February 1948
Poppy pulled her coat a little tighter around herself from both cold and nerves as she watched Ro stalk out onto the Quidditch pitch with her team fanned out behind her. There was something about the confidence with which she walked, clearly aware that she was favoured to win, the greatest inspiration both to her team and to the rest of the House. Her involuntary smile turned genuine when Ro's eyes found her in the crowd and waves; Poppy waved back fondly and hoped that her nervousness didn't look to tamper with her enthusiasm.
"That's our Gryffindor team everyone; Chasers Spencer-Moon, McGonagall, and Arundel, Beaters Lawrence and Flaherty, Keeper Weasley, and Captained by Seeker Hooch. And here come the Ravenclaws! Chasers Vector, Hurst, and Elton, Beaters Inglebee and Jones, Seeker Hilliard, and Captained by Keeper Ackerley," shouted Maggie Jordan from the commentator's box as the other house joined them on the pitch.
Millicent let out an almighty cheer for her House, with Poppy and Irma both cheering for Septima on their pitch. This match was always the oddest for them since they had friends on both sides of the fight, emphasised by the fact that Irma was wearing Minerva's red scarf and Septima's blue one around her neck.
There was an unexpected pause before Maggie coughed awkwardly and added "Sorry folks, I've just been informed there's a last minute substitute on the pitch. Playing in place of Inglebee for the Ravenclaw team will be reserve Beater Mulberry."
The name immediately made a stone drop in Poppy's stomach. She grabbed the safety rail in front of it to lean over the edge of the stands, smile long gone when she recognised the ends of Keziah Mulberry's dark hair peeking from underneath her Beater's helmet. Suddenly she had something other than Ro's safety in the Quidditch match playing on her mind.
Madame Douglas blew her referee's whistle and the teams shot up in the air to a cheer from the crowd, and Poppy gripped Irma's hand as she watched Ro shoot upwards in pursuit of barely more than a blur. Millicent had Ro's Omnioculars to keep a closer eye on things but since the Triwizard Tournament Poppy always felt too stressed to watch sporting events at that sort of detail anymore, preferring to just listen to Maggie's commentary and just keep an eye on her friends by their uniform numbers. Especially considering the pressure on Ro for that particular match; the yearly battle between her and Ravenclaw Seeker Nina Hilliard had been ongoing since their second year with Ro on two wins to Nina's one. And with the professional team recruiters in to watch Nina she would put up a greater fight than ever.
The first goal of the match went to Gryffindor, scored by team newbie Verity in a very impressive throw that made Millicent groan good-naturedly. Even Poppy could notice how more confident she seemed since their first match despite the fact that she'd ended up in the Hospital Wing, which she supposed was both due to playing a less intimidating House than Slytherin and it being her second match. Xander had never needed the same adjustment period at least to Poppy's untrained eye. Millicent had told her that the Ravenclaw team had a number of new players too which meant the Houses were fairly evenly matched with the exception of needing Keziah Mulberry as a reserve player since Duane Inglebee had been bitten by a Snargaluff in the sixth years' Herbology lesson the day before. Horatio Jones was the new Beater playing alongside her, and Septima had two very tiny new Chasers in Rosalind Hurst and Evelyn Elton.
"Vector scores the third goal of the match thanks to a very nicely placed Bludger, that's going to knock Weasley back a few places. Current score 20:10 to Gryffindor!"
Poppy watched as Ro flew over to their goalposts to talk to Cleatus who was rubbing his shoulder. She hadn't seen the hit, too busy focusing on Septima and Minerva battling it out for the Quaffle, but he presumably insisted he was fine since the match went on uninterrupted. It was enough to give Ravenclaw the upper hand for a little though, and to prompt Ro into amping up her speed to hopefully catch the Snitch before the scoreboard became too unbalanced.
Increased speed meant increased risk though, and Poppy nearly squeaked as she watched Ro flip upside down at the last moment to escape a Bludger. They'd been on the pitch by about half an hour by then and thankfully there had been no injuries since Cleatus was hit, but she knew she wouldn't be able to relax until they were all safely back down on the ground.
No sooner had Ro recovered from her narrow escape was she suddenly shooting upwards, to a cry of "Hooch has spotted the Snitch with Hilliard on her tail!" Poppy's heart was in her throat as she watched Ro tearing through the air with Nina coming at her on a diagonal, squeezing the life out of a very enduring Irma's hand. Neither of Ravenclaw's Beaters were anywhere near to her relief, but when danger did come it was from an unexpected source.
