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Always and Forever
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all the characters associated there with belong to JK Rowling, and Scholastic. Also, any similarities to any other work is unintentional. I make no profit from this story. I wrote it, just for fun.
AN: As always, a very special thank you to, Dementor149, for his tireless efforts in helping me with this story.
AN2: I know there are those of you who don't like what's going on with Harry and Hermione right now, your reviews have made that perfectly clear. Well now you know that Hermione is being forced to act against her will by Dumbledore (That should help a little). Soon, events will unfold that will bring most of the truth out into the light. I also know that some of you don't think there is any way for Hermione to redeem herself. However, I do believe I have a resolution that will work and at the same time is quite believable. Lastly, I would ask that you remember, that this is a long story, we're barely to the half-way point, so a few chapters of hard times for favorite couple is hardly nothing compared to eighty or more chapters that will eventually make up the story, don't you think? I do hope you'll stick around, at least until you actually know what happens, rather than leaving because you think you know.
At any rate, I like thank you for reading at least this far and hopefully, I'll get to thank you again at the end.
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Chapter 40
Ron's Plan
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The week following the last Hogsmeade weekend went by without much happening, but students were starting to feel the pressure of exams thanks to the constant reminder from their Professors.
Ron was sitting in his usual spot in the common room working on an assignment for potions. "Stupid git, three feet of parchment," he mumbled.
Hermione who normally would work alone somewhere had decided to come down to the common room to see if she could tolerate the atmosphere. She had been just close enough to hear Ron's derogatory comments. Ron and she hadn't spoken much since this all started, even though Ron and Harry seemed to be tolerating each other again. She wondered if Ron now hated her like he had hated Harry back when he thought Harry had cheated on her. Hermione figured the only way to find out was to take a chance and try to talk to him.
"You know, Ron, you have until next Monday to finish that, right?" She asked, feeling out the waters.
Ron looked up surprised, he had thought Hermione was still mad at him for the way he had acted towards Harry. "Um, yeah I know, I just want to get it done and over with."
"Well… I'm impressed, the Ron I used to know would have waited until Sunday night to even start," she replied with a smirk, glad he was at least talking to her.
"Yeah well, I guess maybe a tiny part of you rubbed off on me," Ron sheepishly acknowledged.
Even though she was getting some nasty glares from a few people, Hermione had decided to stick it out downstairs. She didn't mind studying alone, but she had finally decided that she wasn't going to let a few students force her into seclusion, she'd had enough of that. Hermione sat down by herself and got right to work. She only had a little more to do on an assignment in charms to finish it and then she planned on reading ahead in some other classes.
As Ron worked, he kept looking over at Hermione. Being a typical sixteen-year-old boy, he couldn't help but notice how good-looking Hermione had become. 'Those workouts sure do agree with her,' he thought. Ron didn't think he really fancied her that much anymore but as his eyes drifted to her curves and the way she filled out her sweater, his mind began to wonder about other… things. Normally he would never have thought about her in that way but now that he knew what she had done with Seamus, he was finding those thoughts harder to ignore.
It was almost midnight when the last of the students said goodnight and headed up to the dorms. Ron, even though being slightly distracted part of the night had managed to finish his essay about a half-hour ago. Hermione would work until she was so tired she had to sleep, so for now, she was still reading. Ron had been waiting, thinking, and now that the only two people left in the room were Hermione and himself, he got up and walked over to her.
"Ah, Hermione, got a second," Ron asked a little unsure of himself.
Hermione closed her book, "Sure, need some help?"
"Oh, ah, no… Surprise! I'm actually finished. I was just thinking…"
"Great, it's good for you," Hermione quipped.
Ron blushed a little, "Yeah… Anyway, you know we haven't talked much lately."
"Well, that's not all my fault, it takes two to have a conversation."
"I know, look I'm not accusing you or anything… I just thought… maybe we could get together sometime… and well, you know, talk. Maybe set a few things straight."
When Hermione came down earlier, she didn't think anyone would even give her the time of day. Now, here was Ron… wanting to talk! 'It would be good to clear the air on a few things, and it's not like I have very many conversations these days,' she thought. Her decision made, she answered with an easy smile, "Sure, Ron, I'd like that."
A few minutes later after setting a time to meet for tomorrow, they were both off to bed.
~oOoOo~
Ginny was enjoying a relatively quiet breakfast when out of nowhere Ron plopped down in front of her.
"Mourning, little, Sis," he said enthusiastically.
Ginny stopped chewing and eyed her brother, "What's your problem?"
"What, a bloke can't be happy around here without it being a problem?"
Ginny could read her brother like a book and this was exactly how he acted when he was up to something. "Oh please. Tell me, what did you do? Come on… give."
Ron's smirk disappeared, "What are you on about? I didn't do anything."
Ginny studied him for a long moment and as soon as he started to squirm, her brow almost disappeared into her hairline. "Who is she, Ron," Ginny demanded. With the way her brother had been treating his girlfriends lately, she was a little worried about who might be next on his list.
"Nobody, Merlin, don't get your knickers in a twist."
Ginny glared, "Ron, I know better."
Ron, while stuffing some sausage in his mouth looked around then said casually, "Look, it's no big deal okay… I'm just meeting Hermione later, we're going for a walk so we can talk."
Ginny eyes grew wide and she was instantly concerned, she was well aware of her brother's reputation. "Ron, what are you playing at?" She asked, although she already had a pretty good idea.
