𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter fifty-eight

"Oh, leave it!" exclaimed Angelina, trying to stop Fred and George from doing something stupid. "Leave him alone, Fred, let him shout, he's just upset that he lost and brawled a little..."

"... but you like the Weasley family, right Potter?" he said scornfully. "Spent the holidays with them and everything, right? Together with your sister. I can't understand how you tolerate the smell, but I suppose once you've been raised by muggles, even Weasley's lair is better..."

Marley and Harry immediately grabbed George to stop him. Meanwhile, with a concerted effort, Angelina and Katie Bell tried to stop Fred from approaching Draco, who was laughing openly. Marley tried to control her anger. She furiously nailed George's shoulder, but he didn't tremble. She looked back and saw Madam Hooch quarreling with Crabbe for hitting Harry with the Bludger.

"Or maybe..." continued Malfoy, grinning spitefully. "You must have remembered how your mother's house, Potter, stinked, and Weasley's mess reminds you of it..."

That was the last drop of their patience. Suddenly Marley felt that Harry was unknowingly letting go George, and she was in such shock that he stepped forward and she watched George and Harry to approach Malfoy and hit him as hard as they could, causing him much pain. Harry swung his fist, hitting Draco in the stomach...

"Harry! Harry! GEORGE! NO..."

Marley didn't recognise who was screaming, because she was already in the fight, trying to stop George and Harry from literally killing Draco. She had just managed to get at least to Harry, when suddenly she felt a terrible pain in her nose, black spots came up in front of her, and she swayed and fell. Her hand was on her nose, and she let out a groan of pain. A second later сhe withdrew hеr hand. She was all in the sticky and red blood that had stained her whole nose, mouth and chin, trickling down her robe.

Her nose was broken and she couldn't stop the blood. The black spots were getting bigger and smaller. She could hear the screams of the girls, the shouts of Malfoy, the cursing of George. Angelina had called Alicia Spinnet to hold Fred and she had gone down to help Marley get up. The girl's face was whole in warm and salty blood.

A whistle blew and Marley could barely see Madam Hooch using her wand and separated George and Harry from Draco, yelling at them. Marley, now barely clinging to Angelina's arms, was half-unconsciousness, heard Madam Hooch tell the dark-skinned girl to take her to Madam Pomfrey.

The matron looked pale when she saw Marley bloody and quickly told Angelina to leave her on one of the beds. She cleaned Marley's blood, washed her wounds, and wrapped her nose, then used Brackium Emendo to heal her broken bones. But Marley could barely see, and before they were finished, she was already sunk into darkness.

                        ***

Marley opened her eyes. The pain in her nose had become a dull thud. She was still in the hospital wing. It was late afternoon, and she could barely open her eyes, but saw George talking to Fred, Angelina, Lee, Harry and Katie Bell, and suddenly Marley gasped and managed to open her eyes completely.

"Hey, how are you?" asked Angelina, looking at Marley with a weak smile. Her throat was hurting unknowingly why. She was lying in her bed and was glad she didn't have to move. George's lip was torn and there was a small wound with some dried blood. His knuckles were bruised and scraped, and he had put on patches.

"Why... everyone is looking... so upset?" asked Marley. Her voice was hoarse and she coughed.

"Umbridge banned us from the team." replied Harry sadly and bowed his head to the floor, staring stubbornly at it.

"We? Who's we?"

"Fred, Harry and I." George muttered. He was sitting on the edge of her bed and nervously playing with his long fingers. "Because of the fight with Malfoy. Fred didn't do anything but Frogface thought if I was capable to beat up someone, why not he."

"Oh, George..." she bit her lower lip and felt a metallic taste on her teeth. Still, the smell of blood still lingered on her face. "Frogface has always been such a bitch. I'm really sorry the three of you can't play anymore. It's so unfair."

"She said that from the very beginning was a bad idea to let the Gryffindor Quidditch team continue playing." added Harry and Marley clenched her hands in fists. She managed to stood in sitting position. Maybe they had won the match but none of them was feeling like a victor tonight. Too many bad things happened.

"There's no point in playing." said Angelina. "We've lost our Beaters and Seeker. I don't think we can--"

"What are you doing here?!" Madam Pomfrey yelled, entering the hospital wing and walking towards the little group of people around Marley. "Get out right now and leave the girl to rest! If you weren't too busy to beat up this boy when she was in need, you could stay here now."

"Does that mean I can stay?" questioned Angelina with hope.

"No! But thank you for bringing her here." shook her head Madam Pomfrey. "Now all of you, get out! Stop bothering the poor girl."

"But I need to talk to her." protested George, while Lee, Angelina and Katie were already making their way out of the hospital wing.

"You're not her brother or father, so no." snapped the matron. "Get out with your twin and leave her alone."

"I want him to stay." joined Marley with a persistent look in her eyes. Fred had already left the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey switched her gaze from Marley to George and finally inclined. She removed Marley's bandage from her nose, who was perfectly healed.

"You have ten minutes, boy." she warned him. "And if I find you here after this time, you're leaving with kicks."

George just nodded and Madam Pomfrey left the hospital wing. Now Marley and George were alone in the spacious room.

Marley was sitting in her bed, her back leanining on the wall. George was sitting in the edge, nervously tapping his foot on the marble floor.

"About what happened..."

"Did Malfoy break your nose?" asked George, without looking at her. "If it was him, I swear to God..."

"Uhm, actually, it was you." Marley's voice got low to whisper and she pressed her knees to her chest. George slowly turned to look at her, his eyes were widened from shock and his face was getting paler. "You hit me while I was trying to stop you and Harry. In the first moment I also didn't know who hit me, but later I recognised you."

"I brought you to this condition?! I broke your nose... are you sure?" he exhaled deeply and his brown eyes looked so conerned. "That's impossible. I would never... never hurt you, Mar."

"I know and I don't blame you." she said, letting a weak smile on her face. "I'd never blame you for something like this because I know you didn't mean to. You were too busy fighting Malfoy and you accidentally hit me. It's okay. I'm already fine. But you should worry."

"Why?" he frowned. "Оf a little torn lip or bruised knuckles? But if you meant, Quidditch, yes, I'm worried. Because I don't know what the team would do now when Fred, Harry and I are not in."

"The training would be more boring without you." confirmed Marley. "We'd probably do tryouts and cast new people temporarily on your places. I still cannot believe you're not playing anymore."

"Me too." sighed George and Marley took his hand softly. "I think if your dad was still alive, he'd break my nose when he understands I broke yours."

Marley couldn't help but laughed. "Or maybe he'd even kill you."