Morning slowly creeped through the windows on the far end of the Hogwarts hospital wing. It was as the day was now fully light that Mary Jane began to wake from what had become a very fitful sleep. As she woke she blinked her eyes rapidly to try and regain focus in her vision. Sitting up slowly she pulled herself up adjusting the pillow behind her to sit up comfortably.
Looking over to her right she found Neville having fallen asleep, and leaned over from the chair in which he had sat the previous evening. As if sensing her shift in consciousness, Neville awoke. Seeing her awake he smiled, "It's good to see you awake. Do you want anything?" Mary Jane reddened in embarrassment, "I'd like a warm cloth to clean up, as well as, maybe tea, and some toast." The round faced boy smiled, at least this was something within the realm of manageable for him. So, Neville summoned, "Blinky." Soon the tiny house elf was standing in front of them bowing low to the ground. The elf's squeaky voice intoned, "How can Blinky be of service Master Neville?" The Longbottom Heir nodded having expected nothing less from their family's beloved caretaking elf, "Can you get MJ a warm, damp cloth. Then, she wants some tea, and toast." The little elf, bowed, "Of course." Soon the elf popped out of sight.
As soon as that was accomplished Mary Jane turned towards her cousin, "How did I end up here?" The round faced boy flushed, "Well, when you still weren't down by dinner we started to panic. So, well Harry sort of went looking for you. I sort of had a feeling about where you would be. So, I waited in the common room while he snuck in using his dad's old cloak. He's the one who initially cleaned you up, and then, put you on your bed in the dormitory. Then, we talked about putting you here so the rumor mill didn't get too crazy. Then, Hermione came in while we were discussing how to get you to the hospital wing. She's the one who brought you down from the dormitory, and then the three of us brought you here." Mary Jane's drawn face was still heavy with bags under her eyes. Though improving her face still showed the amount of energy drained from her even as clearly magic was at work to try and heal her. This concerned the round faced boy.
It was as Mary Jane sat there waiting for the need items, that she looked up when her cousin, and head of house quarried, "Do you want me to write Luna? I know that her cousin is staying with them currently. Maybe her father will allow them to come visit you." That elicited a smile from the girl, if anyone could make her laugh, and feel better it would be Luna, and it had been years since she had gotten to see her French cousin, Catalina. The round faced boy smiled, "I'll take care of that letter then, and send it off. I'll be back."
It was as Neville left that Blinky reappeared, with a tray in her hands laden with the requested items. Mary Jane began a long process taking the cloth and hand mirror on the tray and wiping herself up, removing the vestiges of the evening before. Then, taking a brush that the solicitous elf had also thought to add, she brushed out her shoulder length hair, and worked out every knot. Then she set to work with a straightening spell she'd seen in Witch Weekly. She'd have to make do without make up at least for today. Then, and only then did she allow herself to enjoy the wonderful wheat toast, and tea. She turned to her faithful house elf, "Thank you, Blinky." The elf once more bowed low and took the tray, before returning to the manor.
It was then, that the kindly Matron, came in to check on her, "How are you doing today Miss Randall?" Mary Jane shrugged, "Some better I suppose, although I still don't much fancy going back out there to face the jury of public opinion." Poppy Pomfrey nodded, knowing only too well what awaited the poor girl out there. Then, she added, "Given the severity of your physical response, I'd like to run a few test on you dear." Mary Jane was hesitant, and so turned away the Matron taking this for what it was left her to her thoughts.
As the day continued Neville returned this time bringing Hermione with him. The bushy haired witch grabbed another chair and sat opposite from Neville, and observed her friend. Mary Jane turned to look at her, and gave the girl strained grimace, from the girl who was too weak to smile. The Matron came back out just then, and upon seeing Neville present said, "Oh good! Heir Longbottom, I would like to request permission to run some test on your cousin, given the severity of her physical response." The Longbottom Heir responded, "Is that really necessary Madam Pomfrey?" The kindly witch smiled, "It will certainly shine a light on why she reacted as she did, and why she is being so slow to recover now." The round faced boy nodded, "Then, you have my permission. I appreciate your discretion though, in this matter." Upon hearing these words MJ began to shiver, as though exposed to a severe chill. Hermione looked up from her friend to the Matron, "Run them on me as well." Poppy Pomfrey looked at the girl, "No Miss Granger I hardly think that is necessary." The bushy haired girl began to stamp her foot, and stared down the Matron who simply turned, and walked away.
