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BOOK SEVEN: CHAPTER FOUR

As Charlie sat at the Gryffindor table the next morning, he never took his eyes off the doorway. Breakfast was almost over, yet Veronica was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't seen her since he walked her to Ravenclaw Tower the night before, and he was beginning to get anxious. He knew how upset the news of Lovegood's death had made her - hell, the entire school had been affected - but he had been expecting her to show up early to check on Felix.

At the thought of Felix, Charlie scanned the Ravenclaw table and realized the boy wasn't there either. Charlie figured the two may be together in their common room and was about to go check when he saw Veronica entering the Hall in sweatpants and the blanket he had bought her for Christmas two years ago wrapped around her shoulders tightly. The dark circles around her eyes and the bags underneath told him she hadn't slept much the night before, and the red puffiness of them meant she had been crying.

As his eyes locked onto hers, Charlie could see that she was on the verge of breaking down. Her lips quivered and eyes watered, and he knew she needed him. Jumping to his feet, he ran over and pulled her out into the Entrance Hall and away from prying eyes. He knew how much she hated for people to see her cry. Cupping her soft cheeks in his hands, he forced her to look at him. "Did you sleep at all last night, Ron?"

Veronica shook her head, but took a moment to speak, and Charlie knew it was because she was trying desperately not to burst into tears. "I see him every time I close my eyes." She inhaled a shaky breath before shaking her head, trying to compose herself. "How's Felix? Have you seen him this morning?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "No, he didn't come to breakfast. I thought he may have been with you."

"What?" Veronica's eyes widened. "He wasn't in his dormitory or in the common room."

Charlie shrugged. "He probably just wanted to be alone, love."

Veronica sighed and looked around. "I've got to find him. He really shouldn't be alone right now."

"Ronnie, stop. Listen to me." Pulling her face back to look at him, he shook his head softly. "He could be anywhere. This castle is huge, and there's plenty of places to hide if you don't want to be found. I think you should give him some space and focus on yourself a little bit, yeah?" Veronica sighed, but nodded reluctantly. "Why don't you eat something and then go to the Prefects' bathroom and take a nice, long bath? You'll feel a lot better."

"I like the sound of a bath, but I don't think I can eat anything right now."

Charlie sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to grab you a muffin anyway. Even if you don't eat it now, you can keep it beside your bed and have it when you're up for it." Before she had time to argue, he ran back into the Great Hall and returned seconds later with a chocolate chip muffin in hand. Veronica smiled softly and thanked him.

Together, the two stopped by Ravenclaw Tower so Veronica could grab a change of clothes. Then, Charlie walked her to the Prefects' bathroom. "Take your time, Ron. I'll be out here if you need me."

"Charlie, I can't let you just sit out here waiting for me. I won't be able to enjoy my bath knowing you're here."

Charlie shrugged. "Well, too bad. You'll have to find a way because I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to go too far in case you need something."

Veronica knew arguing would be pointless so she hugged him. "Thank you."

As she made her way into the Prefects' bathroom, the motion-activated lights turned on and she grabbed a towel before making her way over to the tub in the middle of the room. Her eyebrows furrowed right away as she noticed that it was already filled halfway with water, which was unusual as it was always empty. Maybe someone forgot to empty it when they finished with their bath.

As Veronica got to the edge and looked inside, her blood ran cold as she saw a body floating face down in the water. Without a second thought, she dropped everything she was holding and jumped in. Despite the tub only being halfway full, the water reached her chest, and she was just thankful that she could still touch the ground.

Scrambling, Veronica quickly flipped the body over to get their face out of the water and began pulling them towards the stairs and out of the tub. Laying them on their back on the ground, she wiped the hair from their face, and it was only then that she realized who the student was.

Veronica let out an involuntary gasp as she screamed. "Felix!!"