Chapter 22
"You know, he's looking distinctly unscathed," Quentin remarked after Buffy had sat down at the Gryffindor table and Tom had entered a few moments later, making a beeline for the Slytherin table. "Unless you've got some super secret necromancer powers you haven't told me about yet and he's just a really good zombie."
"I told you, no maiming would happen," Buffy said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "Besides, if I'd killed him, no one would have been able to find the pieces."
"And now I know you're a horrible influence on him," Minerva said, having heard the last bit of conversation as she sat down across from Buffy. "I mean honestly, who talks like that? You'd better not let anyone hear you say things like that; August is already peeved at you and you do not want get on her bad side."
"I should be safe, I don't have Care of Magical Creatures today," Buffy replied. She really didn't – double Herbology in the morning and History of Magic and a spare study block in the afternoon, which she was fully intending on using to finish her Charms homework, having kind of, sort of, maybe let it get out of control. She wasn't sure how that had happened – after all, she had the theory down fine, it was the practical stuff she had issues with – but she had. Hopefully she'd be able to get it out of the way and work a little more on her Charms. She'd been improving; she could perform the basic charms now, but the more advanced charms usually had her blowing up the object she was charming. Thankfully, she hadn't tried her charms on live people or things yet.
"Well, you'd better not get into trouble," Minerva cautioned. "I've seen Augusta angry, and believe me when I say it'll take hours to get all of the charms and spells off of you, and she knows some rather nasty ones."
"I'll be fine," Buffy said with a grin. "Quentin will keep me out of trouble. Won't you, Quentin?"
"I'll try to keep you out of trouble, but if you somehow end up in detention you're facing August alone," Quentin said with a shiver. "August scares me."
"Wuss," Buffy said with a snort, but the grin on her face told him she was just teasing.
"That's not the way you should be speaking to your best friend," Quentin admonished, waving a finger at her before he got up. "Come on, we should probably get going. Herbology first thing, and we still have a bit of a hike."
"Yay snow," Buffy said sarcastically, getting up and wrapping her cloak around herself before grabbing her bag. "I'll see you later, Min."
"See you," Minerva agreed with a smile as she watched the two friends head out of the castle and to the greenhouses.
"There was one thing I loved about my old school, evil trolls of a school principal aside," Buffy remarked as she shivered against the cold as her shoes crunched on the frozen snow.
"Here we go again," Quentin muttered with a sigh, rolling his eyes.
"We didn't have classes outside," Buffy began. Quentin nodded along, having heard this speech before ever since Buffy had realized that she had two professors that had no qualms about risking frostbite by having their classes outside in the dead of winter. "Well, we did, but it was only gym which I ended up skipping anyway, because hello, it was gym. But anyway, the teachers made sure that the weather was decent before making us play outside. Same in elementary school, if it was raining they made us stay inside at recess. But not here, nope, they make you brave a snowstorm to attend a couple of classes."
"It's hardly a snowstorm out here, Buffy," Quentin said, shaking his head. He was right; it was cold, but the sky was blue and the sun was out, shining weakly on them as if trying to fight off the chill.
"It's still too cold for any civilized person to be outside," Buffy replied with a sniff as they headed into greenhouse three.
That day they were looking after the Fanged Geraniums, nasty little flowers that liked to bite and hang on for dear life. Everything was going fine; Buffy was able to keep her fingers safe and bite free until about fifteen minutes before lunch, when a particularly large and vicious geranium clamped down on her right index finger. The only indication of pain was a sharp intake of breath as Buffy tried to wrench her finger free. She had forgotten her dragon hide gloves in her room that morning and had no protection against the carnivorous flower.
Flower and pot went flying across the greenhouse, narrowly avoiding some heads as the other students ducked out of the way. It only stopped when it hit the ground, the pot shattering on impact.
"What in the world did you do to my geranium?" the professor asked as she rushed over to the poor plant to see if it was okay.
"Sure, I get bitten and the plant gets the attention," Buffy grumbled, looking at her finger. The bite was nasty-looking, but Fanged Geraniums weren't venomous, so besides the fact that her hands were covered with dirt, there was little risk for infection if the bite was cleaned properly and the bleeding was stopped.
