After The Magic Has Faded

Joey nodded,"How bad was I?"

Astoria threw the bag under her cot and then sat indian style on the cot, her eyes finally meeting his. "You were pretty bad. I was afraid that you weren't going to make it."

"If only,"Joey said quietly,sighing as he rested his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. It would have been so much easier to die.

Hearing him say that stirred something inside of her. Astoria stood up and walked over to his cot, bending slightly so that she was eye level with him. "If you wanted to die, then why were you banging the stick against the tree?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Because I didn't want to die alone,"Joey said softly, looking up at her, feeling pathetic. He looked away,"Being alone is the worst thing you can be."

Astoria sighed and sat on the chair, resting her cheek on her hand. "I disagree." She whispered. "I'd rather be alone then dead."

Joey nodded,"That all depends on where you come from... When I saw you I thought I was dying."

Astoria glanced up at him. "Well.. Lucky I saved you then." She got up and went back to her cot, grabbing her brush. She brushed through her long hair, getting the knots and tangles out.

Joey watched her before laying down, staring at the top of the tent. He slowly fell asleep, yawning.

Astoria sat next to him as he slept, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. She decided to take the opportunity to bathe. She grabbed the large bucket and took it outside, but this time to the back of the tent. She filled it with water and then boiled it with her wand. She grabbed the soaps she had and slowly undressed, shivering. She started a small fire to keep close to as she ran the soap and water over her skin and hair. She didn't enjoy being dirty. She longed for a real shower, but this is the best she can do.

Joey groaned is his sleep, beginning to dream, or rather have nightmares. He was quiet, but was tossing and turning, whining quietly.

Astoria finished her washing session and put out the fire and dumped out the water. She slipped some clean clothes on and ran back inside of the tent, shivering. She grabbed her wand and did a drying charm on her hair. She was brushing it out when she heard a strange whining noise. She looked over and noticed that it was Joey, tossing and turning. She put her brush down and sat on the chair next to his cot, gently touching his forehead with her cool fingertips. Is he having nightmares?

The cold sensation on his forehead caused Joey to spring awake with a scream, panting breathlessly. His eyes were wide and fearful, his mouth dry.

Astoria gasped in surprise and grabbed his shoulders, keeping him still. "Joey, Joey it's okay! It was just a dream." She said, gently brushing his hair from his face, trying to calm him.

Joey took a few deeps breaths, nodding,"Okay... Okay. I'm okay. "

Astoria nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. She fixed him a glass of water and sat back down, handing it to him.

Joey sipped the water softly,"Thank you... I'm sorry,I don't mean to be so much trouble."

"You're not." Astoria said firmly, watching him. "Everyone has bad dreams. Even me." She gave him a small smile. Smiling felt so strange. She's not used to it.

Joey nodded and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the dirt and and grime in his hair. He sighed and looked up at her,"You smell nice."

Astoria felt herself blushing and she looked away from him, watching the light peek in through the flap of the tent. "As well as I can smell with a bucket of water and some soap." She looked back at him after her cheeks settled down. "You need some cleaning up, though."

"Yeah,"he said with a soft smirk,"It has been weeks... And I couldn't tell you where I've been... I probably smell like rotting dirt..."

Astoria couldn't hold back the soft chuckle that escaped her lips. "Okay. Here's what we'll do." She looked down at him. "I'll get you the bucket and soap. I'll set it up outside, at the back of the tent and while you bathe, I'll clean your clothes. My father owned this tent so there's a few spare shirts and pants."

"I couldn't tell you the last time I wore different clothes either,"Joey said with a smirk, slowly pushing himself up,pedaling caked mud off his shirt.

Astoria smiled slightly and patted his shoulder before grabbing the bucker and filling it up. She carried it outside to the back of the tent and boiled it with magic. She set the soap to the side and started a small fire so he could keep warm. She then went back inside of the rent and found a button up shirt and jeans, handing them to him.

"Thanks, I'll bring my clothes back after,"he said before head in around the back, stripping slowly by the fire. It was such an odd sensation to be nude after such a long time a dirty clothes. The water was shockingly hot, more shocking than the cold air in fact. He realised how fragile he had become.

Astoria sat in the tent with her photo album once more, looking through all the happy memories that will never occur again. She hummed softly as she turned page after page, familiar faces smiling up at her and waving.

The snow become brown as he finished washing, standing by the fire to dry. He felt so refreshed and nice. His face actually felt clear and sharp. He pulled on the new clothes, feeling like a new person. He entered the tent, noticing the scrapbook and staying quiet.

She kept turning back to the same page. The one with her and her sister, hugging and waving. She wished that pictures had sounds, so that she could hear her bright laughter and soft voice. Something dropped onto the picture and with a start, she realized that she was crying. She wiped her tears away, angry that she allowed herself a moment of weakness.

Joey noticed the tears and he sat down beside he slowly, patting her knee,"Is that your sister? You two look awfully alike."

Astoria glanced at him, and she almost didn't recognize him. He cleans up really nicely. "She was my sister." She whispered, looking back down at the picture one more time before slowly closing the book.