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BOOK SEVEN: CHAPTER FIVE

"Felix! Hey, Felix, can you hear me?" Veronica slapped his cheeks and tried to shake him awake, but she had no idea how long he had been there. Jumping into action, she quickly began waving her hands over the boy and focusing all her energy on dispelling the water from his lungs. She had left her wand in her dormitory, so she had never been so glad to have mastered wandless magic than she was at that moment. She was also glad that Snape had taught her the spells he had used on her by the lake all those years ago, as they were coming in very handy now. As she watched the water leaving Felix's body, she yelled for Charlie. She was so thankful he had insisted on waiting for her as, within seconds, he burst into the bathroom and looked around for her with panic in his eyes.

Seeing her on her knees beside Felix's body, he ran over and crouched down beside her. "Dear Merlin! What– What happened?"

Veronica's voice cracked as she tried her best not to break down. "I don't know! I found him face down in the tub, and when I pulled him out, he was unconscious!"

"Merlin's beard. Okay, we need to get him to Madam Pomfrey right away."

***

As Veronica sat by Felix's bed, she willed herself not to fall asleep. Madam Pomfrey had said he would make a full recovery, but she and Charlie had been there for hours waiting for him to wake up with no signs he'd be doing so anytime soon. Despite this, Veronica refused to leave his side, so Charlie had gone down to the Great Hall to grab them something to eat for dinner, and it wasn't until he had gone that she realized how tired she was. She hadn't slept at all the night before and the adrenaline rush she had felt earlier in the day when she found Felix had left her drained.

Veronica was about to rest her head on the bed and close her eyes for a few minutes when she felt Felix's hand that she had been holding move slightly, and when she looked over, she noticed that his eyes were beginning to flutter. Standing quickly, she squeezed his hand. "Felix? Felix, I'm here with you. Open your eyes, love."

After a few moments, Felix managed to do just that, and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked over at her. His voice was hoarse and came out as a whisper, but Veronica heard him clearly. "Why am I still alive?"

Veronica's heart ached as her eyes widened. "Felix... was this not an accident? Were you purposely trying to... to end your life?"

Felix avoided her gaze as he sighed. "I can't handle the pain, Veronica. It hurts too much. Everywhere I look, I see him. I can't do anything without memories of us flooding my mind. Even when I close my eyes, I can see him. And I smell him on all my clothes. I just... I don't want to be here without him."

"Felix..." Veronica had no idea what to say. What could she say? Losing Art had hurt her too, but she couldn't imagine what she would do if she lost Charlie. She would probably feel the same way. So with that in mind, she told him what she thought she would want to hear. "I know you're hurting, and knowing how I'm feeling, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for you. And I know this sounds impossible right now, but it will get easier. This wound may never fully heal, but it will get less painful over time. And I know that Art would not have wanted this for you. He wouldn't want any of this for any of us. He wouldn't want us to wallow in our grief, being consumed by it. He'd want us to move on. To find peace. To make the most of every day, because we know better than anyone how short life can be. He'd want us to make the most of our lives, and we can do that while still keeping him in our hearts." Veronica wiped the tears from Felix's cheeks and squeezed his hand. "Gone, but never forgotten, love. Never ever forgotten."