TheMidnightwolf15: Sorry the last one was so short, I hope this one is long enough!
Messalina stared into the small mirror Madame Pomfrey had given her. Her face was covered in fresh pink scars and was extremely pale. Bundles of flowers sat on the bedside table and small presents such as sweets from Honeydukes and boxes of Zonko's products. Mr. and Mrs. Prewett would be coming to check up on her later in the day, they had been at work and had been unable to watch the game. Messalina was glad of this, Mrs. Prewett surely would've died of shock if she had seen her adopted daughter in that state.
McGonagall had been around saying that she and Dumbledore were investigating the curse used against her and whoever had used it. Even though the stern witch had tried to sound hopeful Messalina knew there was no chance of finding who had done it unless someone reported seeing something. But aside from seeing the white light hit her from the direction of the Slytherin stands there was nothing else.
Many students had been around to see her bringing small 'get well soon' gifts before leaving. The only repeat visitors were those of her house and Murphy Callaghan.
Fabian and Gideon were presently studying for their NEWTs on the beds on either side of her, occasionally groaning. Messalina's books and papers were lying on a pile on the floor, her Ancient Runes book open on top.
She raised a hand slowly to her marred face tracing the longest scar she had been given. It extended from her right ear down her cheek, over her mouth and ended under her chin.
"Messalina dear drink up!" Madame Pomfrey hurried over to her bedside holding a beaker of red liquid.
"Has it been a half hour already?" The brunette asked, setting the mirror down on the bed to accept the potion.
"Yes, only a few more times before your blood levels will be more average. You lost a lot." Raising the beaker of blood-replenishing potion to the matron, Messalina downed it gagging slightly at the metallic taste. "You keep expecting pumpkin juice you're going to get that result Ms. Lucien."
Messalina laughed softly as Madame Pomfrey began to organize the sweet boxes the brunette had been given. "Thank you Madame Pomfrey, for all you've done for me. I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't been at the pitch."
"It's my job Ms. Lucien but I am glad I was there. We don't need a student being injured in the first place let alone as badly as you were." Content with her work, the matron turned to the twins. "Class starts in ten minutes boys, you might consider leaving Ms. Lucien to rest."
Moaning and groaning dramatically the twins gathered their things and climbed off their respective beds. "Bye Lina!"
"Have fun with Mum!" Gideon called over his shoulder as the pair exited the infirmary. "See you later!"
"Bye guys," Messalina gave them a tight smile as she laid down, her eyes closing the moment her head hit the pillows.
"She looks so peaceful, we shouldn't wake her up Samuel." Gwen Prewett's hushed voice pulled Messalina from her sleep. She blinked groggily a few times, making out the shapes of the Prewetts.
"Hey," She wiped the drool from her cheek and sat up trying to keep from being visibly dizzy. The Prewetts were worried enough as it was, they didn't need her to make them anymore.
"Oh Lina you had us so worried!" Gwen cried hurrying forward to hug the fifth year. Messalina breathed in the familiar scent of her vanilla perfume and nodded.
"Thank Merlin Dumbledore and Poppy were there." Samuel smiled and hugged the girl himself when his wife pulled away.
"Dumbledore?"
"Yes Lina, he kept you from hitting the ground too hard. It was too unexpected to fully stop you but he kept you from...breaking your neck." The short man stated wiping at his eyes.
"Stop talking about that Samuel! How do you feel Lina?" Gwen scolded and looked down at the girl concerned.
"I'm fine Mum P, just weak and tired."
"Oh of course you are dear! Me and Samuel have to go talk to McGonagall about this all so we'll leave you to your rest. I love you Lina."
"Love you too Mum P."
"See you later Lina, I'm glad nothing too bad happened." Lina smiled as he ruffled her hair before lying back down. Her head hurt and just as she ws going to sleep Madame Pomfrey stuck a beaker under her nose.
"Take this Ms. Lucien, the more you take the better you'll feel."
"Lina!" Messalina looked up from where she was reading her Transfiguration textbook to see the Marauders entering big smiles on their faces. Peter was holding flowers, Sirius and James carrying a big box between them and Remus was holding a beautifully wrapped box.
"Oh hey guys," Lina smiled at them putting down her book. The twins were in detention for making a cauldron explode in Slughorn's class so she hadn't had many visitors for a while.