Nina was gaining grounds fast though, desperation lending her speed. Xander hit a Bludger towards her to presumably make her slow down enough that Ro could secure their victory. He succeeded in making Nina swerve underneath it before she could continue on before the Snitch, giving Ro the seconds she needed to lunge forwards and grab it, but then Xander's Bludger smashed into her forearm and almost knocked her clean off her broom as Poppy screamed in terror.
By hooking one leg over her broom and keeping a vice-like grip with her other hand Ro just about managed to stop herself from falling off completely, losing height slowly until she could let go safely to land on her feet. Poppy immediately started fighting her way through the roaring crowd with Irma and Millicent following her so she could get to Ro as fast as possible.
"Ro!" Poppy shouted as she took off into a run once on the grass, pushing between Ernest and Xander to see Ro looking slightly abashed as she cradled her injured arm to her chest. Her instinct was to shout but the conversation they'd had the last time Ro suffered a Quidditch injury played in her mind, not wanting to make her feel guilty when she was already in pain, so she settled for just sighing with pent-up stress. "Let's see then," she said, holding out her hand.
With a pained look on her face Ro let Poppy take her arm in gentle hands, unable to contain a sharp gasp when Poppy rotated her arm. "Sorry," she apologised quickly, keeping Ro's cold fingers in her own as she added "I think you've fractured it but I'm not sure, I can probably look better once your arm guards are off."
Ro gave a grim nod, but still managed to smile as she revealed the Snitch in her other hand. "Worth it for this though!" she laughed, still looking a little sheepish when Poppy hummed questioningly.
"You alright Ro? I'm so so sorry," Xander blurted out suddenly from where he'd crept up slowly, guilt written all over his face.
Laughing, Ro shook her head as she pocketed the Snitch to clap Xander on the shoulder. "Tad bit more strategy than panic batting next time please?" she joked, pulling him into a one armed hug when he just looked even more ashamed of himself. "S'alright, there's no harm done. You might've saved us a victory at the temporary cost of my arm and I'll take that any day."
Poppy let go of Ro's hand as the team began to walk towards the Stands, Philip giving her a curt handshake from Captain to Captain before both of them dropped the formalities and swapped congratulations. Nina point blank ignored Ro's offered hand to pull her into a hug, brushing off Ro's apologies for taking the Snitch while being assessed for job opportunities to declare it a worthy end to their incredible five year rivalry. They were just about to head to the Gryffindor changing room when another voice called Ro's name though, and Poppy's stomach clenched again when she saw Keziah Mulberry there.
"Hey again," she said, taking her Beater's helmet off and running a hand through her tightly curled hair. "Good match, you played very well."
"Thanks," Ro stammered a little, looking surprised and a little awkward. "You too, especially what with the short notice. You and Horatio played great," she added after a moment's pause.
Keziah nodded, flashing a brilliant smile. "Sweet of you. Maybe see you around sometime?" she asked though began to walk off before Ro had a chance to respond, tossing a wink over her shoulder as she left towards the Ravenclaw changing room.
An unusual silence descended between Ro and Poppy as they resumed the journey towards the changing room. "She's pretty," Poppy commented, eyes widening when she realised she'd said it out loud instead of in her head. It wasn't like her to be bitter.
Ro gave her an odd glance. "Yeah, she is," she agreed distractedly, holding Poppy's gaze almost nervously before she looked down at the floor.
Poppy hung back for a second once Ro entered the changing room, glancing back down the corridor to see those alluring dark curls and blue robes disappear round the corner. 'Pretty in all the ways I'm not,' she couldn't help but think, giving a resigned sigh as she pushed open the door.
It turned out Ro's arm was broken when Poppy took her up to the Hospital Wing for a quick check-over, Madame Quinine performing the diagnostic charm but then letting Poppy practise the healing spell that she'd been taught to heal broken bones. She'd shoved everything relating to Keziah Mulberry to the back of her mind by then and things felt normal between her and Ro again. They had only once been on opposite sides of an argument once in their lives and the feeling of not being completely honest with each other just felt odder than Poppy could deal with.
The afterparty in the Gryffindor Common Room was in full swing by the time they arrived back to the Tower; rather than needing to make an illegal journey into Hosgmeade for Butterbeer and Honeydukes sweets they had all stocked up heavily during the last Hogsmeade weekend at the start of January so they weren't waiting around for anything. Irma managed to sneak in as always and was sat on the sofa with Minerva and Larry when Poppy and Ro approached them, using the results from the Hufflepuff vs Slytherin game the weekend before to calculate their positions in running for the Quidditch Cup. She was still trying to avoid the Dungeons more than usual since Druella still hadn't noticed her ring being stolen back. It had been a week since her and Minerva's successful heist and none of them could shake the feeling that their time was running out.