"Well, it looks like you didn't do any damage to my plant," the professor said with a relieved sigh, before turning her attention to Buffy. "Where are your dragon-hide gloves, Miss Summers?"
"I, er, forgot them," Buffy replied sheepishly.
"It always pays to be prepared, Miss Summers," the professor said with a withering glare. "Head on up to the hospital wing to get that checked out. Mr. Trimble, go with her to make sure she actually goes to the hospital wing."
"Yes, professor," Quentin said, digging around in his pocket. He handed Buffy a handkerchief before picking up his own bag along with Buffy's. "Here, wrap your finger in that, you're bleeding."
"It's not that bad," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes, although she was downplaying it a little. While the bite was hardly gushing blood, it was definitely dripping and might leave a small, bloody trail in the snow for a few feet if she didn't wrap it.
"Still, could you wrap it please?" Quentin asked, his voice sounding desperate.
"Okay, fine," Buffy replied, wrapping her finger with the handkerchief, keeping her lips tight until they got out of the greenhouse. When they were out of earshot, she grinned at him before teasing. "So, is someone a little squeamish at the sight of blood?"
"Shut it," Quentin replied with a scowl.
"You know, that's probably not a good thing if you want to become a you-know-what," Buffy said. While the grounds were deserted, it was open enough for voices to carry across the grounds and neither of them really wanted to have awkward questions asked if someone overheard them.
"I've been thinking over the past couple of days," Quentin replied as they walked. "I don't want to be a you-know-what after all. The stuff you said really made me reconsider."
"Oh yeah?" Buffy asked. "What to you want to be now?"
"Demon hunter," Quentin replied with a grin.
"Crazy person say what?" Buffy asked, really quickly.
"What?" Quentin said, puzzled before he deciphered Buffy's words. He scowled at her. "Very funny, ha ha. What's so crazy about that?"
"You do know that demons are really big, really strong, and usually have sharp, pointy claws?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
"What are you getting at?" Quentin asked, glancing at her with narrowed eyes.
"Well, you know, you kind of aren't the type to hunt demons," Buffy replied carefully. "I mean, you faint at the sight of blood. It'll be kind of hard for you to fight demons and, y'know, dress your own wounds if you can't even stand the sight of blood."
"It's only other people's blood that bothers me," Quentin replied with a huff. "I got a lot of nosebleeds as a kid, so I know what I'm talking about. By the way, are you going to go to the hospital wing to get that bite checked out?"
"Are you going to make me?" Buffy asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Well, I'd prefer it if you did," Quentin replied. "If Madam Pomfrey doesn't heal it, you won't be able to hold a quill properly for History of Magic this afternoon, which means you won't be able to take notes."
"You actually think I take notes in that class?" Buffy asked.
"You're not?" Quentin asked, surprised.
"Why do you think I've been asking to borrow your notes after class?" Buffy retorted.
"I thought it was because you just wanted to make sure you had got all of the facts because we both know I take better notes than you do," Quentin replied. "But I thought you had a basis and were just filling in the blanks."
"Um, oops?" Buffy offered sheepishly.
"I don't think I'm going to loan you my notes anymore," Quentin said with a sniff. "You're going to have to write your own notes from now on, which means you need to get that finger fixed so you can hold a quill."
Buffy seriously hoped Quentin wasn't being serious; she needed those notes, after all. It was so difficult for her to keep awake in that class - Professor Binns' voice was just so monotonous it made her zone out within ten minutes. Besides, she didn't like hospitals, never had.
"But I don't like hospitals," Buffy whined. "And you know how hard it is for me to keep awake in that class. I didn't know goblin rebellions could sound so boring."
"We all have to do things we don't want to," Quentin replied. "And it's not so bad. I mean, what would you rather have? A sore finger for a few days, or instant healing and pain relief? Seems like a no-brainer to me."
"Wouldn't be if you went through what I went through," Buffy replied sadly.
