was always "busy" I suspect that the bespectacled boy.... Harry... was avoiding me for whatever reason. I'd often inquire the reason behind this, but they would only tell me to face Harry and ask him myself. I wouldn't have to ask if he'd simply stop running away from me. Even Neville, the kind-eyed boy wouldn't even utter a word on the subject. I sat next to Neville and Ginny. Across from Hermoine, the girl surrounded by piles of books, and Ron, the binge eater. "You're going to get so fat when your metabolism drops when you get older". I said to him. He simply waved me off as he shoved another slice of cake into his mouth that didn't seem to quite fit. But knowing him (which I couldn't say I really did), or rather, after observing his intriguing eating habits for days, he'd make it work.

"It's wonderful to be out of the Hospital Wing and eating real food. This day can't possibly get any better". I said aloud. "It can. I was working in the greenhouse today, and I picked you a few flowers" He opened his jacket pocket and handed me a slightly smooshed bouquet of flowers. With a yellow center and blue petals, which were beginning to fall off. Neville frowned at the sight. "Sorry they're a bit squished. If you don't want them, then I can-" I sniffed the freshly cut, but still wilted flowers. "They're wonderful. Thank you". I squeezed him into a hug. When I released him, his face was a deep pink. His ears, a bright red.

When breakfast ended, Draco's thugs attempted to escort me to my classes. Luckily right before the quidditch game, I was able to ditch them. I came across Hermoine and Ginny. I called out to them. They slowed down and waited for me to arrive at their sides. "So, how's it going with your other half?" Ginny asked me. She almost giggled. Ginny loved these types of things. "I wouldn't necessarily call him "my other half". But we have been together a lot lately. He's surprisingly nicer than what I remember he was like years ago at Malfoy Manor". "That's good.... Wait, Malfoy Manor? You're not talking about Harry?" Hermoine asked me. Had I said something wrong. "No. I'm talking about Draco. What about Harry?" I was rather confused. "You and Harry were an "item" before you lost your memory". Said Ginny.

This was news to me. No one had mentioned anything to me about this. "I need to talk to him". I stated. "Sorry Scarlet, we thought you knew". They said, as they exchanged glances. They brought me to the tent where all of the Gryffindoor team was, preparing for the match. When I entered the tent alone, I caught everyone's attention but Harry's. One of the teammates nudged him and motioned towards me. "Scarlet..." Taking a hint, the other players on the team including Ron, made their way outside to the field. Underneath his arm, a textbook. An old one, at that. There was an instant throbbing pain in my head. fast forwarded visions flew in my head. Ones that weren't there before. I was remembering. I placed my hand on my forehead as if to numb the pain. This action of course, did nothing. I felt an anger stir within me as I continued to look at the book under Harry's arm. The book of the Half Blood Prince. The headache vanished, leaving the memory with me, and leaving sight of the seemingly harmless book made my blood boil. "I thought I told you not to use that book! You said you wouldn't! You promised!" I fussed at him. The Gryffindoor players along with Ginny and Hermoine who were surely listening on the other side of the tent flap could hear me as loud and clear as Harry could.

He blinked a few times. "Scarlet... You remember?" He got closer. "How much?" He questioned, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. :Each step he took, was another pang of pain to my head. It felt the equivalent of someone hitting the back of my head with a frying pan. Each pang, left a single memory of him. Harry must've sensed my struggle, for he held my face in his hands. "Scarlet". There were still quite of few blank spots that I couldn't recall, but I had some of them. Our first trip to Hogsmeade. His birthday present to me. Our first encounter on the Hogwarts Express. "Harry..." Tears streamed down my face. I realized the anguish I had caused him. The pain I put him through. He easily wiped away the never-ending waterfall of tears with his thumbs. "I'm sorr-" I began to sob. My shoulders violently shook. I was a mess. Yet somehow, Harry remained completely together. Before I was able to continue or attempt to continue my speech of apologies, I felt a warmth on my lips, silencing me. "It's not your fault. It was Malfoy's". He said in my ear. "Bloody 'ell". I heard a familiar voice on the other side of the tent flap. It was Ron. His voice was unmistakable. "I can't listen to this anymore". He said. There was then a shushing noise. This was obviously Hermoine.

The tent flap opened as Ron barged in, with Germoine holding onto the back of his uniform, attempting to get him to yield. This revealed the entire Gryffindoor Quidditch team who were on the other side of the tent. Ron grabbed Harry by the collar and dragged him out to the field. "Come on, Scarlet. The game's starting". Said Hermoine. We joined Neville and Luna on the bleachers. They had reserved seats for us. "So you must've resolved your issue with Harry" She said to me, her eyes not moving from the Quidditch field. " When I talked to him, I began to remember. Not all of it, but it's enough". I answered. "I'll write to Fred, George, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Tell them that you're beginning to remember. They've been concerned about you and have wanted to visit. I'll tell them to visit tomorrow. Since you've begun to remember, it'd be a good idea for them to visit. It might jog some more of your memory to see them". The rest of the game went on. Quidditch never interested me before, and didn't seem to interest me now.