Guilt and a Surprise
I sat in a large chair next to Ron's hospital bed; my knees curled up to my chest. My face buried in my crossed arms. It was my entire fault; I shouldn't have gotten in the way. I shouldn't have started that rally with Draco earlier in the dungeon. I should have just let him do the stupid potion himself and maybe, just maybe...everything would have been all right. I once again looked at Ron lying there unconscious on the bed oh please let him be OK. I started to cry, I felt like everything was my fault. I shouldn't have came through that barrier; I shouldn't have done any of it!
"It's all my fault...it's all my fault...If I hadn't gotten in that fight with Draco, everything would be OK..." I told my self, my voice trailing off as I started to cry once again. Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up with my tear-stained eyes and saw Dumbledore.
"Miss Wright, may I have a word with you?" he said softly, handing me a box of tissues that were lying on the table next to him. I took a couple of tissues and wiped my eyes. I then got up and faced him.
"Sir, it was all my fault."
"Nonsense," he said."You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"NO you don't understand," I cried."It WAS my fault, if I hadn't picked a fight with Malfoy then no one would have gotten hurt!"
He led me too a small table at the opposite end of the room. Dumbledore took a seat by the window and I sat in front of him. I started to tell him what had happened the day before. I told him about potions and how we started a riot in the dungeon corridor. I even told him how during each class he would give me dirty looks and how he sometimes would cast a spell that would make me mess up. I then, whether I wanted to or not, told him about last night.
"So your saying that, Mr. Malfoy, tried to hex you, and Mr. Weasley jumped in front of you?"
"I don't know if he was trying to hex me, but he did mutter some thing under his breath and next thing I knew, Ron had took the hit." a tear ran down my cheek as I said this.
"Well, we will have to ask the others what happened as well,"Dumbledore said, handing me another tissue."But, in the mean time you need to go to class, and don't worry about Mr. Malfoy...he has been taken care of, and is not aloud near you."
"Thank you sir."
"Now, off you go, I will notify you if Mr.Weasley awakens."
"Thank you, sir." I said, getting up and making my way towards the door. Before I left, I took one last look at Ron and sighed.
I made my way to Herbology, since I missed potions because of the accident the night before. I didn't know what to do if I had run into Malfoy again. I guess i'll just have to avoid him as best as I can. Just then I ran into someone.
"Oh my...I'm so sorry Harry." I apologized, helping the young black haired boy up."Are you OK?"
"Yeah, really Nicole, I'm fine, thanks." he said, brushing himself off with his left hand.
Silence.
"Are you OK?" he asked, breaking the silence between us.
"Um, yeah ...I guess."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
I just looked at the stone floor and sighed,"Am I that transparent?"
"Yeah,"he laughed."Well, it was pretty obvious."
"It's not funny, Harry Potter!" I said with a laugh.
"Oh, but it is!" he laughed back."You look so funny when you laugh, especially when you looked at Ron when he did his walrus impression."
My smiled faded as I remembered the day before at lunch. Ron had stuck two carrots in his teeth and did an impression of a walrus, but when he tried to take the carrots out they got stuck. I had laughed hysterically; it was the only moment of happiness I had, had that day after what happened between Malfoy and me.
Harry put his hand on my sholder."I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."
"It's OK, Harry, it's not your fault."
"If it makes you feel any better...I miss him too."
At this, I fell to the floor with tears. Harry sat next to me and pulled me into a hug.
"It will be all right,"He said, soothingly."It will be alright."
We sat there for about six minutes, when Hermione came walking down the corridor. Then she spotted us.
"Oh there you two are, I have been looking everywhere for..." she stopped as she saw me sobbing into Harry's robes. He gave her an 'NOW's not a good time' look, and she nodded, she knew why I was crying,...Ron. She came up beside me and sat down, as I looked up at her. She too, pulled me into a comforting hug. She told me that it wasn't my fault, that there was nothing I could have done to stop what was to happen.
"It's OK Nicole, it's OK," she said still hugging me. "It wasn't your fault,...it's OK."
We never went to class. Instead, Harry and Hermione brought me back to the common room and sat with me by the fireplace. After a while I turned to them.
