Chapter 10: The Fight of Friends

Hermione looked at Ron, "Ron, please say something."

"How could you?" He muttered, quietly.

"What?"

"HOW DARE YOU GO OUT WITH THAT FERRET?!"

The whole class stopped what they were doing and looked at the back table where Hermione and Ron were now arguing.

"Ronald, please."

"Don't 'Ronald, please' me. Why didn't you tell me before, when I asked you in the common room, huh?"

"Because nothing was going on! Now, will you please calm down?"

"NO!" Ron yelled, "I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! You knew how I felt and didn't even acknowledge it." Ron got up and headed for the dungeon door, Hermione quickly followed.

"Ron, wait!" Hermione shouted behind him.

"Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley! Get back here now!" Professor Snape shouted, but they had already left the room. The whole class began to whisper about what just happened. Harry and Draco were just as shocked as Snape when Hermione and Ron left the room. They looked at the open door with their mouth hanging open. They both then looked at each other and quickly grabbed their things.

"What do you two think you are doing?" Snape asked, looking at them.

"We need to uhm, well they erm, --" Harry spat out, as Malfoy quickly interrupted.

"We need to get the Weasel and Granger."

"Why?" asked Snape.

"They have um..." Draco stopped mid-sentence, he couldn't think of a reason. He looked at Harry and back at Snape, "We just need to get them," he said. He grabbed his books, and the sleeve of Harry's robe, and ran out of class.

"Where did they go?"

"Just listen for the yelling," said Harry. Sure enough, there was yelling in a neighboring corridor. Harry and Draco quickly ran to meet up with Hermione and Ron.

"Ron please, let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain Hermione. You knew I loved you but you wouldn't give me a chance."

"You know that I love you too Ron, but not the same way. I love you more as a brother, than anything else. I didn't want to date you because the feelings weren't mutual. I didn't want to hurt you."

"You could have given me a chance, but no you went straight for that filthy f--"

"Ferret?" Draco said, walking towards them with Harry.

"Yes, that filthy ferret," Ron spat, looking at Draco. He was about ready to jump on top of him and just beating his pureblood butt. Ron looked back at Hermione.

"How do you know any of this is real? Malfoy has hated you since first year, and all of a sudden is in love with you. YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM AND HE BLOODY HELL DOESN'T DESERVE YOU!"

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY, YOU WILL NOT TELL ME WHO I DO AND DO NOT DESERVE. OUT OF ANY OF US THE PERSON WHO DOESN'T DESERVE ME IS YOU! I DIDN'T GO OUT WITH YOU BECAUSE I CARE FOR YOU AND YOU CAN'T BA HAPPY FOR ME THIS ONCE!"

Draco walked over to Hermione, who was already crying, "Hermione, come with me back to the common room."

"No," she sobbed, "He needs to understand this."

Ron looked over a Harry, "You knew, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Who else?"

"Ginny, and Draco's mate Blaise Zabini."

Ron looked back at Hermione, "So you saved me for last, did you? All three of them knew before me?"

"Ron, Ginny's my best fri--, best girl friend, of course she's gonna know first, and same with Blaise being Draco's mate. And I didn't tell Harry he figured it all out, and got me to confess. Harry promised me that he wouldn't say anything, so I could tell you myself. Please, Ron, calm down now," Hermione said, slowly walking over to him.

Ron couldn't believe it. She really had chosen Draco over him. She walked closer to him, and hate filled his body. She was inches away and held her arms out to hug him, and he raised his arm and backhanded her. She spun on the spot and fell over. Hermione looked up at him with shock and tears in her eyes as she held her cheek. Harry ran over and sat next to her and held her. He looked at her face and saw a red hand print from where Ron hit her. Draco let Hermione go when Harry came over, and charged right for Ron. Draco jump onto him, knocking him to the floor and began hitting him. Harry quickly pulled Draco off of Ron and pushed him back.

"What the bloody hell was that for, Ron?" Harry yelled to him, "she didn't deserve that either! Honestly, I can't believe you would do that to your best friend that you "supposedly" love. What has gotten into you?"

Ron stared at all three of them, "I don't know." He looked to the floor and slowly walked to the Gryffindor Common room. Hermione, Harry, and Draco watched as he left. Draco and Harry pulled Hermione up.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok, Draco. I can't believe him."

"That doesn't seem like Ron at all," said Harry, "I need to talk to him. Will you be alright, Draco, getting back to your common room with Hermione?"

"Yeah, I should be good."

Harry looked at Hermione. He gave her a hug and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, I'll find out what's wrong, ok?" he said, with a smile.

Hermione returned the smile, "Thanks, Harry."

Harry ran down the hall to talk with Ron. Draco looked at Hermione with care and concern in his eyes, why had Ron done that? He thought. Draco kissed the top of her head. Hermione looked up at him and he smiled. They walked to the Head's Common Room in silence.

*******

Ron climbed into the common room and thinking about what he had just done to his best friend. As he walked to the staircase, he passed by the couch where Ginny was sitting talking to a friend.

