"Granger! I need some essence of Dittany over here - quickly, child!"
Rushing over to Madam Pomfrey with the bottle, I watched in awe as the liquid seemed to sizzle on the student's skin, closing the gaping wound.
"Splinching incident" she declared, handing the bottle back to me, "He wasn't concentrating properly on his destination, left a chunk of his arm behind"
I shivered slightly, grimacing at the visceral image, "I'll be sure to always pay complete attention then"
"As you should" she huffed, placing the bottle on the side table and hurrying over to another bed, "now over here we have a classic case of the weekend injuries. Mr Feeny over here tried to get near the whomping willow and got a broken nose in the process"
"We can use episkey to fix it"
"Jolly good, go on then. I trust you can do that basic charm"
I halted for a second, before stammering back to life, "O-Of course, yes I can do that"
Levelling my wand at the boys face, I spoke calmly and directly, "Episkey"
A sharp clicking noise indicated the charm had worked, Madam Pomfrey's impressed hum following seconds after.
"Tolerable"
"Thank you ma'am"
In the last half an hour of my experience in the infirmary, I watched in silent shock as a dozen students came in with the dumbest of injuries. The worst one by far being Neville Longbottom, who had somehow managed to get caught by a venomous tentacular.
"Do sit still Neville" I asked, "You're only hurting yourself the more you move"
"It's going to bite me" he cried, holding the trapped arm as far away from his body as he could, "it's going to bite me and I'm going to die!"
"Stop moving Mr Longbottom!" Madam Pomfrey ordered, "I can't use the charm if you keep wiggling!"
"Might I suggest using the stunning charm?"
"On the child? Are you mad, Ms Granger?"
"No, on the plant. Maybe if it stops wriggling then he'll stop panicking so much"
Shooting me a sideways glance, Madam Pomfrey did as I suggested, prying the plant off and treating the scratches almost immediately after. Trying to restrain my smirk, I made a great deal out of admiring the portraits until Neville had left.
"Not a word, young lady"
"Of course not ma'am"
"Those were words"
"You've been busy lately" Fred smiled into my neck, arms wrapped securely around my middle, "I've barely seen you"
Leaning back into his hold slightly, I giggled, hand reaching back to tangle through his hair, "oh please, you've seen me literally every moment I have free"
"Still not enough" he grumped, resting his head for a moment in the dip of my shoulder.
Laughing, I turned around to face him, his hands now resting on my lower back, "Well I've got to get this experience in if I want to become a healer. God knows the three of you are going to need it at some point, what with your experimenting for the shop"
At that Fred's smile grew, "Always looking out for us"
"I know, I'm just too good"
Fred's smile slipped slightly, a more serious look creeping into his features.
"You do think we can do it though. Open the shop?"
"Of course I do, I have since day one"
"You don't think it's a waste of our education?"
I sighed, cupping Fred's cheek in my hands, "I know that you love your mum, and I know that she wants the best for you when she says those things... but Fred, only you can decide your future. You're amazing at what you do! Just look at the success of the candies!"
Fred huffed a laugh, seriousness fading away again.
"Well you know George and I - just not made for academic achievements"
Smiling, I shook my head, brushing the side of his cheek with my thumb, "You're meant for so much more than a grade"
He paused at that for a moment, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
"Honestly Fred, when I think of the future, I see you and George with your own store in Diagon Alley, standing proud"
"Where are you in this situation"
"Where I always am, silly. Beside you"
Fred closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into my hand, "I love you"
I faltered for a moment, shocked at the sudden display of pure vulnerableness from him.
"It might be too soon to say that" he continued, locking eyes with me, "but I mean it"
Smile breaking out across my face, I pulled him in to a strong kiss, breaking away with a small laugh, "I love you too"