30. I fancy George Weasley
Hope blinked her eyes open, her vision blurrily coming to. Her head pounded, and as things cleared, she realized she was in the hospital wing. She winced, carefully sitting up and reaching to feel a bandage wrapped around her head. Slowly, she glanced around. Madam Pomfrey bustled about, tending to Colin Creevey, who was gulping down what had to be mandrake juice.
Hope craned her neck toward Hermione's bed. The sight of her stirring, eyes fluttering open, made Hope gasp. Without thinking, she practically leapt from her bed, the throbbing in her head worsening with each step. But she didn't care.
"Hermione!" Hope squealed, throwing her arms around the girl.
"Oh!" Hermione yelped in surprise, before wrapping her arms around Hope.
"Miss Lupin!" Madam Pomfrey called sharply. "You just suffered a severe head injury. Back in bed!"
But Hope didn't care. Hermione was awake.
"Hermione, it's been horrible without you," Hope said. "Never get petrified again."
"I'll try not to make a habit out of it," Hermione chuckled weakly, though her expression quickly shifted to concern. "But... why are you here? What happened to your head?"
"Well, Ginny... Ginny—" Hope's voice faltered. The memory of what Ginny had told her came rushing back. Her face paled, the ache in her head intensifying.
Madam Pomfrey had made her way over, hands firmly on her hips. "Miss Lupin, back into bed. You need rest, both of you."
"Wait, Madam Pomfrey!" Hope protested, her urgency growing. "I need to see Professor McGonagall. It's about the Chamber—"
At the mention of the chamber, Hermione shot up. Her face lit with sudden realization.
"A basilisk!" Hermione exclaimed, her voice almost frantic. "The monster was a basilisk!"
Hope turned to her, brow furrowed.
"Miss Granger, sit back down," Madam Pomfrey instructed firmly, but neither girl listened.
"Ginny," Hope stammered. "Ginny Weasley—she's in danger! She—"
"She's right there," Hermione interrupted, pointing toward the door.
Hope spun around just as Ginny entered the hospital wing, flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Ginny's eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks staining her freckled cheeks. She looked exhausted, her small frame trembling.
"Ginny," Hope breathed, rushing to her before Madam Pomfrey could object. "Are you okay?"
Ginny's trembling lips parted, a sob escaping before she crumpled into Hope's arms. Fresh tears poured down her face.
"I'm so sorry," Ginny choked out, clinging to her.
Hope held her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's okay," she murmured. "Really. It doesn't even hurt." She gave a small smile, gesturing to her head. That wasn't entirely true — her head was throbbing terribly, and standing up only made it worse — but Ginny didn't need to know that.
"Oh, dear." Mrs. Weasley's voice wavered as she cupped Hope's face, inspecting the bandage with concern. "You poor thing."
"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley," Hope assured, though her brows furrowed. "But... what are you doing here?"
Ginny's gaze flickered anxiously to her parents. Before Hope could ask further, Mrs. Weasley gave her a small, reassuring nod.
"We're well aware of the Chamber," she said, her voice firm.
Hope's eyes widened. "You are? Is it— is it still—"
"You kids don't have to worry about it anymore," Mr. Weasley assured her, though the concern in his eyes lingered.
Mrs. Weasley fussed over Hope, gently guiding her back to her bed, but she resisted.
"Harry saved me. And Ron — well, he wasn't there, but he helped," Ginny whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Harry stopped the basilisk. And You-Know-Who."
Hope's head spun. "You-Know-Who?" she echoed in disbelief. "But—Tom Riddle? Is Harry alright? What about—?"
"That's enough, dear," Mrs. Weasley said firmly, though her tone was kind. "I'm sure you'll be told what you need to know soon. Right now, you need rest."
Hope opened her mouth to protest, but Mrs. Weasley's stern gaze left no room for argument. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be eased back into bed. As she sank down, an overwhelming wave of relief and confusion washed over her. Her head ached, her thoughts spiraling, but it was over. Ginny was safe. Hermione and the rest of the petrified were unpetrified. The chamber was no longer a threat. And now, Hagrid and Dumbledore would be back at Hogwarts in no time. Everything was okay.
She let the exhaustion take hold. The room blurred at the edges, and she let her eyes close.
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Hope had been in the hospital wing for three more days before Madam Pomfrey finally allowed her to leave. Unfortunately, that meant she missed the rather odd feast held the night Harry saved Ginny. Apparently, the entire school had celebrated in their pajamas, enjoying a midnight banquet in the Great Hall. She hadn't been allowed any visitors, but by the end of her stay, she had quite a few gifts and treats piled at the foot of her bed.
