Action Thread. The Infirmary. Thorne Manor

[hl_npc2]

For the moment, the infirmary is quiet. The few patients are resting comfortably and are being monitored closely by Poppy and her staff. The Weasley men are still huddled together in a corner drawing strength from each other, settled for now. Everyone hopes that things will remain quiet, but Poppy knows from experience that this is far more

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[seekerslyth]

The familiar rush of cold air preceeding a portkey heralded Draco's arrival.
The Death Eater teetered slowly and toppled sideways, the full body-bind that he had been placed under rendering him unable to break his fall.

[hl_npc2]

Hearing a sudden thump in the receiving bay, Poppy raced inside to find a petrified Draco Malfoy lying awkwardly on the floor glaring up at her. An expression of surprise crossed her features as she bent over him and automatically checked for injuries, the last she knew, this particular Malfoy was unquestionably on the other side so she certainly hadn’t expected to see him here. Yet here he was, though he certainly didn’t look terribly happy about it

[weasley_william]

Bill looked up as Poppy approached. He'd been sitting numbly beside his brothers, watching Charlie attempt to coax some sort of response from Fred, and feeling quite useless.

"Hullo..." he managed to say, but his features failed to lift into his usual grin. He wondered if he'd ever feel like smiling again.

[hl_npc2]

Poppy smiled kindly, placed a hand on Bill's shoulder and spoke to him in a gentle but firm voice.

"I hate to intrude, but I'm afraid I need your help, Bill. Someone has used a portkey to send Draco Malfoy into the receiving bay. He's unarmed, unhurt and under the effect of Petrificus Totalis, but he cannot stay where he is. Is there a secure room or cell somewhere in Thorne where he could be kept for now?"

[aculeatus]

Another portkey precursor stirred the curtains and when it had died away, Severus stood in the alcove, trying to get his bearings. The room seemed impossibly bright and he turned his face away, groping for the wall to steady himself, his wand dangling from his hand, forgotten, his other occupied by a scratched enamel tin, some dark emblem visible between his fingers.

[hl_npc2]

The sound of another apparition made Poppy stiffen. Turning quickly, she ran into the receiving bay to see a bloody and bruised Snape grasping at the wall to keep himself upright.

Swiftly she slid an arm around his body, took his weight onto her shoulders and began to lead him into the infirmary as she tried to make a quick assessment of his injuries. What she could see didn't look good, but there was too much blood to be sure of very much.

"I've got you, Severus," she said calmly. "Looks like you've made quite a mess of yourself this time."

[aculeatus]

Severus sagged against the witch, turning his head so that he could focus upon her. Beneath the red mask, his face was grey.

What did one do in such a situation? Ah, report.

"The dungeons," he informed her distantly, "the dungeons... are in a state of some disrepair. It is going to take the House Elves days to... to -" The end of the sentence eluded him, and he allowed himself to be steered into the infirmary.

[hl_npc2]

Poppy staggered slightly as Severus suddenly stopped talking and slumped against her. He wasn't unconscious yet, but it was clear that his legs were still moving only through habit and instinct, not conscious thought.

Fortunately the first empty bed was just inside the door from the bay, and Poppy guided Snape onto it with a sigh of relief.

"Now, you just lie down here, Severus and let me take a good look at you," she said in a reassuring voice as she began to carefully cleanse the blood from his face and scan for injuries.

"And don't worry about your dungeons, once we've got the vermin cleaned out of the castle, we'll get it all set to rights again. You'll see."

[lunatictide]

Hestia was gone. Someone..Hannah? Hannah had taken her away. Remus was gone. Her leg was bandaged, but it should be fairly healed. Fixed, that much she knew. She remembered the fixing.

Luna got out of bed. Fixed or not that leg was sore. She had to hobble as she moved to find the necessary. Finding it was only the beginning of the exercise, she had to wrestle with the infirmary nightshirt she was in, and then do what she'd come to do.

Hestia was gone. Remus was gone. She knew Remus wasn't dead but the ache of parting was just as sharp. Or maybe right now everything felt as sharp.

When she was finished and her hands were washed, she hobbled back into the infirmary. Faces all around her, but she didn't see Padma or Valerius, she didn't see Harry or Ron. Maybe they were just in other beds, but..

With all the wobbly gravity of a one-legged stork she began to make her way down the rows of beds, searching for familiar faces. And hoping that if she did not find them here, that they were not still on the battlefield and not to

[hl_npc2]

"Luna, dear, you should be lying down. That leg needs rest and so do you." Poppy came up behind the searching girl and, taking her gently by the arm, steered her firmly back towards her own bed.

[lunatictide]

"No, I need to see.." She tried to peer past Poppy but that wasn't easy. Not that Poppy was all that big but she was always moving. "I need to see if he's here, I need to see if he's come back." She gave up trying to see past, and turned that pleading look on Poppy instead. "Is he back? You'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

[hl_npc2]

Keeping her grip firm and their feet moving steadily back toward Luna's bed, Poppy returned the young woman's look with a sympathetic smile. "Is who back, Luna? The battle is still going on and most people aren't here, which I'm taking to be a good thing and so should you."