⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉
𝖆 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝖕𝖔𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❝Tainted (verb); to spoil something,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ especially food or blood, by adding
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a harmful substance, or to spoil
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ p...
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A WEEK HAD GONE BY, AND ALEXANDRA HAD SPENT EACH DAY SKILLFULLY AVOIDING HER FRIENDS.
The witch's bed in her sleeping quarters remained untouched, for she'd taken to spend the nights wide awake in the hospital wing, refusing even a drop of potion that might have helped her fall prey to slumber. Controlling the bond might have been impossible, however, fighting the voice while awake was far easier than facing Gellert in her dreams.
Disgust, fear, and self-hatred had become her everyday companions, yet almost no one would have been able to discern the shift in the teen's behaviour.
Alexandra's stony expression, piercing empty eyes, and effortless composure did not alarm the few peers that had ever crossed her path since that fateful night; none of them had ever witnessed a different side of the witch. Alexandra Grindelwald had always been skilled in masking her genuine emotions, her smooth, monotone voice impeding even those more skilled from peering inside her heart and mind.
However, the Castle still housed a few witches and wizards who knew Alexandra better than most. While she considered them part of her chosen family, Alexandra could not allow herself to be near her friends. Not only would they have soon noticed that something had occurred, but the witch feared their reactions upon learning the truth. It was selfish, to isolate herself to shield her heart from the anguish she would have felt upon her friends' desertion. However, Alexandra wasn't only protecting herself by avoiding those she loved, but also shielding them.
"What they don't know can't hurt them." Alexandra found herself often thinking.
Dumbledore's reassuring promises felt hollow, for Alexandra's fear of becoming like Gellert burnt far too bright to be extinguished. All her life, the teen had felt different from her family members, and her recent discovery had proved her right. Tainted blood and magic ran through her veins, and she would have rather greeted death with open arms than putting her loved ones in harm's way – her harm's way. Alexandra felt nothing but disgust towards herself, anger directed at the man she was magically and blood bound to, and scared of what it all meant.
On December 31st, Alexandra had awoken to a pile of neatly-stacked presents at the end of her bed. Dumbledore had kindly listened to the teen's pleas to keep her friends from visiting and agreed on checking Aron and Blaise's mail to make sure neither of them alerted their parents of her odd behaviour. Forbidden to step foot within the confines of the hospital wing, there was only one explanation as to how her friends had managed to deliver their birthday presents to the witch; Dobby the free elf.
Guilt bubbled in the witch's stomach, appetite long gone as she stared at the heart-warming presents she'd received for her fifteenth birthday. It was clear that her loved ones hadn't given up on her, and this only sparked conflicting emotions within Alexandra.
