Chapter 9-
Pike entered the infirmary, Airykkaa clutched in his arms. Madame
Pomfrey glanced towards him, and instantly knowing who the girl was, and
noticed the tears in his eyes. She pointed to one of the clean beds, and
he gently laid his sister down, "Not the way I wanted to meet the other
twin," she said, taking notice to the desperation on Pike's face. She
turned toward Airykkaa, surveying the weakened mess that lay before her,
"She'll be okay, but she'll be in here for a few days." Madame Pomfrey said
gently.
She also took note to the look of betrayal etched in his eyes,
"Estelle?" was alls he asked. Pike nodded slowly, still not wanting to
believe that she had done this. 'Anything but this.' he thought.
"She'll be fine." Madame Pomfrey said, taking a warm, wet cloth to
Airykkaa's forehead.
Draco stumbled in behind them, and she nodded to him, pointing to the
bed beside Airykkaa, and he obediently sat down. Madame Pomfrey handed the
cloth to Pike, motioning him to continue, and so he gently dabbed the wet
cloth onto his sister's pale skin. Madame Pomfrey reached into a storage
cabinet and pulled out a pitcher of chicken broth and a small vial of a sky
blue liquid. She mixed them into a teacup, only using a few drops of the
blue liquid.
"Drink this." she said to Draco, and he took it gratefully, the pain
in his head and body, ebbing away with the first sip.
"Damnit!" Madame Pomfrey screeched, making them all jump, "That girl
has done enough damage." she said, shaking her head. She had seen one too
many students injured by Estelle, "And now this."
She called one of the Ravenclaw students that had been passing
through to help out in the infirmary.
"Yes Madame?" the girl asked sweetly, then looking concerned at the
students before them. Even if they were students, she knew that no one
could possibly deserve Estelle's rage.
"Go get Professor Dumbledore." Madame Pomfrey said, her voice
cracking, "I'm going to need his help." she thought silently as the girl
nodded and spoke, "Oh and Willow," she hated making her students go to him,
but it was needed, "Get Professor Snape too, tell him it's urgent."
Willow nodded, and raced out of the infirmary.
Moments later Draco looked considerably better. The pain in his head
had faded, and now he was left feeling merely drained.
"You shall sleep in here for a few hours, just so I can check up on
you." Madame Pomfrey said to Draco, motioning him to lay down and get
comfortable. it wasn't that hard to do, considering that the potion
mixture was now making him very sleepy.
Moments later, Dumbledore burst into the room, and Madame Pomfrey
sighed with relief, "You may attend to Mr. Malfoy Poppy, I'll take care of
Airykkaa." and Madame Pomfrey nodded and headed toward Draco obediently,
"But first, give something to Pike that will make him sleep, he must be
stressed."
"No. I'm fine." Pike said, the lie not even remotely convincing.
Dumbledore shot him a glance that would make even the most stubborn
crumble, and he drank the sleeping drought, instantly, collapsing onto a
small bed, and felling into a deep, deep sleep. But in his last second of
consciousness, he heard Snape stumble through the doorways, and Pike saw
the horror on his face as he glanced at his children, his beloved twins,
and then, he slept.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
When Pike awoke, he found his father still sitting next to Airykkaa and himself. Draco had already been sent on his way, having no permanent injuries, only a mild headache. He slowly sat up, finding he had to lay back down because his head was reeling. "Too strong?" Snape grinned, noticing his son was awake. "You made it didn't you?" Pike asked, and Snape merely nodded in reply, "Remind me to tell Madame Pomfrey not to accept supplies from you, you may well off a student one of these days." Snape grinned, an impish smile curling over his lips, "If only that were so." he said jokingly. Pike suddenly remembered why he was in the infirmary and nearly fell off the bed, "Is she okay?" she asked, panic-stricken. "She will be fine dear, you just rest." Madame Pomfrey said, urging Pike to lay back down. She shot a harsh glance at Snape, "You should have made it stronger." she said. "Poppy, if, IF I had made it stronger, he wouldn't be alive!" Snape hissed, "The strength of it already would have killed a small child." Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened, "Remind me not to give any of that to the first and second years then" she said, turning to Airykkaa who still lay in the bed. She had begun muttering in her sleep, and tossing and turning some time earlier. Pike and Snape both turned towards her as well, "When do you think she'll wake up?" Pike asked, the worry almost unbearable. "Tonight I think, it shouldn't be long." Madame Pomfrey said, sighing, and string out the window at the pink glow of sunset, "But, she won't be able to leave for a few days, she'll still be weak." she finished, her face set. Pike gave a great sigh, remembering that Estelle did this. He had become quite fond of Estelle, how could she do this? Why? The betrayal he felt was sickening, and tears glistened in his eyes. "You can go back to the dormitory and rest now, or go to the great hall for supper. Your choice." she said, wanting to keep him there, but knowing he needed some time to walk, and some time to be alone, "If you aren't seen at supper then I'll have something brought up for you." Pike nodded thankfully and stood up. He hugged his father tightly, Snape did not resist at all, and then he hugged Madame Pomfrey. Then he took a deep breath, and strode out of the infirmary. He left through the main doors of Hogwarts. No sooner had he passed through those doors, he sank to the ground and burst into tears. He started at the sound of Pansy's voice, "Are you okay?" she asked, forcing herself to sound genuine. Pike couldn't speak, he merely nodded his head to say no. She sank toward him, and wrapped his head and torso in her arms, "There, there now." she said, as a cruel smile curled on her lips after Pike could no longer see her face, "It will all be okay." 'No, it won't be.' he thought cynically, anger welling in him. "Thanks Pans." he muttered, and got up and walked away. He snarled in disgust at the mere thought that Pansy Parkinson dare pretend to be his friend, and he walked back into the school.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
When Pike awoke, he found his father still sitting next to Airykkaa and himself. Draco had already been sent on his way, having no permanent injuries, only a mild headache. He slowly sat up, finding he had to lay back down because his head was reeling. "Too strong?" Snape grinned, noticing his son was awake. "You made it didn't you?" Pike asked, and Snape merely nodded in reply, "Remind me to tell Madame Pomfrey not to accept supplies from you, you may well off a student one of these days." Snape grinned, an impish smile curling over his lips, "If only that were so." he said jokingly. Pike suddenly remembered why he was in the infirmary and nearly fell off the bed, "Is she okay?" she asked, panic-stricken. "She will be fine dear, you just rest." Madame Pomfrey said, urging Pike to lay back down. She shot a harsh glance at Snape, "You should have made it stronger." she said. "Poppy, if, IF I had made it stronger, he wouldn't be alive!" Snape hissed, "The strength of it already would have killed a small child." Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened, "Remind me not to give any of that to the first and second years then" she said, turning to Airykkaa who still lay in the bed. She had begun muttering in her sleep, and tossing and turning some time earlier. Pike and Snape both turned towards her as well, "When do you think she'll wake up?" Pike asked, the worry almost unbearable. "Tonight I think, it shouldn't be long." Madame Pomfrey said, sighing, and string out the window at the pink glow of sunset, "But, she won't be able to leave for a few days, she'll still be weak." she finished, her face set. Pike gave a great sigh, remembering that Estelle did this. He had become quite fond of Estelle, how could she do this? Why? The betrayal he felt was sickening, and tears glistened in his eyes. "You can go back to the dormitory and rest now, or go to the great hall for supper. Your choice." she said, wanting to keep him there, but knowing he needed some time to walk, and some time to be alone, "If you aren't seen at supper then I'll have something brought up for you." Pike nodded thankfully and stood up. He hugged his father tightly, Snape did not resist at all, and then he hugged Madame Pomfrey. Then he took a deep breath, and strode out of the infirmary. He left through the main doors of Hogwarts. No sooner had he passed through those doors, he sank to the ground and burst into tears. He started at the sound of Pansy's voice, "Are you okay?" she asked, forcing herself to sound genuine. Pike couldn't speak, he merely nodded his head to say no. She sank toward him, and wrapped his head and torso in her arms, "There, there now." she said, as a cruel smile curled on her lips after Pike could no longer see her face, "It will all be okay." 'No, it won't be.' he thought cynically, anger welling in him. "Thanks Pans." he muttered, and got up and walked away. He snarled in disgust at the mere thought that Pansy Parkinson dare pretend to be his friend, and he walked back into the school.
