Chapter Four

January made its appearance, and with it came a detestable chilly wind, the kind of wind that no human being should be out in. Ron and Harry, however, were standing in front of the barrier at King's Cross that led onto Platform Nine and three quarters. Harry ran through first, and Ron second, pulling his scarf more tightly around his throat than he cared to express, nearly choking him, but, grudgingly he thought, keeping him warm. On the other side of the magical barrier, the Hogwarts express was sitting in a cloud of its own steam, melting the snow around it and warming up the platform entirely. The Platform itself was teeming with people and the background noise of chattering was ceaselessly sounding in Ron's ears. It was time for more school.

By blame of the various other things that had been going on in Ron's life, he hadn't really been thinking or worrying about school, something he didn't really do anyways. But coming back on the train, watching as the snowy, cold landscape twisted past his window, he now felt a certain sort of sickness in his stomach, caused only by a lingering anxiousness about returning to the Castle. What would he do when he returned? How would things change between him and Lieca? She being the only thing he ever thought about constantly, it was difficult for him to comprehend the fact that all his imaginings of them together were now being thwarted by the one and only Malfoy, the boy who had henceforth made his and Harry's lives a living hell since the moment they first encountered the blonde menace. Only someone as pure and amazing as Lieca could have seen the good in such a demon.

And Ron knew what he would experience when he would walk through the front doors and into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and experienced it accordingly when he did so. Running to greet him, out of the arms of his enemy and into his own, was the small, gorgeous frame of Lieca. Her cheeks were pink with cold, and she still had little flecks of snow in her auburn hair. She looked up at him happily when they parted (Though Ron let her go with a certain amount of reluctance) and beamed at him.

"Did you have a happy Christmas?" She asked him in her usual cheerful voice.

Ron looked past her at the tall form of Malfoy, standing with his arms folded and looking the other way. Beside him, as usual, stood Crabbe and Goyle, staring thickly at Ron, Harry and Lieca.

"Yeah..." Ron replied distantly. "Yeah I guess so... thanks for the gift!"

Lieca smiled even more broadly. "Ah, you liked it did you?" She said. "Well I'm so glad. Well bye, Ron!" She concluded, waving and walking around to Malfoy. The two of them linked hands and walked into the Great Hall, Crabbe and Goyle hesitating, then following them.

Harry stared.

"Ron... I... she... Malfoy..."

Ron looked around dully at his friend and then nodded. "Yup."

Harry gaped from Ron to the door to the Great Hall where Lieca had disappeared, and back again. Ron was already walking away towards the Gryffindor tower. He quickened his pace to keep him with him.

"Hey... you have to talk to her," Harry said seriously as they began to climb the staircase. "You have to like... warn her, mate. She could be... She could be in grave danger! Which, in hindsight, wouldn't be so bad for our Quidditch team... I mean... no! This is Malfoy, right? Who knows what that evil little... thing could do to her?"

Ron's eyes were hidden in his knot of red hair. "Just... just leave it, Harry. It's not my place."

Harry stopped walking, looking absolutely stunned. Ron stopped too, and looked around at him impatiently.

"You're stupid!" Harry shouted.

"Wow, thanks," Ron replied, beginning to turn around and continue walking.

"You can't just let her go like that, Ron," Harry said, throwing a hand toward the Entrance Hall. "You've been practically obsessed with this girl for so long now, and hell, if I let you walk away from this now, what kind of friend would I be? Not a very good one, that's for sure. And what kind of friend would let someone date a complete arsehole like Malfoy? Hopefully not you! That doesn't sound like the Ron I've known for all these years! Now you will go down and fix this--NOW!"

Ron stood shocked as though a tidal wave had washed over him. He stared at Harry for a good long while, then said, "Oh man mum, why're you dressed like Harry?"

Harry scoffed and pushed Ron by the shoulders up the stairs. "Okay, we'll make a battle plan. We have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs right?"

"Err... yeah..."

"Right! So let's attack during that class, while we're pruning leaves or something, I can use that spell to make sure no one hears our planning, and then, we'll move in for the kill!"

"Harry!" Ron spurted, as the stopped in front of the Portrait of the Fat Lady concealing the Gryffindor common room. "This isn't World War Two!"

"I... right."

