Minerva was keeping a secret, a secret she had been avoiding for the last several days. Now, that she realized it was fact and not just paranoia leading this secret she lay on her four poster bed with her hangings drawn. The quidditch game had been canceled (obviously) and Minerva, and Alastor along with the other Gryffindor prefects and most of Gryffindor house had walked back to their tower…with a terrible weight on their hearts.
Now with her wand laying precariously on the edge of her scarlet bedspread she wept as silently as possible. Not just for Ariel, who had been moved the hospital wing, or for Tom who was with the headmaster and Dumbledore, but for the first time in a long time, for herself. If you would have picked up this ebony wand, laying on the beautiful Gryffindor girls bed, you would have been surprised to find what the last spell that had been cast was.
Minerva ran her hand absently over her stomach, and she
felt the bile rise steadily in her throat…how could this be happening?
Angela Anderson's sobs form the bed next to hers were the only sound
that broke the suffocating air around her. Minerva couldn't hear them,
she simply stared into the abyss and was lost in the intricate workings
of her mind when-
"She's awake. Just barely though." The voice was
none other than Poppy Pompfrey who Madame Katz had insisted come with
her to the hospital wing. Minerva immediately responded and pushed her
hangings open.
"Ariel! She's awake?" Minerva quizzed a smile spreading across her face. She was jubilant, she had been so sure that Ariel would…but she hadn't she was awake.
"Yes, she is very weak mind you,
but I think she shall improve in a few days." Poppy grinned,
contrasting with the rest of her appearance her grin lit up her blood
stained face. She looked exhausted. Other circumstances: Minerva
wouldn't have left her side until she was positive that her friend was
alright but...
"Is
she speaking any at all?" Minerva pushed on, now sliding to the end of
her bed.
"I think she mumbled a few words." Poppy said, but she didn't look entirely sure at all, and she was already heading for her bed. Angela who had stopped crying was looking at Minerva with deep curiosity.
"What is it Min?" She said concern in her voice.
" I'm going to go see her, hasn't it occurred to anyone that if she can talk we might be able to find out who the killer is!"
"Mini! I am surprised at you! The girl is hanging onto life by a thread you can't go down there and excite her. Wait until she is better, all that can wait." Poppy scolded her eyes narrowed dangerously, she looked like she would personally stop anyone from doing such an absurd thing. The whole room was watching Minerva now. Jeni George was grasping her bed post staring at Minerva with wide hazel eyes. Sarah Patil, a rather silly girl most days, ran over to Angela and draped her arms around her neck.
"Poppy, I wouldn't do a thing to harm Ariel, but don't you understand, once the person who tried to kill her once realizes that she isn't dead and that she's talking he or she is going to try and do it again. For the good of the school, to avoid this later we must know who it is, and as soon as possible." Minerva's hot Scottish temper was getting the best of her, how could they think that she would do anything to harm Ariel. Were they all blind! Minerva grabbed her wand and rushed for the door with one destination in mind…the hospital wing.
It took Minerva approximately 5 minuets to reach the hospital wing on the first floor, which was breaking a record in Hogwarts History, but Minerva didn't know…nor would she have cared at that time if she did. Madame Katz was not exactly easy to convince, but seeing that Minerva must have looked like someone not to be crossed she reluctantly let her in. Minerva crossed to Ariel's bed in three strides (another amazing thing seeing that Ariel's bed was on the far side of the room), and immediately knelt down beside her. Stroking the girls blonde curls she was extremely pleased to see her bright blue eyes flutter open and gaze up at her.
"Mini?" Ariel asked her voice sounding coarse as if she had been screaming recently. Any other time Minerva would have been less than keen on someone referring to her as 'Mini' but seeing as how it wasn't any other time she let it slide.
"Yes Ariel its me." She continued to stroke the frail girls hair. Clearing her throat she thought she should go ahead and ask,
"Ariel, do you know what happened, do you know why you're here?" She decided this would be a more appropriate approach. Ariel's eyes unfocused for a moment and then in a tone barely over a whisper she said
"yes." Chills ran up Minerva's spine.
"Do you know who it was Ariel, do you know who did this to you?" Ariel's brought her eyes back to Minerva's and she stared at her for a long moment.
"He spoke a strange language, Min, I didn't know what until I-" She stopped abruptly as if she had said to much and quickly rolled away from Minerva turning on her side.
"I can't say any more please leave me alone." Minerva was taken aback, she had never known Ariel to want to be left alone.
"Ariel please tell me. Please
tell me who it is, other people might get hurt Ariel. Its up to us to
stop it." Silence. Minerva bit her lip to keep from crying, why
wouldn't she tell her. Did she not trust her. Minerva's throat
tightened and constricted. Her father had taught her something about
trust, 'give a little get a little' he had always said. And weather
Minerva really used it as a way to get Ariel to talk or weather she
just needed to tell someone she said-
"Ariel, please, I-I'm pregnant."