(Y/N)'s POV

"Happy birthday, Ron," said Harry finally, after a long and gruelling day of lessons which didn't really afford us any free time to celebrate it. We never had much time to celebrate it other than a few extra sausages at breakfast and a promise from me that I wouldn't scare him during Apparation training.

It was a promise I broke within the first five minutes. But he seemed to enjoy himself, he sent the whole day with a smile on his face and had even started to talk to me and Hermione again, even if It was only to get presents.

He topped it off with an afternoon of him and Lavender snogging which I'm sure he thoroughly enjoyed. But I didn't. After about an hour, I started to get annoyed that he was doing that and enjoying himself.

Meanwhile I was writing an essay on Everlasting Elixirs that I knew for a fact that Ron was going to beg me to let him copy. So, my competitive nature getting the better of me, I waited until Hermione had quadruple checked her work as always and started a chain of kisses that led to some snogging of our own.

Harry didn't seem to mind being stuck between two warring couples, instead he was pouring over his map and checking on Malfoy again, paying us no mind. It was going quite well if I do say so myself.

That was until Hermione caught on to the reasoning behind my spontaneous romantic gesture. She called me a prat and told me I was childish, then stormed up to the girls dorm in such a huff she left all her stuff on the table downstairs.

"Well, that could have gone worse" I shrugged, I could tell from her tone she wasn't really upset with me, just a little bit cross. But in my defence, watching your best friend snog his girlfriend while you do homework with yours is incredibly frustrating.

Me and Harry gave him his presents whenever we were clear of the others, back in the dorms. "Have a present." Harry threw the package across on to Ron's bed, where it joined a small pile of them that he was hoarding. "Cheers," said Ron drowsily, and as he ripped off the paper.

As Harry scoured the map and I finished brushing my teeth I heard "Nice one, Harry!" said Ron enthusiastically, waving the new pair of Quidditch Keeper's gloves Harry had given him.

"No problem," said Harry absent-mindedly, as he searched the Slytherin dormitory closely for Malfoy. I gave Ron his birthday gift and wished him the best. It was a set of Quidditch memorabilia that features the Chudley Cannons extensively. Because it was from about a hundred years ago back in the teams heyday.

"Hey...I don't think he's in his bed..." said Harry, scanning the map extensively, Ron did not answer; he was too busy unwrapping presents, every now and then letting out an exclamation of pleasure.

"Seriously good haul this year!" he announced, holding up a heavy gold watch with odd symbols around the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands. "See what Mum and Dad got me? Blimey, I think I'll come of age next year too..."

"Cool," muttered Harry, sparing the watch a glance before peering more closely at the map. "Nice watch Ron, but if it's from your dad, make sure it doesn't blow up." Ignoring my comment to instead focus on the much more important venture of stuffing his face he just shrugged.

"Want one?" said Ron thickly, holding out a box of Chocolate Cauldrons. "Go on then, chuck us one" I said, he threw me one and I quickly ate it, there was a bitter aftertaste but my craving for them wasn't diminishing at all.

"No thanks," said Harry, looking up. "Malfoy's gone again!" "Can't have done," said Ron, stuffing a second Cauldron into his mouth as he slid out of bed to get dressed. "Yeah, to be fair Harry, you do need glasses, maybe you just can't see him."

"Have these gone off Ron? They taste a bit weird, like they've been out for ages" I asked, Ron looked thoughtfully at the box of Chocolate Cauldrons, then shrugged and helped himself to a third, passing me another.

As Harry disappeared out of the dorm to follow the map and hopefully to catch Malfoy in the act of doing...whatever he was doing. But I didn't care about that right now, I could only think about caring about one thing as the best feeling I'd ever had come over me and suddenly, everything was right in the world.

Harry's POV

I tapped the map with my wand, muttered, "Mischief managed," though it hadn't been, and got dressed for bed, thinking hard. There had to be an explanation for Malfoy's periodic disappearances, but I simply could not think what it could be.

Returning to the dormitories, I found the others, I was halfway to the dormitory door when I realised that Ron had not moved. He was leaning on his bedpost, staring out of the rain-washed window with a strangely un-focused look on his face.

