A/N: It's baaaaaack. I'm so sorry for being gone for almost a year, I have a list of excuses a mile long, but that's not important. What is is that I'm excited to write again, and I'm going to try to make the time. Maybe every two weeks? I actually wrote down my plotline, so hopefully I can actually follow it. Honestly, I started again because of all the favorites and reviews. Every time I saw one I got a little more excited until one day I was like, MAN I can't just give up on all these people who want to read this! So thanks to you. You're the reason I wrote it. I know it's not much of a coming back chapter, but I needed to put something out so I can build up my confidence again. So, I hope it doesn't suck? Lmk in those reviews, it means the world to me!
…..
I find myself waking up in the Hospital Wing...again. Maybe I can ask Madame Pomfrey to get me an honorary bed, right next to where Harry's would be; we deserve them for how often we wind up here. It looks to be midday, but I have nothing but the angle of the sunlight hitting my curtains to guess by.
I'm alone behind a stark white curtain, though I hear some bustling outside of it that tells me I'm not completely alone in the room. I assume it's Madame Pomfrey by herself, since no one is talking. It takes her a few minutes to come check on me, shutting down my previous idea that she is somehow notified when her patients are awake. When she does find out I'm awake, she immediately starts asking me how I'm doing as she frets over me.
"Better than I expected," I admit, taking a mental inventory of myself. I try to sit up but am immediately pushed back down. I don't fight her- trying that really hurt my right side. "But still not very good." I'm surprised by how good I feel, until I remember that magic heals things like cuts and bruises right away. Burns take longer because they're more complicated, but cuts are gone in an instant. Magic is so freaking convenient sometimes.
I also realize now that I was put behind this curtain because I'm naked without even a sheet properly covering me. I try to fight the mortified blush threatening to creep across my face. I'm an adult! I should not be embarrassed by my nakedness, especially in front of a healthcare professional, but even my rational mind can't stop me from feeling really awkward about this. Apparently my discomfort is clear on my face because Madame Pomfrey is quick to apologize.
"I'm sorry, Charlotte, but your burns covered a lot of you. I need to make sure there's nothing touching them while the burn-healing paste is working. You'll be fine and back to class by tomorrow. Your friends have been pressuring me quite frequently, but they can wait one more day. I'm sure they will be happy to know that you are awake and feeling a bit better."
"My friends?" I ask, not sure who actually stopped by. I'm sure Theo didn't, and if he did I would have to give him a stern talking to about avoiding unnecessary trouble.
"Those Weasley boys, , and . They were all very anxious about you. Even Professor Snape looked concerned when he brought you in". Her expression darkens as she continues, "Professor Lockhart kept trying to insist that he could take care of you, but fortunately Professor Snape made sure that you only saw me."
She pauses for a moment, clearly realizing that she shouldn't have such a negative slant towards a teacher in front of a student. "Of course, because I'm the school's healer. Professor Lockhart should be worried about his own position in the school, don't you think?" She apparently asks this last question rhetorically, as she doesn't wait for me to answer before continuing on to a new topic.
"Anyway, there are a lot of people that wish to speak with you about what happened. Poor Hagrid was worried sick, but I'll tell everyone that you're doing well and you can go speak with them tomorrow. You won't be seeing anyone today. I'll bring you some food in a little while." Without waiting for my response, she leaves me alone in my tiny, enclosed space.
As I'm left alone, thinking about what Madame Pomfrey told me, the memory of what I last said to Snape resurfaces, and I find myself mortified all over again. What an embarrassing thing to say! "I trust you"? How much more melodramatic can I get?
I mean, it clearly worked, so at least that's something, and I do trust him. That's sort of a weird thought though. The two of us were so at odds just a few days ago, but I would still trust the man with my life. Of course, I only trust him so much because of all the future knowledge I have. I suppose there's no reason to worry about what I said being weird since it's exceedingly doubtful that he'll burst in tomorrow and demand to know why I trust him so much. I let this line of thought go, and, before I know it, my wandering thoughts lull me back to sleep.
…
I wake up to the sound of murmuring voices. It's night and the lights are all out. I'm instantly confused by this because both the voices are male, which makes me wonder where Madame Pomfrey is at this hour. Another quick check up of myself (this time without lifting anything more than my head to avoid aggravating any wounds) lets me know that I'm still covered in orange goo, so I'm still healing with the burn paste. Maybe there's someone else staying the night and someone came to visit them?
