Closed Mistletoe and Mayhem PV Simon Tilia Continued in Hospital Wing

It’s a warm and sunny day in late April, and Josephine decided to go to the quidditch pitch for some additional training. As a new member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team, she has made an oath not to let her teammates down in the upcoming matches.

School broom in hand, she walked though the castle grounds over to the training pitch. When I save up enough money, I’m definitely going to get my own broom! She hated always having to use the school broom. It not only has a plain look, but is also extremely slow compared to her teammates’ brooms. As a seeker (although she’s currently only a second-string player), speed is crucial to the whole team’s success, and she will not allow her team to lose because she can’t catch up with her opponent.

As she was halfway through the campus, she suddenly heard some noise nearby. She snapped out of her thoughts and saw that about ten feet away, a girl is climbing a tree to collect mistletoe. Why can’t she just buy some? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is? She decided to stop for a while and watch how things will turn out.

Interacting with @Estelle Nyx

Estelle climbed the lowest branches and hauled herself up onto the trunk of the tree. It was higher than she thought and she had a beautiful view.

She gazed at the shining lake, golden in the sunlight and saw a flicker of movement underneath. According to rumour, there was a giant squid in there, although Estelle was doubtful of its existence.

Her eyes moved to the Forbidden Forest. Even in the bright sunlight, it had an impenetrable darkness and a creeping mist. It was creepy, but there must be so many magical creatures in there. She wished there was a way to explore it safely.

Finally, Estelle's eyes landed on a girl about ten feet away, sitting with a broom and watching her. She had pale skin and long brown hair. Her light brown eyes gazed at her.

Estelle decided to shout down to her.

"Hi! Nice broom"

Estelle then turned and began to climb the tree again. The branches were thinner than she thought, and she had to check that each branch would hold before she stepped on it. She was almost in reach of the mistletoe but the branches were getting steadily thinner and flimsier as she got higher.

Josephine just sat there, observing how the girl is climbing that tree with some curiosity. She has never climbed a tree even once in her life, as she doesn’t really have much of a steady balance, and will probably fall down immediately.

After a while, the girl seemed to have noticed her. “Hi! Nice broom!” She shouted towards Josephine’s direction. Nice broom? This is like the worst broom ever! She was sort of speechless for a moment, but finally she decided to give the other girl a wry smile, and replied, a bit of amusement in her tone: “Thanks! But it’s only a school broom though. I’m trying to save up to buy a broom of my own.”

The girl is climbing higher and higher up on the tree, meanwhile the branches are getting thinner. Can the branches really stand her weight? Josephine wondered. “Be careful! It’s rather dangerous to be up so high.” She eventually chose to remind the climbing girl of the potential danger behind her current action. She thought about walking away to carry on with her original plan of practicing flying, but then made up her mind to stay for a little longer. After all, if the girl fell, she might need someone nearby who can help.

Interacting with @Estelle Nyx

Estelle climbed higher, her fingers just grazing the edge of the bunch of mistletoe. Beneath her, the girl called out a warning. She looked down, but the girl had gone. Estelle assumed she had gone to practice with her broom.

Estelle pulled herself up onto the branch. It was the thinnest one yet and she worried it wouldn't hold her, but she had gone this far and was not ready to give up.

Estelle inched along the branch. She felt is wobble in the wind and held on tight to the branch above her. Slowly, she reached out a hand and took a few springs of mistletoe. As she did, she felt the branch beginning to bend. It wouldn't hold her weight for long.

Clutching the mistletoe to her chest, Estelle began to shimmy across the long branch back to the safety of the tree's trunk.

The branch below her began to bend more sharply, and she sped up. The branch she was holding was bending at the same angle, and Estelle didn't think is would save her, lest the branch beneath her crack. She was almost to the tree when, with an almighty 'Crack', the branch gave way. Estelle began to fall, tumbling through the foliage. Her life flashed before her eyes as the small branches whipped her arms and legs, leaving thin cuts. She screamed, tumbling and hitting more branches. Just as she was certain she would perish for the sake of some mistletoe, she fell into the arms of someone familiar...

Spring was finally here. After a long and harsh winter, the days were now longer, brighter and warmer. Simon did not want to miss the chance of exploring the grounds now that it was easier to move around since almost all snow had melted. He got dressed and left the common, bringing his Astronomy homework with him. He dropped by Professor Bairds classroom to hand it in before moving towards the nearest exit.

The courtyard was filled with students who were enjoying the sun and fresh humid air. Almost all the good spots were occupied with groups of chattering students. Simon, however, was not much for big crowds. After writing on his homework all morning, he needed some alone time to clear his head. Taking a walk around the grounds seemed like the best possible way of doing so.

The lake was beautifully glittering in the light of the sun. Simon walked along a line of trees, stroking the tree trunks as if he was greeting them, when from all of a sudden a loud 'crack' was heard from above. Simon looked up only to see someone falling from the tree and he instinctively raised his arms. It all went so fast so he only perceived that it was a girl with blond hair, before she landed in his arms with such force that he tripped and fell backwards, landing on his back in the grass with the girl on top of him. Completely confused he opened his eyes only to see a familiar face starring at him, with her blond strands hanging down in his face.

"Estelle?"

