FIREWHISKY AND ELFWINE
It wasn't long before Moony was completely zonked out on the couch.
Hermione arranged a blanket around him before looking around. "What the...where's my…"
"What?" said Harry, concerned.
She gasped. "My wand! I lost my wand! Harry!"
Harry's and Ron's heads both jerked around.
"You lost your wand?" said Ron, aghast.
Harry and Ron both went over to help her find it.
It wasn't amongst the couch cushions, however. The summoning charm didn't turn up anything besides Moony's unfamiliar one, and a quick search through the den proved fruitless.
"When did you last see it?" Harry said.
Hermione was really agitated by this point. "Erm...I guess...I don't know...this morning, maybe? I put it in the pocket of my skirt...and I was holding Crooks, but he's been so squirmy today...then I came downstairs...then breakfast...then we went in the tunnel to Hogsmeade…"
"Did it fall out somewhere, you reckon?" said Ron, concerned, face turning ashen. "Hermione, where the hell did you put it? You can't just...people don't just...lose their wands!"
"Ron, calm down. I'm sure it just fell out—"
"What do you mean, calm down?" he spluttered. "It's easy for you to say, Harry. Neither of you grew up having wands around you your whole lives. They are like...like...like if you just lost a thousand galleons! People don't just lose a thousand galleons!"
He was right, Harry thought. Neither he nor Hermione could fully understand, given their upbringings and not having wands at their sides their whole lives.
Hermione, meanwhile, was turning the room upside-down.
"I guess...it must have...oh no…"
"Relax, Hermione. Okay? Just breathe. We'll find it later. Right now let's just take care of Moony, all right?"
"All right...all right...Harry, why don't you clean the kitchen, Ron take the living room, and I'll tackle the rest of the house."
"...and Crookshanks will be designated rat-catcher," finished Ron with disgust, as the half-Kneazle strolled into the room, a smug look on his face despite the three rat-tails dangling from his mouth.
"I hope one of those is Wormtail," Harry muttered.
Hermione kept speaking. "And I….I'll just….clean the old fashioned way…."
The next hour was a very harrowing one.
Harry Scourgified all the cupboards, after finding rat droppings in all but one. He sicced Crookshanks loose in the rest of the kitchen while trying to think of a good mouse-repelling charm to keep them out of the pantry. He went through the icebox and threw away all the food that had gone rancid. Next were all the dirty dishes stacked high in the sink, and for once Harry allowed himself to be grateful to the Dursleys for making him be their standard dish-washer all those years.
Ron, meanwhile, didn't do too bad of a job in the other room. He beat the moths and odd doxy or two out of the curtains. When Harry saw him furtively drop what appeared to be a handful of tiny beads into his pocket, Ron noticed him watching and shrugged.
"Doxy eggs," he said. "For Fred and George, you know. Since they're buying the parents an owl and all..."
Harry didn't say anything, but his grin made Ron redden anyway.
Hermione came down the stairs an hour later. "Bedrooms are all done," she said, pleased. "The kitchen looks amazing, Harry! And the living room is...er..."
She looked over at Ron, who was lazing on the armchair while he conducted the mop around the floor with his wand.
"Did you do it all without getting up?" she asked him.
Ron shrugged.
Moony was just waking up when the front door opened and a slim, dark woman entered, levitating bags of food.
"I'm here for your check-up, Remus. And I thought I'd bring some food as well, considering how you're feeling—oh! I see you have company!" she said, smiling at them.
"Ah!" said Moony, his voice sounding much better after his nap. "Aletha, meet Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. They're former students of mine—well, current now. You three, this is Aletha Freeman, my neighbor and Healer."
Aletha Freeman set the bags down on Harry's clean counter and came over to greet them. She had very pleasant features, Harry noticed. Her clothes told Harry that although she was a Healer, she was currently off-duty. She wore her black hair unplaited and pulled back into a bun; and when she spoke, it was with a musical voice. Even her kind black eyes made Harry feel like they were hugging him. He soon found out why.
"Harry, dear! I haven't seen you since you were a baby—you wouldn't remember, of course—" she said, when he shook her hand.
He pulled back, startled.
"Freeman?" said Hermione. "You're Meghan Freeman's mother, aren't you?"
"Why, yes! Have you met her, then?" said Aletha.
"Only briefly last year," Hermione confessed. "She's a year beneath us and needed help with her end-of-year exams, so she came to me. She seemed rather nice, though."
