Lemon Grass and Sleep

MY VERY FIRST DETENTION

I hadn't thought there would be too much fuss over us breaking one of the most underwhelming educational decrees. Sure, it was a rather annoying and infuriating one, but we were just studying in the library and chatting it up. Nothing too illegal, surely?

Wrong.

Searing pain arched across the back of my hand, "I will follow rules." I had never felt so humiliated in my life, sitting in the Great Hall with tears brimming the edge of my eyes as I screwed my face up in pain endurance. Hearing Glinda's furious sniffles was enough to fill me with a blind rage, and in front of me I could see Fred's shoulders hunched up to keep him from springing forward and knocking Umbridge right upside her horrible little toad face.

I pretended not to notice the tears that finally spilled over my cheeks, sure that if I even took a break to wipe them she'd give me a hundred more lines. I only had a few more to do, it was worth it to push through. There was a giant pendulum swining back and forth, ticking that was quiet but rung throughout the room. I could feel it in my chest, making my heart beat with andrealine for some reason.

Fred and George finished their lines at the same time, both standing roughly and all but stomping over to Umbridge to gain approval to leave. Neither spared me or Glinda a glance as they stormed out of the Great Hall. I knew it was probably to avoid getting too fired up to walk out civilly, but it still stung a little.

Glinda was still writing her lines when I turned mine in, Umbridge seeming to relish in my tear stained face. I didn't give her the satisfaction of eye contact, and I wordlessly walked out. The twins asked us to meet them afterward in the room, but I wasn't about to leave Glinda to walk there on her own.

She all but stumbled out of the Great hall, clutching her still-bleeding hand. I numbly opened my arm, feeling Glinda bump against my chest as I gave her a half-hug to try and quell her pain. It didn't do anything, of course, but I like to think it made both of us feel better.

We walked like that to the Room of Requirement, the only sound filling the empty hallways was our collective sniffles and whimpers at any movements our hands had to endure.

"Tsk, come here," I heard softly as I meekly pushed the door open. Glinda suddenly wasn't leaning on me much anymore and I glanced up to see George leading her over to the sofa.

Fred wrapped me in a hug as soon as my arms were free, before pulling out his wand gingerly.

"Episkey," he whispered, the end of his wand moving in a circle above the back of my hand. Slowly, the tears closed up, and a feeling of warm, soothing water rushed over my skin.

"I was hoping you two would never have to deal with that," George mumbled, letting out a dejected sigh.

"Yeah, I didn't think you would get caught doing anything, I suppose," Fred chimed in, seeming just as disappointed.

"I had completely forgotten about that decree," Glinda wearily commented, wiping her eyes with her newly healed hands.

"Me too, I was so caught up in the moment."

We all piled onto one couch, smushed up against one another with me and Glinda in the middle. There wasn't much else to say, and I don't think the twins were up for much conversation anyways, so we all just snuggled up and sat in front of the fire. Some gentle music came from somewhere behind us, maybe a gramophone or something? It was calming, a much needed rest after the horrible detention we'd just sat through.

It was a little funny, to me at least. The twins had been through this dozens of times and here Glinda and I were acting like little toddlers who'd scraped their knees.

I'm not sure how, or even when, but me and Glinda must have fallen asleep. I woke to her arms wrapped around my back as I was turned to face the wall in the bed. I can't remember the last time I was laid on this bed simply to sleep, but the duvet was soft and plush--I had to fight myself to muster the strength to sit up and tear the covers from around me.

"What?" I breathed out groggily, wiping my eyes as the only remnant of the twins was a piece of ripped parchment left on the side table.

"Soot," it began in George's scrawly handwriting, "Something's happened to Dad. We'll be gone at least the night, try not to worry much."

My stomach sank as my feet barely grazed the cold floor, my fingers unconsciously crumpling the edge of the paper I was holding.

"Mm, Tom, what's wrong?" Glinda grumbled, breathing in loudly as she sat up and cracked her back.

"Something's happened to their dad," I explained with a wobbly voice. I swallowed, trying to still my vocal cords.

"What is it?" She crawled over to sit beside me, pulling the paper from my fingers. "This doesn't tell us anything."

"Well, I guess it's all we need to know," I mumbled, head filling with worries. What had happened? Had someone at the Ministry finally caught onto Arthur's activity with the Order? What if he's been sent to Azkaban?

"It can't have been too bad, or they would've woken us," Glinda offered, rubbing the back of her hand.

"Surely."

We didn't hear from any of the Weasley family for the next few days, and I was absolutely sick with worry. Christmas break slowly crept up on us, and I sat at in the Great Hall with a platter of breakfast in front of me feeling numb. Both Glinda and I had sent owls to the Burrow with no reply, and I was becoming more and more anxious with each passing hour with no letter.

"Soot," Glinda spoke rushedly from behind me, sitting down violently enough to make my cuterly clatter against my plate, "I've just spoken with Hermione--she knows what's going on."

"Out with it then," I sputtered, swallowingmy buttered roll whole and sucking down half my glass of water.

"Arthur was bitten by a snake apparently?" She phrased it like a question, her eyebrows knitting in confusion, "He's at St. Mungo's currently, all the Weasleys were taken out of school along with Harry. They're at Grimmauld Place now, which explains why they didn't get our owls."

"Grimmauld Place?" I asked, " For Merlin's sake, why are they there of all places?"

"Something about safety," she waved off, "More importantly, do you think they'll let me stay there?"

"I'm not sure," I bit my lip, looking down at my plate in thought, "Last time, they came and brought me there. I'm not even sure how to get there, myself. If we were allowed to come, I think the Weasleys would've pulled us out as well."

"They can't pull me out, my family wouldn't allow it," Glinda muttered. "What if we go with Hermione?"

"I thought she was going on vacation with her parents?"

"Ugh," Glinda groaned, "Why is nothing going according to plan!"

"If you can't go to the Weasley's, what'll happen?"

Glinda was silent for a moment, playing with the hem of her sweater. She looked annoyed, just barely bordering on irritated.

"My parents..." She mumbled, looking anywhere but me, "Look, I just can't go home. I'll stay at the castle, I guess."

"Glinda, what's going on?" I asked quietly, "What's up with your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about it here," she deflated, shoulders sinking, "We can meet in the room later, but just not now, alright?"

"Alright," I mumbled, feeling guilty for prying.

"I hope their dad's okay," Glinda changed the subject, sitting up straighter and pushing her hair off her shoulder. "It must have been serious if they all got pulled from school to see him."

"I know," I nervously replied, "If the bite is serious enough for him to go to St. Mungo's I don't even want to think of what it looks like."

"Do you think they'll come steal us in the night like they did for you?"

"Oh, I don't know," I blushed, "Nobody was around then, it'd be much more difficult now."

"I think you underestimate your boyfriend," she said flippantly, rolling her eyes.