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BOOK FOUR: CHAPTER SEVEN

"Here you go, darling." Madam Rosmerta smiled warmly as she placed a glass of Butterbeer on the table in front of Veronica, who had been sitting in a booth alone at the back of the Three Broomsticks since early that morning enjoying a rare moment of freedom. She hadn't left the castle grounds in weeks as her days mostly consisted of hiding in the library or Snape's office, and the only time she ever went outside was for Quidditch practices and matches. Last month, thanks to Veronica, Maribelle had finally managed to improve her marks enough to rejoin the team, and Emily had been working them all to death to make up for lost time. So while this meant she got to see the sun and breathe in the fresh air often, it was never a relaxing experience.

That morning, Gryffindor had a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, so Veronica had taken the opportunity to de-stress and grab a few Butterbeers, knowing she wouldn't run into Charlie or Tonks as long as she left the pub before the game was over. As she took a sip of her drink, she let it flow through her and warm her up. She had opted for her Butterbeer hot as the weather was still chilly in March and a cool draft was let in each time the door opened. However, the warmth of the delicious drink did nothing to silence her thoughts. It didn't feel right missing a Quidditch game; she had been to every single game in some capacity since her first year at Hogwarts, whether it was as a spectator or a player. She was always there cheering from the stands, but this year, she only attended the games she was playing in. She hadn't watched any of the other games. She felt pathetic; while the rest of the school was gathered together enjoying their Sunday morning game, she sat alone in an empty pub wishing she could just have her best friend back. She missed him beyond words, and the constant pain she felt was becoming too much to handle.

Just then, Veronica felt something brush her arm, causing her to jump and look up into the eyes of a Weasley. When did he get here? She had been so lost in her own head that she hadn't seen him come in or even felt him sit down beside her until his arm brushed against hers. Shouldn't he be at the game?

"Hiya, Ronnie. I thought I might find you here."

"Bill? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be watching your brother's game."

"Charlie has enough people cheering him on. He won't notice that I'm not there. You, on the other hand... he'll notice you aren't there. He always notices your absence, you know?"

"He might notice, but he sure as hell doesn't care. He's too busy with his girlfriend to care about me anymore."

Bill's head fell to the side as he raised his eyebrows at her. "You don't really believe that, Ron. He cares about you more than he's cared about anyone. He loves you. You know that. You could never be replaced."

"Oh yeah? It seems to me that I've been very easily replaced. He's forgotten all about me."

"Clearly it's been a while since you've seen or spoken to him because if you'd seen him at all recently, you would know how much this is affecting him. He's devastated not having you around."

Veronica leaned back in the booth and crossed her arms as she glared at him. "Bill, can we drop this please? I know this is tough for you because he's your brother and I'm like a sister to you, so being caught in the middle isn't an ideal situation, but he's your flesh and blood. You have to take his side, and I get that-"

"I'm not taking his side! I agree that dating Tonks was a stupid thing for him to do-"

"That's not what I said! He likes her, and he's allowed to do what he wants. I don't own him."

Bill rubbed his face frustratedly. "Veronica, I-

"Bill, I've gotta go, alright? I really don't want to be having this conversation with you. Besides, I'm upset with 11-year-old me to begin with for even letting you trick me all those years ago into confessing my feelings for your brother; you shouldn't even know about that. And you shouldn't have to be caught in the middle of our little fight. So I'm sorry for doing that to you, but I really do have to go now. The game's just finished, and I need to get out of here before Charlie and Tonks see me."

"What? How do you know the game is finished?"

Veronica smirked as she shrugged. "I got Athena to watch the game and let me know when the snitch has been caught. I just saw her out the window."

Bill shook his head and rolled his eyes at her antics. The things she was willing to do to avoid Charlie never ceased to surprise him. "Where are you going to go? Please tell me you aren't planning on locking yourself up in the library for the rest of the day. It's a beautiful day today."

"Well, I'm hoping to stop by the lake for a while. I know Charlie keeps going back every Saturday morning at our time to see if I'm there, but that's the only time he goes. He won't be showing up today. Plus, he'll be busy with her, so I want to go see Squish again and enjoy the fresh air while I still can."

"Fine, go. But let me ask you one thing first. How long are you planning on avoiding him? When is it going to end? You're best friends..."

Veronica smiled sadly before pulling Bill into a quick hug. "I don't think we are anymore, Bill. I'll see you later." And with that, she walked briskly out of the pub and down to the lake, hoping to enjoy some peace and quiet at her favorite spot. All she could wish for was to have ten minutes without thinking about Charlie. However, that was always much easier said than done.