ALWAYS (Harry Potter fanfiction) (Snape fanfiction)

Chapter 12

"Severus, I need to show you something, something you won't like" Madame Pomfrey said, still shaken up by what she had seen.

Madame Pomfrey opened the curtain that separated Arabella from the rest of the beds and let Severus in. Arabella laid in the bed, asleep, with a hospital gown. She was under the covers. The nurse took the comforter off and took Arabella's left arm and raised it.

"What is that, Poppy?" Severus asked, trying to ignore the obvious.

"They are self done, Severus. Some of them have already healed but- some are new, made this morning, I dare to say" Madame Pomfrey said sadly as she set the girl's arm softly again in the bed.

"Why would she do that?" Severus Snape asked to no one in particular.

He was beyond furious. Furious at Arabella, at Madame Pomfrey, at Elena but mostly... at himself. How could he not notice she was practically screaming for help. Her attitude, it was because something was happening and instead of asking for help, she had it all bottled inside her. What could have caused all this bottling of emotions.

Severus Snape turned around and left without another word. Madame Pomfrey sighed and ran her hand through Arabella's short hair. What had happened to that cheerful girl that ran around the halls chasing George Weasley with a book? Madame Pomfrey sighed and left the girl alone. She would wake up soon, thankfully, it still surprised the nurse that she hadn't died and only broke a couple ribs.

Adrian Pucey, Elena, Cedric and Fred were waiting for Arabella to wake up, the curtains were opened by Madame Pomfrey after she bandaged her arms. If Elena didn't know better, she would believe Arabella was dead, her breathing was barely noticeable, only by the small movement of her chest, her face was pale and emotionless.

"You sure she'll wake up?" Adrian asked Elena.

"Of course she's waking up, you twat! Don't you ever suggest otherwise! She has to wake up, she's my best friend" Fred said in a low voice.

"She's your best friend? Then why was she sulking around the halls every single day?!" Cedric practically yelled at him.

"Oh don't put the blame on me, Diggory. You preferred to be with your girlfriend than with her too! You insulted her in the train, how do you think that made her feel?!" Fred yelled back at him.

"Shut up! The two of you! You are no better than the other one. You insulted her, Diggory, and it hurt her! And you Weasley, you stopped talking to her because Potter back there decided that she was not worthy of his time because of who her father is!" It was a new voice, this one yelling. They turned to see Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron Weasley sneered from Harry's bedside.

"Why Weasley, I came to see my sister. She's family. You should be kissing her feet, mud-blood, she saved Potter's life even though he's been nothing but a jerk to her" Draco told them. He hugged Elena and left a box of Arabella's favourite chocolate in the nightstand, as well as a flower, then, he left.

Soon, there was commotion around Harry, he was waking up. All the Gryffindor Quidditch team circled his bed. They told him how they had lost the game and he was quite upset.

"Even Wood said it's fair" George told Harry.

"Where is he?" Harry asked, not seeing Wood anywhere.

"Still in the showers" George said.

"We think he's trying to drown himself" Fred told him and they laughed.

When Angelina, Katie and Alicia left, Harry looked around the infirmary, seeing that there were two other beds occupied, one was with a kid that had a broken arm, te other was... Arabella. He sneered and glared at her sleeping form.

"What the hell is she doing here? Did she fall off the stairs?" Harry chuckled rudely and Elena glared at him, "I fell from the sky, literally! And I'm perfectly fine" Harry said proudly and the twins glared at him too.

"Well, for your information, Scar-head, she saved your insignificant life! She jumped off a broom to save you, she slowed your fall so you wouldn't die and while Dumbledore was occupied trying to slow your fall -thing my sister had already done- she fell in free fall to the ground. If Fred hadn't helped her, she would be dead. She could have died for saving your insignificant life. You didn't deserve her saving you, and yet she did, so stop being an arse with her, you owe her that much!" Elena yelled at Harry and sat down again.

"Uhm, Elena?" Fred said.

"What?!" She yelled at him.

"It wasn't me who helped Arabella"

"Then... George?" Elena said confused, George had never been friends with Arabella.

"What? She needed help, I was not going to stand there while she died" George said, "no big deal"

"Could you stop yelling? My head is killing me" a small voice said and then groaned. Elena turned to see Arabella with her hands over her face, covering herself from the light.

"Arabella!" Elena squealed in joy. She jumped on top of te sister in a hug.

"Hey sis. Don't crush me" Arabella chuckled lightly, "is Harry okay?" She asked worriedly, she would be devastated if after all, her brother was not okay.

"Yes, the twat is over there" Elena said, sighing and pointing at Harry.

"Hey midget, are you okay?" Adrian asked, ruffling her hair.

"Yeah, my head hurts, though. Can you help me up?" Adrian helped Arabella sit up.

"You are crazy, you know that?" Adrian said and laughed, hugging Arabella.

"Yeah, I've been told" Arabella laughed, really laughed, for the first time in months.

Arabella and Adrian pulled apart from their hug, but Adrian still held her hand, smiling. She blushed but didn't pull her hand away. Cedric glared at Adrian and the latter smirked at him.

"So, glad you didn't die, Snape, would've been a shame to have no one that throws books at me" George told her, cutting the tension.

"I'm also glad I didn't die. Didn't want to have your face as the last thing I ever saw" Arabella told him and they both smiled, "come here, Weasley, give me a hug" Arabella said, opening her arms, welcoming. George was unsure at first but he then walked to her and hugged her tightly. Her arms were around his neck and his arms held her around her waist, "thank you, George. I really mean it" Arabella muttered to his ear, "I owe you, but if you tell anyone, I'll deny it"

"Fair enough" George said, chuckling lightly. They pulled apart and it was Fred's turn to hug Arabella.

"Forgive me? I was an ass" He told her, looking into her eyes.

"I forgave you like an hour after what happened" Arabella chuckled and shook her head.

"I was an idiot, wasn't I?" Fred asked her.

"We all were, mate" Cedric said and smiled at Arabella.

"Yeah, you all kind of were" Arabella agreed, "except for Adrian, Elena and Draco. You guys are not idiots" Arabella smiled at her sister and friend.

"Arabella" Harry spoke up. Arabella looked at him with hurt in her eyes, she was still hurt that her brother pushed her away, "can we talk... in private?"

"Sure thing, Harry. Just let me change"

Arabella called Madame Pomfrey and asked if she could go. Madame Pomfrey told her it was fine as long as she returned the following day for a checkup.