She visited Hagrid immediately after Madame Pomfrey released her. He was with the new Hippogriff. She climbed and sat on the wall of the animal's pen. Hagrid was trying to hand-feed him a dead ferret, but the Hippogriff stayed at the far end of the pen.
"Psst."
Hagrid turned; his first reaction was a bright-eyed smile, then his shoulders drooped as guilt crept into his face, and he cast his eyes to the ground. "I'm not upset with you, Hagrid. It could've happened to anyone. It was only a baby Acromantula, after all." She was at a perfect height to hug him.
"Still friends then?"
"The best," replied Lindsay with her trademark warm smile. Hagrid helped her down and offered her a dead ferret.
"Maybe you'll have better luck wi' 'im. He's not comin' 'round to me, that's fer sure."
The animal was cleaner, but still a dark grey color. His wounds were healing nicely, but he'd be heavily scarred for the remainder of his life. His wings were healed, but he refused to use them. He was still wild-eyed and thin despite regular feeding. Lindsay approached slowly and bowed respectfully. The Hippogriff snorted and stamped the earth. Lindsay remained still; sweat was beginning to bead on her brow. The Hippogriff snorted again and trotted around her. He eyed her cautiously then unexpectedly bowed back. She handed him the ferret; he sniffed it, but didn't take it.
"Hagrid," said Ron as he and Harry leaned over the pen. "How's the new...?" The Hippogriff panicked and ran for them, trampling over Lindsay as he rushed at the boys.
"Down!" shouted Hagrid. The boys dropped behind the pen wall as the Hippogriff smashed into it. Hagrid chased it away and took Lindsay back to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was furious. "Angry Hippogriff," stammered Hagrid.
"Out!" shouted Pomfrey.
Lindsay had sustained broken ribs and would be released the following morning, but not until after a tongue-lashing from Madame Pomfrey for her carelessness. Immediately after Lindsay's reprimand, Professor McGonagall entered the room. Her lips were a thin line, and her eyes flashed in temper. Lindsay prepared herself for another round.
"Not out of the hospital wing a full hour before being readmitted. Well done, Miss Gray. I believe you've set a school record."
"It was an accident...."
"They always are. I suggest you be more cautious in the future, or I shall force precautions on you. Do I make myself clear, Miss Gray?"
"Yes, ma'am." McGonagall turned and left without further comment. "That is one scary woman," whispered Lindsay.
###
The following morning, Lindsay was out of bed and dressed before Madame Pomfrey even woke. She was unaccustomed to inactivity and disliked confinement. She was pacing the floor when Madame Pomfrey came to check on her.
"You're still bruised, Miss Gray, so you must curtail your activities. None of this running, and hiking, and dancing, and whatever other nonsense you get up to."
"Yes, ma'am, I'll take it easy. I promise." Lindsay turned to leave and was called back. Madame Pomfrey handed her a small jar of salve.
"Take this with you, unless you'd prefer the wounds on your legs to become scars."
Lindsay thanked Madame Pomfrey, pocketed the jar, and left to visit Hagrid. She found him feeding the Thestrals.
"What're yeh doin' out here? You should be restin'."
"I feel fine Hagrid. I'm stiff from lying in bed so much."
"Don't yeh touch nothin'. I can do this m'self."
"I won't. I'll just stand here and watch. Have you thought of a name for the Hippogriff?"
"Nope, can't get a feel fer his personality."
"What about something simple, like 'Stampy'?"
"That's a fittin' name" laughed Hagrid.
"Have you figured out where he came from?"
"Nope." Hagrid stood upright, his eyes burned with rage. He wrung his hands in temper. "But when I find out who abused 'im, he'll be a sorry wizard indeed." Lindsay had never seen Hagrid angry before, and hoped not to see it again. They talked for a bit longer and Hagrid's temper waned. He sent her back to the castle before she managed to get herself injured again. She sung softly to herself as she strolled back. She felt fine until she crossed the castle's threshold and a stitch stung at her side. She took a few more steps and the stitch turned into breath-stopping pain. She doubled over to catch her breath. She heard footsteps and looked to see Professor Snape scowling at her.
"Perfect timing as always, Professor. Do you mind if I lean on you a bit?" Snape hadn't expected such a request, or the friendly tone that was used to speak it. Lindsay interpreted his hesitation as assent and reached her arm around his shoulder after moving his long greasy hair out of the way. "It really hurts when someone leans on your hair, doesn't it?" Snape said nothing. Lindsay used her other hand to brace her ribs. Snape slipped his arm around her waist and gripped the hand that lay over his shoulder. Her hair was neatly braided. He inhaled the familiar light scent of gardenia. She was dressed more casually then when he'd first met her, but he thought she looked just as lovely.
