Bad News (Mimosa)

Mercy glanced around as her eyes adjusted to the dark shed. Finally, they landed on a glass case off to the side, which Mimosa was leading her towards. Her eyes widened in awe as she recognized what she was seeing.

An actual Firebolt Flash. She'd only ever seen one in a special display case in Diagon Alley as she gazed enviously through the shop window trying to ignore the whopping price tag. It belonged to Mimosa? She couldn't believe it. Her best friend was actually in possession of the fastest broom in the world. She could only dream of even touching a Firebolt Flash, and here Mimosa was removing it from its case. She was speechless.

Front or back? The words didn't register for a long moment as she simply contented herself with staring at the masterpiece of engineering that was somehow within touching distance. And then it hit her.

I get to ride it?!

She thought she might faint. She was actually going to ride a Firebolt Flash. Right now. With Mimosa. She let out a strangled squeak. Her emotions had never been in so many different places at once.

She barely heard the question, simply nodded mutely as Mimosa continued talking. "Y-yeah," she said eventually, trying to snap herself out of it. She had to be dreaming. She realized she hadn't answered the first question either. What did she prefer? Did it even matter? She was riding the fastest broom ever invented. She could be strapped to it upside-down by her ankle for all she cared, she'd die happy no matter what.

"I...um...b-back, I guess," she decided. It was Mimosa's broom, after all. It was only fair to let the other girl sit in front.

The young Slytherin was lost to her friend's reaction at seeing the broom, too lost in her own mind about what her uncles would have wanted and how to mourn their death but also celebrate their life. When Mercy said she would prefer to ride in the back, Mimosa nodded, her soft brown curls moving with the motion. She wasn't dressed for flying, and it wasn't the warmest October night. But that hardly mastered right now.

Mounting the broom, she whispered "hop on,". The Firebolt Flash, intuitive to the very core, knew another rider was coming abroad and braced itself perfectly, the cushion extending easily to seat both little girls comfortably. While most brooms needed hand gestures and verbal instructions, this one simply followed Mimosa's thoughts, lifting the girls up as soon as they were safely seated.

"Hold on tight," Mimosa warned, feeling Mercy snuggling her from behind which worked better than any sweater could have. "This thing goes really fast." Just as she said it, the broom shot towards the door of the shed, getting the girls out with a mere inch between their heads and the top of the door. Once freed of its prison, the broom shot upwards like an arrow from a tout bow, throwing both girls backwards as the wind rushed through their hair. It took less than three seconds for the vehicle to reach the height of the castle, skimming the tower tops playfully under the clouds.

"What do you think?" Mimosa called out, a hint of cheer finally in her voice from the exhilaration and thrill of the ride. "Nice, isn't she? Jacques says there are only three of her in the world and he got me one. I can see why uncle Seb wanted to try her out so bad."

Mercy didn't need to be told twice. She swung her leg over the broom and positioned herself close behind Mimosa. She could feel the broom humming with energy beneath them, sending a tingling sensation throughout her entire body. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears. As they rose into the air, she leaned into Mimosa's back and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, gripping the broom's handle in front of Mimosa, securing them both safely in place.

And then suddenly they were flying, shooting upward through the air faster than anything she'd ever experienced before. One moment they'd been stationary, and the next, they were soaring high above the castle, the rushing wind stealing the gleeful shout from her lips.

Finally, the broom stopped accelerating, and settled into a steady glide over the turrets of the castle. In response to Mimosa's question, Mercy simply let out a breathless cackle, overwhelmed by the exhilaration of the moment. She leaned in closer, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder.

"It's incredible," she finally assessed. There was no word in her vocabulary quite capable of capturing what she felt.

They drifted for a while, enjoying each other's company as much as the slow glide of the broom over the castle. Hogwarts looked rather nice form up here, Mimosa reflected as she leaned into Mercy's cuddle. She should come up here more often, and always with Mercy because she would be cold otherwise. The logic was clear fro the little witch.

"What makes you ill every few weeks?" the child asked quietly, more a subject to break the silence than an actual line of inquiry. Mercy was really strong so it must be something big to make her retire to bed every coupe of weeks. Even Mimosa was sick but her illness just made her bruise easily, not make her tired or anything. Though she was starting to get tired now so maybe hearing bad news was an illness in itself. Maybe Mercy had heard something bad too?

"I can come to the Hospital Wing with you next time if you want," she offered. "It must be really boring there just lying in bed. I can bring my new set of flashcard things that Michelle sent me. It's a bit lame because the game requires reading the cards but they sing and dance if you get them correct so its fun to."

