Quidditch to the Hospital Wing

Alexander Nighthook lay in the hospital wing, he had been hit in the head earlier that day, and he didn't really remember how or when. All he knew was that he had woken up to the school nurse givng him pain killer and a potion to help heal the concussion he got from a blow to the head.

The Nurse suggested he get some rest, though really he was really really bored, the stars that danced around his head lost there appeal a long while ago, plus he could get up anywhere until morning. If he stood the horrble potion the was healing his concussion would also make him dizzy if he stood. It was turture, his firends from the team stopped by to see him but after as bit they got bored. He let them go, as he would be out the next morning just in time for classes. Oh Goodie he spends the rest of the weekend in the hospital wing, confined to a bed.

Always one to push limits he diecided the heck with it and tried to sit up and see what happened.

The room spun and he groaned but he bared through it and was able to pull out training snitch, probably not the smartest thing to do, practice quicdditch when he was in bed with a bad connussion... but why not he had nothing else better to do. He caught it afew times, but then decided it wasn't the same with out a broom.

"Wonder how much of a gasket she was have a I left..." Alex mused the trouble making look in his eyes.

It hadn't taken very long for the news about Alex' injury to spread like wildfire throughout the school. By the time it reached Lainey's ears, it had been elaborated upon to the point where if the rumours were to be believed, Alex was fighting for his life at St. Mungo's, in pieces. Fortunately, Lainey had too much good sense to believe what she heard, and instead she headed to the hospital wing as soon as her last class for the day was done.

All too typically, she found Alex playing with a stolen snitch, looking rather dizzied and bored. Apparently his stir-crazy mates couldn't stay still for long enough to keep him or themselves amused -- not that she minded. It made an excuse for visiting unnecessary; she didn't need any crazy rumours about her visit getting out.

"Alex?" she asked softly, not wanting to startle him, as he didn't seem to hear her approach. Reaching out, she caught the snitch easily, and handed it to him with a smile. He was much better than even she had expected, but that didn't change the bad news she'd already hears about the match. Ironic, really, that it seemed to be up to her to let her rival know their battle was scheduled for another day far in the future.

"Well I can see the rumours aren't true," she chuckled, taking a seat next to Alex, careful not to jostle him. "How are you feeling?"

Alex blinked when some one took his snitch away, he turned and saw Lainey Harper. For a moment he look surprised to see her with any of her firends.. or really he was surprised she came at all.

"Lain? hmm what rumors would that be? sounds interesting, what horrible fate is supposed to be aling me?" he said asked chuckle, he could just imagine the rumours. He wouldn't be surprises if some people thought he would be joining Nearly Headless Nick.

"Ohh I am fine, Nurse says I got a conncussion, should clear up tomorrow morning. extremely bored though. Bed rest is not good, driving me stir crazy" he said looking like he want get up right there for a moment. Yet he didn't want to make a fool of himself infront of Lainey if he got up and fell or something.

"So what happened? don't remember much today, only thing I know I was hit on the head with something rather hard.." he said fingering the bandage on his head... though he had no idea how he got it.

"Word on the street is that you're valiantly fighting for your life at St. Mungo's," Lainey replied with a smirk, "but I knew better. I got it on good authority you got a visit earlier from your cronies...couldn't be at St. Mungo's if that was true." That Alex would be out so soon was surprising -- a good surprise, really, but it was too late anyway. The damage had been done, and she felt it was her duty to tell him.

"No one knows what happened, Alex...I was hoping you might remember. They just found you passed out, and brought you here." Lainey folded her hands and looked down at them awkwardly, not quite knowing how to proceed.

"Well, at least you'll have plenty of time to recover, and maybe you'll remember it after awhile. Our match has been rescheduled in light of your accident."

Alex nodded, " Well I hope I make it out of St. Mongos alright" he said with a chuckle, it was surprising how much out of proportion his class mates could make the situation. Though he supposed he couldn't blame them. His trouble attraction additude sometimes lead to the hospital wing for a few days. This time though trouble apeareently found him.

" Nope don't remember anything from today, not even what I ate for breakfast.." he said with a thoughtfull look on his face. "Damn you know I almost thought me mates had been joking that I was found passed out -Before- a Quidditch match... Thought for sure one of the beaters or a bludger hit me in the head" he muttered..

