Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

A/n: Wow!!!!!! I never thought I'd get to a double digit chap with this story!!!!!!!!!! Guess your reviews do inspire me, right? Any way, thanks a lot to all those who have stuck with me through all those crappy and moderate chaps.

Chapter 10: Letters and Dates

It had been two hours since the fateful accident on the Quidditch Pitch and Hugo still hadn't woken up. Though Madame Pompfrey had assured her that he'd be waking up any time now, she had her own doubts.

"Where am I?"

The weary voice had her snapping her head in the direction of the bed and sure enough, Hugo was awake and was staring at the people in front of him.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt so badly? Shall I call Madame Pompfrey? Do you feel dizzy?"

"Bri! Let the guy get settled. He's just woken up!" Wood's voice was soothing as he moved towards the bed.

"I'll just get Madame Pompfrey then" Brianna muttered and rushed out of the room but Lily thought her voice was a bit broken.

"I'm fine! There's no need to call Madame Pompfrey! She'll only stuff my throat with the gross potions!" Hugo complained.

"The hit to the head hasn't done you any good, I see" Lily countered as she too, took a seat by the bed.

"Your parents will be arriving now"

"Just my parents, right? I don't want my entire family making a scene like they did for Lily"

"No. It's just Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron and Rose" Lily assured him just as the said three entered the wing.

"Oh, Hugo!" Hermione cried as she gave Hugo a rather tight hug.

"I'm okay, Mum. Just a pat on the head. Nothing to worry about" Hugo said awkwardly as she pulled away.

"A pat on the head! You were hit with a bloody bludger, young man! Don't tell me it isn't any thing to worry about!" Hermione burst out even as Ron placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let him rest, 'Mione"

"Oh, of course! You aren't to leave the Hospital Wing until Madame Pompfrey is absolutely sure that you're fine, is that clear?"

"Yes, Mum"

Madame Pompfrey appeared at the scene followed by Bri.

"You shouldn't be sitting up, ! Lie down. Immediately!"

Hugo reluctantly did so and kept sulking all the while Madame Pompfrey checked his injuries.

"When can I leave?"

"What's it with the Weasley children and their hatred for the Hospital Wing? By the way, you can leave a few days before Christmas, "

"A few?"

"A few" she confirmed.

"We should be leaving now, honey. Take care" Hermione kissed him on the forehead and Ron waved to him before they left.

"Scorpius sends his love" Rose said as a parting message as she skipped out of the Wing.

"We have a few things to discuss with Madame Pompfrey, right Lily?"

"Oh, yeah! And I have to get an antidote for this bruise. Let's go" she said as the two discreetly left the Wing.

"Not very subtle, are they?" Hugo asked as they watched the two enter the nurse's room.

"No. They are not"

An awkward silence filled the room as the two looked around the room. Finally…..

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry"

Both said at the same time and before Hugo could explain, Bri started speaking.

"I'm so sorry, Hugo. I shouldn't have said the things I told you that day. I didn't mean any of them. I just thought………I thought"

"You thought I was asking you out because of Bran's pestering?" Hugo suggested.

"Yeah! And that………hurt me. I thought you really…….."

"Liked you?"

"Yeah! And you were so………tensed and flustered that day and I assumed………."

"That I didn't mean what I said?"

"Mhmm……..I knew you were telling me the truth but I just couldn't get it through my head……….Oh, this week has been horrible, Hugo! Having two different opinions fighting with each other inside your head isn't pleasant, did you know that?"

"Tell me about it. I was the one who had to decide between asking you and facing rejection!"

"Rejection! Why would I do that?"

"I have no idea, but it seemed entirely plausible back then"

"That's absurd, Hugo"

"Yeah! I know that. Now. So?"

"So what?" Bri asked though her cheeks turned a fine shade of cherry.

"Will you still go with me to the Ball?"

"Of course, Hugo! If you're out of the Hospital Wing by then, that is"

"I'm sure Bran and I can arrange for that"

Brianna shook her head, trying to be disapproving and failed horribly as a bright smile broke out on her face.

"They're cute, aren't they?"

