Chapter 12

Candi heard gasps and whispers as she opened her eye, she could feel herself moving but she didn't know how. The first thing she saw was black and soft; as her face was resting on it she couldn't ell what it was. At first she thought she was dreaming, then she moved her head back away from the soft thing to see that it was Victor's robes. Candi's shoulder hurt and was very confused not know what had happened. Candi started shaking due to shock, Victor flung Candi's robe over her stomach and legs, covering her previously half naked body.

Candi let out a small groan at the pain in her right shoulder as she tried to move, but decided against it, once again resting her head on Victor's shoulder. Candi had never felt so weak in her life; it was difficult even to move her toes. Candi felt like he had been carrying her for hours, she lifted her head slightly to look at the cut on her chest. The cut was bleeding again, not very badly but enough to make it look worse then it was.

Madame Pomfrey was just about to leave the hospital wing when she saw Victor coming carrying a limp body. Madame Pomfrey let him in then closed the door behind them, making sure there wasn't a crowd.

"What happened?" Madame Pomfrey asked concerned.

Victor placed the limp but shaking body on the bed and took a step back so the Healer could get a better look.

"I'm not sure, she just collapsed and that cut on her chest just started bleeding profoundly. So I came straight here," Victor swore.

"Do you know if she had breakfast?" Madame Pomfrey asked Victor, as she had a closer look at the cut.

"No she didn't."

The Healer pressed her thumb against Candi's cheek then removed it and it took a good eight seconds before it went back to its original colour.

"Ah yes, she's severely dehydrated but I don't think that is the only thing that is wrong," Madame Pomfrey said to herself, as she also had a quick look at the cut across the girls chest.

Madame Pomfrey had a puzzled look on her face, which made Krum ask, "What is it?"

"Something's missing… Take off her robe while I get some tests ready," Madame Pomfrey instructed as she went to the other side of the room.

Krum lifted Candi's upper body of the bed being as gentle as he could and took her arms out of the sleeves.

"What's happening?" Candi mumbled quietly, she was so confused. The last thing she remembered was arguing with Victor then him carrying her down here to see the Healer.

Victor placed her body back down and pulled her robe away, "the Healer is going to do some tests."

"What happened?"

"You fainted because you were dehydrated," Krum told her in a quite low toned voice.

Madame Pomfrey came back over, "now lets have a look at you."

Madame Pomfrey firstly looked at the scratches and cuts on her legs but quickly moved her way up the girl's body. Madame Pomfrey lifted the girls head and put her long hair under her head, revealing two large puncture holes "oh my."

Candi groaned, "what?"

"It's a BBB, a Beetle Bat Bite. Have you been near the forest recently?"

Candi answered with a nod of her head and a short statement, "I got lost."

"Oh, that's why I didn't recognise you, you're one of those muggles, the one that got lost yesterday."

"What's a Bat Beetle?" Krum asked.

"Not too much to worry about as the bite was recent, it is curable but with one remaining side effect," Madame Pomfrey told them.

Candi's eyes opened a bit wider, side effects, what side effects?

There was a knock on the door, Madame Pomfrey opened it and told whoever was there to go away.

Madame Pomfrey walked back over to the potions storeroom and collected a handful of potions for Candi. But it wasn't that easy, Candi didn't want to take the foul smelling potion. In the end Madame Pomfrey told Victor to hold her down (while she poured the potion into Candi's mouth).

"Excellent, you should be almost back to normal by lunch time and that means no Quidditch," she directed at Krum.

"Of course you'll have to stay here for an hour and a half at least. Your appetite should come back, your back will be back to normal and you'll skin will go back to normal."

Candi had no idea what skin problems this woman was talking about, Candi had always had really good skin; it was the envy of all those icky pimply, zitty, blackhead-covered people.

The Healer put some green goo on Candi's cuts and scratches, causing the scratches to disappear and the cut to turn into a scar.

Candi quickly felt the effects of the gross potion and felt just a bit dopey, "Can I go yet?" Candi asked as if nothing had happened.

"Oh I don't know, your still not back to normal yet," Madame Pomfrey warned.

"I'll only be going to watch Quidditch, please," Candi begged.

Madame Pomfrey looked at Krum, "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Fine, but you must stay with Mr Krum for at least the next hour because I released you early," Madame Pomfrey gave in.

"Deal," Candi agreed as she got out of the bed, pulling of the sheets and picking up her robes of the next bed over.

"Don't forget if anything happens to her, you're in trouble," Madame Pomfrey warned Krum.

"Of course," Krum agreed.

"Oh before I forget, what was the side effect of getting bitten?" Candi asked before she left without an answer. Apparently Candi would know if it happened.