"So I was knocked out before the game... that is interesting" he said, finding the whole situation fasinating... so that would likely mean someone or something hit him in the head on purpose. Normally one would think it was the opposing team to sabatage it, but no he knew Lainey's style, disableing him was anything but her way of doing things.

"Well I look forward to that day then" he said givng a small nod of his head, any bigger nod would send it spinning. Of all the other quiddich team Captians he respected Lainey and Cole the most.. Jericho.. he was a arse, and hufflepuff Captian was nice... not really firends though.

A giggle made its way out of Lainey before she self-consciously stopped herself, blushing slightly. She did her best to turn it into a cough, and was intensely grateful for the subject change.

"That is quite interesting," she agreed, looking thoughtful. Anyone would have thought it was Ravenclaw who was behind the incident, except that Lainey despised treachery of any sort and besides, Alex and Lainey got along fairly well on a personal level. Well, depending on who was around -- but still, it was nowhere near as volatile as, say, Cole Mars and Jericho MacDougal.

At least when Alex bragged about his prowess on the quidditch pitch, he actually had something to back it up; his record was something that she envied, yes, but also something that she had to respect. There was nothing respectable, however, about Jericho MacDougal, and the new quidditch schedule made Lainey suspect the snake had something do to with it -- not that she could prove it, of course.

"I suppose I should be glad for the extra time...but mostly I really just feel like I've been set up. Not by you, of course...by whoever is behind this. We're set to play Slytherin, now. Something tells me MacDougal has something to do with this, but I don't have any proof." She sighed, combing her fingers through her hair absent-mindedly.

Alex blinked at the information, perhaps he was missing something, what would really be gained in having the game schedual changed... if Jericho did have something to do with him being knocked out and blank on the entire day...How was it better for him?..

"Perhaps I am missing something... but what would MacDougal gain in a Game switch?" he asked, he wouldn't put something like this behind the Slytherin, if only he had something to get out of it.

"I mean, Ravenclaw team is anything but a push over.. not like he is gonna get a easy game... Unless he has something else planned" he mused for the sake of the situation "Assuming it is him anyway" he added with a chuckle.

"Cole told me that Jericho has somehow gotten his hands on a Shooting Star 3001," Lainey replied bluntly, skating over just how she'd gotten that information. Cole would have to deal with that herself, as the whole school would certainly know about it all soon enough.

"My guess is that he's going for broke, basically. Wants to make a really triumphant win, and he kind of has this awful rivalry with Cole, so basically he wants to embarrass her, I think." Again -- all true, although missing some very key details. Lainey wasn't about to start the rumour mill going though.

"You're right though, it could have been someone else...this is just my guess, really. Nothing better to go on at the moment other than that you were fine one minute and they had to pick you up off the floor the next," she shrugged, chuckling softly. "But really, Alex -- I'm glad you're okay. I know sometimes things can get -- heated, or whatever, but really you're not that bad."

It seemed the prime suspect in his attack was Jericho, but no matter, in fact it felt an awful lot like he was just a road block that someone wanted bashed out of the way.

He blinked and nodded, "Thanks Lain, but hey you know me rock hard head" he said as he tapped his head, switch proved to be a stupid mistake as it pounded back.

"Ow.. Okay maybe not rock hard.. but my point is I've made it through worse" he said, and it was true, been bitten by a creature in Class, which unfortunately was venomous got him a stay in St. Mungos, gotton who knows how many bones broken from Quidditch and is insane way of playing it. Once finished a game with a broken colar bone before.

"Your pretty okay yourself Lain, and hey Tell MacDougal his snazzy new broom doesn't matter, Ravenclaw can get his spoiled Arse anyday" he said.. Besides he'd rather play Ravenclaw after a win then a loss.. there is a better feel to it.

Lainey couldn't help herself -- Alex's last remark irresistibly drew a huge smile to her face, despite her genuine concern over Jericho's potential sabotage. Just to hear that coming from her biggest competitor made her whole day, and the way she beamed at him showed it.

