Undistinguished (H.P.)

Chapter 22: Downhill

oOo

December rolled around quite quickly and Veronica wasn't expecting to dread it as much as she was. As she stood in the last DA meeting before Christmas break, she happily looked around at the people she'd grown close to and realised she didn't want to leave. 

The bond that she'd developed with not only the Trio but most of the members of the DA warmed her heart and made her wonder why she had gone 5 years at Hogwarts before striking up a conversation with any of them. 

As the meeting wrapped up, people began to embrace those around them, wishing them a Merry Christmas and a see you soon. Veronica was in the middle of a farewell with a couple of people that she'd helped with spells over the course of the last month when Hannah tapped her on the shoulder and told her she was going back to the common room. 

Veronica wrapped up her goodbyes and reached the exit where the Golden Trio were standing and she stopped to take in the Room of Requirement one last time before the break. The festive spirit was obvious around the room as she remembered their joint efforts in decorating the room, with Christmas trees and festive hangings all the way around the room. 

She turned to the Trio, and Hermione immediately hugged the girl, wishing her a Merry Christmas as she did the same back. Veronica and Ron also shared a quick embrace, the ginger had taken a shine to her and they'd developed close to a sibling bond, even though he certainly didn't need any more of them. 

Finally, she reached Harry, who was already standing there with his arms open wide, watching her with a warm expression on his face and a happy smile. She stepped into his arms and rejoiced silently in her head when he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her shoulder. 

She would never grow tired of hugging Harry, his welcoming embrace constantly sent shivers down her spine and butterflies in her stomach. They pulled away after whispering their farewells. They stared into each other's eyes for a little while, taking in the other's face as they knew it'd be the last time they'd talk for a while. 

Reluctantly she stepped past him, meeting up with Hannah and Ernie, the former wiggling her eyebrows at the girl playfully after witnessing the whole interaction between Veronica and Harry. They took off towards their dorms to finish packing and prepare to leave. 

oOo

While everyone else was in their common rooms celebrating the end of the term, Veronica found herself walking back up the stairs to the seventh floor as she'd forgotten her jumper in the Room of Requirement earlier on that day. 

She didn't expect anyone to still be up there, as it had been a little while since the DA had disbanded for the holidays. However, as she opened the doors that had magically reappeared on the wall and walked in she froze midstep at the scene in front of her. 

There were Harry and Cho, lips locked together in a heated embrace but had broken apart at the sudden noise of the door slamming shut.

Veronica didn't know what to feel. Her heart was shattering inside her body and her feet seemed forever planted into the ground. She couldn't take her eyes off of the couple, even after they'd separated the image of them kissing was scorched into her mind. 

Idiotically, Veronica had thought her and Harry were getting somewhere. Hannah and Ernie had told her on multiple occasions that it was obvious the boy had similar feelings towards her as she did for him. The hope that had been bubbling up inside her was crushed and she felt her body caving in on itself. 

After what had seemed like an eternity, Harry had stepped forward towards her and called her name, "Veronica?". This snapped her out of whatever depressive slump she was slowly falling into and her wild watering eyes only made contact with the boys for a second before she was sprinting out of the room, the jumper had been long forgotten. 

She ran down the stairs to the Hufflepuff common room, the tears she was desperately holding back in the Room of Requirement were streaming down her cheeks and she stumbled into the room. 

Ernie and Hannah had noticed the girl straight away, but she didn't stop to acknowledge them as she took off to her dormitory and buried herself into her sheets. 

Hannah had chased after the girl and was now sitting on the side of the bed, rubbing Veronica's back as she sobbed into the pillow. She didn't know what was wrong as she'd never seen the girl in such a state. The blonde felt anger running through her veins as she couldn't believe someone had made this innocent and caring girl cry her eyes out. 

Once Veronica had stopped hysterically crying and was now laying there numb, hiccupping occasionally, Hannah asked her what had happened. Veronica shook her head and mumbled into the sheets, but her friend had made out the words "Harry and Cho" and didn't need to hear any more. 

Veronica eventually drifted off to sleep, tucked under Hannah's arm, as the girl had taken to crawling into her bed and stroking her hair. 

oOo

The corridor was dark and gloomy, the only light in the room was coming from the pale white orbs that layered the shelves around her. Veronica had never been here before but found herself walking in a direction as if she knew exactly where to go. 

Up ahead, she could just about make out a figure of a middle-aged man pacing the rows slowly with his wand lit up in front of him. 

Suddenly, he had collapsed onto the ground crying out in pain. Veronica's slow walk had turned into a sprint as she ran towards the man to help him and see what had caused his fall. He cried out again and she witnessed a terrifyingly large snake lunge forward and bite the man again. 

Panic surged through her as once she reached him, she realised who he was. The Weasley's jolly patriarch that she'd last seen sitting at the large table in Grimmauld Place looked vastly different now as tears and blood ran down his face. This was the first time Veronica had seen him without a smile on his face and she screamed in despair at the poor man lying in front of her. 

"Veronica please wake up!" she heard Hannah's voice before being shaken awake, and away from the bloody injured fellow. The second her eyes opened, she looked straight at Professor Sprout who was standing over her, the girls in her dorm huddled behind her. 

"Dumbledore," she said. "I need to see Dumbledore, now" she panted, out of breath from the obvious screaming that had occurred. 

With little hesitation, her Head of House had wrapped the girl in a blanket to stop the shivers and rushed her out of the dorm, ordering the girls to stay here and go back to sleep. 

However, once they'd entered the Headmasters office, they were shocked to find Harry, McGonagall and the entire Weasley clan staring back at them. Dumbledore understood what had happened straight away and after thanking Professor Sprout and sending her away, guided Veronica to sit down on a chair near his desk. 

There she had found out Harry had had a similar dream to her, with Mr Weasley being attacked by a snake in the mysterious room she'd seen. All the while, she could feel Harry's eyes on her but refused to make eye contact, the events of today still too fresh in her mind. 

After confirmation from one of the portraits on the wall, the students were flooed to Grimmauld Place where Sirius was waiting for them. They sat around for hours, hoping to hear some news. The tension was high in the room as they barely spoke a word to each other. 

Finally, Mrs Weasley had entered the room, the early morning light showing her tired eyes and messy hair, informing them that Arthur was stable and in St Mungo's, but most importantly, alive. 

Shortly after that, they had settled down for breakfast, but Veronica wasn't hungry and so Sirius directed her towards a spare room and she passed out from emotional and physical exhaustion. 

oOo