i'm sorry that this took so very long. my beta reader, Amy Kathryn Hawkins, died on Sept. 14 2003. its been really hard for me to continue. i also apologize for mistakes and such, i just can't find it in my heart to get a new beta reader. she was one of my best friends, and no one could fill her shoes.
This ones for you Yma, i love you girl.
************************************
"Why on earth..." I muttered to myself in disbelief.
"Perhaps you should ask them that yourself, Miss Granger," a rumbling voice said from behind me. I turned to see that Dumbledore had just stepped through the door. "Because they will not tell me." He walked away with Professor McGonagall, seeming, as usual, to know something I did not. I wasn't surprised, after all, Dumbledore always knew.
I was left alone in the corridor, my feet cemented to the floor. I stared at the door for what seemed like hours before I could gather the strength to step forward. My heart pounded in my chest as I entered the hospital wing, terrified of what I might find. Finally, I stepped forward.
I began the long walk down the center of the hospital wing, as I had so many times before. However, in all the times I had made the excruciating trip, never had I felt so unsure, so alone. I had always had reassurance from someone or something, always there was some form of strength pushing me forward. Now, there was only blind fear.
I reached the end of the wing where a curtain had been pulled around the last bed. I paused, my heart pounding. I gathered all my strength and stepped around the curtain. I was met with the sight of Madame Pomfrey buzzing around the boys, applying something to their faces with an ordinary cotton ball. She paused at my presence.
"Well," she said, eyeing me and then the boys, "I suppose I've done all I can. You may gather your things and return to your dormitories."
Ron and Harry looked up suddenly. "What?" Ron exclaimed. "You're not going to heal us?" Madame Pomfrey gave no answer and left. I stared at the floor, surrounded by deafening silence. I couldn't bear it.
"It's the rules," I said quietly, without looking up. "If you are involved in a fight you don't get the aid of magic." The silence continued, having been only briefly punctured by my words. There was no way out, I was going to have to look at them. I tore my eyes from the floor and met my fear.
The boys were sitting on the bed, turned as far away from each other as possible. I looked them over carefully, still in their Quidditch robes, a mess of mud, grass, and sweat. Harry held his glasses in his hands, broken in two, and there were two deep, purple marks forming around his eyes. His lip was cut in several places, his cheek was swollen, and his nose appeared to be broken. Ron seemed significantly better, with only a cut lip and a gash above one eye.
I looked away, attempting to find my voice. After several strangled breaths, I managed to blurt out one word.
"Why?" I asked, because it was all I could ask. I received only silence. I looked up, first at Harry who stared steadily at the wall, and then to Ron, where I found my answer.
Ron was looking right at me, straight into my chocolate brown eyes. I looked back at him, drawn into those beautiful, deep blue eyes, full of hurt and betrayal. They made my heart ache, ache like the moon aches for the night so that it may shine upon the earth. Then, I saw one final emotion in his eyes and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. The answer I found in his eyes was love.
I promptly passed out.
**********************************
short i know, but i've already started the next part. it should be coming soonish. sorry again for the wait.
This ones for you Yma, i love you girl.
************************************
"Why on earth..." I muttered to myself in disbelief.
"Perhaps you should ask them that yourself, Miss Granger," a rumbling voice said from behind me. I turned to see that Dumbledore had just stepped through the door. "Because they will not tell me." He walked away with Professor McGonagall, seeming, as usual, to know something I did not. I wasn't surprised, after all, Dumbledore always knew.
I was left alone in the corridor, my feet cemented to the floor. I stared at the door for what seemed like hours before I could gather the strength to step forward. My heart pounded in my chest as I entered the hospital wing, terrified of what I might find. Finally, I stepped forward.
I began the long walk down the center of the hospital wing, as I had so many times before. However, in all the times I had made the excruciating trip, never had I felt so unsure, so alone. I had always had reassurance from someone or something, always there was some form of strength pushing me forward. Now, there was only blind fear.
I reached the end of the wing where a curtain had been pulled around the last bed. I paused, my heart pounding. I gathered all my strength and stepped around the curtain. I was met with the sight of Madame Pomfrey buzzing around the boys, applying something to their faces with an ordinary cotton ball. She paused at my presence.
"Well," she said, eyeing me and then the boys, "I suppose I've done all I can. You may gather your things and return to your dormitories."
Ron and Harry looked up suddenly. "What?" Ron exclaimed. "You're not going to heal us?" Madame Pomfrey gave no answer and left. I stared at the floor, surrounded by deafening silence. I couldn't bear it.
"It's the rules," I said quietly, without looking up. "If you are involved in a fight you don't get the aid of magic." The silence continued, having been only briefly punctured by my words. There was no way out, I was going to have to look at them. I tore my eyes from the floor and met my fear.
The boys were sitting on the bed, turned as far away from each other as possible. I looked them over carefully, still in their Quidditch robes, a mess of mud, grass, and sweat. Harry held his glasses in his hands, broken in two, and there were two deep, purple marks forming around his eyes. His lip was cut in several places, his cheek was swollen, and his nose appeared to be broken. Ron seemed significantly better, with only a cut lip and a gash above one eye.
I looked away, attempting to find my voice. After several strangled breaths, I managed to blurt out one word.
"Why?" I asked, because it was all I could ask. I received only silence. I looked up, first at Harry who stared steadily at the wall, and then to Ron, where I found my answer.
Ron was looking right at me, straight into my chocolate brown eyes. I looked back at him, drawn into those beautiful, deep blue eyes, full of hurt and betrayal. They made my heart ache, ache like the moon aches for the night so that it may shine upon the earth. Then, I saw one final emotion in his eyes and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. The answer I found in his eyes was love.
I promptly passed out.
**********************************
short i know, but i've already started the next part. it should be coming soonish. sorry again for the wait.
