Power and Persecution [1] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

31. Laughter

DISCLAIMER 

I do not own Harry Potter ... but Bel is gonna be one traumatised kid (whoops)

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Bel didn't speak another word.

Her final words being "Will they be okay?"

She didn't speak when McGonagall, Sprout, and Hermione took her to the hospital wing.

She didn't speak when Madam Pomfrey looked at her injuries.

She didn't speak when the staff asked her what had happened.

She didn't speak when she was returned to her Hufflepuff dorm.

Instead, she entered her room to change out of her dirtied and bloodied clothes in silence.

Cedric had told her friends to leave her in peace for now, and that when she's ready to talk to let her do so in her own time.

But she wasn't so sure she would ever be ready.

Her mind wouldn't rest.

She kept replaying the image of Harry and Ron lying unconscious over and over, their yells echoing so clearly that every time she shut her eyes, she believed she was back there.

Helpless, alone, afraid.

A knock came from the door to her dorm room.

Bel sat up in her bed, Cedric's quidditch jumper almost completely engulfing her whole as she bought her knees up to her chest.

A small squawk came from the owl opposite her.

Gus hadn't left her side since she stepped into the room.

He was perched on the edge of her bed, refusing to return to his stand by the windowsill.

Bel opened her mouth to speak, but found no words arrived.

It was as if there was an invisible hand covering her mouth, refusing her speech.

The door slowly opened, and Riley, Tia, and Ollie entered.

"We know Cedric told us to leave you be ... but we don't think you should be alone right now", Riley said gently.

Bel followed their movements with her eyes, trailing them as Riley took a seat on her own bed to the right of Bel, Ollie joining her, and Tia sitting on her bed to her left.

"We can do whatever you want. We can sit here in silence with you. We can listen to whatever you want to tell us", Ollie added in the same soft tone.

"We can go and get you something to eat if you are hungry. Or something to drink", Tia offered.

"Or we can just give you a hug", Riley concluded.

Bel glanced down at her sleeves, her hands tucked inside of them.

"I don't think I'm ... able to talk about it", Bel managed to get out in such a small voice that a pin dropping would've made it so you couldn't hear.

She felt her tears invade her eyes once more.

The only way she would be able to talk about it would be if she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione safe and sound.

Only then could she try and replace the memories she currently had with different ones.

Riley, Ollie, and Tia all nodded slowly as they shared sympathetic glances with each other.

"Have you heard anything about Harry and Ron?" Bel asked.