Ron just smirked and continued to eat, he really didn't care what his little sister thought.
Amazed at his audacity, Ginny thought, 'This is not going to end well.' Ginny huffed and got up to leave, but before she turned to go, Ginny leaned down over the table and looked her brother in the eye from a foot away, "You're playing with fire, Ron… and you're going to get burnt."
As she walked away, Ginny thought about Ron's actions and then briefly wondered why she herself hadn't made a play for Harry like that. 'Because, he's still in love with Hermione,' her little voice told her, 'and I'm beginning to think, she's still in love with him.' Ginny picked up her pace, she needed to find Hermione and then have a talk with the twins.
~oOoOo~
Lunch was just about over as Seamus and Colin watched as Ron met up with Hermione and leave the Great Hall together.
Seamus shook his head, "Unbelievable."
Colin nodded in agreement, then added, "He's got guts, I'll give him that. Think Harry knows?"
"If not, I imagine he soon will."
Colin nodded again. "Well, Ron was his best mate, maybe he's just trying to help."
Seamus turned and looked at Colin with one brow raised, "You think so, do you?"
~oOoOo~
Someone had called him an isolationist. Harry knew he had changed quite a bit recently, but he didn't think he was avoiding everyone to that point. After all, he still went to class, still did his prefect duties. Yeah, he sat in the back of the class and ignored everyone and yeah, except when Neville went with him, he patrolled alone. Then there was the D.A., although that wasn't exactly a social event for him either. Harry sighed, maybe he was becoming more isolated. 'They just don't understand,' he thought. Between the obvious effort to avoid certain topics or the opposite, the awkward questions, it was hard to have even a simple conversation. So, for now except when his responsibilities required it, he preferred to be alone.
Harry was sitting alone outside up on a small knoll. To his right was the castle, low and to the left, the Quidditch pitch and far off in the distance was the lake. It was a beautiful spring day and now that the weather was starting to warm up, Harry found he enjoyed being outdoors more and more. Finding a place to be by oneself wasn't always an easy thing to do at Hogwarts. Harry knew where most of the good hiding spots were and when he needed to get away, this was one of his favorites. Hedwig sat perched on his shoulder and if anyone had been watching they would have smiled at the sight.
"Peaceful, isn't it girl?" Harry rubbed her feathers and she gave a soft bark and nipped his fingers as if to say, 'Yes, it is.'
Not having any classes until later, Harry had decided to come out here to have lunch and study a bit. He had just put his bottle of juice down, picked up his Charms book, and was about to start reading when he noticed a pair of students coming out of the castle. Even from a distance, Harry could tell who they were. Ron's red hair was a dead give-away and he'd know Hermione anywhere. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company as they made their way down to the lake. They were far too distant for Harry to hear them, but at one point he could have sworn they were laughing. Harry watched in silence as they gradually disappeared from view.
Harry raised a brow in confusion. He had been thinking it had all been an act for some reason… but now. Maybe if it had been some other guy. But it wasn't, it was Ron. His ex-best friend with his ex-girlfriend. Harry shook his head; he was letting his insecurities get the better of him. 'They're just talking… nothing wrong with that,' he finally convinced himself.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me for a while longer girl."
Hedwig gave a long soft hoot.
Up in the astronomy tower, another set of eyes watched as the couple walked towards the lake. Turning and shaking his head, all Draco could say was, "Incredible."
~oOoOo~
It had been a long stressful day and Hermione was finally ready for bed. She crawled under the covers and closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her. It seemed that events from earlier in the day still demanded her attention. Her walk with Ron did not turn out as she had expected.
She thought back to when she had left the Great Hall with Ron and headed outside. Their conversation had started off quite light, mainly due to nerves, but slowly they found some common ground and they began to talk again like they had years ago, like they had before… before life had become so severe. They caught each other up on all the weird and funny things going on around them, careful to avoid any mention of Harry. Then, out of nowhere as they approached the castle on the way back, Ron caught her by surprise.
"Hermione, I don't know all that's going on with you… but." Ron had stopped walking and was staring tensely down at his feet. "Well… I think you could use a friend and the thing is…well, we used…"
Hermione noticed Ron's growing nervousness. Guessing he was about to bring up Harry or Seamus she became apprehensive, "Ron, just say what's on your mind."
After a deep breath, Ron started, "It was nice talking to you again, I had a good time. And well, I was wondering if you'd like to do it again?" Ron looked up and gave her an uneasy smile, "I was hoping you would consider going out with me, maybe even be my girlfriend." The last part coming out a little quieter.
Hermione froze, 'What was this, why was he asking her, why now?' she had a million questions all of a sudden. Though she didn't want to believe it, Hermione couldn't help but think that Ginny had been right; that Ron didn't have any real feelings for her and that he was only interested in what he thought he could get from her. She slowly sank down to the ground and sat there staring at nothing, still thinking to herself, 'I didn't think Ron could be that selfish… and what about Harry, how would he take it?' She knew Harry still cared for her. In fact, she was pretty sure he still loved her and wanted to be together again even after all she had done to turn him away. It amazed her more than she could express with only words that he could possibly still have feelings for her. Of course, she felt the same way and she knew she always would. She had no doubts that she would always love him. The last thought about brought her to tears because she knew that it couldn't be, that they would probably never be together again. Thinking that Harry still felt that way only reaffirmed her belief, that the Headmaster was wrong.
