A/N: Well, RL continues. I am starting this chapter while I have a
migraine. No vision in the right eye. Flying dots of white light in the
left. Pain in both. Pain all through my head. Don't feel up to eating;
'fraid I couldn't keep it down. But Alexandria wants her story told, so
here she is.
Chapter Eleven
I woke groggy sometime the next day in the hospital wing. I felt numb all over, like I wasn't in my own body. My brain wasn't function right either. Madam Pomfrey bustled in just then, almost like she has radar or a motion sensor somewhere.
"Tut tut, young lady. You need to rest. Here, drink this." She helped me drink a bile tasting sleeping potion. "It'll put you back to sleep for a few more hours. Then the Headmaster wants to talk to you." She tucked the covers back around me and waited by my bed while I quickly dropped back to sleep.
~*~
On the second day in March, Professor Dippet entered my semi-private ward in the hospital wing. "Miss Foster," he started, pulling a chair closer to my bed. "I understand you were out of your House after curfew."
My eyes and jaw opened wide in shock. "Bu - but Profes -"
He held up a hand to stop me. "You were found on the front lawn of the castle in nothing but socks and a shirt. This warrants severe punishment. You will have detention every day for the next three weeks. The very next time you ignore the rules you will be expelled." He stood up and straightened his robes. "You will go back to classes tomorrow. You will not be allowed to make up any work you have missed because of your disobedience. Good day." With that, he turned and left the hospital wing, slamming the door behind him.
Madam Pomfrey came in to check up on me. She didn't say anything as she helped me to lie back down, but I could read her face. I closed me eyes to block out her sympathetic stare and feel asleep again.
I woke up and waited two seconds. Madam Pomfrey came in again. "Madam, I am hungry. Can I have some soup or broth or something?" she nodded briskly and left the room. I slowly sat up, scooting back to lean against the headboard. I looked around the room and noted there wasn't one personal thing in here. Everything was clean and neat and the room was sparsely decorated. It was functional, there to serve a purpose. I noted that I was even wearing a patient gown and looked for hat was left of my clothes.
At that moment, a house elf popped in with some tomato soup and butter crackers. Madam Pomfrey came in through the door with a change of clothes. "You eat now, dear," she fussed. " Then if you think you can, shower in there and get dressed. You need to try and walk around a bit before you head back to your House before dinner."
"Madam Pomfrey," I started, looking up at her over my soup, "did I have any visitors?"
She lost her happy mood; I saw her face change instantly. "The Headmaster refused to allow visitors. He said it would encourage what he called disobedience. All he knows was that you were found outside missing half of your clothes." She patted me on the head. "However, I would like to tell you that I think I have a better idea of what happened. If you need to talk to someone, I am here. I will send you back to your House with a powder to mix with a drink to ease the physical pain some. I don't have anything for the emotional scars you will get from that night." She smiled weakly and left.
I ate my soup thoughtfully. _I've been here two days, recuperating. No one but Dippet and Pomfrey has been in here to see me. I'm sure they know I went missing. Wonder what they were told. Who brought my clothes here? How did I get onto the lawn? Why the lawn? They could have put me back in bed and no one would have known._ All these questions and no answers. I set the tray with the empty bowl on the bedside table and threw the covers back. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and took the gown off. I almost fainted when I saw my legs and arms.
I had bruises from where I was held down. Big dark marks, purple and blue and black, covered my arms and legs almost completely. I carefully touched one on my arm and winced. They would all hurt for days. I stood up shakily and headed for a cool shower. I needed to clear my head and get on with life.
~*~
That evening I skipped dinner. I wasn't up to walking to the Great Hall and back or putting up with people just yet. The guys said that they would bring me back something to eat. I sat in front of the fire in an overstuffed chair. Zada sat in my lap, purring and gently kneading a terrible bruise on my thigh. As much as it hurt, it also felt good having her there loving me.
The rest of the Gryffindors trickled in later from dinner. Lily was the first to stop by and talk to me. "Are you going to be OK?" I could read the concern in her face.
"Yes, eventually," I sighed. "In a few days these bruises," I pulled up a sleeve and she gasped, "will fade and disappear altogether. I'll finish my detention soon enough. Then all I'll have will be the memories."
"What happened?" she placed a hand on my arm and I winced. She quickly jerked it back and muttered an apology. "I'm not ready to talk about it, Lil. Maybe someday."
She looked up at the portrait. "The guys are here with your food. Make them feel good and eat some of it, ok?" she stood up with a wink and left. I gave her a weak smile.
"Ok, Alex, we have you some chicken and some biscuits and an apple. Peter here grabbed a couple pears and James got you some cake." Sirius looked up at James. "That is, if he didn't eat it all coming up here," he scolded.
They all grabbed chairs or cushions and sat around me. They asked question after question while I ate and I just shook my head no. I wasn't going to answer any of them right now. I was hungry and I was tired and I wanted to be left alone. Finally I was able to leave them there and go to bed. However, I lay in my bed thinking again.
~*~
The next few days were surreal. No one wanted to be seen talking to the girl who was caught half naked on the lawn and yet everyone wanted to know what had happened. Detention started three evenings after I was allowed to return to classes. I spent three hours an evening cleaning classrooms and storage rooms and other such dirty chores. On one night I spent the time cleaning all of the cups and shields and plaques in the trophy room. After the cleaning I would fall into bed exhausted and sleep without problems through the night.
For three weeks I slept dreamlessly.
