That's The Beauty Of A Secret ** (ONDINA)

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

Well that was an eventful ten minutes. It hadn't even lasted that long, and yet, Daryl felt satisfied. Grey Slater finally got what was coming to him, and Daryl assumed this would keep his name out of his mouth for good. His poor little sister looked much more hurt than Daryl could've imagined, but oh well. Whatever she was upset about wouldn't affect him, she'd make it through with the help of big brother. The smirk hadn't disappeared as he watched Grey stomp away, and now it was time to find his next lover.

Daryl was standing near a corner of The Great Hall, a few steps away from the drink table. Turning on his shoes, he tilted his head, eyes scanning the crowd. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular, though Daryl wanted a good time. Usually on nights like this, he'd want a newbie. Someone he had never touched before. It made it all much more exciting and enticing, but unfortunately for him, a majority of the crowd had a date. Hm...

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Ondina would be lying if she said she hadn't glanced over at Daryl from time to time through out the night. She'd found a boy to occupy her attention, but as they danced or talked every so often her gaze would lazily wander over to see who Daryl was flirting it. She'd feel that annoyance, and then she'd turn her attention back to her replacement date. She shouldn't feel this way. Neither of them were interested in a relationship or any real feelings in their arrangement. Just friends with benefits, nothing more. So why did she feel that subtle ping of jealousy? Of course she wasn't jealous.

She'd been so consumed with trying to prove she wasn't jealous or annoyed that she'd let herself dance with the boy for one to many songs. Ondina always had to be careful about physical exertion, otherwise she might cause an asthma attack. Especially tonight, when so many people were crowded into the Great Hall. So many bodies. The air was hot and stuffy, making it even more difficult for someone like her to breath. Ondina felt that familiar tightness in her chest and tore away from her dance partner as the first gasp hit. Merlin's beard! Obviously, the boy was concerned, thinking he'd offended her, Ondina just held up a hand, struggling between quick breaths. "Need a break..." She managed to get out, her words strained as she forced them out between desperate breaths. Her chest tightened more and more and Ondina stumbled towards the door, cursing her luck that she'd been on the opposite side of the chamber from the door. The quickest path would be along the side of the room where all the refreshments were. Most had already gotten their fill, and were out dancing, giving the girl a clear path towards the door.

Ondina didn't even notice Daryl over there, she'd lost track of him when he kissed the Slater girl and had a confrontation with Grey. She just needed to get out, now. Out of the hall now. Maybe, if she got out fast enough she could find somewhere quiet to just catch her breath and prevent her throat from closing up. Or she needed to get up to the Hospital wing to get a potion. Either way, step one - leave the Great Hall. She stumbled just a little, her breathing fast but almost ineffective. She'd reached the refreshment table though, and looked up. Just a few feet to the door. And... Daryl. Why was he there? It didn't matter though, she just needed to get out. Now.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

Daryl's hand fondled with his tie, his other hand resting in his pant pocket. Leaning up against the wall, he tilted his head. It was a bit unusual that he didn't have any girls coming towards him, especially where he was standing on his own. Most would drop at the chance to be with him, at least that's what he assumed from the amount of girls he's slept with previously. Grunting to himself, he stood up off the wall and placed both hands in his pockets, strolling through a group of girls before he came face to face with one that he had not been expecting.

The look on her face was enough to worry him. Ondina Weasley looked...pained. And incredibly uncomfortable. "Ondina? Are you alright?" Daryl walked forward more, closer to her. She looked frantic, and by the way she was breathing, his eyes widened more. What was happening? "Can you breathe?! What's going on?!" His tone of voice became more worried as he looked around, and then back to the blonde beauty in front of him.

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Ondina hadn't expected Daryl to move away from the wall, or to come face to face with her. He'd almost looked like he just wanted to find someone to occupy his time, and hadn't noticed her. She was more focused on trying to breath. It wasn't... unbearable yet. But it definitely wasn't comfortable. It wouldn't get better in here though. The stifling crowd, the heavy and hot air. Over the years she'd learned plenty of breathing exercises, ways to try and stop an asthma attack before it hit but somewhere like this? It would do absolutely nothing, even people without a breathing problem could feel the stuffiness in the air and had to take breaks. She should have left sooner, curse her stubbornness.

What also wasn't expected was his sudden concern. Sure they were 'friends', but they'd never been close. He could have just kept going, not really paid her any attention. But he didn't. Ondina rested a hand on the refreshments table, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to keep breathing, her breaths still just as shallow as before. Just as ineffective. The tightness in her chest only grew, making each breath even harder to draw. Her eyes only opened as he asked her if she could breath and what was going on. Despite the frantic look on her face, she glared. The sort of glare you'd give someone when calling them an idiot. Of course she couldn't bloody breath, what sort of question was that? Daryl knew about her asthma, but he'd never witnessed an attack so he probably had no idea what it looked like. Well, looks like he was getting first had experience now! Removing her hand from the table, she moved to towards the entrance hall doors once more, and ironically closer to Daryl too. "I need.... to... get outside..." She managed to get out, her words even more labored then her breathing. Talking was always a challenge when you couldn't breath.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

Her hand on the table and her closing eyes made his eyes go even wider. What in the world was going on? But when her eyes opened, she glared at him. Daryl's jaw dropped slightly and he took in a sharp breath. What in the world? Why was she angry at him? He was just trying to help her. Ondina looked like she was suffocating, and Daryl had no idea what to do. But she wasn't answering him either, so if he had to think of anything, it would be the Hospital Wing. His own eyes narrowed and he wondered if any of the Healers would even be there.

