Chapter Seventeen: Predicaments Abound
"Calm down, she'll be all right."
"What if she isn't all right?! What if she never wakes up?"
"Blimey, George, get a grip. She's a strong girl. It would take more than a fifty foot fall to put her out of commission."
"Still, though, when she wakes up, should we tell her?" "I dunno, it might worsen her condition."
"How the hell would it worsen her condition? How much worse can she be?"
"You can never tell. Still though, I think we should tell her."
"Tell her what?" Leo groggily opened her eyes and found herself in the Infirmary, surrounded by her Quidditch teammates, all with different states of worry drawn on their faces. Jazz, Hermione, and Ron were there also.
"Oh, Leo!" George threw his arms around her head, causing her to wince. "I thought you'd never wake up!"
"Merlin's beard, I wasn't out for that long, was I?"
"Only for a couple of hours, but still we were worried there," Jazz told her, her eyes filled with concern for her sister.
"That was quite a fall you had. Scarier than my two put together," Harry commented with a weak smile.
"The crowd had a fit and rushed the field trying to get to you. But Dumbledore made sure you were put on a stretcher and taken here safely," Alicia elaborated.
"That's good and all, but there's one thing I have to know: Did we win?" Leo insisted, sitting up in her hospital bed, a look of hope on her face.
"Well, let's just say, that was the most spectacular save I've ever seen," grinned George widely.
"I don't even think Wood could have passed out onto the Quaffle!" Angelina laughed.
"I'm the master!" Leo pumped her fist into the air feebly, then laid back into her pillows. "Ugh, my head hurts. So does my stomach."
"Yes, well, that's what happens when you give yourself food poisoning," Fred spoke up for the first time.
"Food poisoning?"
"That's what Madam Pomfrey figures gave you the retches," Katie told her. "And your head hurts from falling on it, obviously."
"Obviously," grinned Leo. "Now, I know you guys want to celebrate with the rest of the Gryffindors, so don't let me stop you. Go on down, I need to rest."
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" asked George, concerned.
"Positive. If you guys didn't have fun, I'd feel even worse. Now out you get! Go on!"
*****
It took three days before Leo could return to class. Her food poisoning was worse than Madam Pomfrey had thought, and it took some time to rid it from her system. When she returned to class, however, she was treated as a hero from her fellow Gryffindors for securing their victory over Slytherin for the second year in a row. There wasn't a class that she didn't have someone smacking her on the back, giving her a high five, or a round of applause, except for one. Two guesses to which one that was.
"Two points from Gryffindor, Steward, for disrupting my class," Snape sneered as he gave a death glare to the poor Gryffindor boy who had decided to shake Leo's hand during Snape's explanation of the Wit-Sharpening potion. "And ten points from Gryffindor for causing it, Lawson."
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," smirked Leo evilly. "That is, if you weren't here."
"Glad to see your charm has returned with your good health," Snape commented, almost sincerely. Or about as sincere as Snape could get.
"Thanks, I think."
"Now get back to work!"
*****
"Honestly Fred, it's as if you wanted Leo to be severely injured!" George accused. The foreseen row between the twins was now in full swing in the Common Room, where most of its inhabitants took refuge elsewhere.
"Of course I didn't want her severely injured! But those three days without her around were heaven on earth for me!"
"Why the hell do you hate her so much?" George suddenly sprang the question that had been chewing on his mind for quite some time. "It's not like she's done anything to you!"
"Oh, but she has," Fred sank into an armchair. "She's taken away my best friend."
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"
"Before you two became "The Dastardly Duo" WE were "The Dastardly Duo". Me and you, the top pranksters, the funniest of them all. Now she's up there and I'm not even in the picture," he put his head in his hands. "When she isn't around, it's like it's just me and you again. The good old times."
"I wasn't like this when you were dating Angelina," George said quietly.
"That's because Angelina is nothing like Leo!" Fred suddenly outburst. "Angelina is nothing like the two of us. Leo is! I can't compete with that!"
