𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 ; 𝒽.𝒷.𝓅

thirty-seven

The next day, Ginny and Hermione were at Ron's bedside in the infirmary while Zoya and Harry stood off to the side. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Slughorn all walked into the room to them. 

Dumbledore looked at Harry, "Quick thinking on your part, Harry, using a bezoar. You must be very proud of your student, Horace." He said, turning to Slughorn.

"Hm? Oh, yes, very proud."

"I think we agree, Potter's actions were heroic. The question is, why were they necessary?" McGonagall asked as Harry looked at Zoya, who only gave him a small shake of her head. 

"Why, indeed?" Slughorn said, holding up the mead he gave Zoya, Ron, Harry, and himself last night. 

Dumbledore walked to him, "This appears to be a gift, Horace. You don't remember who gave you this bottle?" He asked as he smelled the liquid inside, "By the way, possesses remarkably strong hints of licorice and cherry when not polluted with poison." He said, passing it to Snape.

"Actually, I had intended to give it as a gift myself." Slughorn said as Snape smelled the mead. 

"To whom, I might ask?"

"To you, Headmaster." Slughorn replied. 

The three all looked at Ron, and McGonagall cocked her head to the side as she stared back at the professors. 

"Where is he? Where's my Won-Won? Has he been asking for me?" Lavender's panicked voice destroyed all sense of peace and quiet they had. 

Zoya rolled her eyes, "Here we go."

She looked at Ron worriedly, standing in front of Snape who had the same look of disgust as Zoya did. 

"Has Ron asked for me?" Lavender questioned again. 

Zoya crossed her arms, "He has not, Lavender. In case you haven't observed, Ron is currently unconscious."

"Oh, piss off, Zoya." She snapped, earning wide eyed expressions from all four professors. 

Lavender looked at Hermione, who stayed beside Ron without saying a word, "What's she doing here?"

Hermione stood up, "I might ask you the same question." She said to Lavender. 

Lavender took a step forward, "I happen to be his girlfriend."

"I happen to be his... friend." 

"Don't make me laugh. You haven't spoken in weeks. I suppose you want to make up now that he's all interesting."

"He's been poisoned you daft dimbo! And for the record, I've always found him interesting." Hermione said, making Zoya snicker from beside Harry. 

Ron gasped lightly from the bed, shifting the attention. Lavender smiled lightly, "Ah. See? He senses my presence." She said as she walked to the edge of his bed, "Don't worry, Won-Won. I'm here."

"I'm going to start calling you... Har-Har... or maybe Ry-Ry." Zoya mockingly said to Harry, earning a small smirk from him.

She looked back at Ron, who started to mumble incoherently. Ron then muttered out Hermione's name, and Zoya let out another low snicker, hiding her smile behind her hand. 

Hermione sat back down beside Ron, taking his hand as Lavender ran away crying. 

"That was a bit harsh." Harry commented to Zoya.

"What? I wasn't the one who made him mutter Hermione's name."

"You know what I mean." He said back to her. 

Dumbledore spoke up, "Oh, to be young, and feel love's keen sting."

"Was that love or just hormones, Headmaster?" Zoya questioned, turning to him. 

The other professors looked between her and Dumbledore awkwardly. His eyes widened lightly, "Well, come away, everybody."

Everyone left one by one, other than Zoya, Harry, and Hermione. They gave Hermione a knowing smile, and she returned it with a small shake of her head, "Oh, shut up."

"I think we should leave these two love birds to their own devices. Come on, Harry." Zoya said, tugging him out of the infirmary.

When they were out of the room, Harry spoke up, "It was you who found and had the idea to use bezoar, not me. Why didn't you say something?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Harry. What matters is that Ron is all right." She said.

He said no more, and the two walked up a spiral stair case. Zoya stopped in her tracks when she saw Draco walk up a stair case across the room from them. She tugged on Harry's robe, who was a few steps above her. He stopped and walked back down to her, Zoya silently pointed to him. 

The two followed him up the stairs and down a corridor. They they turned a corner to where Draco went, he was gone.

"Something's definitely up." Zoya whispered to him.