Ultimatums

Chapter 34

It had been difficult getting Regulus back to the castle unseen. Avery had reminded them that pulling out the arrows would be worse than leaving them in, so treating him in the forest was impossible. Rosier had hurried them along, anxious to avoid meeting centaurs again for a long time. Hermione was the one who decided to magically lift him, using Wingardium Leviosa. They'd walked back in a heavy silence, only lifted with Regulus's groans.

When they finally reached the Common Room, Avery and Rosier said goodnight and let Hermione work in peace.

She told him to lie down on the floor, which she'd made more comfortable with pillows, while she boiled the kettle. As steam started to flow from pot, she ripped his shirt open neatly with her wand, revealing his toned back muscles that were peppered with arrows. Hermione lit a purple ball in her hand and waved it over Regulus's back, numbing it, though that was all she could do with magic. The rest she did the Muggle way.

Hermione stuffed a wet towel in his mouth to muffle any noise he made, though he made a huff of contempt. This certainly wasn't the treatment he was used to from St Mungos.

She then took another hot towel and put it next to the first arrow, before taking hold of the weapon and pulling it out sharply. She felt Regulus groan into the towel as she applied hers. It was soaked with blood within minutes, so she switched it out for gauze and bandages.

Once she'd repeated the process seven times, wincing every time she knew he was in pain, she went up to her room to return a jumper she'd neglected to give back. Hermione picked an old maroon one that matched her nails, and hurried back to her bandaged patient.

He was sitting up, elbows resting on his knees, head looking down at his tapping feet. Hermione chucked the jumper at him, and Regulus's arm shot out to catch it without even looking up. Seeker reflexes she thought.

Busying herself with making tea with the kettle, she decided to interrogate her friend. "Why did you do that?" Hermione asked carefully, softly, feeling his frustration like a vibration, a sound wave.

He grumbled, unintelligibly.

"Sorry?" she winced as Regulus finally looked her in the eye.

There was a deep gash above his left eye, missing it by fractions, and his lip was split open. She set down the cups and knelt infront of him, grabbing antiseptic and plasters.

She started to dab at his gash,their faces close together, his grey eyes watching her concentrated expression with amusement.

Finally, he answered "don't you know what centaurs do to witches?"

Hermione shook her head, her mouth still in a firm line.

"Well" Regulus spoke gravely "the abduct witches. They drag them into the forest and do unspeakable things to them"

Her hand paused, and he watched her reaction on bated breath. However all she did was continue dabbing.

"You aren't impressed" Regulus stated monotonously.

"It was very Gryffindoresque of you"

There was silence as Hermione closed the freshly cleaned gash with a swipe of her purple hand.

As she moved on to his lip, she continued "but I don't need protecting."

Regulus's muffled response came, but he couldn't speak coherently with her fingers sewing away at his mouth.

"I know, you were trying to be... chivalrous? But I could've handled the centaurs just as well" Hermione spoke haughtily, and Regulus felt his eyes rolling.