Quidditch excitement died down as the following week went by, though it was immediately replaced by the typical thrill that surrounded Valentine's Day. Madame Puddifoot's tea shop in Hogsmeade always held a special Valentine's afternoon tea on the nearest Hogsmeade Weekend so it was always high gossip over who was taking who to a romantic tea, less so for the sixth years since felt tame in comparison to the Yule Ball gossip but for the younger years it was the talk of the castle. Both Larry and Philip were taking Minerva and Septima to tea on their Saturday afternoon Hogsmeade trip, but since tea started at 3pm they still had plenty of time to enjoy the village together.
It wasn't snowing like it had been the previous month, but there was still a wintery grey to everything that just made the air feel crisp and cold. The Black Lake looked every bit as unwelcoming as it had been a year ago when Poppy had been forced to dive in to save Ro literally and Minerva figuratively. Enough time had passed that they could laugh about the experience, but Poppy still gave a shiver when they paused by the lake's edge and she tried to see into its surface.
"Yeah, my thought exactly," Ro agreed, hunching her shoulders a little. "Don't know how I was ever planning on jumping in there, it was freezing enough just swimming for the shore. You're a literal saint for doing in."
Poppy gave an appreciative smile as she shrugged. "I couldn't do it again, I can tell you that much. I didn't really think about it at all, I was more focused on the transfiguration so I didn't give it much thought until I was in there," she thought aloud.
Minerva's voice was darker than the black waters lapping at Poppy's boots from where she stood several paces back. "Well you're both far braver than I am," she muttered, a haunted sort of look on her face. Poppy didn't know whether she was thinking about her near-drowning when she fell through the ice two Christmases ago or about the Tournament, but she moved to squeeze her hand briefly regardless.
"It looks a lot nicer from underneath," Irma commented. Everyone gave her a confused glance before she explained "My Common Room has a glass wall on one side and you can see into the lake. The Merfolk often look in late at night after the younger students have gone to bed. It's a well-kept secret among the younger students."
"I wish I could see it in full colour but I doubt I'd be able to sneak in as a human like I can as a cat!" Minerva commented dryly.
Septima's face was the picture of amazement and jealousy as she looked at her sister. "Can you talk to them?" she asked.
Irma was silent for a moment, deep in thought, before a smirk appeared on her face. "Would you all like to know an even better kept secret?"
"You can't say that and not tell us, that'd be torture!" Ro retorted lightly.
Chuckling slightly, Irma shrugged one shoulder. "I suppose so. Well, there's a seventh year girl in my House who is able to talk to them. Her name is Lyrena Sparrow, she's pureblood and very popular but few know that she has a Squib older sister who's also deaf. She speaks to the Merfolk using sign language and has taught a few of us too. None of us know a lot, mostly just the alphabet really, but even so it's a useful tool to communicate without the less tolerant finding out."
"No way," Millicent breathed, her grin widening when Irma nodded. "Go on then, show us something!"
Irma frowned in concentration for a second. Then she used her right forefinger to touch the third finger of her left hand, curve it in her left palm, place three fingers in her palm, and then touch her left thumb. "My name," she said, a triumphant curve in the corner of her lips.
Poppy watched her hands move, but then her mouth opened in a surprised smile when she realised why the name sounded familiar to her. "I know Lyrena!" she said, making Irma glance over at her. "She was one of our group who helped Madame Quinine during the battle with Grindlewald. Our mats were next to each other so we talked a bit between patients, I remember us both saying we wanted to be Healers."
"I believe she still does, she's going for an interview at St. Mungos to become an Intern in September," Irma said. Poppy smiled at that; she and Lyrena had got on well back then and during the few times their Prefect shifts overlapped while she took on Minerva's duty during fifth year, so it was a nice idea to hope that they might be training together in a couple of years.
"So that's three languages you know then!" Septima pointed out with a giggle, and Irma smiled.
Ro hummed loudly in confusion. "Hang on, three? What's the third?"
"Latin. Again, not much."
Septima nodded at Irma's words. "Our parents insisted we both learn it to make remembering incantations easier. Apparently it's a pureblood family thing. The one parenting idea mother had that father agreed on," she said, as both the twins rolled their eyes in near unison.