"It's beautiful isn't it, the moon?" I raised an eyebrow, "Divine?" I answered. "Had ourselves a little late night snack, did we?" I enquired, looking to the entirely empty box of Chocolate Cauldrons from earlier.

"I was hungry" said (Y/N)'s voice, I turned to see him giggly and happily rocking back and forth in his bed, his voice oddly taking on the same cadence I associated with Luna, dreamy and not present.

"You've just eaten half a box of Chocolate Cauldrons, haven't you?" I argued, he shrugged. He had Bones in his arms and was swaying back and forth, cuddling her like a teddy bear as she mewled.

She looked horrified, I chuckled. "It was on your bed the box, I thought it was a present" Ron explained with an equally soft and dreamy voice. "I can't stop thinking about her Harry" said Ron happily.

It confused me for a second but I said "Honestly I reckoned she was starting to annoy you" He looked very confused, as if this thought had never crossed his mind, and sat awkwardly close to me "She could never annoy me!"

He smiled again widely and without breaking eye contact nodded slowly, as if to confirm his own feelings. I was starting to get concerned. As this was happening (Y/N) went off on an odd tangent about Hermione, which I assumed he was doing to tease Ron.

"Have you seen her Harry? She's so... she's just like..." he did a motion with his hands like he was seeing the most beautiful thing in the world and he was trying to show me it. "Y'know?" he looked at me with wide eyes.

I gave an uncomfortable nod but had no clue where he was going with this joke, then, as he began trying to show me the invisible beauty.

He ended up dropping Bones, who landed on her feet and scurried over to me oddly enough and started meowing, then scampered off downstairs as (Y/N) stood upright onto his bed "Harry, I love her, I REALLY LOVE HER" he declared.

"Good mate, I'm sure she feels the same" I said. "SHE DOES!" he did a happy dance on his bed. "Have you seen her Harry?" he repeated, I gave him a look, "Yeah, a few times" I said in confusion, she was one of my best friends in the world of course I had seen her.

"Isn't her hair wonderful, so dark and curly, like a... something beautiful" he nodded along to himself. Now I was utterly confused, I had known Hermione for all my time at Hogwarts and she had not once had curly dark hair. Hermione's hair was bushy and brown.

I turned to Ron to get his opinion on this sudden change of heart, but he looked at me, smiled widely and said "I think I love her" I was happy for him "Brilliant" he grinned and said "Do you think she knows I exist?"

"I bloody well hope so, you've been snogging her for three months" "Snogging?" said Ron, looking perplexed, I nodded. "Who are you talking about?" he asked, now I was really concerned, my assumption he was talking about Lavender slowly degrading.

Catching on to the fact this wasn't normal I had to ask, "Who are you two talking about?" "Romilda Vane" they said in unison, "Very funny" I said. "It's no joke! I'm in love with her!" said a dazed Ron, chucking the empty chocolate box at me. I awkwardly nodded along.

"Ok you're in love with her... have you ever actually met her?" "Two whole times" said (Y/N) happily as Ron said "No, could you introduce me?" I attempted to stutter out an answer but then I noticed (Y/N) suddenly got very quiet, which knowing him, wasn't a good sign.

I turned as I saw him stand up from his bed. "She's mine!" said (Y/N) angrily as he launched himself and tackled Ron off the bed, both where punching and kicking in a heap and arguing loudly.

It took a while to pry them apart, luckily I don't think they were in the right state to use wands. After they stopped fighting, I managed to get a moment of peace as they both seemed transfixed with the moon and comparing it to Romilda.

I recognised where they had gotten the Chocolate Cauldrons and who from, and Hermione's warning earlier in the year meant suddenly everything made sense. "Very powerful love potion" I muttered.

I eventually convinced them that I could take them to meet her, I had a plan to lead them to the dungeons and have Slughorn deal with them. As we got downstairs to the common room, Ron barged past Lavender in his attempt to get to the dungeons as soon as possible, she looked horrified.

