Disclaimer: I do not own Hogwarts, Harry Potter, or any other places or characters, etc. in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series.
Rated: T
Chapter 7: Hospital Wing
Tom pulled me up, as I was staring at the redness of the flesh on my arms. Tom was telling Professor Slughorn that he would take me to Madam Blossom. When Professor Slughorn suggested that Madrie should take me, he insisted on doing it himself since it was his fault. Before my brain could process much else, I found myself being lead by Tom to the hospital wing.
"What was that for?" I stammered, as he was pulling me down one of the halls, his pale hand in my flushed one. He stopped so suddenly that I walked right into him. He turned towards me, and backed me into a wall. It was one of the hallways with no pictures, so it was eerily deserted besides the two of us.
"Did you tell anyone?" Tom breathed into my ear. My breath quickened. He was close enough to kiss, but more importantly, he was close enough to kill me. Or so the atmosphere around him told me. I shuddered and said, "No. No one."
He stepped back, and for a moment I saw a genuine expression of fear fleet across his face as he most probably was contemplating the damage that I could have done. I never did feel a need or desire to tell anyone about what had happened last night. As abnormal as it was, it did not occur to me to actually tell one of the Professors that morning about last night or even the Headmaster for that matter, since I had seen him too. Perhaps I unconsciously had already chosen to keep his secret because I loved him. But did that justify it? Probably not…
"Why did you go see Madame Blossom this morning?"
"I w-was sick, you-u know that," I rasped back. He saw me in an unwell state last night.
"And you did not say anything?"
"No-o."
"You speak about this to anyone, and everyone will know your secret. And I will come for you," Tom threatened, "I will unleash the beast on you, no matter what happens after. Today was just a sampling of what I could do to you. You can run but I will catch you. Understand?!"
I nodded. He took my hand again and proceeded onwards. I followed, while trying to ignore the acid stinging my skin and the fact that I had been pressed back against the wall by Tom Riddle. Partway, I regained my brains again and blurted, "My wand-"
"Oh yes, that." He was looking at me again with a calculated smile on his face. He pulled my blackthorn wand from the inner right pocket of his robe. Instinctively, I went to grab for it, but he held it out of my reach. "How can I trust you?"
"Because you can." That was my answer, and I never could figure out exactly why I said that. Perhaps I was in some way trying to tell him it was because I loved him; but in the end, it really did not answer anything. He must have felt the same way because he raised an eyebrow at my reply.
"I can, can I? Alright, it is not like you can hide from me or something. But remember, there will be dire consequences if you let anything slip!" he warned, as he gave me my wand. Tom turned and walked down the hall with both his hands in his pocket. I trailed after him, glad that I had my wand, but gloomy that he was no longer holding my hand.
We reached the hospital wing not long after, and Madam Blossom was surprised to see me again, "Oh, my, it seems somebody has been having a terrible day today. This morning it was the germ. But now, Miss Darcini, what has happened to you?"
"I spilt some cow gastric juices on Naglia," Tom answered for me, curtly.
"Ah, Tom Riddle is it? You are one of the few charming fellows that I rarely see around here. You must have a knack at taking care of yourself," Madam Blossom laughed, as she approached me to see my condition. Tom smiled, and then turned to look at the two petrified patients in the room. I wondered what he was thinking as Madam Blossom inspected my arm, "Oh my, it seems Mr. Riddle had gotten quite a bit on you. But luckily, I have got just the right flesh growing salve for you. Is there anywhere else you have burned badly?"
"Yes, on my stomach, I think it seeped through when I was wiping my arm," I replied, as Madam Blossom steered me to the back of the wing.
"Alright, you best come around behind the curtains to change. I will get you the salve and a change of clothes." Madam Blossom pushed me behind a set of curtained walls. She came back soon afterwards with light pink cream the same shade as the curtains in a little cylinder container. However, the change clothes she had brought were Gryffindor. "Sorry, it seems that I only have Gryffindor uniform in your size to give to you. The house elves are washing all the Slytherin laundry right now, so they do not have any spare clean Slytherin uniform for you. Surely, you have a change of clothes in your dormitories, right? I do not think your Professor would mind if you go to your House to get a change of clothes. But take the young gentleman, Mr. Riddle, with you, for you best not wander the halls alone at a time like this with a monster loose. Oh, do rub in the salve into your flesh for it to heal."
After she left, I stripped down my diluted acid soaked clothes and started to apply the lotion onto all the scarlet spots on my flesh. It tingled. Slowly the cream faded away to reveal nice smooth flesh underneath, as soft as a baby's cheeks. I felt infinitively better that my mind could even contemplate other things again besides stinging. It was ironic how the nurse thought taking Tom with me to get my own clothes would put me out of danger, when he was the danger. Clearly, the walk in the halls showed how dangerous Tom could be when you were alone with him. But he had come so close to me. I sighed to myself, as I fluctuated between loving him and fearing him, which is the more appropriate of the two in the logical world. But, love is not a part of that world.
I put on the Gryffindor uniform, and walked out to see Madam Blossom animatedly talking with Tom at the other end of the ward. As I approached, Madam Blossom bustled, "Oh, here comes our clumsy one, you best escort her to your house, Tom."
I paused. How in the world had I become the clumsy one? If I recalled correctly, Tom had spilt the acid on me and on purpose too. And since when had Madam Blossom become acquainted enough with Tom to call him by his first name? Again, if I recall correctly, she had been addressing Tom as 'Mr. Riddle' before I had gone to the change (even if she had said it only once or twice).
"Toodles, my sweets! Do not be afraid to drop by another time, and you do not have to be sick or injured to come around here you know, feel free to come anytime," Madam Blossom tittered, as we headed out. For some reason, I felt that those warm invitations were directed at Tom. I glanced back to see Madam Blossom waving at us with a bright smile on her face as the doors swung shut. After, I looked at Tom who was a few paces ahead of me walking unbothered and cool down the hall without even a goodbye to the lady he had conversed with moments before. Then again, who knows if he conversed with her at all? With the flush in her cheeks, it makes one think that he had flirted with her instead. Sure, there are female teachers who admire Tom, like Professor Vitate, but not to the extent Madam Blossom had been acting like.
"I never want to go there again. And I never would have, had it not been for you…" Out of the blue, Tom had expressed his frustration. A frustration that I was not responsible for, because I did not spill acid on me! Sure, I can be clumsy, but not this time.
"You're the one who spilt acid on me! Plus, I thought you had fun, because you flirted with her," I snapped back. Talking back to someone while angry is not a good idea, let me have you know. My thoughts had slipped out of my mouth before I had time to curb it. And at the same instant, I realized I had been jealous ever so slightly of Madam Blossom. I am such a weirdo. But at that moment, I was frozen and cowering like a coward in my mind. I was afraid I had said too much this time. What would he do or say now?
His shoulders shook, as he silently laughed. He jeered, "Of course I flirted with her. I needed another person besides you to cover for me as my witness, as well right?"
I straightened, confused because I was not following. Tom turned to me with malevolent smile. "We are going to do more things than getting you a change of clothes now, are we not?"