"Look, Fred, I like Leo a lot. I might even kinda love her; truth be told that thought still scares me some. I can't just break it off because you feel threatened."
"Then get out of my life," Fred stormed off his seat and tried to exit the Common Room, but he was stopped by the person he did not want to see.
"Fred, would you stop thinking of yourself for a second and realize that I'm not dating George just to piss you off?" Leo looked at him sternly, leaning on the doorframe. "And don't try to say that's not why you're angry with him. I heard the whole thing."
"Stay out of this Lawson. This is just between me and my brother."
"I don't think it is, when the rift between you two is the direct cause of yours truly."
"Leo, love, there's nothing you can do," George mumbled from where he was staring into the fire, looking like he had given up. "He won't listen to reason."
"The hell he won't listen to reason!" Leo suddenly grabbed a hold of Fred shirt and pushed him unto a chair. "Now, here's the lesson of the day, Mr. Stubborn-pants. George loves you as a brother and as a friend, no matter if he's going out with me or not. While he is going out with me, you might not see him as much, but don't take that as a personal insult. You're still his best friend, right George?"
"Right," he said quickly.
"So don't think that he thinks lesser of you because of me. Got that?" she looked menacingly at Fred. He nodded. "Good. I'll make a deal with you. George and I swear that we won't be mushy around you, and to add you in on our mischief, if you promise to apologize to George and to try not hating me. Deal?"
Fred just stared up at Leo, slightly taken aback from her aggressiveness. He did not answer.
"Well? Yes or no?"
George looked on, hopeful, as his brother gulped and began to open his mouth.
*****
A/N: Oh, will Fred apologize to George and make everything better between the two? If not, will Leo strangle him on the spot? That would be messy. Anyways, I have a request for all you readers out there. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in creating some fan art for this story. I have tried, but alas, I am no artist. If you would like to, e-mail me at schizophrainia_n_blue@hotmail.com with any questions or comments you'd like to make. Sorry so short, expect longer and better chapter in the future. Tootles!
"Calm down, she'll be all right."
"What if she isn't all right?! What if she never wakes up?"
"Blimey, George, get a grip. She's a strong girl. It would take more than a fifty foot fall to put her out of commission."
"Still, though, when she wakes up, should we tell her?" "I dunno, it might worsen her condition."
"How the hell would it worsen her condition? How much worse can she be?"
"You can never tell. Still though, I think we should tell her."
"Tell her what?" Leo groggily opened her eyes and found herself in the Infirmary, surrounded by her Quidditch teammates, all with different states of worry drawn on their faces. Jazz, Hermione, and Ron were there also.
"Oh, Leo!" George threw his arms around her head, causing her to wince. "I thought you'd never wake up!"
"Merlin's beard, I wasn't out for that long, was I?"
"Only for a couple of hours, but still we were worried there," Jazz told her, her eyes filled with concern for her sister.
"That was quite a fall you had. Scarier than my two put together," Harry commented with a weak smile.
"The crowd had a fit and rushed the field trying to get to you. But Dumbledore made sure you were put on a stretcher and taken here safely," Alicia elaborated.
"That's good and all, but there's one thing I have to know: Did we win?" Leo insisted, sitting up in her hospital bed, a look of hope on her face.
"Well, let's just say, that was the most spectacular save I've ever seen," grinned George widely.
"I don't even think Wood could have passed out onto the Quaffle!" Angelina laughed.
"I'm the master!" Leo pumped her fist into the air feebly, then laid back into her pillows. "Ugh, my head hurts. So does my stomach."
"Yes, well, that's what happens when you give yourself food poisoning," Fred spoke up for the first time.
"Food poisoning?"
"That's what Madam Pomfrey figures gave you the retches," Katie told her. "And your head hurts from falling on it, obviously."
"Obviously," grinned Leo. "Now, I know you guys want to celebrate with the rest of the Gryffindors, so don't let me stop you. Go on down, I need to rest."
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" asked George, concerned.