Similarly, Hermione had clearly come down to collect her things from earlier and (Y/N), in his potion addled state, did something much worse, she got in front of him as we left the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" She enquired after collecting Bones from the floor beside him, he gave her one glance and said "Move, you're in the way" in quite an uncaring tone, "Well, that was just ru-"

(Y/N) didn't even give her a second thought, he held her forehead and kept her at arms length and then pushed her aside. "Come on Harry, let's go see my true love!" he said, grabbing me harshly and heading off to the dungeons.

As he did I managed to call out to Hermione that I would explain later as she sat there utterly dumbfounded and stuttering. I was slightly worried that Slughorn might be asleep, but he answered his office door at the first knock, wearing a green velvet dressing-gown and matching nightcap and looking rather bleary-eyed.

"Professor, I'm really sorry to disturb you," I said as quietly as possible. Ron stood on tiptoe, attempting to see past Slughorn into his room, and (Y/N) looked ready to charge the door "But my friends swallowed a love potion by mistake.-"

"Move old man! I can't see her. Harry! I can't see her!" yelled (Y/N) as if to prove my point, "You couldn't make him an antidote, could you? I'd take them to Madam Pomfrey, but we're not supposed to have anything from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and, you know...awkward questions..."

"I'd have thought you could have whipped him up a remedy, Harry, an expert potioneer like you?" asked Slughorn. "Er," I murmured, somewhat distracted by the fact that Ron was now elbowing me in the ribs in an attempt to force his way into room.

(Y/N) was scouring the hallway as if I was somehow concealing Vane from him. "Well, I've never mixed an antidote for a love potion, sir, and by the time I get it right they might've done something serious."

Helpfully, Ron chose this moment to moan, "I can't see her. Harry — is he hiding her?" "Was this potion within date?" asked Slughorn, now eyeing Ron with professional interest. "They can strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept."

"That would explain a lot," I panted, now positively wrestling with Ron to keep him from knocking Slughorn over as (Y/N) was shouting "Romilda!" up the dungeon stairs. "It's his birthday, Professor," he added imploringly, despite the fact it was just about to pass midnight.

"Oh, all right, come in, then, come in," said Slughorn, relenting. "I've got the necessary here in my bag, it's not a difficult antidote..." Ron burst through the door into Slughorn's overheated, crowded study.

He tripped over a tasselled footstool, regained his balance by seizing me around the neck and muttered, "She didn't see that, did she?" "She's not here yet," I explained, motioning (Y/N) inside gently.

I began watching Slughorn opening his potion kit and adding a few pinches of this and that to a small crystal bottle. "That's good," said Ron fervently. "How do I look?" "Very handsome," said Slughorn smoothly, handing Ron a glass of clear liquid.

"GINGER!" yelled (Y/N), who was handed a glass of his own. "Now drink that up, it's a tonic for the nerves, keep you calm when she arrives, you know," "Brilliant," said Ron eagerly, and he gulped the antidote down noisily.

(Y/N) sipped his drink and made a face as if it was very sour, then chucked the glass aside "That was gross..." he trailed off and stared into space, Slughorn and I watched them. For a moment, Ron beamed at them. Then, very slowly, his grin sagged and vanished, to be replaced by an expression of utmost horror.

"My mouth feels all dry...chapped" said (Y/N) then he took in his surroundings and our faces and pursed his lips, "Nobody kissed me, right?" he asked oddly. "Back to normal, then?" I grinned. Slughorn chuckled.

"Thanks a lot, Professor." "Don't mention it, m'boy, don't mention it," said Slughorn, as Ron collapsed into a nearby armchair, looking devastated. "I'm never living this one down" (Y/N) sighed, collapsing beside him. "Hermione's gonna kill me."

"Pick-me-up, that's what they need," Slughorn continued, now bustling over to a table loaded with drinks. "I've got butterbeer, I've got wine, I've got one last bottle of this oak-matured mead...hmm...meant to give that to Dumbledore for Christmas...ah well..." he shrugged

"...he can't miss what he's never had! Why don't we open it now and celebrate Mr. Weasley's birthday? Nothing like a fine spirit to chase away the pangs of disappointed love..."