The snow was still knee deep as Ron and Harry trudged through the garden to the greenhouses. When they arrived, most of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were already there waiting. Ron made to sit at the end near the open door, but Harry shoved him forwards past the rows of potted plants and near the front where the squat form of professor Sprout stood bustling over her class notes. Harry pushed Ron into the seat at the front, so that they were on either side of Lieca.

"Hey," Harry said casually.

"Good morning!" Lieca replied cheerfully. "Good morning, Ron," She added with a grin in his direction.

"I … eh yeah … good morning …"

"All right, hush up, hush up!" Called Professor Sprout as Neville and the last few students entered the greenhouse and shut the door behind them. "Class, today, we are going to be working with Fatigue plants. These little guys are asleep right now, so, naturally, I should expect you to be very, very quiet when you pull them from their pots. I will not accept anything above a whisper, though," She chuckled warningly, "You shouldn't have any reason to talk at all now, should you? No."

"Professor?" asked Neville, raising his hand into the air timidly. "Err … what'll happen if we wake them up?"

"If the Fatigue Plants are woken, they will begin to sing. Now, this song can knock you out for a few hours, so we don't want that to happen. The leaves of the Fatigue plant are often used in various sleeping draughts and potions that some older witches and wizards take to help them get to sleep. But it must only be taken in small doses, otherwise the witch or wizard will fall asleep for too long. It has been known to keep a person out for weeks. Now then! Get to work please! Go!"

The greenhouse fell silent as the students cautiously pulled the plants from their pots and went to work pruning the leaves.

"Muffliato," Harry murmured, flicking his wand. This spell would make sure no one around them could overhear their conversation. Ron's face flooded with red as soon as he heard Harry say the charm. He was going in for the kill.

"So, Lieca," Harry said. It was obvious he was trying to sound as casual as he could. "You're dating Malfoy are you?"

"Draco Malfoy, yes," Lieca replied, a touch of annoyance in her voice. "Why?"

Harry stared pointedly at Ron and said nothing.

"WHAT?!" Ron yelped. Lieca raised an eyebrow at him and Harry pulled his collar anxiously behind her back. "Err … I mean …" Ron cleared his throat and began again, "… Mal—Draco Malfoy … is … ahh …" He trailed off uncertainly.

"I'm sorry?" Said Lieca, looking confused.

"Draco Malfoy is a jerk. A prat. A stain of life. A sick, demented idiot. A twisted liar. An ugly git. A monster at his best. A complete and utter retard." Harry said shortly, pruning his leaves without a care as Lieca became steadily angrier and angrier.

"What?!" She cried. "Are you serious?" She rounded on Ron. "You think this too, don't you? How could you?! I thought you were my friend! I thought you would be happy for me!"

"Yeah, well, he isn't!" Harry snapped back.

"Well I should think," Lieca cried, tears in her eyes, "That, considering it is MY life, I should be allowed to choose whomever I like!" She was still yelling at Ron, even though he hadn't said a thing.

"Umm… guys… I think we should be quiet …" Ron mumbled, unheard by either of them.

"Well maybe Ron had your best interests at heart, did you ever think of that?!" Harry yelled, throwing down his leaves in disgust. "Maybe he thinks you deserve someone better… someone like Ron!"

"Guys… the… the plants…"

"And since when do you have control over my life, Ronald?!" She shouted, tears now streaming down her face.

"Oh yeah? Well--"

"SHUT UP!" Ron yelled, and both of them fell silent.

There was a quiet rustling behind them, and the three of them turned around slowly to see the Fatigue plants waking slowly, yawning. One began to sing, and it was like a domino effect: one sang, and then another, then another, until the entire greenhouse erupted into song.

Lieca burst into tears and began to stalk from the room, but fell down before she could get to the door, fast asleep. Within moments, the entire class, including Professor Sprout, had fallen on their faces, asleep.

It turned out to be a difficult few days for Ron as the weeks progressed, seeing as how every sight of Lieca was accompanied by a glare or an unhappy shoulder bump. He was caught in a war he didn't even start with the woman he loved, and it hurt more than he could bear sometimes.

He knew he had to make things right. When he tried to confide in his best mate, Harry merely grunted and said, "We told her, didn't we? Humph."

Apparently, he was living Ron's side of the war for him.

