Hiding Bruises

Hiding Bruises- Chapter 3- Being Noticed

The next morning I was woken by the sound of footsteps from outside our dorm. I sat up in bed and looked around, the other girls were still asleep, it didn’t surprise me that they hadn’t heard anything, as I’m a very light sleeper. I went over to the door and looked out, thinking that it was probably just someone going down to breakfast early. I didn’t think I would be able to get back to sleep so I decided to get dressed and do the same.

I didn’t see any one on my way down to the Great Hall and when I got there it was practically empty apart from a few bleary-eyed Hufflepuffs and two Ravenclaw girls. The Gryffindor table was empty but that didn’t put me off going to sit at it. I would be eating alone anyway.

As I ate I felt some one watching me and looked across the hall to see Snape staring at me from the Slytherin table, which I had mistakenly thought was also empty. He had obviously been told about what had happened the night before after he had left.

I tried to continue eating but found that suddenly my mouth had gone dry and it hurt to swallow the food, so I gave up. I felt his gaze on my back as I left the room and as soon as I was outside I felt his cold hand grab my arm. His dirty fingernails dug into the skin on my wrist.

I tried to turn away but he pulled me round and leaned towards me, that ever present smirk plastered to his face. “I heard about the interruption last night, Bella was quite unhappy she didn’t get to finish her fun,” he snarled. As usual, I said nothing, this didn’t put him off as it was now practically an unspoken rule that whenever we met he would talk while I stood there, looking scared. “We don’t want Black or Potter,” he spat the names out with disgust, “knowing about our little rendezvous, do you understand?”

I nodded, “I don’t either.” I managed to say.

He raised his eyebrows at me, “what?” he asked sarcastically, “you don’t want the Gryffindor heroes saving you from evil Bellatrix?”

I shook by head fervently.

A thin smile spread across his face, “Good. So you haven’t told them it was you?”

I shook my head again.

“Good” he repeated and then leaning in closer he whispered in my ear, making the hairs on my neck bristle, “’cause if you do, there will be consequences.”

I nodded my head meekly in understanding and he started to pull away but a voice from behind stopped him.

“Arh, hello, Snivellus, what a lovely surprise this is.” Snape wheeled around to see James Potter, flanked by Sirius, standing at the top of the stairs grinning down at him. He instantly let go of my arm and put his hand into his robes for his wand but Sirius beat him to it.

Snape’s arms stuck to his sides as Sirius hit him with the full body bind.

I shuffled away, hoping they wouldn’t notice me go but they were already at the bottom of the stairs. Sirius surveyed me coolly, his eyes pausing over the scar on my cheek and Gryffindor emblem on my robes. I stared at the floor, embarrassed by his gaze. This may sound strange but it was probably the first time since I came to Hogwarts that some one had looked at me, I mean really looked at me, not just ran their eyes over me in a crowded room.

James muttered a spell and Snape started to spout bubbles from his ears and nose, but sensing that Sirius wasn’t interested he followed Sirius’ gaze. His eyes found me and I felt myself blushing under both their gazes.

James waved his wand and released Snape who, before running away, shot me a warning look from behind James’ shoulder.

Once Snape was gone Sirius spoke, “what were you talking to him for?” he asked in a rather accusatory manor, this was understandable, after all most Gryffindors weren’t on speaking terms with members of Slytherin house, especially Severus Snape.

“I wasn’t,” I said stupidly, “he was, talking to me.” I didn’t know what to say, I felt silly and young under his gaze.

Neither of them moved and then Sirius asked, “why?” I just shook my head without answering. This seemed to annoy him and his eyes started to narrow. “What’s your name?” he asked me.

I still didn’t answer and now James joined in, “hey,” he said, making me look up, “Sirius just asked you a question, what’s our name?”

“Tina” I mumbled.

Something seemed to click in Sirius’ mind because he looked up, “Tina Blanch?” he asked.

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I nodded. How did he know my name? What else could he possibly know about me?

Just then a chandelier fell from the ceiling and fell to the ground and I heard the most horrible laugh. The two boys looked up and saw Bella standing at the top of the stairs laughing at their confused expressions. Snape and Mulciber were standing behind her glaring at the three of us.

“Snivillus, why did you have to run of to Bella now?” asked Sirius, obviously annoyed at the interruption. Though both his and James’ eyes were sparkling in excitement at the idea of a fight with Snape and Bella, even though they were outnumbered 2-3.

I looked up at Bella but her eyes were focusing on the boys, Snape and Mulciber had also averted their attention.