A strange foggy memory floated through the back of her mind. Strange, because the memory was from only a few weeks ago and so it should have been crystal clear. She remembered, 'She had gone back yet again and argued with Dumbledore for what seemed like hours. He had finally decided to take her to the Ministry to see the prophecy for herself. Then after finding she was still not satisfied, he let her talk to a couple of Unspeakables. Still, after all that she wasn't convinced and in her anger, she had mistakenly told her headmaster so. Her biggest mistake though, was telling him that she was done with this charade and that she was going to tell Harry everything.' Walking out of the lift into the lobby of the Ministry, she never felt the strong compulsion charm hit her in the back. Little did she know, it hadn't been the first.
Hermione sat up suddenly, "Oh… ahh." Confused, she blinked and tried to focus on her last though, but it was gone. She shook her head trying to clear it. 'What was I…?' but nothing came to her. With a sigh, her mind returned to the present. She again briefly thought about Harry and his feelings but knowing she couldn't dwell on those kinds of thoughts, she quickly pulled herself together.
'If Harry thought Ron and I were together,' she thought, 'maybe Harry would move on.' She hated thinking that and it broke her heart, but if she was to save him, she had to do something.
Ron had been watching her closely and was beginning to think he might have blown it, "Hermione?"
"Oh… sorry, Ron… I was just thinking." Putting on her best poker face, Hermione stood up and walked over to Ron, "Sure, Ron, we can go out again."
"And…" Ron teased gently.
There was just no way she could ever consider dating Ron regularly, let alone be his girlfriend, but for now, he didn't need to know that.
"And we'll see how it goes." After the short conversation she'd had with Ginny about Ron's intentions, she was now certain he really only wanted one thing from her and she sure as hell wasn't going to give it to him. All things considered, she didn't feel quite so bad about being dishonest with him. After all, he wasn't exactly being honest with her. Nevertheless, she made a mental promise to herself to apologize to him sometime in the future.
Suddenly more confident, Ron smiled and took her hand and then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. As Ron turned and pulled Hermione with him back to the castle, he never noticed the sudden blank look in her eyes. Hermione had wanted to pull away, but for some reason couldn't, and worse, she didn't know why.
Lying in bed later, Hermione thought about the irony of the situation; she had needed a friend and now she had one. Too bad it was the wrong one. As tears slowly leaked down her cheeks, she closed her eyes and rolled over and tried to go to sleep.
~oOoOo~
Harry was passing through the common room on his way to a D.A. meeting when Ron stopped him.
"Harry! Hey mate, you got a minute?"
Harry stopped and said hesitantly, "Well, I don't want to be late for the D.A… but what do you need?"
Ron thought, 'Perfect,' he wanted to tell Harry about him and Hermione but didn't want to get into a long discussion that could turn nasty. "Oi, this won't take long, just want to tell you something."
Harry already knew what this was probably about but went along anyway, "Fine, Ron, what?"
"It's about me and Hermione… I know how you feel about her but Hermione doesn't fancy you anymore and well, I… ah…" Ron could see Harry wasn't happy listening to this and his courage started to fade. After a moment of hesitation, Ron finally blurted out, "Well, I asked her out. I'm going to make her my girlfriend. I hope you understand because I don't want this to cause problems for you and me."
Harry had just known Ron was going to say something about Hermione but he didn't see this coming. For a moment he was shocked, like Hermione, Harry didn't think Ron still fancied her. However, more importantly, Harry wondered, did Hermione like Ron? The thought confused him because he really didn't think she did. Harry's mind was racing a mile a minute trying to take it all in and of course, what it all meant. Then slowly, the look on his face turned from shock to anger. It was Ron's last comment that had Harry suddenly seeing red.
"Make her?" Harry said slowly and with a definite edge to his voice, it was cold and menacing.
"Oh, no… you know ah, ask her I mean." Ron stumbled over his reply.
Harry watched as Ron tried to downplay what he had said and he couldn't help but think of how he had treated his last couple of girlfriends. There was a deceitful look in Ron's eyes and something about the way he was talking and even standing. It all but told Harry, Ron was up to something... and probably something he wouldn't like. "Look, Ron, you and Hermione… that's up to, well, up to you and her. I don't know if I'll have a problem with it or not, most likely that'll depend on you." Then Harry turned and faced Ron straight on. Harry stood face to face with him and looked him in the eye as he went on, "But if you're playing games with her, messing with her feelings… then we will have a problem… a big problem."
Ron had seen Harry serious before and he'd seen him mad before, but the look on his face now was frightening and clearly said, 'You'd better believe me.'
Gathering his courage, Ron tried to dissuade Harry, "She's not your girlfriend anymore, Harry, you have to stop protecting her."
Harry stepped closer to Ron to emphasize his point. "No, she's not, but she's still my friend," Harry paused for effect, "I'm only going to tell you this once so listen very carefully, if you hurt her… I. Will. Hurt. You."
Both stood still for a few seconds more just staring at each other, then without saying another word, Harry turned and left for his meeting. Ron watched as Harry walked out through the portrait hole with mixed emotions. On the one hand, he was upset that Harry still felt something for Hermione. It was obvious that those feelings were going to be problematic. On the other hand, it felt kind of good to get something that Harry couldn't have. After all, Harry had everything; fame, money, and all the attention.
