(This is dedicated to Nami, my love, on her birthday. I love ya girl.)
Ron awoke in a cold sweat. He blinked a few times. It was only a dream.
He instinctively reached for the body next to him but found only empty sheets. He patted the vacant space in confusion and rolled over to see. The sheets had been thrown back carelessly and the pile of clothes that had been on the floor next to Ron's was gone. Everything was still and quiet. Not a trace of George.
Ron swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The floor was unexpectedly cool his bare feet. He went into the little apartment's lavatory to shower.
The warm water was refreshing and helped to wake him up. He dried off and dressed in silence. His clothes were a little wrinkled, but he would probably have time to change after he found George. He draped his tie around his neck and slipped into his shoes.
Ron left the room without a backward glance. The door swung shut behind him and he found himself in a seventh floor corridor facing a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and some trolls dancing ballet. It was… too quiet. He didn't like it. The quiet seemed ominous. Foreboding. Like the calm before a storm. Something wasn't right. He tried to shake the feeling and set off in search of George, but the sound of his footsteps echoing down the empty hallway was almost more intimidating than the chilling silence.
He froze, suddenly aware of muffled voices coming through the wall from where the Room of Requirement ought to be. He couldn't make out what they were saying, although they did seem to be getting closer. Curious, he hid in the secret passage behind the tapestry and watched through a thin patch. It wasn't the best view, but it would do.
He wondered who could be in the Room of Requirement this time of day. Breakfast didn't start for another half hour and he could think of no reason even to be outside the common rooms at this hour except… Realization. It must be some other couple that had spent the night there, like him and George.
Even with this in mind, Ron couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. Probably because he didn't know where George was. Or maybe he was just hungry. That was always a possibility with Ron. His stomach grumbled audibly in agreement. He relaxed and dismissed the worried thoughts.
A door appeared in the wall some distance down the hallway in the direction he had come from. The door swung open and a witch dressed in long black robes stepped out. Her back was to Ron and his mind reeled in confusion as he tried to think who she could be. She motioned to someone still inside the room and stepped aside to let him out.
The sight of the long blonde hair framing the unpleasant, sneering face sickened Ron even from this distance. He wondered briefly how Lucius Malfoy had managed to escape Azkaban, but there were more pressing issues at hand. For one thing, how had he gotten inside the castle? And who was the witch with him? Ron gasped involuntarily as the realization hit him. It was her.
Sure enough, when she turned her head, Ron recognized the all-too-familiar face with its usual twisted grin. Pieces of stringy black hair hung loosely about her face and her wild eyes scanned the hallway.
Ron fought the urge to take out his wand and finish her right then and there. He couldn't do that. It was an unforgivable curse! If he killed her, he would be just as bad as she was. And besides, Malfoy's father was still there. Ron would be giving away his position by attacking. He wasn't even sure he had it in him to kill another human being, no matter how little she resembled a true human. He decided to watch quietly.
The two were conversing about Ron knew not what. He could hear nothing of what they said but continued to watch intently. How had they gotten in? And through the Room of Requirement of all places! Perhaps there was something in what Harry had been saying all year about Malfoy being a Death Eater…
Of course, Ron thought bitterly, that was before they started snogging in the astronomy tower. Why didn't he tell me? I didn't even know he was gay! Ron fumed, still upset that Harry hadn't trusted him enough to tell him about Malfoy. Then again… I haven't told him about George… but that's different! I mean no one can know about that, not even my best mate. But I should tell him I'm gay, too. Him and… Ron gulped. Hermione.
Distracted by thoughts of George and annoyance at Harry, Ron almost didn't notice when another cloaked figure stepped into the hallway, followed by yet another. Death Eater after Death Eater filed out of the room one by one. The sight of all these somber, hooded witches and wizards walking so seriously in a single file line through the small doorway would have been almost comical had Ron not known the significance of what he was witnessing.
He waited tensely for the Death Eaters to leave, holding his breath as they approached his hiding place. The witch in front stopped abruptly, holding up her hand to signal the others to stop as well. Lucius Malfoy halted just inches from Ron, who put a hand to his mouth to quiet his breathing. "You hear something?" said Bellatrix Lestrange.
Ron's heart pounded. He was caught. Any second now, the tapestry would be pulled back to reveal the secret passage. There was nowhere else to run. Even if he made it to the other end, what was the use? He pulled out his wand and slowly backed a few steps down the passageway. In any case, he wasn't going down without a fight.
But nothing happened. He listened for some hint of what they were going to do. But wait! What was that? There was a sound. It was still faint and unidentifiable but coming nearer. What in Merlin's name…? It didn't sound like a student. Well maybe a first year crying? It as a sort of… mewling sound. The Death Eaters realized what it was at the same time as Ron. It was a cat.
The cat must have come into view because Bellatrix hissed angrily. "It's that filthy squib's pet!" Ron could tell she was glaring but was unable to see what she was glaring at. He crept back toward them and watched through the thin section of the tapestry. "You coming to get me?" she snarled. The cat meowed again. "Avada kedavra!" she said, pointing her wand at what must have been the cat.
Ron stifled a cry as green sparks shot past just inches in front of his face. He had never seen this spell before. Well… except in Defense Against the Dark Arts two years ago. But this was different. Killing a spider was one thing. Spiders deserved to die, and Ron had been glad to see it go. But killing a cat was something else entirely. He remembered how upset Filch had been when Mrs. Norris got petrifies second year and wondered how the caretaker would react now.
Bellatrix Lestrange turned back around and continued down the hall, making no attempt to be quiet. The Death Eaters swarmed after her, destroying everything in their path as she egged them on with maddened shouts.
Ron waited until the noises rounded the corner before stepping cautiously out from behind the tapestry, nearly tripping over Mrs. Norris in the process. He knew that this was no laughing matter, but something about seeing her there, mouth hanging open and legs sticking out at odd angles, tugged at the corners of his lips and he smiled grimly. He had always hated that bloody cat.