(Y/N) spoke again, "No thanks, can't stand the stuff, and Hermione would kill me twice over." Slughorn scoffed, "Nonsense, nothing better then a stiff drink after such an ordeal" waved off Slughorn.

"Giving alcohol to students, how professional of you Professor" he argued. I figured this must be the teachings from having an auror as a parent, he frowned. Slughorn shook his head, sighed, and pressed a glass into his hand.

(Y/N)'s frowned deepened, he motioned drinking the glass but instead chucked the contents of the glass into the fireplace behind him, "Oops." he deadpanned. He chortled, but Slughorn wasted no time in filling up (Y/N)'s glass again.

Yet again, he went to throw the contents, but Ron said, "C'mon, it's my birthday! And its not even Butterbeer, it's just one glass" (Y/N) sighed and nodded, rolling his eyes. "There you are, then," said Slughorn, handing me and Ron a glass of mead each, before raising his own.

"Well, a very happy birthday, Ralph " "Ron" I corrected. But Ron, who did not appear to be listening to the toast, had already thrown the mead into his mouth and swallowed it. "To Ralph" said (Y/N).

He took a tentative mouthful of his own drink, then immediately spitting it out, but it was too late. There was one second, hardly more than a heartbeat, in which I knew there was something terribly wrong and Slughorn, it seemed, did not. "and may you have many more-"

As (Y/N) spat out his drink, Ron had dropped his glass; he half-rose from his chair and then crumpled, his extremities jerking uncontrollably. Foam was dribbling from his mouth and his eyes were bulging from their sockets. "Ron!"

"Poi-" choked (Y/N) assessing the symptoms, before he too fell to his knees and started gasping for air through a small tickle of foam. He scrambled for his wand, pointed to himself and tried to say "Anap-" before he collapsed too, unable to finish.

Falling to Ron's side and trying to stir him, "Come on! C'mon!" I yelled as he tried to stir Ron awake. "Professor!" I bellowed. "Do something!" But Slughorn seemed paralysed by shock. As (Y/N) collapsed, Ron twitched and choked: his skin was turning blue.

"What — but —" spluttered Slughorn. I leapt over a low table and sprinted towards Slughorn's open potion kit, pulling out jars and pouches, while the terrible sound of Ron's gargling breath filled the room again.

Then I found it, the shrivelled kidney-like stone Slughorn had taken from me in Potions and the box it belonged to, I grabbed a fistful. I hurtled back to Ron's side, figuring he was in the most dire straights.

I wrenched open his jaw and thrust the bezoar into his mouth. Ron gave a great shudder; a rattling gasp and his body became limp and still but breathed steadily. (Y/N) wasn't in a much better condition.

Having luckily spat out the majority of the liquid Ron had swallowed once he had felt its effects, (Y/N) was conscious at least. But his eyes were bulging and panicked as he clawed at his neck, coughing.

I shoved another into his mouth, he steadily raised a hand and glared in Slughorns direction. He fell unconscious as the bezoar took affect and he seemed to run out of energy.

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" said Fred. It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit.

Ron's and (Y/N)'s were the only occupied beds. Hermione, Ginny and I were sitting around them; we had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out.

Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past. "This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred. "There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him —" said George. "You were in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny, looking up. "We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily.

"A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore...But never mind that now." He drew up a chair beside me and looked at Ron's pale face.

"How exactly did it happen, Harry?" I retold the story I had already recounted, it felt like a hundred times to Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Madam Pomfrey, to Hermione, and to Ginny.

"...and then I got the bezoar down their throats and their breathing eased up a bit, Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought them both up here."

"(Y/N) wasn't as bad as Ron, since he spat it out, but they both need bed rest" I comforted Hermione, who had almost hyperventilated as I told her what had happened, she nodded again, even though I had told her this before, he hand was glued to (Y/N)'s.

"As for Ron, they reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so...keep taking essence of rue..." I finished with a sympathetic look to the Weasleys. "Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," said George in a low voice.

"Lucky there was one in the room," I shuddered at the thought, "There was, that's all that matters now" I muttered grimly. Not wanting to think of the alternative. Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff and buried herself into (Y/N)'s chest.

