Siren Bites?

Adelaine pulled up a chair and sat sadly next to the bed in the Hospital Wing. She and Seamus were the only people in the infirmary aside from the nurse. The lad still hadn't woken up, and Professor Renoir brought him in an hour ago.

"When do you suppose he'll come to?" she asked the nurse for the hundredth time.

"He was bitten by a siren, dearie," she stated the obvious. "Even the tiniest siren bite is excruciatingly painful, and this was a big one. He'll wake up by morning."

Adele sighed and stared down at her hands. The guilt she felt was overwhelming. If she hadn't been so stupid...no. It was the siren's fault. The only reason Adele went wandering off was because of the song. Thank heavens Deirdre had the sense to fetch Renoir.

"Well, Seamus," she muttered to the unconscious third-year, propping her head up on on the edge of the bed. "At least you weren't eaten."

Talk about stating the obvious. She slipped her hand through his and held it. At that moment, he blinked and squinted up at her. The next moment, the doors to the Hospital Wing swung open.

Adele went from guilty  to sad to irate all in a matter of seconds. Why couldn’t everyone just forget the whole thing and get along again? They never should have left The Three Broomsticks.

“If it’s anyone’s fault it’s Adele’s!” Asher shot back nastily, his arm over Marigold’s shoulder, glaring at her.

“How’s it Adele’s fault, ye varlet?” Seamus demanded, wincing in pain and gripping Adele’s hand tighter.

“If the stupid minx hadn’t wandered off we wouldn’t have been in this mess,” Asher shouted.

That hit her hard. It was completely true..but no, it was the siren. She wasn’t in her right mind when it happened. Adele wanted desperately to cry, but Beaumonts did not show their emotions. No wonder her father held his power during the wars; he was hard as a rock, and had always taught Adelaine to be the same.

“Shut it, both of you!” she stood up, her anger getting the best of her. “Seamus, it wasn’t Marigold who bit you, so don’t blame her. Asher, you’re an idjit if you think it was my fault! Did you not hear a word Renoir said?!”

They stared blankly at her, a bit shocked at her outburst. Apparently they had never seen her like this; in fact, Kolby was the only person who ever had. She didn’t like shouting, but there was no other way to drill it into their heads.

“If we’re going to point fingers, then here’s how it’s going to be,” she started, angrily. “Marigold, you fell down the hill; you should have run as soon as you stood up. Asher, if you didn’t want to go in the cave you should have stopped everyone. Seamus, yes, you should have listened to me. As for me, I was entranced by the siren’s song first and didn’t have the sense to put it together.”

She sat back down in a huff, glaring at all three of them. If she had been able to say what she wanted, she’d have called Asher a sorry excuse for a Gryffindor, and Marigold and Seamus stupid for allowing their bloody curiosity to overcome them. She would have called herself a fool for not seeing the danger sooner and saving them.

Then the nurse returned.

Adelaine's expression softened a bit at Marigold's apology. She hugged her tightly in return. Asher's apology, however, didn't seem a bit sincere so she continued to give him the cold shoulder. Quiet hung over the room when the nurse returned to check up on Seamus.

"Let's see how this is doing, then," she muttered, unwrapping the bandages. She gasped. "This is infected. How did I not see this before, what was wrapped over this before Renoir's bandages?"

Adele looked quickly to Marigold. It was a spur of the moment thing, she knew, done only to help Seamus. But probably wasn't too smart.

"Erm, Marigold wrapped her scarf around it.." she murmered, hoping her friend wouldn't be upset for being thrown under the carriage. "She had it wrapped around her leg at first.."

That did not seem to make the nurse happy. She pulled out her wand and conjured a small sponge, which she poured alcohol on. Seamus winced and gasped when the woman dabbed the sponge on his wound.

"Don't know what you were thinking, Marigold Belet," she said angrily, putting fresh bandages on the bite. "You would have done better to leave it alone, better than practically dousing his wound with your blood."

Seamus gave Marigold another nasty glare, and Asher glared back at him. Leave it to a sphinx and a siren to tear two best friends apart. The nurse left, still muttering to herself, after telling Adelaine and Asher that they had an hour.

"Adie, would ye mind closin' ta curtain?" he asked, shifting on the bed.

Asher jumped up and closed it before she could even move; that certainly didn't lighten the tension in the room. "Sorry, Adele, but I don't want to see him any more than he wants to see me," he grunted through the curtain.

Fifteen minutes of silence between the two pairs passed. Seamus finally turned to Adele and smiled.

"I'll listen ta ye next time," he mumbled. "Don' blame yerself, by the way. Ye're still ta bravest person oi know."

Adelaine blushed and grinned, not certain what to say.

Adele and Seamus chatted quietly behind the curtain, going over the day’s events. What was supposed to have been a regular, fun trip to Hogsmeade turned into a near-death experience within seconds. Luckily no one had been seriously injured, though, or worse..

“Do you think you and Asher will be fine?” she asked quietly, thinking about the seething Gryffindor.

“Aye, we’ll be a’right once we talk et ov’r,” Seamus half-smiled, half winced in pain. “Adie, do ye suppose….could ye maybe stay ‘ere tonight? I don’ fancy bein’ alone wit Marigold righ’ now.”

“You know it wasn’t her fault any of this happened.”

Adelaine’s smile faded quickly. Why was Seamus so set on blaming Marigold? He had to know it was actually Adele’s fault in a way…unless he was too intent on keeping on her good side, and wouldn’t blame her even if it was her wandering that caused this.

“Fine, um…” she looked around, thinking up a reason to stay; she gasped loudly. “Ouch!”

Seamus sat up immediately, a worried look on his face, before he saw her grin. Adele gripped her leg as the nurse came rushing over, pulling apart the curtains.

“What is it, what’s happened?” the old woman demanded, grabbing her leg.

“I think..I think my muscle may be in spasm!” Adelaine complained. “I tripped in the forest..”

The nurse immediately ushered her to the bed next to Seamus, conjuring some sort of contraption to prop her left leg up. She then rubbed a thick, greenish ointment to numb the “pain” and told her she’d be staying the night as well.

“Asher, you’ll have to go in 20 minutes,” she insisted, before heading back to her little room.

Adele had been halfway asleep when Seamus started talking in his sleep. Before long, he was shouting. It seemed like he was having a terrible, terrible nightmare, until they finally shook him awake and the dream seemed to continue.

"No, no, I won't!" he shouted, pointing in front of him, sitting up in the bed. "Adie, Marigold, tell him I won't!"

"Seamus, what're you talking about?" Adele asked, shaking him again. Was he simply sleeping with his eyes open? "Tell who??"

"What're ye on abou'," he said, looking at her like she was out of her mind. "Don' ye see 'im standin' dare?"

Adelaine turned her head slowly; there was no one there. She hopped out of bed and started to run to the nurse's office before she remembered it was too "hurt" to move. Climbing back in bed, she turned to Seamus.

"Who do you see there, Seamus?"

"My father," he mused, befuddled. "He wants me ter join 'im an' be a sellsword."