Broomsticks And Owls

Damien watched Geneve stride off into the distance. It was obvious she was still a bit shaken from the events that had previously taken place. So, Damien himself set off towards the castle, needing to speak with professor Sprague. As he did, he remembered the last time he had gone off towards the castle. It had been a full moon lighting the way, instead of the sun.

He opened the entrance doors. Kids were bustling through the entrance hall, trying to get to dinner. Damien joined the flow, and stepped into the hall. The house tables were already half-way filled. Damien took an abrupt right and began standing in the corner of the hall, scanning the hall. He yawned. "Jetlag," he thought to himself.

Nikolaus entered the Great Hall with a horde of students tailing behind him. Only a couple of daring ones spoke to him. The questions asked were mostly about his adventures as an explorer, his knowledge about the Dark Arts, and most intridgueing of all, his latest development with their Professor Valencia.

Of course, Nikolaus tried not to divulge too much in that particular aspect, in fear of Valencia's wrath and her mysterious power over his own magic. But he did revealed to them that their wedding would most likely be held at the end of this year school term, somewhere early June next year.

He noticed Damien standing alone by the far right corner. Several students tailing behind Nikolaus also caught sight of the mysterious man. As Nikolaus made his way towards Damien, the tailing horde dissipated in a matter of seconds. Nikolaus heaved a sigh of relief.

"Damien! Haven't seen you today. Looking for someone?" Nikolaus greeted cheerfully.

After giving the cat a warm sponging over, Geneve left him on her bed to sleep. He was so tired and weak. She had given him some cat food another girl in her dormatory had for her cat, and he had eaten it all very fast. Now he slept soundly, and Geneve decided to rush off to get some food herself.

She hurried down the coridor and up the stairs to the Great Hall. It was packed out with students. Geneve entered and side stepped her way to the Slytherin table. She was so grateful that a forgetful spell had been sent across the school, as most of the students had been privy to the battle as well as a suggestion spell she had been the cause of only days ago. She spotted Liam at the Gryffindor table. He was surrounded by his cousins and friends. Geneve didn't have any friends; she was from the Muggle world, or non magical world. She had left her whole life behind, as much of a life as it was. She needed to start over. She was afraid, not knowing who she was anymore. She felt like the children in the Narnia chronicles after they had returned from being grown up Queens and Kings. Only problem was, she had been a villain.

Liam began to chat wildly to his friends and family. It was so good to get things back to normal. The teachers had cast a Forget spell, and Liam was only just starting to realise how grateful he was for it.
"Hey Liam did you hear about the third year who got locked in the dungeons by peeves?" asked someone from the crowd.
Liam meerly grunted, by stiffened when he saw Geneve, standing in the entrance to the Great Hall looking uncertain.
"Excuse me" Liam said while breaking through the crowd and walking towards Geneve, he smiled, everything was better, but he still saw the anxiousness in Geneves eyes.

Damien smiled at Nickolaus. "Actually, I happen to be searching for Ms. Sprague. Would you happen to know where she is?"

"Nope, haven't seen her today. Thinking of which, have you seen Valencia?" Nikolaus asked. Damien shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess they are most probably together. When will the dinner start?" Nikolaus said to no one in particular, as his stomach started to protest. He hated being hungry.

Damien laughed as he heard Nikolaus's stomach growl. "I really shouldn't eat. The food will make me even more tired, and I need to see Ms. Sprague today." Then he asked, "How are the young ones handling the events?" Geneve, he knew, had suffered probably more than anyone, after Damien had heard the events from those who'd been there, but Damien also knew that Liam had suffered severely.

Geneve saw Liam approaching and smiled. "Hi!" she said when he arrived. She looked over his shoulder at Liam's cousins, Albus and James Potter. Even though they had been made to forget her part in the war on Hogwarts, their father, Harry Potter and head auror at the Ministry of Magic still knew. She wondered if he would hold it against her, being the grand daughter of the man who killed his parents. She sighed. "It's really hard, trying to get on with this.. I was shy enough as it was, but now, I'm down right terrified!"

Nikolaus glanced at the two youngsters.
"They will be fine... they have each other and both Galena and Valencia will guide them." He paused for a while, seeing uncertainty in Damien's eyes. "Although I think I need to have a small talk with Geneve... something about controlling...."

Geneve felt a terrible weakness fall over her. She put her hand on Liam's shoulder to support herself.
"Oh..I don't feel so well.." she said, holding her head. She felt like she was going to be sick. Liam tried to steady her. Geneve looked up suddenly, looking around the room. Near the staff table stood Damien and Nikolaus, and they were both watching her. She felt her heart flutter as her eyes met Nikolaus'. She looked away quickly. She felt something wet coming out of her nose. It was bleeding! She looked up again, and saw Nikolaus approaching. "I.. I have to go..." she said to Liam, and pushed past him, heading for the exit.

"Wait!" Nikolaus called out as Geneve quickened her pace. She was walking wobbly towards the doors. Her vision started to blur and the world began to spin. Nikolaus managed to catch hold of her as she stumbled forward.
"Are you feeling ok?" he asked. Geneve looked up and met a pair of grey eyes. Her idea of grey coloured eyes were always cold looking and aloof but now, she saw nothing but warmth.

Geneve completely passed out as she and Nikolaus passed through the exit doors into the empty great hall. Nikolaus caught her in his arms, and carried her over to a bench by the entrance doors.

The grand Entrance Hall was quiet as most of the students were inside the Great Hall waiting for the dinner feast. He laid Geneve down. As he kneel down to take a closer look at the girl, he noticed the gradual paleness in her face.
"This is no good," he thought to himself as he wiped off her blood with his thumb. Something seemed to be draining the girl of her own vitality. Could it be that?

Nikolaus noticed the two pairs of eyes watching from afar. He gave a quick wave and a black crow appeared from the tip of his wand. The conjured bird then flew towards Damien and Liam and spoke in a tone exactly that of Nikolaus.
"I'll bring her to the Hospital Wing." The crow dissolved into a mist of black smoke after conveying the message. Once the mist cleared, they found the bench empty. Damien patted on Liam's back and led him back to the Great Hall where the feast was starting soon.
"He knows what to do," Damien comforted Liam, in an knowingly manner.

Geneve woke to find herself in the hospital wing, laying on a bed. Madam Pomfrey was waving a small bottle in front of Geneve's nose.

"There, she 's awake, but she is definatley not well. I've never seen anyone drained like that before for no reason. Are you sure nothing happened? She was just standing there?" Madam Pomfrey queried Nikolaus, who stood on the opposite side of Geneve.

"Maybe she hasn't got enough rest," Nikolaus answered nonchalantly as he stood lying against the wall with his hands crossed.
"Well, I sure hope it is," Madam Pomfrey gave an unwelcoming response to the visitor. Clearly, she did not quite like his attitude.
"My dear, rest well here," she continued, this time, with a totally different caring tone towards Geneve.
"And my student needs her rest. Don't stay for too long," she stated blatantly, as she walked away, leaving them alone for the moment.

Geneve took a quick peek at Nikolaus and caught him sticking his tongue out in defiance as the nurse stepped out. She suppressed her giggles when Nikolaus turned his attention towards her.