Oh the terrible, terrible curse of the common cold. Up until last night, Rory had felt fine, but when she woke up, all of the niceties flew out the window.

Her head pounded, her throat was raw, she sneezed uncontrollably, her nose was practically the mini-Niagara Falls, and her chest was congested to the point of extremely staggered breathing.

Of course Rory should have seen this coming, seeing as how she saw Voldemort consulting with Grima about a potion for sickness. She'd have to remember to ask Gandalf if that was even legal here.

She suddenly found herself, once again, praying to the porcelain God of TOUFA. Since when had she had carrots?

Thank Eru that all of her teachers knew she was sick, so they told her she'd be sent the work-load at the end of the day. Because it's every sick-persons dream to translate the next few chapters of the Silmarillion in perfect Elvish, write an un-Sue fic, create from the ground up an act for Erik's new play, work on your evil laugh AND do three character death charts for any three Canons.

As she threw up again, she dared not acknowledge the presence behind her. She flushed the acidic contents and washed out her mouth. Her face was pale and sweaty, something that scared the woman holding Rory's homework.

"You look like shit." The woman said, her dark eyes revealed her badassery.

"And you are?" Rory asked.

"Michal." The woman answered, taking the liberty to jump on Rory's bed.

"Why are you here then?" Rory was getting more irritable by the minute.

"Professor Legolas sent me. Most likely because I was staring at him for too long, but hey, whaddya do?" Michal shrugged. "I was only pointing out the massive stain a fangirl left on his tunic. I shudder to think what it was."

"So you're not a Legolas luster?" Rory asked, checking her temperature.

"Don't get me wrong. He's great looking. But I ain't gonna worship the ground he walks on. I'm more into elves than the other Canon characters. But you don't see me trying to get hair samples from Haldir, or trying to ride Asfaloth in order to get Glorfindel's attention."

Rory smirked weakly, "It's good to know someone else around here has common sense."

Michal hung upside down on Rory's bed, "I like you Rory. We should be friends."

"Okay." Rory laughed, aided by a cough.

"Woah!" Michal went across the room, "Did you draw these?"

Rory's stomach lurched again and she ran to the bathroom. When she cleaned her mouth again, she ran to Michal, "those are private."

"Uh huh." Michal raised her brow, looking at the charcoal drawing Rory did of Boromir. "So...not a luster, eh?"

"I'm not!" Rory argued, "He just has...a good physique."

Michal laughed, "Whatever man." She skimmed over Rory's drawings, she stalled at a drawing of grey-green eyes. "Says the girl who has a billion drawings of Boromir."

Rory blew her nose in a clump of tissues, "I have more important things to worry about."

"Like daydreaming over the Lord of Gondor." Michal interrupted.

"Homework!" Rory corrected, "Getting out of this University alive!"

"Doing homework for Professor Boromir. Getting out of this University with Boromir in a sack cloth." Michal teased.

"I am not a luster!" Rory yelled, her head swooned.

"Fine." Michal smiled, holding up her hands, "Not a luster. But you're a lust object."

"That's ridiculous." Rory fell on her bed, covering her eyes with a wet cloth.

"I don't think you know this, but I AM in your classes." Michal said, "You don't notice how some of the Professors look at you. Well..." Michal paused, "Some of them. Not all. But some."

"I don't give a shit." Rory groaned, "Just put a pillow over my head and suffocate me now."

"Well, if you insist." Michal got a pillow.

"I didn't mean it literally!" Rory fought against her friend.

"Then be specific!" Michal argued, "Damn, you're difficult."

Meanwhile, Professor Black had his ear against the door. The forces of TOUFA were gracious enough, to make it so that Sirius didn't hear the Boromir part. He was holding a bowl of Kreacher's soup.

"Black! What are you doing here?" Jefferson walked up the stairs, holding a container of Granny's homemade tomato soup.

"I'm here to help Rory." Sirius whispered harshly.

"You had your chance. Now move." Jefferson said, getting a bit hostile.

"Oh whatever. You can't even find your hat you're so dense. She'd want to lust over a decorated hero like me." Sirius clenched his fists.

"Decorated hero?" Wolverine popped up, holding...SURPRISE! A bowl of soup, "I fought in the Civil War, both World Wars, Vietnam and countless Mutant Battles."

