The following morning found the pride joining the Ravens in their transfiguration lesson. Mary Jane normally quite enthusiastic, and focused in this class in particular, found that she was struggling to keep her stomach from making her revisit what little breakfast she had managed to force down, at just the mere thought of sitting in Cho's vicinity. The mere thought of the other girl made her lioness heart, and pride hurt. So, it was in shame and with some regret that she neglected to go to her usual seat where she'd typically sit next to Ivy, in order to set an example, and promote interhouse unity. Instead she moved to the center of the classroom, solidly in Gryffindor territory, and a couple of rows back. That way she would not appear to be looking to score points with the Professor, who also happened to be her Head of House. Having shown up early in the interest of finding a new seat all that was left to do was to set out her supplies for the lesson, and wait for other students to arrive.
It was not the most reasonable of situations by a logical persons standards, but Mary Jane was not feeling very logical at the moment. Right now the lioness's heart in her was asking to rip, tear, and shred. Every ounce of her was arguing to just have a go at the pretty, Asian, Princess. Had she been a guy the situation would be different. If the roles had been reversed, and a guy had been too forward with her, it would have perfectly acceptable, and even expected that Harry would haul off and punch the prat, maybe even curse him. That was not the case here though, Mary Jane was a high born girl from a Noble family, and the future Lady of a great house. For that reason she had to remain proper, and poised here. She would be expected to grin, and bare the other girl's presence. Sometimes the standards of propriety were far too unforgiving even for her. The grimace on the normally placid girl's face was not unobserved, though.
The change was noticed by every pureblood and half-blood as they entered the room along with the rest of the class. She watched as Harry and Hermione entered the classroom with Seamus and Dean, and instead of coming and sitting with her, and Neville, like she expected they moved to the back. The ash brown haired girl's hopes faded with every step the duo took away from her, as her heart plummeted. Harry, maybe she could understand, but Hermione that was something that she couldn't work out. She at least she'd have one female ally in the form of the bushy haired girl. She could feel Neville's silent support.
Mary Jane looked around and saw that most of the girl's seats were mostly filled. Her eyes trailed back to where she usually sat, and then a seat down, she noticed Cho Chang surrounded by her usual group of giggling sycophants, and hangers on. It was nauseating to see. It was not going to be an easy day, and Mary Jane had known that when she woke up, and went through her usual routine. She had kept to a light breakfast of Earl Gray Tea, and a Banana for that reason, she didn't think that her stomach could handle much more.
It was at the very last second before class was supposed to start, that in ran the last of the Ravenclaw girls. The expression on the girl's face would leave one to think that the she had simply lost track of time. Mary Jane knew better though, and she knew that if it was for her to know, then she'd find out eventually. She watched as the other girl glanced to their usual seats, and the area where the rest of her dorm mates sat, and then to Mary Jane. MJ felt awful, "It's alright, I'll understand. Take a seat though if you wish." The Irish lass giggled, and took the seat next to Mary Jane, bringing a smile to her face. Finally, they were called to attention, by the authoritative and stern voice of Professor McGonagall.
It was hard for Mary Jane to focus. She couldn't help, but hear the giggles of the girls sitting on the other side of the room. In fact, it took her longer than normal to complete the assigned task for the day. When class finally let out, she could no longer even attempt to tune out the rest of the class. Her head fell and her eyes could no longer look up. That was when she heard it, "I wouldn't be able to look at anyone either if another girl could have my man. If all I was good enough for was empty promises, and getting all dolled up for just a casual roll in the hay. If I was nothing more than a twenty-five Knut whore to the guy I'd given myself too." Mary Jane looked up just long enough to see Cho Chang's best friend, Marietta Edgecombe. Not knowing how to reply to such a stinging indictment on her character, all Mary Jane could do was try not to cry, and make her way back to Gryffindor tower.
