Charlie rubbed his eyes wearily as he watched over Perry's bed. It was
evening and he himself had only woken up a few hours before. He had
followed her out to the valley when she ran out of the Common building this
morning so that he could apologize and get the story from her straight, but
when he saw that Longhorn reach out toward her he cast his stun spell to
try to get its attention away from her. It worked, but the dragon had
landed and flicked its powerful tail. Unfortunately it had hit Perry
dashing her a few hundred yards, breaking a few ribs, bones, and launching
her into a coma. He then tried to battle the dragon, hearing and seeing a
few other stunning spells coming from behind him, other fielders had heard
it. The dragon swiped at Charlie, narrowly missing killing him, but
slashing at him with claws, leaving him with gashes all over his body. He
muttered something about Perry and pointing in the general direction her
body had fallen before falling to the ground before his saviors. He awoke
naked and bandaged in the Hospital Wing, his bed next to Perry's. With a
cottony feeling in his mouth he grasped some water from his bedside and
looked over at Perry, his own eyes feeling with tears. He felt to blame for
her being in that bed. If he hadn't been so cold, if he hadn't even
bothered to tell her how he felt she would not have been in that bed. He
had wrapped a robe around him that was hanging by his bed and sat by her
own bed, taking her hand in his.
"Perry, I am so sorry. Please don't die. I need you too much," he whispered
hoarsely, his voice shaking with emotion. A slight rustle of robes and a
throat clearing behind him alerted him that there was someone there. He
turned and saw Healer Quinus looking at him with a slight frown.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, Charlie," he said in a slightly disapproving
tone. Charlie flushed and looked at the healer.
"Will she be alright, Quinus?" The healer sighed softly and put his hand on
Charlie's shoulder. "She is in a very delicate condition, but we shall try
to awaken her soon. Her bones will mend in a few days, but she has had a
very hard blow to the head, nearly fracturing her skull. In fact, it is a
miracle it didn't break in any way. I am sure she will be physically all
right, but we must watch and see if she has suffered any brain damage. Now
please get back into bed." With that, the healer stepped back expectantly.
Charlie shook his head. "May I please stay here a few more minutes? This is
all my fault and I just need some time with her. Please?" He looked up at
the healer with a pleading expression. The healer sighed and nodded, "As
soon as you are done back to the bed with you, all right?" Charlie nodded
and then looked back at Perry's face, still and beautiful in sleep, and
took her hand in his once more, as the healer moved away. He took her palm
and kissed it, and then with his other hand his fingers brushed aside a
spare lock of hair from her forehead, running them down her cheek softly,
tenderly. He dropped a kiss to her forehead then shuffled back into the bed
beside hers, lying on his back, awake, thinking. Sleep was a long time in
coming.
Three days later.................................
A soft rustle and low murmuring greeted him as he awoke from a fitful sleep. He kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep as he listened to the healers talking about Perry beside him. "She has shown a remarkable turn, almost as if she were fighting to come back. She will wake soon, within a few days I expect. I will keep the sleep spell on her until tomorrow, and see if she wakes then. The mending will have been done by then." Quinus' voice was soft, so as not to disturb Charlie. Madam Gos nodded and spoke softly as well, "Yes. I suppose the reason she is fighting so hard is because of Charlie over there. Those two are inseparable and would make quite the couple if it were not for Perry's consequences... Well thank you, Quinus, for letting me see them. I'll come back again to check in later on." Soft rustling and quiet footsteps indicated that they were heading away, followed by the soft click of the door as it was closed. With a muffled groan Charlie lay on his back eyes open, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. "What consequences could they be talking about?" He glanced over at Perry's sleeping form. "What haven't you told me Per? What don't I know that would keep you from loving me?" he thought as he watched her. Perry however, remained silent and unmoving. Soon thereafter Quinus came back in to check if Charlie was awake and needing anything. Charlie smiled at him and only mentioned he needed to relieve himself and have some food. The healer nodded and helped him out of bed. When he returned, he changed his dressings, and conjured up a tray of tea, toast and marmalade, and a bit of cold ham, before turning to walk away. "Quinus, wait." At this the healer turned, "Yes, Charlie?" Charlie sighed, "I heard you and Madame Gos speaking earlier. What are those consequences regarding Perry that she mentioned?" The healer raised an eyebrow, "So we have an eavesdropper in our midst?" he asked with a chuckle. Charlie had the grace to blush and look down abashed. The healer chuckled again and sat on a chair by his bed, on his other side, away from Perry. "I am not rightly sure about the details, actually. All I know is that Perry has some unusual circumstances regarding her life. She had mentioned it in passing once when she came in for a twisted ankle a few months ago. She had been sad about something, and had not watched where she was stepping, slipping on a patch of ice. I healed her in an instant and cast a cheering charm on her. She smiled and told me it was not necessary but that she thanked me regardless. Then off she went. You might want to ask Miss de la Vega when she awakens, which will probably be sometime within the next few days. You, however, shall be back on the fields by tomorrow afternoon, though I suggest waiting a bit before returning to the dragons. Now get some rest." He patted Charlie on the shoulder and headed out of the room. Charlie nibbled on his food, thinking, wondering what Perry could have been keeping from him all these years. With a sigh he lay back in bed. He looked around at what he had accumulated these past few days. Some of the other fielders had gotten him some flowers and a book to keep him occupied. His mother had sent some homemade fudge for both him and Perry, along with a letter asking them to come visit sometime soon, as their holidays were only a few weeks away. He knew his parents had liked Perry when they came to see him a few years ago, and his mother had treated her almost as a daughter. Kralen had brought some of his drawings for both of them. Dragons for Charlie and landscapes for Perry, knowing that she probably wouldn't want to see dragons for a good time to come. With a sigh he picked up his copy of Lacaster's Quidditch Follies Through the Ages, the book his fielder friends had brought. It was supposed to give a view of some of the worst plays in quidditch, but he wasn't much up to thinking about that. Instead, he lay back, the book open on his chest, thinking, wondering about Perry. Visitors came and went throughout the day exchanging words and pleasantries with him. Finally, the last visitor and Quinus left and he was alone with his thoughts, looking over at Perry in the soft candlelight. With some effort he stood and sat by her bed once more, taking her hand in his as he had done each night, running his rough, calloused thumb over her smooth, soft knuckles. "What haven't you told me, Perry?" he whispered softly to her, "What is so bad that you feel you must keep it from me? Don't you know I would love you even if you were a death eater and served the Dark Lord himself? Why can't you trust me with this, Perry?" His eyes burned as he tried to keep the tears back, feeling helpless as he watched her lie there, her face full of flickering shadows from the candlelight. His fingers rose again to her face, to brush her cheeks softly, and he stood, stooping low and brushed her lips with his own before turning back to his bed. He would be released tomorrow morning, and would return to his duties the morning after. Sighing, he turned toward her, watching her sleep until he grew drowsy, her face being the last thing he saw before dropping off to sleep.