"Oh no worry about that -- I intend to tell him just that and better yet to prove it, early and often. We may not be able to prove for sure that it was him, but can make him regret resorting to such crude measures. If we each beat them by 100 points or better, we can almost guarantee them another last place finish." The smile that followed that statement was slightly wistful and very self-satisfied, as she imagined how Jericho would react to such a spectacular failure. It would do very well to make up for the misery she was currently contending with, thanks to him, and judging from the pained expression that Alex was currently trying to conceal, he probably wouldn't mind paying Jericho back, either. Sympathetically, Lainey laid her hand gently against his forehead, smiling at Alex reassuringly.

Alex smirked, the look on Jericho's face if he came to last place was priceless. "Now that wouldbe a sight to see" He muttered a look in his eyes to see it done.

He chuckled at Lainey's beaming grin, " Would rather face Ravenclaw in a good mood after a win then a sour mood after a loose" he said good naturedly.

He dropped his hand from his head as Lainey put hers there, a scar on his arm showed for a moment before his sleeve covered it again.

"Thanks Lain"

"Yeah, you don't want to see Ravenclaw in a bad mood," Lainey replied, chuckling.

"We'll all end up right here, sporting all manner of nasty bumps and bruises...speaking of which, that's a new one," sne noted, catching sight of the unusual scar that had briefly been visible on his arm. Lainey withdrew her hand from his head and moved to push his sleeve up, interested by the scar, which looked like some kind of animal bite.

Alex blinked a moment, she certainly was.. direct if anything. he chuckled as to hide the shiver that ran up his spine. The bite of his dark secret..

" Inncident in care of magical creatures class last year, nothing to worry about, though I admit it still looks wicked" he said with as smirk.

Truth was it was the bite of a werewolf, the only other person who knew was his younger sister Katelyn, who had been with him at the time of the attack. He never told his parents, it would kill them to know.. he had Kate shut up about it. Since he was of age he, his parent gave him remarkable freedom he bought the supplies he needed and somehow dispite not being talented in potions got the hang of making Wolfsbane potion, with his sister's help, who was better at it then he was even. He would stop at nothing to keep it secret, and surprisingly he was a good actor.

"You certainly are inquisitive..." he said.

Then as an after thought he added "I know..typical for a Ravenclaw eh?"

"It's supposed to be the difference between you and I, anyway," Lainey returned smugly, dropping his sleeve back over the scar. It was an easy enough explanation to accept -- Alexander Nighthook was known to be many things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

"I'm supposed to ask all the questions, and you're supposed to rush off to rescue damsels in distress, right?" she asked cheekily, laughing. "If I were you, I'd tell everyone some terribly exciting story of how I fended off a wild bear or something, except every time I told it, I'd change some detail so by the end of it I'd be telling everyone how I punched a dragon in the face and flew off into the sunset."

Now that they were clearly done with serious topics, Lainey slid off of the bed and sat in the chair instead, pulling it right up so that her elbows rested on the edge of the bed. From her more comfortable sitting position, she peered up at Alex with her head resting on her knuckles, all laughing blue eyes.

Alex laughed, her versions were closer to the true then his "Saving the Damzel in distress eh? Lain I didn't know you were such a romantic" he said jokingly. "Haven't saved any damzels lately though.' he said, a chuckle following in his voice.

This visit with Lainey was going along better then he thought, not that he had been expecting her..His roomates had come chated a bit wished him well by the morning and that was it. He guess he couldn't blame them, he came to the hospital wing so much it was a common occurence now. Besides He would be fine by morning...

Then a nurse entered the wing, "Ms. Harper. visiting hours are almost over, say your goodbye's.. And Mr. Nighthook you know the drill, Potion, then sleep and your are free to go in the morning" she said handing him a potion.

Alex girnpsed at the thought of the potion and then took it.. "Cheers to the morning Eh?" he said smirking at Lainey.

Lainey looked mortified at the very thought. "Me, a romantic? That must have been quite a bump to the head!" she replied, turning as the sound of footsteps caught her attention. It was of little surprise to her that she was getting kicked out; she knew that visiting hours ended fairly early in the evening.

Up and out of her chair before the vaguely familiar Healer finished her sentence, Lainey turned to Alex and smiled. "Cheers," she said simply, lingering for the briefest moment before turning and breezing out of the hospital wing without a backwards glance.