Mary Jane was very much not in the mood for excuses, and apologies, so all that she could do was curl up into a ball and cry. Following the first round of tears, as soon as she entered the girls dormitory, she found that her stomach could no longer hold its contents, and it came up to the mouth and out onto the beautiful, red and gold rug, where she knelt. That became the pattern for the next 4 hours, until Mary Jane mercifully passed out in the last round of vomit on the rug, because she had not the strength to clean it up herself magically or not.
Harry Potter was not having a good day. The source of his joy, and his smile since coming into this crazy mixed up new life, was missing from his day. When he had finally made it down to the common room Mary Jane had already left. It was not until Transfiguration had already started that his eyes had been able to rest on his precious betrothed.
The events of the other day had served to put a real damper on his mood too. It was an emotional roller coaster to know that he had to be on the verge of losing her possibly in any capacity. Neville had all but, told him that Mary Jane put the majority of the blame on Cho, but was still plenty mad at him. So, what's a boy to do, well what guys do best apologize. So, that was his plan when he came down to the common room before breakfast, and classes, but MJ was nowhere to be found.
Once Hermione came down the girl's stairs, finally there was someone who might be able to explain exactly what he did wrong. So in sheer desperation Harry asked, "Hermione can you explain exactly what I did that was so bad, that MJ's not even here to apologize too?" The bushy haired girl looked at him worrying her bottom lip, "Harry, what you did yesterday it kind of humiliated her." That just served to further let Harry know that this was something near universal to girls. It still didn't help, and so he further quarried, "How was that humiliating for MJ I'm the one that Cho was so forward with?" Hermione shook her head in the negative, "While yeah, Cho was the aggressor, it looked like you enjoyed it perhaps a bit too much. You didn't even move to get away or push her off, or anything. You didn't say no!" Harry was flabbergasted, "What do you mean? It just all happened so fast that I didn't get the chance to say anything." His bushy haired friend again just shook her head in the negative, "Come on Harry, and don't deny it. You liked it, you were so mesmerized by Cho, that she very nearly out stripped you for the snitch on her old comet." The green eyed boy blushed, "She's just good is all." Hermione rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you were impressed alright, but not by her flying." That left a sputtering Harry to reply, "I'd never…" The bushy haired girl laughed, "That rose in cheeks when Cho kissed you says otherwise." The boy was desperate at this point, "It was just cold, and well, none of that means that I'd ever betray MJ." Hermione rolled her eyes, "Boys! I know that Harry, and I think MJ does too, but it did make it look to every other girl in the school like maybe you would, or at least you'd think about it." Hermione glanced at her watch just then, and gestured to the door, "Come on breakfast is almost over."
At the Great Hall the duo sit down, and eat quickly. While buttering his toast Harry said, "You know I've ruined everything, now." The bushy haired girl smirked, "No, you haven't Harry, MJ will come back around I'm sure of it" Harry grimaced, "No, she won't Hermione. I always do this, my Aunt and Uncle were right I'm not worth loving. I'll always be alone." Hermione chuckled, "Well, no you won't, because someone told me a couple of days ago that even if I lost the others, I'd still not be alone, that I'd still have them. Now, remind me who that was?" That got a crooked grin from Harry, who could not find any response.
Just then Seamus Finnegan now notorueous for the fact that he could cause anything to explode ran past calling, "Come on you lot! We're going to be late." Harry glanced down at the watch on his wrist, and realized there was actually a chance that Seamus could be right. He was terrified that their Head of House might not be so kind to them, as Snape would be to his Slytherins in this situation. Hermione nodded, seeming to have had similar thoughts, and prompted, "Come on Harry maybe we can slip in as a group just before she closes the door.
Harry and Hermione walked with Dean and Seamus and the rest of Gryffindor's first year towards the Transfiguration Classroom. It seemed to take forever, without the comfort of having his beautiful betrothed on his arm. Harry Potter followed along with crowd, and walked towards the back of the classroom, without noticing the change in seating, until he himself had taken his new seat. Then, his eyes fell on the ash brown haired girl in the center of the room, and his heart began to soar. Then, the giggling, and whispering reached his ears.