Daryl watched as Ondina slowly moved, and said she had to get outside. She looked like she was about to fall, and he groaned, and moved quickly towards her. Daryl bent down, his right hand going underneath her knees and his left under her shoulders. Daryl picked her up and walked through crowds of people, not speaking. After a few minutes, they eventually made it outside and Daryl sat down on a bench, putting her next to him. He shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing? I don't know what to do, I don't know what's going on with you." His words came out quickly and rushed, filled with anxiety.

[Deleted]

Being picked up so suddenly was completely unexpected and if Ondina could breath she would have gasped. He didn't say anything to her, just scooped her up like it was nothing and carried her out. Thankfully no one witnessed it, and Daryl managed to slip out without catching anyone else's attention. Soon, they were outside, Daryl setting her on the bench next to him. Ondina leaned forward immediately, bracing her elbows on her knees and lowering her head so her face was hidden behind the locks of blonde hair.

Breath, Ondina. Just keep breathing. She focused on that, not on his presence. Or the cold air of the night. Or his putting his jacket around her shoulders. She did hear him speak though. "Just... Just... stay." She forced herself to say, her words still as strained as her breathing. But at least being outside helped. A little. Ondina didn't know why she asked him to stay. Why she wanted him to stay. Just that she did. After a moment, she sat up, brushing her hands through her hair to get the blonde locks away from her face. Slouching was never good for asthma. She knew she needed to sit up straight, something Cassius had always warned her about. "It's.. It's my.. asthma..." She finally explained. Brief, but it'd say it all. She hoped she'd be able to get her breathing back under control, before the Hospital wing became a necessity.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

She breathlessly asked him, or, told him to stay. Not that he minded, but he was confused. Of course, he assumed she needed him to stay in case she passed out and he had to bring her to the Hospital Wing as there were not many people outside anymore. But why she would rather had gone outside then up to the Healers to make sure she was actually safe? His thought process had caused him to completely block out her figure, and when he was done racking his brain, he realized her head was hanging. "Ah!" Daryl's shouted, and immediately fell to the ground on his hands and knees, his head in between her legs to look up at her face. "Ondina!"

As if on cue, she lifted her head back up and said it was her asthma. Rolling his eyes, Daryl just sat on the ground, his knees up and his body adjacent to hers, staring in front of him. "Of course it's your asthma, Ondina. You need to go get checked out! Get medicine! Something!" He clapped his hands together in exasperation and looked back to Ondina. "Now."

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Why was Daryl so... so worried? This particular asthma attack wasn't bad. Sure, her chest hurt like hell, and not being able to breath well made her head swim. But she was still breathing. It hadn't closed entirely. It wasn't like the attack caused by the tower explosion last year that could have killed her. It could get that bad though, if she didn't start breathing normally and the pressure in her chest didn't ease up. Sure, potions worked, but there were alternatives as well. That's what she was trying now.

Take deep breaths, she was working on that step. Sit up straight, done. Stay calm... Well, that was a bit hard when he was so dramatically freaking out. Forcing down another deep breath, it almost sounded like an annoyed sigh when she released it. "I.... I am.... doing something...." She snapped, still having to breath between the words as the pressure in her chest worsened. "Just.... give me a minute...." to try and stop the asthma attack by more 'natural' means. If that didn't work she'd go get something more medicinal for it.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

He tilted his head and stared at her as she tried to calm her breathing. His eyes were wide as he stared, not sure if she was about to fall over and finally catch her breath. Daryl wasn't one to normally be this worried about anyone, but he was sure that anyone would have this kind of reaction if someone they knew was having trouble breathing. You could never know what was going to happen, but Daryl also realized her talking wasn't helping.

"Stop talking, Ondina." He growled. He wasn't going to get in trouble or make it his fault that she might pass out. Shaking his head angrily, he stood up and sat back down next to her, one of his legs over the bench and the other on the other side. "I'm serious. Don't talk. You need to relax and breathe." Daryl took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Don't you have medicine or something for this? Or do you just walk around begging to stop breathing?"

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Daryl was staring, Ondina could see that even though her focus was elsewhere. Staring.... and then... angry? She couldn't tell but that tone of voice he used... she felt an odd stirring in the pit of her stomach. She wished she could understand what that was. Her own emotion and his. But she found herself listening to that demand, telling her to stop talking. If he was angry.... why?

