18 18: Apologize

(Beatris POV)

My eyelids were heavy. There was a racking pain slightly above my left jaw. I lifted my hand to touch it. Waves of pain traveled through my face and a shiver down my spine.

(What happened where am I)

My body was moving, being dragged ?, No! more like being carried

(Why is my face hurting)

The scenes of the mirror, Nathan and the scenes of the night flashed before my eyes. My eyes grew wider and I was fully conscious.

(What the hell, where am I)

"Hang on"

"huh"

Ron was supporting me and we were on our way back

"Ron ?"

"Oh you'r awake Beatris. Thank God. We are almost at the dormitories. I did not take you to the infirmary because I thought that it would be closed. We are almost at the dorms" Ron said panting.

"Thanks Ron. Let me walk on my own" I thanked him and stood on my own feet. We were almost at the dorms. We passed a turn, another corridor, Then the staircase and we finally arrived at the picture door.

"Oh no"I exclaimed "the fat lady has gone somewhere. We cannot enter the common room"

"How about knocking" Ron asked

"Are you mad. You want to tell every one including Percy that we were out patrolling the school at night,breaking about dozen of school rule. Yeah no thanks" I rolled my eyes at him

"Never thought about that. Sorry" He scratched his head like an idiot

"But the question now is that what should ...." Before I could complete my sentence the door opened from the inside and out came a voice.

"just what the two of you think you have been up to." ANA

"We .... uuuuh ..... we were ....." I was not able to make out an excuse at the moment.

"Where the hell have you been" Came another two voices.(Fred and George)

"We were ummmmm ..... " Ron tried this time up to no avail.

"We'll hear you later just get in right now before anyone sees you two" Ana pulled the both of us inside.

In side the common room were Fred, George and Ana. They were sitting in the middle of the room with some charts and ..... stuff

(What the hell is all this)

"We were outside but why are the all of you three awake ...." Ron asked

"And what is all this stuff ....." I completed his question

"We were just planing some things, the all three of us" Ana replied looking at the stuff

"and this stuff is for the welcome of all the students" Fred begun

"Just after the Christmas break" George completed

"Now what were the two of you up to" Ana asked us suspiciously

"We were out ....." Ron tried to say something. Before he could spill out all our little adventure I elbowed him

"Uh nothing much. Just out for a little walk" I smiled nervously. Ana got even more suspicious. She stood up and came near me

"Then care to explain the elbow ... ? hmmmm ?" She glared in my eyes.

"Uhhhnnn that ... was ... nothing.... ha ha ha ha ...." I gave her a fake laugh and turned my head towards right to avoid her gaze. There was not much light in the common room so it had skipped her eyes but it could not when it was right in front of her.

*GASP*

She grabbed my face and brought it closer to her face

"What happened here ??????" She almost shouted. Fred and George looked up to see what was going on.

"UHH..... N-Nothing. N-nothing. W-Why did you think that something happened." I tried to fake it out but I did not know that my face was like a black and whit picture at that point due to the extra large, family sized bruise on my left cheek.

"Yeah. Okay I believe ya." Ana said

"Huh ??? just like that"

"Yeah, why would I not believe when you are telling me something. Why did you ask. Should I not believe you ???? "

"NONONONONONONO. That is not what I meant. Thank you for trusting me" I smiled

(Wow, I never thought that I would be able to get off with it that easily) But that was just my imagination. Because Ana walked back and then she suddenly turned and her hand reached my left cheek. I did not have the time to react at all. And then ..... pinch

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed

"And you were saying that nothing was wrong huh." She said with a grin like that of the devil.

With water in my eyes, holding my injured cheek, I protested "What did you do that for"

Ana came closer and closer only to stop when her face was inches away from mine and said

"Girl, this was to teach you that you do not lie to Anastasia Morningstar and not be ready for the consequences. Do you even know how big a bruise there is on your cheek." She scowled me (what? there is a big bruise. Just how hard did that jerk hit)."Now are you going to tell me how you got that Bruise or do I have to make you tell me ?" Ana was looking like a devil clutching her knuckles.

"Ummm that ..... "I was still a bit hesitant to tell Ana about our little encounter but my big mouthed friend decided that he should tell her by himself

"It was that jerk" He shouted

"huh which jerk" Ana was clearly confused

"He did this to her"

"What ?" Now even Fred and George were confused

"He punched her in the face"

*GASP*

"Hold your horses kid" Ana stopped him "Who did what now. Breath and calmly tell me everything that happened"

"Your jerk of a brother hit poor Beatris in her face"

There was an expression of visible shock on Ana's face. Both Fred and George's Jaws were touching the ground. For a moment it was so quiet there that I could almost hear our hearts beating.