"And that's not counting any of the runic languages either," Minerva said, looking impressed for a moment before she added more ruefully "Some say that the Scottish dialect is a language of its own and I think listening to some of my father's older relatives I'd be inclined to agree. But other than that I only know the one."
"I can barely remember any of the German bits and pieces my father taught me," Ro said, her face scrunched into a disappointed sort of expression. "He wanted us to be bilingual family but no one spoke it much after he died, I think Kurtis and Mallory could still do alright since they were, what, 18 and 16 back then? Aunt Alyson likes to test me whenever I see her but thank Merlin that's not often, at least she lets me Owl her in English," she finished with a laugh.
A glance at Septima's wristwatch told them they needed to begin the journey back to the village centre if her and Minerva were going to make their reservations at Madame Puddifoot's, and Poppy was glad to turn her back on the lake again. "So who else knows how to sign?" she asked as she fell into step beside Irma.
She thought for a moment before she spoke. "I suppose if you just think of the more openly sympathetic Slytherins then you've got a fairly accurate list. Of course it's not black and white, there is a grey area between blood supremacist and halfblood, but there's some that keep their beliefs a little quieter to get by," she said, and Poppy nodded in understanding. "Off the top of my head there's Lyrena and I, Hubert in our year, Neil, Imogen, Clementine, and a couple of others. Olive used to know some too but obviously she graduated last year."
Poppy knew most of those names; Hubert Thatcham was a sixth year Slytherin boy often seen with Alphard Black, Neil Lament was Slytherin's Quidditch Captain, Imogen Farley was the openly halfblood friend of the Gryffindor fourth year boys, and Clementine Vance was a pureblood third year who had ostracised herself by becoming friends with blood traitor Heidi Hooch and Muggleborn Verity Arundel in her own House. Olive Hornby had been the previous years' Head Girl who's involvement with Myrtle Warren's death so long ago had made her rethink every belief she had and reform herself into a fair and respectful leader despite many people's doubts.
When they said goodbye to Minerva and Septima at the doors of the tea shop, the rest of them turned to each other in question of what they were going to do next. "Butterbeer?" said Ro and Millicent at the same time, and with a laugh they all set off towards the Three Broomsticks.
It was far easier to find a table for four than it tended to be for six, opting to cram round one in the warmest corner of the pub to sit with their drinks for a while, enjoying the opportunity to just sit and chat about nonsense after the hectic few weeks they'd had. What with Apparition lessons every weekend plus the normal Quidditch practise and NEWT lessons it felt like they'd had hardly any time off, and Poppy knew that as soon as the Easter holiday arrived they were all going to completely crash. But she'd always been one to enjoy being busy. She and Ro were both the sort who thrived on it, as long as they made sure to keep checking in on each other to make sure things weren't getting too much.
By the time they left the pub it had started to rain, so with nothing else they needed to get done in the village they decided to head back to the castle rather than waiting around to re-join Minerva and Septima. Filch the caretaker was waiting by the door to the Entrance Hall as usual to check them all back in and make sure nothing suspicious was being smuggled in. But Poppy's assumption they'd get checked straight through and then warm up in front of the Gryffindor fireplace was shattered when Druella came marching up to them at the back of the queue.
"You dirty thief!" she screamed, squaring up to Irma and shoving her chest hard before anyone could stop her. Irma fell to the ground without much restraint to land in a half-seated position in the muddy grass, blinking in shock up at her assailant. "You stole my family's ring! You filthy blooded criminal!"
The first one to react was Ro, interrupting Druella's rant by stepping between her and Irma to shove her face close to hers. "Hey," she snarled, "Don't you dare speak to my friend like that, you're the one who attacked her and ripped her birthday present out of her hands!" There was a fury those yellow eyes that Poppy hadn't seen in a long time and couldn't help being a little afraid of.
Druella stood up fully to tower over Ro, taking advantage of the few inches extra height she had. "You stay out of this Hooch, you're just as much of a blood traitor that she is!" she shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at Irma who Millicent was helping to her feet. "How can you walk around without shame when your family have committed the most heinous crime known to-"
She didn't get a chance to finish before Ro hit her hard around the face. "I've done nothing you can bring me down for. Now get lost," she said in a dangerous tone, rubbing her probably stinging palm against the back of her other hand.
Poppy's heart was hammering in her chest, silently begging Ro not to re-engage even though Druella deserved it for everything she'd done. There was a moment of still as Druella backed away a few steps and Ro turned her back on her to see if Irma was ok.
