Your gentle hands
The room at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical maladies and injuries was dimly lit and silent. The two people in it were motionless, asleep.
But then the bandaged man in the bed opened his eyes. For a moment, he stared at the cei-ling. There was still pain throughout his body. Then his gaze darted to the girl sitting beside his bed.
And their intertwined hands.
An expression of utter love came to his face. It illumiated it so much that the bandages looked less severe. For a few moments he watched the sleeping young woman. Then he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She immediately jerked up, her eyes wide open in shock.
„Non! Bill! Quois…"
When she saw him lying in his bed, smiling up at her, she settled down again.
„Oof… what a nightmare. Bill, eet was `orrible. I was dreaming… I was dreaming you've be-come a werewolf, weeth no way of… of ever becoming… normal again… zhey… wanted to kill you!" She started sobbing. Apparently, the dream had shaken her deeply. But it was another proof of her love, and Bill saw that clearly.
„Fleur, chérie…" He gave another squeeze to her hand. „It's alright now. I'm here. I'm fine. Everything's fine." Giving a slight pull, he bent her down to him and hugged her. He had wanted to sit up, but he was still too sore.
Finally, her sobs ceased. „I'm sorry", she whispered. „Maybe all of zhis is getting more to me zhan I expected. When they found you all and with zhose terrible wounds… For a moment, I thought I'd lost you."
„Heh." Bill chuckled weakly. „Nobody is getting rid of me that easily."
„Don't joke about zhis!", Fleur said angrily. „Ee'ts not funny!"
„Forgive me", Bill said, still smiling. „I know it's not funny. It's just that I can't stand seeing you sad like that. An angel like you shouldn't have to cry."
Those words baffled the French girl into silence. She stared of her chérie with a expression that was almost disbelief, mixed with pleasant suprise. A warm feeling flooded through her body, and she felt light, lighter than she hadn't felt for a while now. Finally she reacted by bending down by herself, wrapping her arms round him and kissing him gently on the fore-head.
„My brave knight", she whispered softly. „You know me so well, and have always the right words."
„And you are the most beautiful of flowers", he whispered back. Then he took her hand, kissing it softly before laying his cheek at its back. „I felt them, you know? Your hands. You have such gentle hands… when you took care of me, I could feel them, like a gentle caress. Even through my coma, felt them." He pulled her down and kissed her on her forehead. „My sweet flower with hand so gentle."
„Oh… Bill…" Tears glittered in Fleur's eyes. Already bent down, she kissed him on the forehead too, where it wasn't covered with bandages. Then she gently stroked his good cheek. „I am so lucky zho `ave such a great man as future `usband." Then, in a spontaneous desicion she said: „Please, move a little bet to zhe side."
Frowning questioningly, Bill obeyed and moved a little to the edge of hospital bed. As soon as he had done it, Fleur left her chair and laid down beside him. She stared up into his green eyes and placed a hand on the bandages of his injured cheek. „My valiant knight", she repeated softly.
After a moment of staring down at her, Bill wrapped his arms around her, inhaling deeply the scent of her hair. „Thank you, my sweet flower", he whispered. „Thank you for staying with me and looking over me."
„Always, mon amour."
When the nurse came looking after the injured patient one hour later, she found them lying cuddled against each other, fast asleep, and expressions of peace on their faces.