Popping By {Ferret}

[ash]

Ash had been pacing impatiently for days, his frustration growing and his patients getting thinner. He wasn't allowed to go and see Ferret yet but no matter how many times people told him that she was alright, he couldn't believe it unless he saw with his own eyes.

It was a Saturday mid-morning when they finally agreed that he had permission to leave the school to visit St. Mungo's, but he was sure he only had that permission because they wanted to shut him up and stop his constant nagging.

Ash had pretty much hit St. Mungo's running as soon as they told him where to find her. The stairs hadn't been a challenge to run up and the passages surprisingly easy to navigate, but the closer he got to her room, the slower his stride became.

Ash still felt bad for what had happened and how he'd reacted. His best friend had thrown herself out of a window yet all he could do was kneel on the floor and scream and get himself thrown in the hospital wing? How the heck was that being a good friend? He should have got his wand... cast a spell... at least checked she was okay! He should have... have ran down and outside or... or something! But not sit there and scream as pathetically as he did.

Approaching her door, Ash took a deep breath before peering around. Ferret was on her feet and dancing to music that he couldn't hear, but was sure had something to do with the muggle device she held. Her hospital style robe was only held together with a knot at the back. Ash grinned.

"Nice knickers, Chick! He grinned.

[talls]

Ferret smiled as she danced to the music on the little muggle music player Emric had sent her. She was sad she wasn't going to be able to use it at Hogwarts but for now it would do. That the guitar solo, she did an air guitar move, jamming out. At one point, she picked up Jasper and began dancing with him.

As she hit the climax of the song, a different and familiar voice hit her ears. Turning, pulling the things called "headphones" off her ears, she caught the sight of Ashton. She smiled widely and moved to hug him to remember what she was wearing.

She blushed a deep red, and jumped back on her bed and covered herself. "Geeze Ash! Haven't you heard of knocking!? I could have been naked!"

[ash]

Ash grinned as watched Ferret dance. When she heard his voice though, she spun quickly to look at him. For a second she looked as if she was going to run up and hug him, then his words kicked in and she must have realized what he'd said - or at least her state of dress.

She turned and dived for her bed, giving him another flash of her knickers in the process. Ash grinned. Well, compared to how she looked last time he'd seen her, she looked like she was doing pretty damn good now - which came as a relief.

"Geeze Ash! Haven't you heard of knocking!? I could have been naked!"

Ash just laughed as he stood in the door way. "Where's the fun in knocking? Besides, if you were naked, I'd really have had something to talk about." He grinned at her before making his way over to her bed and sitting down on the end of it, watching her.

[talls]

Ferret pursed her lips, not knowing to laugh or hit him.

"If I had been naked, you would have a VERY angry boyfriend breathing down your neck."

But she smiled and shook her head. "You are impossible, but what is just what makes you my best friend." She smiled but then punched his arm, none too softly either.

"But seriously, knock! If you don't one of these days I can almost guarantee to scare you for life." She wiggled her eyebrows then laughed. She doubt anything she did could scar Ash, but it was fun to joke about.

Ash was one of the few people who could make her smile without even trying. Part of the reason he was such a good friend to her. Her best friend.

[ash]

"Ooh, now I wouldn't mind one of those." Ash laughed, a grin plastered on his face. He'd made no secrets when it came to things like that over the last few years, especially not to Ferret. "What happened to my lesbian bestie, anyway? A boyfriend? What changed?"

As soon as he'd sat down he noticed the ferret wrapped around his friends shoulder and he grinned. No doubt this was the mysterious Jasper then... Though, since when did they start allowing animals in the hospital? This had to be a first. He remembered being in this place one summer when he was a kid after a dare between him and Rhoan went wrong. Some lady walked in with half a dozen cats behind her and the staff went absolutely ape at her for it...

"Scar me how?" He grinned. Yeah right. It was clear just from looking at her that she was feeling better that she had been, he just wished it hadn't taken this long before he'd been allowed to come and see her... He felt terrible for the pathetic way in which he'd reacted to the whole thing.

He reached out to stroke Jasper. "How do, little guy?" He smiled as the ferret seemed to nuzzle at his hand a bit. He was a furry little critter... cute though. Ash hadn't been around ferret's before with the exception of Ferret, which obviously didn't quite could. His parents were more obsessed with their owls at home. The only ferrets he'd seen, he could regretfully say, were the dead ones becoming owl feed...

[talls]

Ferret blushed and smiled widely. She looked down at her hands, almost studying them.

"Well," she said quietly. "They say us gays and straights have one exception out there in the world...I just happened to find mine." She smiled at Ash, a happy sparkle in her eyes. "You probably know him. Remus Lupin?"

The girl blushes more and giggled. "Well Remus and I are rather....physical." She smirked then. "You may just walk in on one of our CUDDLE SESSIONS!" She made a gasp sound and giggled more.

Jasper rolled over to have his belly pet, making happy noises. Ferret smiled. "This is my baby, Jasper," she informed Ash. "We had to fight very hard to let him be here and the Headmaster is letting me bring him back to the school!"

[ash]

"I had heard... Emily said something in the hospital... about Remus. I wasn't paying all that much attention though..." His attention drifted and he was reminded again of just how bad he felt about this whole thing. Well... she didn't seem to be holding anything against him, right?

Ash laughed. "God forbid should I witness a cuddle!" He looked to the ferret on the bed, still smiling. He smiled more when the little guy rolled over and made what he assumed were happy noises. "Animals in the hospital?" He shook his head and laughed again. "Only you, love. Only you."

He looked back down to Jasper and watched the way he moved as Ash stroked him. He was a cute little thing, he really was. Ash grinned before looking back up to Ferret, a more serious look on his face. "So... how are you doing?"

[talls]

"Hospital? Why were you in the hospital?" the girl asked, looking at her friend with concerned. "Why was Em in the hospital?"

Ferret laughed and then blushed, muttering something along the lines of "or a bit more". She would be modified if Ash walked in on her and Remus together. And she prayed that would never be an issue...but knowing her friend, he would. Not knocking was only one of his beloved issues.

Ferret snorted. "Only me and a boat load of galleons," the girl laughed. "A LOT of galleons."

Ferret looked at Ash's serious face, a rare sight. "Much better. I have a therapist now and she is helping and they treat me good now so...I'm alright. I miss school though."

[ash]

Ash laughed nervously. "Erm... She cut her hand on the broken glass or something..." He avoided the first part of her question. What was he supposed to say? He was in the hospital because he was too much of a loser to actually try and help his best friend, and the most he could achieve was to make himself pass out? Or whatever it was that had actually happened there, point was, it had been pathetic.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Of course - money makes the world go around." He looked back to Jasper again and ruffled his fur once more.

"So long as she stops you from anticipating in any more extreme sports such as window jumping..." He grinned. It sounded like things were going well for her though, which was probably better than what he'd expected when he'd gotten permission to visit here. Considering how she'd been the last time he saw her? He hadn't known what to expect from today. "They can't keep you here forever. School needs you! Who and I going to play pranks on without you there?"