"But, why is that little gold ball so important?" asked a girl, with brown hair

"It's worth 150 point and if the seeker catches that then that team wins no matter how many points they had before. And that's why the snitch is so important, Sabrina." Ginny said.

Sabrina Dumbledore was a first year that had been sorted into Gryffindor. She had sat down to Ginny in the Great Hall after sorting and quickly became friends with her. Ginny heard someone come into the common room and looked up from her friend and saw Ron walk by with his hand on his face, and blood trickling down his chin. She ran over to him, with Sabrina following quickly behind her, to find out what happened.

"Ron, what happened?"

"Got into a fight," he said, walking to the couch and sitting down.

"With who?"

"Malfoy"

"WHAT?! How did that happen?"

"Go ask your bloody friend, Hermione."

Ginny looked at Sabrina, "Come on Sabrina."

"Where are we going?" asked the curious first year.

"To the Head's Common Room."

"Won't we get in trouble?"

"Don't worry, just stick with me," Ginny said, with a smile. She looked to Ron and frowned "Ron, go uhm--go clean yourself up. Oh, hi Harry."

"Hi," Harry said, as he ran by them to get Ron.

Ginny and Sabrina left the common room and headed to the sixth floor. Sabrina was excited that she got to go. Ginny hadn't told her much, all she knew was that her friend Hermione was dating some Draco kid and her brother and boyfriend disliked him. They got to the portrait of the snake and lion. Ginny knocked and waited.

*******

Draco and Hermione were on the couch. Draco sitting, and Hermione lying down with her head in his lap. Draco looked at Hermione as he stroked her hair, "Are you sure you're ok?"

Hermione smiled at him, "Yes Draco, I'm sure. My cheek just stings, but I'm fine."

"What is the matter with him?"

"I don't know, I just can't believe he did that. I've never seen him that mad."

"Well Potter will find out for us, and then hopefully we can fix whatever happened to him."

Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead. They, then, heard a knock at the portrait.

"I wonder who that could be," Hermione said as she began getting up. Draco stopped her, "I'll get it, just lay back down." He got up and walked over to the door and opened it and saw Ginny and another Gryffindor. He moved and let them in. Ginny looked at him, "Where's Hermione?"

"On the couch," he said, pointing.

Ginny and Sabrina ran over to the couch, and sat down next to her.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, just wanting to find out what happened to her brother. Draco leaned on the back of the couch listening to the girls talk. Before Hermione answered, she looked at the girl sitting next to Ginny.

"Who is this?" Hermione asked.

"Sabrina Dumbledore, first year. Now please, what happened?"

"Yes, yes, alright. Well Draco told me that Pansy Parkinson overheard his conversation with Blaise Zambini about how we're dating now. And since she now knew, I needed to tell Ron before he heard it from someone else. So, as potions began, Snape gave us partners and I luckily got Ron, and I told him."

"Why didn't you wait?"

"I don't know, he wanted to know then and there, so I just told him. But, anyway, we both stormed out of the room and I tried to explain, but he wouldn't let me. Harry and Draco followed us, saw us arguing and joined the argument. I walked over to Ron to give him a hug and try to calm him down, but as soon as I got close enough, he slapped me."

"He what?!"

"Full on backhand right here, I fell right to the floor," she pointed to her cheek, "it still stings."

"What happened with the whole fight?"

"Well after he slapped me, Draco got up and attacked him. Hit him, square in the face. But it was weird; he wasn't upset like he normally is."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.

"Well remember when you were dating Dean and Ron caught you snogging him in the hall and how much he was upset?"

Ginny sighed, "Yeah, unfortunately."

"Well picture him upset like that but ten times worse. But after Draco hit him, he seemed to be back to normal."

"That is weird," said Ginny.

"Well it's done and over with, would either of you care for a drink? Sabrina?"

Sabrina looked over at Hermione and smiled shyly, "Oh, yes, thank you."

"What would you like?"

"Anything is fine."

"Ginny?"

"No, thank you Hermione."

Hermione got up and went to the kitchen to get the drinks, Draco sat down in her spot.

"I can't believe he did that," Ginny said.

"I can't either," Draco said, "I didn't think the weasel had it in him to hit anything."

"Yeah, well, he isn't gonna be in a better condition when I'm done with him."

"Ok, drinks," Hermione said, coming out from the kitchen, "So, Sabrina, how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's lovely, I'm so glad I came."

"Are you related to Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes, he's my uncle."

*******

Harry climbed into the Portrait just as Ginny and her friend were leaving. What is the matter with him? He thought. He's never done this, why all of a sudden? I can't believe he didn't even talk to me about it. "Ron," He shouted.

"He went to the dormitories," Lavender said.

"Oh, thanks, Lavender."

Harry ran up the stairs and into their dorms. "Ron, what is the matter with you? Why'd you hit Hermi---" Harry stopped short. He could not believe what he was seeing.

*******

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