PRECEDENT : Draco Malfoy II

53

My ribs tighten around me until they choke all the air out of my lungs. I can feel a headache in the base of my neck, wherever that is. My stomach contents swirl inside of me.

I'm used to losing time, but not space. Somehow, the distance between two points feels smaller when apparating. I had expected it to feel vast, like a pulling, a tearing, a shred of the body between two distances. Instead, it feels like I'm being compressed everywhere.

Then, I breathe in. The gasp of air so fresh and crisp in the cold air. I stumble forward. My hand clutches my stomach. I'm back, on the Hogwarts grounds, my feet standing in the snow.

Everyone else is quiet behind

I turn my head to look at the witches and wizards in my year. The crack I made as I apparated must have been loud. It smells of burning, the foul stench of leather smouldering off my shoes. They are so far behind me that I can't make out the expressions on their faces.

We've been practicing apparition every weekend since the beginning of February. Since Susan Bones tore off her own leg the first week, it's been nothing but splinches since. I've been one of the unlucky few who hasn't managed to apparate even an inch. The weather was nice today, so we are practicing outside, the first time yet. Without walls around me, I was less worried about getting stuck inside the stone.

Now, I've apparated a hundred metres, if I had to guess. I'm halfway to the boat house.

Destination. Determined. Deliberate.

We were only supposed to apparate a metre, into a hula hoop on the ground. It seems I need to work on destination.

My stomach lurches.

I can hear people shouting. There is a crack in the air. Someone's hand is on my shoulder but it's too late. I keel over, my hands in the snow as I start to retch. It burns my throat. Someone's hands wrap around my hair, pulling it back from my face.

"Well done, lovely," Professor Sprout's voice whispers to me.

All of the heads of house are certainly here by now. I feel guilty that I never did all that well in herbology. All of the students, I can hear them laughing as they head closer to me.

"She's quite alright," the apparition instructor calls out. I can hear people whispering behind me.

I wretch again. Professor Sprout grabs my hair, pulling it back.

"Time-Turning Turner not use to space magic?" Pansy cackles from somewhere behind me.

If she's here, I know Draco has caught up to her. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. As I stand up, my stomach twists. I bend over, puking again.

The crowd behind me gasps.

"Come along, Miss Turner," Professor Flitwick walks up to me. He offers me his hand, which I clutch as I'm bent over. He whispers a spell and flicks his wand, and then my mouth tastes like soap. It's certainly better than the acidity. "Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."

One of my hands grips my knee so tightly I'm sure I will bruise tomorrow. Draco might notice. I think of Draco's arms, and how I haven't seen them still. We've met since he showed them to me, each time he hides them beneath his shirt and before I even have my knickers on he slips out of the Room of Requirement. That is how we have been operating. I wonder if he even has enough time with me to notice such a thing. I haven't been eating well lately. I'm sure I'd bruise worse.