Aletha chuckled as she started to put the food away. "Nice? You're being far too kind. That girl is a firecracker. She should have her own Filibuster's firework named after her. My! This kitchen looks spotless!"
"No thanks to me," said Moony ruefully. "The kids took to cleaning the house while I was asleep. It really looks transformed."
Hermione beamed as Crookshanks walked into the room, licking his chops, and jumping onto Moony's lap.
"All right, food's put away...in fact, would you like to get some lunch ready, Hermione? You three are welcome to eat with us—it is the least we can do for the work you've done. I left some sandwich things on the counter. Now let me get a good look at you, Remus," said Aletha Freeman, striding over to the couch.
However, instead of looking at Remus, her eyes were fixated on the cat.
"Why, where did you come from?" she gasped, picking Crookshanks up.
"Yeah, I know," said Ron, nodding sagely. "He's ugly, inne…"
"No, it's not that...I've seen this cat before..."
"He's mine, actually. His name is Crookshanks. I've had him for a few years now, you might have seen him around Hogsmeade before. He tends to do that—running about the castle while I'm asleep, and heading towards the village while I'm in classes—" said Hermione.
"Crookshanks!" the dark woman breathed. "You used to belong to James and Lily, didn't you? I used to babysit little Harry, and you used to help...oh, but you were just a Knitten then..."
Hermione's hand slipped. Her knife thudded on the counter.
Harry swiveled around. "What?"
The room was quiet as they all stared at Aletha Freeman.
"You mean James' and Lily's old cat? But how can you be sure?" said Moony, puzzled.
"Oh, Remus, don't you remember that game of wizard's toss James and Sirius used to play with Harry and the cat? I'm sure Harry's still got the scars to prove it—and this cat definitely does, see here? There's a small hole in his ear. I'll bet you anything that's from when Sirius forgot to catch Crookshanks and the poor tiny thing landed on his lit wand instead..."
Remus sat up, looking closer at the half-Kneazle. "That's right! How could I have forgot? When I first saw him, I knew he looked familiar...but I simply couldn't place it. James bought him for Lily when they first got married! He's not a tiny fuzzball anymore..."
"Huh," said Ron, amused. "Well. Whaddya know."
"But," Harry spluttered, "It could've been any cat...how do you know..."
Aletha chuckled. "How many half-Persian, half-Kneazle hybrids are there running around with golden fur, a bottlebrush tail, and an ugly, squashed face with a hole in his ear like this one, do you reckon?"
Harry stood up and walked over to Crookshanks with newfound eyes. "Hey there," he said, rubbing the cat's fur. "I don't suppose you remember them, do you? Hey, that must be why he likes me loads better than Ron! He's known me since I was a baby!"
"If he used to belong to Harry's parents...how did he get to be here?" said Hermione slowly. "I found him at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. The woman said he'd been in there for ages, no one wanted him. He had been found wandering the streets somewhere, and someone brought him there."
"I haven't seen him since before that Halloween. After it happened, Crookshanks probably took off, his collar still attached," said Aletha. "That explains why he still has the name."
"Do you remember how he got by it, Letha?" said Moony.
"Yes...it was James' great-uncle, Albertus Crookshanks. James used to hate the fellow. When he passed away, James and Lily got the cottage at Godric's Hollow, and to thank him, they named their cat after him. Although...it was mostly because they looked rather the same, with their faces squashed, a permanently grumpy look..." she trailed off, thinking about days long gone.
They were interrupted just then when the door opened to reveal a skinny girl, her arms loaded with sweets. "Hullo, Mum! Just been to Zonko's, they were loaded! Hi, Un—who're you?"
Meghan Freeman stopped and looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She looked quite a bit like her mother, except her hair was worn in braids with beads at their ends. And her eyes...Harry was suddenly struck by the ferocity of her gray eyes—he felt like he'd seen them on someone else before, but not Meghan or Aletha Freeman.
"Er...Harry Potter," he said, realizing she was talking to him. "Apparently your mum used to babysit me."
He remembered his manners and stuck his hand out to shake hers. She stuck a Zonko's chocolate bar in his outstretched hand. "Huh," she said.
"Ah, Meghan, you're here. Have you four met? You three, this is my daughter, Meghan. She's a fifth-year and in Slytherin. Meghan, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They're friends of your Uncle Moony's," said Aletha Freeman.
"Uncle Moony?" Harry and Ron chorused.