But then Druella grabbed a fistful of Ro's hair to yank her backwards and Poppy couldn't stop her scream. Ro struck out behind her with her elbow, jamming it hard into Druella's shoulder and dislodging her grip. But she lashed out again as soon as Ro turned around, slashing her nails down Ro's cheek before she could react to leave a streak of red lines.
That seemed to light the fire behind Ro's eyes and she dodged another clawed attack to punch Druella in the stomach and shove her hard as she doubled over unbalanced. Druella managed to grab hold of Ro's wrist as she fell to drag them both down to the floor and there was a muddy gash over one yellow eye when Ro lifted her head again. Not even her Quidditch honed reflexes could protect her from the fist that smashed into her top lip. But she was ready for the next blow, catching Druella's hand in her fist and using her own momentum to throw her off.
Poppy couldn't watch anymore, ignoring the desperate look Ro shot at her to rush in and pull Druella backwards from where she'd been about to launch herself back at Ro. She was quickly shaken off but that gave Ro enough time to stand up albeit for a second before she crumpled to the ground again with a dazed expression. Druella shrieked out a triumphant cry as she shook Poppy off with ease and rushed back in. But Ro was waiting; her fist connected with Druella's chin to silence her immediately and throw her backwards for good that time.
"What in Merlin's name is going on here!" roared a furious voice. It was Filch, who had abandoned his check in post to approach the battleground with the waiting students gathered around in a loose circle that Poppy hadn't even noticed until then.
Druella had got to her feet first, clutching her jaw where Ro had punched her. "It was her what started it, she hit me first!" she bleated in a childlike voice, far cry from the dangerous anger that she'd possessed a few short minutes ago.
"But look at Ro's face!" Millicent shouted, pointing as Ro staggered to her feet and wiped a sleeve underneath her bloody nose. She looked a frightful state with mud and blood smeared over her eyebrow and red oozing from her nose and split lip, and Poppy ached to rush in and help her.
To Poppy's growing horror though, Filch moved in to seize Ro by the shoulder. "Looks like self-defence to me," he said, his tone uncaring. "Rosier, Hospital Wing. You, you're coming with me."
Poppy's cry of "No!" was ignored as Filch began to half-walk half-drag Ro back towards the castle. Druella gave her, Millicent, and Irma a triumphant sneer as soon as Filch's back was turned then flounced away after him.
A nervous hand tapped Poppy's arm as she stared after Ro, dragging her gaze away to look at Millicent and a shivering Irma. "What do we do now?" Millicent asked, looking shaken but still calm.
"Let's go to my dormitory first," she said after a moment's hesitation, fighting to get her thoughts in order when all she wanted to do was sprint after Ro. "Irma's our first priority. Then we can think about how we're going to rescue Ro."
"No, don't worry about me it doesn't matter," Irma insisted, shaking her head but reeling slightly as she did so.
Poppy moved to place a steadying hand on Irma's shoulder, feeling how much she was trembling. "No. You look like you're going into shock, we're getting you somewhere warm and safe before we do anything else. I can't worry about both of you at once."
Irma relented then, so Poppy and Millicent walked on either side of her as they made the slow journey up the Grand Staircase to Gryffindor Tower. Once there, Poppy sat Irma down on her bed and between her and Millicent they started to clean the mud out of her hair and off her hands. Irma stayed stonily silent throughout it all, such a warring mix of emotions in her face that she didn't try to draw it out of her. She would talk with them when she was ready to but for now it was obvious she needed to just sit with her thoughts until Ro was safely back.
"How are we planning on doing this then?" Millicent asked.
Poppy didn't need her to elaborate on what 'this' was referring to. "He'll have taken her to his office downstairs. I had to rescue a few first years from there during my Prefect rounds last year so I know where it is, and it's not particularly well guarded either. It would be a lot easier if we had Minerva in Animagus form but I don't want to wait until she and Septima get back, it could be another hour of more," she said.
Millicent nodded. "Agreed. If we keep lookout then we can tell you if anyone is coming, and we're both Prefects so if we have to find a cover story he's likely to believe us. Then you'll have some time to get her out."
The plan sounded safe enough to Poppy, though there was one detail she wasn't quite sure about. "Alright. But Irma, I'm not sure if you should come if you're still feeling shaken," she said very gently, looking to where Irma was still sat with her head bowed.
Immediately her head snapped up to fix Poppy with an intense stare from hard brown eyes. "I'm coming and you can't keep me here. Not when I caused this," she said bluntly, leaving no room to argue.
