Two days later, found Poppy tidying the hospital wing. It was September
first, the day she looked forward to the most, next to Christmas of course.
Smiling brightly, she dusted, folded and cleaned to her hearts content,
trying hard not to look at her lovely antique grandfather clock just inside
her small and cozy office. Trying was the operative word. She'd managed to
not look at it for at least half an hour at a time.
Sneaking a glance, Poppy sighed a little. "You're quite mad. It's only ten in the morning." She muttered to herself, cursing herself for being such an early riser as she went back to her cleaning of the wing. She worked for another half hour before the door of the wing opened to admit Celene Sinistra, her navy blue robes complimenting her deep blue eyes.
She smiled and shook her head. "Hard at work this early in the morning, Poppy? Tsk tsk, so completely predictable of you." Celene smiled and moved inside.
"I do believe that's something Ro would say. Methinks you've been spending too much time with her." Poppy retorted with a grin as she finished her cleaning to sit down lightly on one of the hospital beds. "That one's a right nutter. I was just out to see her and she's already on the quidditch field this early in the morning." Celene smirked and remained standing. Poppy laughed, just picturing the scene in her mind. "That's Ro for you: Quidditch Nutter Extraordinaire."
The two spent the rest of the morning talking, prompting Poppy to conjure tea and scones for them. It was quite the easy morning spent chatting and reminiscing, but yet Poppy was really looking forward to the evening. To the welcoming feast...
"Poppy are you there?" Celene asked, waving a small and slender hand before the mediwitch. Poppy glanced up, a little startled out of her thoughts. She blinked and then came to realize she'd zoned out. "Sorry, Celene. Yes, I'm here." She said.
Celene however, continued to look skeptical. "Are you quite sure? You've been a little more lost in your thoughts than usual. Is something wrong?" A sincere look of worry surfaced on Celene's pert face. Poppy nodded, taking a moment to compose herself. If she didn't take care, they would all discover what she wanted to keep secret and silent in her heart.
"Nothing is wrong, Celene. It's just been one of those weeks for me is all." She said, silently praying that Celene would believe it was because of her Empathic abilities and not because of anything else. Celene looked thoughtful for a moment or two before she nodded. "I see. Well all I can say is that I hope you find time to rest. We don't want you to be wiped out before the term even starts." Celene told her.
Nodding her head slightly, Poppy looked down at her hands. "No we don't want that, now do we?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Poppy got through the rest of the day making sure things in the wing were in order for the start of term as well as making a visit to Pomona in her greenhouse that afternoon. All the while marveling at just what Pomona had in store for this year. It really perked Poppy up to see it all. After all, it had been a while since she'd actually been down to the greenhouses. As such, it was quite amusing to see the Venemous Tentacula moving about beyond the window to greenhouse three.
After that, Poppy of course went back into the castle and up to her own rooms to prepare for the welcoming feast. After she'd bathed she donned her trademark red gown and tossed on her preferred white apron, smoothing out the tiny wrinkles here and there as best she could.
"Now for that hair, dear girl." Poppy murmured, running her brush through her hair before she baretted it back. Smiling, she completely skipped glancing in the mirror. Instead she moved out of the room and down the corridor on her way to the Great Hall.
As she reached the bottom of the steps, her heart skipping a few beats in anticipation she found herself accosted by one Percy Weasley. "Professor McGonagall asked that you come to her office, Madam." He informed her, in a voice both rich and serious. She spared him a quizzical glance before she nodded and headed around the bend and down the immediate corridor which was brightly lit, mostly in part by the candelabra and the reflections on the stained glass windows.
Stopping before the Minerva's office, she knocked before she entered. Minerva of course sat behind her desk, but there were two others in the office. She took in the sight of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter who had been sitting facing Minerva, but were now facing her as she had just entered the room. She could only imagine this had to do with Potter and his amazing penchant for sustaining injuries of all sorts.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" Poppy inquired, bending down to look closely at Harry. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?" Her maternal instincts going into overdrive.
At this point, Minerva made a small sound in her throat. "It was a dementor, Poppy." She informed the mediwitch, both of them exchanging dark looks. Of course, that would be it wouldn't it, she mused to herself.
"Setting dementors around a school." She clucked disapprovingly as she pushed Harry's hair back and felt his forehead, not at all surprised by the coldness or dampness she felt. "He won't be the last who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate--"
Harry's eyebrows hoisted main sail at this. He looked positively outraged. "I'm not delicate!" He exclaimed, ducking his head under her hand. Checking his pulse, Poppy responded absently. "Of course you're not."
