Later that night...

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick looked up wearily from his desk. He had fallen asleep after all. He quickly stood up thinking he had heard Ace calling out to him when Essie walked into his office. He looked behind her for Maeve but there was no sign of her.

"Where is she? Why didn't she come?" he asked, he swore he would kill her if she had blown off his letter to spend the evening with Luxen.
"Essie where is Maeve?"

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

"Sshhh calm yourself boy!" she scolded him as she used to when she taught him many years ago, "Maeve is in St. Mungos. It would seem Halloween Night has not been a good one for the Fiorelli women. Now what happened to Andromeda?"
she asked walking back out of the office and over to where she was lying fast asleep.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick heard her words and stood in shock momentarily.
He then followed her out to stand beside her near Ace. Gently so he wouldn't disturb her, Patrick carefully pulled the blanket that was hiding her shoulder.

"She was bitten twice by a werewolf" he told her wearily, Patrick was utterly exhausted, "She's going to be fine. Really. I mean she will turn into a werewolf from now on in at the fulll moon but we have wolfsbane for her and the best possible care. She is being allowed to stay at the school".

Patrick sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"What happened to Maeve?"

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda stared in horror as she saw the red gash that was possibly the worst scarring she had seen in years. The poor poor child.

"Has she woken up yet? Does she even know?" Essie asked him wringing her hands in frustration, "Did they catch the werewolf that did this? Patrick what is being done?"

Esmerelda turned to face him, "Well? the ministry will need to know of course and goodness I'll have to go back and tell her mother. Oh, she'll be fine she's in good hands. I think ... now I may be wrong but I think her memory has been altered".

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick clutched Essie under her arm and guided her to his office.
"We better talk in here incase Ace wakes up" he told her, walking in and releasing her arm again. He waved his wand calling for some coffee for them. Promptly two large steaming mugs appeared.
Patrick was grateful the house elves were always on their toes.

"Everything here is taken care of as far as I know. The ministry had to be informed straight away. The headmistress and one of the professors are handling every thing admirably", he told her "Now explain please about Maeve, what do you mean you think her memory has been altered?"

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

"It could just be me it's just the way she's been behaving lately. I mean it could all be down to trauma as well she never ever grieved for Giovanni that I know of, well she started screaming last night that she was having these images flash into her head, horrible disturbing images then she collapsed and I brought her to Mungo's she was just coming round when the note came. She was in no condition to come even though she wanted to", Esmerelda told him sitting down into one of the chairs.

She enquired some more about Andromeda looking back out the door to where the girl slept.
"She'll need so much TLC to get her through this!"

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick talked with Essie well into the late afternoon, she would have to relay all the information back to Maeve so he hadn't wanted to leave anything out.
"I'll let you head away now Essie, you can find your own way out?" he asked her, "She's going to be waking soon and I want to be here when she does. I'll tell her you came don't worry."

Patrick stood and walked to the office door, standing aside to let Esmerelda out.
"You know you can change here and fly out" he smiled at her.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

"yes yes of course I will" she smiled gravely at him, "I should start heading back to the Gables to ready it for Maeve at any rate before I head back to Mungo's to her".
She followed him out of the office and gave him a scolding but playful smack when he said she could change here.
"I was going to young man" she looked at him then opened her arms to him, it had been a long night indeed and from here on in goodness knows what any of them could expect.
"Give her our love and keep us in touch. There isn't too much point Maeve and myself coming back and forth. That would only draw attention to her and people would start asking unnecessary questions".

Esmerelda walked to a window and waving her wand opened it.
She winked at Patrick before changing into her animagus shape of the Eurasian owl and flying back to the Gables.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Patrick embraced his old Transfiguraton professor and asked her to take care of Maeve before she told him to take care of Andromeda. He watched as she opened the window and changed before flying away. Patrick closed the window after her and walked over to Ace's bedside. He sat down on the stool and reached for her hand.

The next few days, weeks and months would be extremely hard for her, she would need to surround herself with people she loved and could trust. He hoped she had found friends like that here already or she would become extremely lonely and cut off from people. He kissed her hand and sat there for another hour or so before she woke up, the hospital was unusually quiet thank goodness.

He talked with her again before she had to leave, making her promise that she would come to see him every day if possible. Whether she felt she needed to or not. He embraced her before she left, the two clung to one another not sure what the future held anymore.



[[I know there was a considerable amount of godmoding but it was ok'd by Andromeda]]