𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 •°𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴

[63]

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side," said Harry.  "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he  thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore. "

"But you said  Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas," Ginny reminded him. "So the poisoner could just as easily have been after Dumbledore. "

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well," said Hermione, speaking for the first time in hours and sounding as though she had a bad head cold. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have I known there was a good chance he'd keep something  that tasty for himself. "

"Er-my-nee," croaked Ron unexpectedly from between them

They all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring.

Nico who's expression turned hopeful, but he slumped against the pillows of the bed he and Sara were sitting on.

She had a hand wrapped around him in a comforting way, knowing that he needed it the most at that moment.

He was really pale and was holding her hand tightly in his, trying to get over what happened.

The dormitory doors flew open, making them all jump: Hagrid came striding toward them, his hair rain-flecked, his bearskin coat flapping behind him, a crossbow in his hand, leaving a trail of muddy dolphin-sized footprints all over the floor.

"Bin in the  forest all day!" he panted. "Aragog's worse, I bin readin' to him--didn'  get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout told me abou'  Ron! How is he?"

"Not bad," said Harry. "They say he'll be okay. "

"No more than six visitors at a time!" said Madam Pomfrey, hurrying out of her office.

"I think I'll better go," Sara muttered and got up from her cozy spot.

"No Sara ye don't hav to," Hagrid hurried to say but Sara gave him a curt nod and turned towards Nico who looked at her with dead eyes.

"Do you want me to stay?" she whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He reached for her hand. "I'll come back when mom and dad are here, Ginny can you come and tell me when?" he muttered, looking right at his sister.

She slowly nodded, her eyes softening as she looked at her brother.

"Come on," Sara whispered softly, pulling Nico away from the Hospital Wing.

The corridors were mostly deserted as it was late; Sara felt horrible for taking keepig away from his brother and finding out about what happed from Draco Malfoy.

And speaking of the devil, he just rounded a corner when they met in the corridor. His face was even paller than Nico's, his whole face expressionless.

Nico raised a brow in disgust, his grip on Sara's hand tightening. Draco was the last person he needed to see after his brother was poisoned.

Draco's gaze settled on Sara, his eyes sad. "How is he?" he asked in a whisper.

Sara could feel Nico's anger as Malfoy asked that. "Madam Pomfrey said he's going to be okay. He's just sleeping right now."

They didn't owe any explanation to Malfoy, but he seemed miserable enough.

Draco nodded absently and walked past them, his destination nowhere.

Nico clenched his fists and almost turned to go after Draco, but Sara held his hand into a bruising grip and dragged him along until they found an alcove shielded by a tapestry.

"You have to control yourself," she whisper-yelled, putting a hand on his chest.

Nico started to take a few steps in her direction, making her step back until she was pressed against the cold wall. He put both hands on either side of her caging her in.

She wasn't scared of him as he pressed his body against hers, seeking her warmth. It had happened in the past when he was angry and wanted comfort from her.

"He admitted to being the one who gave the poison to Slughorn, of course I can't control myself when I know that it's his fault that Ron isn't okay," he whispered, the anger visible in his eyes, but more contained in his voice.

"He's going to pay one day for this, they all are gonna pay," she muttered, the memory of her mother's lifeless body entering her mind as she burried her face in the crook of Nico's neck.

His arms came around her, one drawing comforting circles on her back and the other playing with her hair. Nico slowly relaxed as he comforted Sara; he knew what she was thinking about.

Even if now was not the time to think about her parents when Nico was feeling down because of Ron's poisoning.

She slowly brought her hand to his hair and started running her fingers through it.

Sara peered up at Nico, who's eyes were warm again; she brushed her lips over his.

"Ron'll get better."

"I know," he whispered and leaned down, capturing her lips with his and kissing her hungrily, but softly.

And there, in his arms, she knew it'll get better.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───