I wait patiently, straining to try to hear what the murmuring voices are saying, but they're speaking too lowly for me to hear, despite the quiet of the room. The more anxious part of me notices that they're getting louder, as they're definitely coming closer to me. I try not to freak out, reminding myself that it would be weird regardless of these strangers' initial purpose to come barging in here just to pull back a random curtain in the Hospital Wing. Even if they're here to cause trouble, that would be an awfully specific thing to do.
I wait impatiently, holding my breath as I wonder what these two could possibly want. They draw nearer, and I notice that they are starting to sound familiar. A small light appears behind my curtain, throwing shadows into sharp relief onto it, and I suddenly have a very good idea who could be there.
"Fred and George don't you dare open this curtain," I command, not even bothering to make sure I'm right before I do. If I call their names to verify their identity and they rip it open to check on me...my mind blanks. I cannot imagine what an awful situation that would be for the three of us. I am not letting either of them see me naked. In fact, no man is going to get to see this body naked while it is still a legal offense to do so. I can't help but shiver at the idea. No thanks.
"Charlotte, is that you? Are you okay?" Fred (I'm pretty sure) asks. He takes a step closer.
"I'll be just fine if you don't open that curtain," I reiterate firmly and quickly.
"What's the matter?" George sounds worried. They both move even closer.
"Just don't open it, okay? Swear you won't!"
"We came all this way just to visit you and we can't even make sure that you're alright?" I can hear the hurt in Fred's voice, but that certainly isn't going to change anything.
"You are checking on me, right now. I sound fine, don't I? You still haven't sworn!" I see a shadowy hand move towards the curtain and I panic, forcing myself into a sitting position to grab the sheet bunched at my feet and throw it over me. The motion hurts even more than when I did it the first time, and I can't stop the small cry of agony that escapes me. Just as I'm laying back down and covered, the curtain is thrown back, and I'm greeted by two identical faces expressing identical worry. I narrow my eyes in agitation and pain, even as my friends are fretting over me.
"Char, are you okay? Does something hurt? Should we get Madame Pomfrey?" Fred is spilling a million questions a second, his eyes wide with concern. George looks nearly as panicked, looking from me to his brother and seeming just as unsure as to what he should do.
Fred reaches a hand towards me and I pull away, careful to keep myself completely under the sheets. The only thing that would be almost as bad as them seeing me naked would be their realizing that I am. Fred gives up trying to help, looking troubled.
"I don't need anything. In fact, I would be a lot better if you had listened to me," I groan, fighting the urge to touch my side as pain flares through it. "What time is it anyway?" I can feel the lack of sleep slowing my thoughts.
"Around 2. And you sounded like you were hurt."
"I am hurt, you dunderhead!" The twins' expressions fall, and I feel guilty for snipping at them. "Sorry, I just...I uhh." I don't know how to explain my anger with them without revealing far more than I would like. "I'm not supposed to have visitors because Madame Pomfrey worries that I might catch a cold. That's why I wasn't supposed to see anyone until tomorrow," I lie, still feeling sort of guilty.
"Are you sure?" George asks. I rub my tired eyes, wondering if this lie created while half-asleep can stand up to two very awake-looking friends.
"Well Madame Pomfrey is usually more of a worry-wart than anything. You'll probably be fine," Fred says, covering up what I think is another flash of concern with a wave of his hand. It takes me a moment to realize that he's saying that because he doesn't want to worry me. Very sly, Fred Weasley. I don't give you enough credit, sometimes.
"Yeah, she probably is," I agree. The fact that I'm laying here, totally naked, has not left the forefront of my mind for a moment. Being covered by a sheet does not feel like enough, at all. "That being said, we should probably stay on the safe side, right? And it's not like you can't come back tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah. I guess so. Come on, George. I can tell when we're not wanted." Fred turns away, grabbing his brother by the shoulder.
"We're clearly not the closest of close friends like we thought we were," George sighs, following his brother's lead.
"Hey, now don't be like that!"
"You're the one who told us to leave!" Fred argues, not really sounding upset even as the pair turn back to look at me. I sigh.
"Sorry for making you leave so soon, but thanks for coming. It means a lot to me." I give the pair a genuine, albeit sleepy, smile and they seem content with that.
"So you're going to be okay?" George asks.
"What did you do anyway?"
"I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow." I try to shoo them out with my words alone, even as I'm yawning.
"We should probably let her go back to sleep, now that we're sure she hasn't been petrified," George starts to urge his brother out.
"Wait, what?"
"We came to check on you because we thought Madame Pomfrey might be lying about what happened to you. With what's been going on this semester, we thought maybe you had been petrified."
