Note that the POV changes halfway through this chapter rather than being the same for all of it like usual. Song for this chapter from the playlist I made is Chiquitita by ABBA, from Brittany's POV.

Chapter 5: News From Home

November, First Year

She didn't sit with me at Slytherin the next morning like she normally did for breakfast. Instead I saw her across the room, chatting happily with Becky and apparently completely oblivious to my gaze. I would have gone over to her and tried to explain why I had yelled, but Puck was hanging onto my every word and it was kind of nice having the attention of someone other than Brittany. Not that there's anything wrong with Brittany's attention - it's just that I'm a girl, I'm supposed to be getting boys' attention too.

But when she still hadn't even looked my way halfway through breakfast it was getting too much. I couldn't stand it when Brittany was upset, and upset at me was the worst because it was my own damn fault. I'd yelled at her, and then not turned up like I said I would.

"I'll talk to you later, Puck," I told him as I pushed away from the table and headed over to the Hufflepuffs to make amends. I had barely made it halfway across the room when Professor Sylvester stepped in front of me, halting my path.

"Lopez, my office now," she instructed. I paused, waiting for the insult, and looked up in surprise when it never came. Instead, the blonde professor was looking down at me with something like… sympathy? No, that couldn't be right. Professor Sylvester, sympathetic? I doubted she even knew the meaning of the word. Still, I figured I should take advantage of whatever this semi-nice thing was before it disappeared.

"Can I come in like ten minutes, I just need to talk to-"

"Now, Lopez."

So much for that. My eyes travelled past her to Brittany, who was now watching with interest. She looked away quickly when our eyes met and I sighed.

"Okay, fine," I agreed, turning away and following my head of house out of the Great Hall and down into the dungeons. I'd just have to apologise later.

"Take a seat," she instructed as she settled behind her desk. I did as I was told, settling my hands in my lap as I waited for whatever she had to say. Had we not gutted the tulips properly yesterday? But if that was the problem why weren't Brittany and Puck here too?

"I understand your brother has been ill recently," she began.

I stared at her. That was not what I had been expecting. How in Merlin's name did she know that?

"Um… he said he was having some bad headaches in his last letter but I'm not sure if it's actually ill…"

"I received word from your parents that he was taken into St. Mungo's earlier this week-"

"What?" I demanded, jumping up from my chair. It fell to the floor with a bang behind me but I barely noticed. I could feel my heart beating fast against my chest as if it was going to leap out any second. Tony was in hospital? And had been for days? Why hadn't anyone told me? "Didn't anyone think I might want to know this?" I shouted.

"It was assumed that your parents had explained the situation to you."

"My parents don't tell me shit!" Since arriving at Hogwarts I had received a grand total of two letters from them - one congratulating me on getting into Slytherin and another reminding me of my abuela's birthday. I had never been close with my parents like other people were - it was hard to when they were always working - but who did they think they were, not telling me something like this? Tony was my brother! I was around for him more than they ever were!

"Well, your father is picking you up shortly to take you to visit the hospital, so you are excused from your morning classes."

I stared at her. Papá didn't write to let me know Tony was in hospital but he was coming personally to Hogwarts to take me to see him? Even through my panic I could tell that was weird.

"W-when is he arriving?"

"He should be here very soon, he said he would arrive shortly after breakfast. Ah - here he is now," she added, turning as her large fireplace burst into green flames. Papá stepped through the grate a few seconds later, looking just the same as ever with his suit and unsmiling face.

"Papá!" I cried out, running over to hug him tightly. Normally I wouldn't have dreamt of doing such a thing, but I couldn't help myself. I needed something, some sort of human comfort even if it was from someone as naturally uncomforting as my papá. He stiffened against me, but didn't push me away. "¿Cómo está? ¿Por qué no me contasteis nada?" I shouted against his chest, staring up at him desparately.

He ushered me into the fireplace without saying a word and a few moments later we were stepping out into the white, clinical halls of St. Mungo's. I stared up at him, and noticed for the first time that he seemed more tense than usual. Papá never let things get to him. My fear leapfrogged straight into pure terror as he led me down the corridor. My hands were shaking, and all I wanted right then was Tony on my one side and Brittany on my other. Instead I just got my papá who wouldn't even look at me, let alone tell me what was wrong. I took a deep breath, forcing the threatening tears away. No crying. Santana Lopez did not cry.