"What .... ?" Ana asked gloomily

"Nathan hit Beatris" Ron said again

"Nathan did ?"

"Yes and she fainted. I carried her half the way here"

"I-I-I ..... "

The picture door flung open. All of us looked at the unforeseen invader. Black hood on his head, both his hands in his jeans pockets, Walking as calmly as ever, Entered Nathan.

All faces turned towards him

"Nathan ?"

He was just standing there casually.

"What are you all doing? " He asked

Ana was looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. her lips moved and a whisper was all that we heard

"Wher .... were ... you"

"Sorry for worrying you, I went to try out my blades. I am sleepy so I am going to sleep now. Good night"

(IS THAT FUCKING ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU SON OF A .....)

He walked through the room inadvertently and moved towards the stairs leading to the dorms.

"Brother" Ana whispered

He stopped for a moment and then he turned

"What sis ?"

"did you ..... " The last part of the sentence was spoken so quietly that none of us was able to hear it

"Hmmm ?"

"I said that is it true ? Did you hit Beatris"

"Who told you that" he said quickly with the same expressionless face

(HOW CAN YOU LIE SO CARELESSLY)

"DOES THAT MATTER WHO TOLD ME. I AM ASKING YOU THAT WEATHER YOU DID OR DID NOT HIT BEATRIS IN HER FACE" For the first time in my school year I had seen Ana angry. She was looking ... scary. The air around us got tense. even Fred and George stood up looking at the scene.

Nathan still had that indifferent look on his face, his hands casually tucked in his jeans pocket. He looked at Ana and then his gaze shifted from her to me then to Ron and back to me.

"HUH" he close his eyes and let out a breath. "Yeah I did."

All were silent. Fred, George, Ana, Ron and even myself was dismayed. No one expected him to give a straight answer like that. Ana was the one who was the most shocked. She lowered her head and then she walked towards him.

"Apologize" A whisper sounded

"What ?"

"I said Apologize"

"Why ?"

"Nathanial .... Apologize right now" Her tone was getting colder by the moment

He once again looked at me. I saw an emotion in his eyes that I could not understand. (Pain ???? No, can't be)

"Are you listening to me. I said Apologize this instant"

"NO" This was too much. He flatly refused to Apologize. How can someone or anyone be this ..... this .... be this much of a dog.

What happened after was dumbfounding enough to take anyone,s breath away.

*SLAP*

We all heard it, We all saw it but none was expecting it. Ana had slapped Nathan's face with all her might. His face was turned towards us now and his eyes were wide signaling his own disbelief on the situation. With out knowing my hands moved towards my face. For some reason, I felt a pang of guilt in my stomach.

(He does not deserves this. He did not hit me intentionally)

"Ummm Ana don't ..." I tried to speak but my voice drowned

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS BEATRIS" Ana shouted at me"This is a family matter." turning towards him "You will Apologize to Beatris or you will never call me sister again. AM I CLEAR NATHANIAL MORNINGSTAR"

Nathan was hurt. I could see it in his eyes. It was all an accident and it had caused him so much ... Slowly he turned towards me

"I am sorry ..... please forgive me" was all he said as he turned and started to climb he stairs. his gait, not too fast not too slow but steady, his breathing heavy. A hand grabbed his arm.

"Show me your hands" Ana said

"Why should I"

"I said show them to me Nathan"

"It is none of your business."

There was a moments quiet and then Ana forcefully pulled his right hand out of his pocket

*GASP*

This time even Ron clasped his hands against his mouth. I wanted to gag a bit. It was the first time for me to see something like this and it was hard to accept that the same hand had punched me not too long a go.

His hands were busted. Bloodied and broken. I could tell just by the sight that he was in a lot of pain. maybe there even were some fractures.

"But .... Why did ...." Ana started but with a sudden jerk he pulled his hand from her putting it back into his pocket

"I am fine. It's none of any of your business'" He almost barked at her. Then he turned back and started to climb the stairs

"Let me heal ..... "

"They will heal on there own"

And he walked away once again.

"Wait brot....."

"POTTER" he cut Ana. Standing at the last step he looked down at me. "Never go back to that mirror."

And just like that Nathan was gone leaving us all with bewildered expressions.