"Well, what did you go through?" Quentin asked. Buffy sighed and told the story of Der Kindestod, the demon that preyed on sick children and could only be seen by people suffering from fever. She started from the very beginning, from when she had watched her cousin and best friend die at the age of seven, up until she had slayed the thing over a year ago.
"Wow," Quentin said, squeezing Buffy's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I"m not going to force you to go to the hospital wing if you're that against it. Do you want me to take extra notes in class today and you can copy them when your finger's better?"
"I should be okay," Buffy replied. "As you said, we all have to do things we don't want to do, and I kinda have to get over my fear somehow. Might as well face it now, right?"
"Well, if you're sure. I wouldn't want to force you into something you wouldn't want to do," Quentin said, chewing on his lip nervously.
"Let's just get this over and done with," Buffy said with a sigh as they continued up to the castle. There was still some time before lunch, and hopefully there wouldn't be a line at the hospital wing. Buffy wanted her lunch.
The walk up to the hospital wing was a rather difficult one; halfway up the bell for lunch rang and as one the rest of the students began to head to the Great Hall. For two floors and two staircases they were hiking against the crowd, almost losing each other in the crush of bodies. Finally, they made it up to the fourth floor, where the hospital wing was. When they got there, Buffy just stood in front of the door for a moment, making no move to go inside.
"Come on Buffy, let's get in there already," Quentin said with a sigh, pushing on Buffy's back to get her to move. She wouldn't budge. "You'll be in there five minutes and it won't hurt, I promise. The longer you stand out here, the less time for lunch we'll have."
"You know, I think it's feeling better," Buffy remarked, examining her finger. The handkerchief was stained red by now, but the bleeding had stopped. It still hurt like hell and she probably wouldn't be able to hold a quill until tomorrow, but no blood was of the good.
"Not going to work, Summers," Quentin said, standing behind Buffy and pushing harder, trying to force her into the hospital wing. As he was pushing, the door to the hospital wing swung open, revealing a young lady, probably a seventh year at the youngest, standing there.
"Can I help you?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Buffy supposed that, if she hadn't been involved in the situation, it would be a pretty funny sight to see, Quentin pushing on her and Buffy being completely immovable.
"Uh hi," Quentin said, before narrowing his eyes at the girl. "Poppy?"
"In the flesh," the girl, Poppy, replied.
"What in the blue blazes are you doing here? I thought you left school last June," Quentin said.
"Mum decided that having me loaf around the house was a bad thing, so she took me on as her apprentice," Poppy replied with a shrug. "So, I guess I'm stuck here again. So, can I help you?"
"Yeah, Buffy got bitten by a Fanged Geranium and needs it fixed before History," Quentin replied. "She can't hold a quill – hurts too much."
"Let's see it then," Poppy said, holding out her hand.
"It's fine," Buffy replied.
"I'll be the judge of that," Poppy said. "Who's the medically trained professional here? I am. Who's the injured person? You are. Let me see your hand already. The sooner you let me see your hand, the sooner I'm going to let you leave."
"She's a tough one," Buffy remarked as she handed over her right hand. Poppy grabbed it and pulled it closer so that she could examine the injury.
"Come on, I have to poke you with my wand for a couple of minutes," Poppy said, dragging Buffy into the hospital wing. "Mum! You have to come and watch me heal someone!"
The older matron bustled out of the office, pursing her lips at her daughter before turning to Buffy, examining the wound on her finger.
"Quick healing spell should do the trick," Madam Pomfrey said. "Have at it, Poppy."
Poppy jabbed Buffy's finger enthusiastically with her wand, muttering a few words. The skin knitted back together instantly, although there was a slight scar. Madam Pomfrey took Buffy's hand and examined it again.
"Not bad, but there's a bit of scarring here," she told Poppy, before she turned to Buffy. "I have a cream that reduces scars if you're interested."
Buffy looked her finger over; the scar was barely noticeable, just a little white mark on her finger. If she stayed in Britain much longer, it would be even more invisible due to how pale she was getting. Plus, with Slayer healing, that scar would probably disappear in no time anyway.
