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Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Additionally, this work is set in the emergency department of a hospital. Feel free to back out if need be. Also, feel free to check the FAQs on my FFN profile before leaving reviews about anything you dislike (including characterization or length).
Author's Note: This is a feel-good gift for Aya Diefair, because voting has exhausted her.
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts 2.0 (T04); RAVEN (2024); MC4A (Fa-Yr7)
Individual Challenges: Watts; Major (Y); Kettle; Delilah; Feather Head; Stacking Fool; Flashers; Single Location; Blush; Shield; Hogwarts MC [x2]; Magical MC; Magical MC (Y); Sandbox (Y); Cinematic; Reader; Tossed Chum [x2]; Medic MC; Rian-Russo Inversion; In a Flash; Bucket Listing; Exchange; Green Ribbon; Outer Limit; Greatest Gift; Crack Addict; Vial Collector; Setting Sail; Zed Era; Rainbow Connection
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
Assignment: Term 04 - Assignment 05
Subject [Task (Prompt): Muggle Music [Task#4 (someone feeling hopeless)]
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Library [Frankenstein] (monster); Frenzy [Twilight#5](clumsy); Pet [11 - Baymax] (Healer AU); Pokémon [Lileep](cyan); InMem [11](casting a spell); Bargain [Jeans](Healer); Star [Robin] (Draco/Astoria)
RAVEN Challenges: A [67](Rendering first aid); Traits [69](Quiet); Colors [71](Pine); Items [58](Name Tag); Settings [10](Calm)
Other MC4A Challenges: Ship (DrMaid)[n/a]; Chim [Sheddy](Protection; "Isaac" - Bear's Den); Fire [x]; Garden [Ouch Time (Broken Bone)]; Hang [Phrase#01](n/a);
Representation(s): Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy; Clumsy Astoria; Healer Draco; Post-War Era; Chim Song Prompt
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Under the Bridge; Getting On; Second Verse (Not a Lamp; Sneeze Weasel; Nightingale; Unwanted Advice); Chorus (Machismo; Tomorrow's Shade; A Long Dog; Larger than Life; Unicorn; Abandoned Ship; Surprise!; Turtle-Duck)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Thimble); SN (Rail; Negate); FR (Satisfaction; Evolution); O3 (Olivine); Once (Santa Fe); CM (Notch); TY (Kulonbozo)
Space Address (Prompt): Ship 3B (Crush Blush); FaB 1E (Paper)
Word Count: 755 words
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Mending
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Astoria stumbled into the emergency room, her right arm curled tight in front of her. She winced as the sharp pain shot through her body when she had tried to reach for the sign-in quill. Her heart raced as she thought about what could be wrong with her arm. She had always been clumsy, but this time she knew she had really done some damage. Daphne was going to turn into an absolute monster of a mother hen when she found out about this.
The receptionist in charge of intake was efficient at least. She had Astoria checked in and waiting in a bay within minutes. Not long after, there was a knock on the wooden door followed by the doctor.
Draco Malfoy hadn't changed his appearance much since their Hogwarts days. His pale blond hair was neatly combed, though it was to the side now instead of straight back. He was wearing pine green scrubs under his healer-robes. In the years since the war, he had regained his confident stride. She couldn't help but notice the way his cyan eyes crinkled when he smiled and the dimple that appeared on his cheek. She felt a familiar flutter in her stomach and quickly looked away, trying to focus on the pain in her arm.
"Hello; I'm Healer Malfoy," Draco greeted. He pointed to the little name tag pinned to his robes. "What seems to be the problem?"
His voice was smooth and reassuring and completely professional. And why wouldn't his tone be professional? She was just a silly little Ravenclaw who was two years younger than him. It would have been ridiculous to expect him to recognize her or to have noticed the crush she had had on him. Astoria took a deep breath to steady her nerves. With her left hand, she gestured towards her right arm.
"I may have broken my arm," she said, trying to sound calm.
Taking gentle care, Draco took her arm and extended it. His long, thin fingers expertly prodded and pressed. Strangely, Astoria couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and safety in his touch. She had been afraid of hospitals and healers, ever since spending so much of her childhood accompanying her mother to them, but Draco's presence seemed to ease her fears.
"I'm afraid it does look like a break," Draco said, his expression serious now. He pulled out his wand with one hand and waved it over her arm. A soft light that matched his eyes settled over the spot that was radiating pain. Draco frowned. "It's definitely a break, but nothing seems to be in the way of a bone-mending charm."
Astoria nodded, grateful for his calm and professional demeanor. She winced as he began to cast the spell that would set and heal her broken arm, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She noticed the way his hands moved with precision and care, and she couldn't help but feel a tingle of attraction towards him.
After the spells had mended her broken arm, Draco still wrapped it in a soft cast and gave her instructions to take it easy for the next day or so. The arm wasn't broken but it was still softer than it would be once the magic had time to fully absorb. Astoria listened attentively, but her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Draco.
"Thank you, Healer Malfoy. You've been so kind and helpful," she said, offering him a small smile.
"It's my job, ma'am," Draco replied with a warm smile of his own. "I'm glad I could help."
Astoria took a deep breath, summoning all her courage. If it truly was as hopeless as she feared, then what did she have to lose? At least if she asked, then she would be able to say that she had tried.
"I was wondering, if maybe, you would like to go for coffee sometime?" Astoria blurted, feeling her face flush with embarrassment.
Draco's smile widened and he chuckled softly.
"I would love to, Astoria," he said, his cyan eyes sparkling. "Let me write down my floo address for you."
Heading towards the hospital floo, she couldn't help but reflect on how one small incident, like breaking her arm, could lead to something unexpected and wonderful. She had always been unlucky in love, but for some reason, she felt like this could be the start of something special. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of hope and possibility for her future.