Lindsay chatted away while Snape remained silent. "I felt fine until I got back to the castle. Sort of hit me without warning. Here we are. Thank you, Prof...."
Snape turned abruptly and left, leaving Lindsay standing in front of the Gryffindor common room. She entered and went straight to bed. She slept straight through dinner.
###
The door of the common room slid open and in walked the unwelcome figure of Professor Snape. Many of the younger students gasped and hid. The older ones remained in their places and glared at him with nervous contempt. His eyes locked onto Hermione. "Miss Granger," he snapped. Hermione dropped her book and stood before him. "Take me to Miss Gray."
"I think she's asleep, Sir."
"Now, Miss Granger."
Hermione stopped at Lindsay's door. "She's in here, Sir. Would you like me to...?"
"I would like you to be on your way, Miss Granger."
Lindsay lay on her uninjured side and, with some difficulty, had pulled her blankets up high around her face. The only part of her that was left visible was the very top of her head. She fell asleep quickly, and was still in the same position when she was startled awake by a blast of light in her room. She opened her bleary eyes to the menacing black form of Severus Snape standing next to her bed. He didn't waste time with a greeting. "You were not at dinner."
"I fell asleep," she croaked. Her throat was dry. She cleared it more forcefully than she had intended, and it hurt her still bruised ribs. As her eyes began to focus, she could see that he was carrying a moderately sized, dark-blue bottle in his hand. He sat the bottle on her nightstand and leaned over her. "I brought liniment," he said as he began to lower her blankets. He stopped when the blankets were slightly below her shoulder as he realized that she wasn't wearing nightclothes. Lindsay saw a small amount of color rise in his cheeks. "Yeah, I don't like to wear those buttoned-up pj's that Madame Pomfrey puts on us--too restrictive, and I was too sore and tired to wrestle with a nightgown."
Snape suddenly looked unsure of himself and asked, "Would you prefer that I fetch Professor McGonagall?"
"It's okay, Professor. I can handle it. There's no privacy in hospitals, you know." He quickly yanked the blankets down, resting them on her hip. The color in his cheeks deepened. Lindsay wrapped her arms around her chest, but being so large busted only managed to partially cover herself. Snape, for his part, tried unsuccessfully to appear as though he wasn't looking. He popped the stopper off the blue bottle and poured the liniment on his hand. He set the bottle back down and rubbed his hands together, then turned silently to rub it on Lindsay's deeply bruised ribs. She gasped in pain as it felt like every muscle around her ribs suddenly spasmed. "It will only hurt for a moment." The pain eased before he completed the statement, and was gone as quickly as it had come. Lindsay was left with a very pleasant feeling of numbness and warmth.
"That's not what Madame Pomfrey uses."
"It's my own," replied Snape as he jerked the blankets back up around her shoulders.
"You should patent that stuff, Professor. It's fabulous." A proud smile appeared momentarily as he wiped his hands on his robes and re-stoppered the blue bottle. He turned and swiftly left without saying another word.
Lindsay rose and put on her dressing gown. "He's such an odd duck." She slowly stooped to gather up the clothes she'd left on the floor.
"I'll get that," rang Professor McGonagall's stern voice. "You sit." McGonagall waved her wand and a hot tea kettle and plate of food appeared. She waved her wand a second time and Lindsay's clothes rose up, folded themselves, and settled to rest on her trunk. "You missed dinner. I don't typically provide room service, but I thought it appropriate under the circumstances. Hagrid told me you visited him."
"I suppose I over did it."
"I suppose you did. Honestly, Miss Gray, if I didn't know better, I'd think you had a death wish. McGonagall noticed something odd not Lindsay's reaction, but in her lack of it. McGonagall gently put her hand on Lindsay's. Her voice was equally gentle. "You have friends here, Miss Gray, friends who will help you. You need but ask for it."
"Thank you, Professor. You are very kind and very perceptive. I may be too cavalier regarding my personal safety, but I assure you that I don't have a death wish." McGonagall wasn't convinced, but didn't pry. The girl had a right to her privacy. McGonagall poured a cup of tea for both of them. She hadn't intended to stay, but changed her mind in the hopes that her presence could be of some comfort. They talked for several hours and McGonagall was surprised to find that Lindsay was not an open book as she'd thought. Despite her honesty and loquaciousness, the girl kept much of herself and her life private.