SEA, SWALLOW ME, remus lupin

còig deug, pomfrey's insight

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
pomfrey's insight

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  CORDELIA'S WARNINGS KEEP COVE UP for the rest of the night. Their argument fogs up her mind, regret tugging at her heartstrings whenever she dwells on the disagreement she had with her best friend, cross with herself for reacting so explosively to what is probably the cold hard truth. Everything is beginning to feel so real, the strings of fate threading together until they grow taught and almost tangible.

  It doesn't help that post transformation, every sense is still heightened. Her eye twitches whenever the single drip in the shower begins to patter down on the tile, grating against her ears through the closed door, or the incessant ticking of Fallon's watch in the bed opposite to her own. The pyjamas she shrugged on a few hours ago stick to her hypersensitive skin, every single fibre in the material sinking into her pores until she's at her breaking point. She twists and turns in her sheets, thinking about too many things all at once and trying to ignore the growing ache in her arm. She's starting to suspect that it's sprained, giving her one more problem to worry over.

Her thoughts about Cordelia conflict with what she'd seen last night. Those creatures running wild through the grounds, predator and prey marauding around together like close friends. Sure, Cove has seen shortfin mako sharks befriend porpoises before but not in the same way that the werewolf has made friends out of the stag and the rat — she could sort of understand the stray dog, though it's still strange. Perhaps the werewolf's humanity remained enough that they could gain the trust of those animals? Or maybe they aren't animals at all, but what else could they really be? She's never heard of selkies taking on the forms of other animals. She makes a mental note to visit the library at some point to look into it.

  In no time at all Hattie Fawley's alarm trills on the other side of the dormitory, announcing to everyone else that it's already half six and they have to waken up in time for breakfast. Cove doesn't know if she could stomach it yet. She rolls over to smother her face in her pillow as the other girls begin to stir.

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DON'T GET HER WRONG, COVE LOVES Madam Pomfrey as much as the next person, but if she could choose to be absolutely anywhere in the school, the hospital wing would be her very last choice.

  Overcast skies provide little light through the stained glass windows and that perpetual atmosphere of unease immediately sets her on edge. It's too quiet for her liking, goosebumps coasting over her arms as the infirmary echoes with her own sharp breaths. The thick smell of dettol lingering around the room begins to get to her head after five minutes, the fumes from all of the brewing medicinal potions giving her a headache. If anything, she felt better prior to visiting the hospital wing.

  Cove spots Madam Pomfrey rearranging her medicine cabinet in organised chaos. She walks over and tries her hardest not to give her a fright, even though it never works in her favour.

   "Hiya," she says as casually as she can muster. Pomfrey's shoulders still jerk in surprise, placing a hand over her racing heart. "I hurt my arm last night. Can you take a look, please?"

"Merlin's beard, I didn't see you there. Of course!" Madam Pomfrey exclaims, ushering her over to her usual bed. "Take a seat, pet. Settle in, I'll be with you shortly."