The Girl Who Lived

Amends

June 11th, 1996

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When Daphne Greengrass was only six years old, her grandmother had died from a car accident. She had never paid too much attention to the details but from what she could recall, it had been painless. No suffering, no fear, no blood.

Daphne Greengrass was now freshly sixteen years old, holding her best friend's hand while Madam Pomfrey sliced over the intercostal space between her fifth and sixth rib. This was pain, this was suffering, this was fear and holy fucking saints this was so much damned blood.

Daphne didn't know why Elena would ask for her to be the one to hold her hand but she was glad to do it. She was glad to be sitting next to her best friend who was alive and awake, even if she was screaming in pain.

"Daphne, tell them to stop." Elena cried, tears springing from her eyes. The worst part of this particular injury? Elena had to be awake to make sure her ability to speak and breathe properly could be measured. "Daph, tell them to stop!"

Daphne's hand was squeezed tightly, fingernails digging into her skin. She looked up to Madam Pomfrey, who held a small blade with her wand in the other. Madam Pomfrey shook her head, answering Daphne's silent question.

No, they couldn't stop. No, Elena wouldn't be perfectly fine.

Daphne shut her eyes for a moment and then opened them, running her other hand through Elena's hair. "If they stop, you'll die, El. I'm not letting you die again."

Elena cried. She just wanted the pain to be over. "It hurts, Daph."

She cried heavily, crying for the little girl who never thought that pain like this would be possible. Her body was quite literally splitting apart while still trying to mend itself.

Daphne's eyes filled with tears. She hated seeing Elena like this. She wanted to share this pain so Elena wouldn't be alone. "I know, Elena. I know but there is someone outside of those doors who is waiting to get a chance to see you. He's been here since the minute we were told and he hasn't left because he cares for you. So if you won't do this for yourself or for me, do it for him. Do it for your best friend who picked you up from the bathroom floor." 

Elena shut her eyes, grabbing Daphne's hand with a better grip and nodded.

She would get through this. She was strong and she was brave.

Elena tried to remember what carefree breathing was like. Ever since the Ministry, she hadn't been able to breathe properly. She had shoved the feeling away, trying helplessly to be normal and herself again but she couldn't forget about what she had gone through.

She had fought so hard over those two days just to come back to have her life back. She had fought for a friendship she would create with Daphne, a family she would finally have with Remus, Sirius and Harry and she had fought the hardest for the forever that Malfoy had promised her she would have.

She just wanted that small piece of forever.

"Daph..." Elena whispered, hissing through her teeth as her ribs were touched by the tip of a wand. "If something happens to me-"

"Don't think like that, El. You're going to be fine." Daphne snapped, furrowing her eyebrows. She couldn't even picture Elena dying again.

Elena smiled slightly, the burning sensation growing stronger. "If something happens to me, take care of him for me. He- He needs someone to love him. H-He's just a boy."

She was sleepy. She wanted to sleep and shut her eyes and drift away. She would be alright with sleeping through the pain. She could do it.

No hurt, no pain. Only peace.