You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 22

"She's been like this for over seven hours"

"She hasn't even lifted her head up"

"Should we be concerned?"

"Oh no, I'm sure it's perfectly normal for a teenager to spend their Saturday alone , sitting on a desk, studying and not talking to any of their friends" Pandora said casually, with a shrug of her shoulders, making everyone turn their heads to look at her ,entirely confused at her answer. "Of course we should be concerned ,you idiots!" she screamed at them, her right eye slightly twitching.

"I hate that I'll say that but... where the bloody hell is Nott when you need him?" Regulus asked in frustration looking at  the disturbing sight of Mira studying at the common room's desk, not even flinching at the commotion around her.

"You really think I haven't tried to get her to do anything else?" a voice that belonged to none other than Theodore Nott, sounded from the entrance of the common room. "She's 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 with widen eyes, approaching his group of friends.

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 whole other level. She was mostly isolated up to her room, barely uttering a word to anyone all day, even during classes and in between them. She wasn't even going down to the Great Hall for any of her meals. Theo had taken it up to himself to bring her a plate of food at least twice a day, up to her dorm and leaving it next to her and her books. She would briefly stop whatever she was doing to look up and give him a small smile of gratitude. Safe to say the plates remained as Theo had left them. Pandora had resulted to lying to Mira's Gryffindor friends the first few days in hopes they could help her bounce back without their help. She also knew how much Mira would hate for them to worry about her. But on the fourth day of Mira's isolation push had come to shove and Theo had rushed to the Gryffindor common room, impatiently waiting outside for Lupin or Evans or even Potter to appear in hopes they could help, much to his and Pandora's dismay. But nothing seemed to help. Mira continued her unhealthy habits and was now looking like a zombie. A terrifying sight for everyone and much more her friends who worried about her the most.

"Okay ,enough is enough!" Evan announced charging towards Mira with determination but Theo stopped him immediately.

"Just...let me try one last time" he said before slowly approaching the desk Mira was sitting at and standing right behind her. Theo sighed slowly before wrapping his hands around her waist ,his head nuzzling in her neck. "Darling..." that seemed to be enough to make her put down hr quill for a short moment. "You can't go on like this,baby. Come on let's take a walk , get you something to eat" he proposed giving her neck a few gentle kisses to which she had no reaction. Instead she just grabbed her quill once more and started writing something down on a piece of parchment. "I'll even go spend time with you and your Gryffindor friends if you want to. Just please ,Mira, stand up from this bloody chair"

"No!" she bellowed slamming her hands on the table. "I need to study! I really need to study!" her tone of voice was nothing like Theo's gentle one. With her outburst his hands fell from  her waist .

"Fine" was all he said before storming out of the common room.

"Let me try something" Regulus said before taking slow steps to Mira's direction, with his hands behind his back. Once he had reached her , he brought his lips right to her ear. "I know you don't give a damn about us being worried about you but you're ruining yourself in the processes" he whispered in a harsh tone, one that intrigued Mira so much she actually started listening to what he had to say. Everyone had been so gentle with her the past couple of days and Regulus' harshness  was just like him. "Get your shit together ,Aisling" was the last thing he said before going back to the others.