Mahogany ; D.M

16 - decisions

Athena still hadn't said a word to anyone about her situation after two weeks. As the days went on, it was a constant reminder that time was escaping her and soon her body would change and people would know.

Everyone would know.

The thought of this terrified her more than anything. 

Her mind was at war with itself, relaying back and forth with decision after decision. Should she keep it? When should she tell the father? When should she tell her friends? And when should she tell Cedric?

After her days of quarantine, Cedric had been ecstatic to see her. She hadn't realised until then how much she had missed him.

She had attempted to be her ordinary self around everyone but as much as she tried, it was exhausting to pretend everything was fine.

So she tried to spend as little time with them as possible without being too obvious that something was troubling her. It seemed to be successful for the first few days, due to her 'stomach bug' which excused her odd behaviour.

Yet she had figured they had sensed something was wrong after her repetitive behaviour. She thought of them talking about her when she left slightly too early for bed or when she wouldn't join them in the common room at all, instead going straight to her dormitory after dinner.

Cedric was the worst, most hardest to avoid because she didn't want to avoid him at all. However, luck had been in her favour as he had been quite busy recently with his Quidditch practice and studies.

But in those moments she was with him, it was as if nothing had ever troubled her. Cedric was one whole distraction alone. She felt she could breathe around him.

Though it didn't last long because she would remember what she was hiding from him and the dreadful shame and guilt would drown her soul.

And she had never felt so alone.

The only people who knew of her situation were Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.

The day she returned to her classes, she was called from Charms by McGonagall, which had everyone in the class sceptical of her apparent mishaps.

Athena had already suspected this happening so acted with indifference when she was requested. The following evening when she saw her friends altogether again at dinner, they asked her what had happened.

She had already crafted and prepared a good enough lie prior to the conversation, telling them she had discussed extra classes with McGonagall in Transfiguration to reach the Outstanding grade.

McGonagall discussed a few things with Athena to do with arrangements and precautions and had also mentioned that she needed to inform her mother as she was not yet of age, despite her birthday being in less than a month.

"Professor, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be the one to tell my mother,"Athena said.

She had no intention of actually informing her mother, for now anyway, but only said this as a way to make sure that McGonagall wouldn't beat her to it.

She didn't want her mother knowing while she was still unsure if she wanted to even keep it. As well as this, when she would turn seventeen on the 14th of December, she wouldn't have to inform her mother as a legal requirement at all.

"I want her to hear it from me. I'll send her a letter,"she continued.

McGonagall pondered over Athena's request for a moment before simply agreeing with her, having a great deal of sympathy for her situation.