Harry had been gone much of the day on 'Order business' as he'd told her. She tried not to worry, just as she had the last time that he'd told her that, and the time before. He'd come back in one piece both those times. He was just taking a little longer this time. That didn't mean anything bad had happened. He'd just found someone to have a drink with or to grab a bite. Or he'd gone to a friend's to catch up or something. He wasn't in trouble. He wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere, staring at the sky without seeing or bleeding to death or in pain. No, he was safe. She had to keep telling herself that, but she'd had some practice lately, and this would turn out the same as those had, that he was just gone and perfectly fine.
Pansy was a nervous wreck. Even Polly had picked up on her unease, fretting and looking for Harry. She'd tried to crawl out of the room several times, and Pansy had even caught her crawling down the hallway once when she'd not been paying attention for a few minutes.
Pansy tried reading one of the Muggle books that Percy had sent her. Normally, they were completely engrossing, although there had been one about something called a medical examiner that had been a little too graphic.
Make that a lot too graphic.
But today, the books couldn't hold her attention. Nor could the piano, nor even Polly. The elves already knew to let her know the moment Mister Harry appeared, not that the wards wouldn't let Pansy herself know immediately.
Pansy heard a tapping at the window. In a panic, she looked up, but it was just Cass's bird. With a sigh of relief, she got up to let it in, taking the letter from it.
Her eyes went immediately to the word 'battle' and the panic was back tenfold. She made herself read the whole thing.
A broken leg. Not life threatening, just painful. He was going to be alright. Of course, it could be more serious than a simple break, and in less than sixty seconds she had pictured all sorts of horrible things that had her white-faced and nauseous.
Come home to her? They thought she was going to wait there for him to be well enough to come home?
Like hell she was!!!!!
Pansy yelled out directions to the elves, telling Hilly to pack her a bag with some clean pajamas and clothes for Harry and arranging for Wicksy to take care of Polly. Wicksy knew to take Polly to the estate at the slightest sign of danger, and she knew that Cass would come if something happened to Pansy and Harry.
By the time Hilly had the bag ready, Pansy had changed into better robes. She took her broom, not wanting to waste a moment on travel. She saw none of the scenery on the way to Hogwarts, so worried was she about Harry.
At the gates to the school, she had to ring and wait for someone to answer. Then she had to explain who she was and what she wanted, but she would only say she needed to see Poppy Pomfrey. Even then she wasn't allowed to go on her own but was escorted to the infirmary. Pomfrey tried to get her to leave, but Pansy stood her ground.
Finally, she just pushed past Pomfrey, dashing down the room looking for Harry. Poppy followed behind, harrumphing and chastising her, but Pansy didn't even hear.
Harry looked so wan against the pillow. She gulped, her eyes wide and scared. 'Harry?' she whispered.