—LATER ON THAT NIGHT, DRACO FROWNED WHEN RIGEL WALKED INTO THE COMMON ROOM, LOOKING EXTREMELY TIRED. "Ri, are you alright?" He asked softly as Rigel sat down on the couch.

Rigel stayed quiet, eyes stuck on the fireplace.

He felt tired, but not the kind of tired of sleeping.

He felt tired of the world.

This wasn't new for Rigel. He had been like this for weeks, but kept it all in. Right now, however, he couldn't keep it in again, the cause of that being— he felt alone.

The only time he didn't feel alone was with.. Tom.

Rigel sat up straighter and frowned, realizing this.

"—Ri?" Draco snapped his fingers in front of Rigel's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, I have alot on my mind and—..."

Suddenly, he felt dizzy, making him stop talking. Draco, noticing this, frowned and looked concerned.

"Ri, let's take you to the hospital wing. You don't seem alright."

"I'm fine, Draco."

"Rigel. Hospital wing. Now." Draco glared, pulling him off of the couch.

Rigel reluctantly nodded, knowing he was right. "Fine."

••

As soon as Rigel sat down on one of the beds in the hospital wing, while Madam Pomfrey went to check up on another student, he fainted.

Draco's eyes widened, immediately standing up, letting out a breath in relief when he realized his cousin was fine— fainted, but other than that, fine.

"What happened?" asked Madam Pomfrey, walking over to them.

"He just fainted. He hasn't been feeling well."

"How long has he been like this?"

"I dunno.." Draco looked thoughtful. "Maybe a few days? I haven't really noticed."

Madam Pomfrey frowned and started to run a couple of tests on the Black heir, frowning at the results.

"What? Is he alright?!" Draco frantically asked, noticing her look.

She nodded, but her frown didn't leave her face. "He's alright, Mr. Malfoy. We just have to wait till he's awake so I can talk about what's wrong—"

Someone groaning cut her off, catching the two's attentions.

"Rigel." Draco said, walking over to him. "How're you feeling?"

"What happened?" asked Rigel, looking confused.

"You fainted."

"Mr. Black," started Madam Pomfrey with a stern look. "when was the last time you had eaten?"

Rigel frowned in thought. When was the last time he eaten?

"Um.."

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Exactly as I suspected. You've been skipping way too many meals, Mr. Black. Your body couldn't handle that. You have to stay here and rest for 3 days."

"What about my classes—?!"

"Mr. Malfoy can bring back your homeworks and stuff. However, you will not, under any circumstances, leave the hospital wing. I will be getting you potions. If you'll excuse me.." She said sternly and walked away to get some potions.

Rigel sighed and laid down, rubbing his face.

"Ri? Should I tell Sirius and Remus?"

Rigel nodded, wanting them now more than ever. "Please."

••

Sirius and Remus, who were busy trying to get their daughter to eat her food, immediately stood up when an owl flew into the kitchen.

They hadn't gotten a letter from Rigel like he had promised to, so they were pretty worried.

Tom looked up from the daily prophet, then went back to it. He was the only one that has been in contact with Rigel, but nobody knew.

"It's not from Rigel," frowned Remus after he was done reading the letter. "it's from Draco. Rigel's in the hospital wing."

"What?" Tom's head snapped up, frowning.

"Is he alright?! What happened?!" Sirius frantically asked.

"Didn't say much." said Remus, looking worried. "Let's go visit him— and Tom, you cannot come." He quickly added, noticing Tom's look.

"Of course I'm coming."

"Tom, literally. You cannot." Remus deadpanned. "The wards."

Tom sighed in frustration, knowing he was right. "Fine. Tell him to put his Occulemency shields down later on."

"Will do. C'mon, Cierra." Remus held his daughter on his hip, walking out of the kitchen with his husband.

••

"Didn't I tell you to write to us if it gets bad?" asked Remus immediately as soon as he reached his son's bed.

