Shifted: Book Two

Chapter Fourteen - Just a Scratch

Before heading back to the common room, Hazel made a quick stop at the girls' bathrooms, in hopes to somehow rub away the words printed on her hand, it was magic after all, surely a bit of soap could do the trick, right?

She ran in and dashed straight to the sink, rinsing her hands under the lukewarm water. However, the water only made it sting more, and naturally, she took her hands away and placed them on the rim of the bowl. She hung her head low, inhaling and exhaling tenderly, trying to take her mind off the pain.

"What are you doing, Hazel?", she spoke to herself, now staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Come on, don't let this- this pink-consumed monster make you shift back", Hazel continued.

"It's just a scratch, it's just a scratch", she pleaded, looking at the torturous words that had stained her fragile hand.

"You can't leave, this is your home, it always has been and always will be. These people are your family, you can't leave them, especially when Voldemort really has returned", she finished.

Hazel wiped a single tear that managed to escape her eye. She then gently dried her hands and headed back to the common room.

When she made her way back, all her worries swiftly vanished, the coldness that ran through her veins warmed up to the comforting atmosphere of the Gryffindor common room. The room was dimly lit with amber candles that were randomly placed around the room, and keeping the air warm and toasty was the golden fire that sizzled and crackled. She walked in, hiding her hand behind her other hand, though that seemed useless as Hermione briskly approached her and sat her down in front of the fire with Harry and Ron who, she assumed, found out what Umbridge put them through. Hermione gently sat Hazel on the couch and started talking.

"Hazel, please don't tell me Umbridge did the same thing to you too", Hermione said, with her eyes saddened as Hazel revealed her tortured hand.

Hermione exhaled sharply in disbelief.

"Your wrist is bruised too, Hazel. What did she do when I left?", Harry asked, softly taking ahold of Hazel's wrist and stroking it kindly with his thumb.

Hazel grew tired, all she wanted was to sleep and forget everything that happened that night.

"She gripped onto it, firmly, as you can see", Hazel said, with a little chuckle.

"She just wanted information out of me because the Ministry don't have any data on me", she admitted in a tiresome tone.

"Lucky for you, the Ministry have nothing against you without that data", Ron reassured.

"That doesn't mean they can't touch you, and by the looks of it, Umbridge has already gotten to that stage", Hermione intervened, comforting Hazel in her arms.

"You've got to tell Dumbledore", she added, glancing over at Harry, who seemed agitated with Hermione's suggestion.

"I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction", Harry replied, looking down at his hand and covering it up shamefully.

"Bloody hell, Harry. The woman's torturing you and Hazel- if any of your parents knew about this-", Ron added, exchanging a concerned expression with Harry.

Harry let go of his tongue and clenched his fists, his face grew red, and that wasn't the colour of the burning flames reflecting onto his soft skin.

"Well, I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron?", Harry snapped back.

Ron looked down, shifting his frown to the side of his face, regretting his extra comment.

Hermione turned her attention from Harry and Ron to Hazel again.

"Hazel, you've got to report this", she spoke calmly.

"It's perfectly simple. You're being-", she continued before being cut off by Harry's angry voice.

"No, it's not. Whatever this is, Hermione, it's not simple. You don't understand", he hissed, glancing over to Hermione, who was still comforting Hazel, then back to the fire.

Silence consumed the four friends for a moment or two; no one quite knew how to react or say. Shortly after the unsettling quietness, Hermione spoke up.

"Then help us to", she said, looking at Hazel and Harry, then Ron, who gave Hermione a worried glance.