"If you don't mind, I would like to be alone for a while...to sort things out, you know." I said whipping my tear stained face with the collar of my robe. They nodded and got up.
"Well if you need any thing, we will be here for you," said Hermione just before they left. Harry nodded in agreement and hugged me once more. Then they left.
I sat there by the fireplace and thought. I was going to get Malfoy for what he did. And he will pay!
Later that day...
"H...Hello."
I turned to face a rather skinny boy, with brown hair. He looked a little pale, but friendly.
"Hello." I said, trying to be cheerful.
"I...I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom."
"Oh, Hello Neville."
"I was asked to give you this," he said, pulling a letter from his robe pocket and handing it to me.
"Thank you."
He smiled and left out through the portrait hole. I took the letter I was holding and sat back down on the couch. I looked at it a few seconds before opening it.
Miss Wright,
There is something I need to tell you. Don't worry, Mr. Weasley is fine. Please meet me in my office now.
Dumbledore
I wonder what is so important?
I wiped my eyes again with the collar of my robes and headed out through the portrait hole. I headed down the many corridors, passing many of the students from Slytherin house. Some stared at me when I passed by, some just ignored me. I started to walk faster. When I finally got to the statue of the eagle, I said the password and stood on the first step, so I would get there faster. When I reached the top I took a deep breath and opened one of the double doors.
"Ah, Miss Wright," Dumbledore greeted me, as I walked in. "Welcome."
I stood there looking at the two chairs by the left wall of his office.
"Please sit down." He nodded his head towards a chair on the opposite side of the other two. I made my way across the room and took a seat. I looked at the two chairs and noticed two people sitting in them. I got up and walked closer, when I finally saw them, I almost screamed.
"Miss Wright," Dumbledore said, stopping me in my tracks. I looked at him only for a brief second before I turned back.
"No,...this ...you... you can't be here," I said above whisper.
"Oh, hunny."
I felt myself being pulled into a tight hug and sighed with happiness.
"Oh Mom."
I hugged her back and sighed. "Why?"
She pulled away. "Why what?"
"Why did you leave me?"
She sighed and hugged me again. "I didn't want to dear,...it's just that, your father had an interview for a job and well we couldn't tell you until it was settled."
"What job Daddy?" I asked turning to my father in the chair next to mom's.
"The job of being Hogwarts DADA teacher." he answered.
"You mean...you're the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"
He nodded and pulled me into a hug like mom had, and I gladly hugged him back. "Oh this is so wonderful!"
"Ehem," Dumbledore coughed, getting our attention. "Now, Miss Wright, will you please go to the hospital wing,...madam Polmfrey has asked that you come as soon as your visit here was done."
"Thank you sir." I said, giving mom and dad one more hug before heading out down the bronze steps and off down the corridor to the hospital wing.
When I reached it I knocked gently.
"Oh, Miss Wright, please come in." said Madam Polmfrey as she opened the door. Pointing behind her, she added. "Mr. Weasley would like to see you."
I glanced behind her and saw Ron lying on the hospital bed reading some sort of weird magazine. It seemed to be,...moving! I walked over to him and sat down. He glanced at me and a smile grew on his pale face.
"Hi."
"Hey Ron,...how are you doing?"
"I'm fine now, a little back pain, but other wise i'm just fine."
"I'm sorry about that." I whispered a tear of guilt slipped down my cheek.
He then carefully slipped off his bed and lost his balance. He fell to the floor.
"RON!"
Madam Polmfrey ran out of her little office and scurried over to where I was. I sat on the floor holding Ron in my lap.
"We need to stop meeting like this." he laughed.
"Oh Ron,...stop, its not funny." I said, trying to hold my laughter in.
"Oh Mr. Weasley, why do you always get yourself hurt when you just start to get better!" madam Polmfrey said with a sarcastic tone.
I laughed and helped her put Ron back on the bed.
"Well," I started, after I had calmed myself. "I had best be going now."
"Ok, and oh...tell Harry and Hermione I said hi."
"I will, oh and Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks,...for saving my life, even though it was my fault."
"Your welcome, and it wasn't your fault."
I smiled at him.
"Oh Ron...you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for."
And with that I gave him a kiss on the forehead and bid him good night. Then I headed out down the corridor, back to the dormitory.