"I think Druella caused this not you, but alright. You're coming," Millicent reassured her, glancing at Poppy with a pleading look and giving a relieved smile when she didn't try and stop her again. She knew that Irma had a tendency to blame herself for things, having held onto her guilt around the Timeturner argument and Minerva's subsequent near drowning for over a year until Poppy finally managed to sway her.
Once Irma's hair had been cleaned of grass and brushed through, they all collected their wands and began the long journey back down to the Entrance Hall. Rather than take the Grand Staircase again they opted to go via the secret passage behind a statue on the seventh floor corridor that lead to a steep spiral staircase all the way to the ground floor corridor that branched off the Entrance Hall towards the Dungeons. It wasn't a fun journey with how careful they had to be to not slip on the tight corners but it was quicker than dealing with the Grand Staircase for the second time in half an hour.
Millicent peered out round the side of the tapestry that covered the bottom of the staircase to check the coast was clear before they all rolled out from underneath, Irma grumbling under her breath that it had been a lot easier when she was a smaller third year. Then they continued on down the corridor until they reached the door labelled 'Caretaker's Office'. There was a piece of parchment pinned underneath with a handwritten note that read 'Office Vacant – on checkout duty for Hogsmeade Weekend. Don't bother knocking.'
"He truly has a way with words," Millicent muttered sarcastically. "At least we know he's not in though. We'll keep watch, go on in."
Poppy nodded, pointing her wand at the door handle and whispering "Alohamora." A click sounded and the door shifted open, allowing her to silently enter the office and shut the door behind her. She kept her footsteps as quiet as possible as she crept between stacks of cluttered cabinets towards where Filch kept his desk. The loudest sound she could hear was her own breathing, unable to shake the feeling that she could be caught at any second.
"Nice of you to drop by."
It took all of her self-control not to scream at the sudden voice. After doubling over for a second to catch her breath, she straightened up to see Ro looking directly at her on the same eye level from across the room. But that was because she was upside down. Suspended from the ceiling by chains around her ankles, she had her arms crossed over her chest and there was still blood on her slightly red face but she was smirking as Poppy looked her up and down.
After remaining speechless for several seconds, Poppy shook her head before asking "How long have you been hanging there for?"
Ro somehow managed to shrug despite being inverted. "A while, honestly. I think all the blood's going to my head though so if you've got any ideas how to get me down without dropping me that'd be smashing. There's so much blood in my nose," she joked, though it didn't completely hide the quiet desperation in her tone.
"I think you might be right," Poppy agreed, walking over and conjuring up a handkerchief to gently wipe the crimson from around her mouth. Glancing across the room for any ideas, she pulled a chair over from Filch's desk to place under Ro's head and asked "Can you brace your hands on that?"
Ro craned her neck back to see the chair underneath her, humming in agreement as she uncrossed her arms to push down on the chair and take some of the weight off her ankles.
Poppy still didn't know how she was going to keep her upright as soon as the chains were undone, but just settled with hoping she didn't land flat on her face again at least. "Ready for your left leg?" she asked, waiting for Ro's sound of acknowledgement before aiming her wand at the metal around Ro's ankle and repeating the unlocking charm incantation. The manacle cracked open and Ro's leg swung down in front of her, foot dangling in the air several feet above the floor.
"Now what?" Ro said through gritted teeth.
"Do you think you can catch yourself on that foot if I undo the other chain?" Poppy asked, assessing the distance she had to fall with a worried expression and trying not to let her eyes linger on the ankle bracelet she'd brought Ro for her birthday that was visible above the hem of her trousers.
Looking between her arms at her foot, Ro managed to nod. "Probably unless I end up jarring my ankle. Just be ready to catch me if I fall the other way and end up going head over heels."
Poppy nodded in promise. "Ok. In 3, 2,.."
On the count of 1 the other manacle came undone, and Poppy immediately dropped her wand to outstretch her arms in case Ro needed her. She'd folded the already released leg in as Poppy counted down so managed to keep herself upright for a second after she was freed, grunting in effort as she swung both her legs down at the same time to land on the floor like she'd just done a roundoff. After straightening up she immediately clutched her head to her hands and dropped back to the floor with a pained groan.
"Easy, easy now," Poppy urged her as she knelt down beside her, gently stroking the wisps of hair around her forehead. "You're just dizzy because your blood needs to recirculate properly. Take a minute and then we'll go back upstairs." She glanced back towards the door as she said that, trusting that Millicent and Irma were still on guard to keep them safe.
