𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒, oliver wood

eight.

08

HOSPITAL WING

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Juniper had ignored everything around her since Madam Pomfrey broke the news to her hours ago. The sun had set long ago, the medic bay no longer cast in its vibrant oranges as it descended into darkness; the only light around her came from candles that floated above her bed. June could only feel the heat that it radiated due to the bandage still tightly rapped around the top of her head. Her eyes were still covered.

She almost became thankful. The idea of seeing the damage to her face, the reality of never playing quidditch again, sent shock waves through her body. Her only sense of purpose was being ripped away from her.

"Are you sure that you do not want me to contact your parents?" Madam Pomfrey asked a third time, hoping the girl would change her mind. She shook her head again, thankful for the pain that it sent for distracting her against her dark thoughts. "What about the potion to handle the pain? You've missed two doses now." She shook her head again, harder this time. "Alright dear, I'll be back to check on you in an hour. Try to get some rest."

A soft, delicate palm briefly rubbed over her clenched fist beside her. She almost flinched at the motherly gesture. That was motherly, right? Juniper wouldn't know motherly if it hit her like a quaffle to the face. The light sound of heels receding away from her clicked around her skull. And then she was plunged into silence.

She hadn't heard any other patients in the medic bay, Madam Pomfrey hadn't tended to anyone but her since she woke. Juniper was prepared to not sleep until she was ready for that second dose of healing cordial, too eager to know the damage done.

"June?" a voice whispered out. She hadn't heard footsteps or any motion around her at all. "June?"

"Who is that?"

"Your favourite Gryffindork," she felt a dip in the bed beside her. If she could move her eyebrows, she would have furrowed them.

"Percy Weasley, is that you?"

A low laugh echoed. "In your dreams, Hawk." She could almost hear Oliver smile as he spoke. "I just wanted to check up on you. Louisa has been pacing up and down the halls for hours. She wanted to be here but she sent me instead. Apparently prefect duties are actually quite demanding."

June didn't say anything, she simply pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them; a sting in her face as she did so. She was thankful that half of her face was not visible. She felt like crying. She cried more often than people would expect her too. Many people thought she was an emotionless Hawk, armour as thick as iron feathers. But as soon as she was alone, that armour fell down.

"I brought you a friend," she heard the click of a cage, "And before you ask, Percy Weasley is not going to appear from the shadows."

Someone rested on her shoulder followed by a low and soft hoot. She smiled, her lip threatening to split further. June sighed deeply and leaned her head into the owl.

"Did you sneak past half of Slytherin to bring me my owl, Wood?"

Dawn hooted once more, leaning into the embrace. "Of course not, Louisa helped me in this owl-knapping. I was not risking a quaffle to the face. Too soon?"

She chuckled, "Well, the wounds have quite literally, not healed yet. So yes, too soon."

"That bad, huh?"