'But I got the girl,' Ron thought, 'the one girl Harry wants. Let's see how he likes doing without.' Ron's lips slowly curved up into a small smile, he really liked having a little power, especially over Harry. Ron also decided at that moment, that since Hermione wasn't in the D.A. anymore, he would drop out as well, further aligning himself with her.
~oOoOo~
For the next couple of the weeks, not much changed. Final exams, including O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, were now just over a month away and everyone was beginning to feel the pressure.
When he wasn't studying, Ron took every opportunity he could to show off with Hermione, especially in front of Harry. Hermione tried to stay as busy as possible in order to keep away from Ron but she couldn't avoid him completely. On the few occasions she did have to spend time with him, Ron would always make a big show of it. While she hadn't said yes to being Ron's girlfriend, Hermione had allowed Ron to think she was. It had been a mistake, one that she was finding hard to reverse.
He was beginning to act as if he owned her and was getting more brazen every day. She did her best to counter the public displays of affection and drew the line at just holding hands, but knew to a certain extent, some of it was unfortunately necessary. Hermione knew Ron was trying to make Harry envious and as much as it infuriated her, she had to keep up the pretense if she was going to fool Harry into moving on. Of course, it did nothing to help her bad-girl reputation.
Most of Hermione's closest friends knew something was off. After talking amongst themselves, they were convinced this was not the Hermione they knew. They speculated on many different reasons why she was behaving the way she was but none seemed to stand out. They were positive it was an act and they were now wondering if she was acting alone, or if maybe Harry was actually just playing his part. It was impossible to tell because neither would say a word about it.
Again, the rest of the school thought the worst of Hermione and vicious rumors were spreading like a wildfire. When she wasn't around, Ron told blatantly disgusting stories about her, which only seemed to fan the flames. Some people were beginning to find Ron's actions repulsive and they let him know. He found himself actively avoiding the twins… for his own health. However, Ron didn't seem to care, it almost seemed as if it encouraged him.
~oOoOo~
Finally, Saturday rolled around, and with it the last Hogsmeade visit for the year. Most of the students were looking forward to the break in routine. Hermione, on the other hand, was definitely dreading the day. She had been able to avoid Ron most of the time during the week and never really had to spend any long periods of time with him. Today however, he was planning on spending most of the day with her. As Hermione came down the stairs into the common room she spotted Ron pacing anxiously. She was quite nervous about the day and what he might have planned because Hermione knew she couldn't skip out of all of it, 'maybe after lunch I can getaway… need to study, I'll say,' her thoughts were broken by Ron.
"Finally, blimey what took you so long?" Ron was definitely a little miffed at having to wait.
"Oh, well, you know girls… have to get the right look on before heading out."
"You must not have been trying too hard, considering how much time you wasted."
'What was he saying, that I don't look nice, or that it was a waste of time even trying? Harry would never have said something like that.' Hermione thoughts raged in her head, she wanted to tell him to 'piss off,' right this instance but of course couldn't. "I see, well, some days are better than others… so are we going or what?" Her tone clearly telling him she didn't care for his comment. Hermione pushed past him and out through the portrait, she was now more than sure she was really going to hate this day.
~oOoOo~
Neville and Luna had met at breakfast as usual and were now casually walking down the path to Hogsmeade when Neville asked, "What do you say to a visit to Zonko's first?" He had been working almost as hard as Harry and was in the mood for a laugh.
Luna smiled up at her boyfriend, "Sure, why not, we do have all day."
"Great, oh and please, don't let me forget to stop at Honeydukes."
Almost as an afterthought, Luna replied, "Sure, Nev."
Neville laughed at her use of his nickname, the only other people he'd let call him that were Harry and Hermione. It was kind of nice to hear it from a good friend, but coming from Luna it seemed to almost sing and he found that he was really beginning to like it. Neville let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her.
'If it wasn't for you-know-who, life would be perfect,' he thought. And right on cue, Luna gave his hand a squeeze and flashed him another bright smile.
Luna knew, she didn't know how, but she knew Neville was worried about the future, about them, and about Harry and Hermione. She also knew he had a right to be.
~oOoOo~
Once again, Harry found himself leaving for the Three Broomsticks to meet with Remus. Deep in thought, he ran straight into Malfoy and almost knocked him down.
"Watch it, Scarhead," Malfoy snapped. "What happened, leave your brain at school or is it time for new glasses?" During the last month or so Draco had been taking a fair bit of heat from some of the nastier Slytherins for his new, sit back and observe, attitude. Here was a chance to get them off his back for a while. Malfoy wasn't worried about getting hurt, considering he not only had Goyle and Crabbe with him but also Zabini and his girlfriend. He just hoped this altercation didn't escalate too far.
"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry spat, he wasn't in the mood to bicker, not to mention he was in quite a hurry. He tried to brush past them but didn't get far.
"Not so fast, Potter," Blaise said, stepping in front of Harry, "I think you owe Mr. Malfoy an apology." They all wore a sneer of superiority on their face knowing Harry was badly outnumbered.
"Think, you think…? Doesn't that require a brain?" Harry said as he sneered back. Then he stepped in a little closer and was now definitely in Blaise's personal space making the taller boy slightly uncomfortable. While pointing to both Blaise and his girlfriend, Harry said with a smirk, "I doubt that even between the two of you, you could even come up with, one."
