So here's chapter 2, hope you all enjoy.

A big thanks to rhmac12 who did a great job beta-ing this chapter.

Disclaimer:i dont own any of the HP characters.


Chapter 2: The Train ride

Overcome with joy he hadn't heard the boy tributes' name being called out until it was repeated.

"Ronald Weasley!"

He heard it now, his name being called out in the sing song voice of Fleur Delacor. He was too busy praying and then celebrating Ginny's safety that he had completely forgotten that he was still in danger.

The realization that he was to become district 11's tribute now hit him like a ton of bricks. "No-oh god" wild thoughts raced across his mind at how he could possibly get out of being a tribute, but you couldn't… there was no way. No wait! There was one way- someone could volunteer in his place. He immediately thought of George trying to find him in the crowd. "George please…help me- take my place" He silently begged.

He finally met George's gaze and saw a single tear streaming down his face. Ron begged him again with his eyes "Please… help me George". George must have known what Ron was asking of him for with one small shake of his head he averted his gaze to the ground.
"Noooo George, don't abandon me!" Ron thought desperately as he was dragged onto the stage by two peacemakers.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Fleur asked the crowd cheerfully.

Ron looked again to George for one final time, his hopes fading fast. He was still looking at the ground and made no attempt to raise his hand and take Ron's place.

"Very well then may I give you district 11's tributes: Rosie Bell and Ron Weasley!" Fleur cried out to the occupants of the town centre. The announcement was answered by a stoney silence, and Ron had time to think. If he was being honest with himself he never really expected George to volunteer for him. Brotherly love only went so far when it came to reaping day. He then attempted to pull himself together. He was on his own now, but he had no intention of giving up for he would fight to the end determined to get back from the capital and back to his family.

First things first, he would have to present himself as strong and confident to the cameras in order to impress possible sponsors and the other tributes. So when he was led off stage to be taken to the justice building in order to say his goodbyes to his family before he was taken away, he just smiled and waved to the crowd holding back his own tears that were threating to fall.

-OOOO-

He was now sitting in a plush red room of the justice building waiting for his five minutes of allocated time that he would receive to say his goodbyes.
His mother and Ginny walked in accompanied by two peacekeepers, who told him that his time had begun and that he would have five minutes only.

His mother rushed over to him pulling him into a rib cracking embrace, sobbing heavily and whispering that she was so sorry and yet still no tears fell from his now red eyes.
"It will be ok mum, don't worry." He whispered softly not truly believing his own words.
She told him that she was sorry one final time and said she couldn't take anymore before leaving the room in a renewed series of anguished cries.

Ron turned now to Ginny taking in her tear stained appearance before he himself came undone and uncontrollable sobs racked through his entire body. It was a minute or so before he was able to control his breathing once more and Ginny broke the silence.

"George isn't here… he said that he couldn't face you. Dad, Bill, Charlie, Percy and Fred are already working in the fields so you've just got me to tell you to keep safe and don't die," she managed a forced smile.

He nodded slightly, unable to form any words of comfort, before she spoke once more.

"Ron, promise me one thing before you leave… promise me that you will try and win…for me," she pleaded.

"I'll try my dam best Ginny," he choked.

Tears started to form in Ginny's eyes again as she hugged him tightly, whispering "I love you Ron, and I'll see you again soon ok-ay?"

"I love you too Ginny." He mumbled into her long auburn hair. Before the doors burst open and the two peacemakers returned to tell him that time was up, the train was now leaving and of course he was required to be on it.

-OOOO-

Ron was now seated in one of the plush carriages of the train on his way to the Capital staring out of the window watching the countryside whizz by. He had been completely silent since leaving the justice building, not saying a word to anyone even to his mentor who he had brushed off with albeit a rude flick of his wrist. He had been thinking the whole time at what strategy he should use for when he was inevitably thrown headfirst into the arena. He had promised Ginny that he would try to win, and so he had to start thinking like a Career.
He had made a list of options that he had been forming in his head.

