Chapter 3: Ron's Warning
Ron looked at Hermione with a very concerned and loving expression. He glanced over at Harry who was staring at him with a face begging him to explain his distress.
"Ron, what's wrong?" Harry repeated.
Ron began, "Well, down at breakfast I noticed that Malfoy ate really fast. I'm talking total scarfage here!"
Harry and Hermione laughed; yet it was cut short when they noticed Ron's serious expression.
"Then I heard him tell Crabbe and Goyle to hurry up so that they could practice their plan," He paused before continuing, "I swear to you they dumped the rest of their plates in their mouths and swallowed without chewing!"
Hermione let out a small grunt of disgust. Harry laughed even harder. Ron was unsure whether they believed his story, so he continued on with his report.
"Then Malfoy got up and started running out of the Great Hall. Seconds later Crabbe and Goyle rolled out after him. Crabbe was still shoveling food in his mouth as he left."
Ron paused long enough for Harry to stop laughing; once Harry saw Ron's face, he held back the rest of his giggles to let the frustrated Ron go on.
"So I got up and followed them," Ron finished.
"Ron! You said you were going to the bathroom!" Hermione exclaimed sounding offended.
"Erm-well, I remembered how you reacted last year when Harry said he thought Draco was up to something and I didn't want to get a long lecture from you about it."
"Oh, for Pete's sake Ron, you're turning into Harry! Am I dating you or him?"
"Oi, don't be acting like that I'm only trying to protect you! Speaking of protection, from now on Hermione I don't want you going anywhere with out me or Harry at your side at all times."
"Okay, why?"
"Umm, well I followed Malfoy up the staircase. As I got closer I saw that they were about to go into the Room of Requirement. I knew from last year that he had repaired that cabinet that let the Death Eaters in," he paused, "Then Malfoy saw me hovering close by and made Crabbe and Goyle go down another corridor."
"Then what happened? I don't see why this requires me being protected." Hermione said in an irritated tone.
"Well, Malfoy proceeded to tell them that they had to go to the library and research Death Eaters and stuff. Then he said that after they figured out how to act and do what they did they were going to kill all Mudbloods," He took a deep breath and looked at Hermione, "He said they would start with you, Hermione."
Hermione paused with a confused look upon her face. Searching for an answer, like always, she proceeded with, "Ron, I know, we all know what happened last year-but, according to Harry, who said he saw two people run up to the tower, assuming one of them was Malfoy, we know that he couldn't even kill Dumbledore, so how do you expect him to try to kill me?"
Ron stared at Hermione and shook his head at her in disbelief. "How could she be on Malfoy's side? I am her bloody boyfriend; none of us even like that ferret, Malfoy." Ron was confused at Hermione's explanation, why wouldn't she just agree to be at Ron and Harry's side at all times.
"Well, I believe you Ron. Malfoy is pretty keen to doing bad things, we have to be on the look out and we have to get more details about this plan," Harry stated.
"Yeah!" Ron's confounded face struck excitement when he heard Harry's remark in belief. It was good to know that someone was on his side. They all sat in silence, Hermione more in an anxious mood to end their conversation, for she found the whole lot of it ridiculous. She stared at the two boys both whom were playing with a piece of clothing while they sat thinking.
"Why can't they just end this, Malfoy could never do anything to me, not after what he said to me while we were on the carriage." Breaking Hermione from her thoughts, Harry made a move, as if he had just discovered how to resurrect Dumbledore from the grave.
"Wait! Ron, you said that Malfoy was near the Room of Requirement right?" Harry inquired with an inquisitive expression.
"Err, yeah?"
"Well, you said they went down a different corridor when they saw you."
"Yeah, what's your point, mate?" Ron's face was even more confused at all the questions Harry was asking him. He had no idea what Harry was thinking. Harry had a rock-solid face on while he was sitting in the chair; the same face he had when they were talking about Draco fixing the cabinet. Just when Ron was about to ask another question, seconds later, Harry's voice jolted Ron in shock.
"Malfoy was trying to trick you, to make you believe something different and not their real plan!" Harry's face was lit up; he looked as if he had just solved a great mystery. Ron was putting the puzzle pieces of memories in whole as he added Harry's assumption.
"Yeah, bet that's what the old git was up to!"
Fed up with their trivial games, and realizing the time, Hermione decided to end the boys from their conversation.
"Okay guys! We have to go! We're going to be late for Defense Against the Darks Arts. Professor Lupin won't be happy if we are late for our first lesson!" Hermione warned.
The trio gathered their books and headed for Professor Lupin's class. On their way, Ron and Harry still couldn't help but talk of what they both just discovered. Hermione refused to be part of their conversation; she kept a few steps ahead of them. Once they arrived they sat up at the front of the room. Hermione could hear the boys still chattering, so she glared at the boys, once they saw it, their lips were sealed as if she had put a silencing charm on them.
As they sat down Professor Lupin came into the room. He started reciting his first day of classes' speech. Ron was looking at Hermione in a daze. She was looking directly at Professor Lupin, with her ears open and at the ready, just like her usual self in all classes. As he stared at her he was hoping that nothing will happen to her, to himself he was muttering, "I wish she'd believe me and help us figure out what's going on."
Hermione hearing Ron's muttering looked at him and whispered, "If your thinking about snogging, forget about it, we're in class Ron. Have some respect for Professor Lupin."
Shocked Ron stared at her for a brief moment. He couldn't understand where all of her hostile energy was coming from; he began to wonder if something happened between Malfoy and her during their meeting. "Nah couldn't be," he thought, as he moved his gaze toward Harry who was motioning at the back of the room. Ron slowly looked and noticed that Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were sitting at the very back whispering incoherently. Ron again darted his attention to Harry and said, "See their plotting something! I just know it!"
