Chapter 8: No Calm; Big Storm

Rose

Oh my. What a splitting headache she had. And why did her body ache so much? She obviously wasn't well. Ugh. She was so groggy and tired, but she knew she had to get up. Classes must be starting and she didn't want to be late.

Alright. Time to wake up. Hang on! Why didn't her eyes open? Her eyelids felt like the weighed a million pounds.

Ready? One...Two...Three. Ahaha! They opened! But she must be still sleeping. This wasn't her bed. It wasn't even her room. She didnt recognize this place. Where was she?

"My, my. Will wonders never cease!" A woman holding many potion bottles bustled up to her.

Rose recognized the woman as the Hogwarts matron, and with that recognition came a flood of memory washed over her.

Rose struggled to sit up, but Madam Pomfrey gently pushed her back down on the starched pillow.

"No, no. You must sit. Drink this."

Madam Pomfrey shoved a hot, burging liquid down Rose's throat. Rose felt her insides seemingly rearrange themselves.

"Don't worry dear. It's just restorative with a hint of pepperup and peppercorn."

"Smash!" The door to the hospital wing flung open and crashed against the opposite wall. Ivy Blackburn was standing in the doorway, with a small container in her hand.

"Here's that thing that Professor Windermere borrowed and- Rose! Oh my gosh! You're alive!

Ivy dropped the small jar and ran shrieking to Rose's bed.

Rose smiled, much amused at Ivy's bubbling personality. Madam Pomfrey, however, wasn't smiling. "This child has been through quite enough. She needs her rest."

"Madam Pomfrey! I've been sleeping for ages! Haven't I rested enough?"

The nurse pursed her lips; nothing to say in retaliation. "Keep it short."

Rose turned her head to face Ivy again. "Can you do something for me?" She inquired.

Ivy immedietly snapped to attemtion. "What do you need?"

"Can you go find Albus, my cousin, and ask him to come here? Then go find my Mom and Dad. I don't know where they are, but don't send them right away."

If Ivy was at all puzzled by these instructions, she didn't show it. Instead she saluted Rose and marched out of the room, leaping over the spilled potion on the way.

Five minutes later, the door flew open yet again, two boys racing breathlessly in. Rose thought the door was going to fly off it's hinges if anyone else touched it.

Albus and Scorpius ran to her and settled themselves on the uncomfortable chairs at the foot of the bed.

"Tell us everything," Albus said. And Rose began her story.

"I was just going for a walk. That's all. I went to go see Hagrid. We were talking about Billywigs. Did you know that their stings cause insanity? Hagrid says I must have been bitten by one once. I think he was kidding though.

"Anyways, I went out and walked around behind the greenhouses. I wanted to see if we left any tracks when we went into the forest that night. All of a sudden this huge thing burst out of nowhere and tackled me.

"I think someting else might have come after that, but I don't really remember much. It kind of goes fuzzy. I guess I blacked out. Then I woke up here this morning. It is morning, isn't it?"

There was a pained silence as Rose finished her tale. Scorpius spoke first.

"Are you-okay?" He inquired, his pale face lined with concern. Beside him, Albus was looking equally concerned, eager to know how his cousin was faring.

Rose tilted her head from side to side. "Not great, but better than I was."

The poor door to the hospital wing was wrenched open yet again, with Rose's worried parents racing faster than she had ever seen them move. Both cried out with joy as they saw their daughter sitting up in bed.

Ron's cry turned to one of pain as he slipped on the potion Ivy had negleccted to clean up.

Rose's mother rolled her eyes at her husband and continued walking swiftly to her daughter.

"Oh, Rosie! How do you feel? When did you wake up? Did Madam Pomfrey patch you up? What happened? How exactly-"

"Let her breathe Hermione," Ron muttered, rubbing his backside. His face was clearly showing that he wanted those same questions answered.

Rose smiled at her parents. Then she took the deepest breath she could manage and started to explain things.

"I feel alright,an little sore and tired, but fine. Madam Pomfrey was healing me this morningand something attacked me when I was out walking."

Her mother's face blanched at these last words. Rose wanted to reassure her, but she wasn't sure what to say. How to you explain to your parents that you are fine after such a vicous attack?

Rose grimaced a little, them beamed as her parents wrapped her in a hug. The hug was like a wave; strong and powerful, gentle and soft. It was a boa constrictor squeezing her, yet it was as gentle as a summer breeze. It was filled with the love and emotion all three were trying to convey. The hug seemed to breathe a lot of strength into her, and gave her the strength to keep on fighting.

When they finally broke apart, Rose was sure she was glowing, and the strength she hadn't been able to summon this morning had returned.

Rose turned her head to look at them all. Her parents perched on either side of the bed, looking concerned but happy. Her cousin and friend sitting in chairs at the end of the pale sheeted bed, pride etched on their faces. Although, if Rose had been looking carefully, she would have noticed Scorpius looking uncomfortable sitting so close to her parents and Ron was still rubbing his side. But she wasn't looking for such things. She was looking at the people surrounding her, feeling extremely glad to have them in her life.

*

The boys had to go to classes, but her parents sat with her. They spent many pleasant hours sitting together and talking. Her parents told stories about when they were at school ( "Ronald was so sweet") and Madam frequented their talks with medication ("I can't belive the old bat is still alive!") The boys would come in the evening while her parents went to dinner. She did her homework in the early mornings and the quiet evenings were spent listening to her parents whisperings.

After a week had passed, Madam Pomfrey reluctantly deemed Rose fit enough to leave the hospital wing.

Rose was both dreading and eagerly awaiting the event. Awaiting it because it meant she could finally get up and go about her regular schedule. Dreading it because it meant her parents would have to leave.

She couldn't think of a better time she had spent with her parents. True, she had been injured, but the chats they had had were some that she would treasure forever.

She and her mother had had a variety of conversations about magic, the world, life.

And while her father was hardly the sentimental type, he still participated, sharing funny stories of his childhood.

Her mother and father left the day Rose was discharged. It was a fond good-bye that resembled something you might see on Platform 9 and 3/4. Rose was frantically promising to keep them updated on her condition. The most important thing that happened was that Rose vowed to stay out of touble. Only time would tell if she could keep that promise.

*

A/N: Sorry it took awhile; I have been on vacation having fun in the sun. Please review!