After History

Howl was the only student who could stay awake during Professor Binns' lecture. Everyone else around him was falling asleep, but he was alert and taking notes and coming up with questions to ask after class. A History of Magic was the only class that came easy to him, and he excelled in it where many others... did not. After class, everyone began to wake up and file out of the room. Professor Binns was starting to float back through the chalkboard but stopped when Howl approached him.

"Yes, Mr. Bushwhack?"

"That's Mr. Blishwick, sir. I was just wondering about the first Goblin Rebellion and..."

And thus began a small discussion about the subject. Professor Binns droned as usual, although, he did seem pleased to be talking with someone who was interested in the actual facts of history. As usual, he couldn't recall any of his students names, even though he had been talking to Howl pretty much after every class. Finally, Howl left his class and walked out into the hallway where he spotted Athena.

"Ah! Athena, a goddess of perfection if there ever was one... If I had known you'd be out here, I would've come out of class sooner!" He chuckled in that raspy way of his.

Athena had never been one for hanging around in corridors but when it was necessary she did not miss out on the activity. Increasing she was feeling more sickly. Her vision was somewhat distorted and the patchy fever she’d been getting had been on the increase, its time and severity both strengthening. Her body had become something of a burden on her mind. Her limbs had grown heavier and she found her eyes twitching desperately in an effort to close. She knew that all she could do was wait for the fever to break but in the days leading up to this chance meeting, it had yet to. She knew she’d have to go to Slug’s and Jigger’s. She had no excuse now. The Hospital Wing would be useless. She needed something that would take away the awful feelings of illness that she had truly never experienced. Though, none of these symptoms affected her emotionally as much as the green tinge did; though that had been dealt with using even more glamour spells - as if she didn’t use enough already.

Glamour Spells were Athena’s secret to what beauty she possessed. It was not that she wasn’t naturally beautiful but it took a long time to refine the ruggedness and blanket over the almost emaciated frame she possessed. Her robes had to be nipped in more often than not, using money she could not afford to give away. She’d taken to padding them out now and softening the material used with a few charms so as to suggest it was her own body. She was not nearly as paranoid about her weight - or lack thereof - as she had been months, even years, before. Things had changed. No one would dare question her unless they wanted her wand shoved down their throat. She kept that little secret close to the chest, though. She didn’t dare confide in anyone her position health wise. It had always been at odds - she was Pureblood after all - but she couldn’t ever recall being as sickly as this. Her experience of illness had after all been fleeting - her father always paid for the remedies.

She doubted that would be the case now.

After talking quietly with one of the Dark Followers who looked as worn down as herself, Athena instructed the young wizard to excuse himself for the next few days and go into Hogsmeade in search of something to make him feel better. She didn’t explicitly tell him to report back to her but the relief on his face told her he would; and when he did she’d know where to go. She tucked her robes around her, the weariness setting in once more, but soon turned at the call of her name. Her eyes narrowed immediately upon seeing who had dared speak it. The plucky little Ravenclaw was more than a little bit insufferable but he did as she asked of him and though he laid it on thick, she could only just grin and bear it. She couldn’t play games today though. She simply did not have the patience and of all the people she could have seen, this wasn’t who she wanted. The one she wanted was probably off indulging in one of Blishwick’s peers.

“I’m sure,” Athena murmured, her voice scratchier than perhaps usual, signifying a need for a top up of glamours. “What can I do for you, Mr. Blishwick? Do make it quick.”

"Actually, I was going to ask what I could do for you," Howl said, his expression going from slightly amused to something more neutral. He might have told her that she was looking awful or like death warmed over, but he knew waaaaay better than that. "I think there might be something going around. There were a few people sick in Ravenclaw today. A spot of honey in some hot tea would probably do them wonders." His eyebrows were both raised in curiosity at her but also kind of hinting that he was perfectly willing to get some tea from the kitchen for her, if necessary.

Athena raised an eyebrow at Howl, thoroughly unimpressed with the boy at this moment in time. She had enough on her plate already, finding him and his offerings completely unneeded at this point in time. But still, Athena couldn’t do anything more than sigh and nod a little in acknowledgement of his statement. She tried her best to tolerate the Ravenclaw boy but at the best of times, he was little more than extremely irritating. She had hoped he would learn his place amongst the Dark Followers but he seemed far too eager for his own good - to the point where she was almost contemptuous of him. However, Athena knew that there would come a time when he would be of some use to her and she bitterly awaited that day in the hope that perhaps he would be of more use than just a creature upon which spells could be practised. That was how much she valued him at this point in time. She had little more respect for him than that; if anything, she had less. “So run along and go and make some tea for your sickly Ravenclaw buddies,” Athena intoned dryly. “Stop wasting my time.”