'The trouble is,
You think you have time.'
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"I haven't been at this school very long," Addie started, teary eyes bearing into Harry's. "But I think it's general courtesy to tell your best friend that they're dying."
"Addie, I couldn't—"
"No, Harry," She shushed him, her voice coarse, sitting up straighter beneath the covers of the Hospital Wing bed. Hermione, Ron and Ginny watched with wide eyes. "You were the one that saved me from the lake, you were the first person I trusted, you were the closest person to me; you know me better than anyone else. But what kind of person keeps these things from their best friend? Or do I mean nothing to you, is that it? I'm just a girl you're stuck with because you were unlucky enough to be the one who found me."
"Don't say that. I'm not stuck with you, Dumbledore told me to befriend you, and—"
"...What?"
"What?"
"Dumbledore told you to befriend me?" Addie asked, a lump developing in her throat.
"Wait—" Harry fumbles, "No, you didn't let me finish! I meant that—"
"No, no. What you mean is that you never wanted to be near me, but Dumbledore set you up anyway. How could I be so stupid? Why else would a boy come to my side and teach me to make a paper plane? Why else would a boy bring me back to bed during a storm? Out of his own will? quit the act, Harry. Were you even the one that saved me? Was that you, or did Dumbledore tell you to tell me that's what happened so I'd feel close to you? And just before—Ron said that you said you love me, so—"
"You heard that?" Harry asked, his face burning.
"Was that a lie, too? What else are you lying about, huh? Have you just been using me this whole time? What about Dumbledore—what was the point of making you befriend me!" Adeline's voice began to rise, a tear fumbling down her cheek before she could stop it. She wiped it away as soon as it came.
"We're just gonna go—" Ron whispered, the arguing two not noticing as the other three quietly left the hospital wing. They were alone.
"I'm—Addie, please. I did save you. Dumbledore pulled me from potions class a week after to tell me you'd woken up. He wanted me to find out why you were in the lake in the first place; to keep an eye out for you. He never made me befriend you, sure he told me to, but the rest was me. He never told me to teach you something cute. He never told me to comfort you in a storm. He's always told me what to do...never how. Just—just think about it, Addie, please. What about Sirius? That was real; you know that."
"What about Christine?"
"What—What about her?"
"Did you just make up your backstory with her to represent that you 'trust too easily' as an excuse for how close we became so early into knowing each other?"
"What?"
"What? It makes sense. You've been lying to me, using me, this whole time, haven't you?"
"I-"
"HAVEN'T YOU?"
"NO! Addie, there are lies, I know, and I wish I could've told you sooner, but just listen! Dumbledore said—"
"Dumbledore said what? Can't you just own up to something yourself instead of hiding behind Dumbledore all the time?"
"He told me I couldn't tell you because you'd be in danger! I'm trying to protect you, Addie!"
"Aren't I already in danger? All the time?"
"Well...yeah, but he said he couldn't even tell me more."
Adeline looked away, sniffing, bringing her legs to the side of the bed and hopping down to the floor to stand. She wobbled a little, lightheaded, Harry instinctively putting his arms out to steady her but she pushed them away. Looking up at him, she adjusted her footing to her tiptoes to try and be at eye-level with him, trying to death-stare him as much as she could without crying, lip trembling beyond her will.
"You still had a choice. Dumbledore doesn't...he doesn't control you. There's not a being of dark magic in you that takes over your actions, your voice, is there? Your father didn't dunk you in a brew of dark magic when you were a baby, did he?"
"No..."
"Exactly. You had a choice. You should've told me despite what Dumbledore said, and you didn't."
"How should I have told you, then? 'Hey Addie, nice day outside, by the way you're dying.'? I haven't been the same since he told me; I couldn't imagine what it would've felt like for you to find out."
"Well were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just going to let me die?"
"I...I don't know," He looked away. "Part of me really wanted to, but I don't know what would've happened. Dumbledore said—"
"Didn't you think about how I'd feel when I'd find out for myself? Or have you just been worried this whole time about how it'd make you look to Dumbledore if you broke his trust?"
"I—"
"Well, great job. Now you've betrayed not only his trust, but mi—" Addie was interrupted by a coughing fit. Holding her hands to her mouth, she tried to keep back the cough so as to finish her point, but to no avail; dark blood trickled through the gaps between her fingers.
Struggling to breathe, she reached out to the side of her bed with one hand to steady herself, the other still over her mouth, unintentionally smearing the white sheets with blood, her legs slowly giving way beneath her, leaving her to the ground. Harry, despite her inaudible protests, kneeled down in front of her, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Breathe, Addie. Slowly. Come on, in and out. In...and out."
She, wanting to do the opposite in spite of him, subconsciously followed his directions, closing her eyes, allowing tears to streak down her face. Leaning over to her bedside table, he grabbed a thick, damp cloth left on the table, handing it to her once her coughing had subsided. Addie took it, absentmindedly wiping her mouth then hands on it, her mind resembling static as she stared into space, discarding the cloth to the side.
Harry stood up, offering his hand; Addie refused it and stood by herself, though regretted it as she swayed on the spot. Legs giving way, she stumbled into Harry, shaking. He tried to keep her up by her biceps, though ended up having to lower back down to the ground with her head on his chest. One of his arms circled her shoulders to keep her up, adjusting his position to lean his back against the edge of the bed, leaving Addie to be curled up into his side, exhausted and seeking warmth, clinging to him, even when he was the one she least wanted to be near.
"I'm still mad at you," She mumbled as her eyelids became too heavy to keep open.
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was this any good or am i tripping lmao
hope you like these dialogue chapters! next one won't be as much talking haha
also i lowkey published a new harry potter x oc book called 'forget me, harry' and it's gonna be a stand-alone book (completely separate from this series) and the prologue is already up sooo check it out xx
[ALSO TRUST HIT OVER 200K ILY ALL SM OMG]