Poppy's POV
I woke up slowly the next morning, the ward still dimly lit so I had no idea what time it was. It took me a while to open my eyes and when I did, I was surprised to feel a hand holding my own and I turned to see Sirius asleep in his chair, looking most uncomfortable. I wasn't sure why he was still here, or why he was holding my hand and as I shifted, he awoke with a jolt, withdrawing his hand.
"Merlin, sorry Poppy" he apologised with a smile as he stretched.
"It's fine" I said quickly, not wanting to dwell on it. "What time is it?" I asked him, feeling a little out of sorts.
"Seven" he told me with a frown which showed how much he thought about being awake at this time and I was unable to help the smile that appeared.
"How come you're still here?" I asked him quietly, seeing him hesitate before he answered.
"I err, seem to have accidentally fallen asleep here last night" he told me, avoiding eye contact right now. I was going to question it further but decided against it, thinking it could lead to further embarrassment on both of our halves. "I hope I didn't disturb you?" he asked, his eyes now holding mine and a small smile on his face.
"Oh no, not at all. The potion knocked me out until just now" I told him, experimentally attempting to move my leg and now only feeling a dull ache through it.
"How are you feeling today?" he asked, and I looked up at him, seeing that he had been watching me.
"Better actually. My leg feels better at any rate" I told him, still feeling a dull throb in my head, and my arm was still quite painful.
"Oh good. Reckon you'll be allowed out today?" he questioned now, and I sighed, shrugging as I leant back on my pillows thinking I'd be lucky to be let out today.
"Depends what Madam Pomfrey thinks" I told him, now glancing in the direction of her office where I assumed, she also lived.
"Fingers crossed then" he said, and I nodded, seeing him smile at me. "I'd best scarper before she comes out and sees me" he continued, standing up and stretching properly. I had to avert my eyes, feeling myself blush as his t-shirt had ridden up slightly.
"Thanks for coming to see me last night" I said when I felt my face was a normal colour. When I looked at Sirius he was grinning, and I did my best not to blush again.
"My pleasure" he replied, and I could hear the cheekiness in his tone. "Do you want me to come back and see you later?" he asked, and I found myself nodding before I could even think about it properly. "I guess I'll see you later then" he told me, making me smile.
"See you later" I replied quietly, watching him move almost soundlessly up the ward before disappearing. Had he really just fallen asleep here? It seemed unlikely that James would have just left without him. It was all rather peculiar.
After breakfast that morning Lily, Alice, Fiona, Lizzy and Susan had all come up to see me. Madam Pomfrey had tried turning them away but they had all batted their eyelashes at her, saying they would be ever so quiet and respectful and somehow, they had managed to win her over and so they all crowded around my bed as we chatted. I had to admit, it was actually really nice to see them all and everything felt effortless. Nobody asked any prying questions and as such that really helped to relax me as they told me all about how Luke had been talking to Lily about me, making her blush and wave a hand as though it were nothing. She quickly moved conversation on to the fact that Will Masters had also spoken to the girls about me, asking when I would be out and if I was alright. Naturally, this had me blushing but thankfully Susan talking about how hot he was distracted everybody else, bar Lily who grinned at me, and as such my blush went unnoticed. I mean, Will Masters was a good looking guy, there was no denying, but I had just started here and I don't think that flirting or getting into any relationships would do me any good right now.
The girls stayed for a couple of hours before Madam Pomfrey ushered them out and they conceded with good grace, saying they hoped to see me soon and they would try and pop back in later today. They had just left and Madam Pomfrey had just given me a once over when I saw Lily pop her head back in. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey was back in her office and Lily crept quietly in, a worried smile on her face.
"Are you okay?" I asked her quietly as she slid into a chair and I saw her bite her lip apprehensively.
"No, I…well I need to tell you something" she admitted, shuffling in a way that had me worried. "Caleb's been…saying stuff about you. He's been telling people about your eyes. I mean, I don't know how many people believe him, but I thought you should know" she told me, and I sighed, guessing this was going to happen.
"Thanks for letting me know" I told her, seeing her look of concern. "It's okay. I mean, I don't know why I thought I could get away with it for so long" I said with a shrug and felt her put a hand on my arm.
"I'm here for you Poppy okay? I've got your back" she told me, her voice firm and her face resolute.