Blaise's girlfriend leered at Harry with a look that could kill, "Are you calling me stupid, Potter?" She practically yelled.
Harry focused on her and was about to respond when Blaise made his move. Out of nowhere, Harry felt a fist make contact with his eye, Blaise had sucker-punched him. The punch knocked Harry back but he kept his balance. Though he was seeing stars, he took a defensive stance and was ready to fight back. Unfortunately, between the distraction, the unexpected blow, and all the yelling, Harry never noticed as Goyle and Crabbe came up behind him as they grabbed hold. Because he had been in a hurry and hadn't recognized the treat for what it was, he'd made a stupid mistake. He had gotten too close to Blaise and had lost track of where all the others were and now it looked like he was going to pay for his carelessness.
With Harry being held by the two Slytherin goons, Draco figured it was time to put on a show. Walking up to him, he got in his face, "Seeing as you're not going to apologize, I might as well get even then." Draco said with a laugh before turning serious. He brought up his fist, ready to start pounding on Harry, then paused and took a quick glance around. Just down the path, a couple of Harry's friends were heading towards them, all he had to do was stall for just a few more seconds and they'd be here. Turning back to Harry, Draco smirked, "Not so tough without your support clowns around are you?"
By the look in Draco's eyes, Harry thought something was off but responded anyway, "Obviously tough enough it takes four and a half of you to put up a good fight."
"Whatever, Potter, hope you enjoy your infirmary stay," Draco only needed a couple more seconds.
"He won't be the only one in the infirmary, Malfoy."
Draco's head snapped to the left at the sound of Katie's voice and found Alicia and Fred standing with her, wands out and ready for a fight.
Blaise was just mad enough to give them one and was already starting to pull his wand out.
"Bad idea." With everyone focused on Alicia, no one noticed the arrival of Neville and Luna, who also had their wands drawn. Neville smiled at Harry and Harry in turn sighed a breath of relief, because things were starting to get ugly. Harry gave a nod back as he shrugged out at his captor's grip.
The small group had grown large very quickly and it had attracted attention. Professor Flitwick came running up, "Is there a problem here?" It was more of a demand to break it up than a question.
"No, sir, we were just… discussing the next Quidditch match coming up," and then with a straight face Harry added, "there seemed to be some question as to who was going to win."
"Yes, yes… well, let's move along now," Flitwick said knowingly, "go on now, off you go."
~oOoOo~
Hermione and Ron had just come out of the Honeydukes, when Hermione noticed the commotion at the far end of the street. Stopping dead in her tracks, she could have sworn she'd seen Harry and it looked like he was in trouble. 'Then again, Harry was always in trouble,' she thought.
"What's up, Hermy?" Ron couldn't help but smile. He knew she hated that name but he also knew she was letting him get away with more and more things these days.
Hermione turned and glared at Ron, "First, Ronniekins, don't call me that," then pointing down the street, she asked, "does that look like a fight?"
Ron followed her line of sight, "Hmm, don't know, maybe… sure looks like Malfoy's gang."
"I thought I saw Harry," Hermione said with a bit of concern in her voice.
"Yeah, well, if Harry's there too, then I'm sure it's a fight."
"We should go see, they may need help."
"Hermione, Harry can take care of himself, besides, what's going to happen in broad daylight right on the edge of town?"
Ron had a point but still, Hermione would have liked to have made sure. Reluctantly, she followed Ron towards The Three Broomsticks where they were going to have lunch. As they made their way there they came a little closer to the fight. Hermione kept glancing over, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening and to see who was involved. Just as Ron and she were entering the pub, she saw him again. The crowd was breaking up and people were heading in all directions leaving Harry standing there in the middle of the street with a hand to his face. Neville was standing next to him and seemed to be examining Harry's face as Luna watched.
~oOoOo~
"Okay, Harry, I've stopped the bleeding and the cut should heal soon. They'll probably be a little bit of swelling though and I'm sure it will be sore for a day or so."
Luna was beaming at Neville, they had only just learned simple healing spells a couple of D.A. meetings back and Neville had used them perfectly.
"That's brilliant, Neville, thanks," Harry was glad he wouldn't need to visit Madam Pomfrey, he didn't need another lecture about fighting. He had just put his glasses back on and looked up as Ron and Hermione were walking by a little way up the street. While he was looking, Hermione glanced over and for a moment their eyes met but Hermione quickly looked away. It seemed fairly clear to Harry they weren't concerned about him.
Neville noticed the exchange and then the disappointed look on Harry's face. "Come on, mate, I'll buy you a butterbeer," Neville said hoping to cheer him up.
"Besides, it seems we can't leave you alone without you getting into trouble," Luna added with a simple smile.
"Thanks, guys, but maybe later, I'm supposed to meet with Remus right now."
"Right then, will meet up in a little while."
~oOoOo~
Draco had begged off staying in Hogsmeade with the other Slytherins on the premise he had to catch up on some potions work. As he made his way back to the castle, Draco thought back to the incident with Potter and how well it had worked out for him. He had been disappearing for longer and longer periods of time lately and was also avoiding any types of run-ins with Potter or his friends. His fellow Slytherins were beginning to ask questions, questions he didn't, or in some cases, couldn't answer. Blaise and his girlfriend Tracey in particular, were becoming a little suspicious of him and he hoped that the chance meeting with Potter and the minor altercation would be just enough to get them off his back for a while. Draco had briefly considered just telling them about his father's orders but realized that would only lead to more questions. And he most certainly couldn't tell them about his mother's advice, as word would definitely get back to the wrong people. Draco was confident that they'd leave him alone for a while. The only problem he saw was that Potter seemed to have noticed he had been stalling, hopefully, he wouldn't reason out why.
