Chapter Sixteen: Snowflake Obsidian

Happy Christmas to all; snowflake stones for your healing needs.

Madame Bones gently closed the door to her rooms, recognizing the expression on the young Malfoy’s face and knowing he needed to be alone.

He sat down heavily in the chair by her bed, the table next to it already filled with a few cards and some daisies. He set his knapsack on the floor by his feet and settled his elbows on the mattress, staring down at her.

She looked as if she was deathly sick, with her face pasty white excepting her cheeks, which were bright pink. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her lips chapped. The tell-tale marks of Dragon Pox littered her neck and hands, which rested over her stomach. Her face was turned towards him, scrunched up in pain. Her long black hair, usually in a braid, was loose and spilling everywhere; over the pillow and her shoulders, even lying over her waist, with the length of it.

“Savannah?” Scorpius whispers hopefully. She doesn’t stir, though her eyelids flutter slightly. She lets out a whimper. Scorpius leans closer, letting his breath fan her face.

“Wake up, Merlin. You can’t get sick on us now.” He scolds gently. She stays silent. His chest feels strange, tight and clustered. What was happening?

“Well I’m going to keep bugging you until you wake up. So open those blue eyes of yours if you want me gone.” He says heatedly. Nothing occurs, except Scorpius leaning back a bit to lay his head on the covers, feeling tired.

~~~

The great creature circled the school once before folding its wings and diving for one of its turrets. He could sense her near, possibly right on the other side of this wall.

He walks to the nearest door, a great wooden block, and clawed at it for several minutes. He was intent on seeing her, as she had not come to see him today. She promised to never miss a Sunday.

His scratching came to an end as a rather small human opened the door with a cross expression. He screamed out in fear and scrambled back from the door as the creature let himself in, ruffling the feathers on his neck and taking off at a steady trot down the hall. It was full of younglings, probably students heading to class; it was early in the day. They broke apart before him, creating an aisle way. He turned and came to a great open place, which was at least a dozen floors high and had a great many staircases moving about through it. He unfolded his wings and jumped off the platform he stood on, gliding down until his sense of Savannah grew stronger. Possibly two stories up from the ground.

His talons and claws clicked on the marble floor as he made his way down the corridor. This one was empty and he swiveled his ears about trying to pick up sound. Several heartbeats, one very familiar. Good, then she was okay.

He came to a stop before double doors. They seemed to open inward, so he thrust his great head against them, making the simple lock between them snap and the doors to open to allow him in.

“What the-?!” A woman’s scream rent his ears, causing him to flatten them against his head. His eyes found a witch, probably in her forties, staring in shock at him. She was standing by a bed; a bed filled with his goal. A few students, the very same that he had met a month previously, also stood by the bed. He made his way forward, moving his eyes to the older witch.

Move away He commands. He was a powerful griffin, his connection with the great line of Merlin allowing his thoughts to be sent out to other humans as well. The witch gasps in horror while scurrying out of the way. He moves to her side, looking down at the girl.

He presses his beak to her cheek, noting its great heat and the stench of illness coming off of her. She was pale, too pale. So she had been ill. And he had told her to get better; how could he command such a thing of his friend?

He folded his legs beneath him and sat upon the floor, his head still reaching a foot above the bed. He rested his face upon the soft fabric, his beak touching her upper arm.

Savannah? He felt a slight stir from her mental waves and nipped at her sleeve.

Savannah, awake! His girl cries out, her legs bunching up and her hands going to her neck as her eyes flutter open and shut…open and shut.

“Savannah!” The pale, blonde boy shouts. He goes to approach, but Aslan lifts his head, squawking in warning. She was merely responding to how loud his mental voice had been. He tones it down to a whisper and tries once more.

Wakey-wakey, Savvy. She groans and relaxes against the bed, opening her eyes and turning to look at her friend.

“Next time, try ice cubes first. Please.” She grumbles before falling back into the bed. The witch he had scared away earlier returns, with the headmistress and the two young professors.

