Will rushed down the corridor, Lizzie had made him go back up to his room and run a comb through his blond locks. He couldn't understand why he'd done it, must be early morning stupidity he thought. Pausing by a mirror that stood between two windows he glanced at his reflection,
"Good enough," he shrugged, he was about to turn away when he saw something out the window. "What the…?" He peered out the window and blinked in disbelief, then swore, whirled round and sprinted away down the corridor.
Shoving through people in the Entrance Hall he spotted a black cloak that hung on a hook next to the doors. Ripping it down he wrenched open the door and sprinted down the steps out into the snow. Leaving a trail of slight imprints behind him he ran round the side of the castle glancing upwards trying to gauge where he had been when he saw…there.
His heart pounding as he knelt beside her he checked for her vitals. She was alive, "Thank God," he breathed, gently lifting her shoulders off the ground and spreading the cloak he had brought around them. Her clothes and skin were wet where they had lain against the snow.
She was freezing cold, her face almost as white as the snow that lay around her. Her long black hair fell limply about her face a stark contrast with her skin. A single red flower was entwined in her hair, the only thing of colour about her.
Will held her close to his chest trying to share his body heat, "Tanwen? Tanwen, can you hear me?"
He pulled the edges of the cloak round her to cover most of her unconscious form and then lifted her in his arms.
"Stupid girl," he whispered to her as he walked back towards the doors, "what on earth did you think you were doing? You know if anything happens to you Cedric will never forgive me."
Then he paused realising how pointless it was to talk to an unconscious person. He gazed at her pale features as he walked, she reminded him of that girl from a muggle story. What was it again? Snow White. Despite himself he grinned, would she wake with a kiss from her prince? He shifted her weight in his arms and her head leant against his shoulder, he could feel her icy forehead against his chin, looking down at her again he pressed his lips to her forehead, "Just be alright ok?" he told her quietly.
Reaching the double doors Will ran up against a problem, how was he going to open the door? He looked round and then decided to try and 'knock', maybe someone would still be in the Entrance Hall. He kicked the door and waited.
Inside Lou and Dom were coming down the marble staircase,
"She must have got up real early," Lou said, "it was odd because she always waits for one of us and I'm normally first up anyway. She hadn't even made her bed."
"Well you can ask her at breakfast, maybe she was just really hungry," he suggested, "what's that?" he looked at the doors, "I could have sworn I just heard-"
"Someone knock," finished Lou. She walked over and cautiously opened the door, Dom at her shoulder. She gasped and walked backwards into Dom.
"Move out the way, I need to get her to the hospital wing," said Will, who stood shivering outside holding Tanwen in his arms.
"What happened?"
"Is she ok?"
"I don't know, I just glanced out of a window on my way down to breakfast when I saw her just lying on the ground," he answered as he crossed the Hall and headed towards the hospital wing.
"I want to come," said Lou quickly.
"Umm what should I do, should I tell anyone?" asked Dom, looking to the older boy for guidance.
"I don't know, I guess maybe your head of house, McGonagall, I don't think it's serious enough to speak to Dumbledore. Anyway I'm going to get a move on, she's as cold as ice."
"Right," Dom glanced at Lou uncertainly, she looked like she was about to burst into tears. He felt a sudden surge of warmth for her, she had such a gentle spirit, "I'm sure she'll be alright," he reassured her, squeezing her arm gently before walking towards the Great Hall.
Lou turned round to see Will ahead of her, she hurried to catch up. She had to take almost two strides to each of his. She eyed Tanwen with concern, "she's so pale," she said shakily, "like-"
"Don't say it," Will interrupted, "she's going to be fine."
'Everyone keeps saying that,' Lou thought, 'it must be bad.'
Dom walked past his table to where the teachers were sat at the top.
"Erm, Professor?"
"What is it Jennings?" asked McGonagall quickly seeing the look on his face, "what's wrong?"
"It's Tanwen professor, we- me and Lou that is- were coming down the stairs when we heard someone knock at the door. Well, Will- Will Griffiths- he was holding Tanwen, and she was real pale-icy cold he said- and I don't know, I think she might have been out there all night-"
McGonagall rose, "hospital wing?" he nodded. She looked to Dumbledore, who sat to her right, he'd heard every word and had risen with her. The two of them walked out from behind the table and Dumbledore asked him, "what else do you know?"
"Nothing really Professor," he replied, "Will only just came in and he walked off with her straight away to the hospital wing,"
"Ok Dominic, we'll take it from here," he walked past him and out the door at the end, McGonagall just behind him.
