You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 22

TW

"She has been like this for over seven hours" Regulus muttered, his voice tight with an edge of disbelief.

"She hasn't even lifted her head up once" Barty added, leaning against the stone wall of the Slytherin common room while he watched the girl at the desk.

"Should we be concerned?" Evan asked, looking toward Pandora for some kind of sign.

"Oh no, I'm sure it's perfectly normal for a teenager to spend their entire Saturday alone, sitting at a desk, studying and not talking to any of their friends" Pandora said casually. She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, her expression blank, making everyone turn to look at her in total confusion. "Of course we should be concerned, you idiots!" she suddenly screamed at them, her right eye twitching with visible stress.

"I hate that I'm about to say this but... where the bloody hell is Nott when you actually need him?" Regulus asked in frustration. He looked back at the disturbing sight of Mira hunched over her notes. She didn't even flinch at the commotion they were making just a few feet away.

"You really think I haven't tried to get her to do anything else?" a voice sounded from the entrance of the common room. Theodore Nott stepped into the light, looking exhausted. "She has been like that for the past week. She won't even talk to Evans or Lupin. I'm telling you, I've tried every trick in the book" Theo said, his eyes wide with worry as he approached the group.

It was true that Mira hadn't acted like her usual self for the past seven days. They all knew that with the end-of-term exams approaching, everyone would be a little on edge, especially Mira. But she had taken it to a terrifying level. She had isolated herself in her room or at that specific desk, barely uttering a single word to anyone all day. She wasn't even going down to the Great Hall for meals anymore. Theo had taken it upon himself to bring her a plate of food at least twice a day, leaving it next to her books. She would briefly stop what she was doing just to look up and give him a small smile of gratitude, but the plates always remained untouched.

Pandora had resorted to lying to Mira's Gryffindor friends for the first few days, hoping Mira would bounce back on her own. She knew how much Mira would hate for Lily or Remus to worry. But by the fourth day, Theo had reached his breaking point. He had rushed to the Gryffindor common room and waited impatiently outside for someone to appear, hoping the 'Golden Boys' could help. But nothing worked. Mira continued her unhealthy habits and was now looking like a zombie.

"Okay, enough is enough!" Evan announced. He started charging toward Mira with determination, but Theo caught his arm and stopped him.

"Just... let me try one last time" Theo said softly. He approached the desk where Mira was sitting and stood right behind her chair. He sighed slowly before wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck. "Darling..."

That seemed to be enough to make her put down her quill for a split second.

"You can't go on like this, baby. Come on, let's take a walk. Let's get you something to eat" he proposed. He gave her neck a few gentle kisses, but she had no reaction. Instead, she just grabbed her quill again and started scratching words onto a piece of parchment. "I'll even go spend time with you and your Gryffindor friends if you want. Just please, Mira, stand up from this bloody chair"

"No!" she bellowed, suddenly slamming her hands down on the table. The sound echoed through the room. "I need to study! I really need to study!"

Her tone was sharp and harsh, nothing like Theo's gentle voice. Theo's hands fell from her waist as he stepped back, stunned.