A Star For You

Twenty

The next morning, Estelle woke up and started to panic while she looked around her bed. Severus was not there anymore and she was afraid she had dreamt about everything that happened last night. Her heart started to race, her fears and anxiety making her blood rush and trouble breathing. Her perfect ability to ignore everything these past few months had worked for awhile but she was scared after this possible dream it would be broken and she would actually start to feel things again which terrified her. She tried sitting up but she felt dizzy, her head slightly swaying, both from getting up too fast but also the panic that was rising up inside her.

Suddenly Madam Pomfrey came rushing over at the commotion and found Estelle trying to leave her bed. 

"Oh, no you don't Professor Beauregard. You still need to rest." She said sternly, coming over and pushing her back down onto the bed. Estelle tried pushing back but could not muster up the strength. She was back laying down and she frowned, "Severus?" she managed to choke out, her eyes searching Madam Pomfrey's face for signs of her going mental or not.

Madam Pomfrey realized what she was asking but continued to hold her down and used her wand to wrap the blanket around her so she could rest some more, "Yes Professor Snape was here last night. He left this morning for the start of O.W.L's." she told her. She finished tucking her in and ordered her to stay put while she came back later to give her some final potions so she could recover quickly. All without noticing that her normal reply to Estelle's question made her ten times better and relieved. She instantly stopped struggling and relaxed into the bed, all tucked in.

Estelle sulked at the thought of potions later due to her dislike of the taste but she listened to her orders and remained in her bed. It was also due to the pain in her lower back making her stay but no-one had to know that. She stared at the ceiling for awhile, going over and over about what her and Severus talked about that night. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, she was so happy. Although she was a little upset at the thought of missing her first O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's here at Hogwarts but those thoughts were replaced with Severus. 

Before she knew it, lunch began. Madam Pomfrey had come back and gave her something to eat and told her to eat everything because later in the afternoon she had to take a few more potions and eating would help the side effects. Estelle listened once again, and had finished when a visitor came to see her. In came Elio, looking a little worried and nervous. He stood at the foot of her bed and didn't say a word. Estelle had almost forgotten the last time they had seen each other was when she had slapped him in front of almost the whole castle.

"How are you, Es?" He quietly asked, an awkward smile on his face. Although he didn't look the least bit happy, in fact he looked pale and worried as if he hadn't been sleeping.

"I'm fine." She tentatively said, staring at him. He fidgeted then sighed.

"Es, I am so sorry I said----" he started but Estelle stopped him when she rose her hand in the air. He became silent at once and watched her, waiting for what she was about to say.

"The one you need to be sorry too is Severus, not me." She said with a firm look on her face. After he nodded and said he would, she smiled again. 

"How are the O.W.L's?" She curiosuly asked, a little guilty she was unable to be there to watch over the students as they took the very important examinations. Elio seemed to want to apologize again but shrugged in the end, and conjured up a chair. He sat down by her side and laughed. He already seemed a bit better than when he walked in, making Estelle smile.

"One of the Gryffindor boys tried cheating by using a star chart he got from one of the older kids. Bless him, he thought it was clever but unfortunately moons called ChocoFrogus is not real." He roared with laughter, impressed though at the length of creative the students were going through. He felt relieved and happy his sister was alright, his exhaustion and worries easing away effortlessly.