He was confused, by the mere fact of how could girls even talk about each other like that? It just seemed so crude, and graphic in fact, it was worse than when he had stumbled across Uncle Vernon's Penthouse, and Playboy Magazines while cleaning. It was actually disgusting to him. It hurt that his Mary Jane was the subject of such talk, and speculation. It was horrendous that they were behaving like a pack of hyenas that he once saw when he went to the Zoo for Dudley's birthday. Every fiber of Harry's being wanted to shut the other girls up, but he had no clue how to do so, much less how to fix things with Mary Jane after he'd screwed things up so drastically.
Then, another snippet came through loud and clear, "That girl better watch it. Otherwise she'll never be able to keep a man." At that Harry began to rise from his seat, only to find an arm coming from his left to help him sit back down. Looking at Hermione, and hoping some kind of explanation would be forthcoming, he was not disappointed. The bushy haired girl smiled, "You'll only make things worse." Harry retorted, "Make things worse how? Did you not just hear what they were saying?" Hermione's eyes saddened, "Yes, I did Harry, but really, what did you think that you were going to accomplish there?" The green eyed wizard huffed, "Shut them up, that's what." Hermione chuckled, "Harry you tend to make a mess of things when you just jump in the middle of things to try, and rescue her. Think things through, let the pieces of the puzzle come together first. Then, maybe we can come up with a plan. Until then, know that MJ is a bright, strong girl, and can handle a few cackling shrews."
It was then that Professor McGonagall called the class to order, and set the days tasks. It was then Harry's anger finally, had a new place to be focused, and so he channeled all of his energy into trying to make sure that his button was perfect at the end. He had completed the task, and looked up to MJ who was uncharacteristically struggling with the process. Once more Harry felt himself starting to rise, when he noticed that MJ finally completed her transfiguration. As class was dismissed, Hermione reached out a hand holding Harry back, when they saw a pimply faced girl, with red hair, and blue eyes stop in front of MJ. The girl's soft lilting voice came, "I wouldn't be able to look at anyone either if another girl could have my man. If all I was good enough for was empty promises, and getting all dolled up for just a casual roll in the hay. If I was nothing more than a twenty-five Knut whore to the guy I'd given myself too." It was almost too much to handle as MJ rushed off in the direction of Gryffindor tower. Harry made to go after her, but was stopped again, "Harry you can't go and be her knight in shining armor right now. You made this mess." The green eyed boy looked at his best female friend and queried, "How do I fix this?" The bushy haired girl grinned, "By doing what guys do best. Grovel!"
Herbology came and went, and then lunch, and soon they were sitting in the last class of the day. Harry Potter couldn't help, but, fret now that his Mary Jane had missed almost a full day of lessons. This was not like her. She was so dedicated to her lessons, and wanted to be a Healer when she got out of school. This made it so that he was really beginning to worry, finally pulling his invisibility cloak out of his school bag, and he made his way up to Gryffindor tower. "Cabit Draconis", Harry intoned once he had reached the portrait of the fat lady. He stumbled into the common room, and it was almost immediately apparent that Mary Jane wasn't there.
Harry was not thrilled, and hoped that Mary Jane was just asleep in the girl's dormitory. So, he covered himself in his invisibility cloak and went up the same way that he had before. This made things get really messy. He quietly opened the door to the first year girl's dormitory, and there on the floor in a pool of her own sick was his precious Mary Jane. Overcome by shame, Harry quiet intoned, "evanesco." The vomit vanished from the floor and he walked into the washroom and got a damp cloth to clean her up. Harry turned her around gently, and washed her face, and hair as best he could. He then lifted her up, and placed her on her bed.
