Magical Bonds

VI. An unforseen situation

Time stops, and I'm no longer aware of what's around me. I only know that, somehow, I ended up kneeling on the cold floor, staring blankly for minutes. This can't be happening to me right now—not when I was so excited to start my school years and meet Harry. All that happiness vanished as if it were a bubble of water. A feeling of suffocation overwhelms me, and tears start to fill my eyes.

I messed up; I disrupted the entire peace of the school. I bury my hands in my hair and clench my jaw to hold back the sobs stuck in my throat. I look at the floor, stained with my tears, and feel like throwing a few things around just to calm myself down. I want to create a little chaos somewhere to forget this pain and the guilt weighing on my heart. It's not fair, even though I know life will never be like that. It's not fair for a storm to appear when the sky has been clear.

I'm so lost in thought that I don't even feel the hand on my arm, gently squeezing to get my attention. I slowly lift my head and find my mother's gentle eyes, with Minnie standing beside her.

"Ly, let me take you out of here," my mother says seriously.

"B-But..."

"You're not well, my dear, and I can't bear to see you like this. If you want to step outside for a few minutes to calm down, that's okay, and it's okay if you don't want to stay for dinner."

I swallow hard, leaning on her to get to my feet. I can't look anyone in the eye, and I don't think anyone wants to be near me right now.

"Let's go," is the only thing I manage to say.

She nods softly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and guiding me to the door behind the teachers' table, which I believe is the same one I entered through a while ago. I hear some murmuring, but I don't bother to listen. I let my mother lead me away from the Great Hall, from the ceremony, from all the strange looks. I think I've run out of tears—I'm not even sure anymore.

I don't even realize when we arrive in my mother's room, where I've slept all these years. I sit on the edge of the bed, my mind wandering far away. I need a Time-Turner to keep myself from getting out of bed this morning, to wait until the sorting was over and convince Albus to put the hat on my head when all the students had left. What am I going to do tomorrow? How will I ignore all the pitiful, sympathetic looks, or those that think I'm a freak for not belonging to just one house?

I sigh, running my hands over my face, and glance to my left, where my mother is carefully placing a tray of food on her desk.

"You can come eat; I imagine you're hungry or... or at least try to take a bite," she says gently, bringing me to the verge of tears once again.

"How... How are you not upset?" I whisper, biting my lower lip.

She looks at me sadly, then pulls me into her arms. I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of roses as I bury my face in her black silk dress, slowly calming down.

"Ly, no one could have foreseen this situation, but you don't need to feel guilty. It happened, and we'll move forward with our heads held high and solve any problems that come our way."

I nod slowly, letting her lift my chin and wipe my cheeks. I haven't even looked at the emblem on my uniform or the tie—I just don't have the courage now. She takes my hand gently and moves me to her chair in front of the desk, where she spends most of her time. I choose not to say anything while we eat, feeling so strange, not to mention the emptiness in my stomach that refuses to go away.

At some point, I swallow hard, thinking of my mother, who respects my silence. I feel bad. She's not at fault for this whole situation, and... ugh, my head already hurts. I stab a tomato with my fork, glaring at it before eating it, then turn to my mother. I place my hand over hers, wanting to reassure her. I don't want to imagine what's in her heart, besides the endless pain that marks it.