Forever And Always | D.M

Chapter 24

Two months later

I woke up to someone shaking me, and I could hear Harry's voice, "Sofia, wake up! His voice filled with urgency. I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess of sleep. I looked around the dormitory and saw that Hermione and Ginny were also awake, their faces etched with worry.

"What's going on, Harry?" I asked, my heart racing.

"It's Ron," Harry said, his voice trembling. "He's been poisoned. We need to hurry to the hospital wing."

My mind went blank for a moment. Poisoned? How could that be possible? And who would want to hurt Ron?

We got dressed in haste, my mind whirling as I tried to comprehend the situation. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest, fear gripping me at the thought of something bad happening to Ron.

Once we finally reached the hospital wing, my heart sank as I saw Ron lying in the bed, his face pale and weak. Madam Pomfrey was hovering over him, muttering incantations under her breath.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Harry hesitated for a moment, and then said, "It was an accident. The poison was meant for Professor Dumbledore, but Ron got in the way."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. At least it wasn't an intentional attack on Ron. But my relief was short-lived when I realized that Professor Dumbledore was also in danger.

"Is Professor Dumbledore okay?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"He's fine," Harry said, his tone reassuring.

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that our beloved professor was safe. But my attention quickly turned back to Ron. I couldn't bear to see him lying there, so weak and helpless.

"Is he going to be okay?" Ginny asked, her voice quivering.

Madam Pomfrey turned to us, a grim expression on her face. "It's too early to tell," she said. "The poison was very potent, and it's going to take some time for him to recover."

I felt a lump form in my throat. I couldn't imagine what Ron was going through right now, or what his family must be feeling.

We spent the next few hours in the hospital wing, taking turns keeping watch over Ron. Madam Pomfrey had given him an antidote, but he was still unconscious, his breathing shallow and ragged.

As the hours ticked by, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anger towards whoever had done this. How could someone be so cruel as to try and kill Professor Dumbledore? And why did Ron have to be the one to suffer?

But I also felt a sense of gratitude towards Harry. Without him, Ron might not have made it. He had acted quickly, without hesitation, and had saved his life.

As the sun began to rise, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. I knew that we needed to get some rest, but I didn't want to leave Ron's side. I finally relented, and Harry escorted us back to our dormitory.

As I lay in bed, trying to get some sleep, my mind kept wandering back to Ron. I prayed that he would make a full recovery and that whoever had done this would be brought to justice. But for now, all we could do was wait and hope.

•••

I found myself back in the hospital wing, with Harry, Ginny, and Hermione. To get another update on Ron's condition. However, our visit was interrupted when Lavender came rushing into the room, her expression a mix of worry and concern for Ron's well-being.

"Why are you here, Hermione?" Lavender asked, her tone laced with anger. "Ron is my best friend, and I have every right to visit him," Hermione replied, equally annoyed.

Lavender scoffed in disbelief. "If Ron was your best friend, then why did you ignore him for so long?" she questioned. The tension in the room was palpable.

It was an awkward moment, to say the least. Ron was lying there in his bed, looking pale and weak, while Hermione and Lavender argued over him. Finally, Ron began to mumble something, and Lavender got close to him, trying to comfort him, but all he could manage was to whisper Hermione's name.

Lavender burst into tears and ran out of the room, leaving us standing there awkwardly. Harry gave Hermione a funny look, but she just told him to shut up, causing us all to laugh.

It was a strange moment, but in a way, it brought us all closer together. We were all worried about Ron, and we all cared about him deeply. Even Lavender, who had been so angry with Hermione just moments before, was deeply concerned about Ron's well-being.

We were beyond relieved to see that Ron was starting to recover, and we hoped he would be back to his old self soon. It was clear that he had a lot of friends who cared about him, and we were all there for him during his recovery.

As we left the hospital wing, I reflected on the importance of friendship and how it can sometimes be challenging to balance different relationships. Hermione cared deeply about Ron, but she also had other things going on in her life, just like the rest of us. It was a reminder that we all have different priorities and that it's okay to make mistakes or struggle to balance everything.

Overall, it was a tense, emotional moment in the hospital wing, but it ended on a positive note. We left feeling grateful for each other and for the friendships we had built over the years. Ron was lucky to have such caring friends, and we were lucky to have each other.

•••

Decorating the Gryffindor common room with Ginny and Hermione, I couldn't help but feel excited about Ron's return from the hospital wing. We wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for him, and the decorations were just the beginning.

As we hung up the banner, I couldn't help but notice that it looked a little crooked. "We should fix that," I said.

Hermione and Ginny immediately started arguing about how to fix it. "We need to take it down and start over," Hermione said.

"No, we just need to adjust it a little," Ginny countered.

While I tried to calm them down. I didn't want to get in the middle of their argument, so I just stood back and watched.

Just then, Ron and Harry walked in. "I think it looks fine," Ron said, breaking the tension in the room.

We all turned around, surprised that we hadn't heard them coming in. Ron laughed it off that our surprise for him had been ruined.

As we began to apologize, Ron hugged us all and told us how much he loved how everything had turned out. He reminded us that it was the thought that counts and that he was just happy to be back with his friends.

Slinking quietly to the table, I snatched Ron's cake and placed seventeen candles on top; I knew he thought we'd forgotten his birthday and I wanted to surprise him. As I returned to the group, we all started singing 'Happy Birthday' to him.

It was a joyous moment being reunited with Ron. We all laughed and joked around, cherishing the moments we had together as if it were the last. The happiness we all felt was palpable, and the smiles on our faces said it all. We were so thankful to have Ron back with us, and it was a moment we would never forget.