It's Killing Me

Her head throbbed, and her throat felt tight. Everywhere hurt, and Mariana didn't understand it at all. The last thing she remembered was talking to Jacoby, and then... oh! It all came back in one mind-rushing swirl of color and sound. Jacoby had... bitten her? Is that what he'd done? She was sure it was something like that... hm. His face had turned all... purple? Or had it been blue? Ugh, it hurt so much. Mariana figured she might as well open her eyes, and hope to God that that miniscule action would not be as painful as thinking was right now.

Praying silently, she slitted her eyes open infinitesimally. The bright light that filtered through her lashes nearly blinded her, and she whimpered but refused to shut her eyes. Mariana knew that if she didn't keep them open, she would never see anything again. Biting her lip, she opened them up all the way, grinding her teeth again the pain. A watery film covered her eyes as the sensation made her tearducts go hyperactive. Two familiar faces swam into her vision, and she comprehended the colors and matched the faces to names slowly. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

Suddenly, she remembered everything. Jacoby had turned into some... thing, and he'd bitten her in front of the Headmaster's staircase. They'd been talking about... both of them having transferred from Durmstrang. But she'd known every person there, and she'd never seen him. And then he'd tried to kiss her, but Draco and Harry had yelled at him. Then he'd bitten her. And it had been extremely painful. She figured these were the side effects. Dizziness, pain, blurred vision, among other things. Draco suddenly bent over her, and anxious look on his icily handsome face.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly, tripping over his words in his haste to get them all out.
She tried to speak, but couldn't. Mariana settled for shaking her head and pointing to her throat. He got the message, and seemed even more pissed than before. She sighed, and was pleased to hear one sound that she was able to make. Idly, she wondered how long she would be mute. As she thought this, and agonizing concept crossed her mind; was this permanent? Would she be unable to speak for the rest of her life? Mariana fervently hoped not; she loved to talk and sing too much. This would ruin all of her plans for her future. After she did as her parents ordered, and got through her required seven years of magic schooling, she was going to probably go to the Muggle world and became a singer, like she'd dreamed since she could sing. Responding to the agonized stares of the boys, Mariana proceeded to ponderously haul herself into a stiff sitting position. Every cell cried out against it, but she ignored their screeching, concentrating only on nullifying the worries of Draco and Harry.

"He took away your speech, too?" Harry schrieked in rage.

"Obviously," Draco enthused, in a "well, duh!" voice.

"I was asking her," snarled Harry unpleasantly.

"S-to-p i-it," Mariana croaked laboriously, her breath scratching at her throat like sandpaper.

They instantly shut up, their eyes round at the sound of her voice. Then, in synchronization their expressions morphed into the blackest fury imaginable. Mariana flinched away from the waves ofhostility that were rolling off of them. Even though they were not directed at her, she was frightened of their power. Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to throw up. Her breakfast launched itself up her throat, and she spat it out into the small bucket on her right. She felt cold hands on her neck, and swiveled her eyes around to glimpse Draco holding her hair back with a pained look on his face. She frowned while vomiting, wondering idly what had happened to Jacoby. Was that even his real name? Jacoby? It was probably an alias, but she wasn't sure. When Mariana finished upchucking, she planned to ask. After about ten to fifteen long minutes, the half-digested food stopped worming it's way up from her stomach, and she was able to speak. It was still only in a hoarse croak, but at least it was something.

"Wh-wha-t happ-ened t-to Ja-co-by?" she enunciated, determined to make her words intelligable, not the garbled sound she was hearing in her head. Mariana hoped they understood her.

"Do you really want to know?" Harry asked in a menacing tone.

"Y-es."

"We took him to Hagrid. Apparently he is a mutated Veela or something. I think he's the opposite of a Veela..." Draco trailed off, his face screwing up in deliberation.

"He wasa Marindo," Harry stated flatly.

"A-a wh-what?" Mariana stuttered.

"A Marindo. They draw humans to them, with some natural charm, like a Veela, but instead of love, they want to eat the people they attract. Generally, they isert their venom into their prey, wait a couple of hours, then come back and suck out their insides, much like a spider,' Draco explained laboriously.

"A-h-huh."

"Oh, sorry," Draco apologized as he saw the look on Mariana's face. It was one of slight terror and genuine disgust. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry, Dracp; you didn't," Mariana said truthfully, thrilling when she spoke Draco's name.

She inwardly berated herself for feeling that way. She'd onnly just met the kid today, and she was already as lovesick as a puppy.

Mariana, she told herself, what is wrong with you?

Nothing. Her breath whooshed out in a sigh, then she screamed as thhe pain intensified.

"Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pomfrey, come quick!" Harry bellowed across the room; Mariana realized that she must be in the Hospital Wing on the... third floor? Fourth? She let it go and concentrated on breathing.

A portly woman bustled into view, and Mariana's first thought was that she looked like a mother-type person. This image was ruined when some bright blue liquid in a spoon was forced down her throat by the same person. She gagged, and felt a vomiting reflex deep in her stomach. Mariana whirled around to spit the gooey crap into the blue bucket, but the woman, probably Madam Pomfrey, stuck her hand over Mariana's mouth. When she continued to refuse to swallow the stuff, Madam Pomfrey grabbed hold of Mariana's nose, cutting off her air supply. Mariana's eyes went huge as her lungs screamed for air. She realized that she would have to swallow, and soon, or else she would go unconcious again and probably choke to death. Grimacing in pain, Mariana gulped down the now-searing liquid, and assembled a martyred expression.

Harry and Draco, who had looked so serious before, now burst out laughing as they stared at Mariana. The object of their amusement glared back at them and stuck out her blue-tinted tongue. This only seemed to amuse them all the more, so she slunk down into her pillows, burying her face in them and resisting the urge to cry. She failed, and the boys sobered up instantly as they heard her weeping. Draco moved forward, but was held back by a glaring Harry, and Mariana giggled. Her fake crying was going to grant her some of her own amusement. But before she could turn around to witness their humorous fighting, everything went dead silent. Mariana would have sworn she probably could've heard a pin drop in that room. Coldness swept through her, chilling her to deep inside her bones, and she began shivering uncontrollably, her teeth clattering against themselves. As the chill intensified, it started to become too much for Mariana in her weakened state. She blinked her eyes once, twice, then commenced to slip once more into unconcious bliss.