December 23, 1993 ASTRIA REGULUS BLACK had only been awake for a few moments, and she already wished she wasn't. It shouldn't have been that way, she was bundled up in old quilts and soft blankets, an enchanted candle burning on her window seal, and her plants hung all around the room thriving despite the harsh Scotland winter outside. Astria wanted to blame it on the day full of travels yesterday, after all, they had taken the train all the way from Scotland to England only to travel back to an entirely different area in Scotland.
Remus had been asked to overwatch the train ride back to Kings Cross by Dumbledore. Her Dad had also believed it would be safer than taking a train not sanctioned by the school, out of Hogsmeade, and then to travel by cart until the port-key in a helmet that was still over a week's journey by foot from the Halcyon.
Astria knew, with the kids still unable to apparate if needed, it was a very risky trip. Even further than that, she also knew that the trip they took yesterday was not the cause of her current situation.
Astrias entire body hurt like her being was one large bruise. It had happened much faster than she had expected, which more than likely had to do with the distance geologically she was from Harry. It felt as if her chest was caving in and each of her joints ached, like the middle of a nasty flu. She had woken up in a cold sweat, stray curls sticking to the side of her face. She knew they had some pain-relieving tea in the kitchen, but Astria couldn't find it in herself to get out of bed at the moment.
If someone had asked Astria how this all felt at the moment, she probably would have left out the pain and discomfort and gone straight for ridiculous. Before they left Hogwarts, Astria knew being apart from the Potter boy wouldn't only bring them pain. But she apparently had been living in a momentous amount of denial, because she had not imagined it would be this bad, and happen this fast. It hadn't even been a day, a day, and she already felt bedridden. So yes, Astria would say this was ridiculous because it was.
However, if she was being completely honest, she would also say she was thinking an awful lot about Harry. Harry, who had also woken up this morning, and in, with no graceful way to put it, a shit load of pain. And now Astria was feeling uncomfortable, painful, a bit ridiculous, and horribly guilty. Maybe if she had just come up with some excuse, and stayed at the castle with him, or even better she should have just invited him to stay with her and Remus for Christmas, but in all honestly that thought terrified her at the time.
