Willow Song

VI. Starting Again

Hermione took her to the hospital wing, noticing the many stares, whispers, and pointed fingers Serena received along the way. Serena just kept her head down and wished she were invisible.

Madame Pomfrey immediately began to test Serena for love curses and potions. She had just finished when McGonagall arrived. "Well, I've given all the sixth year witches in Gryffindor a week's detention. None will confess, though I suspect Katie Bell. She'd be likely to be that angry just because Malfoy's a rival quidditch player. Poppy, what's the diagnosis?"

"It looks like a very old, dark, love hex called 'Love's First Kiss.' It is cast on one person and changes their saliva. When they give someone a first kiss, that person experiences a change on the cellular level and falls madly in love. Emphasis on the MADLY. This spell is so old that it's even found its way into Muggle folklore--ever heard of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty? Anyway, I can reverse it, but Serena, you'll likely be sicker than you've ever been before for a full week."

"It's all right. Let's just get it over with."

"All right. Do you have allergies to any potion ingredients?"

"Just eye bright. I reacted really badly to it once just handling it in potions class."

"Well, there's no eye bright in this one. Here, drink it down." She handed Serena a goblet full of dark green sticky liquid. Serena downed it quickly, grew suddenly pale, then crashed into her pillow like a dropped canon ball. When Malfoy arrived an hour later, Serena was a dark greenish gray, sweating heavily, and vomiting yellow bile into a basin. McGonagall was rubbing her back soothingly.

"What are you doing here?" McGonagall asked sternly, arching her brows.

"I heard my girlfriend was in the hospital wing. Serena, what happened to you?" His face took on a disgusted look as his eyes took in her vomit, then grew angry as he read the hex on her forehead.

"Serena can't speak right now. She's fighting a love spell you put on her yesterday. She'll be ill for a week, thanks to you. I'll be speaking to Professor Snape . . ."

"What!" he interrupted. " I didn't put a love spell on her. I never did. You can give me veritaserum if you want. I'll prove that I'm telling the truth," he insisted.

"Then how, Mr. Malfoy, do you explain how strangely Serena's been acting ever since you kissed her?"

"I don't know. She's crazy about me, I guess."

Serena heaved and brought up another pint of bile, then fell back on the pillows panting.

Draco turned on her, flashing anger, "You mean you'd rather be this sick than be my girlfriend? The thought of us together was that repulsive to you?"

McGonagall interrupted him. "Draco, I believe you didn't do this intentionally. Can you think of anyone who might have performed the 'Loves First Kiss' hex on you? The last time I heard of someone performing it, it was Sirius Black's grandmother. The Black women are still rumored to have charms over men. Could. ."

"Don't say it, professor. You know my mum's a Black. She couldn't have done it. What kind of loser would she think I am if she'd have cast a love charm on her only son to make sure he got a girlfriend? She has more respect for me than that." But even as he said it, Draco and McGonagall knew that's exactly what his mother had done to him, and he was furious. He left the hospital wing without another word.

The following Sunday evening Serena reentered the Gryffindor common room on McGonagall's arm. "Welcome back Serena!" "Hey, we're sorry for being so thick. We shoulda' known that you were hexed." And "Let's start over again and show you why it's great to be in Gryffindor," greeted her from around the room.

She sat at one of the tables after McGonagall left. Ginny sat down next to her, looked at her appraisingly, and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you should still be in the hospital wing." Ginny's eyes saw that Serena's forehead was clear, but Serena was paler, thinner, had dark circles under her eyes, and had uncharacteristically dull, thin hair.

"Madame Pomfrey didn't want to release me, but I couldn't miss any more school and Minerva, erm, I mean Professor McGonagall, agreed with me."

"You call her Minerva now?"

"She is my guardian, and after having her by my hospital bed several hours before and after school for a week, it seemed silly to not call her by her first name. But she warned me not to do it in class or in front of other students. She's been really supportive. But I think she's feeling guilty for not taking better care of me, like she let my parents down because I fell into Malfoy's clutches."

"I thought you didn't have parents?"

"I meant my first guardians, the Samuelsons. I lived with them for fifteen years."

"Do you want to tell me about your family and how you grew up?" Serena looked Ginny right in the eyes and decided to tell her all. The telling took a good hour.

"No wonder you've been so secretive. What a history. I won't share it though. It's your story to tell."

"Don't worry. I know I can trust you," Serena replied, holding Ginny's gaze. "I should have trusted you sooner, and I wouldn't have gotten into this mess."

Ginny rubbed Serena's shoulders reassuringly. Serena let out a long sigh. Maybe Gryffindor Tower was going to feel like home after all.