The pack of cards had only been opened last week by the young witch, and even then, Ji Hyun had found them more entertaining than Mimosa had. Currently they were with him. In fact Mimosa was sure she had seen him and Jia En playing a game during break.

With the initial adrenaline rush over, Mercy relaxed against Mimosa's back, and felt her eyelids start to droop, the fatigue from earlier returning. She gazed down at the Hogwarts grounds far below, and tightened her grip a little. You couldn't fall asleep on a broomstick.

She tensed up at Mimosa's question. She should have expected it eventually, but she had hoped to delay it for as long as possible. She didn't want to lie to her friend. She hesitated for a second, then recited what she had been told to say.

"I...have a condition called Lupus. It's an autoimmune disorder, which means my body attacks itself sometimes, and I get sick really easily."

At Mimosa's offer, Mercy thought quickly. When she went to the hospital wing, she didn't really go to the hospital wing, so she'd have to refuse...but then she'd need an excuse.

"I'm usually asleep the whole time," she explained. Technically, it wasn't a lie. "But if you want to visit, just ask the nurse and she'll tell you if I'm awake or not."

There, that would work. The nurse would cover for her if Mimosa came by while she wasn't there. And if she was there--the day after--she really wouldn't mind Mimosa's company. Mercy smiled slightly. She impressed herself sometimes.

"Flashcards sound fun. Or we could play gobstones, of you have any. Or exploding snap. Some seventh years taught me how to play last year, I think I still remember, if you can find a deck."

Mimosa had never heard of Lupus, and on anyone else, the body attacking itself would have been cool. But on Mercy, it sounded frightening. No one was allowed to attack Mercy. Had the Gryffindor not been holding on to her so securely, Mimosa would have shuddered from both the knowledge and the night chill.

She would have to find out what this illness was so she could give mercy all the help she needed. And if she had to read... she would even read. But first she would try asking Seema or Gaspard or Squid Boy. They usually knew things like these better.

"Okay, I'll ask the nurse when you're awake and then we can play whatever you like," she smiled softly into the darkness. "I don't know how to play the games you mentioned but you can teach me." Mimosa would learn anything in the world for Mercy as long as the Gryffindor was happy.

Just as the child was about to suggest heading down, a soft yawn escaped her lips, making her realize how tired she really was. Mercy too must have been tired from her day of being sick. "Do you want to go back?" she asked quietly, turning her face slightly towards Mercy's to read her expression and figure out how exhausted she was. "I can drop you at the Gryffindor window so you won't have to climb up all those stairs. I'm just not sure where it is though, so you'll have to show me."

Mercy's eyelids grew heavier, and she yawned when she saw Mimosa yawn. She was glad her friend seemed to accept what she'd said, because she was certain that any further prodding would likely result in her simply spilling the whole truth--she hated lying, it made her stomach churn and her hands feel clammy.

Did she want to go back? No, not really. Gliding up here with Mimosa...it was nice. A much needed relaxation after the previous week. She hoped they could do this again.

But she knew she needed sleep, and soon, before she fell off the broom from exhaustion. She'd definitely overextended herself. She nodded against Mimosa's back, a surge of gratefulness hitting her at the younger girl's suggestion. "That would be brilliant. Thank you. I can take us there."

She gazed down at the castle towers below, and leaned slightly downward and to the left. The broom responded instantly to her guidance, and Mercy gently glided toward the Gryffindor tower, setting her sights on the window she knew led to her dormitory. She hoped her dorm mates were asleep.

Eventually, they came to a stop, pulling up parallel to the window and drawing as close as possible. She pushed it gently with her hand, but it was tightly secured. With a soft sigh, she fumbled for her wand. Since her bed was right there, she figured she could muster up one final burst of magic from her reserve before collapsing.

"Alohamora," she whispered one more time, and the window unlatched with a soft click, popping open slightly. A sudden bout of dizziness overcame her, and Mercy let out a quiet "whoa" and clung tightly to Mimosa to keep from falling, squeezing her eyes shut until the moment passed. She blinked a couple times. Finally, the world stopped spinning, and she reached out, pushing the window open the rest of the way. She braced her knee on the window sill, and all but fell off the broom onto her dormitory floor. With some effort, she stood, leaning against the window sill, and turned to face Mimosa.

"Thanks for the ride. And your uncles...I think they're really proud of you, wherever they are. And they're happy, cause they're together." It was hard to make a coherent thought emerge from her mouth, but she felt she needed to say something.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a tired smile.