“Aslan! What is he doing here?” Professor McGonagall demands, furious that he had entered the castle. Professors Potter and Malfoy observed how the griffin was crouched on the ground, his head touching Savannah’s arm. The girl was holding a hand to her head, her eyes tightly shut, while the other ran through the great beast’s feathers on his head.

“He just walked in, headmistress. Sat down and woke her up!” Madame Bones explains, slightly shaking from his earlier approach. Scorpius takes a careful step forward, watching for Aslan to snap at him again.

He settles on the bed, sitting on her other side. Aslan flicks his eyes to his for a brief second before huffing and letting Scorpius touch Savannah’s shoulder. Rose, Peregrine, and Albus stand right behind him, watching breathlessly. After four days of unconsciousness, she was finally waking up!

“Savannah?” She stirs again.

“It’s called sleep. I hear people enjoy it.” She mutters. He smiles.

“She’s fine.” He tells Madame Bones with a chuckle. She harrumphs and shoos him away to get a closer look, waving her wand over Savannah.

“We can’t have him in the castle. The students are already panicking!” Professor McGonagall argued as the check-over took place.

“We’ll send out a mass-patronus to the teachers and the common rooms, tell them the griffin is friendly and staying in one part of the castle.” Professor Potter compromises.

“Very well, you can be responsible for that Potter. I am going back to my office.” She sweeps out leaving Harry to brush his hand through his hair and turn towards the doors to begin sending the patronuses.

“Is she going to be okay?” Rose asks anxiously. Professor Malfoy steps up beside the griffin, giving it a stubborn look as it went to squawk at her.

“Shouldn’t you four be in class?” She questions.

“Professor Firenze sent us over her, saying we were needed.” Albus explains. She blows some air out, deflating her cheeks. She respected Firenze, but not what he taught. What foolishness, divination!

“Well we have the situation controlled now. Go back to classes. You may visit at lunch.” She hurries them out the door and turns back to the bed. Worry for the girl settled heavily on her stomach. She took the chair by the bed, taking Savannah’s free hand and watching as Madame Bones continued with her tests.

“She is going to be okay, right?” Hermione gazed upon the sleeping girl’s face with motherly concern.

“Oh she’ll be fine. Just needs some rest, lots of food, and a bit of pepperup potion.” Susan assures her as she pours some of said potion into a goblet. Hermione lifts the girl’s head, waking her up once more in time to swallow a great gulp of the potion. Her ears issue steam and her face flushes to a brilliant colour before fading away.

“Yuck!” Savannah gags. She turns towards Aslan, cradling his head in her arms and resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’ll give her food at lunchtime. She should be improved by then. You can go to your class, Hermione.” Susan tells her friend. Hermione smiles sheepishly.

“She’s just been through so much. The ministry is refusing to answer Harry’s questioning about the aurors who didn’t answer Savannah’s messages for help and won’t release the location of the house so that we might take a look.” Hermione sighs. Susan lays a caring hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll talk to Ernie. He’s a shoe-in for Minister, Marietta is sixty points down. Once he’s in office, I’ll have him pull some strings. With any luck, by Christmas you’ll have the address.” She offers. Hermione gets up and hugs the witch.

“Thank you! As long as it won’t cause any trouble for Ernie.”

“None at all. Now go, you’re leaving a class of third years to their own devices.” Hermione’s eyes widen and she dashes off, calling a last ‘thank you’ behind her. Susan laughs to herself and surveys her patient.

“If you ever order me away again, I’ll tear your beak off.” She says cheerfully at the griffin, who nods slightly so as not to disturb the sleeping girl on his shoulder. She smiles and returns to her office, to log in Savannah’s recovery as well as write Professor Slughorn for more of his pepperup potion.

………………………………………………………

Merry Christmas Eve!

May you all have a Very Harry Christmas!

Ah, Dobby I miss you so.

Anywho, what did you guys think? Two chapters in one day, eh? I hope you all enjoyed it! Trying out a new format for my stories too.

This is dedicated to Elysea, because I have missed him so much and because he’s graduated! :D I’m so proud and I wish I could give him a Molly Weasley hug but I shall settle with sending Dobby over. No matter what, he brings a smile to my face, the little charmer. I hope you are doing well, love <3

New chapter will be up…er…sometime whenever I get it finished :) I hope you all are liking the story!