The Sorting Hat's Mistake (A Harry Potter FanFiction) ON HOLD

Chapter 20: Practically Disowned

***ROWAN POV***

"She's obviously still unconscious, Draco, we can both come back later." Natalie's voice floats to my ears, and it breaks the seemingly eternal silence I had been in.

"But what if she wakes up when we're not here-"

"Draco," I hear Natalie say. Natalie and Draco had never really been good friends, so it surprises me that they're actually having a somewhat civilized conversation.

"Whatever," Draco mutters, and I can just picture him stalking out of the room. After a long pause I hear Natalie's footsteps trail out of the Hospital Wing as well.

For hours, it seems, I'm floating in and out of consciousness. I'll see Draco occasionally, and a flash of brown hair that I'm assuming is Kellan, and then I'll slip back into the darkness again.

When I finally come to my senses, however, it is Dalton I see sitting in the chair next to my bed. His nose is in a book about lycanthropy and he looks deathly pale.

"Werewolfs, huh?" I ask weekly. Dalton jumps, dropping his book on the stone floor. The loud noise makes me wince.

"Sorry," Dalton mutters sheepishly, picking up the book again. As I take in my surroundings, trying to determine what day, what time, and figure out why I'm here in the first place, I feel Dalton's eyes on me.

The realization suddenly hits me and I look at Dalton.

"He's back," I say, then look to the bandages on my stomach. Dalton watches me with an almost pained expression. "Cedric's dead...Kellan's a-" I pause, not wanting to reveal Kellan's dark secret. My vision goes white in anger as I recall Kellan's unexpected betrayal. 

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Daltons says gently, "but I'd like to know what happened in there."

And so I explain the whole story to him, from when I was confronted by Krum to when Harry was tortured to when Cedric took the spell for me. I leave out the part about Kellan because she might have an explanation as to why Death Eaters are a little too friendly with her.

"He's really back?" Dalton asks, his eyes as big as saucers. I nod, my body feeling numb.

"And Cedric is dead because of me," I admit, not even wanting to cry. Numbness is all I feel. "The curse was meant for me...and Cedric took it." I look to Dalton, confusion probably clear on my face. His is pale, sweaty, and his big, brown eyes are full of worry. "Why did he jump in front of me like that? I've barely said two words to him and he was willing to..." I trail off, my eyes darting to the door which has just opened.

My mouth drops open in surprise as my parents walk through the door. They both have the typical air of superiority about them, and they're both in Slytherin green. My eyes then dart to Dalton. If they see me with him I'll be in even bigger trouble than I'm already in. And I don't want Dalton to be sucked into this.

"Dalton, leave," I whisper urgently. Dalton gives me an understanding look before he practically runs out the door. My parents barely notice him, they're both too busy looking at  me with expressions of rage. My Father, however, looks the slightest bit concerned as well.

They stand at the foot of my bed, glaring. I swallow, the numbness I felt now being replaced by fear. Remembering how I betrayed my parents and their beliefs in the worst possible way, I cover my face a little bit with the sheets.

"Rowan Winslow." My Mother's voice sounds calm, but at the same time it shakes with rage. "You have disgraced our family name!" The rage is finally released. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Not only have you risked your life but you've risked the lives of both of us! Even the Malfoy's are in danger just for being our friends!" I feel my eyes brim with tears. No matter how many times my Mother had gotten mad at me, never before had she screamed like this.