A hacking cough and Madam Pomfrey's skirts rustling as she passed by awoke Rowan from her sleep. Her eyes feel heavy, but she focuses on the white linen curtain until she fully awakes. Her brain still feels sluggish with only a dull throb left of her headache. Her limbs feel heavy, but she shifts until she is able to sit up. A bit of nausea can still be felt, but the moment passes. Adjusting her pillows, she glances around and tries to guess the time.
Left to her own devices, Rowan relaxes in a rare moment of stillness only filled by the coughing and sneezing of several students, who had caught terrible colds. The sound grows softer until she can no longer hear the footsteps of Madam Pomfrey. Sensing that the infirmary matron has briefly stepped away, she tosses the linen sheets off.
Rowan slides to the edge of the bed and slowly stands up. Her body feels weak as if recovering after a cold. Her feet are barefoot, and she shivers at their touching the freezing floor. Still, she couldn't help herself and as silently as possible pulled the white curtains open. She peeks through a small opening to ensure that the coast is clear.
Moving through the small opening, Rowan slithers forward placing one foot in front of the other as to not make any noise. She stealthily pulls the white linen curtains to the patient's bed next to her own. She heaves a sigh of relief at spotting Severus's sleeping pale face.
Rowan hurriedly scampers inside and sits down on the edge of the bed. She reaches out to touch his face with the back of her hand. His forehead feels neither warm nor cool, just right. Her midnight indigo-colored eyes carefully study him as she pulls her hand back. Her eyes are abruptly narrow at glimpsing an unfamiliar color in Severus's raven-colored hair.
Peering closer, Rowan leans over Severus to stare at his left temple. At the edge, there is a patch of silvery-white hair. The white-silver streak is not very large, but it runs from the tip of his forehead to the end of his hair. The silver streak is rather noticeable considering Severus's raven-colored hair.
Last night, Rowan had been as careful as possible when absorbing Severus's magic. She had done her best to ensure that her own magic did not enter Severus's body. But it was possible that in the process of forging the very connection, she had contaminated Severus's body with a bit of Death magic. Then again, the silver streak greatly resembled the hair color of one, Gellert Grindelwald. It was possible that much like her left eye, Severus had inherited and unlocked an attribute of Grindelwald.
Rowan's face twists in apprehensive and in a rare display of emotional turmoil chews on her lips. She could not deny the attraction the Prince's held for what is considered the dark art's more so considering their lineage as Percussor's. It was not surprising that Severus would be attracted to the dark arts, and it wasn't as though she was an exception either. The dark arts were not evil in essence but rather it was the caster who determined their function.
Maybe Rowan was merely trying to convince herself that was the case, but she gently reached over to tussle Severus's hair. Her hand lingered on the white streak, but she did not sense or feel anything different from it. Tucking the blanket carefully around, Severus, she rises, and glances at her twin one last time.
Rowan's bare feet against the floor do not make any noise, but she shivers and finds that she is cold. Hurriedly, she slips through the linen curtain and closes it, before all but leaping back into bed. Bundling herself in the linen blankets, she wraps the bottom portion around her feet, before settling back down.
A hacking cough interrupts the silence of the infirmary and not long after the brisk footsteps of Madam Pomfrey are heard. The white linen curtains are loudly pulled back letting in the light. "Good, you are awake, Miss Prince," the matron said carrying another tray.
Rowan's face darkens, but Madam Pomfrey pays no mind to her patient's desires. "There is sweetened oatmeal to eat first, before taking the rest of your potions."
Trying not to grimace, Rowan accepts the offered bowl of oatmeal. She still didn't have an appetite, but the thought of food no longer made her feel nauseated. She reluctantly begins to eat as she was instructed to do.
Madam Pomfrey beams in delight. "At this rate, you will be able to be released by tomorrow evening at the latest, Miss Prince."
"And Severus?" Rowan asked for confirmation.
"Should Mr. Prince awaken by tomorrow then by the end of the week if not his visit to the infirmary shall be extended," Madam Pomfrey earnestly confirmed. "Now then, Miss Prince, I expect for you to finish your entire meal and potions. You and Severus have several eager visitors. Mind you, Professor Dumbledore informed the staff this morning and your professors have all been informed to make adjustments according to your present health conditions should the conditions extend past the weekend into the school week."