"Oh—Remus and I met in school and have been friends ever since," said Aletha. "She grew up with him. Couldn't pronounce 'Remus', see."
"As I recall, you were the same way, Harry," said Moony. "You called me...'Moo-ey', if you will."
Harry snorted.
"You're Slytherin?" said Ron, still stuck on this first bit. Hermione reached out and whacked him on the back of his head.
"Yeah. And what of it?" said Meghan defensively.
He reddened and muttered something about "Just asking..."
"If you could set those down, Pearl, I could use your help over here. And bring the bottle of firewhisky, would you?" said Aletha. She now had her wand poised above Lupin's heart where a blue mist hovered, counting the visible beats with a silver instrument in her hand.
"Yes, Mum," said Meghan, sighing. She dumped her load on the armchair Ron had vacated.
"Oy—I just cleaned that—"
"Good, now I need you to see if his bite is getting lighter," said Aletha, uncorking the bottle and giving it to Moony. He swigged it, eyes closed in pain.
Meghan nodded, closed her eyes, and rested her hand on Moony's arm. She stood perfectly still for several moments before opening her eyes again and saying, "It is, but not as light as last month's. The work he's doing for Professor Dumbledore is stressing him out."
Aletha pursed her lips. "All right. Thank you."
"Oh, and he's not eating enough meat!" said Meghan. "He needs more protein."
"What do you take me for, Pearl?" said Moony, wincing but giving her a wink. "A carnivore?"
"He's teasing me again," she grumbled as she picked up her sweets. "I'm going back home to drop my load off, Mum. And to feed...er...Maya and Valentine. Their bowls are empty again."
"Don't stay too long—you know you're not supposed to during the school-year. Just because we live in Hogsmeade, doesn't mean you get privileges, young lady."
Meghan sighed irritably. "Yes, Mama."
She left, forgetting to close the door behind her.
Aletha sighed and flicked her wand towards it. "That girl...getting more like her father every day."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded, feeling more confused by the minute about the entire exchange. Personally, Harry got lost right around the time Aletha Freeman came in, claiming Hermione's cat used to belong to him.
"We...erm...should probably go. Thank you for lunch. It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Freeman," said Hermione.
"Ms. Freeman," said Aletha, eyes darkening. "My husband is no longer with us. And please, call me Letha. Thank you for looking in on Remus and cleaning this pigsty so well."
"Goodbye, Moony," said Hermione. She hesitated, then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.
Touched, he smiled and blinked a few times as if there were something in his eye.
"Why, thank you, Hermione," he said.
After they left, Harry remembered that they forgot to tell Moony about Voldemort being after Ron and Hermione.
But...well, it rather seemed that Moony had enough to be getting on with for the moment.
That was the weirdest former professor meeting I've ever had, thought Ron later as they walked down the street to the Three Broomsticks, looking all over for Hermione's wand. He voiced this to Harry, who smiled.
"Nah, you're forgetting Lockhart in St. Mungo's last year," said Harry.
"Ohh, yeah." Ron grinned as he remembered. "And Lupin's twice as hairy, too."
"I just feel so sorry for him," said Hermione.
"Lockhart?"
"No," she said loftily, and stroked Crookshanks. "Moony."
"That girl was rather odd," said Ron. "Meghan. And was it just me, or did she look a lot younger than a fifth-year?"
"I do believe you're right. She actually looked more like she was thirteen. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore let her in early for special circumstances. He does that every once in a while," Hermione said.
They stopped by Gladrags to see if Hermione's wand was in there. It wasn't. Dejected, they traipsed the rest of the way to the Three Broomsticks.
"I could have sworn I put it in my pocket. But maybe I didn't. Maybe it's still sitting on my nightstand," she said aloud. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't sleep very well…"
She opened the door to the Three Broomsticks. Harry and Ron glanced at each other before following her.
"Hey, there's Hagrid," said Harry. He walked around the crowded pub to go sit by him. "Hello, Hagrid—"
Ron sat down beside him and snuck Hagrid's draught beer for a swig when Hagrid wasn't looking, just as Hermione lugged Crookshanks over.
"OY! Get it away from me!" Hagrid roared. "Keep that ruddy animal away 'afore I—"
He let out a great sneeze that seemed to shake the very foundations of the building.
"Oh—right—" Harry stuttered. "I forgot—sorry—you're allergic to them—"
He stood up to go find another table, but Hermione stopped him. "No, I'll leave," she said. "You two stay here, it's fine. I have a date with Viktor anyway—"
Ron spat out the draught all over Hagrid. "You have a what?"
