The Slytherin Prince and The Gryffindor Goddess::Part 20

"I dont know," Harry paced up and down the room, feeling as though he wanted to rip his hair out.

"I shouted Expelliarmus at Pansy, she fell. And then I ran over to Rhea, but Malfoy was already there. I shoved him out of the way and looked to see if Rhea was okay. And she was!" he cried. "Or at least that's what it looked like," he muttered quietly.

Hermione, who was sitting beside an agitated looking Ron, looked up. "What do you mean that's what it looked like?" she asked kindly. She knew what a toll this was taking on him. She didnt want to make things worse than they already were.

Harry groaned, becoming more and more upset that he had to re-tell and explain what happened earlier that night. Having to experience it was bad enough, now he had to describe it. "I-I didnt know she was bleeding from her head, until Malfoy shoved me out of the way and brought her there," he continued.

"You didnt go with him?" Ron asked angrily, making Hermione jump. "Who knows what he could have done to her!?"

"How would you have reacted, seeing your best friend's blood all over your hands?!" Harry retorted. "I didnt know what to do."

"You should have gone with Malfoy," Ron said bitterly, sitting back down with Hermione.

"Ron," Hermione said quietly, placing a hand on his knee. She looked up at Harry. "Why didnt you just tell us earlier?"

"Oh, I dont know, Hermione," Harry said sarcastically. "Rhea was in the hospital, i was soaked to the bone from kneeling in the grass at 9:30 at night, and the only person with Rhea was Malfoy. It didnt seem like the time to explain it throughly."

"Oi, watch it, mate" Ron said standing up. "Dont start blaming this on Hermione. She wasnt the one down at the field with Rhea."

"She wasnt the one covered in Rhea's blood either!" Harry shouted frustratedly.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Coop had made it to the Hospital Wing just as Madame Pomfrey stopped Rhea's bleeding. They werent able to talk to her, so Madame Pomfrey instructed them to go back to bed. But before she did that, she informed the four friends that Draco was going to come in after he changed and stay the night with Rhea. Ron's suspicion's had been right about Harry.

Coop stood up from the couch in front of the fire. "All this arguing isnt helping," he stated. "I dont even know why you two are fighting in the first place. Madame Pomfrey said that Draco's going to be there with Rhea tonight."

Hermione stood up beside Ron and sat down in Coop's previous seat. She couldnt stand it when people were fighting.

"Oh, is that supposed to make us feel better then?" Ron turned to Coop. "This is Draco Malfoy we're talking about. Who knows what the bloody hell he could do to Rhea."

Coop replied calmly. "He's not the nicest fellow out there," he started, "but i've seen how he looks at Rhea." Hermione looked up from the fire. "I know all of you have too," he continued, glancing at all of them. "Even if he did do what he did in the library, i dont think he did that on purpose."

Harry scoffed. "Oh, so he was under a love-potion, is that it?"

"Maybe. No one ever even asked his side of the story," Coop pointed out.

"I cant believe this," Ron threw his hands up. "You leave Rhea with Malfoy," he pointed at Harry, "and you're siding with Malfoy himself. Unbelievable."

Hermione stood up from the couch and walked in the middle of the three boys. "Stop it, this isnt going to make things better," she said. "And Coop does have a point," she started. "Maybe Malfoy's not as bad as he seems." All this talk of Rhea made Hermione think about what Rhea would say. Rhea would want them to believe the best of him.

Ron was about to answer when there was a tapping on the window. Hermione rushed over and let the owl in. It was a magnificent onyx owl, spotted with grey dots along his bottom feathers.

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered, looking at the owl. "We dont have to ask who's owl that is," he rolled his eyes.

Hermione took the letter from it's beak and read out loud the neat cursive handwriting.

Knowing the four of you, youre either bickering or worrying about Rhea. Well, you can stop. I'm not going to take advantage of her. She's asleep, and she's already eaten. Just thought I'd keep you four updated.

-Malfoy

She looked up from the letter. Harry and Ron looked at each other. They were not convinced. Coop saw this and shook his head in defeat. There was no talking to them.

Harry finally sat down in Hermoine's previous seat. He put his head in his hands.

"Harry, mate," Ron said, sitting down next to him. "Maybe I over-reacted a bit."

Harry looked up. "A bit?" he raised an eyebrow amusedly.

"ALright," Ron grinned. "I over-reacted alot, I said it. Happy?"

Harry grinned back at his red-head friend. "As happy as we can be right now."

Hermione sighed in relief, closing the window as the owl flew away. "Should we go visit her? By now," she glanced at the clock, "Madame Pomfrey should be asleep."

Coop sat down on the arm of the couch. "Let's just get some rest," he sighed tiredly. "I think that's what Rhea would have wanted us to do."

"Coop, she's in the hospital, not six feet under the ground," Ron stood up, patting him on the shoulder.

"Do you suppose I should just give up on her then?" Harry spoke up. "I am the reason she's lost blood."

Everyone looked at him, the fire reflecting off of his glasses. "You know, Rhea," Hermione said. "She wont blame you for anything. Dont give up on her just yet."

"Just yet?" Coop asked, looking at Hermione.

"Just go on for a little while longer, Harry," Ron agreed, ignoring Coop.

Hermione stood up, walking next to Ron. "And the Festival is a great way to get closer to her. You should ask her to go with you!" she smiled.

Harry looked up from the fire. Ron, Coop, and Hermione nodded at him encouragingly. He stared back into the fire, thinking of ways of how to ask her.