While, the Matron was gone for the moment Neville addressed Hermione, "While that was sweet of you it wasn't necessary or okay. You didn't need those test ran, MJ does. This is now family business, and I need to request that you take your leave before Madam Pomfrey returns to run the tests. Hermione looked into Neville's serious face, and understood now was not the time to push, this wasn't her friend asking, it was the head of a Most Ancient and Noble House giving a directive, and it was not to be questioned in this world. So, go she did, but not without looking back at her friend who was laying once more appearing for all the world as though she was in a deep sleep.
As evening approached the Matron returned to run the test she had mentioned on Mary Jane. Waving her wand over the girl in an intricate pattern Poppy began to watch as a bright pink indicating a general weakness in the girl shone over Mary Jane's body. As she continued down below the general region of the stomach it suddenly shone a dark purple color indicating that something was wrong in the area. This did not bode well, while still possible the young woman would have children someday it was unlikely, and it would be a difficult process. It was a sad fact of the proud, and noble family's history that the women born into its lineage often had difficulty bearing children. The general weakness of the girl's body seemed more along the lines of general exhaustion, which was to be expected given the recent exertion, and emotional strain the girl was under.
As Mary Jane slept, Madam Pomfrey turned to the current head of the family, and explained, "Well it is as I feared. This time though it seems that it may be worse than normal." The Longbottom Heir questioned, "How so?" The kindly matron explained, "Longbottom women frequently struggle to conceive, and when they do they often deliver early. Your cousin Heir Longbottom, appears to be able to carry a child, and goodness knows that no one would likely love, and care for a child more than she would. The problem would be in conceiving the child. There are options when it comes to that though. It also explains the more recent weakness and imbalance in her magic, and her extreme exhaustion. She likely should have started her menses by now. Unfortunately, she as not. The purple I observed earlier when I ran the test explains why." She likely just over exerted herself the other day in class after an extremely emotionally traumatic few days had occurred." Neville nodded, "So you're saying that essentially MJ is exhausted, and needs to rest, and will need treatment in order to enter this next phase of life? Then again, when she chooses to become a mother?" Poppy nodded, "Very good, Mr. Longbottom. I'm glad that you can follow my meaning. She's going to need you as she goes through all of this." The round faced boy nodded again, and looked over the still form of his sleeping cousin. Mary Jane had always been there for him, and she'd always been the stronger of the two of them. Now, it would seem she was going to need him to be the strong one for her. Neville looked at the Matron, "I appreciate your counsel on this. Please, I must insist on your continued discretion in this matter. You understand the risks that poses for MJ in her future. She's in a contract to our family's most important allied family. She has to be able to fulfill certain kinds of obligations." Poppy smiled, "I'll keep the secret, and I always have. It'd violate my oath as a healer to do otherwise." The round faced boy turned crimson and said, "I mean from anyone, but myself and MJ. Her betrothed cannot know except from us." The Matron nodded her agreement, and with that returned to her office to handle other matters that needed her attention.
With one last long look at his cousin Neville departed from the hospital wing, in search of Harry. Now that he knew that Mary Jane would be able to receive treatments, and that ultimately she was fine, it was time to confront the reality of what this meant for MJ's future. The round faced boy stumbled into Gryffindor tower. Once there his eyes began to search for his green eyed friend. He eventually succeeded, only to have the air knocked out of his chest. Harry sat on a couch in front of the fire place cuddled up with Hermione. This was not how the Longbottom Heir wanted to have this conversation. It was going to be hard, and he was not sure of how his friend would take this kind of news. While starting a family might be a long way off in the minds of most people in their first and second year, this cohort was a little different. War orphans, born in a generation where the light side was decimated this news was devastating, especially for a girl like MJ who yes, wanted to pursue her dreams in the field of healing, but also to be a mother!"
The young, Heir of the House of Longbottom approached with some trepidation, before saying, "Lord Potter a moment of your time if you would?" Harry was surprised not having expected the other boy to seek him out like this. The green eyed wizard nodded sitting up somewhat from his previous position, which had been somewhat relaxed allowing Hermione to lay over using his shoulder as a pillow. Neville nodded, at Hermione. I am afraid that I have news that may affect relations between our families, and your current contract with my cousin." The green eyed boy nodded. Neville nervously glanced at Hermione, who had begun to bite her lower lip. "MJ, well there is a high likelihood that she'll never be able to have kids, and the process for her to do so will be difficult. This is going to be hard for her, because the only thing MJ possibly wants more than to be a healer, is to be a mother."