~oOoOo~
Harry entered the Three Broomsticks and looked around. After spotting Remus sitting over in a corner reading the paper, he made his way over, "Hey, Moony," he said lightly, getting his old professor's attention.
"Harry, hello, how are you?" After Harry had sat down and he got a better look, Remus quirked a brow and asked, "Or should I say how is your eye?"
Harry chuckled, and then answered as if it was an everyday normal occurrence, "Oh don't worry, it's nothing, just a little run-in with Malfoy and his gang of future Death Eaters."
"I see… well, how did it go with your solicitor?" Remus had wanted to ask about Hermione as well but figured if Harry wanted to talk about her, he'd bring it up.
"Good, and not so good. I can't access any of the main Potter vaults until I turn sixteen, and then only part of it. I have to wait until I'm of age to get full access. However, there is some good news. It seems Professor Dumbledore didn't fulfill some of the aspects of my parent's will and I can now contest his actions. That would open up an investigation into his doings, possibly including some of his personal life."
Remus listened carefully as Harry continued, "So anyway, I've got a feeling he wouldn't like that and I hope that will give me some bargaining power later if I ever need it."
Remus had a thoughtful look on his face, "I'd have to agree with you on that, Harry, especially with the way Dumbledore likes to keep his secrets."
Harry nodded, "Anyway, at this point, I've got nothing to gain, so for now I don't see any reason to cause trouble. After a sip from his butterbeer, Harry looked around to make sure no one was listening and then asked, "What about Padfoot, did you get a chance to talk about… you know, my dreams."
Remus noticed the sudden change in Harry's mood, he was now much more serious and even a tad nervous. "Yeah, I did, and he's even more concerned than me. He wants you to be extra careful, Harry. He agrees with you about something being up. But most of all, he thinks it's some kind of trap."
Harry sat there a bit more relieved, again glad Moony and now Padfoot felt the same way about the situation as him. "Yeah, I'll try. Oh, let him know the dreams are coming more often now and with more intensity. I think something is going to happen soon. And also… tell him, I keep seeing him there." Harry didn't mention that he kept seeing Sirius murdered.
"Sure, I'll tell him, oh I almost forgot." Remus leaned forward a bit and asked gently, "Do you have that journal Hermione gave you?" Harry just nodded yes. "Padfoot and I both think it will help you to organize your thoughts and maybe help you figure out more about these dreams."
"I don't see how," Harry asked skeptically.
"When you write down your thoughts, especially if they're about the events of the day, you are forced to review them more slowly so you see them a little more clearly. Plus I don't know why, but you also tend to be more honest with yourself."
Harry thought about the journal, it would remind him of Hermione but then again, maybe it would help with that problem too. One thing for sure, he certainly had a lot of thoughts lately. Thinking it might actually help, he looked back up at Remus, "Okay, thanks, I'll give it a try."
"That's great, Harry, now I don't know if you've used it yet or not, but before you use it for this, make sure you use a password."
Harry nodded his understanding, "I'll start tonight."
Remus nodded, then both looked up as Neville and Luna walked in.
"Looks like Miss Lovegood has found somebody who understands her," Remus said with a knowing smile.
"Yeah, well most of the time anyway," Harry chuckled as he watched Neville pull out a chair for Luna. She took it with a bright smile on her face with Neville looking just as happy. Harry knew that Neville thought a lot of what Luna said, especially about strange creatures was pretty far out there, but he also knew Neville was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. There were just too many times when something she had said before turned out to be true, even when at the time she had said it, it hadn't made any sense at all.
Harry went on a little more slowly, "They're good for each other and they make a great team." Turning towards Remus, he added sadly, "One of the best in the D.A. now."
Remus knew what Harry meant by now. Now that he and Hermione weren't a team. He just nodded in understanding and gave Harry's hand a pat. They both sat quietly for a moment deep in thought until Remus finally said, "Well, Harry, I know it's been a short visit but I must get going… you know how to reach me."
Harry just nodded and then watched as Remus got up and left. He could tell that he had wanted to say something, anything really, just to cheer him up. 'But there's nothing anyone can say, is there?' he thought. Harry then surveyed the room. Ron and Hermione were over in a dark corner and Harry sighed before saying softly to no one in particular, "Don't think I really want to know." Glancing over the several other students and the two teachers sitting around the room, Harry finally decided to go and sit with Neville and Luna for a while. After that, he'd head back to school, back to his routine… his solo routine.
~oOoOo~
Ron was on his fifth butterbeer, while Hermione was still nursing her first and because he was spiking their drinks with firewhisky, Ron was beginning to feel a bit tipsy. Hermione didn't know where he had gotten it from, but she had no intention of becoming intoxicated and could only hope they left before he became totally pissed.
"Oy, come on pet, drink up."
Ron was obviously really starting to feel good, "You know I don't drink, Ron, besides I've got schoolwork to do later."
"Merlin, Hermione, it's Saturday, give us a break." Ron leaned over and while wiggling his eyebrows slurred, "You know what they say, 'All work and no fun…'"
"Play."
"What?"
"It's play, 'All work and no play.'"