"We bear gifts and news." Sirius said, placing the box onto the bed and gesturing for her to open it.
"Will it kill me?" She asked Remus as she sat cross-legged under the covers, pulling the box towards her.
"No, what they wanted to give you would've though." Lina laughed and Remus felt his heart swell.
"I'm not sure I even want to know what that would've been." She opened the top of the box and her eyebrows furrowed. She looked at the Marauders nervously before picking up what looked like a blank piece of parchment. It had been lying on top of boxes of Honeydukes toffees and sugar quills. "What is it?"
James proudly placed his wand into the center of the parchment and murmured something Messalina couldn't make out. Words appeared in black and red ink in familiar handwriting.
"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP." She whispered in awe.
"Open it." Remus commanded after checking to be sure no one was around. Messalina gave him an odd look before opening it. Every single aspect of the school could be seen along with footprints with names beside them.
"Wow."
"The Room of Requirement is Unplottable I'm afraid but aside from that it shows everything." Remus smiled at the look of amazement in her eyes.
"It shows what everyone on the grounds is doing."
"Of every minute of every day!" Sirius ended with a bow.
"How long have you had this?"
"A month maybe." James nodded in agreement to Sirius' statement and Messalina stared at it.
"It's amaz-" Sirius grabbed the parchment, whispering something to it before putting it in his pocket. Madame Pomfrey was walking over holding a blood-red beaker. Messalina drank it wincing as it made its way down her throat.
"That bad?" Peter squeaked looking sympathetically at her.
"Yeah, tastes like goblin piss." She wiped her mouth on her arm and looked down in disgust at the red that appeared there.
"The scarring isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Sirius offered when it got quiet.
"Yeah, I feel childish, the scars aren't that deep or large but I kept screaming." She laughed but it was uneasy.
"Oh no it was way worse than it looks now!" Peter cried and Messalina turned to face him.
"Really? What did it look like?" She asked warily as though expecting the worse.
"Um all bloody?" Peter whimpered and Messalina nodded.
"Was it...embarrassing?"
"No, it was brutal." Peter replied anxiously. The brunette scared him, she seemed to get information out of him all too easily.
"Brutal?" She asked her eyebrows furrowing as she looked to Remus in concern. "It was brutal and the entire school saw it?"
"Yeah blood everywhere, you just kept screaming!" Peter stated beginning to feel more confident. "It's been the topic of the school since it happened."
"What?" Her eyes doubled in size and she looked to the other Marauders. "The twins told me that it wasn't that big of a deal that most people had already begun to forget about it!"
"They haven't, there are thousands of theories going around about what happened." Peter smiled at her, completely unaware of the panic the brunette was going through.
"Thousands?" She looked at Remus who nudged Peter but he was just getting started.
"Oh yeah, plus there's been like ten fights between the Gryffindors and Slytherins over it."
"Ten?" Her eyes nearly bulged out and her mouth dropped open. "Remus is this true?"
"PETER SHUT UP!" Remus yelled and Peter squeaked his own eyes widening. Remus never yelled but he just yelled at Peter. An uneasy silence fell over them and Messalina began to play with the edge of her baggy shirt.
"The flowers are very pretty Peter." She offered uncomfortably looking up at the assorted pink flowers.
"T-thanks?" Peter whimpered his eyes seeming more watery than usual.
"We match now Rem." Lina gave him a small smile and pointed at her scars.
"Twins and oh um here Lina." Remus handed her the small box and she looked at her dark eyes dwelling on him a moment longer than necessary.
"You guys didn't have to get me anything." She said with a faint smile, pulling the ornate wrapping paper off of it. It was a small black box and she opened it hesitantly revealing a silver bracelet with the letters M and L in gold letters etched into the entire intricate weaving. "Oh Merlin this is so pretty. Rem this must've cost a fortune!"
"Oh hey Peter, don't you have that thing to do?" Sirius asked and James gave him an odd look.
"You mean the meeting with McGonagall?" James asked nudging Sirius who looked confused. James bulged his eyes out and Sirius nodded opening his mouth as though it had just dawned on him.
"Oh yeah the meeting!" Peter who looked far too confused was pulled out of the infirmary by the two black-haired boys.
Should Remus ask her out? I'm at a wall and I'm unsure so review please!