After the War.

Christmas Time Again?

My body arched and I slowly reacted to the great pressure on my stomach. I couldn't open my eyes but they were forced open as the weight moved over and over. Shouts of my name brought me from the deep slumber.

"Emily, it is early and I have the worst headache. What are you doing? You are supposed to be going home like the rest of them." I took a second longer to think before responding, my warning laying in my voice as I checked with her, "You better be going." She was so quick to agree with me and throw clothes at me. Making me regret my decision of telling her my password. It would have to be changed soon anyway so I was going to get out of her usual harassment until she managed to get the password out of me again.

"You are about as kind as a raging alcoholic is to their liver." I commented and looked at the clothes before giving in completely. Emily really was my weak spot. "Fine, I will walk you to the edge." I walked into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Changing and then walking out. Noticing the rest of them stood there. Isaac looking very sorry for himself but I ignored it. The rest knew what he had said as he told them in hopes of receiving support but they all told him to say sorry to me. His pride was too inflated for that so I was going to wait. I had nothing to apologise for at all.

Soon, my boots having been pulled on, I walked out and the rest of the school walked out of the gates. I gave a hug to those willing and as Tim passed I gave a quick squeeze. He whispered luck to me before my arms tightened and he grunted out. This year we had all bought presents before starting the year so we all had some. I gave Isaac his by placing it under the tree and he didn't seem to give me one. It was all right as he didn't have to. According to others he had even got himself a girlfriend of his own choosing.

I waved them off and two professors closed the gate as they walked them to the train. Sleep heavy in their eyes as well as regret for the job. Hagrid was jolly as he walked past though. Something about his dog and the cowering sound was heard from the forest. The biggest pansy but that made him who he was and so I loved it.

I found that the castle wasn't my desired location and so I walked over to the lake. As I swiveled for the walk the same figure from the year before stood at possibly the same window. I ignored it and walked to the water. Nothing being murmured as the water had moved vaguely due to the giant squid that was a resident in it.

My eyes glanced over it and the shine seemed to make it dance. Snow was falling and the ice was in the early stages of freezing. I felt a slight chill and so pulled my arms tighter. My mind began to think of my home and the fact of not being able to return, if it was possible to Adelaide, ever. She was scared of not having the perfect life and I felt anger flair in me but just as I had met my peak of anger something had sounded.

"Quite the ritual to have." As the deep voice of a more than slightly disgruntled grounds keeper my feet slipped as my balance was lost and I began to fall. The lake not being great for the cold and my sight was blurring. The water stang my eyes as I fell and the ice ran across me. I tried to swim back up but my wand was gone and so I had to swim down a little further. My hands cramping and freezing as I moved them around, frantically trying to catch my falling wand. Luckily it was close to the shore and so I was only two metres down when I found the stick.

My body felt like it was moving at a snail's pace and yet I was putting all of my effort into it. I wasn't even close to the surface and yet I was swimming. After a minute of being under there my panic set in as the last of my oxygen was expelled and I took an involuntary breath in. That was when I had to keep pushing. My arms flailing and eventually my body was at the surface. The man that had made me jump had clearly left, most likely to get help or to run as he thought he had killed me.

As I dragged myself out though Professor Sprout and Professor Hooch were there. They had clearly just returned from the students departure as they both ran from the gate. I couldn't see much though as I had to close my eyes. The sun and water burning as the cold took over me. My fingers felt like they could fall off and my lungs stung. My clothes were so heavy I could barely move and my body felt like a truck had just hit it.

"Miss Flint." The women both had met me and I felt my body jolt. The panicked voice of McGonagall was heard and Filch was also heard as he called out to Madam Pomfrey. She must have been gathered but my body was so sore that I couldn't do anything at all.

They seemed to be fussing but not doing much and so I tried to stand. The scarf and hat being pulled off and my coat was shrugged off before I took of the jumper. The water would be worse than the wind and so I took of what I could without being fully immodest but I felt my head pound more and my eyes instinctively opened for the first time. That was the moment when I saw my nails and they looked to be blue.

I tried to walk but the resistance was far too great and just as I had given up a cloak was placed on my shoulders. I could hear muttering as a spell was used and my clothes were dryer but I felt my hair as it dropped down my back and after a split second it was dried as well. My eyes began to grow to be heavy and I found myself pulling the cloak off that had been placed around me as I seemed to be against wearing it. I had no clue why though.

I could faintly hear raised voices as the world fell from white to black and my water filled ears stopped working. My hands losing their feel and my thighs that cried in pain stopped. It seemed to come to a full halt but as that faided a faint dream was drilled into me. My body being kept under the water as I tried to free myself, trying to stop what this person was up to but it wasn't working and I tried to fight against the hands that held me in the water. My screaming only let out more air though.

The next thing I know is white and warmth as my body jerked up and then back down as nausea hit me and I gagged. I felt something meet my hand and I began to throw up into it but after a few seconds the sensation stopped as I hoped the last of the water was expelled from my body. That was when I had properly opened my eyes and looked up. The same professors as before were before me and I squinted as my head hurt but then a potion was handed to me and I swallowed it down. Trying not to bring it back up again.

The headache passed and I looked back at those in the room. They didn't seem to be most pleased but I couldn't see Filch so clearly it looked like I went for a swim and wasn't smart enough to figure out how bad that was.

"What were you thinking? Why did you do it?" To my surprise Madam Pomfrey had asked and I just handed back the empty glass before my sore throat was put to use. I sounded like an intoxicated man on steroids, I sounded like my step-father.

"I was just stood there and then Mr Filch spoke and it scared me. I jumped but it was an accident I swear to you." I couldn't say much more as the sting made me silence until another potion was handed to me and I swallowed it. The pain fading as I looked rather sheepishly around the professors.

"Well, that makes sense, you are a smart girl and we know that you aren't stupid enough to pull this off and then work so hard to save yourself." It wasn't said but the underlying belief that I had tried to take my own life was known. They actually believed that I would do that.