Him - A Harry Potter Love Story

Chapter Forty-Six

A/N Just want to thank you all again for dealing with my lack of updates...also it's almost Christmas and I'm freaking out and jejwjdbrejxhao

I woke up the next morning, nearly falling out of the bed when I saw Ron sitting up.

"Oh my god! You're awake!" I gasped, completely ignoring the fact that my arm no longer hurt; it felt just like it did before, but it was still in a sling.

"I'm awake?! Cassie, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" He laughed. "I woke up for the first time in who knows how long to see you in another bed unconscious with a cast."

"Does anyone else know?" I asked, grinning.

"No, it's pretty early. Madame Pomfrey hasn't come in yet, I think she's still sleeping."

I glanced over at the clock - sure enough, it was seven. Not many people would be getting up this early on a Sunday morning.

"Well, do you feel okay?"

"Loads. I barely remember anything from that night, but I know that I felt like crap," he sighed. "Hopefully they'll let me out today."

"There's no use in keeping you here," I said with a laugh.

"I guess. And what happened to you?" he asked, eyeing my arm.

"McLaggen, he was the backup keeper." I frowned. "Harry said he hit a bludger at me. It hit my arm and I lost balance and fell off of the broom."

"Bloody hell. How high up were you?"

"I'm not sure. Pretty high, though," I told him. "Harry caught me though."

"Blimey, Cassie...I'm sorry McLaggen was there." He frowned. "I'm guessing Harry has detention this week?"

I laughed. "You know it."

"Ron, you're awake!" came a gasp from the door. I turned around to see Harry running towards us, stopping in between our beds.

"Wow, Harry, I thought you'd be a little more happy to see me," I joked, smirking a little. He rolled his eyes, leaning over and pressing his lips against my forehead for a short moment before looking to Ron.

"When did you wake up?" he asked his friend, sitting down in the chair next to my bed, facing Ron, but reaching his hand behind him to take my hand.

"Not long ago. How long have I been asleep?"

"Probably at least a week...how do you feel?"

"Great compared to how I remember feeling. Hopefully Madame Pomfrey will let me out soon," he chuckled. "What about you, Cassie?"

Harry turned his head to me, smiling. "Yeah, how is your arm feeling?"

"A lot better," I said, moving it slightly in the sling. There was a small pinching feeling in the place where it broke, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

"I'm glad."

"So, what are you doing down here so early?" Ron asked, pushing himself to a taller seated position.

"Well, I wanted to check on Cassie," Harry responded, grinning a little. "Hermione will be happy you're awake."

I suddenly winced, and Harry turned back to me, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"Um..." I glanced at Ron, biting my lip. His eyes widened a little.

"Bloody hell. What is it?" he asked me.

"Ron...I don't think you and Lavender are exactly going out anymore," I explained, speaking slowly. Harry, now seeing why I had flinched, sighed a little, letting go of my hand to move closer to Ron's bed.

"I'm so sorry," Harry said softly as Ron's expression slowly phased into a look of confusion.

"Really?"

There was a hint of hope in his voice; although it was kind of odd, I wasn't as surprised as I should have been.

"Yeah."

"Well...how?" he mumbled.

"Um...you just said some stuff while you were asleep," I told him. "I guess she didn't really like it. She got pretty mad."

"You okay?" Harry was frowning at the expression on his face.

"I mean...I don't feel as upset as I should," he replied quietly. "She was just so..."

"Loud? Annoying?" I suggested, smiling a little. Ron laughed, a grin on his face.

"Exactly."

••••••••••

Harry and I walked around outside, our hands intertwined. It was a beautiful day, warm for early March. The sky was dotted with few clouds, the sun shining down on us as we went past the lake.

"What do you think Malfoy is gonna do this year?" Harry asked out of nowhere.

I hesitated, not knowing what to say for a moment. "Um...well, I do agree with you that he's joined the death eaters...I just don't know what he'd actually do."

"He's been disappearing off the map a lot lately," he mentioned. I frowned a little.

"Disappearing?"

"Yeah. He's walking through the halls, and then he just...is gone," he explained.

"He can't be leaving the castle, can he?" I wondered.

"It never happens near an exit."

"Where does it happen?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I haven't been looking where he is, I just...I wonder why he isn't there anymore."

We walked in silence for a few moments.

"Could he be going through one of the secret passages in the castle?" I asked.

"No, I used to always see Fred and George in them last year," he sighed. "Don't worry about it right now. I'm sure something is just wrong with the map."

"You think there could actually be something wrong with it?"

He glanced at me warily, taking a deep breath. "I don't know."

••••••••••

"The Room of Requirement," Harry muttered.

"Hm?" I glanced up at his face, frowning at his expression. We were in the common room, and I was pressed up against Harry, my head on his shoulder.

"He's in the Room of Requirement," Harry repeated, louder. "I'll be back soon. Stay here."

"What do you mean, stay here?" I said with a frown as he stood up. He looked down at me, shaking his head.

"He's been in there non-stop, Cassie," he said, crossing his arms. "You don't know what he could be doing. I'm not letting you go."

He walked off without hesitation. I quickly followed him, touching his shoulder to have him whip around, glaring at me all of a sudden.

"I said to stay here, Cassie," he snapped. Startled by his outburst, I took a few steps back, wrapping my arms around myself. Without another word, he left the common room.