"Which just makes you old." Jefferson smirked, "Step aside gentlemen." He smoothed out his hair.

"Back off bub." Wolverine held out his middle claw.

"Did you just call him blob?" Sirius asked.

"He said bub." Eomer came to Wolverine's rescue.

Meanwhile, Rory was busy working with Michal on her missed homework for the day. Michal was a determined woman, and hated it when Rory got off topic. But I suppose that's what made them fast friends.

"Do you smell...chicken?" Rory asked.

"Oh hush that's ridi...I smell tomato." Michal narrowed her eyes.

"Now I think there's some brothy scent, like beef." Rory set her Elvish textbook down, "Am I hearing things?"

Michal pushed Rory back to the bed, her friend needed rest, "I got this." She lifted up her sleeves and went to the door.

"Chowder will only make the mucus worse you dumb ass!" Sirius yelled at King Edmund, this only made High King Peter very upset.

Swords (and wands...and claws) were drawn.

"Goodness me. What have we here?" Michal crossed her arms.

"That's not her." Steve said.

"No shit, Sherlock." Jefferson glared.

"Hey is that the soup from Granny's?" Michal marveled, taking the container from the suave Hatter, "Rory'll love this." She turned back to the room, "Guess what I got."

Jefferson smiled smugly at the others.

Michal came back, "This is Minestrone right?"

"Indeed." Jefferson smirked.

"Oh good." Michal left again.

The Canon men watched Rory run back to the bathroom to heave her guts out.

"You're all assholes!" Rory yelled, talking to no one in particular.

"I think she's sick." Tarrant popped up.

"Really?" The others looked at him.

Michal popped up again, "Anything else I can do ya for gents?"

They all coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of their necks. Steve blushed and Tarrant just bobbed his head. Wolverine muttered some swears to Eomer who sniggered at Sirius. Michal nodded in understanding, she knew she was right.

She was ALWAYS right.

Gimli popped up out of nowhere, he started to shoo away the other characters.

"Just wanted to drop some hearty Dwarf biscuits for the lass." Gimli handed Michal a basket. "She'll be right as rain in no time." He also slipped a little letter into Michal's pocket, "Let her read that when she's better. And you didn't get it from me." He winked before walking away.

"Oh Rory!" Michal turned around and closed the door with her foot, "A present from a dwarf."

"Please tell me it wasn't a Narnian Dwarf. I've gotten a million poems and food items in question from them. Presumably sent by those men they call Kings." Rory rolled her eyes and blew her nose.

"Even better!" Michal set the basket on Rory's leg, "Professor Gimli."

Rory ate one of the biscuits, instantly, color returned to her face and the next wave of nausea ceased to exist.

"Much better I must say. The whole pale face thing doesn't work for you." Michal teased.

Once Rory was up and around, she showered and changed, feeling like a whole new woman. Michal debated giving her the letter, but she wanted so bad to read the contents as well. SO she relented.

"Here." She handed Rory the blue envelope.

Rory tore it open, only lightly sniffling.

ibAurora (I know you hate that, but I think it's so beautiful),

Coming up soon is the end of semester dance. Or, if you prefer, the Yule Ball. I'd be most honored if you joined me in at least one dance at the end of it. Perhaps, if you say yes, I'll meet you on the Opera House roof?

-B/i/b

"Who's B?' Michal asked over Rory's shoulder.

"It could be many people. Professor Black. Bruce Wayne. Bruce Banner. It could be a fake initial. Beast." Rory ranted.

'She's so cute when she's oblivious.' Michal thought to herself. At this point, Michal freaked out because one of the babies that Shelob let loose was in the window.

"Heidi Ho There!" The spider piped up.

Once the small spiderling was released into the wind, Michal continued to pick Rory's brain.

Little did Rory know, that Michal wasn't actually a student. She worked at the University, behind the scenes with Oracle. Michal rather liked Rory, with being the same age and all.

So, for the rest of the evening, Michal and Rory talked and talked and talked and talked. Two lovely ladies bonding and gossiping about the stupid fangirls that now tried to raid Cair Paravel to be the next High Queen.

What a lovely sick day indeed.