Always

Chapter III. Drowning sorrows II

I started to regain conscious and tried to open my eyes.

Fuck!

My eyelids seemed like boulders. They hurt. My whole head hurt. My whole body hurt. I raised my hands to my face, brushing my eyes and tried to open them again. So much light. I moved my head slowly to my left and right, squinting my eyes and hearing the bones in my neck crack. Was it already morning, or afternoon? I really couldn't tell.

I looked to the celling and tried to swallow, but my throat was dried like the desert sand. I had to swallow three more times before I could produce some saliva into my mouth. I needed a glass of water. And some headache medicine.

I propelled myself onto my elbows and looked around. Ok. I was in my room, lying in my own bed. Merlin be blessed!

I looked down myself just to realize I was still wearing yesterday clothes. Except my boots. They were off. I tried to remember last night... It was all kind of vague in my head. I remember being in the Three Broomsticks and I remember Theo. Theo was there. Did I really tried to punch him just to end up falling on my face on the floor? Well, I guess he was to one who brought me here and laid me in bed and took my boots off.

I threw my legs to the side, trying to sit on the right edge of the bed. As soon I was up sitting, I felt my stomach roll, the bile rising to my mouth. Shit! Too fast, that was too damn fast!

I rested my elbows on my knees, lowered my head and closed my eyes shut, trying to stop myself from vomiting on the floor because I was too damn weak to run to the bathroom. My fucking legs felt like they were made of gelatin.

I was inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly, when I heard the door of the bedroom, on my left, open and shut right after.

"Well... you look like shit!"

Looking sideways, I spotted Theo. He was leaning with his back against the door, hands in his pockets and one ankle crossed over the other. He was dressed in the school uniform. He had a hint of a smile and amusement filled his eyes. The fucker was getting off seeing me like this. Fucking asshole!

"Fuck you!", I said giving him the finger. Theo placed his hand over is chest, his mouth forming a perfect circle, faking a hurt look at the vulgarity of the gesture.

"Ouch... That hurts! That's no way to thank the person who carry your drunken ass to bedroom yesterday.", he said. "Thinking that just last night you were daydreaming about my dick. I guess the love is gone then...", he added with a hint of laughter in his voice. I rolled my eyes and a pang of pain crossed my head. I raised my fingers to my temples and started to massage them smoothly. My eyes closing again in annoyance.

"What are you doing here?", I asked him.

I felt him move towards me, the sole of this shoes clacking against the floor, making my head throb even more.

"In case you don't remember, this is also my bedroom. I came to get my books for the D.A.D.A. class.", he pointed out. He stopped in front of me. I open my eyes. Theo's bright, polished black shoes filled my vision. "And I also came to bring you this." I looked up at him and at the vial that he was holding in front of my eyes.

"What is that?" The suspicious purple liquid substance was fizzling inside the glass.

"It's a draught to cure hangovers. It should alleviate your headache and nausea, rehydrate your body and, I hope, improve your mood.", he replied, highlighting the last words in a mocking attitude. "Come on. Drink it. Just don't smell it please."

I took the vial from his hand, removed the cork and drank it. It didn't taste like honey but it didn't taste horrible either. Thank Gods!

Theo went do his desk, placed on the right side of his bed, which was on the right side of mine, to fetch his books. I darted my eyes to the ceiling again, fixing my gaze on the snakes that adorned the stone.

"You said you're going do D.A.D.A. class? Wasn't that class only after lunch?", I questioned, furrowing my brows together. Theo stopped what he was doing and looked at me. A scornful smile on his face.

"What time do you think it is?". I raised my shoulders in a motion that said I had no idea.

"It's 2 P.M. Riddle. You slept all night and all damn morning.", he pointed out as he proceeded to go for the door and leave. He grabbed the handle, but before leaving he turned to me.

"Take a bath and rest. Don't worry about classes. I'll let you see my class notes later.", he said as he opened the door. He passed through the threshold and closed the door behind him quietly.

I stayed there, sitting on the bed a little while, gathering courage to get up. I stretched my legs in front of me, straining my muscles to see if they were able to support my weight and take me to the bathroom. I stood up, still a little dizzy and wobbly.

Baby steps Mattheo. Baby steps. I told myself, focusing all my attention to put one foot in front of the other.

I passed Theo's bed and desk and entered our shared bathroom. I reached the shower handle and turned the water on. I took my shirt, my pants, my socks, my boxers and entered the shower cabin. The hot water was like a balm. I washed my hair and my body and rinsed all the foam. After turning the water off I opened the glass door and grabbed the white towel that was hanging right next to it, drying my skin.

Wrapping the towel around my waist I stepped out of the shower, directing myself to the sink to look at myself in the mirror. Theo was right. I looked like shit. Letting out a groan, I grabbed my toothbrush, putting some tooth paste on it and brushed my teeth. My breath not smelling like alcohol and my tongue not tasting like cardboard anymore.

I opened the bathroom door and leaned against the threshold. My eyes moved around the bedroom, decorated all in black, green and silver. My eyes landed on a painting hanging on the wall on other side of the room, in front of me. The picture depicted the Black Lake and just beyond the shore, Hogsmead.

I was going there again tonight, to the Three Broomsticks.