The Heiress of Slytherin

The First Last Day

Ivy's eyes went wide. "Selina! I-" Selina held up her hand to cut her off, still panting slightly.

"As fascinated as I am to hear why you've been missing half of yesterday and all night, and now smell distinctively of the lake, I'll have to delay my curiosity and you will have to wait to tell me what I'm sure is a truly brilliant story until another time. Harry and Ron are in the hospital wing and they aren't looking well."

Any thoughts of whether she should make an excuse or be honest disappeared from Ivy's mind and she grabbed Selina's hand, pulling her behind her as she sprinted up the hill.

Ignoring her friend, who was muttering something along the lines of, "sure, no problem, not like I've just spent an hour searching the entire castle for you then run down the hill to meet you. That's fine though I can bloody sprint back up, no need to worry about me or my lungs." Ivy pressed on, her mind spinning rapidly.

What had they gotten themselves into this time? Based on their track record, nothing good. She skidded down hallways and around corners and finally busted through the doors to the hospital wing, panting heavily with Selina gasping for air behind her.

At the loud noise from the entryway, Madam Pomfrey jumped slightly with a hand on her heart and whipped around to face them. When she saw Ivy's face flooded with concern, her fury ebbed, but she still let out an exasperated, "honestly Ivy, what do I have to do to help you understand the sanctity of the silence of this space. You'll turn me into Madam Pince the way you run about."

Ivy smiled sheepishly at her and walked into the room considerably more calmly. "Sorry Poppy, but I heard that Harry and Ron are in here, and I had to check on them. Are they alright?" Her voice held slight notes of desperation, and Pomfrey smiled kindly at her.

"They will be. Mr Weasley should be awake any minute now. He had a nasty spill but apart from a few bumps, bruises and broken bones he got off alright. Mr Potter went through something much darker, I'm afraid, but he too will be fine with a little more rest. I don't expect him to wake up until about later this evening, however."

Ivy smiled and nodded, at least they were both alright. She would ask them for details later. From a bed in front of her, surrounded by a sheet cover, Ivy heard someone stirring, and she gently moved the sheet aside to see Ron lying on the bed, starting to wake up. Hermione was sleeping curled up in a chair next to him, and Ivy smiled softly at the pair.

Selina squeezed her hand, "I'll give you a moment. If you need me, I'm sitting by Harry, alright?" Ivy nodded in response, then slipped into the space where Ron was now blinking and sitting up with a groan.

She smiled at him and hoisted herself up onto the end of his bed, sitting cross-legged so she could face him. "Morning carrot top, how are you feeling?"

He returned the smile. "Rubbish. How's Harry, have you heard?" Ivy nodded. "He's fine, he's in the bed next to us. He'll wake up tonight sometime. The important question is what scrape did you get yourselves into? Honestly, I'm gone for one night and you both go mental. If you wanted my attention that bad, you could have just asked, not tried to get yourselves killed."He chuckled again.

At the talking around her, Hermione started to wake up. Seeing Ron awake, she shot up and seized his hand. "Oh Ronald, you're alright! I was so worried. I- Oh! Ivy, I didn't see you!" Ivy saw Ron smile at Hermione, but he groaned slightly. "Godric, 'Mione, keep it down or you'll wake Harry."

Hermione's eyes widened, "How is he? How is Harry?" Ivy chuckled at her friend and repeated what she'd said to Ron a few moments earlier. After that, the two took turns telling Ivy their adventures from the last night. They talked over each other and corrected statements so much it was almost hard to understand what they were saying, but by the end Ivy's eyes were wide.