When I'd sat at the Hufflepuff table this morning instead of Slytherin I hadn't thought she'd take it so hard. I really hadn't imagined that she'd skip class because of it just to avoid me, especially after Professor Sylvester had spoken to her and after our detention last night. She had just made me mad, shouting at me like I was doing something wrong - something stupid. Santana's never actually called me that, but I could hear her thinking it sometimes and it was almost as bad. I wanted her to know I was upset, and the best way to do that is to leave because if I stay near her I always end up acting like nothing is wrong. When she hadn't come to my dorm last night I'd been even more annoyed, but by the time I got to my third class of the day and we still hadn't made up I was terrified. I hadn't seen her since she'd left the Great Hall with Professor Sylvester this morning. The seats I had saved for her in every class so far were empty. What if something had happened to her while I hadn't been around to look after her? Santana liked to think she always looked after me, but I looked after her too.

I didn't want to get her in trouble by pointing out that she wasn't in class, but I was too worried not to say anything. For once we weren't doing practical work in Defence Against the Dark Arts, so when the class quietened to start reading I stood up and approached the desk at the front of the room.

"P-professor Sylvester?" I said tentatively when I reached her. She glanced up from the fifth year essays she was marking for a moment before returning to her work.

"Yes Blondie?"

"I… Have you… Where's Santana?" I finally asked, the words tumbling out of my mouth. My hands twitched against my sides as I fought to keep still.

"She is with her family," Professor Sylvester answered shortly without looking up.

"Her… family?" I repeated, confused. Santana didn't even really like her family apart from Tony, and sometimes her abuela. Even though it was strange to imagine not liking my family, I could kind of understand why. Her mum wasn't very friendly and I hardly ever saw her dad because he was always at work.

"That is what I said, Blondie. And as much as I know you two cannot live without each other you will just have to manage unless you would like another of your evenings taken up by tulips."

I turned away quickly at the mention of gutting more tulips but my mind was still racing. Something must be wrong. I hate being mean about Santana's parents, even if it's just me thinking and not saying it out loud, but they wouldn't have just wanted to see how she was doing. For stuff like that they always just rely on school reports sent home and only talk to her about it if it's bad.

I couldn't concentrate for the rest of the lesson. I didn't even laugh with everyone else when Puck got detention again for magicking the blackboard into writing rude words. I saved a seat for Santana in every class for the rest of the day, and every time I thought I heard the door creak behind me I spun around to see if it was her. Why had she left? Why had she left without telling me what the matter was? Even if she was angry she wouldn't make me worry on purpose.

The last lesson of the day was Herbology, and I had made sure to leave enough space next to me on the bench that she would be able to sit there if she turned up. I'd given up on her arriving really, so when she pushed through the greenhouse door five minutes late I was so shocked I didn't even say anything. She looked at me - I knew she did, I looked her straight in the eye - but then she slumped down at the end of the bench away from everyone else, pulling her book out of her bag but not even bothering to open it. Professor Ryerson wasn't paying much attention like normal, so when his back was turned I got up and quickly went over to where Santana was staring at the table.

She'd been crying. I could see that straight away. Santana never cried. She didn't cry when Tony's puppy got run over, she didn't cry when she broke her wrist when we were seven. In fact, the only time I'd ever seen her cry was when I broke my leg falling out of a tree last year, and that was because I wouldn't stop crying and she didn't know what to do. But sitting there on the bench in Herbology her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red from where she'd been rubbing them - trying to get rid of the tears so no one would see, I bet.

"Santana, what is it?" I whispered, trying to stay quiet so the rest of the class wouldn't realise something was wrong. "What's the matter? Tell me, please." I placed my hand gently on her arm, not wanting to prompt a rant about holding hands in public that would allow her to change the subject. She twitched at the contact, but other than that didn't move. She wouldn't even look at me. "Santana, I'm sorry I said that stuff when Puck was about. I really am. But you're scaring me and you won't talk and I want to help. You've been gone all day and I didn't know where you were, and Professor Sylvester said you were with your family-"

"You can't help." It was barely a whisper, and not exactly encouraging, but at least she was speaking now.

"Well if you tell me what's wrong I can decide that. Please, Santana. What did your mum and dad want?"

Abruptly she pulled her arm away from me, burying her head in her hands.

"Leave me alone." She was trying to sound strict but her voice broke partway through and she just ended up sounding horribly sad.

"Santana…"

"Why do we have to do this work when twins over there aren't even listening to you, professor?" Karofsky complained from further down the greenhouse. I like being nice to people - it's so much more pleasant for everyone than if I'm mean - but I just wanted to throw something at him then. Not anything too hard that might hurt him, just something that would bounce off and make him realise he was being horrible and that Santana was upset.