Surrendering to the shame of what his actions had led to Harry returned to the common room where Harry found a concerned Neville Longbottom waiting for him. The Longbottom Heir looked up from his copy of Herbology Today, and asked, "How is my cousin?" The green eyed boy shook his head, "I imagine a touch better now, but she's sleeping in her bed now that I've cleaned her up. They really did a number on her this morning." The round faced boy rejoined, "I can't say that I'm all that surprised Harry. Cho was just testing the waters, and so now its open season on MJ. My question is do you want me to handle this or do you want to handle it?" Harry looked down at the floor and scuffed his left foot, "I don't know Nev, and I've made such a mess of things already. How would you handle it?" Neville grinned, "I'm glad that you asked. Let's get her and levitate her, to the hospital wing. Everyone else should still be at dinner. That way she's seen there, and word becomes that she was sick, not that she was upset. Then, I'd say leave her to me for a while. You can grovel, and beg forgiveness later."
Harry looked down at the floor, and scuffed his left foot as he considered the slightly older boy's words. He knew that there was probably some reasoning involved there as to why Neville would prefer that people think MJ was sick, but decided to save those questions for another time. The older boy stood up, and moved in the direction of the stair case leading to the first year girl's dormitory. The green eyed wizard followed in hopes that Neville might be able to help him get his Mary Jane safely to the hospital wing safely. Neville stopped short of the staircase, and frowned, "I just see one problem with the entire thing." Harry couldn't help, but inquire, "Just one?" Neville chuckled and replied, "Yeah, that being how do we get my cousin down here?" Harry began, "I have my Dad's old cloak", and was cut off by Neville, "I am sure that we could fit under there just fine, but not with MJ needing to be levitated. We know what happens when even a hand is exposed, don't we?" The slightly younger boy nodded in the affirmative, at the memory of having the trap spring just from trying to turn the nob on the dorm the first time.
As the boys stood next to the staircase trying to figure out the best way to maneuver MJ safely all the way to the hospital wing Hermione came up behind them. Her hair completely frizzed out still from the walk to Herbology this morning. Noticing the tension in the shoulders of both boys, she raised a quizzical eyebrow. Scuffing his left foot Harry said, "MJ well she's not feeling very well, we were trying to figure out how best to get her to the hospital wing." His face turned bright crimson, and gave anyone who might have been watching the impression that he was embarrassed about something. Before Harry knew it he, and Neville were being shoved aside, and all that he heard was "Oh, move over." As Hermione headed up the stairs in a huff, before they moved forward.
It took about five minutes for Hermione to reenter the stair case, and as she did she was gently, levitating Mary Jane down in front of her. Once she reentered the common room, Hermione signaled the boys to follow her, and they quietly made their way to the hospital wing. The long, and sometimes moving staircases presented a bit of a challenge, and frequently threatened to trip the quartet with their obscured vision. Eventually, they made their way, and arrived outside the wooden doors to the hospital wing. As they entered they were immediately hit with the smell of numerous potions and lye and hyssop soap.
Once they entered the elderly matron entered the room from her office, and indicated the nearest vacant bed. Madam Pomphrey took one look at the very pale girl in clad in the typical Gryffindor uniform and asked, "What happened here?" It was a very red faced Harry who started to mumble, as he scuffed his left foot, looking down at the floor. So, Neville responded to the Matron's concern, and inquiring gaze, "Mam, my cousin hasn't been feeling very well today, and well we went to search for her when she still wasn't better, and down for dinner. We sort of found her fainted, and not in the most pleasant of conditions, if you know what I mean." The grey haired, Matron of the hospital wing nodded indicating that she understood. She had spent many years taking care of the Heirs and Heiresses of the Ancient and Most Nobel families, and so understood that Neville meant it would be embarrassing for others to know that Mary Jane was found like that. So, ever the Profession Healer Poppy Pomphrey said, "Never to worry Mr. Longbottom, no one will hear a word of it from me." Hermione nervously chewed on her bottom lip, "One of us should stay with her in case she wakes up." Harry looked at the ground knowing that she was likely not to be happy with him if she woke up, and found out that he'd been the one to find her. He was spared, however, by the slightly older boy saying, "I'll stay MJ and Gran are all I the family I have left, and she'll be the least embarrassed if it's me." With that pronouncement Harry, Hermione, and left Neville with Mary Jane in the event she woke.