"Feels like I'm going to be sick," Ro muttered, shuffling towards Poppy to rest her head in her lap, one hand shielding her eyes and the other pressed against her stomach.
Poppy hummed soothingly as Ro groaned again. "I know, I know dear," she said, the term of endearment slipping out without her realising and bringing a slightly blush to her cheeks.
They both jumped when they heard a male voice from outside the door, freezing in place since they had nowhere to run. "What's going on?" Filch asked, his voice muffled by the door but his words still clearly audible.
"Mr Filch, there's been an incident in the corridor leading to the Owlery," Millicent's voice sounded, a little faster than she normally spoke but unshakingly confident despite the lie she was telling. "It looks like some of the first or second years were trying to use the secret passage to sneak into Hogsmeade and we really need you to help us."
"Oh those little sneaks think they can take advantage of me watching the door," Filch sneered. "Come on girls let's find those troublemakers!"
Poppy waited for their footsteps to disappear down the corridor before she sighed in relief. Ro lifted her head to look towards the door as she commented "That was quick thinking."
"I just hope they don't get in trouble when he realises it's a ruse," Poppy said. But she knew Millicent and Irma were both quick-witted enough to think of something and for the time being she had a different priority. "What about you? Are you feeling a little better?" she asked.
Ro gave an affirmative hum. "Not brilliant but less like I'm about to throw up," she said with a weak laugh.
Poppy chuckled. "I suppose that's something," she agreed, hand lingering on Ro's temple as she rolled to lie on her back looking upwards at Poppy. As much as she didn't want to move her she was aware of the time passing, so reluctantly warned "If you're ready we should go, we might not have much time."
"Mhm. Yeah I'm good," Ro sighed, closing her eyes for a second before she sat up with a grunt of pain. Poppy stood up while she took a second to just readjust to sitting again, offering out a hand and helping pull her to her feet. Ro didn't let go afterwards so Poppy gave her a nervous smile before leading the way out of the office.
She looked both ways down the corridor before leaving the office and locking the door behind her, moving fast as she headed towards the tapestry. "We came downstairs this way and there's no risk of us running into Filch if we avoid the Grand Staircase," she explained as she lifted up the tapestry for Ro to crawl under. "I know it's not a nice staircase to climb all at once when you're not feeling well so if you want to stop for a little bit then just-"
"Poppy wait."
Ro had reached out to grab her hand again when she interrupted her, and Poppy paused from where she'd about to set off up the staircase to stand facing Ro in the alcove. "What is it?" she asked, confused at the conflicted look on Ro's face.
There was silence as Ro just looked at her for a moment like a cornered animal, as if she hadn't thought any further than asking her to wait, so Poppy gave her a reassuring smile as she patiently waited. "I, err, I didn't think this far ahead," she admitted as Poppy had expected. "Argh, how do I start. Shit. Screw it; Keziah Mulberry invited me to Madame Puddifoot's today."
An uncomfortable weight seemed to settle in Poppy's chest at that name and she couldn't help her smile from falling. "Why didn't you go?" she asked in a carefully controlled voice. Part of her wanted to drop Ro's hand and take off up the stairs but another part of her kept her feet frozen in place, putting her own feelings to one side to do the right thing and hear her out.
"Because I don't like her like that," Ro said with a shrug.
Poppy blinked in surprise, taken aback a little. "But- but I saw you two at the Slug Club party!" she burst out without thinking, then regretted it immediately when Ro's face blanched. "Sorry, sorry, please don't think I've got a problem with it. I don't. I just, I thought it was obvious you liked her."
Ro stared at her blankly, before dropping Poppy's fingers to bury her head in her hands. "Merlin I've messed up," Poppy heard her say in a muffled tone, surprised by the misty look in her bright eyes. "So… you're not bothered by the fact that I'm- I like girls," she asked almost fearfully.
"No, of course not," Poppy said, a hint of fond laughter creeping into her tone. "Ro, you've been one of my best friends since the day I met you and nothing you could tell me would change how I feel about you. Least of all something like this," she promised, hoping the words were good enough to convey her meaning.
Nodding, Ro took a second to bow her head and exhale deeply. "I- yeah. Ok," she whispered, a tearful smile on her face, then she cleared her throat before continuing. "But me and Keziah – she's pretty yeah and it was fun at the party, she asked me if she could kiss me and I figured why not. I just don't want it to turn into anything proper because- because she's not the person I actually like."