She had been exceptionally quiet all day. She had hurtled up to me outside the hospital wing and demanded to know what had happened. After I explained it to her she almost collapsed and cried for a while.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny. "They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon..." There was a pause while we all watched Ron mumble a little in his sleep.

"What about (Y/N)'s dad?" they shrugged, "Not seen him." I turned to Hermione, wondering if he had been in contact, she shook her head. "So the poison was in the drink?" said Fred quietly. "Yes," I said at once "Slughorn poured it out"

"Would he have been able to slip something into the glasses without you seeing?" "Probably," said Harry, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?" "No idea," said Fred, frowning.

"You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?" "or him" he nodded over to (Y/N). "Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" asked Ginny. "I dunno," said Fred, "but there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" said Ginny. "Anything's possible," said Fred darkly. "He could be under the Imperius Curse," said George. "Or he could be innocent," said Ginny. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself."

"Wait, didn't Slughorn mention something about Dumbledore, that the bottle was for him?" asked Ginny, recalling my story, I paused and nodded. "Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas," She reminded me.

"So the poisoner could just as easily have been after Dumbledore." "Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well," said Hermione, speaking for the first time in hours and sounding as though she had a bad head cold.

"Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself." A few minutes after, the teachers arrived, Slughorn was sat off to the side, in a chair, looking stunned.

Dumbledore said "Quick thinking on your part, Harry. Using a Bezoar. You must be very proud of your student, eh, Horace?" Slughorn was looking off into the distance looking horrified, "Hm? Oh. Yes... very proud."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried up the ward with them. They had done no more than satisfy themselves that Ron would make a full recovery on their last visit to the ward; now Mrs. Weasley seized hold of me and hugged very tightly.

"Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar," she sobbed. "Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny...you saved Arthur...now you've saved Ron "Don't be...I didn't..." I muttered awkwardly.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it," Mr. Weasley said in a constricted voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express Harry."

McGonagall chimed in "I think we all agree that Mr. Potter's actions were heroic. The question is: Why were they necessary?" "Why indeed." muttered Dumbledore. He took the half-empty bottle of mead, still bearing a bit of its wrapping. Dumbledore caught on to this fact.

"This appears to be a gift, Horace. You don't by chance remember who gave you this bottle, do you -- which by the way possesses remarkably subtle hints of liquorice and cherry when not polluted with poison."

"Actually I had intended to give it as a gift myself." Said Slughorn, shaking his jowls "To whom might I ask?" Slughorn shifted a bit and looked down, saying "You, Headmaster." Dumbledore did not seem fazed by this and simply nodded.

"Well, next time, check it first genius, you're a potion master. Constant Vigilance" said a hoarse voice. Followed by a rather nasty cough.

(Y/N)'s POV

Waking up, I tried to squint my eyes open, but it was too bright right now, so I kept them closed. I felt like Norberta had just stuck her tongue down my throat. Whenever I took a breath in, any air that passed through my throat irritated me, like my throat was full of sores and blisters.

Not pleasant. After listening to the conversation taking place around me, I announced myself to the room after I noticed a familiar hand in mine. I was suddenly peppered with small familiar kisses, my eyes still closed. I decided to have some fun and prove I was fine.

"Winky, not now, Hermione might see." I muttered, there were a few small giggles from what sounded like the twins, then came the word I wanted to hear, very softly and tear filled I heard, "Prat."

I wrenched my eyes open with great effort and suddenly realised how tired I was. I noticed the room was filled to capacity, "Morning" I waved softly to them. I was immediately bombarded with questions, answering a few of the simple ones.

"How did you know it was poisoned? Harry said you spat it out" enquired Ginny, I shrugged, "I didn't, it just tasted terrible, like old liquorice wands, dirty pennies and something else," I cringed. "I'm never drinking again."

I tried to get the taste out of my mouth by washing it away with a cup of something on my desk, It didn't taste that nice either but did soothe my throat, "I only realised it was poisoned when Ron collapsed and my throat started to close."