Dom stood there for a second, just watching their retreating backs before coming to his senses, many eyes were turned to him curiously. He met Cedric's gaze across the room and quickly looked away, Cedric frowned apprehensively. Dom walked towards his table and sat down heavily, rubbing his forehead worriedly. Immediately he was bombarded with questions.
Back in the Hospital Wing Will was sat in a chair next to Tanwen's bed, a blanket round his shoulders. To his left Lou sat nibbling her fingernails nervously. Tanwen herself lay on the bed swathed in a blanket that rippled through variations of orange, yellow and red, fire cloth. Madam Pomfrey stood over her the other side of the bed, frowning a little and continuously glancing at her watch. As they watched Tanwen began to shiver causing the mirage of colours on her blanket to vibrate vibrantly.
The two looked to Madam Pomfrey anxiously but she seemed to have relaxed a little.
Dumbledore and McGonagall entered the room,
"Well Poppy, how is she?" asked Dumbledore quietly taking her to one side.
"She'll live, the fire blanket has begun to reverse things. For a moment there I was worried, but she should recover, it'll take a while though, I've never seen such an acute case of hypothermia in a school, she must have been out there practically the whole night."
"Any idea how long it will be before she regains consciousness?"
"I'm afraid not, you can never tell with things like this,"
"Ok, thank you Poppy," he turned back to Will, "you found her didn't you?"
"Yes Professor," answered Will, "I saw her lying on the ground from a window on my way to breakfast and so I went out to her."
"How was she when you found her?"
"Well, she was unconscious, lying out round the back of the school, she was wearing her night dress and err well that's all…"
"Anything around her? Other footprints?"
"No, only her own,"
"Minerva, can you go out and find them and trace where they come from before they get disturbed?" She nodded and left immediately. He turned back to Will looking thoughtful, "Was she wearing any slippers?"
"Slippers?? Erm, no,"
"Hmm, ok thank you Will. Now you two should go down to breakfast."
"I'm not really hungry," said Will
"Me either," added Lou softly.
"Well in that case, you should go and get ready for your lessons, there's nothing more you can do to help here. You can come and visit Miss Gray later, and I'm sure there will be people that you know who would wish to know what has happened."
They nodded and got up slowly to leave, with a parting glance at Tanwen they walked out into the corridor. All the way that they walked together they didn't utter a single word, not even when they parted, they simply looked up and nodded to one another.
Outside the door of his transfiguration class Will paused, he didn't have any books. Well, McGonagall probably wouldn't mind that much given the circumstances, and at this moment in time he wasn't all that bothered whether or not it got him into trouble. He pushed the door open, she wasn't there yet. Following Dumbledore's instructions he guessed.
He walked over to Cedric and slumped into the chair next to him.
"What happened?" Cedric asked, frowning with concern, "Where have you been?"
"Hospital Wing," he replied
"Are you alright-"
"I'm fine," he interrupted, "it was Tanwen." He explained in a low voice what had happened. When he had finished he looked at Cedric closely to see how he would take it.
"So she's there now?"
"Yeah"
Cedric rose just as McGonagall came through the door, "Apologies for my lateness class- Mr Diggory where do you think you're going?"
"To the Hospital Wing Professor," he replied.
"Are you unwell?"
"No, I-"
"If you are not unwell I suggest that you sit yourself back down. Miss Gray is in no immediate danger, and I don't doubt, will be in the same state she is now when the lesson is over. You may go then."
"But Professor!" he protested. She raised an eyebrow and he hesitated slightly before glancing at Will who nodded his agreement with McGonagall, sighing he sat back down.
He sat impatiently through the lesson, he didn't care what people said, he wanted to go and see her now. He might have only been her boyfriend for about two months, but he cared more about her than any other girl he knew it was almost unreasonable.
The minute the lesson ended he stuffed all his books into his bag and walked straight out the door, Will close on his heels.
"Where's the fire boys?" Lizzie asked as they past her in the corridor, they were walking so fast they were almost running.
"Tanwen's in the Hospital Wing," Will told her stopping briefly, "Coming?" she nodded and together they hurried along to catch up with Cedric. On the way he filled her in on the events of the morning.
Cedric pushed the door open and hurried into the room. As soon as he caught sight of her he stopped abruptly causing Will and Lizzie to run into the back of him. More cautiously he approached the bed, his eyes never leaving her pale face.
"Tanwen?"
"I don't think she can hear you Cedric," said Lizzie gently placing her hand on his arm.
"She looks a little better, I think," said Will from the other side of the bed.
"This is better?" asked Cedric incredulous.
"Err…" Will didn't know what to say.
They went and sat at her bedside until Madam Pomfrey shooed them away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She could hear voices around her, what were they saying? She couldn't quite make it out. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around her. A blanket shimmering orange and yellow was wrapped around her and she realised that, one again, she was in the Hospital Wing. This was becoming a habit, she thought wryly.
