Breaking the shadows

What happened?

1998

Friday June 12th

I must have fallen asleep, because I wake up in my hammock, I feel disgusting and warm, I look down at myself, and my shirt is drenched in sweat and puke. As I get to standing, I feel like I'm going to faint again, but someone is catching me just before I fall, as I look at the person I see its Draco, I look up at his blond hair as he asks: "Are you okay?"

"I think so, can you tell me what happened?"

Draco: "You ran after Ginny after she disappeared, and we have been looking all over the forest for both of you, but we found you two days ago."

"What happened yesterday?"

Draco: "Yesterday, you mostly just slept, but every now and then you got up to throw up."

"Is Ginny okay?"

Draco: "Yeah, she's over there with Hermione and the others, can you walk?"

"Yeah I think so, thank you."

Draco carefully let go of me, and I go over to the others and sit down between Hermione and Ginny.

Hermione turns to me and asks: "Do you remember anything?"

"Not much."

Hermione: "Okay, but are you ready to get on the road again?"

"This soon?"

Hermione: "Yeah, we can't stay here. We've been followed."

"Can I at least change out of this shirt?"

Hermione: "Yes of course, I have a spare shirt if you want to borrow it."

"Thank you."

Hermione and I get up, I get my duffle bag and find clean underwear and a new pair of shorts, as I get up Hermione hands me a clean sweatshirt. I get changed behind a tree, but it doesn't really matter whether I have clean clothes or not, my body is covered in dried mud anyway. Afterwards I take my hammock down and Hermione takes my duffle bag and says to the others: "Guys, let's get going."
Everyone rises and Ginny takes my hand and asks: "Did you go after me?"

"Of course, I did."

Ginny: "But are you okay?"

"I'm not sure, right now I just need to feel clean again."

Ginny: "Me too, is it true they found you naked in the forest?"

"Might be, I don't really remember."

Ginny stays silent the rest of the trip into town.

We arrive to town again; the plan is to find a laundromat and a gym so we can get clean clothes and a shower. We first go to the laundromat, we pour all our clothes on the ground and sort it into colours, we gather all our clean clothes in Harry's duffle bag along with shampoo and towels.
After our clothes are in the washing machines, we go to the gym down the street, and Harry walks over to the receptionist and asks: "Can we borrow your showers?"
"No..."  Says the receptionist but then she looks up, she takes one glance at us and then points to the changing rooms: "Over there" she says annoyed.
Harry hand us each our own towel and clothes and we split up in the changing rooms, I'm the first one to throw my clothes on the ground and jump in the shower. Feeling the warm water running down my body has never felt better. I feel a sting on my arm, and I look down, the marks Astra made a few days ago has started bleeding. "Hermione" I call out, as I walk out the showers.
Hermione looks shocked at me and says, "clean it off and I'll warp it up for you."

"Thank you"
I get back to the shower and clean the wounds, it stings really bad. I shower the rest of my body and apply shampoo to my hair, which is much needed, my hair is normally brown, but right now, it's filled with mud, and its both filthy and greasy. I finish my shower as Hermione steps in, there are only two showerheads.
I get out and dry my wounds and ask: "Where is Astra?"

Hermione: "I sent her with a note to Molly."

"When did you do that?"

Hermione: "This morning, just before you woke up."

"Okay, so she's not with her boyfriend?"

Hermione: "There is no sight of him."

"Okay."

Hermione: "There, that should stop the bleeding, how did it happen?"

"Astra accidently dug her claws into my skin."

Hermione: "Has she ever done that before?"

"No, it's like she has changed."

Hermione: "She might have, if she has mated with Orion owls tend to change behaviour after they mate."

I feel a tear in my eye: "So you're saying that Astra will never be herself again."

Hermione: "She might return to her old self after she has laid eggs."

"Okay, and that she will do in around thirty days."

Hermione: "Seems so."

I dry the rest of my body as Hermione steps into the shower and Ginny steps out.
I get changed. And then I sit and wait for Luna and Hermione to be done showering. Ginny is sitting beside me, I move closer to her, and she takes my hand. In this moment facing each other, I feel so close to her and yet so far away, I close the remaining space between us. As our lips meet and find their own rhythm Ginny grabs my waist pulling my legs over hers. My hands in her hair, our mouths melding perfectly together. As the water stops running our lips part, I gently squeeze Ginny's hand. As Luna and Hermione step out of the shower Ginny and I giggle a little and I see the sparkle in her blue eyes has returned. She has been worried for me, and me for her. But now, we have no worries, we are here with our friends, and we are on our way home to the burrow, a day early, but we can't risk anything happening again as we could have lost two members of the group in the last couple of days. Both Ginny and I have been away from the group and no-one knows what has happened.

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Puplished: 30-06-23