"What do you remember?" said the twins, "that Ron can't hold his liquor to save his life and Slughorn's an idiot." I chuckled weakly. "And that I'm going to throttle Romilda Vane" I muttered under my breath.

"How are you feeling?" asked Madam Pomfrey, lightly pushing Hermione aside so she could better assess my condition. "Like I've just eaten a very unhappy Phoenix" I said. She nodded and passed me another cup of the same remedy as before.

After a few minutes of fussing over me, the twins as well as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all left the room after Madam Pomfrey complained about overcrowding, the only Weasley still present was Ginny. The teachers were permitted to stay.

Then I asked a question of my own, "Is Dad coming?" Dumbledore shook his head, "Good." I nodded, everyone else in the room seemed to be confused by this, but before they could ask about it, someone new entered the room.

The door burst open, Lavender Brown entered, her eyes darted awake frantically. "Where is he? Where's my Won-Won! Has he been asking for me?" "Why did nobody tell me he was here!" she demanded.

I found this question a bit odd, "Where else would he be Lav? You've caught us, we've been keeping him in the Owlery" She let out a humph noise and started glaring daggers, but not at me. "What's she doing here?"

"Oh, cool, the poison's made me invisible" I said, holding up Hermione's hand as It was gripping mine. Lavender just humphed again as Hermione looked down her nose at her. Lavender sat beside Ron, her back turned to us and refused to acknowledge our existence as though this would suddenly mean that we didn't exist.

"How is he?" I muttered to Ginny, who barely got her mouth open to reply before she was overshadowed by Lavender, who seemed to take offence with me checking on my friend.

"Oh now you care! You haven't spoken in weeks. I suppose you want to make up with him now that he's suddenly all interesting." I went to counter but just let out a cough, so Hermione did instead.

"He's been poisoned, you daft dimbo!" Then she frowned and looked to me as if to ask me if I was hearing what she was. I shrugged, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the question, "What's a dimbo?" I thought, my mind wondering to that Muggle elephant film.

Lavender looked absolutely livid, until she turned back to Ron, she gripped his hand firmly and was constantly cooing over him and their love, even rubbing her face on his like a cat at one point.

Ron started stirring, groaning and grunting as he shuffled around in his sleep. Lavender took this as a victory, over whom, I wasn't sure, "Ha! See? He senses my presence. I'm here, Won-Won. I'm here"

I couldn't hold it in anymore, I was trying so hard not to laugh at this statement that a noise come out of me that sounded like a deflating balloon. That was until something unexpected happened.

"Er... My... Nee... Er! My! Nee!" called out Ron, in a haze, reaching out blindly. I couldn't help myself and let out an audible sigh. Hermione looked to me, a little flustered as to what to do, I just smiled.

She wass his friend, I wasn't going to be upset because she was comforting after he nearly died. As for Ron, it made sense, just because I warned him doesn't mean his feelings would just go away, so I was willing to let him off, just this once.

But only because he's half dead already and because if I smothered him now it might look a bit suspicious, especially because I'm surrounded by his family members and teachers. So a shuffling and incredibly awkward Hermione took his hand.

Lavender saw this and began almost vibrating with rage, then she burst into tears and hurried out the room waling like the bandon banshee. My heart sank, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a similar pit in my stomach.

To my surprise, Dumbledore beamed. "Ah, to be young and feel love's keen sting. Come, everyone, I think Mr. (L/N) and Mr. Weasley are both well tended." and they all walked out the room.

After thirty seconds of watching Hermione holding Ron's hand, I couldn't take it and decided to excuse myself as well. "Well, I'm just gonna...not be here" I said, swinging my legs off the bed and stumbling out the room, despite Hermione and Madam Pomfreys constant protests.

"I'm just going for a walk, I'll come back" I promised, shuffling out of the room. I wanted to go and speak with Dumbledore and more importantly I was going to check on Winky and make sure she hadn't freaked out and started drinking.