"But that only happens to mudbloods, right?" I ask.
I don't realize right away what I just said, but I do notice the expressions on my friends' faces. George looks somewhere between flabbergasted and petrified, and Fred looks much more angry. Seeing their faces, the reality of what I just said hits me like a ton of bricks. This is what happens when I'm too tired!
"Oh no, I said something bad, didn't I?" I ask in a small voice.
"I know Ravenclaws tend to spend more time with Slytherins, but I had no idea that they had rubbed off on you so much," Fred seethes.
"I forgot it was a bad word! I hear it so often, it just slipped out. I'm so sorry," I say honestly. I remember the term well from the movies, and, of course, in the world I come from it wasn't really a bad word. You would think I would be used to it by now, but apparently being so tired has me all backwards. Fred is so angry I can see his ears turning red in the moonlight.
"I'm glad you're not dead," he manages before slipping out from the curtain and leaving. George looks after him, but doesn't leave right away. There's a long, awkward pause between us.
"You didn't mean it, right, Char?" George asks quietly, finally looking back to me. I shake my head, not sure if I can trust my stupid mouth right now. "I'll talk to him when he cools off. I'm sure you know we're from a pureblood family, but we still get a lot of hate from other families for being "Muggle Lovers". They can say what they want, but our family stands up for what's right. Our parents fought in the war against people who use words like that. Saying things like that reminds good people of bad times. Just, be careful how you talk, eh? You don't want people thinking you're one of the wrong sort."
He doesn't wait for me to respond before leaving me alone with my thoughts. I'm impressed that he managed to say that without using the word Death Eater. I wonder if he didn't want to scare me, or maybe he didn't want to outright imply that I spend my time with them. I wonder if they think that Theo is a bad influence, since they know I am friends with him. I sigh. Here's hoping I didn't just put my friendship with the twins in jeopardy over a stupid word.
That being said, I understand where they are coming from, and I'm really impressed and pleasantly surprised that George stopped to talk to me about that. I just hope that Fred comes around and realizes that it was an honest mistake. It's not like I was specifically calling someone a mudblood! I need to wipe that word from my vocabulary, which isn't necessarily easy, having to hear Draco say it at least once a week when he's prattling on overly loudly.
My many thoughts about what just transpired make it a bit more difficult to fall asleep, but before long, my tired body prevails and I lose consciousness.
…
I wake the next morning feeling almost perfect. I don't move around too much, in case I only feel good because I haven't aggravated anything by moving. After a few minutes of staring up at the ceiling behind my closed curtain, I call out to Madame Pomfrey so I can have something to do. A few moments later, much like yesterday, Madame Pomfrey appears and starts asking me a thousand questions about how I'm feeling.
"I'm glad you're doing better. I'll be removing the burn paste for the last time now."
"For the last time?"
"Oh I've been removing and reapplying it every few hours." My eyes go wide at this. If the twins had come at the wrong time last night, they would have run into a very angry mediwitch.
"I didn't know I was making you do so much work."
"Oh, it's no trouble. As long as you're being careful out there, I'll always be here to help." She smiles sweetly, and guilt squeezes my heart.
"I'll try to be more careful," I promise.
"That's what I like to hear." She gets to work, and soon I'm free of burns and cream and finally able to wear clothes again. "Now you can tell your worried friends that you're just fine and they can stop distracting me from my work!" I experimentally move around and stretch, checking myself for any scars. Madame Pomfrey notices me and adds, "Don't worry, love, those sorts of wounds won't leave any mark once I'm done with them. Now run along, you've got company waiting for you. And once you've spoken to your friends head straight to Professor Flitwick's office. He is anxiously waiting to hear what happened."
"Thanks, Madame Pomfrey. Sorry for all the trouble," I say. She shoos me away in answer, a smile on her face as she does so.
As soon as I make it outside of the hospital wing, I am accosted by twin redheaded giants. It feels akin to being hit by a dump truck, but fortunately their hugs keep me from falling over.
"Boys, boys! I just got out of the hospital wing! What will Madame Pomfrey say if you put me right back in it?" My words are partially smothered by their hugs.
"She's still calling us boys, do you hear this, Fred?"
"We, the two manliest men in this institution?" Fred pulls away and puffs up his scrawny chest. I laugh, but it's cut short by the memory of last night.
"I'm surprised you two are still talking to me after what I said."
"Said?" George asks.
"Said what?" Fred adds. I give them a pout, not stupid enough to repeat my mistake. He waves a hand, as if pushing the topic away. "All water under the bridge. I can't even remember what you're on about, it being under a bridge and all. But if you're so convinced we're upset, I'm sure we can forget all about it, if you tell us what got you into the hospital wing in the first place."
