The Tribrid and Her Prison {Book One - Complete}

A Trip to Hogsmeade

Just as the night before, Hope woke with hunger, but this wasn't like the dull ache it had been. Her head throbbed. From the top of her scalp to her lower jaw, as if she'd been hit with a club. Her stomach screamed at her, forcing her to get up and make the tea that helped yesterday's headache.

As Madam Florence had taught her, she poured and drank the tea in two scalding swallows. There was a slight relief as her ears rang numbly. Hope returned to bed, pushing a pillow down on her head.

What if she was actually coming down with an illness? Madam Florence had been worried about the fever she always seemed to carry. If anything, she hoped it was a simple cold or flu that would pass on quickly.

By the time morning arrived, Hope had hardly slept. Her gums still ached, making the food in front of her in the Great Hall far less appealing.

"You should eat something," Newt offered with a small smile, but his body language told her he knew she wasn't feeling well. "We could..."

"Please don't say postpone." Hope looked over at him. "I'm fine. See?" She took a bite of bread and forced herself to swallow it. "I want to go."

The look in his eyes told her he was conflicted. "If you're sick, you really shouldn't be out. You'll need more rest and..."

"I just need fresh air. I'll drink more tea; that will help. I swear." Hope forced as genuine of a smile as she could muster.

Hope had looked at herself in the mirror this morning and knew what Newt saw. Her skin was a bit pale, and she had darker circles under her eyes, but she was almost certain most of her problem was being unable to sleep. Maybe it was the nightmares.

"I may need to drink more of the sleeping draught Madam Florence gave me the first few days. If I'm honest...I only ever remember sleeping in a metal cage for a couple hours at a time, anyway. All of these changes are probably giving my system a good workout. I'd rather push through it than lay back and do nothing. I need to do something."

That seemed to convince Newt, but he still looked uneasy. Eventually, he nodded. "Alright. Alright, but if you start feeling worse, we'll return and see Madam Florence."

"Deal."

They finished the rest of their breakfast with a casual conversation about Hogsmeade and what shops they had. He explained what Quidditch was and how she could purchase clothing in the village.

"I don't know if you realize this, but I never really got paid for being an attraction." Hope gave him a side-eye.

Newt chuckled and nodded. "Prof-" he caught himself again. "Albus met with the Ministry of Magic to discuss your predicament. Letting them know that the Poachers are moving up from beasts to people. Asking, 'How much longer until they have a zoo of Muggles?'

They granted your stay here with some conditions. He will talk to you later about that, but they also opened an account for you at Gringotts and were generous in some donations for your well-being." He then pulled a few coins from his pockets and described each. Hope was familiar with them but had never known how much each was worth.

"Wow... that's...very nice, actually." Hope blinked, feeling her throat start to get a bit thick again. "Well, then, it will definitely be a fun day!" She beamed and drank more tea, which helped immensely.

Hope was feeling much better as they began their walk to Hogsmeade. While they could have taken a carriage, she wanted to admire more of the scenery. It was a short walk and a beautiful day with a bright blue sky above.

As they passed over a bridge, she hopped onto the stone above and walked along the narrow strip of rock with effortless grace. It felt good, using muscles she'd forgotten. Newt, however, kept side-eyeing her with worry. Asking her to please be careful.