4
There were flames licking up the woodwork along the walls. Smoke rolled across the floor, rising higher as it filled the room. There was such immense heat coming from the fire; there was no escaping it. Evangeline was desperate, scrambling to open her bedroom door. Something had fallen in front of it on the other side, and even as she pushed with all her might, it wouldn’t budge more than a few inches. She had a clear line of escape. The window in her bedroom was open, all she had to do was climb out.
“Evangeline!” it was her mother’s voice, straining through the clouds of smoke that were filling the home. Her father coughed, trying to pry the front door open, but to no avail.
“Mom!” She screamed back, pushing harder, trying to fight against the door.
“Evangeline!”
She woke in a dead sweat, heart beating wildly in her chest. Tears were pricking at her eyes, threatening to spill over. She felt sick. Her room was utterly quiet and empty, the darkness seeming to close in on her. Evangeline willed the spinning in her head to stop, but after a few seconds, she gave up, scrambling to the bathrooms. Her stomach emptied as she painfully heaved into the toilet, arms shaking from the strain of her vomiting and the anxiety still thrumming through her bones.
“Shit,” she breathed, trying to slow her racing heart. Her eyelids were heavy, but she knew better than to try going back to sleep. Instead, Evangeline took advantage of the empty bathroom to take a shower. It would be hours before classes started, or before the sun even rose, so she took her time scrubbing away both the sweat and the memory of her dream. It did not work as well as she had hoped it would.
She was weary after the shower, tired but still unable to halt the tremble in her hands. She hadn’t dreamt of the accident since her first weeks at Hogwarts. Having it all come back so suddenly was unnerving. So, instead of drowning in her adrenaline-induced anxiety, she took a walk. It usually helped, or at least it did whenever dreams like this plagued her mind. Hogwarts was peaceful in the dark. The only thing she needed to worry about was dodging any professors or groundskeepers who might catch her out after curfew, but it was typically easy to dodge them by turning down a different hallway or hiding in dark corners of the halls.
But she couldn't hide away in the dark forever. All too soon, the sun began to rise, sending streaks of sunlight through the school’s windows. Evangeline made her way down to the dining hall, avoiding as many students as she could on her way down. It was easier to dodge conversations, especially when she was feeling like this. Hopeless, helpless, and uneasy. Three things she hated being.
Usually, Evangeline rather enjoyed breakfast at Hogwarts. The smells were absolutely amazing, and the amount of food to choose from made it impossible to get sick of the meal. It was typical for her to pick out a few things, with coffee and juice to accompany her plate of food. Today, however, the thought of trying to eat something only made that sick feeling return, and she settled on a small coffee and some water instead.
Her head was pounding already, and classes hadn’t even started yet. Her eyes began to water, threatening to spill over as she got up from her spot. So, Evangeline did something she had never even considered doing before: she went to the infirmary, had a nurse examine her, and had a note sent to her professors, explaining that she would not be attending classes for the day.
Per the nurse’s orders, she stayed in her room, resting and drinking tea to ease the ache in her head. The nausea still clung to her, but secluding herself from the business of daily activities seemed to help. At one point, she must’ve fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes again, the cup of tea she’d set aside had gone cold and the shadows had lengthened outside her window.
It was bittersweet, knowing that she’d been given the opportunity to study at Hogwarts. She hated when her mind did this -sending random reminders of all the things she’d done wrong- but it was an impossible ailment to avoid. Her mind was constantly running, and at this point, she knew what it was no use trying to stop the buzz in her mind.
And yet, when a piece of parchment appeared beside her on the bed, Evangeline felt a stutter in her heart and a halt in her thoughts. Carefully, trying not to allow a smile to cross her face, she picked up the paper and unfolded it.
Heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you any better? Classes were boring today without your snarky comments and neverending, witty charm. -S
Evangeline laughed to herself, turning to snatch a pen from her bedside table.
Is that concern I'm sensing, Sallow? I didn’t think you were capable of feeling such compassion for another person. All is well, though. Such a shame you had to suffer through a day without me. -E
She sent the paper back to him. Any other day, she would’ve cursed herself for enjoying this childish exchange of letters. However, today she knew this was exactly what she needed: a welcome distraction. Not that she needed the Slytherin. It was just nice to know someone cared once in a while.
The letter flittered back, landing next to her once again. She was almost thrilled, unable to stop herself from grabbing the paper eagerly.
Indeed, it was a horrible experience. Although, judging by your attitude, I'm assuming you will be well enough to come to classes tomorrow? -S
Evangeline smiled. This was so, undeniably stupid. She knew that. She was too smart for this. It was ridiculous. Childish. And yet…
Yes, I will be back tomorrow. -E
His response was a smiley face.