~*~
A/N My kids are now mad at me. It is 97F outside and they want to go to the fair. I have already been in the heat long enough to overheat myself and two dogs. I don't want three overheated children on my hands. Plus I still need to mow the grass. I never did do it Sunday.
Chapter Eleven
I woke groggy sometime the next day in the hospital wing. I felt numb all over, like I wasn't in my own body. My brain wasn't function right either. Madam Pomfrey bustled in just then, almost like she has radar or a motion sensor somewhere.
"Tut tut, young lady. You need to rest. Here, drink this." She helped me drink a bile tasting sleeping potion. "It'll put you back to sleep for a few more hours. Then the Headmaster wants to talk to you." She tucked the covers back around me and waited by my bed while I quickly dropped back to sleep.
~*~
On the second day in March, Professor Dippet entered my semi-private ward in the hospital wing. "Miss Foster," he started, pulling a chair closer to my bed. "I understand you were out of your House after curfew."
My eyes and jaw opened wide in shock. "Bu - but Profes -"
He held up a hand to stop me. "You were found on the front lawn of the castle in nothing but socks and a shirt. This warrants severe punishment. You will have detention every day for the next three weeks. The very next time you ignore the rules you will be expelled." He stood up and straightened his robes. "You will go back to classes tomorrow. You will not be allowed to make up any work you have missed because of your disobedience. Good day." With that, he turned and left the hospital wing, slamming the door behind him.
Madam Pomfrey came in to check up on me. She didn't say anything as she helped me to lie back down, but I could read her face. I closed me eyes to block out her sympathetic stare and feel asleep again.
I woke up and waited two seconds. Madam Pomfrey came in again. "Madam, I am hungry. Can I have some soup or broth or something?" she nodded briskly and left the room. I slowly sat up, scooting back to lean against the headboard. I looked around the room and noted there wasn't one personal thing in here. Everything was clean and neat and the room was sparsely decorated. It was functional, there to serve a purpose. I noted that I was even wearing a patient gown and looked for hat was left of my clothes.
At that moment, a house elf popped in with some tomato soup and butter crackers. Madam Pomfrey came in through the door with a change of clothes. "You eat now, dear," she fussed. " Then if you think you can, shower in there and get dressed. You need to try and walk around a bit before you head back to your House before dinner."
"Madam Pomfrey," I started, looking up at her over my soup, "did I have any visitors?"
She lost her happy mood; I saw her face change instantly. "The Headmaster refused to allow visitors. He said it would encourage what he called disobedience. All he knows was that you were found outside missing half of your clothes." She patted me on the head. "However, I would like to tell you that I think I have a better idea of what happened. If you need to talk to someone, I am here. I will send you back to your House with a powder to mix with a drink to ease the physical pain some. I don't have anything for the emotional scars you will get from that night." She smiled weakly and left.
I ate my soup thoughtfully. _I've been here two days, recuperating. No one but Dippet and Pomfrey has been in here to see me. I'm sure they know I went missing. Wonder what they were told. Who brought my clothes here? How did I get onto the lawn? Why the lawn? They could have put me back in bed and no one would have known._ All these questions and no answers. I set the tray with the empty bowl on the bedside table and threw the covers back. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and took the gown off. I almost fainted when I saw my legs and arms.
I had bruises from where I was held down. Big dark marks, purple and blue and black, covered my arms and legs almost completely. I carefully touched one on my arm and winced. They would all hurt for days. I stood up shakily and headed for a cool shower. I needed to clear my head and get on with life.
~*~
That evening I skipped dinner. I wasn't up to walking to the Great Hall and back or putting up with people just yet. The guys said that they would bring me back something to eat. I sat in front of the fire in an overstuffed chair. Zada sat in my lap, purring and gently kneading a terrible bruise on my thigh. As much as it hurt, it also felt good having her there loving me.
The rest of the Gryffindors trickled in later from dinner. Lily was the first to stop by and talk to me. "Are you going to be OK?" I could read the concern in her face.
"Yes, eventually," I sighed. "In a few days these bruises," I pulled up a sleeve and she gasped, "will fade and disappear altogether. I'll finish my detention soon enough. Then all I'll have will be the memories."
"What happened?" she placed a hand on my arm and I winced. She quickly jerked it back and muttered an apology. "I'm not ready to talk about it, Lil. Maybe someday."
She looked up at the portrait. "The guys are here with your food. Make them feel good and eat some of it, ok?" she stood up with a wink and left. I gave her a weak smile.
"Ok, Alex, we have you some chicken and some biscuits and an apple. Peter here grabbed a couple pears and James got you some cake." Sirius looked up at James. "That is, if he didn't eat it all coming up here," he scolded.
They all grabbed chairs or cushions and sat around me. They asked question after question while I ate and I just shook my head no. I wasn't going to answer any of them right now. I was hungry and I was tired and I wanted to be left alone. Finally I was able to leave them there and go to bed. However, I lay in my bed thinking again.
~*~
The next few days were surreal. No one wanted to be seen talking to the girl who was caught half naked on the lawn and yet everyone wanted to know what had happened. Detention started three evenings after I was allowed to return to classes. I spent three hours an evening cleaning classrooms and storage rooms and other such dirty chores. On one night I spent the time cleaning all of the cups and shields and plaques in the trophy room. After the cleaning I would fall into bed exhausted and sleep without problems through the night.
For three weeks I slept dreamlessly.
~*~
A/N My kids are now mad at me. It is 97F outside and they want to go to the fair. I have already been in the heat long enough to overheat myself and two dogs. I don't want three overheated children on my hands. Plus I still need to mow the grass. I never did do it Sunday.