"Yeah, they've got to be!" Harry exclaimed as they turned to look at Draco again.
Draco looked up at Ron seeing him staring at him. He knew they were listening in on him, "Nosey little twits, always in my business." Then to get them off his back, he shouted, "Shouldn't you be snogging with Granger or do you wish to move on to me now?"
"Ugh, you stupid git," Yelled Ron.
Professor Lupin, hearing the remarks looked over at Harry and Ron and says, "Boys, pay attention, please! We have a lot to cover; you can either talk with me in detention or let me move on with your mouths shut." He glared at the two Gryffindors with a stern look and waited for them to settle. Harry and Ron both realized they were with 'Professor' Lupin, and not their friend, outside of Hogwarts; they shut their mouths at his remark.
Professor Lupin went on to discuss the first lesson.
After class, Harry turned to Ron and suggested, "Maybe we should run this by Professor Lupin and see what he thinks about it!" Harry just nodded, still in a ponderous thought of what Draco and his minions could be up to.
Hermione edged towards the door. Ron, seeing her rush away with great celerity, grabbed her arm and said, "Hermione! Please stay!" with a loving yet demanding face.
"Ugh, really Ronald, come off it already!"
Hermione brushed Ron off her arm stood there waiting for him to respond, but he scoffed at what she had to say at his attempt to protector and rushed over to Lupin with Harry. They told Lupin what Ron had over heard Draco saying to Crabbe and Goyle. Lupin rubbed his chin and said, "I appreciate your concern but I really don't think Draco would try attacking someone again especially after last years events."
Annoyed, Harry and Ron turned to leave. Hermione glanced at Lupin and said, "Bye!" Then she quickly hurried after Ron and Harry. As she slipped her hand into Ron's she stated, "There you see. Even Professor Lupin doesn't think anything's up." Ron pretended he didn't hear a word Hermione said and rolled his eyes at Harry, who had a grin on his face.
They headed down to the Great Hall for lunch taking notice of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle's absences at the Slytherin table. Ron and Harry, acting like Crabbe and Goyle, scarfed down their food and got up and started to run off to the Room of Requirement. Hermione grabbed Ron's hand to stop them and tells them, "You two are acting crazy! Just let it go, okay?"
Ron shook her off and hurried after Harry who was already half way up the staircase. Seeing she was defeated Hermione started after them.
As they were getting closer to the Room of Requirement, Hermione, finally having caught up to them grabbed Ron's shoulder and softly asked, "Will you guys stop!"
Annoyed at her for not letting him attempt to try and protect her, Ron then yelled, "Hermione, Please! This is for your own safety, if anything was to happen to you again, like when you were petrified, I don't know what I'd do."
Hermione paused smiling at Ron, then spoke in a loving tone, "That's really sweet Ron, thank you. But I wasn't trying to stop you. I was going to say, before you guys enter the Room of Requirement, shouldn't you investigate more into Draco actual intentions, I mean, for all you know Ron, you could of heard wrong."
Ron looked lovingly into Hermione's eyes and coaxed, "I understand what you are saying but we can not just ignore it and not take action because what if I did hear him correctly?"
"Ron, there's no changing your mind, is there." Hermione laughed.
"Nope," then after a brief pause, "Now, let's get up to the Room of Requirement and see what is going on in there before Draco takes action."
"Alright, let's go then," Hermione replied reluctantly. They all scampered off to head for their destination.
Draco, who was standing nearby listening smirked. He quickly ran off to where Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him and said, "Into the Room of Requirement! Their coming! Remember everything we discussed, leave Granger to me!"
Goyle and Crabbe nodded in acknowledgement and took off to where they were ordered. After he saw his friends take off, Draco rushed off and hid near the entrance to the Room of Requirement and eagerly waited for his time to appear.
The Trio, still outside of the entrance of the Room of Requirements, left Hermione growing impatient at the boys; the door wasn't opening with Harry thinking and thinking of a way for it to open. He paced the hallway trying to get the room to appear. "Do what you did for Draco Malfoy" Harry thought at the wall. Still nothing happened. They were all annoyed now; there was nothing they could to find out what Draco was up to.
Draco laughed at Harry as he paced the hallway. He thought, "Do I really look that stupid when I try to get the door to appear?"
As Harry was working on getting the door to open, Ron and Hermione were talking.
"Hermione, whatever happens in there, I just want you to know that I really do like you. I've always liked you, ever since the day we all were playing the life-sized Wizards Chess, when Harry had to save that stone." Ron finished and gazed from his shoes to Hermione's eyes with a shy grin.
Hermione hugged Ron and said, "That's sweet Ron, and I like you too. But I really don't think you have to worry much." she paused as she let go of Ron and went on, "I don't think anything horrible is going to happen."
Ron leaned in to kiss Hermione, and at that moment Harry exclaimed, "Yes! I got it to open!" Ron and Hermione look at Harry startled and notice the wall changing into a door that slides open. The room looked just like it did when Harry opened it last year. Harry slowly walked into the room with caution. Ron and Hermione lovingly glanced at each other then Ron pressed on to the room as Hermione followed.
Draco was steamed with anger after seeing Ron almost kiss Hermione. He hoped his plan would turn out the way he wanted. He prayed that Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't mess this up for him.
"Wait until I get my hands on her, she'll never forget who saved her from what she thinks will be her death! She'll have to fall for me and forget all about the twit, Weasel!"
They all walk slowly walk into the room the door slammed shut behind them. Draco waited in a damp sweat, it was now or never; it was his final moment.