Rigel sighed. "Remus, please. I'm not in the mood for your scolding right now."

Remus' eyes softened, but his stern face didn't falter.

Cierra jumped out of his arms and rushed over to her brother, whose eyes softened immediately. "Bubba!"

"Hey, Cierra." Rigel mumbled, pulling her on his lap with a small smile.

"Ri," sighed Sirius worriedly. "what happened?"

"He hasn't eaten in weeks, Mr. Black." Madam Pomfrey said, who had just walked over to give Rigel a potion. "Drink up. It'll give you the nutrition you need."

Rigel nodded as a 'thanks' to her, drinking it when she walked out. He grimaced at the taste, but didn't say anything.

"Rigel, why haven't you eaten anything? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something's wrong! I have depression, for Merlin's sake!" snapped Rigel, looking frustrated. "I either eat too much or too little. I either sleep too much or too little. Sometimes, I don't even sleep. I'm losing motivation for almost everything. I've started to dislike the stuff I liked to do, quidditch being one of them, which relaxed me, and now I only have writing as a source of relaxation. Heck, I'm pretty sure my motivation will go away for that too! And those stuff are only the start!"

Remus and Sirius stilled in shock, both of them having their lips parted. "Ri.. we didn't know.." Remus whispered, eyes tearing up in pity.

"And I hope you never do." said Rigel with a sigh. "It's frustrating. So frustrating."

"We'll get through this together." Sirius said, sitting down next to his son.

Rigel immediately shook his head. "No. We won't. I will. Alone."

"Rigel, you don't always have to be alone—"

"No, you don't understand." Rigel cut Remus off. "I don't want to drag you both into this. I can deal with it myself and I will.. Please don't get into this."

"Rigel—"

"Please."

The two men shared a look, both of them reluctantly nodding.

It was clear that they wanted to help, but they just didn't understand.

You can't help someone without fully understanding, since it had a higher chance of making it worse.

And, if Rigel were being honest, he liked being alone sometimes.

He liked being alone.

He just didn't like feeling alone.

That was the difference.

And he wasn't going to bring them both into his mess of problems, since that's what it was— his problems, not theirs.

Yes, they were his guardians.. or maybe parents at this point, but Rigel was their son.

As much as the two men looked out for their son, their son had to look out for them too sometimes. And that was exactly what he was doing.

Depression was.. well, it was hard to explain.

The feeling of being alone and hopeless was always there. It never left.

However, sometimes it was forgotten. That was rare, though— Rigel had only forgotten it around Tom.

Which honestly didn't surprise him anymore. On the contrary, he started to accept it, not thinking much about it.

Or how depression made you lose motivation for stuff— which was Rigel's least favorite symptom.. Other than starting to lack interest in things he used to enjoy.

He missed quidditch. The feeling of the air blowing his hair as he scored and the cheers from the Slytherin house. It even made him feel like his biological father was there with him... but it was now gone. He didn't like it anymore. Maybe he missed it, but he just couldn't bring himself to like it again.

And that's what depression was.

It took everything away from you.

••

As soon as his guardians left, Rigel put down his Occulemency shields like Remus had told him to.

'You wanted to talk to me?'

'Yes. What happened? Are you alright?' asked Tom's voice in Rigel's head.

Rigel laid down on his bed in the hospital wing, feeling his lips twitch upwards. 'Yes.'

'You didn't answer my first question.' Tom pointed out.

'It was nothing. I'm fine now.'

'Rigel, what happened?' Tom repeated himself.

Rigel sighed. 'Nothing. I was just too tired.'

'Haven't you been sleeping well? I can make you sleeping potions if you want.'

'I have. Thank you for the offer, though.'

'Right.. you're welcome. Anyways, you better get to sleep. Please look after yourself, Ri.'

Trying to ignore his heart that started to beat faster, Rigel responded, 'I will. Goodnight, Tom.'

'GoodNight, Ri..'