Madam Pompfrey took Erin aside. "Could I have you in the hospital wing for
a short bit? It's only to get you cleaned up."
Hermione was suddenly at Erin's shoulder. "I'll go with her," she said to the two others. "You go ahead and save us a seat in the common room." The boys nodded and turned to go, talking about how cool it was to have another Gryffindor. The girls hurried to keep up with Madam Pomfrey. Hermione assured Erin that it couldn't be anything serious.
Once they got to the well-lit room Madam Pomfrey instructed her to sit on a bed. She obeyed immediately, having grown accustomed to harsh bouts of yelling when she didn't. She sat with such suddenness that Hermione jumped back a little.
"Sorry," Erin muttered.
"It's alright." Hermione smiled, trying to comfort the new girl.
Madam Pompfrey bustled over with a small jar in her hand. "Now, this won't hurt a bit. You just hold on." She opened it. It was full of a bluish cream that she dipped her finger in and tilted Erin's head to one side. Erin read the label. Bertha's Bruise Be-Gone. Right, she thought and felt the nurse rub it over her cheek. It tingled and she felt the soreness begin to recede. Hermione smiled as the bruise lost it's color, going a grayish then a sickly yellow, finally fading into the color of Erin's skin. "Good as new," Madam Pomfrey chimed. "Now eat your chocolate and be on your way to your house." She pushed a large chunk of chocolate from Hogsmede in her hand. Chocolate, Erin thought. I don't know what it tastes like. She nibbled a bit off the corner and tested the sweet. It warmed her and made her feel comfortable in the strange, new place. She took another bite off of the chunk and arose. Madam Pomfrey shooed them out the door and Erin followed Hermione to up staircases and through corridors to a portrait of a large lady in a pink dress.
"Pigglestone," Hermione said and to Erin's surprise, the Fat Lady smiled and the portrait swung forward to show a room in which a fire blazed and Gryffindors lounged. "This is the common room. You'll have to remember the password to get past the Fat Lady or else you won't be able to get in. This is where we do homework and have celebrations if we win a Quidditch game and just generally socialize. The girl's dorm is up the stairs and to the left. Boys to the right."
Erin gazed around at the tapestries that hung around the walls and the dark shiny wood of the tables and chairs set up on the edges of the room. "Hermione." Harry sat in an armchair near the fire, Ron beside him. There were two other seats. They made themselves comfortable and Hermione looked disapprovingly at the fire that was dwindling in the grate. She held out her wand and muttered something beneath her breath. A jet of orange shot out of her wand and the fire was immediately roaring again.
"So." Harry said after pushing the last of a chocolate frog in his mouth. "What did you do for fun?"
Erin shrugged. "I rode horses when I could."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? What was it like? The closest I've come is a unicorn." Erin blushed. "It's.. wonderful really. One of the most beautiful feelings in the world." The four were launched into conversation about horseback riding among other things that related to Erin. Ron was especially curious as how to use every day household appliances. ("Now, how does e-mail work?") He was like his dad every now and again.
Slowly, everyone went up to the dorms to gather their stuff to head home on the train the next day. "Don't worry, we're staying here too. It's actually quite fun without the great mass of people." Harry said. Erin was glad of this. To be left alone in an unfamiliar castle with no one to guide her was too much to even think about.
The boy who brought Erin came down from the seventh-year boy's dorm. No doubt talking to the redheaded twins. "Harry," he said. "Here's your broom. It was a great flight. Incredible turning and great speed." Harry took it.
"You're more than welcome."
"And, your," he looked around to see that no one else was there. Coast clear, he continued. "Cloak." Harry took the folded Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes just to make sure no one would see it if they came bursting in.
"Hermione, Ron," he said, nodding to each one in turn. Oliver closed his eyes for a split second longer than a blink. He turned to face Erin. Hermione was the one to interpret.
"Harry, Ron. it's getting quite late. I'm heading up." She looked at them with a note of urgency and daring.
"Er. I guess we'll be talking," Ron said. "See ya'" Oliver waved and three pairs of shoes clattered up the stairs, their owners whispering among themselves.
The boy had his own broom slung over his shoulder, a Nimbus 2001. He looked at Erin, directly at her eyes except. almost through them. He took a deep breath. "Good luck," he said, smiling nervously and touching her arm for a second. Erin nodded, also smiling. "Try out for the Quidditch team." He began to look about, avoiding eye contact. "Uh.. Colin Creevey took my place momentarily and Gryffindor isn't, uh, doing so well."
"I will." And after a moment's pause, "For you." Finally, his brown eyes met hers again. He touched her arm again, this time he let his hand rest there. Erin was pleading to the heavens for something more to happen. She moved into his arms.
"All I ever loved was Quidditch," he whispered, closing his eyes and biting his lip. "It was always Quidditch." She remained silent just closed her eyes with him. She felt his warm breath against her cheek as he moved his face closer to hers. Was this too fast? She asked herself. No. No. She felt okay with it. It was at the exact right time, when she completely relaxed that he bent and gave her a gentle kiss upon the lips. He lingered for just a second before they opened their eyes and it was over.
He picked up his cloak, which lay on a nearby chair and threw it on. He turned to look at her once more. "Goodbye Erin." He left through the entrance behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Erin watched him go and suddenly felt something wrong. As the portrait swung back into place behind him she whispered, unable to speak clearly, "Wait." But he was gone. Her brow furrowed and she finished the thought in another hushed sentence. "What's your name?" She pursed her lips as if to savor the taste and forbid herself to forget that moment.
