Chapter Fourteen
"Uggh" groaned Ginny, she pulled up her ride and settled onto the grass, her shoulder was throbbing painfully but she refused to acknowledge it. Cho had won fair and square and she, Ginny, would not cheapen the win by advertising her injury. She was not going to be able to shake Cho's hand without drawing attention to it, so she tucked her broom under her injured right arm and made her way over to Cho, she lifted Cho's arm with the Snitch, in celebration,
"Well done, Chang," she said, genuinely pleased for her.
"Thanks, Weasley, good game,"
Ginny backed away, giving the Ravenclaw players a chance to get in close to their Seeker, and congratulate her and themselves on their second concurrent win!
Ginny called her team over to her,
"Are you okay, Ginny?"
"Sorry about that Bludger, I tried to get to it,"
"Are you injured?"
They all crowded around to see how she was,
"Shhh," she quietend them, "I don't want to draw attention to it," she said quickly, and then returned to a more practical volume,
"I'm sorry we didn't quite get there today, but I am really proud of you all. It was our first game, we may have lost the match, but we won something more valuable today - we got a sense of who we are and who we can be. This is a firm foundation upon which we are going to continue to build. Are you with me?"
"Yes," they all replied.
"Are you with me?" she asked again, all authority and staring at them with intensity.
"Yes!" they shouted, feeling like they were embarking on a special journey together.
She clapped them all on the back and told them to go and congratulate their opponents and thank the Referee. She sidled over to the side of the Pitch and indicated to Madam Pomfrey that she was in trouble but would come and see her in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey eyed her closely, noticing the odd angle of her shoulder and nodded.
The reporter from the week before came bounding up to her,
"Ginny, hi, it's Penelope from the Daily Prophet, from last week?" she asked hopefully, with her hand out, she was asking both if Ginny remembered her and if she might give another interview.
"Hi, Penelope, how are you?" Ginny, took her broom in hand to give herself a reason for avoiding the handshake.
"More to the point, how is your shoulder?"
"I am fine, Did you see Chang? Practically stole that Snitch practically out of my fingers," said Ginny, laughing, hoping to hide her injury and turn the conversation to Cho, who had won the game for her team in dramatic fashion.
"You would have got there first, if not for that Bludger - "
"Would have, Should have, Could have," said Ginny, she began to shrug but stopped when she felt the pain, "Bludgers are a legitimate part of the game, and Chang got there first. My team is young, new, we played really well today, win, lose or draw - and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve as we get into our groove. Hope to see you next week, Penelope, Gryffindor versus Slytherin."
"Thanks for your time, Ginny," Penelope's eyes began scanning the pich to see who else she might be able to interview.
Ginny looked back and saw her teammates peeling away from the main group and appeared to be making their way back toward the Castle, her eyes fell on Cho, she indicated she was leaving but would see her back at the school. Cho gave her a frown but nodded in comprehension. Ginny walked over toward the stands where she had earlier seen Hermione sitting with some of the seventh years.
"Hey, bad luck," called Hermione, "That was a thrilling finish!"
"Hey, Hi guys, Did you enjoy the game?" and then quietly, so that only Hermione could hear, "I've got to pop up to the Hospital Wing, would you walk up with me?"
"Of course," Hermione said immediately in a low tone, and turning to the others, "We'll catch you up later?" The group nodded and began dispersing.
"What's happened?" asked Hermione, as they earned a little space from other people.
"It's my right shoulder, I think it's dislocated," Ginny's broom was back under her injured wing, her left hand taking the weight of her right arm, discreetly pinning it to her body.
"Oh no, let me take your broom - "
"No, no, it's all right, I've got it,"
"Don't be the hero, Ginny,"
"No, it's not that, I signalled Madam Pomfrey all ready, she will be waiting for me. I just don't want anyone to link my injury with my loss."
"What do you mean? If not for that Bludger you would have caught that Snitch!"
"Firstly, that might be a likely conclusion, but not inevitable. Secondly, that's the sentiment I want to avoid; it cheapens Cho's win and makes me seem like a whinger and I don't want that. It was all perfectly legal, and accidental - "
"Yes, not at all like the old days when Slytherin played so dirty."
"Exactly. I want to play with integrity, I didn't get the Snitch and that's that, I lost to a better player. But I played well, my team played well, I am proud of us and we will play Slytherin next week and try again. I can't wait."
Ginny was panting heavily with the fast paced walking uphill, the pain in her shoulder and collarbone and her long speech.
"Let's slow down a little, catch your breath," Hermione led Ginny up the stairs to the front doors of the Castle, "Through here," Hermione took the lead so that Ginny didn't have students bumping into her as she made her way up the stairs. Ginny let Hermione take her good arm and guide her along as she focussed on putting on foot in front of the other, the pain beginning to radiate throughout her body now.
Finally, she recognised the Hospital Wing double doors at the end of the hall, Hermione encouraged her along, and held the doors open for Ginny who moved side on to protect her wing.
"Here you are, Weasley, over there," said Madam Pomfrey, quickly moving into action,
"Take that broomstick," she directed Hermione who followed her instruction, efficiently placing it under the bed, where it would be out of the way.
Ginny was grimacing now with the pain, and Madam Pomfrey was trying to remove the robes to get a good look at the injury. Ginny was alternately holding her breath and then breathing rapidly, she struggled in the effort to help free herself of her clothing. Five minutes later, Madam Pomfrey had confirmed that it was indeed a dislocated shoulder that needed to be popped back into its socket. The healer had arranged for Hermione to stand on the other side of Ginny, ready to hold her against the imminent pushing force.
"This is going to hurt, Weasley, on three," she nodded at Hermione who nodded back, she raised Ginny's arm and held in position, "One, Two," and on two, rather than three, she pushed it firmly back into place, it didn't go the first time so she increased her effort and she felt it snap back into place. Ginny had passed out with the pain and Hermione laid back on the bed.
"Best thing really," said Madam Pomfrey, indicating the unconscious Ginny, "The worst is over, it will ache but it won't be very painful, I will strap it for a day or two until the inflammation settles."
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, I will wait with her, if that's okay?"
"As you wish, there is a kitchen through there if you fancy a cup of tea,"
"Thanks, would you like one?"
"I would love one, thank you," said the Healer, gratefully.
Slytherin students knocked at the door and then began bringing through Madam Pomfrey's healing supplies in various boxes and bags, Hermione pulled out her wand and performed a silent disillusionment charm, and then pulled the curtain around to conceal Ginny's still unconscious form on the bed. Satisfied, she stowed her wand and Hermione began preparing tea for the Healer, herself and Ginny who she knew would wake momentarily and she would appreciate a strong, sweet brew.
Within an hour Ginny was awake and sitting up in bed, she was no longer in pain, she had had a cup of tea, her shoulder had been strapped firmly but she was not yet dressed. She had begun begging and bargaining with the Healer for permission to leave, rather than giving a flat denial, Madam Pomfrey was employing a series of delaying tactics. Hermione was watching the interaction like she was at the tennis, an offer, a counter offer and on and on it went, she felt exhausted herself and was rather relieved when she noticed Cho Chang looking inquisitively into the Hospital room from the doorway.