Accidents Happen ∙ Garreth Weasley

14 - Repulsive little weasel

"It's Wednesday?!" Lina exclaimed in sheer shock. "I've been asleep for two days?"

Nurse Blainey nodded. "It was a long fall. I would like to keep you here for the rest of the day to monitor your injuries, and then I will be able to assess whether you can be dismissed or not," she explained. "If you need me, I will be in my office."

As soon as the nurse left, Garreth squeezed Lina into a tight, constrictive hug. "I was so worried," he told her, his words muffled into her hair. His long arms wrapped around her neck, and she smiled a small smile. They held on to each other for a little longer than they probably should have, drinking in their presence and proximity to each other. 

They pulled away, and Lina got a fluttering in her stomach, which she tried to quash, yet failed when he gave an awkward, toothy grin. 

"What?" she asked him, his smile uncalled for.

"I- nothing," he replied. He picked up her records, placing them on the bed. "I, um, brought your favourite music. Although I sort of forgot the thing that makes the music. The one that spins."

"The record player?" Lina laughed at his forgetfulness.

"Oh yeah, that."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while after sharing Garreth's snack - a huge, buttery cinnamon roll. It satisfied Lina's stomach, and she licked the spiced sugar off her fingers afterwards. The hospital wing was quiet from then on, Garreth sat on the spare bad next to her, and Lina tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position on her bed. 

The nurse was absent for about an hour, before returning with news. 

"Miss Clarke, I am dismissing you from the infirmary now. I expect you to get bed rest for the rest of today and tomorrow, and I'll owl your professors to make sure they know you will not be joining them," Nurse Blainey explained. "Also, I recommend you stay out of quidditch until Easter, to make sure you are fully healed in case of any more injuries." 

Lina groaned quietly, knowing the Ravenclaw team would be shocking. "I understand," she said. Sliding off the bed, she wobbled slightly, and Garreth grabbed her arm to steady her. There were the butterflies again. Couldn't they just go away? 

She muttered a thank-you to Nurse Blainey before picking up her cards and any other possessions before they headed out the door and down the stairs, starting the long trek back to Lina's common room. The sun had begun to fall in the sky, a golden circle swimming along the horizon. White patches of left over snow had turned orange from the light, and the bridge to the tower was empty, leaving Lina and Garreth to stroll along in silence.

"Why did you do it?" she asked him. "Why did you skip all of your classes and miss almost 2 whole nights of sleep, for me?"

"Because," he responded, "That's what friends do." His stomach twisted at the word 'friend'. He had hated being friends since fifth year, but she was always busy, crushing the goblin rebellion, yet now he couldn't jeopardise their friendship. No matter what. "Even if it means aunt Matilda will go nuclear," he joked, lightening his mood.

"I appreciate it. Truly." The warm light shone on their faces as they stared out into the sunset, and Garreth glanced wistfully towards Lina, itching to do something, to say something. It was killing him, holding back his emotions after the hope he was given through her refusal of an antidote. 

A strong gust of wind blew through them, and tiny ice crystals hit his face like burning rain. Across the valley, he saw flurries of snow falling over the black lake, and he ushered Lina inside to get her out of the cold.

"I guess this is good evening then," she said, climbing the first few steps once inside. 

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" He asked her.

"Yes, Gare, I am perfectly capable of walking up a few flights of stairs by myself," she laughed.

"If you're sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Lina. Sleep well."

~~~

Evangeline couldn't sleep. She blamed it on her near 48 hours of sleep, and no matter what she did, the comforting blanket of sleep never arrived. After laying in bed for what felt like an eternity, she crawled out of the sheets and donned her robes, slipping her trainers on and pocketing her wand. Her door creaked as she slipped through it, exiting the Ravenclaw common room and descending the stairs. 

Her wander through the castle grounds ended in the Clock tower wing, and she found herself near to where she had competed in Crossed Wands last year. Rounding a corner, she saw the man himself, Sebastian Sallow, sneaking around, heading in from outside.

"Sallow," she announced, making him jump. "You are fucking dead."

His eyes widened as he realised what she was talking about, and he began to back away, feeling the thud of a stone wall behind him. "Clarke, I promise, I didn't do anything," he quavered, raising his arms in false-innocence

"You repulsive little weasel! You're bloody lucky I've got a cast on, otherwise I would resort to the Muggle form of pain infliction. A good old punch would sort out whatever is floating around in that puffskein-sized brain of yours." She raised her wand to his face, and his breathing quickened.

"I- I promise it was an accident!" he panted, his eyes focused on the tip of her wand. "We didn't mean to give you a love potion!"

"I call bullshit! And if it was an accident, like you say, how come I was the last to know, Sallow? Care to explain that one?" She argued, pressing her forearm up against his collarbone, edging her wand closer and closer to him. 

"I- I forgot!"

Her wand poked the soft flesh around his throat, where his Adams apple bobbed up and down in fear. Suddenly, she let go of him, sending a spell flying towards an old, rugged training dummy. Sebastian doubled over, panting, whilst she groaned in rage.

"I swear to fucking Merlin, you, Sebastian, had better find a way to make this right, or I will not hesitate to use all those unforgivable you taught me last year on you. Understand?"

He nodded sheepishly, before scurrying off back to the dungeons. She sighed, her shoulder slumping, before completely obliterating a pile of empty crates in the corner of the room.

Author's note:

Hey all! Just a quick PSA: It's my birthday this weekend, and straight afterwards in going on vacation, so I doubt I'll be able to write a chapter and publish it until this time next week (6th or 7th of July). I'll see if I can squeeze one in tomorrow, but if not, I hope you like it all so far!