"Quidditch doesn't start for another half an hour," Krum told Candi being very cautious about what he said.

"I know that," Candi added as she slowly kept on walking, "I just wanted to get out of there, it was so boring."

"Well this is going to take a while, so we might as well start heading down to the Quidditch pitch," Krum suggested.

"How are you feeling?" Krum asked as a bunch of second year girls pointed and whispered.

"Tired, but much better," Candi smiled, walking a bit faster now but nowhere near her normal speed.

There was an awkward silence after Candi replied, that remained until the made it to the large doors that lead outside onto the castles magnificent grounds.

"Thanks," Candi smiled as Krum opened the door for her, "for helping me and staying, I mean."

"Wasn't a problem."

"That's not the point, the point is I was being a bitch and you were still nice to me. I don't deserve that," Candi explained, knowing herself that it was true. She treats others like shit, then acts surprised when they retaliate. It was a well-known fact amongst the girls friendship group, that Candi must hate someone at all times. If Candi hated you, make her hate someone else more and she'll nearly completely forget about hating you. It worked for Nichole on more then one occasion.

"Why do you put yourself down, then attack others for worrying about you?" Krum asked.

"I don't put myself down!"

"Then why would you say that you don't deserved to be cared about?" Krum asked in a very wise manner.

"Maybe so, but…"

It was a very rare occasion when Candi admitted that she was wrong or when she was speechless, but both had just happened.

"Why don't you trust anybody? Not even your closest friends," Krum queried.

"I do trust others!"

"Then why don't they trust you?"

"Who said they don't trust me?

"Nobody, but they seem to always make assumptions on the basis that you don't tell them anything. I believe you spent the night in the library on the first night here, is that you trusting them?" Krum asked.

"So I don't tell them everything, big deal!" Candi said loudly as she started to get annoyed, "do you tell your friends that you slept with an underage schoolgirl?"

Krum remained silent.

"No, I didn't think so, how is it different?

Krum remained silent before slowly and quietly saying, "your friends are here with you and mine are back home."

"You wouldn't have told them if you were there anyway! Now stop talking to me," Candi shouted. Candi would have run off but she didn't think she could manage it without falling on her face.

They remained silent until they reached the Quidditch ground, where they found the rest of the girls.

Candi was smiling and bubbly like she usually was, "I'm back."

Rachael and Jane quickly gave her a hug each then repeatedly asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Candi reassured them over and over again.

"Wait so what happened? Raven asked.

"Yeah, all we heard was that Krum was carrying you to the sickbay, not wearing very many clothes I might add and that you weren't awake!" Sammi added.

At that moment Candi was very grateful that Krum was out of earshot examining the Quidditch balls and that she was full robed so they couldn't see the scar on her chest.

"I got bitten by some weird beetle and it made me faint, then Krum took me to the Healer woman and they force feed me potion that was all icky and gross," Candi cringed.

"Poor thing," Nichole said sarcastically.

Everybody looked at her.

"What? All I'm saying is that there are worse things then precious Candi drinking a health tonic. For example war, world hunger, disease and don't forget cheerleaders," Nichole added. She for some unknown reason had it in for the cheerleaders, even though she had never met one, Candi, Raven and Sammi decided she must be jealous.

"Okay, I think what she means is that we're glad that you're okay," Jane smiled. Candi returned the smile, knowing Jane was just trying to keep the peace.

Candi laid in the sun facedown while the girls had a half-pitch practise match with no seekers and one player playing on both teams. Krum was in the air giving out instructing when needed, though often glancing down at Candi to make sure she was still okay, knowing how much trouble he would be in if she got hurt.

Once they finished that they all got bats and practised hitting bludgers, until they were interrupted.

Harry, accompanied by a stranger, walked onto the field and Krum flew down to talk to them. The girls saw Krum nod and leave, before Harry and the other guy gestured for them to come down.

"Hey Harry," Raven smiled warmly.

"Hey," Harry said shyly. It had been the first time he had talked to her since last night on the Astronomy tower, where she had kissed him.

"Wood this is everybody," Harry gestured the guy on him left to the group, then back, "Wood this is Raven, Jane, Nichole, Rachael, Sammi and that's Candi over there."

Raven elbowed Sammi hard in the ribs; as Sammi seemed to be off with the fairies.

"Wood has come back to Hogwarts to be the assistant Quidditch coach for a few months, as the professional season doesn't start for a while yet," Harry introduced Oliver.

Raven could see that Wood was a reasonably good looking guy, but that didn't explain why Sammi was almost drooling.

"Hello," Wood greeted them in a heavy accent, which made Sammi giggle. Sammi never giggled. Wood continued, "Anyway, I'll be taking you guys for the rest of this lesson."