Harry and Hermione looked at him.
"A date," she said, as if speaking to a child. "With Viktor Krum. He and I are going out for drinks."
"But—but—" Ron spluttered, face turning red. "There are drinks in here!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Somewhere else, Ron. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"Somewhere like Madam Puddifoot's?"
"I really don't know—he said it was going to be a surprise. And why does it even matter?"
"Because it's him is why!" Ron suddenly snapped.
"Oh, Ron, please, do we have to go into this again? Just because he's a teacher—"
"It's because I don't trust him!"
"Well, YOU aren't the one dating him, are you?" she shouted, "I am!"
At once, there was silence at these words.
She's...
She's dating him? Ron thought. Her words seemed to echo around in his mind. She's dating him. She's dating him. She's dating him.
"You're...dating him?" said Harry.
She sighed. "No. Yes. I don't know. That's what he wanted to talk about. I still don't know if it's what I want. But I really do need to go see him, and I'm already late."
"Hermione!" Harry said, stopping her. "Really, I don't think you should go without your wand. You won't have a way to protect yourself. Especially with…" he lowered his voice. "...with You-Know-Who being after you."
"Really, Harry? I had it the last time the Slytherins grabbed me, and fat load of good that did," she reminded him ruefully. "I won't be long, okay? I'll just be a few shops over, we'll be in public, and Viktor will protect me if anything is amiss, all right? Now goodbye Harry, goodbye Hagrid...goodbye, Ron."
She looked over at Ron, but Ron didn't see her. He was too busy avoiding her eyes, staring at the tabletop instead of her face. When he didn't respond, she sighed, picked up Crookshanks, and left.
As soon as she was gone, Ron stared after her in silence, his face turning from red to white in moments.
"Don' mind me," Hagrid grumbled, still wiping off Ron's spat-out beer with his large hanky. "I'm not the one wha' upended me own drink..."
Ron didn't hear him. He watched as Hermione opened the door across the room, and ran straight into Viktor bloody Krum. She looked surprised, and they started talking. Almost subconsciously, Krum lifted the heavy Crookshanks out of her grasp and offered her an arm. Ron watched as she smiled, eyes sparkling. She took Krum's arm and they walked out the door, chatting animatedly.
They were gone.
When Hermione left with Krum, a million thoughts were going through her mind. Half of them were about Viktor—how nice he looked in his casual white shirt, how sweet he was to offer her his arm. But she couldn't help but wonder why she was doing this.
Why am I turning him down when all he's ever made me feel is beautiful?
And yet, Ron kept plaguing the other half of her mind. She couldn't forget how he had been looking at her in the Three Broomsticks. There was this murderous expression on his face; it was the Yule Ball all over again, and Hermione could feel the tension building up between them—there would be an all-out row soon enough.
His words from the Yule Ball echoed back to her.
"You—you're—fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"
"He's just trying to get closer to Harry—get inside information on him—or get near enough to jinx him—"
It wasn't true, she told herself again. It didn't matter what Ron thought anymore. Viktor was here for her, the Triwizard Tournament didn't matter anymore, it had been fake Moody all along, not Krum. Never Viktor Krum...
"Vot is the matter, Her-mione?" said Viktor.
She looked up at him. He was staring down at her, concerned.
"Nothing," she said, giving him a smile. "Nothing is wrong. Do you need any help?"
He had been struggling with Crookshanks for the past five minutes. "I am sorry—I am not seeming to have a vay vith him."
Hermione chuckled and grabbed her half-Kneazle as he took another swipe at Viktor.
"It's all right. He's like this with all the boys I meet," she said. "Bad Crookshanks! You be nice!"
She thought about telling him what they recently learned about Crookshanks belonging to Harry's mum and dad, then decided against it.
"Except for Harry Potter, right?" he said.
She stopped. "Sorry?"
"He's like this vith all the boys you meet...except for Harry Potter," he corrected her.
Her smile slowly slid off her face. "How...how did you know that?"
He shrugged, not looking at her. "I've seen your cat around, many times. He's never been uneasy around Harry Potter, I am seeing."
She nodded slowly.
"Yes...I suppose..except Harry…"
They continued walking down Hogsmeade's main street. The sky had let up from its brief bout of rain earlier, but threatened to spill again at any moment. Hermione's hair kept floating about her head as the wind pushed it back and forth. She followed Viktor as he took a goat-path that led them away from the village.