To make matters worse, Quidditch practices were still going, and taking everything out of Ron. The winter was relentless and cold. February brought even more snow with it and even icier winds. The students were warned not to spend too much time outside the walls of Hogwarts, and were equipped with extra scarves and gloves and heavy winter cloaks with fur around the hoods. Despite all of this, Ron was still freezing as Harry led them around the pitch on their broomsticks. The wind attacked any part of his body that was uncovered, stabbing at him like a hundred icy knives.

"Up, up!" Harry called, blowing his whistle. "Come on guys, get higher!"

"Harry!" Ginny called down angrily. "Have you been up here lately?! Any higher, and we'll be coming down as icicles!"

"Wha—really?" said Harry. "Well, okay, come back inside, guys. You've flown brilliantly."

Ron followed the others to the ground, and made to follow them into the warm changing rooms, but Harry pulled him by the hood and looked at him seriously.

"Listen Ron. Whatever's on your mind, Lieca, whatever. Get it out of your mind, okay? That's what ruins our chances of having the best Gryffindor keeper I know you can be."

Ron turned his brown eyes to Harry's green ones. "Yeah…" he murmured.

"Seriously," Harry confirmed, jerking his friend by the collar.

Ron nodded.

Harry searched his eyes for a moment. Then let him go. "Okay." He walked around back towards the changing rooms. Ron turned to follow him, when his eyes caught something watching them from a little ways away. A little speck of pink in the white nothingness.

"Who's that?" He called.

The person started, and then turned to run away, and fell to the floor. "Ouch!" Cried a female voice.
Ron ran towards the girl and stooped to help her up. She was heavily wrapped in clothing and he couldn't make out what house she was from let alone who she was. As she grabbed his hand, she pulled herself up and two large round green eyes and a pink nose stared up at him, looking somewhat apologetic.

"I… hi…" she mumbled, casting her gaze downward and looking defeated.

"Lieca?" He said. "Is that you?"

She nodded beneath her hood and scarves.

Ron wrapped his arms around her quickly. He wasn't sure why he actually did it, but he did, and she in turn flooded into him.

"I missed being your friend, Ronald," She said, and he could hear in her voice that she was crying. "I don't know why, but it feels wrong when I'm not with you."

Ron pulled her head away from him by her chin. "Lieca…" He said quietly. Their eyes bore into one another's for a solid moment. "It's cold out here," He said finally, letting go of here and looking away. "You should be up at the castle. You're parents will be sad if you are sick." He said this, all the while knowing that neither of them were cold, and that if they'd only hold each other a little longer, maybe, just maybe… they wouldn't ever be cold again…

"I… wonder if they would…" She said thoughtfully, bringing a mitten to her eye and wiping the tears away, though most of them had already been soaked up by several of her scarves.

"Do you… want to go somewhere?" Ron asked, without realizing what he was saying. He heard himself saying the words as if from a distant place. Had he been closer, he'd have stopped himself from saying such things, but instead he simply let it happen, and enjoyed this odd feeling of floating on air.

Lieca nodded again, her auburn hair falling into her eyes. She pushed them away and followed Ron as he led her up the wooden stairs into the bleachers. They sat together in a huddle in one corner of the bleachers in silence, watching as Harry and the other Gryffindors left the pitch and practically sprinted towards the castle, eager for warmth and maybe hot cocoa. As this thought occurred to him, Ron swooped his wand into the air and two mugs of hot cocoa hovered before them. Making a quiet sound of approval, Lieca took one of the mugs and sipped at it eagerly.

"Ooh!" she gasped. "Hot!"

"Yeah, careful," said Ron, still in that distant voice quite unlike his own. They fell silent as Ron grasped his own mug and sipped it. After a moment, he said, "You've never really told me who you are."
"Hm?" She said cozily. "Who I am?"

"Like…"Ron racked his brain for the right words. "Tell me… tell me… everything."

Lieca looked at him with her large eyes and sniffed. Then she covered her nose with her scarf and said, "Well… I'm Lieca Patterson and I live in Surrey. I've been going to Hogwarts since I was eleven, just like you… hmm what else? I'm a chaser on the Hufflepuff team, though you already know that."

"Best flyer Hufflepuff has ever seen," Ron added with a smile.