I found Lavender along the way, she was in tears, utterly devastated. "Don't!" she said as I approached, arms outstretched, "Oh shut up" I sighed and did anyway, I could tell she was just upset, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's not fair..." she eventually whimpered, tears streaming down my shirt. "it's not fair... She gets EVERYTHING!" "I've been so stupid, so silly..." "It's nothing to worry about-" "But he said-" I nodded, "I know, but he's in and out of consciousness."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he said 'Madam Rosmerta' or 'Umbridge' with the state he's in. It doesn't mean anything, she's probably just who he saw first." I was lying through my teeth, but she didn't need to know that and I wanted to give her some comfort.

"I doubt it..." she said softly "Don't talk like that Lav." I looked her in the eyes. "But she's so amazing and I'm just...me" she whimpered. "Listen, I won't deny that Hermione is amazing, but I am a little biased on the subject,"

"But that doesn't mean you aren't amazing in your own right, and as you start to accept that, other people will start to notice too" she smiled, looked down and nodded. You are one of the best people I know, you are brave, strong willed, protective, and very good at Divination."

She half smiled but still looked sceptical. "You are endearing and strong" "But i'm so...Clingy" I shushed her. "What you think we don't all get a little overprotective at times, a little too caring? It happens Lav,"

"Until recent events put things into perspective I felt the same, but I realised something recently as I almost choked to death. Ron is my best friend, so naturally, Ron and Hermione are always going to be close friends."

"We can't change that, even if we wanted to." I explained "I know It doesn't mean much to you, but for me, I think of it like this, "I wasn't the only one who fought that troll to save her, so I have no right to deny their friendship."

"I'm not going to be that guy who tells her who she can and can't be friends with. But at the end of the day, Ron is with you, Hermione is with me, that was their choice. That should be the only thing that matters."

"So, its up to you what you do next, if you want to move on, move on, if you want to give it another shot with Ron, try that, but never think about yourself like that. They've made a choice, and you get to as well."

"People don't give you enough credit Lav, I know that for a fact. And if I could tell that from a single night of awkward dancing and overcrowded punchbowls, Ron knows it too, even if he's too stupid to realise" she giggled and nodded.

"Y'know, maybe I will try again" she smiled, "Good, just try to hold back a little on the snogging yeah? I fear for the safety of his lungs" I laughed, she nodded and went off basically skipping. Honestly, I thought It was one of my weaker speeches, but whatever works I suppose.

"Man, I should start charging for this stuff" I said aloud, after that, I went on a nice walk through the castle to clear my head, first I made my way to the kitchens. Winky immediately pulled me into a hug, openly weeping.

I picked her up and held her close, she promised me she hadn't touched a drop of Butterbeer and I said I was proud of her, as well as made a promise to myself I would never drink again without an excellent reason.

I tried to go to the headmasters office to see Dumbledore but the staircase wouldn't budge so I guess I wasn't allowed entry, sighing to myself and making a mental note to contact him later I headed back as promised.

As I got back to the hospital wing, I saw Lavender, Hermione and Ginny chatting along happily, she saw me "You were right, I'm not giving up" she said to me cheerfully. "That's great Lav, I'm happy for you" she smiled.

"Thank you (Y/N) for everything" she beamed at me, I shrugged, "Anytime Lav" she and the other girls laughed hard, I cocked my head in confusion. "And another thing, I've always hated that nickname, makes me sound like a toilet" she said.

I was in disbelief "Why didn't you tell me!" she flushed a little. "I thought you were scary, I didn't want to upset you" after apologising for what felt like hours she just laughed it off. Ron woke up a day later, complaining he was hungry and wanting birthday cake but other then that he only needed bed rest.

I was discharged that same day, though mostly because I kept pestering Pomfrey about when I could leave again. And everything was back to normal again, or at least, mostly normal. Harry was getting worse, he was taking the incident very harshly, he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy.

He was still checking the Marauder's Map whenever he got a chance, he sometimes made detours to wherever Malfoy happened to be, but had not yet detected him doing anything out of the ordinary.

But as the next Gryffindor Quidditch match drew closer, even he forgot about Malfoy and started to focus on the team. Especially because of their new backup keeper who was the bane of my existence. Cormac McLaggen was filling in for Ron, and I for one, couldn't wait to see him get knocked off his broom.