First Things First (Severus Snape x Original Female Character)

Their First Secret

Selena opened the infirmary doors with a lively spirit, she didn't mind if anybody from across the hall was watching, though she still inspected the scene after. Poppy was away for business at St. Mungo's, leaving the Mediwizard in-charge of the clinic for the time being. Everything about her morning was going a little too well, it was almost too good to be true.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Perhaps, she may have jinxed it, though.

"Hermione? Boys?" Selena turned to see three timid Gryffindors under the entrance archway. Ron appeared to be the most anxious among them, and the Mediwizard noticed his hands were firmly clasped together. "You're here quite early... Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey isn't in today. Can I help you, instead?"

"Better you than Pomfrey, actually." Ron croaked straightforwardly, much to Selena's surprise. They didn't mutter any more words as the red-headed boy brought out one of his hands, which were remarkably swelling. She's seen this kind of injury before and it shocked her so.

"It was probably that stray dog..." Harry mumbled an excuse, side-glancing Hermione for help.

The young witch's mouth was just as dry. "Yes... The dog in... in Hogsmeade."

Selena was unamused, beckoning to Ron to sit on one of the hospital beds. "Nice try, you two. I've seen this kind of swelling loads of times before, so it could only mean one thing, though I could not so much as wrap my head around the idea." The three of them visibly gulped. Selena breathed, "Where, in Merlin's beard, was there a dragon?" She wasn't mad, actually too bubbled in concern to feel anything else.

"Well, actually—" Hermione was cut off by Harry.

"We couldn't tell you." The boy said, eyeing both her friends with an arched brow. "We promised we wouldn't say a word."

Selena never even tried with them, remembering how close James and his friends were, they would never expose secrets they promised to keep, even if that meant getting caught. She released a breath, "Fine, I shall not pry if you do not want me to." A wary smile.

Harry nodded slowly. "Thank you."

"I just need to know if the dragon is accessible to any other student. We wouldn't want anybody else catching on to more dragon bites now, do we?" Selena muttered while fetching a basin and dry towel. "If you must know, dragon bites can be deadly."

"Deadly!" Ron panicked and squirmed in the bed, making Selena chuckle as she calms him down.

"No worries, Ron." She picks up his wounded hand gently. "In your case, you'll be good as new after a few days. It only looks like a bite of a baby dragon, after all."

"Trust us, Miss Stellifer, the dragon's under someone's immensely good care. Nobody would find out." Hermione ensured. With this information, Selena's mind went into deep critical thinking.

Not even the Headmaster, for sure. Her lips shifted into a smile. "That's good to hear. How about the swelling? Does anybody else know about this?" Selena asked, directing it more to Ron than the others.

"It's just between us. I only got this last night, anyway." Said the boy on the bed.

"Wonderful... not the swelling, of course." She filled the basin with water dispersed from her wand. "I'll be able to lessen the swelling by tomorrow, so that's when you tell Madam Pomfrey it was a stray dog's bite." She chuckled, allowing the vicinity's mood to lighten a little. "Also, don't explain that you came from Hogsmeade, dears. First-years aren't allowed, she'll figure it out right away."

"Why aren't dragons allowed on the school grounds, Miss Stellifer?" Harry questioned, to which Selena blinked at for the first few seconds.

"For very obvious reasons, dear; One being that it is school grounds. Not a lot of people here know how to care for dragons, so the more chances of injuries and even deaths. Dragons cannot be trained or tamed, they only get used to their environments and perhaps, the figures around them, but not so much as to lose their cannibalistic instinct."