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CHAPTER FORTY TWO. DISCOVERIES

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When Evangeline awoke the next morning, it was because Hermione was roughly shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and squinted up at her friend. "What?" She grumbled, pulling her blanket over her head.

Hermione yanked it off. "Get up, take a shower, and get dressed," she commanded.

Evangeline groaned and looked at her again. "Why?" She mumbled.

Hermione bit her lip and looked away. It was then that Evangeline saw the worry in her eyes. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" She asked.

Hermione nodded, "It's Ron. He's in the hospital wing." Evangeline froze, allowing Hermione's words to sink in. Ron. In the hospital wing. She looked up at Hermione again and sat up in her bed.

"Ronald's in the hospital wing?" She questioned for clarification. Hermione nodded again. "What happened?" Evangeline asked next.

"He was poisoned. I don't know all of the details. Come on, we have to go see him," Hermione answered before grabbing Evangeline's arms and pulling her out of bed. Evangeline went to her closet and grabbed her uniform before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

She tried to pretend like she didn't care. Like the fact that Ron was in the hospital wing didn't bother her. But it did bother her and she did care. She still cared and something told her that she would always care.

Her worry caused her shower to be a quick one. She had to see him. She needed to know that he was okay. Once Evangeline had gotten ready, the two girls had made their way to the hospital wing in the castle. Whilst Hermione walked straight in once they got there, Evangeline froze by the door. She could see him from where she stood. For some reason, the sight of him laid up like that made her want to cry.

Maybe this was how he felt last year when she had almost died. She quickly decided that she hated the feeling.

Evangeline slowly walked into the room. Harry took one look at her and rushed over to where she was. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "He's okay. He's gonna be okay," he assured. He could see it in her eyes. The sadness. The worry. He just wanted her to know that Ron was okay. He knew that she still cared, despite what she said.

Evangeline nodded her head and pulled away. Ginny was sat in a chair beside his bed. Cleo and Hermione stood by his bedside. Evangeline walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the bed. She looked down at his unconscious form. He looked so young. So innocent. She wanted to reach over and brush a strand of hair out of his face but didn't. Madam Pomfrey came over and checked his pulse whilst also checking to make sure that he didn't have a fever.

Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Slughorn and Snape came into the hospital wing shortly after. They began discussing what had happened. Evangeline was barely paying attention to them. Her focus solely on the boy lying in the hospital bed. She wished that she didn't care so much, but she couldn't help it. They had been through so much together.

Vivian came into the hospital wing too. Her eyes looked between Ron and Evangeline as she made her way over to the group. She began quietly talking to Harry before his attention was pulled. "Quick thinking on your part, Harry, using a bezoar. You should be very proud of your student, Horace," Professor Dumbledore said.

Professor Slughorn looked troubled as he answered. "Ah yes. Very proud," he replied distantly.

"I think we agree Potter's actions were heroic.
The question is: Why were they necessary?" Professor McGonagall said.

"I, indeed," Dumbledore said before walking over to where Slughorn was standing. Professor Slughorn was holding a bottle in his hands. Dumbledore took it from his outstretched hands.

"This appears to be a gift, Horace. You don't remember who gave you this bottle? By the way, it possesses remarkably subtle hints of liquorice and cherry. When not polluted
with poison," he said.

He then handed the bottle to Professor Snape who smelled the liquid inside the bottle. "Actually, I had intended to give it as a gift, myself," Slughorn said.

"To whom, might I ask?" Dumbledore questioned.

"To you, headmaster," Slughorn sheepishly answered. Evangeline looked over at the adults. So, someone was again trying to kill Professor Dumbledore?

She looked down at Ron again who shifted slightly. Her attention was pulled to the door when someone ran in.

"Where is he? Where's my Won-Won?" Lavender asked as she ran into the room. Evangeline immediately rolled her eyes. "Has he been asking for me?" She asked next. She looked like a crazy fool. Her eyes shifted to Evangeline who was growing annoyed by her voice.

"What's she doing here?" The blonde asked.

"I might ask you the same question. I don't think anyone wants you here," Evangeline said, standing up.

Lavender angrily walked closer to the bed. "I happen to be his girlfriend," she said.

"I happen to be his—" Evangeline cut herself off, thinking for the right words to use. "I care about him," she finally said.

Lavender scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. You haven't spoken in weeks. He broke up with you. And now you care about him all of a sudden?" Lavender replied.

"Am I supposed to continue speaking to someone after we break up? Besides, he's been poisoned you stupid wench, of course I'm going to be here," Evangeline retorted. The two girls had a stare down.

Ron shifted in his bed again, this time mumbling something. Evangeline looked down at him.

"See? He senses my presence," Lavender said, leaning down closer to him from the end of the bed. Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Won-Won. I'm here. I'm here," she continued.

Ron breathed deeply and continued to mumble. Evangeline moved a little closer, thinking he was trying to say something.

"E-van..." he whispered. She squinted her eyes as he repeated the words, growing a little louder each time. "E-van-gel-ine," he muttered. This time, she understood him. Everyone did. Evangeline's breath hitched in her throat as he repeated her name. "Evangeline," he breathed.

All eyes moved between Evangeline, Lavender, and Ron. Evangeline was staring down at the redhead whilst Lavender pulled away and stood up straight. The room was absolutely silent.

That is, until Lavender broke it. "Are you kidding me? After all of this, after everything I did, it's still always you," she practically shouted.

Evangeline looked up and narrowed her eyes at her. "What are you talking about?" She questioned, her tone accusing.