First, in the cornucopia, he would grab a weapon and get some quick kills before making his escape. It was an extremely risky approach but without a weapon he would have no chance- he would need to get his hands on something from the cornucopia or he doubted he would survive the first night.

Second, would be to get away instantly and try and avoid the opening bloodbath. This was a tempting option at first, until he realised that he would probably freeze to death without any supplies.

Third, would be to form an alliance with Rosie, his fellow district partner. While watching several of the previous Hunger Games over the years, he had always thought that District partners should stick together until the very end; however he doubted that an alliance with Rosie would help him out at all. At first he hadn't bothered to even look at her properly when they were on stage together, but now he knew her as the tiny, golden haired twelve year old. She would be more of a burden than an asset and though it pained him to think it- she would have to die as well if he was going to keep good on his promise to Ginny.

Fourth, try and join the Career pack. It was the least appealing of his four options since he had always loathed tributes that weren't from Districts 1, 2 and 4 who joined up with the Careers. But it was a good effective method for a while if you could guarantee that they wouldn't jump you as soon as your back was turned. Nope, he had decided on principle that he would never join the Careers that were practically trained from birth for the tournament. He was not raised that way after all.

Still undecided on what his strategy would be, Ron began to think at how else he could prepare for the arena. A piece of information that his father had once offered him surfaced to the front of his brain- "Always know your opponent Ron". Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? He would watch the repeats of the live reaping's and try to spot the weaknesses and threats that the other tributes possessed. With his mind reeling, Ron settled himself down on the overly padded sofa in his carriage bedroom and turned on the TV concentrating hard.

The tributes from District 1 were called Draco and Lavender. Both of them looked strong, well fed and were very attractive "typical careers" Ron thought.

The District 2 tributes took the form of Cormac and Pansy. Cormac was huge, muscled and grimaced at the camera menacingly. While Pansy looked fierce and Ron thought "A little mentally unhinged".

The District 3 tributes made no impression on him as both were small and weedy. "Easy prey for the careers" he mused.

The District 4 tributes entailed a sly looking boy called Theodore and a girl who went by the name of Millicent. "She looked positivity revolting" Ron thought.

The tributes from 5 and 6 yet again made no real impression on him, they all seemed weak and under nourished. "More easy targets for the opening bloodbath" Ron guessed.

He was beginning to get bored by the time the male tribute of District 7 had popped up on the screen. Ron noticed that he was scrawny with black hair and a pair of broken glasses shoved up the bridge of his nose that was held together by some cello tape. No one but the Careers seems much of a threat, so he expected that he could overpower everyone from Districts 3, 5 and 6 put together.

Ron was reaching for the TV remote to turn it off. What a massive waste of time! He would meet them all in person any way for their training sessions before the games started, he thought.

Ron was just about to flick the off switch when a shiny lock of brown hair caught the corner of his eye; momentarily distracted from what he was doing he looked directly at the screen wondering what had caught his gaze when his jaw fell open in a truly comical fashion.

It was a girl; Ron quickly assumed that she was the District 7 tribute but he wasn't too worried about where she came from, just that he could keep looking at her forever. She was absolutely stunning, not in an obvious way like Lavender, but all the same there was something incredibly enchanting about her appearance. The way her long, brown, wild hair flowed around and highlighted her perfect face in the slight breeze, or how her chocolate brown eyes seemed to pierce into his very soul through the screen just mesmerized him.

He couldn't tear his eyes away as his gaze drifted over her entire body. The way she was standing was slightly stiff and rigid, but Ron put it down to nerves as there was an aura of pure determination etched across her beautiful features. And then she was gone, as the image on the screen changed to the male District 8 tribute and Ron came out of his trance.

He could hardly speak, bar mumbling incoherently to himself, playing the scene over and over in his head. After a few minutes he realised that he hadn't even caught her name. "I bet it's as beautiful as she is," he thought fondly.
Bang! a warning shot fired in his head. "No… he couldn't think about her, he had to win! Remember, she is the enemy and she wouldn't be doing him any favours."

Feeling tired, Ron decided to turn in for the night. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but think that the Careers were no longer his greatest threat after all.