"What does he need?" Minerva asked crisply, taking both Poppy's and Harry's attention. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?" The Deputy Headmistress suggested.
Even if Harry hadn't been outraged before, he certainly was now. "I'm fine!" He exclaimed again, jumping up from his chair.
"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," Poppy suggested, trying to peer into Harry's eyes.
"I've already had some," Harry told the fussing mediwitch and the concerned Deputy Headmistress. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us." He went on to add.
"Did he now?" Poppy asked approvingly, thanking Merlin that no one could hear her heartbeat quicken. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?" She asked no one in particular, very much proud of him.
"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Minerva asked sharply, concern still etched in her features.
"Yes!" Was Harry's emphatic reply to the question. He certainly was fine if he could summon up all that indignance as he had, Poppy mused to herself as she tried hard not to roll her eyes. The boy was something else. Truly.
"Very well, kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together." Minerva directed, sending Poppy a look of thanks before the mediwitch left the room with Harry behind her.
Inclining her head, she left Potter to wait for his friend and moved into the Great Hall, murmuring disapprovingly of the dementors.
Really, how was anyone to focus on school or anything else for that matter with those horrors floating around? She could only hope that no student would run afoul of them. She'd already had many a talk with Albus on the subject and she recognized he could do nothing about the situation. Sighing, she walked through the hall to her seat at the staff table on the left side of Albus, to the right of Celene and Filius.
Poppy frowned when she noticed an empty spot beside the Herbology professor. Glancing down to the other end of the table she took in the seating arrangement. Minerva who had just entered the room usually sat to the right of Albus. Beside her sat Severus and then Hagrid whom she knew would be taking the post of Care of Magical Creatures in place of Michael Kettleburn. Professors Vector, Bembridge, and Woodsyn of the Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, and Study of Runes departments rarely ate dinner in the Great Hall. They chose to have their meals alone, much like Sibyll Trelawney in that respect.
Knowing immediately who would be taking that spot beside Filius, she paused, stilling her heart. Of course by this time she knew instinctively that he had just seated himself down in that seat and knew that his eyes were upon her. She turned and caught his eyes, a soft smile on her face acting as her greeting to him.
Remus smiled back for a long moment. Somehow she just knew deep down, that nothing had changed.
Sneaking a glance, Poppy sighed a little. "You're quite mad. It's only ten in the morning." She muttered to herself, cursing herself for being such an early riser as she went back to her cleaning of the wing. She worked for another half hour before the door of the wing opened to admit Celene Sinistra, her navy blue robes complimenting her deep blue eyes.
She smiled and shook her head. "Hard at work this early in the morning, Poppy? Tsk tsk, so completely predictable of you." Celene smiled and moved inside.
"I do believe that's something Ro would say. Methinks you've been spending too much time with her." Poppy retorted with a grin as she finished her cleaning to sit down lightly on one of the hospital beds. "That one's a right nutter. I was just out to see her and she's already on the quidditch field this early in the morning." Celene smirked and remained standing. Poppy laughed, just picturing the scene in her mind. "That's Ro for you: Quidditch Nutter Extraordinaire."
The two spent the rest of the morning talking, prompting Poppy to conjure tea and scones for them. It was quite the easy morning spent chatting and reminiscing, but yet Poppy was really looking forward to the evening. To the welcoming feast...
"Poppy are you there?" Celene asked, waving a small and slender hand before the mediwitch. Poppy glanced up, a little startled out of her thoughts. She blinked and then came to realize she'd zoned out. "Sorry, Celene. Yes, I'm here." She said.
Celene however, continued to look skeptical. "Are you quite sure? You've been a little more lost in your thoughts than usual. Is something wrong?" A sincere look of worry surfaced on Celene's pert face. Poppy nodded, taking a moment to compose herself. If she didn't take care, they would all discover what she wanted to keep secret and silent in her heart.
"Nothing is wrong, Celene. It's just been one of those weeks for me is all." She said, silently praying that Celene would believe it was because of her Empathic abilities and not because of anything else. Celene looked thoughtful for a moment or two before she nodded. "I see. Well all I can say is that I hope you find time to rest. We don't want you to be wiped out before the term even starts." Celene told her.