Interacting with @Estelle Nyx

Speech: red
Thoughts: Italics

Estelle shook, still winded from her fall. Her chest heaved but no breath came. Her head spun and she worried her lungs had been damaged by the fall. Finally, after a moment of panic, her lungs resumed their usual functions. She took a deep breath, reassuring herself.

I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm not injured that badly, I think...

She assessed her injuries. Her arms and legs were laced with small cuts and bruises were beginning to form on her legs. Her hair was a mess, full of leaves and twigs and her clothes were torn. Luckily, she had a sewing kit in her dorm and was decent at repairing clothes. Other than that, she seemed to be alright.

Beneath her, someone squirmed. She had been so caught up in her lack of breath, she had forgotten that she had landed on someone. She realised she had landed on a boy. He was tall, with brown hair. Familiar brown hair.

'Simon!'

Estelle scrambled off Simon, apologising profusely. She tried to stand, but her knee gave out, and with a cry of pain she fell back onto him.

'I'm so sorry Simon, are you okay?'

Estelle rolled off Simon. Her knee was more injured than she had previously thought and she would probably have to get checked at the hospital wing. She tried to stand and gave a involuntary yelp of pain. She doubted she could walk without help.

"Simon!"

He realized he had never been so close to her face before. He could see every detail perfectly clear and her eyes were so blue that they made the Ravenclaw common room seem pale in comparison. Then she left his chest and tried to stand, but instantly failed to do so and fell right back onto him. He moaned out of surprise as he had just filled his lungs with a deep breath before they collided again.

"I'm so sorry Simon, are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me", said Simon with a strained voice. "I'm alright. How are you? You're the one who fell down a tree!"

When she rolled off him and tried to stand, he understood that she was injured. Her clothes were torn, her bare legs had a lot of small cuts and her knee was swollen. He instantly reached out for her and put his arm under hers to offer his support.

"You're hurt", he said with a worried look on his face. "Don't force yourself. Sit down for a moment. There . . . Slowly . . . I got you . . . Okay. Let me have a look at your knee."

Simon was of course not a doctor or healer, but he had been falling from enough trees himself to determine whether this injury seemed worse than any of his previous injuries, or if it probably was a minor one, despite her obvious pain. But from the looks of it, she was probably not going to be able to walk back to the castle by herself.

He put his hand over her knee with a gentle pressure. "Does this hurt? – Oh, okay . . . And this?" He moved his hand around the swelling that was slowly switching from red to purple. "What were you doing up there anyway?"

Interacting with @Estelle Nyx

"You're hurt", Simon said, looking worried. "Don't force yourself. Sit down for a moment. There . . . Slowly . . . I got you . . . Okay. Let me have a look at your knee."

Simon pressed her knee in various places. Each time he did, Estelle winced. Her knee was shooting daggers of pain up her leg and she wanted to cry, but she felt she had to tough it out. After all, healing was literally the purpose of the hospital wing, if she could get there.

"What were you doing up there anyway?"

Estelle glanced up and her eyes met his. They were a crystal blue, the shade of the Great Lake after a storm. She felt comforted looking into them. She trusted Simon.

"I was trying to harvest mistletoe for a potion, but I overestimated the strength of the branch when I got to the mistletoe and so the branch cracked, I fell and, well, you know the rest."

Estelle grinned sheepishly. In hindsight, climbing a tall tree she hadn't climbed before, with questionably strong branches did not seem like a good idea. But she hadn't thought of it like that earlier. She had been more focused on gathering mistletoe than on her own safety.

Speaking of mistletoe... Estelle looked around in the grass nearby. Her bundle of mistletoe was lying next to Simon, perfectly fine. Annoyingly fine. The mistletoe had barely been blemished and yet her knee was in agony.

Estelle attempted to stand again, her stubbornness evident, but of course her knee hadn't improved. It had changed from a harsh red to a deep purple and she worried that it was irreparably damaged.

Estelle sighed and held out a hand to Simon. "Could you help me to the hospital wing?"

"I was trying to harvest mistletoe for a potion, but I overestimated the strength of the branch when I got to the mistletoe and so the branch cracked, I fell and, well, you know the rest."

"Hmm... This probably isn't much of a comfort, but I also fell down a tree when I was trying to help a hurt cat in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Luckily, I only got some bruises, but by the look of your knee we should probably have you looked up."

When Estelle attempted to stand for the third time it was quite clear that she was not going to be able to use her leg. If he only knew a spell that could make her levitate and follow him like a balloon back to the castle... But that kind of magic was too advanced for First Years. They would have to do this the old-fashioned 'Muggle way'.

"Could you help me to the hospital wing?" She seemed to be in such agony. He truly felt sorry for her.

"Yes, I was just about to suggest that. Do you think you're able to limp your way back to the castle if I help you? Here... Put your arm around me." Simon put her arm around his neck, before using all his leg strength to raise them both to a standing position. "Now, use my body as support. I'll try to relieve some of your effort as we walk, so that you don't get too tired in your healthy leg."

This was not the first time he had helped a fallen comrade during an adventure. He remembered that time in primary school when he had helped Milton Heinz when he fell from his bike in the woods. But Simon had never helped a girl before and he certainly was not expecting Estelle Nyx to land in his arm from out of the blue when he went out for his walk around the grounds.

"By the way, did you get the mistletoe?"

Interacting with @Estelle Nyx