𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐰𝐨: 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡

"You've been keeping in touch with them?"

"Oh, yes." Mr. Weasley's face lights up. "Ever since Molly sent that letter asking for their permission, I took the opportunity to ask them about the intricacies of a Muggle home life. Your father is quite the knowledgeable man."

So, they became pen pals? Wicked.

This conversation about Mr. Weasley and your father's blossoming friendship lasted until Mrs. Weasley came back with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. She places it on the nightstand and gives you one more hug when you thank her. She slaps Mr. Weasley and drags him away, saying that you and the girls needed rest. Ginny stays still for a moment before she made a move to leave until you stop her.

"Ginny, wait," you said, shifting around until you sat at the side of the bed facing her. "Are you feeling okay? It didn't hurt you while you were down there, right?"

Ginny shakes her head. The movement was so fast that her hot chocolate sloshed at the rim of her mug. She jumps when Hermione places a hand on her lower back. She pushes her gently until she wasn't outside the curtains anymore, allowing them to flutter shut.

Within a close distance, you just realized the small cuts on her face. Her hands were shaking and her eyes shone with unshed tears. It wasn't until Hermione took the mug from her hands did she finally break down and threw herself at you.

"I'm sorry!" She sobs, burying her face in the crook of your neck. "It was all my fault! I-I wanted to tell you about the diary during Valentine's Day when I saw you going outside but-but I lost my nerve. If I—" her voice cracks slightly. "If I hadn't opened it in the first place, none of this would have happened..."

You start rubbing her back to soothe her, the other hand caressing her hair. It was how your parents comforted you when you're sad. You can tell it was having a similar effect on Ginny as her crying was reduced to sniffles minutes later. You plant a kiss on her head.

"It wasn't your fault," you tell her. "And the Basilisk is gone now, right? It can't do anything to the whole school if it's dead."

Ginny takes a shaky breath. "I'm a bad friend," she whispers, but her grip on you remains strong. "I-I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore."

"Ginny," you said sternly, pushing on her shoulders so that both of you could see eye-to-eye. "This won't change anything. You're still my friend, okay?"

You stay like that, embracing and reassuring Ginny until she was back to her senses. Her face turns red upon realizing that your mugs of hot chocolate turned cold at how long she spent in your arms, but you both finish the drinks anyway, just in time before Professor McGonagall came in to announce that a feast was going to be held tonight.

"Let's go!" You jump up and down giddily, grabbing both Ginny and Hermione's hands to drag them out the hospital wing. "I can't wait to see Harry and Ron. And my roommates!" You let Colin Creevey and a Ravenclaw prefect exit the doors before following. "I wonder if they fed (O/n) while I was petrified."

He better not be fatter than he already was. That owl was spoiled enough by you and your father. Maybe you should have listened to your mother when she proposed to put him on a diet. You're too caught up in your thoughts about your owl that Ginny and Hermione had to drag you to the Great Hall the rest of the way.