The Heiress of Slytherin

Sometimes It's Not Alright

Ivy and her friends burst into the hospital wing with a bang so loud it rattled the glass panes and made the curtains swing about. Madam Pomfrey whipped around and glared at them, but as she took in the worry on their faces she just sighed and pointed at a bed in the middle of the room.

They dashed to it and surrounded Draco, looking at him worriedly. Nobody seemed to know what to say, so they just stared at him with concern etched into their features. Ivy was the first to break the silence.

She gently took his hand, making sure she didn't move him at all. "How are you? What did Pomfrey say?" Her voice was thick with concern. The welt that had formed was brutal, and she didn't know if he'd broken any bones.

He turned to her with a very solemn face. "I almost died. Seconds later and I would've been gone." Ivy smirked and felt her tension dissipate. She shook her fondly and chuckled. At least he was well enough to keep up his dramatic humour.

"You're an idiot Malfoy." She said and he laughed slightly then winced. Ivy continued to smile at him but some of the concern crept back in. "How are you actually doing?"

"I'll live. Barely." He said with a mischievous wink and Ivy rolled her eyes in return.

"Incorrigible." She said exasperatedly, "I'm going to ask Poppy if I'm allowed to kill you." She turned and left the bed, leaving Draco to laugh and talk to the rest of their friends. Madam Pomfrey was just leaving one of the other beds when Ivy caught her. "Hello, Poppy!! How are you?"

The healer turned around and smiled at her, then raised an eyebrow. "Well well, if it isn't the disturber of the peace. I'm well, Ivy, how are you?" She softened her tone at the end of her sentence to show that she wasn't truly mad, and regarded the girl carefully.

Ivy's eyes involuntary flicked over to where Harry was lying, surrounded by quidditch players, then she caught herself and looked back. Clearing her throat she forced a smile onto her face. "I'm alright, thank you. Lots going on but I can't complain. I do miss you though. Perhaps I should be getting injured more often."

Pomfrey had caught her glance and was looking at her as though trying to puzzle something out, but she graced this comment with a smile. "Wonderful as you are, I'd rather you not, your friends deliver far too many flowers for me to find room for. I'm guessing you would like to hear about the condition of Mr Malfoy?"

Ivy responded to this with a vigorous nod. "You're lucky he got here when he did, a little longer and the bruising would have become much worse. As it is I only need to apply a salve made of unicorn hair and eye of newt every half hour and he'll be free to leave before supper. It doesn't smell or look pretty, but it works."

Ivy nodded in relief and thanked Madam Pomfrey. Her eyes wandered back to Harry, and she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Is he, alright?" She said quietly, hoping that the healer might understand her desire for discretion.

Poppy smiled softly down at her. "Why don't you ask him yourself, it's quite the tale." With that she turned to walk away, leaving Ivy to stew in her disbelief and dread. She knew she was right, but she really, really didn't want her to be.

Mustering up her courage she walked over to the crowd of red and gold robes. They all fell silent as she approached and watched her carefully, but Ivy refused to let it affect her. To be fair to them, she had gone a bit mental in front of them not that long ago.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were looking at her more curiously than any of the others as Ivy stopped beside the bed. She cleared her throat and ignored the sensation that was building in her ribcage, which made her feel a bit like her organs were turning to jelly.