Fred and George had sent her a box of Filibuster Fireworks, though Madam Pomfrey confiscated it immediately with a stern glare. Mrs. Weasley had sent homemade fudge, wrapped neatly with a note telling Hope how grateful she was for her bravery. Her dad had even come down to the school, fussing over her like she was still a little girl.
She'd ended up telling him everything that had been going on all year. He hadn't known whether to be concerned about her injury, angry that she'd been involving herself in the Chamber business, or proud of her bravery—albeit slightly reckless. He scolded her, of course, but there was a twinkle in his eye that suggested he was more impressed than upset. Eventually, he'd left, Madam Pomfrey insisting that Dumbledore wanted a word with him before he returned home.
Among the pile of sweets and gifts was a small package of sugar quills and licorice wands from Cedric Diggory, accompanied by a short, kind note wishing her a speedy recovery. But the most exciting visit had been from Harry and Ron. Since they were the ones who saved the school, Madam Pomfrey had begrudgingly allowed them a few minutes to speak with her. They had practically burst through the door, talking over each other in a rush to explain everything.
Hope had listened in astonishment as they told her that Tom Riddle had been You-Know-Who, that Harry had fought a basilisk, and that Lockhart had proven to be a fraud. That last part hadn't surprised her much. She'd never truly believed the ridiculous tales Lockhart spun in his books. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey had shooed the boys away, fussing that Hope needed rest.
When her three days were up, Hope made her way back to the Gryffindor Tower. Climbing through the portrait hole, she jumped slightly in surprise at the flood of Gryffindors rushing to greet her.
"Hope!" Neville exclaimed, his face filled with relief. "We were all so worried when we heard!"
Ginny gave her another hug, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Ginny. Really," Hope reassured her, rubbing her back gently.
The Quidditch team had even made her a welcome-back sign, complete with an enchanted snitch zipping around the letters. Parvati and Lavender practically cried as they embraced her, chattering about how dreadful it had been not knowing if she was alright.
But the greeting that took her most by surprise was George. He had lingered in the back as the others greeted her. Once the crowd thinned, he stepped forward, his expression softer than usual.
"Merlin, Hope," George exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I was bloody worried about you."
Hope felt her cheeks flush, warmth spreading across her face. She offered a small, slightly sheepish smile. "I'm okay."
George shook his head, though amusement tugged at his lips. "Maybe next year, try to avoid the hospital wing at the end of the year, yeah?"
Hope laughed, the sound light and genuine. "I'll do my best."
For a moment, silence settled between them. Then, without warning, George stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. Hope stilled, her arms awkwardly at her sides as her eyes widened in surprise. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against her cheek, the warmth of his embrace sending summersaults through her stomach.
After a second, her arms finally lifted, wrapping around his middle. She didn't miss the way her face burned, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She quite liked the feeling of being in his arms.
"I'm glad you're okay," George murmured, his voice low and sincere.
And just like that, he pulled away. Hope resisted the urge to frown at the sudden lack of contact, her arms falling limply to her sides. George gave her one last smile before retreating to where Fred and Lee were waiting.
She stood frozen, warmth still lingering where his arms had been. Her thoughts raced, her mind trying to make sense of the rapid beating in her chest. She'd felt... odd around George all year. A nervousness that hadn't been there before, a buzz of anticipation whenever he was near. Every grin, every teasing remark seemed to make her heart skip. The realization hit her like a Bludger to the stomach.
She gaped, her mind racing.
I fancy George Weasley.
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The rest of the summer term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal, with only a few, small differences: Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were cancelled 'but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway,' Ron told a disgruntled Hermione and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again.
Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Hope, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny got a compartment to themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster Fireworks, and practised disarming each other by magic. Harry was getting very good at it.
They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.
'Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?' He asked
'Oh, that,' Ginny said, giggling. 'Well – Percy's got a girlfriend.'
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. 'What?'
"Your kidding!" hope said letting out a laugh of disbelief.
'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' Ginny said. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was –you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added anxiously.
'Wouldn't dream of it,' Fred said, who was looking as if his birthday had come early.
'Definitely not,' George said, sniggering.
The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Hope, Ron and Hermione.
'This is called a telephone number,' he told Ron and Hope, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in three and handing it to them. 'I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer, he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys, OK? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to ...'
Hope nodded remembering hermione showing her how a telephone worked last summer.
'Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?' Hermione said, as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging towards the enchanted barrier. 'When they hear what you did this year?'
'Proud?' Harry said. 'Are you mad? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious ...'
And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.
AN:
I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who's read this story! Things will really be amping up in Prisoner of Azkaban, and I promise there will be much more of Hope and George. I'm really excited for what I have in store and can't wait for y'all to read it!
So again, I am so grateful to anyone who's made it this far, and I hope you've enjoyed Hope and this story so far!
XOXO