"Viktor, where are we going? I thought we were going for drinks?"
He held up the basket he'd been carrying. "I haff drinks. I thought ve could picnic at a place I found. If...that is all right vith you?"
She hesitated, seeing where the path led them—the woods were dark on either side of Hogsmeade, and she could hear a stream trickling its way to Hogwarts lake. Her thoughts briefly flew from her wand, to Voldemort and Malfoy's pronouncement, then to the Aurors and D.A. told to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
But the rare smile on Viktor's face...the hand he was offering...she didn't want to disappoint him...
Besides she had her ferocious mini-lion, and she had Viktor, and was fully capable of taking care of herself...
"No, it's fine. But please, let's not be long. It's already getting dark and Professor Jones will be along soon to collect the students," she said.
"Of course," he said, grinning. "I shan't keep you vaiting. I must to speak vith you."
She took his arm again and followed him through the dark trees.
Ron couldn't take it anymore. It didn't matter how much he hated the bastard. He didn't even know why he was feeling this way. It was like that first week during the summer when he saw Ginny with Dean. Every single part of him screamed out in protest, wanting to pummel the guy up.
Dad told me I was just feeling over-protective. Because she's my sister.
That must be what I'm feeling now. I've practically grown up with Hermione. She spends summers and Christmases at the Burrow, I see her every day at school...we've been through quite a bit together.
She must be like a sister to me for me to feel this way when she's with Krum.
That's all it is. I'm just being over-protective.
And if I ever see Harry kiss a girl, which I really don't want to see, then I'll feel the same over-protective thing with him as well.
That's all this is.
But if it was, why did he still feel this bloody awful?
He remembered something Ginny had said over the summer. "You're just jealous! I have Dean, Harry had Cho, Hermione had Krum...and all you had was Auntie Muriel! If you hate watching me snog Dean so much, why don't you go and find someone for yourself?"
It was then that Ron realized something needed to change. He couldn't stand watching Hermione with Krum, or Ginny with Dean. Harry even had Cho back in fifth year, but Ron...he'd never had anybody.
He was going to change that.
"Ron?" said Harry as Ron abruptly got up from the table. "Ron, where are you going?"
Ron ignored him and walked out the door.
They came out in a little glade, the branches above covering up the sky, ivy twisting up the trunks and giving them shade. In the middle of the glade was a shallow stream, where the water danced across the tops of smooth rocks and pebbles. The sun had just become hidden by the clouds and there was a feeling of hushed twilight to the air. The scene looked like something out of a fairytale.
"Oh, Viktor! It's beautiful!"
He smiled at her, his dark eyes twinkling for once. "I thought this vould please you."
Grinning at him, she took his hand. What a sweetheart.
He helped her across the stream, both of them wading in it and laughing. The water only came to the hem of her skirt and their socks and shoes littered the smooth rocks. He spread their picnic out on a moss-covered boulder and they sat and ate while talking.
At first it was the mundane stuff—there were many things about him she didn't know, she realized. Then it turned into something more.
"So what happened to your ear? I heard you can't hear out of it anymore?" she said.
"Ah," he said, putting his grapes down. "It vos close to the end of a match, see? Bulgaria against Hungary. Ve vere up by close to two hundred points ven I saw the Snitch. It vos next to Hungarian Beater Baranyai, but he is not seeing it. I go towards him, but a Bludger is coming the opposite vay as vell. I catch the Snitch, Baranyai raises bat to hit at Bludger, but my head is on the other side of it. He hits Bludger hard, and Bludger hits my head instead, like this—!"
He hit his fist against the rock to prove his point. Hermione flinched.
"Next thing I am knowing, two knocked-out teeth, blood pouring from my ear, and eardrum is being broken. And so, I vear this magical aide to help me to hear. Exciting story, no?"
"Of course, it isn't!" Hermione gasped. "It's ghastly! Whyever do you play?"
He studied her for a bit. "You are liking your friends Potter and Veasley, are you not?"
"Of course—they're my best friends."
"In Bulgaria, I am hearing much of your adventures. This one last you had at your Ministry of Magic vos very dangerous. I am vondering vy you don't stop being friends vith them, as they keep putting you in danger's path."
"Well, I love them. I want to help them as much as I can. They would be in so much more trouble if I weren't there to help them, or to reason with them, or to fight with them. It doesn't matter how dangerous it gets, I'm always going to be with Harry and Ron. We're best friends. I can't just abandon them because there's the possibility of me getting...hurt...oh..." she finished sheepishly.