Three days later.................................
A soft rustle and low murmuring greeted him as he awoke from a fitful sleep. He kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep as he listened to the healers talking about Perry beside him. "She has shown a remarkable turn, almost as if she were fighting to come back. She will wake soon, within a few days I expect. I will keep the sleep spell on her until tomorrow, and see if she wakes then. The mending will have been done by then." Quinus' voice was soft, so as not to disturb Charlie. Madam Gos nodded and spoke softly as well, "Yes. I suppose the reason she is fighting so hard is because of Charlie over there. Those two are inseparable and would make quite the couple if it were not for Perry's consequences... Well thank you, Quinus, for letting me see them. I'll come back again to check in later on." Soft rustling and quiet footsteps indicated that they were heading away, followed by the soft click of the door as it was closed. With a muffled groan Charlie lay on his back eyes open, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. "What consequences could they be talking about?" He glanced over at Perry's sleeping form. "What haven't you told me Per? What don't I know that would keep you from loving me?" he thought as he watched her. Perry however, remained silent and unmoving. Soon thereafter Quinus came back in to check if Charlie was awake and needing anything. Charlie smiled at him and only mentioned he needed to relieve himself and have some food. The healer nodded and helped him out of bed. When he returned, he changed his dressings, and conjured up a tray of tea, toast and marmalade, and a bit of cold ham, before turning to walk away. "Quinus, wait." At this the healer turned, "Yes, Charlie?" Charlie sighed, "I heard you and Madame Gos speaking earlier. What are those consequences regarding Perry that she mentioned?" The healer raised an eyebrow, "So we have an eavesdropper in our midst?" he asked with a chuckle. Charlie had the grace to blush and look down abashed. The healer chuckled again and sat on a chair by his bed, on his other side, away from Perry. "I am not rightly sure about the details, actually. All I know is that Perry has some unusual circumstances regarding her life. She had mentioned it in passing once when she came in for a twisted ankle a few months ago. She had been sad about something, and had not watched where she was stepping, slipping on a patch of ice. I healed her in an instant and cast a cheering charm on her. She smiled and told me it was not necessary but that she thanked me regardless. Then off she went. You might want to ask Miss de la Vega when she awakens, which will probably be sometime within the next few days. You, however, shall be back on the fields by tomorrow afternoon, though I suggest waiting a bit before returning to the dragons. Now get some rest." He patted Charlie on the shoulder and headed out of the room. Charlie nibbled on his food, thinking, wondering what Perry could have been keeping from him all these years. With a sigh he lay back in bed. He looked around at what he had accumulated these past few days. Some of the other fielders had gotten him some flowers and a book to keep him occupied. His mother had sent some homemade fudge for both him and Perry, along with a letter asking them to come visit sometime soon, as their holidays were only a few weeks away. He knew his parents had liked Perry when they came to see him a few years ago, and his mother had treated her almost as a daughter. Kralen had brought some of his drawings for both of them. Dragons for Charlie and landscapes for Perry, knowing that she probably wouldn't want to see dragons for a good time to come. With a sigh he picked up his copy of Lacaster's Quidditch Follies Through the Ages, the book his fielder friends had brought. It was supposed to give a view of some of the worst plays in quidditch, but he wasn't much up to thinking about that. Instead, he lay back, the book open on his chest, thinking, wondering about Perry. Visitors came and went throughout the day exchanging words and pleasantries with him. Finally, the last visitor and Quinus left and he was alone with his thoughts, looking over at Perry in the soft candlelight. With some effort he stood and sat by her bed once more, taking her hand in his as he had done each night, running his rough, calloused thumb over her smooth, soft knuckles. "What haven't you told me, Perry?" he whispered softly to her, "What is so bad that you feel you must keep it from me? Don't you know I would love you even if you were a death eater and served the Dark Lord himself? Why can't you trust me with this, Perry?" His eyes burned as he tried to keep the tears back, feeling helpless as he watched her lie there, her face full of flickering shadows from the candlelight. His fingers rose again to her face, to brush her cheeks softly, and he stood, stooping low and brushed her lips with his own before turning back to his bed. He would be released tomorrow morning, and would return to his duties the morning after. Sighing, he turned toward her, watching her sleep until he grew drowsy, her face being the last thing he saw before dropping off to sleep.