Tourjours pur

Part 53

"Cassiopeia, wake up!"
I groan, turning over and burying my face in my pillow. My blanket is ripped off of me, so I curl into a little ball. My pyjamas are think, so I'm warm still. There's a pitiful sigh, and I realise Marlene wants me awake. What does she want with me this early in the morning? There's a weak laugh, as Marlene sighs, "You are the laziest person I think I've ever met. Honestly, it'd be easier to bring someone back from the dead. Wake up, you good for nothing troll."
"Alright, Maman," I smirk at her, the light making me wince. Marlene feigns offence, and scoffs, "I am not like your mother. Come on, I want to see how you are on a broom."
"Last time I was on a broom, I fell and broke my arm," I mumble, yawning, "Don't fancy that again. What time is it?"
"It's already seven!" Marlene drags me out of bed by my legs. I scream as I land on the floor in a disgruntled heap. Marlene sighs, "Mary and Lily both woke up half an hour ago to get extra revision done. You're really taking your time. Come on."
"Marlene!" I groan as she throws me my only exercising stuff. Leggings and a baggy old Slytherin top from Bellatrix. I see the way Marlene eyes it, and I sigh, "I'll be ten minutes. Please run and get me a slice of toast?"
"Fine."

An hour later, I'm stood with Marlene, a broom in hand. She's ranting something, and I sigh, "If I break a bone, I'm going to hit you so hard."
"It'll be fine," Marlene rolls her eyes, taking my hands and leading me to the middle of the pitch. I wince as she touches the ring, and says, "Right, get on your broom, and do a few laps!"
"Laps? A few?" I groan, getting onto the broom. I'm shaky, and fly about four meters into the air. Marlene's eyes are wide, and I watch her roll them as I scream. I go forwards a little, inching as bravely as I can. I'm trying. Slowly, I fall forwards, screaming as I fall to the floor. Marlene races to me, her eyes wide again. She stares at me, horrified, as I roll around on the floor, clutching my leg. The Slytherin team all move onto the pitch, and I yell, "EVERYONE GO AWAY. MARLENE, GET OFF OF ME."
Marlene shrinks away, and I force myself to my feet. She tries grabbing my hand as I fall back to the floor, and I groan, "Somebody go get Madame Pomfrey."
"Why is a Gryffindor with a Slytherin?"
"That's clearly not a Slytherin. Look at her-"
"That's Regulus's older cousin-"
"He'd kill us if he found out we didn't help her-"
I sit up, glaring at the people who remain. At least two kids run off to the hospital wing, and I snap, "Right, you stop looking, I don't like your glaring. You need to keep your mouth shut, and you two need to get a room, or take a step away from each other. Marlene, I told you this would happen."
"Maybe don't insult them all," Marlene whispers uncertainly. I sigh, "It's fine, their parents are all at my house far too much."
I reach out, touching my ankle delicately. It's very clearly broken. Slowly, I move my head back, against the stands. I point to the boy at the front, and hiss, "Get Regulus."
"Why should I take demands from a snooty little girl?" The boy smirks, "That ring on your finger means nothing."
"Get. Regulus. NOW."
The smirk falters as they walk off, and I stare as Madame Pomfrey walks over with the bottle of that liquid. My jaw tenses as she pulls out her wand, and gives my ankle a quick check. She sighs, "This is worse than last time. We might have to use a spell."
"Go ahead," I glare at her wand, "I don't care. I'm not weak or anything."
Madame Pomfrey says, "I never said that you were. Do you want everyone here watching, or would you rather be taken somewhere private?"
"I said I don't care," I hiss, the pain unbearable. Marlene rests her hand on my shoulder, and I wince as Madame Pomfrey holds her wand to my ankle. She sighs, "This is going to hurt quite a bit. I do really mean that Cassiopeia."
"Just do it," I his, my jaw clenched. Madame Pomfrey flicks her ankle, and a sharp, stabbing pain shoots up my leg. I don't really flinch, trying hard not to react. Maman's done worse. Madame Pomfrey raises her eyebrows, and says, "That's the calmest reaction I think we've ever had. Usually I see crying, screaming, yelling. Any experience with these spells?"
"No," I sigh, stretching out my leg, "Just got a high pain tolerance. No real point getting stressed over pain. It's natural, fine. Marlene, can we go back to the common room?"

I need help as we walk off, Marlene supporting my weight. She asks, "Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," I mutter, wincing as we walk up a flight of stairs. Marlene rolls her eyes, smiling a little. She sighs, "Okay, genius. No, I mean, can I ask you another question after this?"
"I'm not going to say no," I groan. We walk through the portrait hole, and I fall backwards onto a sofa. Marlene sits in the armchair next to me, and plaits my hair, saying, "Well, please don't be offended, but I was thinking about what you said earlier. Maman? I mean, I was being a little mean earlier."
"A little?" I scoff, "No, but whatever. What do you want to know?"
Marlene sighs, "You jokingly called me mother. My mother would never say things like that to me, not in the tone I was speaking."
"That's the thing, Marls," I say, "Your mother and my Maman are two very, very different women. I mean, you said yourself, your fathers a muggle. I'm not really in the most loving family, am I?"
Marlene sighs, leaving my hair half plaited, with three little plaits coming out the top of my head. She's not great at keeping things done fully.