Skill and Seclusion [2] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

145. Expectations

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Harry Potter ... but I just listened to Tom Felton's music and ... um ... no

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Bel had never felt so relaxed in her life.

The past few days she had spent in the hospital wing had been a result of the most awful and stressful situation she had come across yet, but it had indeed resulted in a comforting time that she desperately needed.

No wand to torment her, no voices in her head, no duties or classes or private lessons, no helping with the tournament, no worrying about keeping life-threatening secrets from her closest friends and her mentor, no nightmares, no constant pain and torture.

She had simply spent the days catching up on much needed sleep and making a speedy recovery.

Of course, total relaxation was never an option for the Hufflepuff girl.

There was still a nagging voice in her head reminding her of her failures.

That she had failed to do her duty by getting caught.

That she still had a weakness to overcome.

But that weakness had almost killed her, so it was pretty easy to let it go when she weighed up the fact that she would be useless in her duty if she weren't alive to carry it out.

Considering the evil slowly revealing itself from the darkness of the shadows, Bel knew she would be needed alive in the future.

A future that now contained a fresh start.

Visitations from her friends was one of the things that stopped Bel from becoming bored in her recovery.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all knew of the events that transpired, and they all put it in the past, moving onto this future with their offer of assistance.

All three of them reminded her just how important having such friends was.

Cedric also reminded her of that fact.

He too remembered what had happened in the courtyard, prompting Bel to try and explain best she could that she had led astray.

Of course, he couldn't know too much. All he was permitted to know was that Bel took it upon herself to bring herself injury because she was scared.

She was scared about what had happened with the dark mark, the death eaters, and the tampered Goblet of Fire.

All she was trying to do was feed that fear. To prepare for when it was validated. To be ready if the evil fully made itself known.

Naturally, Cedric had the same reaction Lupin did.

He told her it wasn't her job. She was supposed to keep herself safe, not to look out for others safety, and that he would never allow her to do something like this again for as long as he was alive.

It felt good to know Bel had another person on her side.

A brother to her, no less.

Someone who would be around to care for her in a more protective way than the friends her age could.

Which brings us to her other Hufflepuff friends.

Each of them had their memories corrected. Meaning they all thought Bel's migraines had been more serious than initially believed, winding her up in the hospital wing.

Bel, as always, found that guilt invaded her.

Having to lie to them wasn't a good feeling.

But it was in everyone's best interest.