The air between them felt so think that Poppy almost forgot to breathe. "If it's not Keziah then who is it?" she forced herself to say.
"You," Ro said miserably.
'Oh,' thought Poppy.
But Ro wasn't finished let, covering her eyes with her hands as she kept talking in the same distraught voice. "It's been you for ages now and I've been too scared to say anything because you mean so much to me as my friend and I would hex myself if I ruined that by telling you. You're more important than anything I feel. And I thought that kissing Keziah would make it go away but I couldn't pretend that the only person I wanted was you and I'm sorry you saw it and still looked after me afterwards because I didn't deserve you doing that."
Poppy tried to interrupt with a gentle "Ro-", but Ro shook her head and she fell silent again.
"No, no, just let me say this," Ro insisted, sniffing loudly and rubbing her eyes with a trembling hand. "I talked to Marilyn about it because y'know she danced with that woman at the Yule Ball and she said that it's ok to feel this way and there's nothing wrong with it but that I have to be careful because it's better in the magic world than it is with Muggles right now but some people still aren't going to be ok with it. And that's the other reason why I couldn't tell you, because we'd have to be so careful and there's no way I could do that to you because you deserve better than living secret and I'm not worth living a lie for."
"So I thought I was doing the right thing and putting you first but it's just been eating me inside for weeks and I told myself I'd tell you so many times but every time I've just been too much of a coward to ruin everything and maybe this is just my busted head that's making all these words come out but yeah." She paused for a second, then finished with a mumbled "I'm done now. Say something, anything, please."
It took several moments for Poppy to process everything Ro had just rambled out, thinking carefully about what her words would lead to before she opened her mouth. "You keep talking about what I deserve, but have you thought about what I actually want?" she asked quietly.
Ro's head shot up from her hands, meeting Poppy's gaze with wide red-rimmed eyes. "And what do you want," she stammered, her breath hitching slightly as she visibly fought to keep her emotions in check.
Poppy gave a small shrug, her outward calm giving away nothing of how her heart was racing. "I don't know," she admitted, deciding that she owed Ro absolute honesty after she'd laid her raw feelings out in front of her. "I've never done this before, I've never felt like this before, so I don't know what I want."
Ro nodded very quickly, seeming as if she was building herself up for disappointment, but Poppy held her hands up before she could launch into another panicky tirade. "But," she continued, "What I do know is that I like you very much Ro. And I want to see what that could become, if you'll have me," she said shyly.
It looked as though Ro was about to pass out from shock for the second time that afternoon, so Poppy took a couple of steps to close the space between them and tentatively circle her arms round Ro's waist. "Of course I'll have you," she half-sobbed, looking up at her in shocked joy as she clasped her hands together behind Poppy's back.
Poppy grinned as she swayed giddily in Ro's arms. "Then let's see what happens," she giggled.
Ro nodded, looking nervous again as she looked up at Poppy then down at the floor. "What is it?" Poppy asked, suddenly concerned.
She was quiet for a moment, glancing up hesitantly. "Can I…" she trailed of, eyes darting between Poppy's eyes and mouth.
"Won't I hurt you though," she worried instantly. Ro's face was still a constellation of blood and bruises, to the point where she was hesitant to touch her until she was healed.
Ro shrugged. "You're always gentle, you'd never hurt me."
She managed to hesitate only a moment longer, the two sides of her instincts warring with each other, before Ro's hand came to rest on her jaw and she leaned down into the softest kiss.
Author's Note:
Guys. Guys. I have been waiting for so long to be able to write this.
All I can say is it had better not be a shock to anyone with all the hints I've been dropping, and I hope that I've done that last scene justice since I spent a painstakingly long amount of tme writing it. As a lesbian myself who has been in this situation before in terms of coming out and confessing crushes I knew I wanted to get this right, so poured every thought I've had into Ro's little speech. This chapter really is Ro's and Poppy's from the start to the finish, and I hope that everyone loves them as much as I do.
A quick mention to my middle segment of this chapter though, and that's the headcanon that is in no way an original of mine that the Slytherin students can communicate with the Merfolk using BSL. I've been wanting to mention this for ages since I'm learning BSL myself and including any kind of representation I can is really important to me. Lyrena Sparrow was made up on the spot but I already love her.
Honestly I love this chapter so much. It's a really important one for me that has been a long time coming. I don't think I'd have written this back when I started writing this fic long back when I was just starting to question my sexuality, but I hope that maybe it resonates with those of you who are in that place now.
Until next time :)