Nodding her head slightly, Poppy looked down at her hands. "No we don't want that, now do we?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Poppy got through the rest of the day making sure things in the wing were in order for the start of term as well as making a visit to Pomona in her greenhouse that afternoon. All the while marveling at just what Pomona had in store for this year. It really perked Poppy up to see it all. After all, it had been a while since she'd actually been down to the greenhouses. As such, it was quite amusing to see the Venemous Tentacula moving about beyond the window to greenhouse three.
After that, Poppy of course went back into the castle and up to her own rooms to prepare for the welcoming feast. After she'd bathed she donned her trademark red gown and tossed on her preferred white apron, smoothing out the tiny wrinkles here and there as best she could.
"Now for that hair, dear girl." Poppy murmured, running her brush through her hair before she baretted it back. Smiling, she completely skipped glancing in the mirror. Instead she moved out of the room and down the corridor on her way to the Great Hall.
As she reached the bottom of the steps, her heart skipping a few beats in anticipation she found herself accosted by one Percy Weasley. "Professor McGonagall asked that you come to her office, Madam." He informed her, in a voice both rich and serious. She spared him a quizzical glance before she nodded and headed around the bend and down the immediate corridor which was brightly lit, mostly in part by the candelabra and the reflections on the stained glass windows.
Stopping before the Minerva's office, she knocked before she entered. Minerva of course sat behind her desk, but there were two others in the office. She took in the sight of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter who had been sitting facing Minerva, but were now facing her as she had just entered the room. She could only imagine this had to do with Potter and his amazing penchant for sustaining injuries of all sorts.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" Poppy inquired, bending down to look closely at Harry. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?" Her maternal instincts going into overdrive.
At this point, Minerva made a small sound in her throat. "It was a dementor, Poppy." She informed the mediwitch, both of them exchanging dark looks. Of course, that would be it wouldn't it, she mused to herself.
"Setting dementors around a school." She clucked disapprovingly as she pushed Harry's hair back and felt his forehead, not at all surprised by the coldness or dampness she felt. "He won't be the last who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate--"
Harry's eyebrows hoisted main sail at this. He looked positively outraged. "I'm not delicate!" He exclaimed, ducking his head under her hand. Checking his pulse, Poppy responded absently. "Of course you're not."
"What does he need?" Minerva asked crisply, taking both Poppy's and Harry's attention. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?" The Deputy Headmistress suggested.
Even if Harry hadn't been outraged before, he certainly was now. "I'm fine!" He exclaimed again, jumping up from his chair.
"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," Poppy suggested, trying to peer into Harry's eyes.
"I've already had some," Harry told the fussing mediwitch and the concerned Deputy Headmistress. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us." He went on to add.
"Did he now?" Poppy asked approvingly, thanking Merlin that no one could hear her heartbeat quicken. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?" She asked no one in particular, very much proud of him.
"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Minerva asked sharply, concern still etched in her features.
"Yes!" Was Harry's emphatic reply to the question. He certainly was fine if he could summon up all that indignance as he had, Poppy mused to herself as she tried hard not to roll her eyes. The boy was something else. Truly.
"Very well, kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together." Minerva directed, sending Poppy a look of thanks before the mediwitch left the room with Harry behind her.
Inclining her head, she left Potter to wait for his friend and moved into the Great Hall, murmuring disapprovingly of the dementors.
Really, how was anyone to focus on school or anything else for that matter with those horrors floating around? She could only hope that no student would run afoul of them. She'd already had many a talk with Albus on the subject and she recognized he could do nothing about the situation. Sighing, she walked through the hall to her seat at the staff table on the left side of Albus, to the right of Celene and Filius.
Poppy frowned when she noticed an empty spot beside the Herbology professor. Glancing down to the other end of the table she took in the seating arrangement. Minerva who had just entered the room usually sat to the right of Albus. Beside her sat Severus and then Hagrid whom she knew would be taking the post of Care of Magical Creatures in place of Michael Kettleburn. Professors Vector, Bembridge, and Woodsyn of the Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, and Study of Runes departments rarely ate dinner in the Great Hall. They chose to have their meals alone, much like Sibyll Trelawney in that respect.
Knowing immediately who would be taking that spot beside Filius, she paused, stilling her heart. Of course by this time she knew instinctively that he had just seated himself down in that seat and knew that his eyes were upon her. She turned and caught his eyes, a soft smile on her face acting as her greeting to him.
Remus smiled back for a long moment. Somehow she just knew deep down, that nothing had changed.