Hermione was suddenly at Erin's shoulder. "I'll go with her," she said to the two others. "You go ahead and save us a seat in the common room." The boys nodded and turned to go, talking about how cool it was to have another Gryffindor. The girls hurried to keep up with Madam Pomfrey. Hermione assured Erin that it couldn't be anything serious.
Once they got to the well-lit room Madam Pomfrey instructed her to sit on a bed. She obeyed immediately, having grown accustomed to harsh bouts of yelling when she didn't. She sat with such suddenness that Hermione jumped back a little.
"Sorry," Erin muttered.
"It's alright." Hermione smiled, trying to comfort the new girl.
Madam Pompfrey bustled over with a small jar in her hand. "Now, this won't hurt a bit. You just hold on." She opened it. It was full of a bluish cream that she dipped her finger in and tilted Erin's head to one side. Erin read the label. Bertha's Bruise Be-Gone. Right, she thought and felt the nurse rub it over her cheek. It tingled and she felt the soreness begin to recede. Hermione smiled as the bruise lost it's color, going a grayish then a sickly yellow, finally fading into the color of Erin's skin. "Good as new," Madam Pomfrey chimed. "Now eat your chocolate and be on your way to your house." She pushed a large chunk of chocolate from Hogsmede in her hand. Chocolate, Erin thought. I don't know what it tastes like. She nibbled a bit off the corner and tested the sweet. It warmed her and made her feel comfortable in the strange, new place. She took another bite off of the chunk and arose. Madam Pomfrey shooed them out the door and Erin followed Hermione to up staircases and through corridors to a portrait of a large lady in a pink dress.
"Pigglestone," Hermione said and to Erin's surprise, the Fat Lady smiled and the portrait swung forward to show a room in which a fire blazed and Gryffindors lounged. "This is the common room. You'll have to remember the password to get past the Fat Lady or else you won't be able to get in. This is where we do homework and have celebrations if we win a Quidditch game and just generally socialize. The girl's dorm is up the stairs and to the left. Boys to the right."
Erin gazed around at the tapestries that hung around the walls and the dark shiny wood of the tables and chairs set up on the edges of the room. "Hermione." Harry sat in an armchair near the fire, Ron beside him. There were two other seats. They made themselves comfortable and Hermione looked disapprovingly at the fire that was dwindling in the grate. She held out her wand and muttered something beneath her breath. A jet of orange shot out of her wand and the fire was immediately roaring again.
"So." Harry said after pushing the last of a chocolate frog in his mouth. "What did you do for fun?"
Erin shrugged. "I rode horses when I could."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? What was it like? The closest I've come is a unicorn." Erin blushed. "It's.. wonderful really. One of the most beautiful feelings in the world." The four were launched into conversation about horseback riding among other things that related to Erin. Ron was especially curious as how to use every day household appliances. ("Now, how does e-mail work?") He was like his dad every now and again.
Slowly, everyone went up to the dorms to gather their stuff to head home on the train the next day. "Don't worry, we're staying here too. It's actually quite fun without the great mass of people." Harry said. Erin was glad of this. To be left alone in an unfamiliar castle with no one to guide her was too much to even think about.
The boy who brought Erin came down from the seventh-year boy's dorm. No doubt talking to the redheaded twins. "Harry," he said. "Here's your broom. It was a great flight. Incredible turning and great speed." Harry took it.
"You're more than welcome."
"And, your," he looked around to see that no one else was there. Coast clear, he continued. "Cloak." Harry took the folded Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes just to make sure no one would see it if they came bursting in.
"Hermione, Ron," he said, nodding to each one in turn. Oliver closed his eyes for a split second longer than a blink. He turned to face Erin. Hermione was the one to interpret.
"Harry, Ron. it's getting quite late. I'm heading up." She looked at them with a note of urgency and daring.
"Er. I guess we'll be talking," Ron said. "See ya'" Oliver waved and three pairs of shoes clattered up the stairs, their owners whispering among themselves.
The boy had his own broom slung over his shoulder, a Nimbus 2001. He looked at Erin, directly at her eyes except. almost through them. He took a deep breath. "Good luck," he said, smiling nervously and touching her arm for a second. Erin nodded, also smiling. "Try out for the Quidditch team." He began to look about, avoiding eye contact. "Uh.. Colin Creevey took my place momentarily and Gryffindor isn't, uh, doing so well."
"I will." And after a moment's pause, "For you." Finally, his brown eyes met hers again. He touched her arm again, this time he let his hand rest there. Erin was pleading to the heavens for something more to happen. She moved into his arms.
"All I ever loved was Quidditch," he whispered, closing his eyes and biting his lip. "It was always Quidditch." She remained silent just closed her eyes with him. She felt his warm breath against her cheek as he moved his face closer to hers. Was this too fast? She asked herself. No. No. She felt okay with it. It was at the exact right time, when she completely relaxed that he bent and gave her a gentle kiss upon the lips. He lingered for just a second before they opened their eyes and it was over.
He picked up his cloak, which lay on a nearby chair and threw it on. He turned to look at her once more. "Goodbye Erin." He left through the entrance behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Erin watched him go and suddenly felt something wrong. As the portrait swung back into place behind him she whispered, unable to speak clearly, "Wait." But he was gone. Her brow furrowed and she finished the thought in another hushed sentence. "What's your name?" She pursed her lips as if to savor the taste and forbid herself to forget that moment.