"Mm."
"I'll return in just a jiffy," Madam Pomfrey said, before pulling the linen curtains around Rowan and briskly moving to attend to another patient.
By the time Madam Pomfrey returned Rowan had finished her bowl of soup and downing the awful tasting potions. Madam Pomfrey found Rowan eating a few sweets from the sweet box. "I am pleased to see that you cleaned your bowl, Miss Prince," the matron said gathering the potions and bowl on the tray.
"Now settle down Miss Prince to rest for a bit," Madam Pomfrey said. "I am certain that your friends will stop by before dinner once they are free from their classes." She happily flounces away to tend to another patient newly arrived with antlers growing from the top of his head, the product of an ill-cast Transfiguration spell.
Rowan must have dozed off because the next thing she could recall was being awakened by a throng of footsteps. Sleepily blinking her eyes, she glances around to only see the white linen curtain almost ripped open. Still half-asleep she blankly gazes at the worried faces of her friends, Andrew, Tiffany, Silvia, Bethanie, Terry, and Lily.
"This is starting to become a tradition, Rowan," Sylvia sarcastically commented. "What is the third time this has happened on your birthday? At least today is Saturday, and you still have tomorrow to recuperate, before being stuck with any missing classes."
"It's not like I plan for this to happen," Rowan grumbled. "Life just happens whether I want it to or not."
"Well, you look better than last year after the third challenge of the Triwizard Tournament," Tiffany muttered earning a pointed nudge by Bethanie in the ribs. Tiffany winces and rubs her side, while Bethanie pretends to be demure and sets down Rowan's schoolbag on the side of the bed.
Andrew carefully studies Rowan and says, "Petunia had sent a small birthday gift for you and Severus to share. It's a pack of muggle treats that the two of you apparently like called, 'smarties.'" He paused with a wary face. "Although I do believe I will wait to deliver them and withhold from mentioning your visit to the infirmary in my reply to her letter."
"You mean M&M's," Rowan muttered under her breath because technically that's what the treats were, or at least the more popular American version was.
Lily's face is rather pale causing her fiery red hair and emerald eyes to stand out more. "What happened?" She interrupted unable to hide her worry. "I mean, the two of you were fine just last night!"
"Severus seemed fine to me as well," Terry commented. "He was still reading in the common room when I went to bed, and I was one of the last to leave."
"Yes, it is rather odd," Bethanie agreed with the observation as did the rest of their friends. "Did the two of you eat anything in particular?"
"I'm not sure," Rowan lied. "But Madam Pomfrey says I'll be able to leave by tomorrow although Severus is still sound asleep. He will likely be out of the infirmary in a weeks' time."
"Why so long?" Lily asked worriedly. "Is he hurt?"
"No, Madam Pomfrey merely explained that it was a rather bad bug," Rowan carefully crafted her words. "I can tell you that I was sick to my stomach that's for sure."
Lily slowly nods her head trying to believe Rowan's words. "I guess, he can't have visitors yet?" She said her face crestfallen.
"No, but what the matron doesn't know can't hurt her," Rowan smirked. "Severus is sleeping in the infirmary bed next to mine but be quiet about checking in on him. Madam Pomfrey is out doing her rounds again."
"Thanks, Rowan!" Lily beamed, before hurriedly sneaking out towards the patient bed that has the linen curtain closed shut.
"Tch," Terry said in a bored tone, before brightly saying, "Bethanie and I have been rounded up by cousin Eponine as the temporary Slytherin Perfects until your return."
Rowan almost chokes and stares pointedly at Bethanie, who merely smiles back with a poker face. She resists the urge to bury her face in her hands. Those poor unfortunate souls….
Sensing Rowan's inner panic, they all tactfully change the subject until Lily returns looking much better and relieved at having seen her unconscious boyfriend, who is at least still alive. "I'll be back later," Lily promised as did everyone else.
They all depart quickly before Madam Pomfrey kicks them out for visiting. Though she'd hate to admit it, Rowan was rather pleased when they were all gone. She wanted some more peace and quiet and a chance to sleep in again. It was the only real opportunity she would have to sleep in for the rest of the school year…