Forgotten

Book 2 Ch 8

"Oh, you two are still here."

Alison pulled a chair to the bedside and sunk down into the chair. Despite the attitude she tried to build up, her eyes were still rimmed with red. I looked away from her to stare at the body lying still on the bed.

"I should have known that you'd be here. You haven't really left her side since she was found. People have been saying that Madam Pomfrey has had to chase you out several times."

Alison sighed and leaned back in her chair. Not once do her eyes land on her best friend. I don't think she can stand to look at Emily. If I hadn't been the one to have left her alone that night, I don't think I would have been able to look at her either. This had been my fault, though. I didn't deserve to be able to look away from what I caused.

"Is it true?" Alison asked, having a conversation with herself more than me.

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey has driven us away a few times." George answered.

"Not that," Alison sighed and crossed her legs. "Is it true that you were with her that night?"

George looked down at the ground before looking towards me. His mouth formed a thin line across his face. I grabbed hold of Emily's stiff hand, and traced my thumb from her wrist to the tip of her finger. There were whispers around the school saying that the professors had to rip her wand from her clenched hand. Seeing her the way that she was, I couldn't help but to believe it. Emily wasn't the type to go down without a fight.

"I'll take that as you were. What happened that night? Why didn't Emily wake the rest of us up?"

I don't move in my chair. My eyes moved over Emily's face. The shocked expression on her features haunted me every time I left the hospital wing. If it wasn't the current look on her face, then it was the mixture of pain and anger that Emily had faced me with the last night that I got to talk to her.

"Fred?" Alison pressed.

"I told her not to, alright?" I growled, reluctant to talk.

"But why? If we had all been there, maybe -"

"Maybe nothing would have changed! Maybe it would be everyone. Maybe she wouldn't have stormed off, and I could have helped her. Maybe I should have followed her even though she had ordered me to leave her alone. We won't ever know that."

Alison sunk in her chair as I raised my voice. "I miss her too, you know? It's not just you."

"Don't talk about her as if she's dead."

"Madam Pomfrey said that they are trying to make a potion to cure her. She won't be like this forever." George explained.

Alison ran her hands over her arms. Her demeanor changed completely from when she had walked in. I spotted her eyes dash across Emily quickly, still not able to fully take in the sight. I couldn't be mad at her for it. There was nothing easy about seeing Emily like this.

"Has anyone else been to visit her?" Alison asked in a small voice. 

"Several people," George said. "More than I can count. I don't know how many of them were actually here because they were worried for her or if they just wanted to see what was happening."

"I can't believe people would do that."

"If you were here more often, then you would." I grumbled.

"You think I don't care about her, because I'm not here? No one can help her by sitting at her bedside all day. Besides, you honestly believe that would be what she wants? If she could, she would yell at you for not leaving her side."