Not About Angels (A Tom Riddle Story)

Chapter 22

He held her in his arms, taking her to the nurse.   

Her small, limp body hung in his arms, her legs bouncing up and down with his swift movements.  

In the rain, the water poured down on his golden hair, beating through his white t-shirt. 

Gabriel pushes open the door, water droplets dripping onto the clean marble floor.  

"Oh Goodness!" Madam Earhart yells, seeing the blood dripping off Abigail's hands.  

Gabriel gently sets her down on the bed. 

The edges of the sheets were instantly stained with thin ribbons of crimson blood.  

 He felt personally responsible. If he hadn't forced the absolute notion of victory into her mind, perhaps she would not have pushed her limits so. After all, she was only a first year. 

It was he who had demanded too much, asked for too much.  

Madame Earnhart takes out her wand, stopping the bleeding. 

"Drink this." She said, taking a bottle of potion to Abigail's lips.  

 "Is she alright?" Gabriel asked madame Earhart. 

"That doesn't look very good. High fall, was it? Exhausted too. When was the last time the girl had a full night of sleep. She was already injured everywhere. You and your Quidditch people...I swear, It's the fourth time this month someones come in with a broken bone! And this is only the first game! Do you know how many injuries this girl already had? How could you allow her to play today!" Madame Earnheart fussed, pacing back and forth between medicine cabinets.   

"I-I didn't know." Gabriel said, looking at Abigail again. Lying on that bed, she seemed unbearably fragile, as if a single touch could shatter her into little pieces. For the first time, he realized how painfully thin she was. How her collarbone protruded from her boney shoulders, creating a deep canyon between her neck and shoulder blades. 

Like a paper doll, wasting away in the pouring rain.  

But he knew, she was much stronger than she appeared. It took guts, determination and sheer will power to get oneself up at the crack of dawn each morning, flying against the bitter morning wind.   

Madame Earnhart shook her head, handing Gabriel another bottle of potion. 

" Make her take this for the bleeding. I will go find another potion for her bones." 

Gabriel lifted her cold body from the sheets, holding her against his chest. Her body shook in violent shivers, responding to the piercing cold of the rain still on her damp clothes. 

"Are you alright? You feel cold?" he asks, his voice softer now than before. 

Her lips parted, and she added lightly, her head barely moving.  

He draws the blanket up to her chest, folding it in front of her to keep the warmth in. 

The rest of the Gryffindor team files in, followed by Cassie and Sam. 

................................. 

She opens her eyes, barely adjusting to the bright sunlight spilled across her cheeks. 

"You're finally awake!" Sam yells, excited. 

"Oh Abigail!" Cassie cries, picking up Abigail's hand. 

"It's lunch right now. We though we might visit you for a bit, since Madame said you're supposed to be up at any second. Oh, I'm so glad. When you fell, do you know how scary it was? I screamed. I was thinking: Oh god, what if Abigail dies! She's too young to die-"Cassie said, interrupted by Sam.