"Do the work, twins," Professor Ryerson instructed airily before continuing his lecture.

Santana didn't say another word for the rest of the lesson, as much as I tried to get her to talk while pretending to read the pages on amphibious magical plants. When Professor Ryerson dismissed us, she flew up from the bench and the door was banging shut behind her before I'd even put away my book.

"Santana, wait!" I shouted after her. It was no use - I could see her through the glass halfway up to the castle already, running as fast as she could.

Her bag was left abandoned on the floor so I put her stuff with mine and began the trek up to Hogwarts with both bags over my shoulders.

"What's up with Santana?" Puck asked as he passed.

I shrugged miserably. "She wouldn't tell me," I told him with a sniff.

He patted me on the shoulder - I think to reassure me, but it wasn't very reassuring - as we entered the castle. Santana was nowhere in sight in the Entrance Hall so I walked with Puck to the Slytherin common room to begin my search. She wasn't in the common room, nor in her dorm room or the showers. I tried the elf kitchen, my own dorm, the owlery - I even looked in the library, and I didn't think Santana had ever been in there before.

"Have you seen Santana?" I asked as I passed Sugar in the hallway. She shook her head and I sighed, spinning on the spot as I tried to think of anywhere she might have gone that I hadn't looked yet. She must be inside, because I'd seen her walk in and it was way too cold out there at the moment to hide for long. I began a circuit of all the rooms on the floor I was on, planning to work my way down the castle until I'd checked every room. It wasn't until I stopped in front of a familiar portrait that it clicked. The prefects' bathroom. Of course. The only people who would be able to find her in there were the prefects and me, and prefects weren't likely to be using it in the middle of the afternoon.

"Beeswax," I said to the portrait and it swung open. I could hear the rhythmic dripping of a tap not quite turned off as I stepped inside and my eyes soon found the offending tap - and the dark-haired girl near it, surrounded by multi-coloured bubbles and crying quietly into her hands.

"Santana!" I ran across the bathroom, slipping straight into the water still dressed and wading over to her to hug her as tightly as I could. She was hugging back - and I thought that was good that she wasn't pushing me away, until I heard her start to sob even louder into my shoulder. Her arms tightened as she cried against me and I held her, one hand running through her wet hair while my thumb made tiny circles on her lower back. I felt like crying as well at finding Santana so broken but I forced myself to hold in the tears for her. I began dropping light kisses on the top of her head, not knowing what else to do to try and make her feel better. I always felt better when I was in contact with as much of Santana as possible. Finally she started getting quieter and eventually she was just hanging onto me, silent apart from a few sniffs. I didn't bug her for an answer this time but just waited for her. After several long, tense minutes, the explanation came.

"Tony's sick," she whispered into my neck. She paused for a long time before continuing. "Like… really sick. He's in St. Mungo's and they don't know when he's coming out. It's something with his brain."

"His brain is sick?" I asked quietly, pulling back a little to try and look at her properly. She quickly wiped away her tears, and it hurt a little that she still didn't feel safe crying in front of me. Then I pushed away that hurt - Santana needed me, I shouldn't be thinking about myself. I'd never heard of brains getting sick before, but then I remembered my granddad whose heart had got sick just before he died. But it couldn't be that serious with Tony. Tony was young, my granddad was ancient.

"Yeah. Papá's worried, and that means it's really bad. He's a doctor, he knows when to worry and if he's worried I should be terrified! And the magic they're using to get him better is making him worse at the moment and he was crying and saying he just wanted to go home…"

Seeing that she was about to start crying again I pulled her into me, kissing her cheek before whispering in her ear.

"It doesn't matter we're in different houses, Santana. It doesn't matter you like to look after me instead of the other way round. I'm here. I'm always here, okay? Don't run away from me because I just want to help. We can come here together, because you shouldn't be on your own when you're upset. That's what I'm here for, to make you feel better when you're sad like you always do for me."

"You're the best friend I could ever have, Britt," she murmured back after a few moments of silence. Even though she was sad, even though Tony was sick, her words made me feel like she'd just put a sunshine right inside of my chest. I'd never met anyone else who could make me feel so good inside. I doubted I ever would.

Translation for the Spanish: 'How is he? Why didn't you tell me?' (thanks to Yumoto for help with translation).

Drawing for this chapter can be found here:
laurasfantasia. tumblr. com
/post/17783181277/prefectsbath