Sea and Serpent (PJO/HP)

Chapter 15. Hospital Wing

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Rays of light filtered through her eyelids, disturbing her slumber.

She opened her eyes slowly, squinting as the light nearly made her close her eyes. The ceiling had carved archways and long wide lancet windows that let natural light in, brightening the room. Beds with white and green sheets lined the walls that had green linen dividers and a small table beside them.

An older woman with grey hair pulled back, dressed in a red and white nurse’s outfit, came from a room across from her

“Oh, you’re up, dear. I’m Madam Pomfrey. How are you feeling?”

Amaryllis took a moment to answer as some parts of her still felt sore, but she didn’t feel anything majorly wrong. “I feel… fine.”

“That’s good. Better than I expected for someone hit by lightning. First time I’ve ever had to brew a potion for such a thing, but it seems to have done a better job than I thought.”

Madam Pomfrey took a small cup off the table beside her and held it out. “Drink this. You may feel better, but I won’t be having no patient of mine leave this ward feeling anything but one hundred percent.”

Amaryllis didn’t argue with her as she raised her hand to take the drink, stopping when she noticed her arm—faded red lines ran down her arm like branches that spread out from a tree. The thickest part came from the base of her shoulder, thinning as it went down into what she saw.

Madam Pomfrey’s voice was soft and apologetic when she spoke, “I tried to give something for that, but unfortunately, there isn’t much more I can do for it.”

“No,” Amaryllis tried to say, but her voice came out thick with emotion. “It- I… thank you.” She had no words to voice how she felt. She could only filter shock as one of them as she stared at her arm.

Madam Pomfrey held out the potion for her with a soft smile.

Amaryllis took the potion without another word, brought it up to take, and scrunched her face up once she caught the smell of it.

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. “Potions don’t aren’t meant to smell good that fix you up. Now, drink up. I’ll send for lunch to be delivered.”

“Lunch?” Amaryllis shot back with wide eyes.

“Yes, lunch. You’ve been asleep for two days.” Madam Pomfrey informed, reminding Amaryllis of the voice last night that had said the same thing. “It’s a miracle that you’re even up right now after what happened. You’ll have the weekend to recover more; thank Godric for that. But I expect to see you back first thing Sunday so I can make sure you're doing well. Though I’m sure your brother and friends will be by soon since they’ve visited you ever chance they get.”

Madam Pomfrey left soon after she drank the awful tasting potion, mumbling something about the weather and the weird nature of the year, and it was only the start of term.

The place was quiet, even when Madam Pomfrey brought food over, and placed it on a bed tray as the doors creaked open and a voice she recognized spoke breathlessly.

“Lissie.”

Harry walked through the doors with Ron, Hermione, and Susan in tow just before the doors closed behind the other students.

“Harry,” Amaryllis mumbled, holding back everything she felt as the corner of her eyes stung.

She always tried to be brave. They had to have been. Crying got them nowhere. Begging did nothing but get them ignored more. It was the brave facade they built that got them from one day to another. Whether it was for themselves or the other; it had gotten blurred somewhere along the lines, but she wasn’t about to give into the feeling that clawed at her chest. Not when she saw the way Harry’s emerald eyes had dulled since the last time she saw him, or the bags under his eyes. He wasn’t one to study or have classwork worry him, so she knew he had lost countless hours of sleep because of her.