Over the weekend, Harry refused to let anyone touch the bag in which lay his broken broomstick, no matter how many times Madam Pomfrey tried. Their friends traipsed in and out of the Hospital Wing, bringing get-well cards and sweets galore with them. Even Cedric made an appearance.

"I'm sorry, Harry, truly. It should have been a re-match."

"It's not your fault, Cedric." said Harry sadly. "You won fair and square."

Freya returned, bringing a note from Draco with her, early the following morning.

'Don't come to the Hospital Wing. Stuck in all weekend and Harry is here too' was written at the top in Bella's elegant script and under it Draco wrote; 'Get well soon, don't be stuck with Potter for too long or you might go back to hating me again'

Bella tucked the parchment under her pillow and there it would stay, away from prying eyes.

"What did you say to him?" asked Bella.

"Told him you asked me to give it to him, he didn't look as if he trusted me but took it anyway." replied Freya.

"Thank you, again." said Bella.

"Don't mention it, what are friends for?" said Freya cheerily.

When Monday rolled around, Harry and Bella were more than happy to join the usual hustle and bustle of the school. Bella more so than Harry as even after everything that had occured between him and Bella, Draco still couldn't help himself and spent most of his time mocking Harry for Gryffindor's defeat. During lunch, Harry came running into the hall and collapsed into the seat beside Bella, holding his ribs and panting for breath.

"Lupin - teach - Dementors." he said between breaths.

"You're not making any sense, Harry." said Bella, looking around at the others.

"Lupin said he would teach us how to fight against the Dementors." said Harry, getting his breath back.

"What, really?" asked Bella.

"Yeah." he replied.

"That's so exciting! Thank Merlin!" beamed Bella, hugging Harry's neck.

Her happiness was short-lived when she spotted Seamus walking towards the Gryffindor table with Dean and Lavender.

"You've got a lot of nerve." growled Ron.

"It's a free country, Weasley, we can go where we please." said Lavender.

"I thought we were friends, Dean?" said Bella sadly.

"I'm sorry." he replied.

"Clearly not sorry enough." sneered Freya.

"You're not welcome here." said Harry.

"We just want to be civil." said Seamus.

"Yeah, well, you should have thought about that, shouldn't you?" said Ron sharply.

Seamus sighed deeply and stalked out of the hall. Dean's eyes looked between Bella and the empty Entrance Hall before he took a seat further down the table. Lavender huffed loudly and stomped down the hall to where Parvati was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with her sister, Padma. Everyone in the hall had been watching what had just gone on and Bella's cheeks had gone red in embarrassment. Bella caught sight of Draco at the Slytherin table and she could see the clench in his jaw as he tried to keep his temper in check.

The rest of their first day back passed without anymore arguments. Bella sank into the arm chair in the common room after dinner with her homework bundled in her arms, ready to get it over with. Dean and Neville were whispering in the corner of the room and Neville kept glancing over at Bella every few seconds.

"What did you just say?" asked Bella, jumping to her feet.

Dean turned to Bella with a sad look in his eyes and sighed; "I said that Seamus is in the Hospital Wing. He was attacked earlier. Doesn't know who, says they attacked him from behind."

Bella's stomach lurched and she turned away from the two boys, running from the common room. She kept running until she reached the Hospital Wing and pushed open the heavy oak doors. Seamus was lying in the bed nearest Madam Pomfrey's office, his leg strapped up and resting in a sling suspended from the ceiling. He was covered in cuts and bruises, that Bella could see anyway, and his arm was also covered in bandages. He looked terrible and that was exactly how Bella felt.

"Seamus." said Bella softly as she approached his bed.

He turned his head slightly to look at her and sighed.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's nothing I don't deserve." said Seamus.

"That's not what I asked." she replied.

Seamus sighed again then said, "Fine - I was walking the corridors during dinner and someone hit my leg with a stinging hex. I couldn't see anyone and when I tried to run they hit me again. Once I was down on the ground they just kept punching and kicking me. I don't know who did this but I know it's what I deserve."

"Stop with the self-pity, as if you want me to feel sorry for you, because that's not going to happen." said Bella.

"I don't expect you to feel sorry for me -"

"Good." said Bella sharply.

They stared at each other for a moment before Bella sighed, dropping her arms to her side.

"Why? Why did you do it?" she asked, leaning against the footboard of his bed.

"I don't know." said Seamus, turning away from her.

"The least you can do is look at me, Seamus." said Bella sadly. He turned back to look at her with sadness in his eyes.

"How long?"

"Bella -"

"Seamus, please, how long?"

"Since summer." Seamus looked into her eyes and saw the hurt that lay in them.

Bella's heart dropped and she turned away from him, walking as fast as her feet would carry her away from him. Seamus called after her but she didn't stop until she was far away from the Hospital Wing and away from Seamus. She finally stopped when the tears were clouding her sight and she dropped onto the nearest windowsill. Fresh tears leaked from her eyes and she covered her face with her hands, trying to contain her sobs in the echoing corridor.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Cedric's soothing voice spoke softly as he sat on the sill beside her.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and sobbed into his stomach. Cedric let her tears soak his jumper as he held her, knowing she would calm in her own time. As her sobs subsided, Cedric pulled back slightly to look at her tear-stained face.

"Who hurt you?" he asked.

"It's Seamus." said Bella with a sniffle.

"Oh him." said Cedric. "I never liked him."

Bella chuckled nervously, wiping her face with the sleeve of her jumper.

"Him and Lavender have been cosying up behind my back since summer and now Seamus has been attacked and Lavender keeps rubbing it in my face and I -"

"Whoa, slow down." said Cedric with a smile.

"Sorry." said Bella.

"Don't be sorry. You're worth more than both of them put together, don't let them upset you. The little twerp isn't worth your tears." said Cedric.

"Thanks, Ced." said Bella.

"No bother, Tiny."

Bella punched his shoulder lightly as he laughed, ruffling her hair. Cedric walked her back to Gryffindor Tower and Bella retreated to her dorm, leaving her homework in the common room for the following evening. Her crying episode had taken most all of her energy and without much resistance she fell straight to sleep, hoping to escape her troubles for just a few hours.