Mimosa waited in the library for a long time.
Having finally ran up the steps to the book filled chambers, the young Slytherin was out of breath with her arms and legs aching. Coming to a stop at the front desk, she leaned over it for support, causing the normally calm Professor Hughes to look at her with concern.
"Ms. Harrington, are you alright?"
"Sir, have you seen Mercy? Did she come here?"
Both their words tumbled out at the same time and clashed mid air, making the Transfiguration professor reassess the situation. Finally, he shook his head softly. "I'm afraid not, but you're welcome to wait here for her."
whether the man saw that she needed to sit down and rest her almost certainly bruised feet or he was genuinely suggesting that Mercy would find her way to the library eventually, Mimosa wasn't sure. the idea of taking a seat and laying her head on the table however, was a welcome one. The teenager had nodded her thanks before retreating to a nearby table and sinking into a chair. Afraid to remove her shoes and inspect the damage, the young witch contented with bringing her knees up to her chest and on the chair and hugging them securely to her.
And he waited.
Eventually, the quiet, comforting lull of the library coupled with the early start to the day she had gotten combined to turn the world around her out of focus. It wasn't real sleep, merely spells of drowsiness punctuated by startling moments of wakefulness where her eyes scanned for mercy and, failing to spot her, drooped once again. Finally, it was evening when she spotted a familiar face.
"Jia En! jia En!"
"Mimosa? i thought you were going to Hogsmeade with Nik-"
"Do you know where Mercy is? I haven't seen her all day."
The Ravenclaw looked confused for a minute before her features brightened up. "I think she's in the hospital wing, Seema saw ehr with the matron earlier."
Without as much as a thank you, the Slytheirn Beater sprang to her feet, rushing out the library's fast as she could, only slowing down slightly to say good bye to a very busy looking Professor Hughes.
She wanted to run down to the hospital wing but her legs wouldn't let her, forcing her to slow down after one flight and painfully reminding her that she still wasn't okay. Luckily, most of the corridors and hallways were empty thanks to the date and occasion and in ten minutes, she was down in the hospital wing demanding to see her Mercy.
"Well, I'm afraid Mercy can't see anyone right now, she's taken ill."
"That's okay, I'm ill too, look." the brunette pointed to her feet, doing the unthinkable and removing her shoes where she stood. the dark blush bruises spreading from ehr heel and toes didn't even make ehr flinch as she showed them off. "Now can i see her, since I need to be here too?"
"Oh dear," the matron murmured, more interested in Mimosa's feet than her words. "That does not look good, why don't you take a seat and we'll take care of that."
And for the next half hour, the nurse bathed her feet and put a salve on them that made the pain go away almost instantly but she was still instructed to stay off her feet. Worse stiil, the nurse refused to answer any questions about Mercy. Mimosa tried a different tactic, saying she needed the bed to properly rest, hoping she could get to the Gryffindor that way but the matron suggested the armchair was quite comfortable enough for Mimosa's needs.
Finally, having exhausted herself and all her options, Mimosa curled up on the chair. This time though, she only pretended to sleep. Mercy had to come out some time, to use the powder room or go back to her tower. Mimosa would catch her there.
Her patience was rewarded nearly two hours later when she heard something stir. A small peak from behind almost closed eyelids showed a full moon outside the window across the room. It was past sunset.
And the nurse was holding on to a cloaked figure and hurrying her out the door. Mimosa closed her eyes once more to affect sleep.
"Come on Ms. Williams, we have to get moving," the nurse whispered, making Mimosa almost open her eyes. So Mercy was the cloaked figure the nurse was leading? But where? Was she not allowed so see anyone because she was really sick or was she being punished. Mimosa waited until both people had left the room to slowly, noiselessly get out of her chair.
The brunette took a minute to smooth down her carefully picked Valentine's day dress from that morning, put on her shoes again and then follow.
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