"Shh……….They'll hear us, Wood. We don't want them knowing we were eavesdropping, now, do we?"

"Okay!" Wood said and kept looking at Lily even after she had turned her head towards the scene unfolding before her.

"Thank God they came to their senses! I couldn't have taken one more day of their brooding!"

"Of course you couldn't! You aren't so very tolerant, are you Lily?" Wood's voice was a whisper as he twirled her long locks around his finger.

"No, I………you'd better let go of that hair or you'd see just how intolerant I am" Lily snapped, but her face just had to turn crimson and betray her.

"Blushing, Lil?"

"N……No. You let go of my hair this instant!"

"Or?" Wood asked as he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Or I'll……….."

"You'll?" His other hand circled her waist and so he was now directly in front of her she could clearly see his eyes shine.

"Or I'll just have to do this!" she said as she gave him a blow under the jaw.

"Ow! Ouch! That hurt!"

Bran suddenly let go of Lily making her stumble and fall backwards. She grabbed a hold of his tie for support but that only led to both of them toppling, right through the door behind which they had been hiding.

"Get off me, Wood! You big oaf! You weigh a ton!" Lily yelped.

"Did no one ever tell you that eavesdropping is bad?"

Both of them looked up to find Bri standing with her hands on her hips.

"Guess I slept through that one! Help me up!" Wood whined as he held up a hand.

"You can do that yourself!" Bri said as she returned to her seat by Hugo's bed.

"Did I tell you I hated your friend there?"

"Never before, I guess" Lily answered as she tried to get up, leading to both of them falling, again, on the floor.

This time though, they made no attempt to get up. Or couldn't, as they were rolling on the floor, laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"No idea. Only those two will understand what they're laughing about" Hugo said as he shook his head in resignation.

"What's an owl doing here?" Bri asked as she spotted a brown owl swooping down form the open window.

"Hey, Mercy! How are you?"

"Hoot. Hoot"

"I'll take that to mean you're fine. Now who's this letter for?"

The owl extended its loaded leg roughly in the direction of Lily and Wood.

"It should be for me" Lily said as she finally stopped rolling on the floor and stood up.

"What could it be that Mum couldn't tell you when she got here?"

Dear Lily,

Hope you and all your friends are fine! Is Hugo still teasing you? Is that Wood boy still……..

"What does it say?" Wood asked, now curious.

"Nothing. Moving on…….."

You'd asked me about the Összekavar és Ellenőrzés spell. Though you wouldn't tell me what it was for, I hope you aren't planning to use it any time. It is one of the five universally banned spells and its usage means a life time in Azkaban. That spell is supposed to hypnotize and control the person or thing cast on and requires a lot of magical power to cast.

If you're facing any problem, you know you can always rely on me, right?

See you during Christmas!

P.S. : Has he asked out Brianna yet? Don't tell him I asked.

As she finished the letter, the three were staring at her in horror.

"So that was why you tried to drown me!"

"Believe me, if I'd had the chance I'd have drowned you long before!" Lily countered, still not fully recovered from the incident before.

"If that spell is forbidden, wouldn't some one have detected its usage?"

"None of these radars work inside Hogwarts" Lily stated.

"You mean to say that……..guy, is in Hogwarts?"

"Must be"

"Could he be a student? A teacher?" Bri asked, alarmed.

"I don't think so. All the teachers here are trustable and it takes too much magical power for a student to be able to cast it" Lily explained flatly, though her eyes were a bit afraid.

Wood, noticing this, said, "Let's discuss about this later, guys. Hugo needs to rest. And I think whoever might have cast that spell must have left. There hasn't been any attempt in the past week, right?"

Though he spoke with conviction, he was not a bit convinced of his own explanation.

"Yeah! Let's hope that's what happened" Bri agreed.

"We should be leaving. Dinner starts in an hour" Wood said and waved to Hugo before placing a hand on the still shocked Lily and directing her towards the exit.

"Bye, Hugo!" Bri kissed him on the cheek before hopping out of the wing.

A/n: So that spell was banned, eh? But, that's not what bothers me. Do you think the scenes between Bri and Hugo and Lily and Bran were okay? Tell me through a review!!!!!!!!!!