The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

101. Where You Lead, I Will Follow

"You need to eat something, Sloane."

Ginny's voice was gentle, almost motherly, as she pointed towards the untouched dinner sitting in front of her friend.

The plate looked exactly the same as it had twenty minutes earlier. A few chips had been pushed from one side of the plate to the other. The vegetables had been shuffled around. The chicken Maryland sat untouched, growing colder by the second.

Sloane hadn't taken a single bite.

Around them the Great Hall buzzed with noise. Hundreds of conversations blended together beneath the enchanted ceiling. Cutlery clinked against plates. Students laughed. Someone further down the Gryffindor table nearly choked on pumpkin juice after hearing a joke.

Yet Sloane seemed completely disconnected from all of it. She sat staring down at her plate as though she couldn't even see it. Her fingers loosely gripped her fork. Her eyes were distant.

Empty.

Lost.

Ginny frowned. "Sloane?"

No response.

The redhead exchanged a worried look with Hermione. "Sloane?" she tried again, slightly louder this time.

Still nothing.

Hermione stopped mid-conversation with Harry.

Luna tilted her head curiously.

Even Draco glanced up from his dinner.

Ron leaned forward."Hey."

Nothing.

"Oi."

Still nothing.

Finally, Ron reached over and gave her shoulder a playful nudge. "You alright in there?"

The reaction was immediate. Sloane jumped violently. The fork slipped from her fingers.

CLANG!

The sound echoed through the Hall.

Several nearby students looked over.

Sloane's breathing suddenly quickened as she stared at the fallen fork as though it had exploded. Her hand flew to her chest.

For a moment she genuinely looked terrified.

"Merlin's beard," Harry muttered.

Ginny's eyes widened.

Draco was already half-rising from his seat. "Sloane?"

Blaise leaned forward immediately. "Fucking hell," he whispered, concern replacing his usual teasing tone. "You alright, doll?"

For a second Sloane simply blinked. Then she seemed to return to herself.

The panic faded.

She rubbed a hand over her face and gave her head a firm shake. "I'm sorry." Her voice sounded tired. Exhausted. "I was a million miles away."

She bent down to retrieve her fork before looking back at the plate in front of her. The sight of the food made her stomach twist. The smell alone was enough to make nausea roll through her body.

Her stomach churned. Her head felt light.

She suddenly felt far too warm beneath the candlelit ceiling. "Sorry, guys," she said quietly. "I'm feeling a bit crappy."

Draco frowned instantly. "You look pale."

"I am pale."

"You look paler than normal."