"Thanks Lily" I replied quietly with a smile, feeling her gently squeeze my arm.
"Just ignore him. We all are" she said as she got up. "I better go before Madam Pomfrey forbids me from coming back" she continued, now getting up, glancing towards the office. "I'll see you later Poppy" she told me, and I gave her one last smile before she turned and crept back out of the hospital wing. I sighed when she had gone, sinking down into bed and turning it all over in my head. I couldn't be surprised that he was going around saying things; my eyes had flashed orange right in front of him and this was quite the deviation from the gold or brown he would have seen recently. I just hoped that I wouldn't need to say anything more about myself, hoping eye colour changes were the only thing I needed to say.
After lunch James, Sirius and Peter had come to see me, telling me that Remus was up in bed feeling sick. I was worried but they waved away my concerns, telling me that Professor McGonagall had been up to check on him which relaxed me a bit. They chatted away to me quite happily, needing little input as per usual and making me laugh with their stories and conversation. None of them said anything about Caleb and I suspected they were trying to keep me in the dark about it for now. Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, I had said nothing to them either, thinking I would just have to cross that bridge when I came to it. They weren't able to stay long as Doctor Ford had put in an appearance fifteen minutes into their visit and they had to leave so I could have my check-up.
"How are you feeling today Miss Turner?" he asked, taking a seat by my bed for the moment. I smiled, trying to look happier and better in the hope I could leave the hospital wing today.
"Much better thank you" I told him, and he raised his eyebrows at me. "Honestly. My leg feels way better than yesterday. My head is a little sore and my arm hurts but that's it" I said quickly, and he nodded.
"And how did you sleep last night?" he now questioned, and I smiled,
"Really well. Madam Pomfrey gave me another potion and it knocked me out until about seven" I told him, seeing him smile now looking pleased with my answer.
"Oh good. It's good that some magical remedies are beginning to work for you" he said, and I nodded in agreement as he stood. "May I check your leg and arm now?" he asked, making me nod and keep my fingers crossed. He started with my leg and seemed pleased with whatever he was seeing with his wand before he checked on my arm which made him frown.
"Okay, shall we try getting you out of bed?" he asked. I felt worried at this, which clearly reflected as he gave me a smile. "I think your leg is fully healed. If I'm right, it won't hurt one bit. It might feel a little stiff but that's it" he explained kindly and I nodded, shifting the bed covers to the side and swinging my legs out. I hesitated before stepping down and putting pressure on my right leg, feeling relieved when it didn't hurt. Feeling encouraged by this I evened out my weight onto both legs and walked gingerly to the end of the bed, following Doctor Ford. He was smiling widely at me as I went, and I was pleased to find he had been right; no pain just a little stiff. "Excellent! That's healed really well! How do you feel?" he asked, stopping me at the end of the bed so I couldn't go too far.
"Good actually. It doesn't hurt at all" I told him, and he nodded, motioning me back to bed. Getting back into bed was somewhat more difficult, only having one arm but I managed it awkwardly, getting myself settled before turning back to Doctor Ford.
"Well I'm very pleased with your progress. I think your own magic has worked well to heal the areas that most need it, in essence your leg and your ribs. Your arm, however" and here he frowned, waving his wand over it again. "Isn't healing as quickly. I'm afraid we're going to have to leave it as it is and allow your body to heal it" he told me, and I sighed but nodded.
"Does this mean I can go back to my dormitory today?" I asked hopefully, just as Madam Pomfrey came out.
"What do you think?" Doctor Ford asked her as she joined us, and she looked at him questioningly. "Are you happy for Poppy to go back to her house?" he asked. She looked at me carefully for a moment before turning back to him.
"I would say so. As long as you give her the all clear as well" she told him, making my spirits lift. He looked at me with a grin,
"I think she's good to go back. You will need to take it easy though Poppy. That arm needs proper rest" he said sternly, and I nodded quickly.
"Any problems I want you straight back down here" Madam Pomfrey told me now and I quickly nodded my agreement, feeling very happy at this outcome. "You can go after dinner. I will ask Miss Evans to come and meet you with a change of clothes" she told me before disappearing out of the hospital wing, leaving me with Doctor Ford.
"Thank you so much" I told him, and he waved a hand as though it were nothing.
"No problem. Just look after yourself. I'll be back in a few weeks to check in on you" he told me, and I nodded, smiling at him.