"You understand, no?"
Hermione nodded, realizing what he meant.
He pulled out two glasses from his basket and a bottle of what looked like mulled wine. She looked at it uneasily. "Viktor, I'm—not of age."
He was, though. She belatedly remembered the age different between them.
"And that is reason to not do something you love?" Viktor said, and gave her a glass. She raised it to her lips and drank slowly. It wasn't her first taste of wine—her parents were just fine with the occasional toast on special occasions. There was an odd taste to this one though...
"You know vy they call it elfvine, no?" he said, looking over at her. "It is very expensive. It is being said that a Bulgarian cook some hundred years ago vos concocting a new vine recipe through use of his house-elf, when this house-elf is falling in. The minister liked the taste so much, he patented it. I am believing they still use elf ears in the mixture now—"
Hermione spewed the rest of her drink into the creek.
"That's horrid!" she cried.
"But Her-mione—you are not liking it—"
At once, she grabbed his wand to do the Water Charm to rinse her mouth out, then Scourgified it. Viktor watched her through it all, bewildered.
"Please, drink more. I am sure you vill like it if you haff more—Her-mione—"
"No! I'm sorry, Viktor, I don't mean to upset you, but—"
"I am not doing something right?"
"No, that's not it, it's just—oh, maybe I should leave—" she said, distressed. Standing up, she gathered up her things to go.
"But—Her-mione—"
Hermione glanced down at him, but her vision swam. Her head was feeling so fuzzy...so clouded…warm and giddy feelings encompassed her thoughts...why did...she...and Merlin did she want to hug Viktor, to hold him, to be with him...
Viktor stood up, and her eyes followed his progress haltingly. There was this warm aura about him, and she reached out to caress his cheek—
A branch cracked in the woods. Their heads jerked towards the sound.
A beast emerged from the darkness.
Ron didn't know what he was trying to find. Hermione? But no… she wasn't anywhere. Krum of course hadn't taken her to any of the shops in Hogsmeade—Ron had searched them all.
And it was quite by accident that he bumped into a bunch of schoolgirls from Hogwarts as they traipsed around the cobblestone street.
"Oof—sorry—I didn't mean—"
"Ron?"
He looked up and came face to face with—
"Lavender?"
Her girlfriends twittered at the two of them, as he helped her up from bumping into her.
"We were actually just talking about you," she said with a smile.
"You were? Er—no, I'm busy. Have you seen Hermione? There is something I have to tell her—"
"We were talking about which member of the new Gryffindor team we'd like to snog the most," said Lavender with a flirtatious grin. "We all picked you."
Whispered voices and guffaws came from all the blushing girls behind her. Words like "Lavender!" "Shut up!" "You didn't—!" could clearly be heard through the tantalizing shock and glee at Lavender uttering their darkest secrets.
Ron's head jerked down from where it was trying to look over their heads for a glimpse of Hermione on the street. The girls all tittered at the blush creeping up his face.
"You picked—not—Harry?"
"Oh no, he's far too moody and depressed. Not much fun at all. Besides, Ron," said Lavender softly, slinking up to him and putting her hand on his arm. "Your muscles...that physique...you are literally quite the catch among the girls…"
All thoughts of Hermione flew clean from his mind.
Lavender's pretty face was so close to his he could practically count every single one of her mascara-drenched eyelashes. And...what was that sparkling on her cheeks…
Her lips were too close to his for him to care much about anything else.
"DIE, BLOOD TRAITOR!"
A deep-throated shout from behind him shattered his senses, and he whipped around just in time to see the Death Eater.
Like a nightmare rising out of a fairytale.
Fear and anger gripped him.
The girls screamed.
The Death Eater advanced, two wands held tight in both hands. Ron pushed Lavender and the other girls behind him, his wand out—
But the danger didn't come from the advancing Death Eater.
Something large and very hard cracked into the back of his head from the corner of his eye.
Ron went down.
Hard.
Author's Note:
Dun, dun, DUN. Don't you just love cliffhangers! Aletha and Meghan Freeman are characters from Whydoyouneedtoknow's Dangerverse "Living with Danger" which is an AMAZING Harry Potter fanfic storyverse (with a million sequels and AU stories), so be sure to read LwD while waiting for my next chapter! Stay tuned for the next chappie, and be sure to review so it can get here faster. Next chapter… "Heads Will Roll" (le gasp!)
