The Healer | Part 1: The Hogwarts Years

The Yule Ball

Edith

I arrived at the lake early the following Sunday, anxious for my walk that morning. Everyone in my dormitory was still asleep when I rose for the day. To be honest, I was too excited to sleep. I had done a great deal of thinking this past week. How did that saying go? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I understood what it meant now. I felt like a fool.

I really hadn't meant to dwell on Andrej for as long as I had. I was afraid I had made him up to be something that he wasn't. I had never dated anyone before. I didn't even know if Andrej had dating on his mind. For all I knew, he just wanted someone to practice English with, as he had said, I reminded myself firmly.

But there he was, waiting for me on the shore of the lake. The sun was rising later and later this time of year, so it was just coming up when I arrived. The effect was breathtaking. Well, it was for me anyway. Andrej was just a dark silhouette in the light of the sun.

'Good morning,' I greeted him with a smile. My legs were like jelly. I had to focus hard on not tripping and dropping my toast everywhere as I approached.
'Good morning,' he smiled back at me. 'You are early.'

'So are you,' I replied. He averted his gaze.

'I vake early anyway,' he said.

'Really?' I answered. The squid splashed impatiently in the lake behind him.

'He has been vaiting for you, too,' Andrej gestured to the squid with a grin.

'Here,' I handed him a piece of bread. He shredded it and threw it out for the squid.

'Shall ve valk?' Andrej asked.

'Okay,' I said. He gestured for me to go first.

I was flustered, I stepped perhaps a little too quickly and carelessly and tripped over a root. The toast flew out of my grasp as I held out my hands to break my fall. I heard several small snaps and felt my right wrist twist painfully when I landed.

'Are you okay?' Andrej bent down beside me in the cold dirt. I felt even more like a fool than I had earlier. Why must I be so clumsy? My pride was hurt more than anything, and that was saying something, my wrist was incredibly sore. Even as I cradled it, it started to swell.

'I'm fine,' I said through gritted teeth.

'I think you broke hand,' Andrej examined my right hand. I was bent at a slightly unnatural angle. I had to agree with his diagnosis.

'I think so, too,' I said, my face was burning red again, and not from pain either.

'Here, I help you up,' Andrej looped his arm under my good arm and hoisted me back up to my feet. There was toast strewn all over the ground.

'I'm so embarrassed,' I mumbled. I'd never broken a bone before in my life. It was just my luck that it happened for the first time in front of a bloke I fancied.

'I take you to hospital,' Andrej said, ignoring my comment. He looped his arm around my left arm and guided me back towards the castle. 'Are you normally so clumsy?'

I could have died right then. 'Erm... sometimes. But I've never broken a bone before.'

He laughed, a great, booming sound that might have echoed across the lake.

'You are strong,' he remarked.

'I'm clenching my teeth so hard they may need to be mended too by the time we get to the Hospital Wing.' I replied. He chuckled again.

'You are very tough,' he encouraged me. If it were even possible, my face went darker still.

We had arrived back at the castle. To my horror, Mia was walking down to breakfast at the exact same moment. She froze when she saw Andrej and I walking through the Entrance Hall.