prospicere futurum | fred weasley | cedric diggory

29

Corinne shoved her notes into her bag after her quill and inkwell, not caring if the ink had dried yet or if the writing would even be legible when it came time to look over them later. It didn't matter. She was sure Ella's notes were much better anyway, and they could study together.

"I'm starving." Taylor grumbled, though dinner wouldn't start for at least another hour.

Neither Ella or Corinne answered, and Taylor set off onto another topic, though Corinne was hardly listening, her eyes focused on the cracks in each level of the stone staircase they were headed across.

There was a time when she would have felt queasy looking down like this as they started up the stairs, even on the second floor of the castle. She had hardly noticed this year, the way it had become easier, the stairs, the distance between them and the ground increasing with every step... She didn't feel a thing.

"-if we should do anything for Halloween? It's a Tuesday, but still... Last year of school, what's a few missed classes-" Taylor trailed off and Corinne vaguely noticed the glare Ella had shot her fade from her face.

"Well... no, you're right... Class is important, of course." Taylor hurried to correct herself, and Corinne forced on an attempt of an attentive smile.

"If you plan something early enough, people would probably be fine. Or the weekend before, maybe." She offered, knowing Taylor had been bored the first few weeks of school. It had been quiet, surely. It seemed like everything was different this year, and it had taken Corinne weeks to realize it was for everyone, and not just her.

"It is October 2nd, Taylor. Slow down." Ella muttered as they finally reached the portrait hole, slumping into the first empty couches they came across, knowing the common room would be filling up any moment now. The fires had finally been lit this morning, as the temperatures had finally began to dip, the winds picking up along the grounds and whistling through the tower.

Corinne let the two bicker, tuning them out for just a moment as she let her eyes shut, soaking in the warmth through her sweater and wishing she could crawl into bed now. Her mind sank down without her permission, remembering the chilly spring nights just a few months before, when her afternoons might have looked completely different, skipping excitedly down to the Hufflepuff dorms after classes, where it was impossible to be cold, especially cuddled up in the oven-like dormitories beside Cedric, the comforting smell of cedar and citrus and...

"Corinne!" Ella nudged her, forcefully, and she caught herself on the arm rest of the couch just in time, watching a speck of blood drip onto the back of her hand.

"Merlin..." She mumbled, blinking a few times to clear the liquid that had welled in her eyes before wiping against her lip, grimacing at the smear of crimson that appeared. "Sorry."

"You alright?" Taylor asked, her eyes wide in shock as Corinne stood, nodding quickly.

"Bit my lip. S'fine." She mumbled, "I'm going to... clean this up and get changed. I'll see you for dinner."

"We can come..." Taylor trailed off as Corinne turned the corner of the staircase out of sight, holding the back of her hand against her lip with steady pressure. She hadn't even felt herself bite down. Wouldn't have even noticed if she had bled all over the familiar worn couch...

Flipping the knob at the sink to let it warm up for a moment, she grabbed for a washcloth from the folded stack at the wooden cabinet, wetting it quickly and pressing it against her lip. The warmth from the water slowly seeped into her skin and she took in a deep breath, trying to relax, forcing her mind to stay here, in this moment. The present. Nothing else. No memories, happy or not...