I sat in a large chair next to Ron's hospital bed; my knees curled up to my chest. My face buried in my crossed arms. It was my entire fault; I shouldn't have gotten in the way. I shouldn't have started that rally with Draco earlier in the dungeon. I should have just let him do the stupid potion himself and maybe, just maybe...everything would have been all right. I once again looked at Ron lying there unconscious on the bed oh please let him be OK. I started to cry, I felt like everything was my fault. I shouldn't have came through that barrier; I shouldn't have done any of it!
"It's all my fault...it's all my fault...If I hadn't gotten in that fight with Draco, everything would be OK..." I told my self, my voice trailing off as I started to cry once again. Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up with my tear-stained eyes and saw Dumbledore.
"Miss Wright, may I have a word with you?" he said softly, handing me a box of tissues that were lying on the table next to him. I took a couple of tissues and wiped my eyes. I then got up and faced him.
"Sir, it was all my fault."
"Nonsense," he said."You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"NO you don't understand," I cried."It WAS my fault, if I hadn't picked a fight with Malfoy then no one would have gotten hurt!"
He led me too a small table at the opposite end of the room. Dumbledore took a seat by the window and I sat in front of him. I started to tell him what had happened the day before. I told him about potions and how we started a riot in the dungeon corridor. I even told him how during each class he would give me dirty looks and how he sometimes would cast a spell that would make me mess up. I then, whether I wanted to or not, told him about last night.
"So your saying that, Mr. Malfoy, tried to hex you, and Mr. Weasley jumped in front of you?"
"I don't know if he was trying to hex me, but he did mutter some thing under his breath and next thing I knew, Ron had took the hit." a tear ran down my cheek as I said this.
"Well, we will have to ask the others what happened as well,"Dumbledore said, handing me another tissue."But, in the mean time you need to go to class, and don't worry about Mr. Malfoy...he has been taken care of, and is not aloud near you."
"Thank you sir."
"Now, off you go, I will notify you if Mr.Weasley awakens."
"Thank you, sir." I said, getting up and making my way towards the door. Before I left, I took one last look at Ron and sighed.
I made my way to Herbology, since I missed potions because of the accident the night before. I didn't know what to do if I had run into Malfoy again. I guess i'll just have to avoid him as best as I can. Just then I ran into someone.
"Oh my...I'm so sorry Harry." I apologized, helping the young black haired boy up."Are you OK?"
"Yeah, really Nicole, I'm fine, thanks." he said, brushing himself off with his left hand.
Silence.
"Are you OK?" he asked, breaking the silence between us.
"Um, yeah ...I guess."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
I just looked at the stone floor and sighed,"Am I that transparent?"
"Yeah,"he laughed."Well, it was pretty obvious."
"It's not funny, Harry Potter!" I said with a laugh.
"Oh, but it is!" he laughed back."You look so funny when you laugh, especially when you looked at Ron when he did his walrus impression."
My smiled faded as I remembered the day before at lunch. Ron had stuck two carrots in his teeth and did an impression of a walrus, but when he tried to take the carrots out they got stuck. I had laughed hysterically; it was the only moment of happiness I had, had that day after what happened between Malfoy and me.
Harry put his hand on my sholder."I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."
"It's OK, Harry, it's not your fault."
"If it makes you feel any better...I miss him too."
At this, I fell to the floor with tears. Harry sat next to me and pulled me into a hug.
"It will be all right,"He said, soothingly."It will be alright."
We sat there for about six minutes, when Hermione came walking down the corridor. Then she spotted us.
"Oh there you two are, I have been looking everywhere for..." she stopped as she saw me sobbing into Harry's robes. He gave her an 'NOW's not a good time' look, and she nodded, she knew why I was crying,...Ron. She came up beside me and sat down, as I looked up at her. She too, pulled me into a comforting hug. She told me that it wasn't my fault, that there was nothing I could have done to stop what was to happen.
"It's OK Nicole, it's OK," she said still hugging me. "It wasn't your fault,...it's OK."
We never went to class. Instead, Harry and Hermione brought me back to the common room and sat with me by the fireplace. After a while I turned to them.
