Forgotten

6 | The Final Week

One week remained until Christmas break and Arabella was getting more and more worried for what was to come when she returned to the Manor. She hadn't allowed herself to think about what the letter her mother wrote to her a few weeks ago had meant. She didn't want to imagine what would happen out of sight from curious on lookers. 

However, as Bella dressed herself in her uniform, she prepared herself for the week that was to come. She didn't think, she just stopped. She stopped the thoughts in her mind and the worries she felt, but by shutting down one emotion, she shut down all emotions. She felt cold, and she knew it would only get worse as the day went on.

A sinking feeling took place in her chest as it always did when she did this to herself. She was still yet to take her potion, it was sat in the draw of her bedside table, hidden between books and papers. There wasn't long until potions class so she rushed into her room, grabbing the dreadful potion and taking it in one clean swig. It tasted vile and burned as it travelled down her throat. Everything hurt.

That didn't last long, what came next was somehow worse. It was completely different from the lack of emotions she felt, this was just lack of feeling, she didn't think she'd even feel it if someone we're to knock her off a broomstick. She hated it more than anything. It made her dizzy and confused, there were no good effects in Bella's opinion but for her mother's sake she had to take it, no matter what.

Quickly looking down at her watch, she discovered she had a mere 5 minutes to get to potions, but considering she was already in the dungeons it shouldn't even take her that long.

It did in fact take her more than 5 minutes, it took her nearly ten from the sheer amount of times she nearly fell to her death on the stairs, when she did make it, everybody was already in the classroom, Professor  Slughorn stood at the front looking at her expectantly for a reason the reason she had arrived late, "Sorry I am late Professor." Even her voice was bitter and detached, it sounded so far from her usual self.

"Take a seat Miss Rosier, don't let it happen again." He was not a particular strict teacher but he clearly didn't appreciate the fact that Arabella continued to arrive late to his lessons. It wasn't only his lesson she was arriving late to, it was almost every lesson she had. Bella walked over to her table, taking a seat next to Sirius Black, same as always. 

"You alright Rosier?" Sirius questioned looking over at her in concern when she dropped her head into her arms in defeat, the pain of the potion taking over her body and every nerve, everything hurt, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hairs. There wasn't a cell in her body that didn't pulsate with pain in that moment. 

"Fine. Absolutely fine." She didn't sound fine, nothing about her was remotely fine but it wasn't like she was about to talk with Sirius Black of all people about what was happening to her.

"Well then do you mind helping me with the work, I don't understand it." Sirius always required her to explain the most simplest concepts to him. It had become there only method of communication in and out of lessons, she didn't know how he had coped all through first year on his own.

She did help him to the best of her abilities, because even though she hated his guts that didn't mean she wanted him to fail his classes. 

Her remaining lessons before lunch passed by smoothly, the pain reduced and the numbness took over as it did everyday. She could nearly say she was used to it by now. But she never really would be used to such an awful feeling, or lack of feeling. She just didn't understand what she had done to deserve the parents she had been given. They ruined everything for her. Her father was less bothered about the way she looked and much more strict about her status in society and the way she acted.