"They say that," Said Lieca, "But it's just not true! I mean… I don't feel so great. Well, now that I've had the pleasure of getting whupped by the best Keeper Gryffindor has ever seen" –She nudged Ron playfully—"I guess I do fell a little great. But it probably rubbed off from you."

He laughed. "No way!"

"Way!" She countered, nodding and laughing along with him.

"So what else?" Ron asked. "Like… what about your parents?"

Lieca looked at him again, her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Curious much?"

"I… I want to know everything about you," he said truthfully. Again, this would be one of the things he would usually have retrained himself from saying, but he was simply flying too far away from himself now.

She looked quite shocked for a moment, and then her eyes smiled at him (since he couldn't see her mouth). "Well…" she looked up at the white sky. "I've never really told anyone this before… so don't freak out… ok?"

He put a hand to his heart. "Promise I won't."

"Okay… Everyone in my family has always gotten into Slytherin but me. In a family of pure-blooded idiots… I guess it's only natural," She said, her voice drenched in bitterness.

Ron couldn't deny he was shocked, but he tried not to gasp, and merely said, fighting to keep his voice under control, "Really?"

She nodded. "Yep. And my parents were a little more than… annoyed, shall we say, that I got into Hufflepuff. Disappointed, and annoyed. And to tell you the truth… so am I."

"Are you taking the Mickey?" Ron gaped. "No way!"

"Maybe if I was in Slytherin, my parents wouldn't be so disappointed in me…"

"No!" Ron said loudly, clenching his fists. "Don't think that, and you know why? Please don't take this offensively, but Slytherin are a bunch of scumbags. Really they are, and you are so fortunate to be in Hufflepuff, no joke. I have always thought—and I'm dead serious about this, Lieca—that Hufflepuff is a house full of amazing people. Being sorted into Hufflepuff… you mayn't be flashy or brilliant. You aren't over-brave or courageous, or cunning, but you're sort of a mix of all three. You're down-to-earth, loyal and friendly, and that's what it means to be a Hufflepuff. Really, I have always thought this. I think that's why the badger is the animal for the House of Hufflepuff: because Helga Hufflepuff was so down-to-earth like you, Lieca, and I think you would've made her proud. And you, personally, have nothing to be ashamed of. And if your parents are disappointed in you, they're insane, because you… you're beautiful, smart, funny, kind… and whatever you say, you're a hell of a Quidditch player. Don't let anything or anyone beat you down because if you ask me, you're the most amazing human being I have ever met, and I love you. Really and truly, absolutely—"

But he was cut off, for Lieca had pulled him by the sides of his face into a kiss. He felt her scarves falling around them and his own scarves falling, their hoods flying from their heads, and he wrapped his arms around her into a forceful embrace and kissed her with every piece of passion inside of him. With every beat of his heart, he was melting into her. The longing he'd felt for her for so long… at last, the passion he'd felt for her was bursting forth from his body and into her through his mouth. He loved her. He loved her he loved her he loved her and he wanted to kiss her forever.

He pulled apart from her, her eyes glistening with tears.

"What about… Malfoy?" He panted, his face red with cold but his heart so warm he felt he could unfreeze the giant lake.

Snow began to fall from the sky in thin flakes, fluttering around them and falling on Lieca's pink nose as she breathed hard and stared at him. And then, in reply, she threw herself into another forceful kiss with him.

"It was always you," she murmured between kisses. "It was you who I really wanted. Not Blake, not Draco … all this time … since that day in the corridor when you fell on your face…"

"I love you," He whispered. "I love you so much. I always have. I love you Lieca."

They broke apart again and she was smiling at him, snow blowing her auburn hair all around her, her face pink with cold, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she was just smiling and smiling. He lifted a gloved hand to her face and touched it briefly, then ripped off his gloves with his teeth and cupped her face in his hands. She smiled so sweetly at his touch and leaned her face into his hands, closing her eyes briefly as a fresh tear spilled from each eye.

"I love you too, Ronald," She whispered back, and opened her eyes again to look at him, her face lit with all the beauty and grace it could ever hold.

"Whatever comes," Ron said breathlessly, searching her eyes, "Malfoy, your parents, whatever… let's meet it together. Because I think that's how it's supposed to be. I think it's right." And this time he felt closer than he'd ever been. He wasn't flying away from his mind and body somewhere in heaven alone blissfully anymore…

He was flying with her.

THE END! )