The Pierces
November 22, 2012 11:48 PM
Aftermath by The Pierces
Annette had smiled - tearfully, but smiled - at Amira's question and nodded her - not entirely believable - assurance that she would be okay. Well, she would be, she was sure. The medic wouldn't have been hired if he wasn't competent. What was far more debatable was whether or not she'd be of any use in the rest of the game.Turned out she wasn't, but that was at least partly because Jade caught the snitch before Ann could even catch up to the other chasers again, and made the point moot. She immediately descended down to the ground next to the healer's tent and dropped her broom where she landed before going inside. "Bludger hit below the shoulder," she told Medic Bailey, in as clear a voice as her stupid crying allowed. It came out kind of thick and interspersed with hitching breaths despite her best efforts.
By the time she left the tent, feeling so much better and with her tears finally stopped, she found that her relatives at the school had already gathered in a worried clump, right at the closest limit to where spectators could get to the main pitch. She waved off any teammates that seemed to be concerned about her ("Fine, I'm fine now, excuse me") because she was better now and it was obviously Annabelle who needed to know this the most at the moment. Her twin looked about ready to need the medic herself, in order to treat a nervous breakdown.
She was supported on either side by Thaddeus and Derry, who were also both looking very concerned. Annette hurried over to them. "I'm fine," she promised, catching Annabelle into a hug. "I'm fine."
"Annie," Annabelle whispered, her own voice a bit thick and hitched, as she hugged back tightly. "This is why Mama doesn't want girls playing." It was the only time Annette thought she actually meant the WAIL stance.
Thad and Derry both patted Annette's back, too, as if to reassure themselves she was in one piece. Thad clapped her right where the bludger had, so it was good she was, or that would have really hurt. "You okay, Annie?" Derry asked worriedly, probably using the same name Annabelle had because he didn't know whether to call her Nettie or Belle.
She nodded and tried not to start crying again. "Medic fixed me up real well," she reassured with convincing certainty. She even sounded like she wasn't about to start crying again, which was really great.
"You really shouldn't be playing such a violent sport, Annabelle," Thaddeus told her seriously, but it was clear the statement was motivated mostly by concern for her safety rather than rigid adherence to pureblood morals, so she was able to forgive him. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to him guessing her name. He was, as he often was, wrong, but she didn't want Belle getting in trouble any more than she wanted herself to.
"It's Ann when I'm in uniform," she decided to tell him, "and this isn't going to stop me. I got hurt, but I survived, and now I'm fine. I don't give up that easily."
"Belle," Derry picked up the argument, trusting Thad's judgement on her identity while ignoring Annette's instruction to call her by the common name she shared with her sister, "this is too dangerous for you. You're little, and next time it's going to be Thad who has to hit bludgers at you."
She grinned, realizing he was right. Pecari had won. Pecari had won! They were going on to the final! They'd be facing Aladren and trying to show that two years ago could be repeated! Morphing the grin into a smirk directed at Thaddeus, she just said, "Good. Maybe it'll give Pecari an advantage if one of the Aladren beaters is worried about me."
For a moment, Thad looked shocked that she could suggest such a thing. Then he scowled at her and promised, "When we get on the pitch against each other, little cousin, you are just another opponent. You will receive no special treatment from me."
This did not cow her in the least. In fact, Annette just grinned in delight because Thaddeus was lying. After squeezing Annabelle one more time, she pulled away and gave a jaunty salute to Derry and Thaddeus, saying, "I need to go shower and change. Ann, I'll catch you later?"
Annabelle nodded, looking much better than she had before. Annette nodded back, gave her sister one more reassuring smile, and headed for the locker room to rejoin the rest of her victorious team and tell them the good news about the Aladren Beater's vulnerability.
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The Pierces
Aftermath
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The Pierces
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