AN: Yup, another chapter. I felt really bad about the wait so I wrote another one today. Hopefully it's actually well written.
"OW!"
"Miss Niehaus, please stop moving or it will only get worse."
"It's getting worse either way!"
"Cos…"
"OW!"
"Oh Dinah…"
"Okay, obviously it's not supposed to bend that way if it hurts!"
"I'm inspecting the damage"
"Cos, let her do her job, yeah?"
"It feels like she's creating more damage than- OW!"
"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed pulling the curtain back, shuffling over to the group of people.
The nurse helping Cosima sighed in relief, "Miss Niehaus is experiencing shoulder pain due to an accident from the Quidditch scrimmage."
"Accident?" Cosima said with a bitter chuckle, "It was hardly an accident. All this," she said gesturing to her shoulder, "is courtesy of a Mr. Paul Dierden."
"I'm sure he didn't mean to Cos," Sarah reassured.
"Like hell! He blatched the shit out of me!"
"Language." Alison and Madam Pomfrey said simultaneously.
"What's blatching anyway?" Sarah asked.
"Colliding in the air on purpose, Sarah, you should know this."
"I could give a shit about Quidditch, to be honest."
"Language!" they responded again. Sarah threw her hands up and sighed.
"Miss Niehaus, your shoulder appears to be dislocated." Madam Pomfrey said, examining Cosima's bruised shoulder.
Cosima smacked her lips in frustration, "I know what that means," she sighed putting her head back, "Do your worst."
Madam Pomfrey gave the girl a sad smile and pulled out her wand as Alison took Cosima's right hand.
"Episkey!"
Cosima yelped in pain as her shoulder snapped back into its socket, squeezing Alison's hand tightly. Madam Pomfrey inspected the shoulder again, "Good, now I'll have an anti-swelling potion and pain potion made for you. Just sit tight," she said rising from her seat next to Cosima.
"Can I get like, a sugar quill or something for my troubles?" Cosima tried with a weak smile.
Madam Pomfrey chuckled, "Miss Niehaus, if I had to purchase a sugar quill for every time you have visited this wing, I would be in supreme debt."
"Shouldn't my tuition cover that?" Cosima rebounded.
"Perhaps, for an ordinary student. But you, however, are for some reason extremely and unusually prone to injury."
"True that." Cosima said, sitting back with a wince.
Madam Pomfrey smiled and disappeared behind the curtains.
"Ugh," Cosima groaned as her shoulder throbbed, "Fuck Paul, piece of-"
"Cosima Niehaus!" Alison exclaimed, slapping Cosima's good shoulder.
"Ow! What? You'd be saying it too if he streamlined into your shoulder," Cosima accused, "Stupid… fuckin…"
"I'm telling you Cos, he probably didn't mean to," Sarah defended.
"Then where is he, huh? Why isn't he here apologizing?" Cosima said looking around as if she were searching for him, "And why the hell are you defending him all of a sudden? This morning you called him a bitch."
Sarah scratched her head and put her hand on her hip, "We… talked today."
"Oh, everything is peachy between the fuck-buddies now?" Cosima said bitterly.
"Oh fuck off, Cosima. Just because you're single doesn't mean you can take it out on me."
Alison shook her head, realizing that no amount chiding would ever soften their language.
"What? You think I'm jealous?"
"No, I just think that you'll loosen up after a good lay."
"That's bullshit, Sarah, and you know it. I'm like, the most laidback person there is."
"Then why are we having this conversation?"
"Because I don't fucking trust that guy," Cosima said with more than a hint of irritation. "I don't like him."
"Cosima, you don't fucking like any guys," Sarah accused, choosing to ignore the way Cosima's eyes widened. "I don't expect you to like him. I don't need you to like him."
"I like guys!" Cosima defended, "One of my best friends is a guy."
"Cosima, you and I both know that that's not what I'm talkin' about."
Cosima's posture on the bed relaxed as she looked down at her hands, still in Quidditch gloves, "No, I don't."
"Cosima, don't be an idiot, it's not in your nature."
Cosima looked at her darkly, "Don't call me an idiot."
"Then don't act like one," Sarah challenged.
Alison spoke up after feeling the tension rise between her sisters, "What is going on?"
"Yeah, Cosima, what is going on?"
Cosima glared at Sarah, and stared back down at her hands, "Nothing. Don't you guys have somewhere to be?"
"Oh, not this again. Cosima, stop bloody shutting us out. You know we're here for you."
"That's fine. I get it. Thanks a lot., but I don't need you now," Cosima said, wanting to be alone.
