Lena didn't see Kara over the next few days, and she quickly took to feeling dejected and melancholy. Kara was the only person who had ever really taken an interested in her as a person. Just as… Lena. And now, Lena was sure, Kara hated her. At least, that's how it seemed to her, given Kara's sudden change in attitude at the end of their last meeting, and their lack of contact since. She wanted to give up on Kara. To forget about their few, precious interactions where Lena had felt strangely comfortable and content. To make it all go away so she didn't have to remember what it felt like to be appreciated for who she was.
And she tried. She really did. In fact, she tried so hard to forget that she couldn't sleep. So, for the very first time, Lena snuck out of the common room portrait around 2:30 in the morning and slipped into the dimly lit corridors of the castle, in search for what she so deeply longed for.
Maybe Kara was right, though, Lena thought. Maybe I should leave this alone and just figure out what I want as it comes.
But the thought of her end-of-year N.E.W.T.s made her shudder as she pulled her robes around herself just a little tighter. She had to know. Had to take a chance that this mirror would tell her everything she needed to know about her future. Then again… what if she never got what she wanted? What if the mirror did drive her mad with longing?
Lena shook her head, tearing herself away from those thoughts. I have to try, she told herself. I have to know.
As her luck would have it, she didn't get far. In fact, she ran right into a group of seventh-year Gryffindors arguing in the corridor. Before she could back away in silence, they noticed her.
"Oy!" a male called out. "Slytherin. This is our little get-together, and you're not invited!"
"I was just taking a walk," Lena scrambled to say, as one particularly aggressive looking Gryffindor girl advanced on her.
"Well, can't take any chances about that now, can we? What if your wise-ass Slytherin mouth went and told on us? Hmm?" she taunted.
Lena reached for her wand, but the other girl was faster and raised the wand before Lena could fully grasp hers.
"Petrif—" the girl started, attempting the Full Body-Bind curse.
But before she could complete the spell, Lena heard a loud voice calling out from directly behind her.
"Expelliarmus!"
That was Kara's voice.
Lena moved to turn and look as the sound of the student's wand hitting the floor echoed, but she was so startled by the sound of Kara's strong, authoritative tone of voice that she felt her heart nearly stop as she fainted in place, her head hitting the cold stone floor of the castle corridor.
"Aw, shit," one of the male Gryffindors huffed, ignoring the Slytherin. "Shoulda known you'd show up, Kara. Thanks a lot. We were having a blast! This terrible, sneaky Slytherin was just about to get her ass beat."
"Listen," Kara snapped, kneeling beside Lena and lifting her head off the floor and onto her lap. "The three of you are going to polish trophies in the trophy room with Filch tomorrow night. And fifteen points from Gryffindor."
"Are you serious?" the other boy blurted. "Kara, you know that's your house right?!"
"Fifteen points each," Kara clarified. "And the professors will back me on this. I'm also sure you're well aware that violence and bullying of any kind are not tolerated in this school. I'm incredibly disappointed to see members of my own house here, picking on another student and sneaking about after hours doing gracious-knows-what."
"But Kara," the girl whined. "We're going to lose the house cup!"
"Then you shouldn't have been out here after curfew wandering the halls like a bunch of buffoons and attempting to use to the Full Body Bind curse on another student! Now get back to your dorm! Rest assured, the professors will know about this first thing in the morning. And I will make damn well sure that you're there tomorrow night, polishing those trophies until they make the reflections of your smug little faces shine."
Lena finally stirred in Kara's arms, her eyes fluttering open as her hands flew up to her head to hold it, drawing Kara's attention immediately. Heart racing as relief washed over her at seeing Lena awake, Kara protectively pulled her slightly closer.
"Oww," Lena moaned, rubbing the back of her head as she started to sit up.
"She better get detention too!" the Gryffindor girl called back, after taking a few steps away from the prefect.
Carefully, Kara helped Lena sit up, but wouldn't allow her to stand, ignoring the Gryffindors as they walked away.
"Sit for a minute," the prefect ordered. "You hit your head pretty badly. You were out for about a minute."
"Kara," Lena whispered, leaning back against Kara's strong arms.
The blonde nodded and gently nudged Lena's hands away from the back of her head and replaced them with her own.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," Lena told her honestly. "It hurts."
"Let's get you to the hospital wing," Kara offered.
"But I—"
"Just sit for a minute, though." Lena, frustrated by her own incapacitation, went quiet and remained in Kara's arms, shutting her eyes and privately savoring the feeling of Kara's hands supporting her head. After a minute or so, Kara announced, "Okay. Come on," shifting them so that she was out from under Lena, then lifted the brunette up into her arms, bridal style.
