Nicki was kept very busy over the next month or so. Nala was dragging them out to the field for two hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and beyond that even called a practice from one til seven on Saturdays. Needless to say, Nicki's time with Harry and her friends was cut much shorter than it had been before and before she knew it, October hit. The bright side of everything was, the classes came so easily to her at this point that Nic was having to read books beyond their year to even have a bit of a challenge.
Most of the time her classmates spent studying, Nic spent out on the Quidditch field, for even when they didn't have practice, it helped calm her nerves to fly around. She wound up using Nala's spare broom, which was far from a bad one. Nala had even said that she could keep it until she was able to get one for herself next year. The next day in class, Nic was paired up with Tyrone in Charms, working on a levitation spell. Nic's mind was elsewhere as Flitwick babbled on.
At last, his squeaky voice broke through, asking, "Nicki, would you like to try and demonstrate since you don't feel the need to pay attention?"
Lazily, she sat up and muttered, "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather fluttered into the air, perfectly controlled.
......................................
"Nicki!" a voice behind her called as she walked with the twins to Herbology. Turning, Nic spotted Susan Bones, a girl she shared a room with. Coming to a stop, she explained, "You're friends with Hermione Granger, right?"
"Yes," Nic replied, looking concerned. "Why, what's wrong?"
"She's crying in the bathroom," Susan admitted, quietly enough to where the twins didn't hear, for she didn't want to embarrass Hermione.
Letting out a small sympathetic sigh, Nic replied, "I guess I'll have to miss Herbology. See you guys later." When they had bid their goodbyes - the twins rather confused ones - Nic set off for the girl's bathroom. Knocking softly on the one close stall door, Nic called softly, "Hermione?"
"What?" she cried, clearly trying to hide the fact that she was crying.
"Hermione," Nicki sighed sympathetically. "Come on out, let me talk to you." Sniffling, she showed herself and Nic instantly pulled the girl into her arms. "Shh, it's okay. What happened?"
"R-Ron said, he said," she sobbed, crying into Nicki's shoulder. "He said I d-didn't have any friends and that it was b-because I was a-a know-it-all."
"Hermione, there's nothing wrong with being smart," Nic assured. "Look, Ron's just annoyed that you get this stuff so much easier than him. It doesn't make it okay, but he's just jealous. And if he bothers you like this again just let me know, I will beat him up." Hermione let out a watery chuckle before pulling away to face her.
"Thanks, Nicki," she said softly. "It means a lot to know I have at least one person who cares."
"Of course," Nic replied, hugging her again. "DO you want to go to the feast or do you just want to stay here for a bit?"
"Just stay here," she replied, still sniffling slightly. Nic began trying to cheer her up more, making jokes and telling stories about Harry and some from her time at Hogwarts so far. Soon Hermione was in much better spirts and began telling her own stories before a strong smell came into the room. It was disgusting and made Nic want to be sick. Next, a large troll came into the room with a huge club. Next moment the door was chit and locked, leaving them trapped.
Hermione let out a scream, causing Nic to cover her ears as the door opened again. Harry and Ron burst in as Nic raised her wand. "Get her out of here!" Nic ordered, beginning to cast different spells on the beast. First she sent a stream of fire at it and then a spell to confuse it, and so on and the others had just gotten to the door when the troll slashed its club, knocking Nic back into the wall.
"Nicki!" Harry shouted, getting the troll's attention. What happened next Nicki could never be sure. She felt the impact of the hit and felt this explosion of pain in the back of her head and in her chest area before lots of noises started up. When the teachers had burst in, Snape spotted Nic first. His heart lurched, not recognizing instantly that it was Nicole and not Lilly who lay motionless.
"Severus, take Ms. Potter to the hospital wing," Professor McGonagall ordered, glaring angrily at the others.
"Please, Professor McGonagall," Hermione broke in. "It wasn't her fault or theirs. They were looking for me. Nicki was trying to distract the troll long enough for the rest of us to get out. That's why she got hurt."
"Well then," Minerva replied, her expression towards the young girl who. Severus had just picked up. "I supposed that ten points to Hufflepuff in is order." Then she was taken to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey discovered in about a minute that she had a concussion and a broken rib. The rib she fixed at once, although it would be a little sore, and the concussion she also fixed with a small potion.
"She's staying the night at least," she decided, turning to Dumbledore and Snape who stood waiting for a prognosis. "Until she wakes up. She is very lucky, you know."
"It's fascinating, Severus," Dumbledore remarked, glancing at the currently red headed girl before them. "I've never seen you take to a student as much as Ms. Potter before." Severus remained silent. "The spitting image of her mother, wouldn't you say? Does she have the same knack for potions as well?"
"More than I can say for her twin," Snape replied dryly.