"Of course," I replied, and he smiled.
"Fantastic. Well, look after yourself Poppy and I mean it. Take it easy! You have plenty of time to catch up on schoolwork" he said and although I disagreed somewhat with his sentiment, I nodded in spite of it. With that he left me to it, and I couldn't help but feel excited that I would be escaping the hospital wing today.
Madam Pomfrey observed me as I ate my dinner which, once again, I ate all of it not leaving a thing so she would have no reason to keep me. Only ten minutes later, Lily had arrived, holding a bag and looking as excited as me which had made me smile as she bounded over.
"Be careful" Madam Pomfrey told her and she nodded, adopting a more sombre expression as she handed me some stuff.
"I hope you don't mind that I went through your things?" she asked, and I quickly shook my head, finding a pair of black tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt which was perfect.
"Not at all. Thanks so much" I told her as I got out of bed and she drew the changing curtain around me.
"We're all excited for you to come back" she told me as she waited patiently for me to change. It was slow going and I was only now aware of just how battered my body was, finding bruises in delightful shades of purple, black, blue and green covering my body. Lily happily chatted at me as I went, and I was thankful for her patience as it took me a long time to get the sweatshirt on with only one arm. Once done, I stepped out and sat on the chair to pull some socks on before slipping my feet into the converse Lily had brought me, which were so worn I didn't need to undo the laces to get my feet in. Once I was fully dressed Madam Pomfrey came over, giving me a smile.
"Remember, take it easy. Any pain, straight back here" she reminded me, and I nodded as Lily gathered up my books for me (my school uniform had disappeared a while ago and I was hoping it would be waiting for me in the dormitory).
"Yes Madam Pomfrey" I replied patiently and she nodded, motioning for us to go. We walked slowly, my leg still feeling a bit stiff and achy, but Lily was patient, happy to walk at my speed as she led me through the castle. Finally, we were at the portrait and I found myself nervous to see everybody again. Lily must have sensed this as she paused to give me a reassuring smile before leading the way in. I felt very self-conscious going in, aware that having my arm taped up and, in a sling, would garner some unwanted attention. The common room, however, was noisy as it had ever been and Lily steered me towards the fireplace where the other sixth years were all waiting, eyes on me.
"Hi Poppy!" Fiona greeted me happily, jumping up and giving me a gentle hug, being careful with my arm.
"Hi Fiona" I replied with a smile as she gestured for me to sit but I hesitated.
"I would really love a shower" I told her, and she nodded, although smiling.
"Fair enough. Although, I really think it's most unfair you can fall down the stairs, spend three nights in the hospital wing and look like you do right now. I'd look like a troll if it were me" she said, making me blush and avert my eyes.
"You always look like a troll" I heard James say and I looked up in time to see Fiona throw a cushion at him which just made him laugh before throwing it back. I took a step back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire and this made them both pause, looking guiltily at me.
"Sorry Poppy" James said quickly, dropping the other cushion he had picked up.
"It's fine. I'm going to get a shower" I said and before anybody could say anything I quickly (well as quickly as I was able) dashed away and up the stairs. I had just opened the door when I found Lily behind me and I looked at her in surprise as I went in.
"I was told I had to keep an eye on you. McGonagall doesn't want you slipping in the shower" she told me, and I sighed but nodded, thinking that was reasonable. As such, I left the door propped open and Lily told me about what I'd missed in lessons as I showered, feeling tired by the time I was out. I slipped into my pyjamas, awkwardly brushed my teeth with my left hand before coming back out and yawning, thinking bed seemed like a really good idea right now.
"How are you feeling?" Lily asked from her place on her bed and I gave her a smile as I made my way over to mine, seeing my uniform looking freshly cleaned on my chair, ready for tomorrow.
"Tired. Reckon it will be okay if I just go to bed?" I asked and she rolled her eyes at me.
"Of course, silly! You don't have to go down to the common room to be the show monkey" she told me with a grin as I gratefully slipped into my own bed, feeling it had been warmed nicely. "But you'll let me know if you're in pain or anything, right?" Lily asked and I nodded as she got up.
"Sure" I told her drowsily, already feeling incredibly sleepy and wondering if Madam Pomfrey had slipped something into my food to make me this tired, this early.
