Chapter 9
CRAIG:
Tweek was sitting alone in astronomy. The desks were placed in pairs, and he wasn't close enough to anyone to ask to sit with them. As Craig walked in, they caught eachothers eyes, and Craig went to occupy the empty seat.
"Craig!" Tweek exclaimed. "Are you ok?" Craig had a gentle look on his face as he replied.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"I saw Professor Garrison taking you and Stan to his o-office!" Tweek was shaking.
"Tweek, calm down... it went better than anything I could have ever expected" Craig couldn't hide the excitement creeping into his voice. Tweek's eyes widened in anticipation. "Professor Garrison... Offered me a place on the Slytherin quidditch team"
"WHAT?" Tweek shrieked, causing everyone else in the room to look at him. He shrunk into himself in embarrassment, covering his mouth. "S-sorry..." It was then that Craig's face spread out into a grin.
"It's great right? He offered me and Stan each of the seeker positions."
"W-wow! That's brilliant Craig!" Tweek clapped his hands excitedly. "I thought you would get shouted at for sure"
"That makes two of us" Craig smirked. "I can't wait to see the look on Wendy's face when she finds out I didn't get ripped apart"
"Don't think about stuff like that" Tweek scolded. "You're amazing..!" Tweek reached out for Craig's hand, but caught himself and withdrew. Craig noticed this, but didn't speak up. Not that he has time to, as the astronomy Professor then emerged from the spiral staircase, ready to begin the lesson.
The lesson concluded with not much to take note of. They got told the basic rules for the lesson and just learnt how to operate the telescopes. Astronomy was located at the highest tower of the school, to get up and down, the students must climb a long spiral staircase. In this way, Craig and Tweek had a long time to talk as they made their way down.
Tweek's strange movement from earlier was still playing on Craig's mind. Why would he flinch away from him like that? Was it because he was a Slytherin?
Tweek glanced sideways at Craig nervously. "Are you OK? You've been a bit quiet since earlier."
"I'm fine! I'm just thinking over what happened. It just seems so surreal." That made Tweek smile.
"You deserve it! I-i mean, everyone today could see how confident you already are on a broomstick."
"I played with my dad in the holidays before." Craig shrugged "Not to brag, but I think it's just natural skill."
"I mean I don't have any skill in that regard" Tweek snorted "I'll cheer you on from the sidelines though!"
"Cheer me on? Not Stan from your own house?"
"Oh! W-well, can't I cheer for you b-both?" Craig noticed that Tweek's stutter always seemed to get worse when he was put under pressure, or was embarrassed. This seemed to be one of those moments. Tweek was starting to panic slightly, as he couldn't get his words out. That was when someone heading up the staircase in the opposite direction knocked Tweek's shoulder, causing him to lose his balance.
"Ah!" Tweek let out a short yelp as he realised what happened, as he tipped forward on the stairs. It seemed to happen in slow motion in Craig's eyes. One moment Tweek was right next to him, the next he was disappearing from view. On instinct, Craig grabbed a hold of Tweek's arm, using his other hand to anchor himself to the staircase handrail. He pulled Tweek into his chest to prevent his fall, causing his back to slam into the side of the railing. Craig felt a sting, but he didn't care. Tweek was in a heap on top of him, breathing heavily.
"Tweek!" Craig shook his shoulder "are you ok?" Tweek was twitching like crazy now, pulling at chunks of his hair, eyes wide. Craig gently pulled his hands away, holding them in his own. "Let's go to the hospital wingz yeah?" Tweek only nodded in response. Craig kept a loose grip on Tweek's hand as they stood up, and continued descending down the spiral staircase.
"I heard a r-really big thud" Tweek spoke up in a shaky voice. "Are you ok?" Now that Tweek mentioned it, his back was starting to hurt like crazy from the impact.
"I hit my back against the stairs railing" Craig explained. "It's fine though. If I hadn't done anything, you would have tumbled to the first floor"
"T-thank you Craig..." Tweek said earnestly "I could have gotten seriously injured without you here"
"No worries man" Craig gave Tweek's hand a light squeeze. Tweek smiled slightly. They walked in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to the hospital wing. On arrival, Craig knocked on the door.
"Yes?" An older looking man opened the door.
"We had an accident on the astronomy tower staircase." Craig explained. "Is there anything you can do to help?"
"Oh... Alright then. Come in, come in" the man ushured the two in hurriedly. Once he'd closed the door, he swiveled around to face them.
"You." He first pointed at Craig. "What's wrong with you?"
"I hit my back against the handrail. It stings. I think it broke skin." Craig said in his monotoned voice.
"You" he pointed at Tweek
"Um... I-i fell because someone knocked m-me. He broke my f-fall" Tweek glanced nervously at Craig, and then back to the man.
"You must be fine then. You can sit down and rest for a bit. I can get you some candy to ease your pain if you want. And you." He turned back to Craig. "Strip"
"What?"
"I will need to see your injuries." The man rolled his eyes impatiently. "Don't test me. Just take off your shirt."
Craig felt uncomfortable, but nevertheless complied. The removed his robe, and signature Slytherin tie, and unbuttoned his regulation shirt. He then turned around so that his back was facing them and shrugged it off, revealing a nastly looking bruise on his back, as well as broken skin where the impact was hit the worst. Craig heard Tweek gasp. Probably due to guilt. The man just gave another sigh.
"Apply some Bruisewort Balm." He said "that should have your injury gone by morning. Spend the night here, don't bother going back to your common room." He handed a tub of ointment to Craig and walked off.
"I'll do it!" Tweek snatched the tub out of his hands and opened it. Applying it generously to his fingers.
"It's ok Tweek. Just go back to your dorm." Craig turned around to face him, with the intent of ushuring him out of the hospital wing.
Tweek however, shook his head dismissively. "No! This is my fault. I will fix it." He spun Craig back around, and Craig felt a cold, gel like substance getting smeared on his back. It felt very relieving.
Once Tweek was done, he didn't seem interested in having conversation, but was intent in getting Craig to go to sleep. He insisted in witnessing Craig go to sleep before he left, which Craig did begrudgingly. Dispite sleeping in a new environment of a hospital setting, he drifted off without a problem.
When he awoke the next morning, Tweek was gone.