"Yes, inquiring minds would like to know," George says. The twins continue to carry the conversation back and forth between each other.
"We're not even the only ones."
"You're little friend Luna Lovegood was here."
"And even Theodore Nott may have asked after you."
"Nott did?" I ask quickly.
"Ah, ah, ah. You answer our question first." I look around, noting that we are still standing in a very public hallway. I don't mind telling them, even though the story is embarrassing as hell, but certainly not here.
"Not here," I say.
"Hungry?" George asks, suddenly pushing me forward.
"Uh, a bit." I reluctantly follow along.
"Well, lunch just ended. But never fear! The Weasley twins are on the job! And we could never let a damsel such as yourself go hungry!" Fred suddenly disappears behind a statue of a lion, and George pushes me along to follow suit.
"What's going on?" I ask, even as I realize what's happening. George looks up and down the hallway before nodding to Fred.
"This is one of the many secrets to our success." The twins grin maniacally as Fred reaches up to put his finger in the ear of the lion. After only a moment, the wall next to the statue opens up, and they quickly push me inside.
"Secret passageways!" I grin. I'm so glad I'm friends with these two! If I can learn the map of this school inside and out, I'll have a much easier time in the future.
We walk along this tunnel for a little while, as the boys talk to me about some of the other passages that I might find useful. Before I know it, we're popping out not far from the kitchens.
"Have you ever been in the kitchens before?" George asks.
"I didn't even know we were allowed here." They both shrug at each other.
"We're not sure either." I can't help but laugh.
Soon we're inside, and I finally have my first look at all of the house elves running about and using magic like a third hand. It's absolutely fascinating.
"Wow!" My exclamation causes the nearest elves to notice us, and two immediately stop what they are doing to come over.
"Misses Charlotte! And Mister Weasleys!" The two elves bow deeply.
"Oh, you know my name?" The elves didn't look familiar to me, but maybe I had seen them before when I asked for food in my room?
"Of course! We knows all the students here! But Tippy also talks about how kind you are. Misses Charlotte always says thank you to us!" The first elf explains. The twins look over at me, confused.
"I uh, ask for food in my room sometimes. I didn't know saying thank you was such a rarity," I explain. They both laugh at this.
"You don't have house elves at home either?" Fred asks. I shake my head.
"They definitely take some getting used to, but they're right useful in a pinch. If you don't mind them bowing a hundred times if you're too polite," George explains.
"Are you looking for Tippy? We can fetch her if you like," the elf says.
"Oh, no. I'm just here for some lunch," I say. "And you two?" I turn to ask the twins.
"Always!" They say in unison.
"But didn't you say lunch just ended?"
"That doesn't mean there isn't room for second lunch! We're growing boys!" Fred argues. I shrug.
"Lunch for the three of us then," I tell the elves. They immediately scamper over to another part of the kitchen and get to work. "Where will we eat?"
"There's another passage that leads to a corridor with plenty of empty classrooms. I would say we could go outside, but…" We all think of the harsh winter cold.
"Better to stay inside," I finish.
Before long we have our lunch and are waving the elves goodbye. I notice more than one is crying over the fact that we had thanked them and said goodbye. One or two elves at a time is fine, but this many at once is rather hard to deal with.
Soon we've made ourselves comfortable in an empty classroom.
"I think we've got everything in order for Charlotte, wouldn't you agree, brother?"
"I would indeed, dear brother!"
"Alright, alright, quit it. I'll tell you what happened." I take a bite of my sandwich, making the boys wait another few moments before I spill the beans. Watching them wait anxiously is too good to pass up.
"Charlotte!" They whine.
"Okay, fine." I finally tell them my story. It's a weird, stupid story, really. Not only is it evidence that I'm an idiot, but it also proves that I'm a terrible witch. Only someone who should have their wand taken away would manage to set themselves on fire with their own magic.
At first the boys are laughing at my antics and they laugh even harder at the part about me blowing up the red caps, but they seem earnest in their concern over my injuries. When I finish they're both quiet for a moment.
"It's a good thing Professor Snape was the one who caught you," George finally says.
"I can't imagine Professor Lockhart being able to catch anything," Fred says. We all nod in agreement. "But-"
"No 'buts', now it's your turn," I say, steering the conversation away from my embarrassing inadequacies, "Nott asked for me?" (It still feels a little weird not to say Theo, but I know he would be upset if I said that in front of other people).
