"the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."
in which Peony Parkinson falls for Fred Weasley amidst a sea of adversities and finds herself grow stronger in the process
note: this is a slow-paced story taking place fro...
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chapter two
The first attack was a cat, on Halloween. Mrs. Norris was found hanging over a torch bracket, not dead but it was close enough to strike fear in most of Hogwarts. Especially those of impure blood.
She thought about Mrs. Norris and the writing on the wall for the days that followed. It felt like it had been branded into her brain now. After days of feeling nauseous from the blood red writing on the wall she had gone to Madam Pomfrey, who served her a Pepperup Potion and had her sleep in the Hospital Wing for a few days.
Millicent and Robert were worried about her, she could tell when at least one of them was attached to her hip at all times. They didn't particularly like each other, Millicent didn't like anyone and Robert just didn't care. But they both seemed to agree on all aspects involving Peony.
So, Millicent would be with her during trips to the library, lunches, and weekend when they had no classes. Robert would spend time with her when they had classes, breakfast and dinners, and when they were in the common room.
The only time Peony wouldn't have them nearby was when she was in the Hospital Wing, as a healer aid.
Peony had spent so much time in hospitals and with healers after her diagnosis. It had been a constant in her life since she was five when the nosebleeds, headaches, and fainting had become too worrisome for her father.
As she grew Peony saw the pitiful glances from her step-mother when her nose bled and the strike of fear in her father's eye when she wouldn't eat enough. Even Robert and Millicent could't avoid the pity.
But healers didn't. Healers would look Peony in the eye and tell her like it was. The pain she would feel, the things she needed to do, the fact that this was forever, that there was no cure that would make it go away.
Many expected her to be resentful about it. And maybe a part of her was angry about the cards that were dealt to her. But she also learned to appreciate what she had.
Peony learned to love each of her healers, Madam Cindy especially, and most importantly she learned that their job was more than just helping a patient.
And so third year came along and Peony was already on good terms with Madam Pomfrey after all of her visits. And instead of choosing Astronomy or Care of Magical Creatures like most of her classmates, she proposed to Professor Dumbledore the chance to shadow Madam Pomfrey as a healer aid.
He had agreed and Peony would spend her time outside of classes in the Hospital Wing, tending to smaller injuries and watching Madam Pomfrey deal with bigger ones.
She had decided early on that she would pursue healing after Hogwarts and Madam Pomfrey was very supportive of her ideas, always walking her through the procedures and quizzing her on medicines and potions.
But the one thing she didn't share was Mrs. Norris's condition. After the cat had been brought to the Hospital Wing with Mr. Filch, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall in tow, Madam Pomfrey had rushed over, sending Peony off.