"Sleep well Poppy" I heard Lily whisper and then I was out.
I woke up the next morning, wondering why I was warm and comfortable before I realised, I was no longer in the hospital wing. This made me incredibly happy as I started sitting up, still feeling incredibly stiff and sore but happy, nonetheless. I glanced over and saw Lily was already up, evidently in the bathroom as the door was shut and I glanced at the time to see it was already quarter past seven. I laid in bed for a little longer, getting myself ready to face the rest of the school and find out how many people believed what Caleb had been going around saying about me.
It wasn't long before Lily was out, and she gave me a small smile before telling me she would wait for me downstairs. I nodded as I got up and had a shower, despite having one last night, but when it came to my uniform I was massively struggling. It took me forever to get my tights on one handed and my bra was just as much of a struggle. Once I had finally managed to get my skirt on there was a knock on the door, taking me by surprise.
"Poppy are you okay in there?" I was surprised to hear Alice's voice.
"Yeah give me a minute" I called back, managing to get one arm in my shirt before I sighed, realising I would need help. I fought down the blush, remembering that it was just Alice and Fiona and they were girls as well, it's not like they hadn't seen a bra before. I cautiously opened the door, seeing Alice sat on her bed watching the door with a frown, her eyes softening when she saw me.
"Um, could you help me?" I asked, the blush coming quickly despite my best efforts to stop it.
"Of course I can! You should have asked sooner!" she told me, quickly getting up and delicately helping me put my strapped arm in the other sleeve.
"Not to be weird, but I really like that bra Poppy" Fiona said from her bed. I quickly turned in her direction, not realising she was up.
"Oh, uh thanks" I replied as Alice helped me with my buttons. Thankfully, she hadn't said anything about the scar on my stomach or the bruises for which I was thankful as she finished them in record speed (I had managed one in the time it took her to do the rest).
"Okay, Fi help her with her tie whilst I have a quick shower" Alice told her as she flashed me a quick smile before stepping into the bathroom. Fiona yawned before getting out of bed and padding over to me.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked as she took my tie from me, putting it around her own neck and loosely tying it first.
"Good actually" I told her, seeing her smile as she now slipped it off from round her neck and put it on me.
"Oh good. Ready for today?" she asked as she sorted it out before putting my collars down, looking pleased with her work.
"I think so" I replied, and she smiled widely as she helped me with my cardigan (a jumper was not guna happen after it took me so long yesterday).
"You'll be fine. You've got all of us to help you out" she said as Alice reappeared in record time in just a towel and Fiona jumped into the bathroom. I busied myself, sorting my books for today as Alice got dressed, figuring I might as well wait for the pair of them seeing as I was already really late.
"Poppy?" Lily's voice came from the doorway and I glanced up to see her looking worried. "Is everything okay?" she asked when I realised, she had probably been downstairs for ages waiting for me.
"Yeah just, um, took me a while to get dressed" I admitted, averting my eyes and putting everything into my bag before grabbing my wand.
"Oh shit, sorry, I should have helped you" she said guiltily as I heard her edge further into the room.
"I helped her, all good" Alice chimed in from behind me and I glanced behind to see she was already fully dressed. Fiona reappeared from the bathroom now, grabbing her uniform before heading back in to get changed.
"Well, it will be nice to all go down to breakfast together" Lily said with a smile as she came to get my bag for me, shouldering it without a second thought.
"Okay, I'm ready" Fiona must have a record for the time it took her to get her uniform on. She quickly shoved her stuff in her bag and put her hair up as we made our way down the stairs, finding James, Sirius, Peter and Frank all stood there waiting. "Ooo, a right escort today" Fiona commented, nudging me slightly with a grin. I shook my head as the guys smiled at me and we made our way down to breakfast. I was surprised Lily hadn't said anything about their presence and was thankful for it, whatever the reason was.
"How are you doing?" Sirius joined Fiona and I on our way down.
"Okay" was all I said with a shrug and I saw him frown slightly at this.
"You'll get quicker with your uniform Pop. It's just because you're not used to being one handed" Fiona said cheerfully and I sighed, hoping she was right about that. "Hey and you have Runes today, Will is going to be happy about that" she continued, and I looked at her to see she was, in fact, not looking at me but at Sirius. Confused she just grinned when she saw me looking and glancing at Sirius, I saw him frowning still. I wasn't sure what to say to that so settled on nothing, mentally preparing myself for today. We had barely walked over the threshold of the Great Hall when I heard a familiar voice calling me and looking in the direction of the Ravenclaw table I saw Luke get up and make his way over.