"Holy shi—" Lena gasped, upon being lifted so swiftly into Kara's arms. "You're strong."
"Quidditch," Kara explained simply, feeling her cheeks grow warm.
She wasn't sure if she liked the compliment or hated it. Lena was giving her more attention than she could handle in that moment – or at all, really – so she ended the conversation by going silent. Luckily, the hospital wing wasn't too far, so Kara didn't get tired carrying Lena there.
Still, Lena offered, "You can put me down, you know. I'll be okay. I'm sure I can walk."
But she knew she didn't want Kara to let her go. This is stupid, she told herself. She's just doing the prefect thing. She's obligated. It's not like she—
"I'd rather carry you," Kara confessed, surprising Lena beyond belief. "I don't want you to trip or fall or hurt yourself more."
Staring in wonder, stunned into silence once again by Kara's kind deeds, Lena pondered her luck. On the one hand, she'd been unfortunate enough to run into a bunch of grumpy, aggressive, Slytherin-hating Gryffindors, and she'd hit her head on the floor. On the other hand, Kara had been there to help. Where would she have been without her? Probably in a Full-Body Bind, left on the floor in the corridor for someone to find tomorrow.
"Kara," Lena whispered, as they neared the doors to the hospital wing. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. And listen… I know I told you I wouldn't tell that you were going to go looking for… you know. But I caught you… and I got them in trouble… so…"
"Consequences," Lena agreed with a sigh. "I understand."
She hated that she was in trouble, but she did understand. It was Kara's responsibility to be fair, and as much as she wanted to be off the hook due to the Gryffindor's attempt to curse her, she knew Kara couldn't play favorites.
"I won't have you do detention with them, though," Kara told Lena, giving her intense relief. "I heard Professor Sprout needs some help with repotting some mandrakes tomorrow night, and that shouldn't be too hard. Second-year stuff. And… I'm sorry, but… Likely ten points from Slytherin."
Lena sighed and nodded. She hated herbology. So boring, she thought. But it was only fair, and she knew Kara wasn't going to let her off the hook. She was lucky just to have detention separately from the Gryffindor buffoons. At least she didn't care about the points from Slytherin. She might've made a big deal to Kara about Slytherin winning the house cup, but she wasn't all that invested. After all, it wasn't like it mattered anyway.
"Well… We're here," Kara announced, very gently setting Lena down beside her while keeping an arm around her waist to make sure she didn't stumble.
"Kara, wait," Lena said, her voice almost a whimper as she placed her hand on Kara's forearm and leaned her weight there, having become dizzy from being set down.
"Yeah? You okay?" Kara asked, feeling herself swallow hard as she forced herself to look Lena in the eyes.
"I'm fine. But… are you angry with me?"
Kara dropped her gaze, sighing, "No, Lena. I'm not angry with you. I just wish you'd stay out of trouble so you don't get hurt like this."
"No. Kara… From before."
Eyes going slightly wide, the sixth year looked up again and found her mouth hanging very slightly open as she struggled to answer the question. No, she wasn't angry. She just felt stupid about the bubbly sensation boiling over in her stomach every time she caught Lena's piercing, bright green gaze. The Irish beauty was no match for her, and she couldn't help but feel an intense sense of longing whenever she looked at Lena's lips. She hated that. Hated her own weakness and stupid desires. She had no chance.
Finally, Kara answered, "I, um… I mean… no. No, I'm not… I'm not angry with you."
Lena wanted to ask, Then why did you bail on me? but she didn't have the courage to say the words, so she simply resigned herself to saying, "Okay. Thanks for bringing me. I can walk from here."
Kara shook her head and gently moved Lena forward, leaving a strong, protective arm around her waist as she announced, "I'm going to make sure you make it to the bed. You might have a concussion."
"Madam Pomfrey," Kara announced, upon opening the door. "This student fell in the hallway, and I think she needs medical attention, if you could, please. She passed out for about a minute. Sorry to bother so late."
"Early, rather," Madam Pomfrey grumbled, helping Kara get Lena onto the bed. "You may go now, Kara. I will take care of this."
"Is… Is she okay?"
"Well, she's breathing, so that's a start."
Kara almost scowled and she gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, "Thank you."
She wasn't exactly grateful for Madam Pomfrey's flippant attitude. After all, this was a student, and her wellbeing mattered. Especially to Kara.
Then, turning to Lena, she said, "Feel better soon," and turned away before the girl could respond, unable to withstand hearing anything else from her acquaintance before leaving the room.