I stepped backwards and neither James nor Sirius noticed, I took another tentative step and another until I felt safe enough to turn completely and tip toe out. Either they didn’t see me backing away or they were too distracted by Bella to try and stop me, either way I made it around the corner and out of the entrance hall without being way laid.

I ran up the corridor and into the nearest girl’s toilets where I locked myself up in the cubicle and threw up.

If this was what it was like to be noticed, I hoped I would stay invisible.

********

When I came out of the toilet I was greeted by Bella’s black eyes boring into me, “Hello precious,” she snarled.

I stepped back, hitting the edge of the cubicle I had just exited.

“Don’t worry,” cooed Bella, “I’m not going to hurt you, my favourite cousin and his friend have tired me out,” she pouted, as though I would feel sorry for that her fight with them had tired her so much she wouldn’t be attacking me. “I just want to know what they were talking to you about. It looked like you were having quite a cozy little chat before I butted in, sorry about that,” she said, looking far from sorry.

I didn’t want to speak but this wasn’t a question I could simply nod or shake my head to, so I opened my mouth to speak.

“That’s right,” said Bella, nodding at me, “tell Bella, good girl.”

I looked away from her piercing eyes, “I only told them my name, nothing else.”

“Hmmm” said Bella disapprovingly, “you better not be lying to me, ‘cause I will not be happy if you are.”

“I’m not lying,” I managed to say.

She sent me a death glare before turning on her heal and heading out of the room.

I watched her go, my heart beating ferociously as though it too, wanted to kill me. I realized my breath was coming out in short uneven gasps and stared at myself in the mirror for a minute, trying to control it.

I didn’t look any different then I had this morning, I didn’t look like the type of person you would notice.

I still had the same dark, long, auburn coloured hair that curled as it fell across my face and back, I still had the same wonky fringe that fell into my eye on the left, but wasn’t quite long enough to tuck behind my ears. I still had the same hazel coloured eyes, flecked with hints of gold and light brown. I still had the same thin mouth, high cheekbones, small nose and pointy ears that I had always had.

So what had changed what had suddenly made me so noticeable?

The bell rang and I stepped out of the toilets, heading towards Professor Flitwick’s room where I had charms. As I did so I noticed a Ravenclaw girl glance over in my direction and then look away again, maybe I was wrong, maybe I was still uninteresting old me.

So why had Sirius Black looked at me like that?

I had no idea. I just knew one thing; whatever it was, I wanted it to stop.

**********

I kept my head down all the way to Charms and snuck into the classroom un noticed just as Professor Flitwick started the register. I sat down in my normal seat in the far left corner at the back of the room and got out my book.

That day’s lesson wasn’t a particularly pivotal one and I didn’t pay much attention.

I was with all the Marauders (I am in most of my lessons now I think about it) and I kept finding myself glancing over at them, James and Sirius to see if they were acting different at all.

Neither of them looked back during the lesson, which was good, right? This is what I wanted, to be invisible. So then, why did it upset me so much that Sirius seemed to have forgotten our meeting that morning already? Did it upset me? I was so confused. I had no idea what the strange sensation in my stomach was, maybe I was going to be sick again but I didn’t think that was it. It was like a strange pulling in my abdomen, like my vital organs were trying to get themselves out of my body and run away to somewhere else. I had no idea where though.

At the end of the lesson I sat for a few seconds longer then anyone else, lost in thought, before looking around and realizing nearly everyone else was gone, I automatically stood up to leave. James had been kept behind and was on the opposite side of the classroom talking to Professor Flitwick. When I glanced up to look at them I met his eyes, watching me over Professor Flitwicks shoulder as I put my book back into my bag.

His attention startled me a little and I hurried away without getting my book away properly. I was still fumbling with my bag as I left the classroom, I had my head down so didn’t notice the boy standing outside.

“Oi! Watch where you’re going!” exclaimed Sirius Black as I walked head first into him and fell onto the floor at his feet. He looked down at me, confused as to how I ended up there. “Oh, sorry,” he said when he realized he had knocked me over, he held out his hand and I took it furtively. He pulled me up easily and then looked at me again. His look was assessing as though trying to figure out if he’d seen me before, “Have you always been in our class?” he asked, meaning him and the rest of the Marauders.

I nodded but didn’t say anything.

“I never noticed…” he said, his voice trailing off into nothingness.

“Most people don’t” I muttered quietly, he heard me though and looked at my face with new interest, as though trying to figure out whether I was bitter or sad.

I wasn’t either though, I was simply stating fact.

I smiled weakly under his penetrating gaze and rushed off.

Something was definitely wrong.

This had to be what it was like being noticed, but no one ever noticed me.