Lily in the Shadows

Chapter 16 (Edited)

Walking into her potions class, early as always, Lily takes a glance around the room. She sees everything the way it is normal except, a certain redheaded girl slumped down in her seat. Kathryn walks closer, glancing at her pale, shaking form.

"Weasley, are you alright?" She gently inquires, flinching when the other girl flinches. "I'm sorry," She rushes out. "I didn't mean to startle you."

The Weasley sits up slowly. She looks sickly pale, slightly green. "I'm fine, what do you want?" She tries to snap but it's just plain pitiful.

"N-Nothing," Lily-Kathryn stutters, worried the girl will scold her like on their first day. She goes to turn back to her seat when the other girl slumps back over. Kathy reaches out, placing a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up! You should go to the infirmary."

The girl shakes her head viciously, "No, no I can't."

Lily is very worried about the poor girl, she doesn't look well at all. She sets her stuff down at the table and plops into the seat next to her, ignoring the looks she gets from the other Gryffindors around her. Snape sends her a confused look, but Lily just shakes her head. Sending him a look that says don't ask. Class begins and Kathryn sets up their cauldron and gathers the ingredients for a forgetfulness potion, heating the Lethe river water and stirring in the sprigs. While she waits for it to brew she crushes the dried herbs and mistletoe berries in the mortar. Once the brew is done, she mixes in her pinches of the powder. To finish off the potion she turns to the Weasley girl, who has been quietly watching her work, "Will you cast the memory charm to finish the potion?"

The girl waves her wand, turning it into a milky white color. Lily raises her hand, waiting for the professor to notice. Once he does, he glides over, checking their potion. Once they get the all-clear the Weasley girl turns to Lily-Kathryn.

"Why'd you do that?" She asks, slowly looking down at the tiny girl.

Lily takes a moment to gather the ingredients and organize them a little. She looks up at the redhead, "Well, you don't look like you feel well today and, I didn't think you wanted professor Snape snapping at you just because you're too stubborn to go to the infirmary. Besides, you and I might not be friends but, you are friends with my brother, and I love my brother. I know he wouldn't be happy if I saw that one of his friends wasn't doing well and I did nothing about it. So here we are. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to get strange looks from my housemates and glares from yours for nothing?"

The girl sighs, looking at her hands. She looks up, holding out her right hand, "Konnichiha, it is good to meet you. My name is Ginny Weasley."

Lily giggles at her weird way of speaking, but takes her hand nonetheless. "Konnichiha, Ginny Weasley. It is good to meet you too. My name is Lily-Kathryn Potter, but everyone calls me Kathryn." Ginny cracks a smile. "So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you so much today?"

Ginny sighs, "I just haven't been sleeping well, like; I've been sleeping, and I don't wake up or anything but the next morning it feels as though I've been running all around the castle doing Merlin knows what. And sometimes, when I wake up, I'm not in my bed at all. I'm just outside, or in the common room, once I was down the hall in the bathroom, for no reason! I'm beginning to get freaked out."

Lily thinks long and hard about what this could mean for poor Ginny. "So, you're sleepwalking and therefore are tired. That makes sense, have you ever sleep-walked before?" She shakes her head. "Alright, then has anything changed lately causing you any stress or worry, it could also be from being away from home and in a new environment for the longest you have ever been."

Ginny thinks about what she says, "Well, I have never slept so far from home so that could be it. I do miss my parents too, but Tom says that's normal."