I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Svetlanna laughed as she and Ron made their way down the hill to Hagrid’s hut. Since it was the first day back to school from holiday, and also because there were over four hundred visitors from two different schools, curfew was set back an hour or two later so everyone could get situated comfortably. It was Ron’s idea to go out for a bit of fresh air and visit Hagrid because he had seen how Svetlanna’s excited smile transformed into a heart wrenching frown as she listened to George go on about the ‘fit girls of Beauxbatons Academy’.

“I swear Sirius gave Pig something before he sent him off to me,” Ron joked as he told Svetlanna about how Pig would spend very little time sleeping in the night and would zoom about his cage as if he were running from something.

“Maybe he could marry Leonardo,” Svetlanna opted with a large smile, forgetting about all her George problems, “I think the two would make a right fine couple, don’t you think, Ron?”

Ron shook his head and laughed, “Leonardo would murder poor Pig if they were ever locked up together! I can picture it now, your stiff owl clawing poor Pig to bits. Just like Crookshanks did to Scab-“

Svetlanna bit her lip after hearing Ron bring up a horrifying memory that she would never forget. She thought back to when Sirius broke Ron’s leg for Scabbers and how she ran toward the dark wolf with red blocking her vision. After that she didn’t remember much, just waking up in the Hospital Wing and the large scar that still seemed to stay visible over her left hip. While her friends tried to get her to forget it was there, stating it wasn’t as bad a she thought, Svetlanna refused to wear even tank-tops that threatened to show her huge imperfection.

“I’m craving rock cakes,” Ron mused just to cut the awkward silence that kept the two friends apart. He looked over at Svetlanna with a small smile and elbowed her arms gently, “Don’cha think it’s ‘bout time for some more broken teeth?”

The petite girl busted into giggles and nodded her head almost violently, “Broken teeth and brandy seem like a good combination at the moment. Do you think Hagrid would ever let me have some more brandy after last time?”

During their second year, Svetlanna had visited Hagrid alone one night -because she felt Harry, Ron, and Hermione were omitting her from their personal lives- and she had accidentally gotten drunk while venting to him about it. Hagrid had to carry her back to the castle and explain to bother Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall why the twelve year old was slurring over her words and crying.

“I don’t think anyone would allow you to indulge in any form of alcohol anytime soon, “Ron joked.

The two of them arrived at Hagrid’s hut just minutes later, only to find that there were no lights or sounds coming from the inside. Ron sighed loudly while Svetlanna pouted and decided to walk back up the hill and just star gaze for a while. The two slowly climbed the large hill they had climbed down just seconds before, and settled at the top over Ron’s robes. A chill from the east caused a shiver to run down Svetlanna’s back and Ron quickly pulled her into his arms as they lay back and watched the shining beauties that were visible enough to even shine billions of miles away.

“I wish I were a star,” Svetlanna sighed out her thoughts and snuggled closer to her best friend, “I’d be admired by everyone and even maybe George would notice me then.”

Ron scoffed and rubbed subconsciously rubbed Svetlanna’s back with his finger tips, “George is a prat who can be just as nasty as Fred sometimes. He’ll see you one day.”

“Is there something wrong with me now?”

Ron looked down at his friend and was about to say something when a large foot came out of nowhere and stumbled over Ron’s poor torso. The duo shot up quickly to see if the person was alright, but their hearts almost stopped as soon as they noticed in was none other than Lucian Bole, a seventh year Slytherin.

Lucian glared down at Ron and shoved the ginger fiercely, causing Ron to fall back onto the dewy grass.

Svetlanna jumped in-between the two and held up her shaking hands to stop Lucian from hurting the only male ginger she felt had affection for her, “I’m sorry Lucian, but this isn’t necessary!”

The taller, stronger, wizard brushed past her and trailed after Ron who was picking himself up with the support of the brick wall that stood just several feet away. Svetlanna ran after Lucian and screamed when he began to brutally abuse Ron with his boney fists’. After several punches, Svetlanna started tugging on Lucian’s muscle-y arm with as much strength she could muster.

“Leave him alone!” she yelled, tears cascading from her eyes, “he wasn’t doing anything!”

Without much warning, Lucian paused his assault on Ron and gripped Sveltanna’s neck in his hand and threw her toward the wall. After she had collided with the solid surface she vaguely heard the sound of a soft yet strong voice that shouted from just a couple of feet away. It took all her strength to look over to find out who it belonged to, and as soon as she saw the angered face of the new Gryffindor, Aurora, Svetlanna allowed her heavy eyes to fall shut.

Everything was bright when Svetlanna was able to gain her consciousness back. The bright lights and headache made everything feel as if she were back in the Hospital Wing after her night drinking Whiskey with Hagrid. It hurt her to even blink, but the real pain came crashing in when she tried to sit up.

A loud, miserable scream echoed from the young girl’s mouth as she collapsed back onto the soft mattress and she held both her head and neck –each sore beyond what she felt was possible.

Upon hearing Svetlanna, Madam Pomfrey rushed to her side and started ‘tsk’-ing like her mother did whenever Nui had gotten into trouble. The elderly woman looked down at Svetlanna and her set eyes narrowed, “This is what you get for being out so late at night. I’m not surprised you ran into something! Did you have any whiskey?”

Again with the whiskey? It was like everyone figured Svetlanna to be an alcoholic because of one drunken accident. That one time had been only her second time drinking any form of alcohol, and she didn’t even like the taste.

Svetlanna shook her head and looked around the room, “Where’s Ron?”

“I sent him off to class this morning after he tried skipping his first class to visit you. He was the one who got help for you last night; although, he was in awful condition himself.”

“Is he ok?”

Madam Pomfrey nodded and poured a lumpy, brown liquid into a spoon, “Now drink so you can be off to class.”

“Class? I don’t even have my schedule, and I’m pretty sure there’s a rather noticeable lump on my forehead, ” Svetlanna complained but before she could further explain why class was a bad idea, a piece of parchment was shoved in her hand and the brown goo was forced into her open mouth. The witch coughed after swallowing the heavy sustenance and her eyes watered. After regaining her composure, Svetlanna rolled her eyes and looked over her classes.

Madam Pomfrey helped Svetlanna out of bed and pushed her toward the shower in the next room. Once Svetlanna had showered and gotten dressed in her uniform, she thanked the nurse grudgingly and stomped out of the Hospital Wing toward her dorm to get her wand and leather messenger bag that held her books.

Reaching ancient runes only ten minutes late, Svetlanna’s cheeks reddened, and her headache worsened, when all eyes turned to her. She looked around for her friends and found each of them, but no empty space beside them.

“You are late, Ms. Bellamy,” Professor Babbling said from her place in front, “two points from Grryfindor and take a seat next to...”- Svetlanna watched as her professor searched for an empty space- “take a seat next to Ms. Dominguez.”

Svetlanna nodded and looked toward the empty space. Her heart thumped violently as she looked into the eyes of the girl she was starting to envy more and more. She walked slowly toward the seat and sat down stiffly. Without making eye contact, Svetlanna looked down into her lap and spoke her first direct words to the girl she had came in contact with only twice.

“Vous devez pense que si peu de moi à ce point, n'est-ce pas?” (You must think so little of me at this point, don't you?) she whispered sadly, knowing how bad she had look from each encounter; she had walked into the girl once, and then she had to be saved from a brutal beating another.

In her eyes, Svetlanna felt she wasn’t showing what a good person she truly was.