Breaking Protocol {Percy Weasley}

Chapter Fifty-One

Penny walked as fast as she could, her hand covering her mouth in a pathetic attempt to stop the acid liquid crawling up her throat.

She rounded the corner so quickly, and with such a strong force, that when she collided with another student she barely knew what she had done. She fell to the ground, her knees slamming against the hard flooring.

And then she emptied the contents of her stomach, all over her clothes and on the floor surrounding her.

"Oh, butternuts!" Came a voice, a hand instantly rubbing against Penny's arched back. Penny could barely bring herself to look up at the person she had run into. Mortified, Penny held her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut as she rocked back and forth.

It had been so long since she had thrown up. Penny was so sure that it was all over now, and the rest of the year would be all smooth sailing, but she was so wrong.

Without warning, Penny let out a sickening sob, her whole body trembling. She was so tired of trying, she couldn't do it anymore. She didn't want to go on alone, and it was clear she wasn't going to have Percy by her side no matter how hard she tried.

A spell was muttered and Penny was rid of all the vomit, but that didn't stop her uncontrollable sobs. Her body was trembling so hard and Penny was losing control of her emotions. Everything came flowing out her heart, all the raw feelings she locked away in her chest. There was a soothing voice muttering kind words in her ear, but she could barely hear the girl through the screaming thoughts in her head.

When Percy broke up with Penny over the summer, she had thought her world was cracked and fallen apart, never to be repaired, but that was nothing compared to the way she was feeling now.

Percy was a mistake, Penny hadn't known that until it was too late. Until she acted in a situation too quickly and landed herself in a spot so difficult she didn't know whether or not she was going to survive. She hated how blinded she was by the Gryffindor boy, she hated how pathetic she had acted over Percy. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been to even think that he was the right one for her.

"Someone is getting the Headmaster." Said the female voice in her ear. Penny sat up quickly, turning her head to see a concerned blonde girl sitting at her side.

"What?" Penny demanded. The blonde looked taken back as she spoke slowly.

"I've sent someone to get the Headmaster. He should still be in the Great Hall--"

"No!" Penny shouted, getting to her feet so quickly that dizziness waved over her and she swayed where she stood. The girl got to her feet just as quickly, grabbing for Penny and holding her in her arms.

"You're not well." The girl was saying. "You need to stay seated, wait for the--"

"No...I-I need to leave." Penny was saying. She broke free from the girl's grip, stumbling down the corridor. She turned the corner she had come from, hurrying towards the Ravenclaw Tower. She wasn't unwell, she just needed some space, some time to think.

"Hey!" Called the girl, running after her. "What are you doing?" She asked. Penny gave the girl a look.

"I just need some space." Penny muttered.

"Well, then you're shit outta luck." The girl said, and Penny looked over at her, eyebrows raised.

"Excuse me?" The girl crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not leaving your side until you talk to the Headmaster or Madame Pomfrey. You've been awful sick for a while now." Said the girl. Penny frowned, looking over at the blonde. She didn't know this girl at all, yet somehow she knew that she had been sick.