Post by Dakota Fox S6 on Jul 9, 2009 19:50:11 GMT
School was officially over. Dakota hadn't felt its impact, though, having been taken out of Hogwarts three weeks early. Instead of familiar corridors and shifting stairs, Dakota was now practically living with Pyro Blackfire. She had nurses on hand should anything happen and she was well cared for. Ever since the traumatic pain she'd felt that day Pyro had discovered her in the hallway at school, and along with her the secret in her stomach, Dakota's health had been steadily getting better. She ate more, weighed more, looked much more alive. The paleness had sunk away from her cheeks and her bump was growing. And yet, the haunted look in Dakota's eyes had still not faded; the scars that would forever be etched onto her young soul. There was no doubt being away from school with its prying eyes had boosted Dakota, but even though she did not see Stephen anymore - hadn't seen him in so long - it still felt like he was right beside her, hissing in her ear the things she most did not want to hear. On more than one occasion Pyro had caught Dakota whispering to herself, "Go away, just go away."
Hiding inside was Dakota's preference, not Pyro's or the nurses' orders. So far she had tried to spend every waking hour in her room, engrossed in novels she asked for. Dakota had never been a reader, but she had nothing else to do, and she had now discovered the amount you could learn from a fiction piece of work. In novels she could immerse herself in a world without Stephen Donahue, without reality, without the child sleeping in her womb. In this world, there was no pain. Dakota would close her eyes and imagine her old life; sunny and painless, a place where she was queen of the world and nothing could stop her; not this room, not her baby, not Stephen. If only Dakota had never met him. Oh, if only.
Despite Dakota's pleas to remain inside, however, the nurses had insisted upon her regular daily walks. They frustrated Dakota, especially when at first they had accompanied her everywhere she went, worried after her first physical attack. She was fine now, though, so she was trusted to wander out on her own. Today she was in Hogsmeade, wrapped in a black cloak despite the fair summer weather. The hood draped over her eye-catching blonde hair as she shuffled through the village, bursting with life more than ever. Children banged in and out of shops, friends chatted at cafes, adults laughed cheerily over a bottle of butterbeer at pubs. It made Dakota's head spin, and she told herself she had to return home - or what was now a temporary home - soon.
Yet, just as she passed a cafe on her way back to her floo station, Dakota's ears caught voices she knew right away. After all, being with for five years made you accustomed to their lilting tones. She tilted her head sideways to widen her vision, and as she had expected two girls sat outside at a cafe, only a few metres from Dakota. Both were brunette, young and pretty, shadows of what Dakota once was (oh, but she had been better, so much better). A lump lodged itself in her throat and she struggled to remove it with a tight swallow. Her name reached her ears and she froze completely. She had once been a part of this group; these girls' 'friend'. They had met five years ago and had recognised in one another similarity. Dakota had purposefully avoided them since January. It hadn't hurt; they weren't her best friends even if she had pretended they were. Dakota hadn't had any real friends... no one she considered she was close to. She hadn't had any regrets then, hadn't been vulnerable.
"Hey girls," Dakota smirked, cute bag slung over her shoulder and the newest designer robes flowing around her perfectly cut hair as she stalked up to two figures seated at a cafe in Hogsmeade Village. "Sorry I'm late. I was a little bit preoccuped. Tiernan, you know?" She shook her head almost sympathetically as she thought about her 'friend'. "Boys are so useless and predictable, don't you think?" With that arrogant laugh, Dakota launched forward and linked her arms between her two friends. "C'mon Josephine Bowman, Kailyn Valak, we're going to Diagon Alley - let's shop!" Giggling, Dakota began to drag her fellow Slytherins away from Hogsmeade. "I can't wait to spend the Galleons Daddy gave me this summer!"
Hiding inside was Dakota's preference, not Pyro's or the nurses' orders. So far she had tried to spend every waking hour in her room, engrossed in novels she asked for. Dakota had never been a reader, but she had nothing else to do, and she had now discovered the amount you could learn from a fiction piece of work. In novels she could immerse herself in a world without Stephen Donahue, without reality, without the child sleeping in her womb. In this world, there was no pain. Dakota would close her eyes and imagine her old life; sunny and painless, a place where she was queen of the world and nothing could stop her; not this room, not her baby, not Stephen. If only Dakota had never met him. Oh, if only.
Despite Dakota's pleas to remain inside, however, the nurses had insisted upon her regular daily walks. They frustrated Dakota, especially when at first they had accompanied her everywhere she went, worried after her first physical attack. She was fine now, though, so she was trusted to wander out on her own. Today she was in Hogsmeade, wrapped in a black cloak despite the fair summer weather. The hood draped over her eye-catching blonde hair as she shuffled through the village, bursting with life more than ever. Children banged in and out of shops, friends chatted at cafes, adults laughed cheerily over a bottle of butterbeer at pubs. It made Dakota's head spin, and she told herself she had to return home - or what was now a temporary home - soon.
Yet, just as she passed a cafe on her way back to her floo station, Dakota's ears caught voices she knew right away. After all, being with for five years made you accustomed to their lilting tones. She tilted her head sideways to widen her vision, and as she had expected two girls sat outside at a cafe, only a few metres from Dakota. Both were brunette, young and pretty, shadows of what Dakota once was (oh, but she had been better, so much better). A lump lodged itself in her throat and she struggled to remove it with a tight swallow. Her name reached her ears and she froze completely. She had once been a part of this group; these girls' 'friend'. They had met five years ago and had recognised in one another similarity. Dakota had purposefully avoided them since January. It hadn't hurt; they weren't her best friends even if she had pretended they were. Dakota hadn't had any real friends... no one she considered she was close to. She hadn't had any regrets then, hadn't been vulnerable.
"Hey girls," Dakota smirked, cute bag slung over her shoulder and the newest designer robes flowing around her perfectly cut hair as she stalked up to two figures seated at a cafe in Hogsmeade Village. "Sorry I'm late. I was a little bit preoccuped. Tiernan, you know?" She shook her head almost sympathetically as she thought about her 'friend'. "Boys are so useless and predictable, don't you think?" With that arrogant laugh, Dakota launched forward and linked her arms between her two friends. "C'mon Josephine Bowman, Kailyn Valak, we're going to Diagon Alley - let's shop!" Giggling, Dakota began to drag her fellow Slytherins away from Hogsmeade. "I can't wait to spend the Galleons Daddy gave me this summer!"