"He tried to hide it...," Fred answers.
"...in that usual Slytherin way of his..," George adds.
"...but he was worried sick about you."
"Nearly jumped out of our skin, we did. Him appearing out of nowhere like that."
"You would think he had the map instead of us!"
"What map?" I jump on the slip-up as soon as I catch it. I've been looking for an excuse to get them to show it to me. It can come in handy in the future if I ever need to borrow it, but that would require me to know what it is.
The twins look at one another, at me, and then back at each other before shrugging.
"Little Charlotte, I think it's time that we brought you in on the big secret. You see, there's something we have been thinking about giving to you. We thought maybe you would become more of a prankster with it in your capable hands."
"Wait, what?" I didn't bother hiding my surprise. They wanted me to be a prankster like them? And they were giving me the map? I distinctly remember them giving it to Harry in third year, so that he could, you know, carry on the entire plot of the book! This was not the way things were supposed to go. Before I can panic any more, Fred is pulling out the Marauder's Map to show me.
"This is the Marauder's Map."
"It's a blank piece of parchment." I say what I know they are expecting to hear, though I can't help looking at it in awe. The Marauder's Map is right in front of me. Seeing it now, I feel like I can understand Harry's connection to the artifact; after all, this was made by his father's own hands.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," Fred recites, tapping his wand to the parchment. Suddenly, Hogwarts castle is spreading out beneath the page, hundreds of tiny footprints moving all around.
My frightened thoughts are pushed to the side as the twins point things out to me, hidden corridors and passages, Professors' offices and their strange night time habits.
"This is...magical," I manage to say. The twins laugh.
"We don't even know how the enchantments on this work. The makers of this map are our heroes. We hope we can make them proud with our mischief." The pair salute the map. "And now it's your turn." Fred tries to hand the map to me, but I put my hands up and take a step back.
"Oh, no. I couldn't possibly. You two still need it!"
"Not anymore. We've got this whole thing memorized, and all of Filch's routines. We've barely been using it lately."
"That's...really impressive," I marvel. Maybe I'm the one who has been goofing of all this time instead of these two. The twins laugh at my compliment.
"Tell that to our Mum...," George says.
"...she thinks we're just disappointments," Fred says.
"That's not true!" I can't help but argue.
"Try having three older brothers who do everything perfectly. There's no way she couldn't think that." Fred doesn't seem very upset, those his words say otherwise.
"That's fine though! We're having fun, and that's what matters. Who cares if we're disappointing or not!" George claps his brother on the back. "Anyway, if you use this map, you can see that your dear friend, Theodore Nott," George uses an overly dramatic accent in saying his name, "is right here, in your usual favorite classroom. He's been pacing there for hours."
"And you waited until now to tell me!" I jump up from where we had been seated. "And quit spying on us!"
"Well it isn't like we didn't also have things to discuss, and we need to watch out for little Charlotte, since she always seems to be getting herself into trouble," Fred points out. I sigh at this.
"I suppose you're right. I'm sorry, but I really must be going now." I start to head for the door.
"But the map!"
"I'm sure there's someone else who needs it more than me. Besides, I would much rather learn from the best than just have a map." I turn back to look at my friends. "If that's okay with you?" I beam at them, and they smile back. "Thanks for lunch! I'll catch up with you two later."
I rush out of the room, headed for Theo. I know I need to talk to Professor Flitwick at some point and deal with the consequences of my actions, but my friend comes first. Plus, he might be able to help me decide if I can come up with a better excuse for what happened. Or maybe I'll just have to tell the truth for once.
I'm glad I managed to get away with having the twins keep the map. Hopefully they give it to Harry next year. I'll have to ask to see it again sometime around then to make sure. I wish I could write these things down so I don't forget to do them in the future, but unfortunately that's just too risky.
I'm unsurprised that the twins don't seem very trusting of Theo, but I'm impressed how polite they are about him towards me. They respect my decision to be friends with him more than I had thought they would, even though they certainly don't like him. I wonder how much of that has to do with Fred's crush on me.
I can feel the heat spread across my face at the idea. Most of the time when we are hanging out together I forget about what Luna said, but every once in a while the thought invades my mind like a legilimens seeking entry.
I shake my head of these thoughts as I finally make it to our usual meeting spot. Poor Theo has been worrying about me, according to the twins, and he deserves some answers, especially since the last time we spoke he knew I was going to the Forbidden Forest. My hands are shaking a little, as they have been all day, but if I can't face my friends, how can I expect to face anyone else? With that thought in mind, I take a deep breath and head inside.