"If you don't mind, I would like to be alone for a while...to sort things out, you know." I said whipping my tear stained face with the collar of my robe. They nodded and got up.
"Well if you need any thing, we will be here for you," said Hermione just before they left. Harry nodded in agreement and hugged me once more. Then they left.
I sat there by the fireplace and thought. I was going to get Malfoy for what he did. And he will pay!
Later that day...
"H...Hello."
I turned to face a rather skinny boy, with brown hair. He looked a little pale, but friendly.
"Hello." I said, trying to be cheerful.
"I...I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom."
"Oh, Hello Neville."
"I was asked to give you this," he said, pulling a letter from his robe pocket and handing it to me.
"Thank you."
He smiled and left out through the portrait hole. I took the letter I was holding and sat back down on the couch. I looked at it a few seconds before opening it.
Miss Wright,
There is something I need to tell you. Don't worry, Mr. Weasley is fine. Please meet me in my office now.
Dumbledore
I wonder what is so important?
I wiped my eyes again with the collar of my robes and headed out through the portrait hole. I headed down the many corridors, passing many of the students from Slytherin house. Some stared at me when I passed by, some just ignored me. I started to walk faster. When I finally got to the statue of the eagle, I said the password and stood on the first step, so I would get there faster. When I reached the top I took a deep breath and opened one of the double doors.
"Ah, Miss Wright," Dumbledore greeted me, as I walked in. "Welcome."
I stood there looking at the two chairs by the left wall of his office.
"Please sit down." He nodded his head towards a chair on the opposite side of the other two. I made my way across the room and took a seat. I looked at the two chairs and noticed two people sitting in them. I got up and walked closer, when I finally saw them, I almost screamed.
"Miss Wright," Dumbledore said, stopping me in my tracks. I looked at him only for a brief second before I turned back.
"No,...this ...you... you can't be here," I said above whisper.
"Oh, hunny."
I felt myself being pulled into a tight hug and sighed with happiness.
"Oh Mom."
I hugged her back and sighed. "Why?"
She pulled away. "Why what?"
"Why did you leave me?"
She sighed and hugged me again. "I didn't want to dear,...it's just that, your father had an interview for a job and well we couldn't tell you until it was settled."
"What job Daddy?" I asked turning to my father in the chair next to mom's.
"The job of being Hogwarts DADA teacher." he answered.
"You mean...you're the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"
He nodded and pulled me into a hug like mom had, and I gladly hugged him back. "Oh this is so wonderful!"
"Ehem," Dumbledore coughed, getting our attention. "Now, Miss Wright, will you please go to the hospital wing,...madam Polmfrey has asked that you come as soon as your visit here was done."
"Thank you sir." I said, giving mom and dad one more hug before heading out down the bronze steps and off down the corridor to the hospital wing.
When I reached it I knocked gently.
"Oh, Miss Wright, please come in." said Madam Polmfrey as she opened the door. Pointing behind her, she added. "Mr. Weasley would like to see you."
I glanced behind her and saw Ron lying on the hospital bed reading some sort of weird magazine. It seemed to be,...moving! I walked over to him and sat down. He glanced at me and a smile grew on his pale face.
"Hi."
"Hey Ron,...how are you doing?"
"I'm fine now, a little back pain, but other wise i'm just fine."
"I'm sorry about that." I whispered a tear of guilt slipped down my cheek.
He then carefully slipped off his bed and lost his balance. He fell to the floor.
"RON!"
Madam Polmfrey ran out of her little office and scurried over to where I was. I sat on the floor holding Ron in my lap.
"We need to stop meeting like this." he laughed.
"Oh Ron,...stop, its not funny." I said, trying to hold my laughter in.
"Oh Mr. Weasley, why do you always get yourself hurt when you just start to get better!" madam Polmfrey said with a sarcastic tone.
I laughed and helped her put Ron back on the bed.
"Well," I started, after I had calmed myself. "I had best be going now."
"Ok, and oh...tell Harry and Hermione I said hi."
"I will, oh and Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks,...for saving my life, even though it was my fault."
"Your welcome, and it wasn't your fault."
I smiled at him.
"Oh Ron...you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for."
And with that I gave him a kiss on the forehead and bid him good night. Then I headed out down the corridor, back to the dormitory.