She shivered, she still felt cold. Through the curtain she could see the shadows of two figures conversing in low tones. Tiredly she stared upwards at the stone ceiling above her head, what had happened? She frowned trying to remember, all she could remember was going to bed last night and bits of a vivid dream.
The blanket was wrapped so tightly round her that when she tried to move her arms to help herself sit up all she found she could do was lift her head a little way off the pillow.
Noticing movement, Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtain. As soon as she saw Tanwen was awake she bustled over and began checking her over.
The other person who she had been talking to was Dumbledore. He too came to Tanwen's side and looked down at her seriously, "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Cold and stiff," she replied trying to move again.
"Hold still please," Madam Pomfrey told her.
"Do you know what happened to you?" asked Dumbledore.
She frowned again, "No, the last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed last night-"
"You've been here for four days," Dumbledore explained gently.
"Four days? But-I…" she trailed off.
"Will Griffiths found you lying outside in the snow several mornings ago."
"Professor, can this wait until later?" asked Madam Pomfrey.
"Of course, I'll leave you to tend to your patient and I'll return later," he smiled at Tanwen before leaving.
"Right," bending over Tanwen she unwrapped the blanket and helped her to sit up, "I want you to have a bath now to bring your body up to normal temperature," she told Tanwen.
Slowly Tanwen swung her legs over the side of the bed and got unsteadily to her feet. With Madam Pomfrey supporting her she walked over to a side door which stood ajar. Inside the room was filled with steam and a long tub was filled with hot water. On a hook on the wall a thick dressing gown hung and a stool in front held a curious looking piece of rock.
Removing the rock from the stool Madam Pomfrey helped Tanwen onto it before dropping the rock into the water. There was a loud hissing as the rock began to melt turning the water and the steam into a shade of red or pink.
"I shall have some clothes brought from your room, but in the meantime just wear the dressing gown when you're done. As soon as I leave get yourself into the water, you'll know when to get out when the water turns back to normal. Should you need any assistance then shout for me and I'll come," she informed Tanwen in a businesslike manner.
Tanwen nodded and as soon as the door shut behind Madam Pomfrey she took of her nightdress and stepped into the bath. She sighed contentedly as the waves covered her body as her aches and coldness was soothed away. Closing her eyes she lay back allowing the water to support her weight as she floated peacefully.
All too soon the water began to fade and return to its normal translucent hue. Sitting up she held on to the slippery edge of the large tub and stood up dripping. Climbing over the side she reached for the dressing gown and wrapped it tightly round her soaking body.
Then she pushed to door open and walked out. As soon as she entered the room she noticed that she had visitors. Lou, Dom, Cassie, Jon and Marcia were standing talking to Madam Pomfrey.
"Tanwen!" squealed Cassie, spotting her, and she ran over and threw her arms around her wet friend.
"Hey," replied Tanwen hugging her back, "how've you been?"
"A lot better than you I'd wager," said Jon as the rest of them came to join her.
"We brought you some clothes," said Marcia, holding out a small bag.
"That's enough for now," Madam Pomfrey said, "Tanwen's only just woken up and isn't completely well yet. You can come back and visit her after dinner."
Bidding her goodbye they left, leaving her to the attention of Madam Pomfrey once more. As soon as she had dressed Madam Pomfrey dried her hair, her own wand still being up in her room.
"I really am feeling much better," Tanwen told her, "can I not go back to my dorm?"
"I want to keep you in here for a day or so just to keep an eye on you," replied Madam Pomfrey.
Tanwen sighed.
"Here," she handed Tanwen a plate of food on a tray, "eat this."
Leaning back on her pillows she began to eat.
Back in the Great Hall the others were making their way to the table. As they passed the Hufflepuff table Lou paused before breaking off from the others and walking over to where Cedric was sat with Will and Lizzie. All three looked up expectantly at her approach.
"I just thought that you'd want to know that Tanwen's awake now," she mumbled shyly.
"How is she?" asked Cedric eagerly.
"Ok I think." Replied Lou softly.
"So we can go see her?" asked Will.
She nodded, "after dinner." Glancing to the side she saw Dom had come to stand beside her. She slipped her hand in his before nodding to the three seated and walking over to the Gryffindor table.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Yeah a new reviewer! Thanks for the review Robin, I'm glad you like it! I lo0ve writing this fic, I especially love Jon and Will, and Cedric's a darling too! And they're all mine *insane laughter* ahem....right oh yeah erm anyways review and let me know that other people appreciate the hours I spend on this so I can tell my conscience that it's ok to do this!! ^__^