What the Snake Said to the Lion
Characters: Poppy Pomfrey, Percy Weasley, Oliver Wood, Marcus Flint, & minor original characters
"Wait until we get out of here, Flint! I'll make you sorry!"
Poppy poked her head out from the privacy curtain surrounding her and one of her patients. By the doorway, she saw two Hufflepuff prefects. They were each holding onto a younger student and a third one was hovering just behind them.
Turning back to her patient, she said, "Do you mind, dear?"
The girl sitting on the bed shook her head. "The burns aren't bothering me too bad yet. I can wait a few minutes for you to reapply the salve to my back."
Poppy smiled. "Thank you." Slipping out from behind the privacy curtain, she approached the small group swiftly. Keeping her expression stern, she demanded, "What is going on here?"
One of the prefects, still struggling to maintain a hold on the boy who'd been threatening the other one in the opposite prefect's hold, said, "They were – stop squirming, Wood! They were fighting outside the Great Hall. Flint's got boils on his hands and arms and Wood here, well, I think he's fine. But I thought you might want to check him out anyway."
Poppy nodded. "And what of him?" she asked, jerking her head in the direction of the third boy. Poppy already had her suspicions, given the way he was holding his arm, but thought it best to ask.
The prefect holding Mister Flint said, "His arm. It's hurting him."
She gestured for the third boy to approach. He kept his eyes lowered meekly as he shuffled to her. Lifting his chin once he was in arm's reach, Poppy recognized the tell-tale Weasley features. He had to be the latest of the Weasleys to come to Hogwarts. Now, what was his name…
"Percy Weasley, correct?" she asked after a moment.
"Yes, Ma'am," he answered.
"How badly is your arm hurting you?" Poppy asked as she gingerly took hold of it.
Mister Weasley hissed and tried to pull away at her light touches. "I felt it snap when I fell," he explained.
"He never fell! Flint used a knockback jinx on him from behind!" Mister Wood howled from his spot.
Poppy leveled the boy with a glare. "If you don't calm down Mister Wood, I will stick you to a chair, put a silencing spell on you, and leave you in my office until dinner."
The boy scowled and crossed his arms. She gestured for the prefects to release Mister Wood and Mister Flint. Pointing then at beds on either side of the aisle that ran down her hall, she said, "Both of you sit tight until I have Mister Weasley fixed up. If you start anything, you'll be coming back here after dinner to scrub my floors until they shine."
"I'm hurt too!" Mister Flint whined.
Not looking in his direction, Poppy recited one of her personal mantras at him, "Broken bones before boils, Mister Flint."
He grumbled about her being a traitor to their house beneath his breath. Poppy wanted to roll her eyes. When you were a nurse, the house you were a part of as a student didn't matter anymore. The well-beings of all students did. Briefly, she considered taking points from Mister Flint. In the end, she decided not to. Undoubtedly the prefects had already taken more than enough from him for fighting with Mister Wood and Mister Weasley. Looking to said prefects, Poppy said, "Ten points to Hufflepuff for your good work. Thank you for bringing them, you may leave."
The pair smiled. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!"
Nodding, Poppy watched them as they slipped out. "Mister Weasley, it appears you've broken your wrist," she said after a few moments of examining his arm.
"You aren't going to give me Skele-Gro, are you?" he asked, sounding truly dismayed at the idea. "That stuff is disgusting."
Poppy shook her head. "It's not a bad break. Not much worse than a hairline fracture, I'd say. An Episkey should do the trick."
He smiled. Poppy returned it with one of her own. Having him take a seat on the nearest bed, Poppy cast the spell. After having Mister Weasley wriggle his fingers and twist his arm, she looked toward Mister Wood and Mister Flint. The two boys were locked in a glaring-contest. "Muffliato," she muttered.
"Mister Weasley frowned. "Ma'am?"
"I just wanted to give you some private advice," Poppy said. "If another student is giving you trouble, never turn your back on them. Mister Wood will not always be there to jump into the fray when you're down."
The boy's brows furrowed in befuddlement. "The prefects told me to talk to a professor if Flint bothered me again."
"And that's exactly what the staff advises the prefects to tell you. As for myself, I realize that you children won't often go to a professor."
Mister Weasley flushed and looked to his lap. Poppy gave his knee a gentle pat. She didn't blame him (or any student) for not heeding prefects advise. It was just the way of teenagers. They thought (sometimes wrongly) that they could handle all of their problems on their own.
"I don't know why Flint has it out for me," Mister Weasley admitted. "I haven't… Well, the only time I've sort of spoken to him is just when I corrected what he said in Transfiguration last week."
Poppy sighed. Children could be so petty. "That could have done it," she told Mister Weasley.
He nodded. "I'll watch out," he said.
Poppy took a step back and cancelled her charm. "Good boy," Poppy praised. "Now, you get on. Classes don't wait for students."
Hopping off the bed, Mister Weasley called out, "I'll see you in Herbology, Oliver."
Mister Wood grunted, still staring down Mister Flint. Rolling her eyes, Poppy nudged Mister Weasley toward the door before bustling over to Mister Flint. Sitting down beside him, she said, "Knock that off now. Let me see your arm, Mister Flint."
Grumbling insults under his breath, the boy thrust his arm at Poppy. Pressing her lips thin in displeasure, Poppy rolled up Mister Flint's sleeve none-too-gently and began her inspection of his boils.
Thoughts on this chapter? How do you feel about Poppy's advice to Percy?
Thank you guys so much for reading :)