Band-aids for everyone; [tag: Jane]

Another day, another trip to the Hospital Wing for some unfortunate result of a task that poor Knox had attempted. Today it was an exploding potion, which was strange because he had even had another student check his measurements to make sure they were right on the dot, but still the little bugger exploded! While sheidling his face from the rouge glass his palm had suffered a few slits that lead to the professor shooing him out to go have it looked at. Knox looked down at his hand, biting the inside of his cheek, it didn't seem too bad at least, the cuts were pretty small, and he was sure there wasn't any glass stuck in them, which was always good. As he made it to the Hospital wing, he pulled the heavy door with the untainted hand and shuffled in quietly, jumping when the door shut behind him from the dull boom.

"Madame Pomfrey?"

He called out quietly, his eyes drifting to the students laying in the beds, making sure to keep his voice quiet to not disturb them. Instead of Madame Pomfrey however he was swept away by another nurse, one with a familiar face, she had taken care of him on many of visits. He flashed her a smile as he explained the damage and after a laugh that glowed with motherly quality, a pat on his head and a quick warning to be more careful, she began fixing him up. Knox's eyes kept looking over to the students, some it seemed were worse off than others, a few Quidditch accidents, one or two pretending to be ill to get out of some class, no doubt Professor Alexander's, but there were others who seemed like they really needed to be there. With a slight tightness around his hand, Knox was pulled from his thoughts, he looked down and saw his hand neatly tied with a powder white bandage around his palm.

"I'll be more careful next time I promise."

Knox had started back towards the intimidating door before stopping and looking to the beds once more. There was a familiar face among them, well . . . at least sort of familiar. He looked over to the nurses to make sure they were busy and wouldn't get fussy about him taking a closer look, and once seeing the coast was clear he silently shuffled over to them and the bed of interest. He tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her face did look familiar, she was in his House, he knew that much, he had bumped into her a few times before . . . Jane, wasn't it? Or something of the sort.

Jane wriggled her fingers and toes as her eyes fluttered open with a small groan. She was in pain, that much was certain. Yet, it seemed like everything was working fine, so hopefully no permanent damage. Her second thought was Waycca. Tears clutched at her eyelashes as she recaptured the moment when one of her dearest friends had cursed her. Her little mind couldn't work out why she would do such a thing. Amongst her confusion and clouded vision, she witnessed a small Hufflepuff boy approach her bedside. She smiled as wide as she could, glad for the company.

Jane was sure the boy's name was Knox, but dare not say it aloud for fear she was wrong and would make a fool of herself. Instead she blushed slightly as she shuffled up the bed and leant her back against the pillow.

"Hello there," Jane smiled happily. Perhaps on the same day as she had lost a friend, she may gain one. That would be an optimistic outlook. Yet, thinking about it, apart from Jayden who was so obviously homosexual, she had never made a boy friend before. She wasn't really sure how to go about it. Did you speak to them just the same as you would girls? She did so hope she wouldn't make a huge fool of herself.

Knox was snatched from his thoughts as she started moving, panicking a bit inside and his body tensed, oh Merlin, what if she thought he was some sort of weird stalker kid?! Just standing here staring at her?! He turned his eyes towards the door, debating if it would help his situation to take off running like his life depended on it before she fully came to--.

"Hello there,"

The redhead jumped and looked back down to the girl, well, she was awake now . . . but at least she was smiling, so if she did think he was some weird stranger randomly watching her sleep then she didn't mind. He sighed quietly in a bit of relief, that's not the kind of reputation he wanted to go through school with.

"Umm . . . h-hi. . . .I'm . . . er . . .my name, . . . I'm Knox."

Wow, smooth. Suave even, geeze. Knox bit the inside of his cheek, looking to the side slightly as he mentally slashed himself, really, was his own name really so difficult? He had hoped he had gotten over his shyness back in his first year but clearly it was creeping up again to ruin and social interactions he tried to involve in, like now for instance. He rubbed at the back of his neck, nervously and in nervous habit.

"Uh . . . you're . . . in Hufflepuff too . . . aren't you?"

"Jane," Jane responded quickly to Knox's introduction of himself, like a blunt outburst after his statement. She cringed a little at how eager she had sounded and bit the inside of her lip. It seemed she really didn't find it as easy interating with boys as she did girls. Especially those who had a cute, awkward smile plastered over their face. Calming herself down with a few shallow breaths, she decided to make sure she didn't shout a response at his next question.

"Yes... Hufflepuff, I'm.. first year, Hufflepuff."

Instead of shouting at him, it seemed her voice had turned into an awkward robot. She was never usually this intensely unsure of what to say or how to conduct herself, it was an odd feeling and one she assumed she hadn't encountered before because she had never met any boys of her own age. Either that, or the accident had made her hit her head harder than she had originally thought.

"You?" Jane managed to squeak out with a little more of a relaxed nature, casually brushing her hand through her hair to try make herself seem more at ease. Until she found a knot and her hand stuck, with a small frown, she placed her hand back onto the plush matress.

Knox relaxed a bit when the girl quickly blurted out her name, laughing quietly under his breath. It must have been a common trait for young Hufflepuffs, they were a little on the awkward side but from what he was told, they made the cutest kids and later on, the cutest students. It was only after she had said her name that he had remembered his manners, quickly throwing down his hand to her before flinching, what if she was too weak to actually shake his hand, oh god, he stood there mortified for a moment, the poor girl was all cut and scratched up, was touching her really a good idea right now? He looked down at his hand, deadpanning for a moment, realizing he had extended his wrapped one before just dropping his head a bit, wow, where was his mind at the moment?!

"O-oh. I'm in my second year! H-how . . . "

Knox quickly bit his bottom lip to silence him. He was going to ask how she liked the school so far . . .but looking at state she was in at the moment he felt it was mildly inappropriate. His hand once again found the back of his neck and he rubbed at the skin nervously in habit. He felt a bit better at the girl's change in her voice, she was clearly as nervous as he was . . . maybe, or she was just this randomly animated all the time, he wasn't sure but he hoped it was the first one.