Sarah laughed darkly, "Wow… Wow, okay. Well let us know when you need us Cosima, we'll be on standby."
Cosima smacked her lips again, "Oh come on, I didn't mean it like that,"
"No you've made your point perfectly clear," Sarah said walking away briskly. Alison stood before feeling a hand grip hers.
"Ali, come on. I didn't-"
"Cosima," she said turning to her sister, "Whatever is going on with you, handle it. You can shut us out if you want, but don't you dare get mad at us for wanting to help. We love you. You're our sister, we share a freaking soul for God's sake," Alison exclaimed, "So you know as well as I do that your pain is ours, yes?"
Cosima felt a tear roll down her cheek, "Yeah, I just…" she paused, wringing her hands together and searching for the right words, "I need to figure myself out you know? This could change... everything."
Alison wiped Cosima's tear, leaving a clean smudge on her still dirty face, and took her hand in hers, "I know, but we'll be here with you, okay? We don't hate you."
Cosima sniffed and nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her arm. Alison smiled and patted Cosima's hand. Getting up, she turned and started to walk away, but swiveled back around and put her hand on Cosima's good shoulder.
"And you know," she started, "whoever she is, I'm sure she's lovely."
Cosima gave a shocked look to Alison, who just returned it with a smile and walked out to the grand staircase.
Cosima waited on the bed after Alison left, thinking about the discussion she had just had with her sisters, and if it was really an appropriate time to make any decisions about the future of her love life just because of one girl. Cosima sighed and moved to lean her head on the pillow she was resting against, but the pain in her shoulder stopped her from moving all the way down.
The sudden throbbing in her shoulder reminded her of why she was waiting. Cosima groaned and moved to get out of the bed to find out what the fuck was taking so long. Nicely of course.
Before she had the chance to stand, the curtain slid open, revealing a familiar face.
"Mon Dieu! Cosima ce qui s'est passé?" Delphine asked setting her things down and examining Cosima.
Cosima stared back at her, not paying attention to what she was saying, but paying attention to the fact that she was here, in her space. And rather close to her face. When she thought back to what the girl had said, she realized that none of it was in English. "What?"
"Oh, I mean, are you okay? What happened?"
"Oh, I got blatched by a 180 pound man."
Delphine looked at her funny, "B-Blatched? What?"
"He collided with me in the air," Cosima said with a half-assed demonstration with her good arm.
"Oh, I'm… so sorry, are you alright?"
"Eh, I mean, considering the amount of pain I was in, I think I'm handling it okay. I only cried for like three minutes or whatever. It was nothing," Cosima said with a wave.
Delphine giggled, "Yes, you must be so tough. I guess you won't need the pain potion I made you."
Cosima's smirk slid off her face, "You made it for me?"
Delphine shrugged, "I made it for the Ravenclaw girl in bed 6."
"Ah, okay. I thought I was actually special for a minute."
"Well," Delphine said, grabbing the anti-inflammatory potion and handing it to Cosima, who tossed back like a shot of firewhiskey, "Knowing that there was a possibility for it to be you, I brought you something extra."
Cosima looked at her expectantly, eyes shining.
Delphine produced a blue sugar quill from under her robes, handing it to the now bouncing girl.
"No fucking way," Cosima said, quickly unwrapping it and putting it into her mouth, falling back onto the bed dramatically, "Ahhhhh…"
"Were you in need of sweets that much?" Delphine asked through her giggles.
"Oh you have no idea," Cosima said slurping on the treat, "Hey, where'd you get this anyway?"
Delphine pulled a chair up to Cosima's bed, "There is a box of them under Madame Pomfrey's desk."
Cosima lifted her head up, the goggle-shaped dirt marks on her face combined with blue lips made Delphine giggle once more, "For serious?"
Delphine nodded.
"Damn," Cosima said, dropping her head back onto the pillow, "Bitch was holding out on the good stuff."
"I'm sure there was a reason for it," Delphine said playing with a splinter on the chair, "She says you come in here often."
"Well, sweetness, despite my ever-so-smooth demeanor, I'm about as coordinated as a newborn thestral," Cosima said casually.
Delphine laughed, "I don't see it."
"That's 'cause I'm working hard as hell to keep myself composed. Especially around you."
"Why am I so special?" Delphine asked, looking at the girl.
Cosima opened her mouth, but realized that whatever she would say next could change their dynamic for either better or worse, "You're cool."
"I'm…cool? Froid?" Delphine asked, confused.
"No idea what you said, but it was probably wrong. Cool like… chill. Wait that's worse," Cosima said as she sat up, crossing her legs, "I don't know… fun to hang out with."