"We'll see you in a minute" Fiona told me, grabbing Sirius and pulling him away and I noticed Lily hovering close by.
"How are you doing?" Luke asked me, giving me a gentle hug before stepping back and looking at me with a slight frown.
"Okay" I told him honestly, but he seemed sceptical, his eyes finding Lily and I could see the question in them. "Honestly!" I exclaimed, shaking my head and drawing his attention back to me. "I struggled a bit with my uniform, but you try doing it one handed" I pouted, and he chuckled at this before squeezing my arm gently.
"Alright, fair enough" he replied, and I could hear the humour in his voice still. "Be careful okay?" he said, and I nodded, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "I mean it. I'm supposed to be looking after you and I've done a shit job so far" he continued. He looked a little crestfallen at this, so I moved towards him and hugged him again.
"You've not at all. Don't think that" I reassured him quietly. He sighed before letting me go, a small smile on his face.
"Have a good day okay?" Luke asked and I nodded, seeing his eyes dart to Lily quickly as I tried my best not to grin.
"You too. I'll see you later" I said, drawing his attention back to me. He nodded, evidently seeing my amusement and grinned before he turned and headed back to his seat, and I made my way down the Gryffindor table with Lily.
"So, you and Luke huh?" I asked casually as we went, seeing her blush but not say anything as we found the others. I awkwardly sat down, feeling a little off balance but managing it in one piece. Without being asked, Fiona immediately started ladling some porridge out for me as James poured me a cup of tea. I smiled at the both of them in thanks seeing their wide returning smiles as I dug in, feeling exceptionally hungry.
Remus was apparently still ill and so, in first period Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall asked James to come and sit next to me. His enthusiasm was almost too much to bear and I did my best not to laugh at his puppy dog expression.
"Are you going to take notes for me?" I asked quietly as Professor McGonagall got herself sorted and he looked at me as though I had offended him. "It's fine, I'll ask Lily for her notes" I said quickly but I heard him laugh in reply.
"Hmm, I guess seeing as it's you I could make some notes for once" he told me, nudging me lightly with his elbow. I looked up to see him grinning playfully at me before he got his quill and parchment out, writing the date and a silly title of 'Poppy's Marvellous notes, taken by the charming and handsome James Potter' again making me laugh as McGonagall got down to the lesson, looking somewhat amused when she saw James scribbling away, her eyes finding mine and giving me a smile. I had a feeling I may end up paired with James in future lessons.
Sirius had taken notes for me in Charms without me having to ask, proudly handing them to me at the end of the lesson and making me smile. Thankfully, Lily and I had a free period and I spent the time reading through the notes James and Sirius had made for me before Lily gave me her notes from Friday's lessons and I read through those which took us all the way up to lunch. We joined the girls at the Gryffindor table for lunch, the guys sitting at the other end whispering furiously amongst themselves. Afterwards, we headed up to Runes where Will gave me a huge smile when he saw me there, and I did my utmost best not to blush. Lily took notes for me this lesson and afterwards, despite not being able to write, I agreed to go to the library with Will where he gave me his notes from our previous Runes lesson which meant I could spend some time reading and catching up. As dinner time soon came around, Will took my bag and we made our way slowly down to the Great Hall. The day was catching up with me and I felt shattered, my arm and head both aching.
"Poppy?" Will broke the small silence that had settled on us and I turned to see him looking at me nervously. I looked at him curiously, sensing his hesitation. "Um, I hope you don't think I'm being a jerk" he started, taking me by surprise. "It's just…Caleb Simons has been going around saying, stuff about you" he told me, and I sighed, looking away from him. I'd noticed a few people looking at me strangely in the corridors and had done my best to ignore it. "I just wanted to let you know that I don't care about any of it and other people don't either" he said softly. I considered his words for a moment before I glanced over at him, seeing him smiling at me. "Simons is a dick, everyone knows it" he continued, and I felt myself smiling.
"Thanks Will" I said quietly, seeing his smile widen. Maybe things would be okay, and Caleb would eventually leave it alone? Here was hoping.