Chapter #1: A cabinet packed filled of potions but useless
Disclaimer: This piece is based on characters and situations created by J. K. Rowling, and owned by J. K. Rowling and various publishers, including but not limited to: Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made from and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended by the posting of this fic.
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My hands wouldn`t stop trembling as I ranked through the bottles of potions in Madame Pomfey`s office. There had to be hundreds of them lined row after row in oak shelves stretching from the floor to ceiling. I was looking for one pesky one in particular "Bezoar," for drafting a broad-spectrum antidote for poisons. The more desperate I got the deeper I dove into them, reaching for the dusty back bottles. I found a ridiculous amount of horn slugs and flobberworm mucus which although handy for drafting a potions to cure boils was absolutely useless right now. Madame pomfey must have stocked up for a campus counter-battle with the Weasley`s joke shop products not necessarily a bloody war.
Just as I was about to give up and return to the hospital wing empty handed, I caught the sight of a gleaming yellow jar with B embossed onto a half rotten label on the 6th shelf. Finally, I thought with a huff, and grabbed a step stool. Just as I grazed the edge of the jar with my sweaty fingers it got pushed further back into the shelf and just out of my 5`7 reach. I tucked a strand of my shoulder length black hair out of my face and stared at the shelfs. I was deep in thought planning a new approach for reaching the jar of Bezoar that involved either a levitation spell or a summoning charm when I heard the sudden sharp sound of approaching steps behind me.
All the hairs on my arms went straight up, I bristled up and was stuck with a sudden sharp memory of flying hexes mixed and ducked. I heard a dark chuckle from behind me as the source of the steps made themselves known to me.
"Still jumpy Pansy?," Draco said as he walked into the potions closet. Now notably taking softer shorter steps as they approached. I let out a breath of relief and turned to face one of the few remaining Slytherins at Hogwarts. Pausing briefly, I answered him honestly.
"I can`t remember the last time I wasn`t jumpy…. though this summer has heightened it I guess," I said looking downwards at the ends of my hair that were noticeably shorter than I normally preferred and still singed in places from the battle.
I probably should get a haircut I realized, a whole month has already passed since the battle but it has felt like a haze. I still wasn`t sure where my family was or if they were even still alive. I knew this was an unknown many of the students at Hogwarts still similarly held.
To make the time pass quicker I had been volunteering with Madam Pomfrey. She had never minded my status as a Slytherin, even before the war. Possibly because her younger sister was a Slytherin way back when. It helped, the keep busy and to focus on someone else's problems rather than my own. Plus the hospital beds were cast with comforting and deluxe softness charms making them actually not that bad to sleep in. They were way better than the hard great hall benches I had slept on my first night following the battle.
"I understand that… I jump all the time, especially here in the castle. It all just feels too fresh, my mother and I have been coming on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help in the volunteer jink breaker troup clearing out the grounds from remaining traps. We uhm… as blood relatives of some of the casters have a bit of a better shot at undoing their magic," He said guiltily as he subconsciously scratched at his forearm. When Voldemort passed the mark lightened but it looked like the burden never did. I looked away from his forearm thinking it was rude to stare.
He quickly added uncomfortably, " What about you? How often have you been volunteering with the recovery efforts?," to end a brief but awkward silence that sat between us.
I felt my heart pang at the thought of how much of my life had become the recovery efforts. The hospital wing was still filled to maximum capacity despite receiving humanitarian funds from the world wizard association. As a result, it was a common headline in the Daily Prophet. Creepily, the dirty details of every recovering wizard and the dark curses placed on them was juicy gossip to the public. I hadn`t been able to stomach opening a copy in the last week.
"Ohh uhm…," I paused before spitting out the dark truth, " I never left,".
Draco stared back at me in confusion.
"What do you mean you never left…. You mean you haven`t left the grounds since the battle? That's madness how can you live fulltime in this grumbling jink riddled castle?," He said bewilderment in his cloudy blue eyes.
"While there is always more potion brewers needed in the hospital wing and… I can`t find any of my family…..," I paused and swallowed back the tears that started to well.
"I have been trying with owls but nothing! I have already sent four that never returned creepily and there is a shortage on campus. So uhm I have to wait before I can send more so…..I stayed, I am uhm I am going to stay" I stumbled out the harsh truth of my life this last month to my ex.
He paused and thought for a moment then said hesitantly,"That is your choice. I mean god everyone knows the hospital wing needs help. Good on you for having the strength to stay. That being said what about your family? They must be missing you, where was the last place you saw your father and Phineas?,"
I stared back biting back a little bit of spite and hurt before revealing, " Well lets see….at Malfoy manor one month ago,"