Taking Care of Bullies
Title: The Art of Chivalry
Character(s): Mandy Brocklehurst x Terry Boot; Michael Corner (cameo)
Prompt: #2 (disheveled)
Rating: PG
Mandy batted at her eyes futilely, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand rather than waste her time crying. Her clothes could be washed, that much was certain, but her book? No matter how many times she tried to scourgify it, the mud had seeped into the pages making most of the words illegible. But she kept trying despite the sympathetic looks thrown at her in the Ravenclaw Common Room.
"Did you hear?" she heard the idle gossip of some of the girls passing by. "Terry was so brave trying to fight Marcus Flint."
Mandy straightened, a cold splash hitting her face, as they continued. "Either brave or foolhardy. Who would want to go against Flint of all people?"
Under other circumstances, Mandy would have voiced her opinion even if it wasn't wanted. Instead, she rose quickly, almost forgetting the mud on her robes, as she hurried out of the tower and towards the Hospital Wing. Even if Terry was an idiot, he didn't deserve to be beaten up by one of the meanest -if not one of the stupidest- seventh year Slytherins in Hogwarts.
When she pushed open the heavy doors of the infirmary, she noticed Michael already at Terry's side and the two were in the middle of a discussion. It stopped though when their eyes landed on her and she shrugged off the feeling that they might have been talking about her.
She gave a small smile to Michael in greeting before turning to stare at Terry. His left eye was swollen in various shades of black and blue, and his lip appeared cut. "Flint did this to you?" she blurted out.
"Yeah," Terry nodded, dropping the ice pack from his face and onto his lap.
"Why?"
"It might be because I jumped him and forced him to eat mud," Terry shrugged nonchalantly.
Mandy felt her eyes widen for a moment before she stared at him in disbelief. "Of all the stupid things you've done..." she started, a crease forming on her brow. "Why would you do something like that?"
"Because he tripped you on purpose and destroyed your book," he said. "You don't go destroying a Ravenclaw's books without expecting recourse."
She lost her sense of speech, gaping at him like a cod, before exchanging a glance with Michael who pretty much confirmed what Terry had just said. "I can always buy another book," she pointed out, her voice dropping to a softer tone. Even if she loved books, she wouldn't want someone to get a black eye because of what happened to her. Her voice turned harder as she raised it, hiding her own anxiety. "What were you thinking?! He could've hurt you worse! Or you could've gotten detention!"
"Stop yelling at me!" Terry looked frustrated at her. "I did it because he hurt you."
She glared at him for a moment before several tears fell down her cheeks. He grinned at her. "And I have a thing for puffy-eyed girls. I find them rather cute."
"You idiot!" Mandy burst into tears, startling him and he turned to Michael, muttering something about never understanding girls. "Hey," he offered. "If you promise not to yell at me, I promise not to flirt with you for the rest of the day." A dimple appeared in his cheek as she thought about it, slowing nodding her head in acceptance.
"Will you promise not to be an idiot?" she asked quietly, taking a seat next to his bed.
"For you, I can try."