As Neville stood there waiting the response of his cousins betrothed to a very difficult bit of news, he was surprised to hear a reply not from Harry, but Hermione, "That's just awful for her, but I'm sure things will work out, won't they Harry?" Soon Harry Potter had not one, but two sets of eyes one him, one honey brown, and the other blue. The green eyed boy couldn't help, but squirm under such intense scrutiny, and seeing no way out he did the one thing that he could Harry feigned a yawn, and headed to the boys dorms.
The following morning the floo into Minerva McGonagall's private office roared to life, before spitting out a petite girl about 10, with platinum blonde hair, and blue eyes. She was then, followed by a hazel eyed, brunette about the same height, as the first. The silence that followed was short lived as the blonde, stared down Minerva, something few had ever dared to do. Luna Lovegood was often called Looney, but, few truly understood her, and those who did knew in actuality she was no bodies fool. The blonde continued her self-imposed staring competition with Deputy Headmistress, "Where is Mary Jane?" Minerva blinked, it had been years since Padama MacMillan had been a student, and so it had been just as long since she'd been receiving end of such blunt, and abrupt behavior. Though the current MacMillan generation might prove to be just as much that as the previous generation had. So, with that the Deputy Headmistress gestured for the two girls to follow her to the hospital wing.
Mary Jane who was tired of being stuck in the hospital wing bed smiled instantly, when the trio entered the vicinity of her bed. Anyone else would have pulled out a chair, but, the spunky cousins plopped down on either side of Mary Jane each giving her a hug, and the standard double kiss in greeting. A greeting she gladly returned. It had been too long already since she had the pleasure of being able to have her girlfriends there, who truly understood her.
Once the girls had settled in there was no helping it. Luna began to fuss, "You look like hell." Mary Jane rolled her eyes, and replied, "yeah and going through multiple level of Dante's inferno won't do that to you?" Luna laughed, "Girl you couldn't enter the innermost level even if you tried." This caught Catalina off guard, who had yet to read the muggle book that once had belonged to Neville's mother, Alice. Biting her lower lip, the French girl began to squirm, "What are you guys talking about?" Luna and Mary Jane turned and feeling a little guilty Mary Jane explained, Date wrote a book known as "the Divine Comedy", the most famous section of which is, Dante's Inferno. The man was brilliant. Anyways, in his vision of what muggles call hell, the place is like literally inside a volcano. So if you can imagine it is hot, and fiery. The inferno is then divided into 7 levels where people are placed according to the worst of their sins. The inner most level of which is reserved for traitors. Now, he also wrote about purgatory, and heaven in the perspective of muggles of a certain faith tradition, at least such as it was taught at the time." Catalina shrugged, ok so what could cause you to feel so blue?" I swear we're not going anywhere until you spill, so dish girl."
Mary Jane was quiet for a moment knowing that she needed to gather her thoughts. So when it seemed that Mary Jane was not going to respond. Catalina prodded with a little less tact, "MJ". Finally, the ash brown haired girl spoke, "Well I wasn't well after what happened the other day. I know it shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. I mean come on am I that easily replaceable? This total slag from Ravenclaw, decided that it was ok to challenge Harry to catch the snitch. That is totally fine, He loves flying, and I would never stand in the way of that. I also know though that he's a great catch, and well I'm me. So, when she decided that it was ok to kiss him, it got to me more than it should have. It didn't help either with the way she, and her friends were carrying-on in class yesterday either. Well, then I needed to pull myself together, and then, the next thing that I know I'm here. Madam Pomfrey says, that it was basically an extreme type of exhaustion. On top of that though, when she examined me we found out that well, I'll be able to have kids, but well it will be difficult to conceive. I can carry kids just fine, it would getting pregnant that will be difficult, and require medical assistance. "Luna exclaimed, "That is just awful. I'm so sorry that had to happen to you." Catalina stared her down, thinking her friend, and cousin had lost their heads, after all this doesn't need to be that bad of news, and couldn't have been that surprising. So, it was that the hazel eyed girl blurted out, "I don't understand is that bad?" Both of the other girls turned to her, but it was Mary Jane who replied, "It's bad. It was the only thing that Harry really ever asked of me, and I want nothing more than to give it to him. He wants a large family."
As soon as Mary Jane stopped to take a breath, she found herself being sandwiched in a giant bear hug from each side, as all three of them burst into tears. This was just what she needed a good long cry with the love, and support of her girls, to help her get through what Mary Jane was sure was going to be a very long and hard few days. This conversation with her new betrothed was not going to be an easy one.