"Whatever, you know what I mean." And she did, that was the problem.
Ron leaned in the rest of the way and tried to kiss her. Hermione leaned back a little and was surprised when Ron put his hand behind her neck to hold her in place. She turned her head at the last second and his kiss landed on her cheek. Ron was getting more aggressive and it was beginning to frighten her a little. She didn't like being kissed by Ron, even if it was only on the cheek and had managed to avoid all but a few quickies since they started seeing each other. However, Ron was starting to catch on. Once, he had caught her off-guard and had managed to kiss her on the lips. Thinking he was making progress, he tried to slip his tongue, past her then tightly closed lips, which ended up making a very wet and sloppy kiss. She had nearly gagged before he finally pulled away, completely oblivious to her reaction. His kisses were anything but soft and tender, nor were they very nice. So here she was, letting him kiss her on the cheek and hating every second of it. Hermione had known today would be bad, but this was almost too much. She hated the public display of affection and she hated having Harry see it. Unfortunately, she knew she had to. Lastly, there was a small part of her – that was growing smaller everyday - that hated lying to Ron and leading him on. She was certain that once he found out, it would be the end of what little friendship they still shared. She was destroying the two best friendships she ever had all at the same time. Sometimes, she wished she wasn't always so good at things.
Ron could tell Hermione just wasn't interested. He wasn't quite as thick as Hermione might think. He had been suspicious by the end of last week and now he was sure. Hermione didn't like him, at least not as a boyfriend. Oh, she probably loved him like a brother, but as a boyfriend she sure didn't. But then again, he didn't really like her all that much either.
Ron had been trying to figure out his feelings all day. 'We were best friends once and now, at least friends, right?' he thought. But if Hermione was his friend, and Harry too for that matter, then why was he finding it hard to care about her. He sure didn't love her, not even as a sister, he was sure of that. Actually, he really didn't even think he liked her all that much, especially as a girlfriend, she was just far too bossy and bookish. He did however want her… but why? Was it to hurt Harry, to get even with him? 'Or maybe both of them for abandoning me last year,' Ron mused before another thought made him smile, 'Or maybe… I just want her to satisfy my needs.' These were the questions running through Ron's foggy mind as he sat next to Hermione. Ron nodded to himself, because the more he thought about them, the more he thought they were probably all true.
"Hermione, let's get out of here," Ron said suddenly, "let's go back to the castle or down to the lake where it's quieter, I know you hate crowds." Yes, it was all true, and sadly, Ron decided he just didn't care.
Since it was still early afternoon, Hermione reluctantly gave in. They had walked down to the lake and Ron was leading them further and further away from the castle. "Ron, just where are we going?"
"You'll see, it's right up here, just a little further," Ron said with a sly smile on his face, like a kid at Christmas who already knew what his presents were.
At first, Hermione had thought Ron might have just wanted a private place to talk. At one point yesterday he had mentioned that was something he wanted to do today. But as they continued, her female senses were starting to kick in and she was becoming more leery by the minute. She figured Ron was hoping to take their so-called relationship a bit further but really didn't think Ron would try to force her to do anything she didn't want too. 'We're friends, he wouldn't do that to me,' she thought.
Swaying on his feet a little, Ron gestured to a small patch of grass and said, "Aw, here we are."
Hermione looked around; Ron had brought them all the way out to a small clearing just off the edge lake. With thick trees and bushes pretty much all the way around, it didn't get much more secluded than this.
Ron pulled a large blanket from his book bag and spread it out on the ground. "Sit down, pet," Ron said as he plopped down on his back with his hands clasped behind his head for a pillow.
Hermione glanced around and even though she thought better of it, she sat down a couple of feet away from Ron. Hermione was getting a good idea of just what he had in mind. 'Does he think this is romantic… incredible,' she thought, then asked, "So, you wanted to talk?"
"You look kind of lonely way over there, Herrrms," Ron slurred with a suggestive smile while ignoring her question.
"And calling me names is supposed to make me feel better?" Hermione answered with a raised eyebrow.
Ron sat up and leaned forward, taking one of her hands, "I'm sorry, pet, it just slipped out, let me make it up to you," Ron said trying to sound sincere as he pulled her down on top of him. Ron was now lying flat on his back with Hermione sprawled across the top of him in a very unladylike position. Having her just where he wanted, Ron quickly let go of her hand and reached up around her neck, while at the same time he wrapped his other arm wrapped around her waist, effectively pinning her to him.
Hermione didn't care for the position she was in and in particular, the way she got there. She was glad no one would see her in such a compromising situation but at the same time, she sure as hell wasn't going to let Ron go any further. She struggled to push herself up and off his chest, but Ron had other ideas.
Ron pulled her down for a kiss and as usual, she had turned her head, so he just started kissing her along the jaw line. He knew she wasn't enjoying it… yet. So, a moment later, he decided to move on, confident that he'd soon get her in the spirit of things. He pulled her up a little and began to lay kisses down her neck.
As she continued to struggle, she thought, 'At least I can wash my neck,' no sooner had Hermione finished that thought, than she started to feel him suck harder on a tender spot at the base of her neck. She tried to lift her head and pull away, but Ron held her tight. Finally, after getting her hands on the ground she was able to break away and then yelled, "Ronald!
"What, it's just a little monkey bite, Hermione… it's no big deal."
"I prefer not to be marked if you don't mind," Hermione told him angrily.
