Forever And Always | D.M

Chapter 20

I wake up to Harry shaking me gently. I'm disoriented and it takes me a few seconds to remember where I am. As my eyes adjust to the light, I realize that I'm on the common room couch. I must have fallen asleep here last night.

"Hey, Sofia," Harry says softly, "Are you okay?"

I sit up and rub my eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lie, wiping away the tears that had dried on my face.

Harry didn't look convinced. "Sofia, I know something's wrong. I can tell you've been crying."

I try to brush it off, but Harry isn't having it. He sits down next to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. "Come on, Sofia. You can tell me. What's bothering you?"

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to burden Harry with my problems. But then I realized how much I needed to talk to someone about what had happened with Draco.

I take a deep breath and tell him "Actually, Harry, there is something bothering me," I said, my voice shaking slightly.

I explained everything to Harry, telling him about the fight I had with Draco and how hurt and angry I felt. He listened patiently, nodding along and offering words of comfort. By the time I finished talking, I thought I would feel a little better but instead, I buried my face into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He didn't say anything, but just held me tighter, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

When I finish, I was finally able to calm down. I pulled away from Harry, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. He handed me a tissue, and I blew my nose loudly.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to cry on you."

"It's okay," Harry said, his voice soft as he gives me a tight hug. "I'm sorry you're going through all of this," he says. "But you don't have to go through it alone. I'm here for you."

I smile weakly, Harry's right. I don't have to face my problems alone. With him and the others by my side, everything seems a little bit easier. "Thank you," I whisper.

"Anytime," he replies, "Now, let's get you some breakfast and some fresh air. It'll help clear your head."

Looking down at myself, I noticed I was still in last night's clothing. I asked him if it would be okay if I took a shower and changed into something more appropriate. He nodded, giving me a small smile in response.

As I walked to my room, I felt grateful to have such a caring friend like Harry. I knew I could always count on him to look out for me, even when I was too exhausted to do it myself.

•••

Stepping into the shower, I felt the warm water caress my body, slowly but surely washing away the last vestiges of sleep. I quickly worked my way through my cleansing routine, ensuring that I was completely clean. Once done, I shut off the water and enveloped myself in a fluffy towel.

I quickly pat myself dry, then slip on a pair of sleek black leggings and a cozy oversized sweater. Grabbing my hairbrush, I quickly brush through my hair and tie it up into an effortless messy bun, before heading down to the Common Room. Harry is already there, and when our eyes meet, I can't help but give him a warm smile. We then set off together towards the Great Hall, ready for breakfast.

Once we arrived, we quickly obtained some food and took our seats at the Gryffindor table as Hermione and Ginny made their way toward us.

Hermione looked incredibly elated as they approached, and I could make out her animated discussion about the Yule Ball that was taking place the following day. Seamus joined in and asked if I had already been asked out by someone or if I was waiting to be asked.

I didn't know what to say, so I simply shrugged. Then Neville, who was nearby, kindly offered that if I couldn't find anyone to go with, we could go together as friends.

I had a huge smile on my face. Neville was as charming as he was kind. "That sounds perfect, Neville. I'll get back to you soon."

Seamus chuckled as he said, "She'll have plenty to choose from then."

I gave him a confused glance. "What do you mean by that?"

Seamus grinned mischievously as he said, "I've already heard of a few lads asking about you. Ginny has too. Jordan Taylor, the Hufflepuff chaser, and Michael Anderson from Ravenclaw were even arguing about who would get to ask you first."

Ginny chimed in with her intelligence. "Two more Hufflepuffs, Erick Miller and Justin Thompson. They were both part of Dumbledore's Army with us two years ago, alongside Jordan and Michael. All four of them are really good guys. You can't go wrong really." You recalled the story Ginny and Neville told you about Umbridge two years ago and Harry's courageous stance against her.

As I contemplated the possibilities of men I had never encountered before, Luna sauntered over while holding a copy of The Quibbler.

When she arrived at the table, she warmly greeted us all and sat down next to Ginny. "So, what are we discussing?" she asked cheerfully.

"Potential Yule Ball dates for this one," answered Ginny.

Luna inquired excitedly, "Oh, how lovely! I'm so excited about the ball. Who's on the radar?" I rattled off the names I had just been told, and Luna nodded approvingly, saying that they all sounded like great guys.

"I have heard of another who is interested. He mentioned something in my Charms class, but I would not recommend entertaining it," she added.

"Why?" I said.

"Who is it?" Harry questioned.

"Adrian Pucey. He's in Slytherin. He doesn't seem all that bad. He's quiet and spends a lot of time alone. But I've never been able to get a read on him one way or another. It is known though that his father is a death eater."

Dean's fists clenched in fury. "It appears that whenever he socializes with others, it's always Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy. Avoid Pucey - he has a history of intimidating muggles and muggle-borns just as the other three do."

Torment ripped through my heart like a lion tearing apart its prey. I tried to remain composed. "What do you mean, Dean?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" He scoffed disdainfully. "Their fathers are all Death Eaters, and given Pucey's history, he would likely ask you out as a joke."

"Didn't you say Draco is well on his way to becoming one himself?" Hermione asked Harry, his gaze shifting to me as he nodded slowly in agreement.

I told my friends I'd return shortly as I felt overwhelmed and anxious, so I decided to take a quick breath of fresh air outside. As I hurried toward the door, I unfortunately ran into Draco who was also on his way in. My heart raced and my breathing became heavy as I tried to quickly move past him.

Before I knew it, I was experiencing a full-blown anxiety attack. I felt dizzy and lightheaded, and I could feel my body trembling. I tried to steady myself, but it was no use. Suddenly, everything went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I found Draco kneeling beside me, his expression one of worry. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Trying to sit up, I felt disoriented and weak, but Draco gently helped me to my feet and steadied me as he guided me to a nearby bench.

As I struggled to catch my breath, Draco remained beside me, providing words of consolation. He understood my feeling of anxiety and assured me that he was there to support me.

Eventually, my breathing gradually subsided and my heartbeat returned to its usual rhythm. Without making eye contact with Draco, I quickly expressed my gratitude for his assistance before standing up and hurrying off to my common room.