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

146. Official

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Harry Potter ... but if I did Barty Crouch Senior would have lived longer to reunite with his son properly

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Harry had most certainly not been 'okay'.

He had survived the second challenge, even placed second, but the challenge itself had taken its toll.

Bel found herself being joined in the hospital wing by none other than Harry himself.

In other words, the thing she had been dreading would happen.

Instead of him coming to her in the hospital wing in one piece to tell her about the challenge, he was bought in to heal some very nasty Grindylow bites.

Bel was instantly by his side and, despite his constant reassurances that he was okay, continued to nag Madam Pomfrey to keep her completely filled in on the severity of the injuries he had sustained.

After all, she wasn't a healer.

Having her friends injured was something that terrified her, because she didn't know what to do about it.

Her job was to stop them from getting injured at all, even if that means she has to put herself in harm's way instead to do so.

Hence why she was supposed to be at the challenge that very day. To be there for not just Harry, but all the champions if they had encountered something that would have drowned them.

"But I didn't drown, I'm right here and I'm fine", Harry said for the third time as he readjusted his position on his own hospital bed, careful not to touch any of the wounded areas that now had some rapid healing ointment plastered all over them.

"But what if you did? What if you hadn't been able to get yourself out of the water after the attack fast enough? What if –"

"Stop it."

Harry's interrupting words came with him reaching over to take her hands, silently reminding her of her guilt that was both unnecessary and rather annoying.

He already knew what Bel's reaction would be the second he was told he needed to go to the hospital wing.

Having her involvement in the second challenge revoked was bound to add stress to her, and knowing something had happened to him whilst she wasn't there due to being otherwise indisposed because of something else she blamed herself for would certainly be a recipe for guilt disaster.

"The challenges are supposed to be ... well, challenging. I simply got into a bit of trouble as anyone would but managed to get out of it. Even if you were there, it would have gone the same way", Harry added.

Bel sighed, his words always being taken in and listened to, even if she didn't agree with them.

But she was all for moving on from the past and focusing on the outcome they are now in considering what she had been through that year.

Harry's 'bit of trouble' in the second challenge was over now, he was safe, and was back holding her hand to remind her of that.

"Okay", she ended up conceding.

Something that put a soft smile right on Harry's face.

"How are you feeling today? Better?" he moved on to ask, squeezing her hands gently.

"Better. The headaches are gone, and I haven't had many nightmares", Bel answered honestly.

The physical toll that the curses might have had were significantly reduced with Madam Pomfrey's help.