Lavender laughed humorlessly, "Oh come on, Evangeline. You can't really be that dense. As if Ron all of a sudden wanted me instead of you."

"What did you do?" She asked the blonde, her tone threatening.

"What do you think? I used a love potion on him. So that he could love me and not you," Lavender answered smugly. Evangeline's blood began to boil.

"I knew it!" Harry shouted at the same time Hermione asked, "Why would you do that?" Lavender's head turned to Hermione.

"Because, he was so invested in her and she didn't deserve him. He didn't realize that he was too good for her and he never would've if I hadn't have interfered," she answered.

Evangeline was practically seething by now. All the pain that she had felt. All the tears that she had cried. Her feeling as though she wasn't enough. It was all because of Lavender. All because she wanted wanted to steal him for herself. "You sad, pathetic little troll. You were that desperate to have someone that didn't want you that you ruined our relationship and put me through the thought that my boyfriend was leaving me for someone else. Do you realize what you put me through? Do you even care?" She exclaimed.

Lavender's face fell. "Well, I, I..." she trailed off, her eyes darting around the room.

"Miss Brown, it would be wise for you to return to your house and think about what you've done," Professor Dumbledore suggested. Lavender looked around at everyone before quickly scurrying out of the room.

Evangeline carefully sat down on the bed next to Ron. She took his hand in both of hers and held it tightly, smiling to herself. All thoughts of Lavender now gone as she stared down at Ron.

"Sir, you're not going to expel her?" Hermione questioned incredulously. After what Lavender had done to both Ron and Evangeline, the Granger girl wanted nothing more than to see the girl face repercussions.

"Expel her? Oh no. Love, or in this case lust, makes people do stupid things. Miss Brown will face the appropriate repercussions for her actions but I don't believe expulsion is necessary," he answered.  He then looked around the room. His eyes landed on the pair on the bed and he smiled slightly. "Well, come over, everybody. Mr. Weasley's well attended," Dumbledore said.

The professors were the first to leave. Vivian, Cleo, and Ginny were smiling at Evangeline and Ron. All was well again and they were happy. The three left the room next, Ginny muttering something to Harry on her way out. Hermione touched Evangeline's shoulder and smiled before leaving. Harry was the last to go. Evangeline looked over at him and he smirked. "Maybe you should've read my letter," he said.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up." Harry's smirk softened to a smile. He raised his eyebrows before turning around and leaving. Evangeline looked down at Ron and smiled again. Knowing that what happened had nothing to do with her, lifted a weight off of her chest. He hadn't broken up with her because he wanted to or because he no longer had feelings for her. And he hadn't left her because he wanted to be with someone else.

She was happy and she felt better. Evangeline lifted his hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. She lowered their hands again before giving his another squeeze. After the boy woke up, they'd have a lot to talk about.

••••

Evangeline had managed to fall asleep in the hospital wing. She moved around in the chair uncomfortably. Opening her eyes, Evangeline looked around the room. Her eyes moved down to look at Ron. He was awake now and staring up at her. Her eyes widened slightly. Ron smiled.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know. A while," he replied.

"Have you been watching me this whole time?" She asked him. His immediate blush answered her question. "That's not creepy at all," she said. His blush deepened and she smiled at him.

The two were quiet for a long moment. They just looked at one another. Ron sighed before looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry. Angel, I'm so sorry," he apologized. Evangeline was shaking her head.

"Don't. Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault," she said and he sighed again.

"I remember. I remember everything that I said to you. I remember seeing you so sad when I... I never wanted to hurt you," he admitted.

"Ronald, it wasn't your fault," she said. She took his hand again and squeezed it. He looked down at their hands.

"The potion wore off during break. Twice. After the first time, Lavender sent some sweets. I didn't think that they were laced with the love potion. When I got back to school, she tricked me into consuming some more. I wrote to you, during break, explaining everything. But, you never wrote back," he said. He looked up at her sadly.

Evangeline furrowed her eyebrows. "I never got any letters from you," she said.

"What? How's that possible? Errol came back empty handed. They had to have gotten to you," he said. She shook her head. His face scrunched up in confusion. She thought back to when she was home. The only letter she had gotten was the one from Harry. But maybe another one had come.

"Maybe Vivian got them and threw them away. She was pretty angry about what you did," she suggested. "And to be completely honest with you, I'm not sure I would've read the letter if I had gotten it."

Ron looked down again and Evangeline sighed. She placed two fingers underneath his chin and pushed it up so that he was looking at her. "Stop that, Ronald. What happened was not your fault, okay? Get that through your head. Love potions, they're strong and whoever consumes them has no control over their actions. You didn't know," she said.

"I never should've eaten those cupcakes after the match," he muttered shaking his head.

Evangeline smiled, "You can never resist food, can you?"

Ron chuckled, "I guess not." It became quiet again. "So, what now?" Ron asked.

Evangeline breathed in and out. "I don't know," she replied. He squeezed her hand.

"We'll figure it out, yeah?" He said.

She nodded, "Yeah." She pressed a kiss to hand again before standing.

"I should go. And you should get some sleep," she said. He bit his lip and nodded. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "See you later," she said. She turned to the door and left the hospital wing.

••••

Did any of you guess that a love potion was the reason for why Ron was behaving the way he was? I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. Four more chapters left until this book is finally completed! Please vote! Also, DO NOT COMMENT FOR ME TO UPDATE! If you do, even as a joke, I will block you.