He was finally sitting down next to her again, and Ondina let out another shaky breath. If he didn't want her talking, he shouldn't be asking her questions. Closing her eyes, Ondina tilted her head back. So she'd be staring at the stars if her eyes had been open. Being outside helped, at least a little. The air was stuffy and hot. But, on the downside it was bitter and cold. Colder than she'd expected. She'd have to go up to the hospital wing, she was positive of it. "I don't like... carrying it." She quietly admitted, even though he'd told her to stop talking. No, she hated carrying the potion. It made her feel like she was just waiting for the next attack. It made her feel like she as dependent on it. It was a constant reminder to her that her health was a problem. So, unless she had to? She refused to carry it.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

He was glad she stayed quiet. God knows Daryl might have been blamed for her passing out. Yes it may have been in the school paper that they'd been seeing a lot of each other lately but what was that supposed to mean? Someone of her nature and someone of his name were not supposed to be together. If anything, they'd be more seen as enemies.

She looked up, but her eyes were still shut. Daryl took this time to stare at her chest, watching how her breathing was. It was still a bit shaky, and took longer than he'd like, but she wasn't losing too much oxygen. At least so he thought. "You'd rather pass out than be safe? What the hell is wrong with you, Ondina?" Her name snapped out of his mouth and he shook his head. "You need to go to the hospital wing."

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Ondina didn't move, the only motion from the girl being her desperate breathing. Merlin, it hurt. And the pressure in her chest just wasn't letting up at all. She'd need the potion, she knew that. And she hated that Daryl was seeing her like this. It was only the sound of her own name that made her react, her eyes opening just a touch. "I hate it." She managed to get out. It didn't sound like she was saying she hated the taste of the potion, as someone might think. No. She hated her asthma. Hated going to the hospital wing. Hated being vulnerable or dependent on something. Hated being protected and coddled.

Her head finally tilted back to normal, and she looked at him. Her face was a little pale, but the look in her eyes defiant as he stated she needed to go to the hospital wing. She chose not to respond, just push away from the bench and stagger to her feet. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him. Not tonight, not when she was struggling to breath. "You don't... have to come." she softly muttered, still not able to get a full sentence out without her erratic breathing getting in the way.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

She said that she hated it. Hated her asthma? Or hated the hospital wing? Or the potion, or all of it together? Well he couldn't expect her to like it. Any type of disease or disability isn't something one usually tends to like about themselves, but it gave him a feeling of guiltiness in the pit of his stomach and he groaned. Ondina stood up just as he did so, and said that he didn't have to come. Daryl rolled his eyes once more, and stood up next to her. "Like hell I'm not going."

"Here. Hold on tight. I don't want to make a scene." Daryl held out his arm for her to grab onto. This way it didn't look like she was about to fall, just that he was potentially escorting her upstairs to his room. He smiled genuinely at her, trying to be more nice and patient and walked back inside, past The Great Hall where the ball was being held, and up the staircases, where they ended up at the doors to the hospital wing.

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Why was he so determined to come? Daryl had big plans for tonight, and if he planned on making them, he couldn't afford wasting time escorting her up to the Hospital Wing. But arguing about it wouldn't get them anywhere. All it'd do would rile her up and make it worse. The sooner she got up there though, the sooner they could get this all over with. So, as she held out his arm, demanding she hold on she didn't put up a fuss, just slightly nodded and reached out to take the offered arm.

She focused each step they took, trying to get her breathing to be in sync, so she'd remember to breath. To force herself to keep breathing. But the more they move, and especially when they reached the stairs, her breaths became even more shallow. Steadily weaker, and weaker. The tightness in her chest absolutely suffocating and making her head and lungs burn intensely with each attempt to draw breath. She didn't realize it, but she'd gone from barely hanging onto Daryl to him being the only thing keeping her standing by the time they reached the floor they wanted. Ondina knew she should warn him, she could feel the dizziness coming on. Lack of oxygen. But she couldn't muster to make any sound anymore. Before her desperate breaths had been almost a wheeze, but now... now they were completely silent. Most people would think it was an improvement. It wasn't. It meant that there wasn't even enough air movement to create the sound. It was almost as if she wasn't breathing.

That was when her knees buckles.

@jill16

[Deleted]

Ondina Nell Weasley
<3

They walked in complete silence. Not that Daryl cared. She could hardly breathe, let alone walk, breathe and talk all at the same time. Especially going up a couple flights of stairs. It wasn't always the easiest, especially with the amount of floors at Hogwarts. As they walked, he became suddenly curious as to what Ondina had to do to get from the ground floor to the towers and if it was necessary for her to take her potion every time she needed to get that far. It amused him slightly, but all amusement was lost once they stopped walking.

Daryl slowly felt Ondina falling from his grip. If he had been paying more attention earlier he would've realized this as they were still on the stairs, but unfortunately his thoughts had been elsewhere. Ondina fell to the floor, and out of shock, Daryl squeezed her arm a little too tightly, but kneeled on the floor as well, holding onto her body so she didn't smash her head. He gasped loudly, frantic. "Ondina? Ondina are you alright? Wake up!" Whether she was actually awake or not he couldn't tell, just knew she seemed out of it. Daryl began to stand up and as he did so, picked her up and kicked open the door to the hospital wing, bringing her to the nearest empty bed and yelling to the healers. "Help! We need help!"