"I think I can handle one itty bitty scar," Buffy said with a grin as she took her hand back. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, dear," Madam Pomfrey said. Poppy nodded, still looking a little chagrined because of the criticism she had received.
"See, I told you that it wouldn't be so bad," Quentin remarked with a cheeky grin.
"Shut up."
XOXOXO
Lunch was uneventful if a little rushed and History of Magic was as boring as ever. As hard as she tried, Buffy could not concentrate on the monotonous drone of Professor Binns' voice. Resting her head on her hand, Buffy stared off into space, trying to keep herself awake by keeping her imagination active. She hadn't fallen asleep in class yet, but there was a first time for everything.
The bell rang, bringing Buffy out of her stupor. As she gathered her things, a sheaf of notes written in tidy, masculine writing was pushed across the table.
"Here," Quentin said with a small smile. "Something to keep you busy during your study block."
"You're a lifesaver," Buffy said, giving Quentin a one-armed hug before snatching up the notes. "I'll bring them back in the same condition I found them in, promise."
"Are you heading to the library now?" Quentin asked.
"Ugh, yeah," Buffy replied with a wrinkle of her nose. It was funny; back in Sunnydale she spent a huge amount of time in the library, but here she wanted to avoid the place like the plague. Then again, this library didn't have her Watcher or sharp, pointy things to play with.
"Well, have fun with that. You could always sit in on Arithmacy with me, if you want," Quentin said with a grin.
"I think I'll take my chances with the library," Buffy replied. "If I end up not coming down to dinner, check the library. I might have fallen asleep in the corner."
"Like Madam Pince would let you sleep in the library," Quentin said with a snort. "She'd probably drag you out by your ears if she catches you."
"Trick is, not getting caught," Buffy said, tapping the side of her nose. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later," Quentin agreed with a grin before Buffy turned and left for the library while Quentin headed for his Arithmacy class.
Buffy's walk to the library was uneventful, much like most of her day. The library was nearly deserted; only a few people had a study block that period, Buffy supposed, as she found a table in one of the corners, spreading her materials out on the table so that she could both work and keep people from bothering her. If there was no room for someone else to sit at the table, it would mean that no one would disturb her.
At least, that was the plan.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
"What do you want?" Buffy asked, looking up at the smirking face above her. She had to resist the urge to smack the smug expression from his face. "I'm busy Tom, so make it fast."
"I wanted to see if you needed any help," Tom replied, sitting across from Buffy and picking up Quentin's notes. "History, Buffy? I would have thought someone like you would have dropped that class as soon as you could."
"I might not be able to handle myself in this world, but I think I can handle something as simple as copying some History notes and writing an essay on summoning charms," Buffy replied, her voice icy. "Or do you think you need to handle that for me, too?"
"You're still angry about that, aren't you?" Tom asked, sounding a little sheepish.
"No, I'm just mad at you for no reason," Buffy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Could you get to the point, like, now? As you can see I have a lot of work to do and not a whole lot of time to do it. I do not want August to practice her charms on me."
"Look, I'm sorry about that," Tom said, rubbing the back of his neck. Buffy could tell that this was difficult for him to say. Either that, or he was a really good actor. "It's just that… when I get possessive my mouth gets ahead of my brain. I didn't mean to say those things, they just… came out, I guess. To be honest, I kind of like how you're not like the other girls around here. The fact that you chose me and not one of the other boys drooling over you astounds me each and every day."
"Yeah, and I decided not to keep you," Buffy snarked. "Can you… just… go away? I don't want to talk to you right now."
"You will, though," Tom said. "Mark my words, you will."
XOXOXO
Okay, chapter 22 is DONE. I STILL don't know how many chapters this thing is going to be, and it's definitely going to go over 100k. Is it sad that the prospect of having a 100k story under my belt makes me a little giddy? Eh, I don't really care if it is or not.
Anyway, the usual still applies. Let me know what you think, either by review or email. Or smoke signal. I'm not picky, as long as I get opinions. It's the only way I can get better, after all.
Thanks for reading!