Chapter 13 - The Very Secret Diary

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The day after they left Hermione in the hospital wing, Ron and Harry cornered Aurora in the common room. She had hoped that they weren't going to ask anything about what they overheard her say, but her hope was in vain.

"What photo were you two talking about?" was how Harry began the conversation.

Aurora brought down her scrapbook and showed them the photo of Elara and Janus Malfoy holding their one year old daughter.

"You're Malfoy's cousin," Ron said flatly. Aurora wished he'd say something else.

"Yes, I am," Aurora said.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Harry asked.

"Because I didn't want you to hate me."

"Why would we?"

"You heard Fred and George in the car. Janus Malfoy is worse than Lucius.You both hate Draco. I didn't want you to hate me for being his cousin."

"You still should've risked it and told us."

They wouldn't let Aurora defend herself, no matter how much she tried. Neither of them would talk to her. Even in front of Hermione, there was a very clear stiffness in their friendship.

Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks. There was a flurry of rumor about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked. So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.

Aurora and Ron and Harry's altercation left students confused too. Before Christmas they were best friends, then all of a sudden it was as though they hated Aurora. Despite this, they went to visit Hermione every evening. When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.

"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly.

Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown. "I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.

"Nothing," said Harry gloomily.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for about the hundredth time.

"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

"Just a get well card," said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open, and read aloud:

"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted.

"You sleep with this under your pillow?"

But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Harry as they left the infirmary and started up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower. Snape had given them so much homework, Aurora thought she was likely to be in the sixth year before she finished it. Ron was just saying he wished he had asked Hermione how many rat tails you were supposed to add to a Hair Raising Potion when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.

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