"Positive. If you guys didn't have fun, I'd feel even worse. Now out you get! Go on!"
*****
It took three days before Leo could return to class. Her food poisoning was worse than Madam Pomfrey had thought, and it took some time to rid it from her system. When she returned to class, however, she was treated as a hero from her fellow Gryffindors for securing their victory over Slytherin for the second year in a row. There wasn't a class that she didn't have someone smacking her on the back, giving her a high five, or a round of applause, except for one. Two guesses to which one that was.
"Two points from Gryffindor, Steward, for disrupting my class," Snape sneered as he gave a death glare to the poor Gryffindor boy who had decided to shake Leo's hand during Snape's explanation of the Wit-Sharpening potion. "And ten points from Gryffindor for causing it, Lawson."
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," smirked Leo evilly. "That is, if you weren't here."
"Glad to see your charm has returned with your good health," Snape commented, almost sincerely. Or about as sincere as Snape could get.
"Thanks, I think."
"Now get back to work!"
*****
"Honestly Fred, it's as if you wanted Leo to be severely injured!" George accused. The foreseen row between the twins was now in full swing in the Common Room, where most of its inhabitants took refuge elsewhere.
"Of course I didn't want her severely injured! But those three days without her around were heaven on earth for me!"
"Why the hell do you hate her so much?" George suddenly sprang the question that had been chewing on his mind for quite some time. "It's not like she's done anything to you!"
"Oh, but she has," Fred sank into an armchair. "She's taken away my best friend."
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"
"Before you two became "The Dastardly Duo" WE were "The Dastardly Duo". Me and you, the top pranksters, the funniest of them all. Now she's up there and I'm not even in the picture," he put his head in his hands. "When she isn't around, it's like it's just me and you again. The good old times."
"I wasn't like this when you were dating Angelina," George said quietly.
"That's because Angelina is nothing like Leo!" Fred suddenly outburst. "Angelina is nothing like the two of us. Leo is! I can't compete with that!"
"Look, Fred, I like Leo a lot. I might even kinda love her; truth be told that thought still scares me some. I can't just break it off because you feel threatened."
"Then get out of my life," Fred stormed off his seat and tried to exit the Common Room, but he was stopped by the person he did not want to see.
"Fred, would you stop thinking of yourself for a second and realize that I'm not dating George just to piss you off?" Leo looked at him sternly, leaning on the doorframe. "And don't try to say that's not why you're angry with him. I heard the whole thing."
"Stay out of this Lawson. This is just between me and my brother."
"I don't think it is, when the rift between you two is the direct cause of yours truly."
"Leo, love, there's nothing you can do," George mumbled from where he was staring into the fire, looking like he had given up. "He won't listen to reason."
"The hell he won't listen to reason!" Leo suddenly grabbed a hold of Fred shirt and pushed him unto a chair. "Now, here's the lesson of the day, Mr. Stubborn-pants. George loves you as a brother and as a friend, no matter if he's going out with me or not. While he is going out with me, you might not see him as much, but don't take that as a personal insult. You're still his best friend, right George?"
"Right," he said quickly.
"So don't think that he thinks lesser of you because of me. Got that?" she looked menacingly at Fred. He nodded. "Good. I'll make a deal with you. George and I swear that we won't be mushy around you, and to add you in on our mischief, if you promise to apologize to George and to try not hating me. Deal?"
Fred just stared up at Leo, slightly taken aback from her aggressiveness. He did not answer.
"Well? Yes or no?"
George looked on, hopeful, as his brother gulped and began to open his mouth.
*****
A/N: Oh, will Fred apologize to George and make everything better between the two? If not, will Leo strangle him on the spot? That would be messy. Anyways, I have a request for all you readers out there. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in creating some fan art for this story. I have tried, but alas, I am no artist. If you would like to, e-mail me at schizophrainia_n_blue@hotmail.com with any questions or comments you'd like to make. Sorry so short, expect longer and better chapter in the future. Tootles!