"Oh. That's good then."
"Yeah," Cosima said with a smile.
Delphine smiled at Cosima's. She found the girl's smile to be extremely infectious, "Well I guess you are 'cool', too."
Cosima's smile somehow got wider, revealing blue teeth, "Rad."
"Was that American?"
"Yes. Yes it was."
Delphine handed her the second vial, "Here, for the pain."
Cosima took the bottle and put it back down where it was, "You're good enough."
She could have been seeing things, but Cosima swore she saw a tinge of red on Delphine's cheeks, "You are too much."
Cosima had popped the quill back into her mouth when Delphine jabbed her finger into Cosima's bad shoulder.
"Ow woman!" Cosima exclaimed, and rubbed her shoulder.
"Mm." Delphine hummed as she held the potion to Cosima's face.
Cosima grumbled and snatched the potion with her good hand, "I thought we were having a moment."
"Mhm. Take that, I'll be right back." Delphine said, pulling back the curtain.
Cosima watched the girl go, then eyeballed the potion. She knew if she took it, it would have dangerous side effects with the pot she was planning on consuming with her friends tonight. She squinted at the plant next to her and dumped it out quickly into the pot. She watched as the plant immediately started to stiffen and brighten with life. Cosima scoffed, "Yeah right, don't be dramatic."
Delphine came back not half a minute later, with a moist rag, "Did you take it?"
Cosima turned the bottle over, satisfying Delphine when nothing came out of it.
"Good," Delphine said as she sat down in the chair, "Come here."
"What?"
"There's dirt all over your face," Delphine said as she put her hand on the back of Cosima's neck, bringing the girl forward and wiping off the dirt.
"Uhhh… uhhh… okay." Cosima said.
Delphine finished wiping, and Cosima hoped the girl couldn't hear her heartbeat, or feel how fast her pulse was going at the proximity of their faces. She pulled away from Delphine when she felt herself breaking a sweat.
"See?" Delphine said innocently, holding up a now brown washcloth.
"Yeah, totally gross."
Delphine inspected Cosima's face, which didn't go unnoticed by the younger girl, "What?"
"I've never seen you without make-up before." Delphine said.
"Oh, yeah I probably look like my sister, Alison," Cosima said casually.
"You have a sister?"
"You didn't know? I thought you would see them around, at least."
"Non, non." Delphine said, taken aback, "Them?"
"Yeah, there's three. We're identical quin- well, quadruplets."
"You all look the same? There are three other Cosimas here?" Delphine said innocently.
Cosima laughed, "Technically yes. But none of them are like me. Alison is practically a mom. Sarah's kind of this… rebel I guess you can say. And Rachel… well. Rachel is fucking Rachel: three hundred percent bitch, zero percent soul."
"You speak very ill of Rachel. Is she mean?" Delphine said leaning forward. When she said she had identical sisters, she had looked forward to three more girls with dark brown dreadlocks and a charming smile that would knock your socks off. Now it seemed like they weren't even related.
"We had different upbringings. I'm from Berkeley, Ali's from Toronto, and Sarah's from England. And now that I think about it, so is Rachel. But… I don't know it's a long story. It's already late, I don't want to keep you here any longer."
"I'm already off work."
"You are? You're talking to me because you want to and not because this is some awkward nurse-patient pity party?"
"Of course!" Delphine exclaimed, "You are cool, remember? Fun to talk to."
"Yeah, yeah of course. I just don't see why we're here."
"What do you mean?"
Cosima hopped out of the bed, throwing her sugar quill stick away, and cast a well-practiced scourgify spell on herself.
"Huh."
Cosima turned around.
"If that is all it took to clean yourself, why did I take the time to scrub your face?"
"Aww… I thought you liked scrubbing my face." Cosima teased. leading Delphine out to the staircase.
"Well… I guess it was fun." Delphine said, teasing her back.
"I promise, Delphine, you will get another chance to scrub my face again. Perhaps after we stuff our face with Eskimo pies." Cosima said.
"Eskimo… pies?"
"Yeah."
"I don't think I've heard of them."
"No?" Cosima said, opening the doors to the Great Hall.
"Mm." Delphine confirmed.
"Well, prepare yourself, you're about to become a craven addict." Cosima said as she swaggered in front of Delphine.
Delphine watched the figure in front of her, practically bouncing with enthusiasm, I think I already am…
The door to Igor Karkaroff's chambers opened. Igor turned around and eyed his visitor, "Ah, yes, you've come back. What do you have for me."
"A name."
"Who's?"
"…My sestra's."
