- The Hufflepuff Princess -

Chapter 21

"I think she's waking up!"

"Quick, get a nurse!"

"Lee!"

Elyse's eyes were closed. Something bright was shining on her from the right side, but she couldn't tell what it was.

She opened her eyes but quickly closed them again. It was too bright.

"Open your eyes Elyse." Someone said.

Elyse opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Once her eyes were used to the light and her vision wasn't blurry she turned to the side and saw John, Mary, L.A, and Draco next to her.

Elyse opened her mouth to speak but before she could, L.A. bent over and gave Elyse a massive hug.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again." Tears were streaming down L.A.'s face.

"Oh Elyse, we are so happy that you're Okay!" Mary said, her hands held by John's.

Draco was just sitting in the chair. Not saying anything. He looked happy. Almost relieved.

"What? I- I don't get it." Elyse said, her throat dry.

"It's Okay Lee. Draco here told us everything." Mary said, acknowledging Draco.

Everything came back to her. The orb. Sirius. Harry. The veil.

"He-he did?" Elyse asked nervously.

"He did honey. He told us how you were walking to one of your classes and the Whomping Willow attacked you. That's how you broke your leg." Mary answered.

Elyse didn't even notice that her leg was high above her. It was held up by something hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh." Was all Elyse said.

Then a nurse came in and went over to her bed.

"Good to see you awake Elyse. You've been out for a few days. I've never seen anything like it. It's almost like it was magic." The nurse said, taking Elyse's temperature and checking her foot which was wrapped up in a bandage which the nurse undid. "Might want to look away."

Elyse didn't look away, and she wished she did. Her leg from the knee down was grey. No skin color in it. In the center of her leg there was a black line going down. The line was going off in different directions making it look like something exploded on her.

"What happened?" Elyse asked making her self sit up for the first time, and he got a bit dizzy from it.

"Well, all we know is that you were walking outside and a tree fell on your leg. It broke the bone and when you got here, you were unconscious. You had to go in for surgery because there were a few pieces of your bone broken off that needed to be removed, and your bone had to be put back in place with a screw." The nurse explained as she cleaned the black line. "Don't worry about the black line, those are just the stitches. No one understands the grey though."

The nurse wrapped her leg back up and took it out of the thing from the ceiling. She put it on a pillow and left.

Elyse turned to the people in the room in utter confusion.

L.A. spoke first. "You're in a No-Maj, sorry excuse me, a Muggle hospital. Mary and John wanted you to go to a normal one instead of St. Mungo's."

"We had to tell them that a tree fell on you," John said, "we couldn't tell them that a magic tree attacked you."

"The grey?" Elyse asked.

No one answered. 

"We don't know what that's from." Mary finally answered.

They talked for a while, well Mary, John, and L.A. talked. Draco said nothing. Elyse asked questions and got answers. 

How long has she been asleep for? 

Four days.

How long did she need to stay in the hospital? 

Until the doctors said she could go home.

Why was she not at St. Mungo's? 

John and Mary didn't want magic to fix it.

Why was L.A. there? 

She flew to see her.

How had she blacked out?

When the tree attacked her she fell back and fell on a rock. Luckily it didn't cut her.

How long was everyone staying?

Mary, John, and L.A. had to go home tonight.

After talking to everyone and catching up, she had to say her goodbyes to her parents and her best friend because visiting hours were over and they had a plane to catch.

Then it was just Draco and Elyse in the room.

Neither said anything for a long while.

"So, uh, how are you?" Draco asked.

"Fine. Perfect. Never better." Elyse said sarcastically. 

"Hey, come on." Draco said.

"What?"

"Back there at the ministry, when you got hit, it scared me and-" Draco started.

"Wait. I got hit?" Elyse interrupted.

"Yeah, Bellatrix hit you with a curse, which caused you to faint. I don't remember what curse hit you, but it hit your leg and broke it. Don't worry about the grayness. It will go away, it's just how Wizard and Witches skin are." Draco explained, twisting the rings on his fingers.

Elyse sat there with her mouth open.

"You scared me Elyse. I called your name but you didn't answer. I thought I lost you. That's what scared me the most. I don't want to lose you. I love you." Draco said, his cheeks a scarlet color.

It took a moment for Elyse to comprehend what he was saying. "You- you what?"

"I love you Elyse. Why do you think I've been calling you 'love' for a while?" Draco asked.

Elyse remembered him calling her love a few times, but it never occurred to her that he liked  her, let alone love her. 

"Oh." Elyse finally said.

"What?! That's all you have to say?! I just told you that I love you and all you say is 'oh' how messed up is that I mean-"

"Draco. Stop. I love you too." Elyse said. With that Draco stood up and walked towards Elyse and he put his face in front of hers.

"Good. I've wanted to hear that." He said and locked lips with Elyse. He kissed her and Elyse kissed him back. This wasn't like a quick kiss like the others, this was better.