Cast yourself (you are the spell)

Chapter 39

"Hmm." For what feels like the hundredth time, Madame Pomfrey makes another indecisive sound. "Huh. Mhmm."

"Can I go or not?" Hope growls out. Josie sits in the bed next to her without complaint, waiting to be examined herself. She looks so innocent and adorable, her legs swinging back and forth where she sits, that Hope has to tear her gaze away and actively attempt to not stare or think about her.

Finally, Pomfrey pockets her wand and opens her mouth. "Unfortunately, I will need more information to come to an accurate conclusion. Please excuse me."

Then she stands up and actually leaves the infirmary. Hope watches her go with a dirty look, her eyes softening when they fall back to Josie, as they so usually do.

Pomfrey had placed the bruise removal paste on the muggleborn's eye about ten minutes ago, and it had already started working.

The only sign that the muggleborn ever got hurt to begin with is a slight, yellow-green discoloration on the right side of her face. It leaves Hope shaking on the inside, leaves her fingers tingling for want to lash out, leaves her teeth grinding restlessly against each other.

How could she have been so upset, when Josie was hurt? How could she have treated her so awfully, when the other girl had done nothing wrong?

The pureblood stares Josie openly, wishing she can reach out, wishing she can touch her and comfort her even though she has no right, even though Pomfrey can walk back in any second now.

The muggleborn stares back, a look on her face Hope can't interpret from across their beds, before her eyes flit to the ground and she stops swinging her legs.

"I didn't mean to leave you waiting," Josie murmurs softly, still staring at the tile of the floor. "You have to believe me. I would never, never..."

"Okay." Josie sighs with resignation, doing away with any false pretenses. "I thought about it, but I wasn't going to actually stand you up-"

Hope raises her eyebrows as the other girl babbles on.

"I was just upset that Clara went and kissed you right in front of me, and then everything went downhill with..." Her words taper off as if she's caught herself before saying something she shouldn't. Hope frowns, standing up off her own bed. The set of her jaw becomes deadly.

"I was patient earlier, Josette," she says, her voice as sharp as ice. Her eyes trace the light bruise on the muggleborn's face with gritted teeth. "I am no longer. Who hurt you?"

Josie bites her bottom lip hesitantly, dropping her head down to her chest. Hope's fingers skim across her chin, gently lifting her head up to meet the pureblood's eyes. The brunette's jaw seems to relax within her grasp, and her eyelids drop shut for just a second.

"I won't ask again now." The tone of Hope's voice is soft but firm, and Josie reaches out and grabs her fingers with her own sweetly, pulling their hands from her face into her lap. The nerves on the pureblood's own hand jump underneath her pliant touch.

"I..." She sucks in a breath. Hope imagines that she wants to say this correctly, wants to say it in the best way that won't upset the pureblood. It's too bad that she already is. "It really was an accident."

"She didn't mean to." Who didn't mean to? Hope listens very carefully. "I told...Jade I didn't return her feelings. She didn't take it very well. I was trying to comfort her, and I guess I got too close to her and she-she didn't mean to. She was really, very sorry."

Jade? That insufferable Gryffindor brat? How dare she hurt someone she claims to have feelings for, how dare she lay a hand on someone who is supposedly her friend. How dare she make Josie think it was her fault, how dare the brunette even accept her apology!