"Okay, okay, sorry… you know you can always use magic to cover it up."
Ron was right, she could, but Hermione still didn't like the idea of a hickey, especially from him, it felt… dirty. "Yeah, I know, I just don't like them, okay?" She said a little more easily as she tried to sit up, now that the tension of the situation had passed. "Now would you please let go of me, I thought you wanted to talk?"
Ron held her tight though and gave her a crooked smile, "Actually, I prefer you right where you are, we can later." And then lifted his head to her and started kissing her neck again before she could slip away.
Growing disgusted with the situation, Hermione wanted to end this as soon as possible. She figured he'd have to come up for air soon and that was when she'd let him know she needed to get back, that she had some schoolwork to finish. However, Ron didn't seem to need to breathe and in fact, was now running his hand up and down her back. 'Ah… this is horrible… I can't…' Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by Ron's hand, the one that had been rubbing her back. Ron had slid it down to her thigh where he stopped just below the hem of her skirt. He paused for a moment to fell the softness of her skin and then slowly started moving it back up and under her skirt.
Ron could hear Hermione starting to protest, so he abruptly reached all the way up and cupped her arse. At the same time, he went back to trying to kiss her on the lips so she couldn't say anything. In Ron's intoxicated mind, he was sure that once he got her properly worked up he could do whatever he wanted to her.
If anybody had walked by at this point they would have thought the worst of Hermione. She was lying on top of Ron with her legs slightly parted thanks to Ron raising one of his own up in between hers. Her skirt was now hiked up almost to her waist while Ron squeezed her bum.
'Merlin,' Hermione thought, 'this sure got out of hand in a hurry.' She knew Ron was quite drunk and was getting more excited by the second. She also knew in his current state of mind he wouldn't realize what he was doing was wrong and therefore, wouldn't stop on his own. She needed to end this now before it got any worse. Hermione tried to lift herself up but Ron held her firmly to him. She then reached back behind herself and tried to push her skirt back down while at the same time trying to push his hand away. It was no use, Ron was lost in his own little world and ignoring her attempts. Even with all her training, because he was physically much stronger than her, unless she could get some space between them it was all useless. Hermione was starting to get worried.
"Stop, Ron!" She managed to say as she shook her head back and forth to avoid being kissed. However, Ron payed her little notice as his breathing grew more rushed. Hermione was nearing the point of panic, "NO! Ron, stop, please stop," She tried again. It only seemed to encourage him and his excitement was growing at a fevered pitch. Ron was now starting to pull at her knickers as she struggled to get free. Hermione knew he was now completely out of control and judging by the hard bump pressing into her belly, she also knew without a doubt what his alcohol-induced intentions were. She was in trouble. 'My God… I've got to find a way to stop him.'
Because Ron was holding her so close to his body and they were lying down, Hermione was finding it nearly impossible to fight back, she just didn't have the strength to overpower him. She needed to think of something fast. She couldn't reach her wand, and she needed more space between them to use her karate skills. An idea quickly came to mind but Hermione had to get Ron to loosen his grip on her for the plan to work. So, she relaxed as much as she could under the circumstances and then she started to kiss him just below his ear. After a moment, she let out a little whimper hoping to sound encouraging. That finally did the trick and Ron loosened his vice-like grip. Ron moved his second hand down so he could start to pull her blouse up and that was all Hermione had needed. She broke the kiss and quickly rose up on her hands and knees. Ron thought she was helping him, so he started to smile. Now, with the space and leverage she needed, Hermione quickly, and quite forcefully, brought her right knee up into Ron's groin. The response was instantaneous.
Ron's eyes rolled back and then screwed themselves shut as unbelievable pain shot up from his genitals. Air left his lungs violently as if trying to avoid a similar fate and he barely managed to gasp, "Bloody hell!" At the same time, he shoved Hermione off and reached down to hold himself.
Hermione landed in the grass on her back with a thump. Rolling over quickly, she jumped up and a split-second later had her wand pointed at Ron with a curse already on her lips. However, her great reflexes weren't really necessary, as Ron was now lying on his side in the fetal position moaning. Hermione was slightly torn between hating Ron for trying to take advantage of her and feeling a little guilty about hurting him so badly.
As she stood there staring at Ron, she started to shake as all of her emotions started to catch up with her; fear, confusion, anger, and most of all, sadness. The entire incident hadn't lasted more than a couple of minutes, but at the time it had seemed much longer. They were out in the middle of nowhere with no one around to help her, things could have turned out a lot worse. She watched Ron and the harder she looked, the angrier she got and the less sorry she felt for him. Even if the boyfriend-girlfriend thing was fake, they still used to be friends, didn't that count for something? Had their friendship ever meant anything, or had he always thought that little of her? Maybe he had been pretending as well. Maybe he knew it was all a ruse and that she had been using him, but then why hadn't he gotten mad, why didn't he say something? Then again if he'd known, it meant he had been using her as well. He had taken advantage of the situation and their friendship, and had twisted it into something sick and perverted just to satisfy his own lust.
Hermione didn't know what to do, she wanted to hex him all the way back to the Burrow and tell him what an insensitive, selfish prat he was. She wanted to tell him they were through. But if she did that, Harry would probably find out what happened, and the one thing she did know was that Harry could never find out. It would certainly complicate matters even more between them, but most of all she knew what Harry would do to Ron and it would only add to his problems. So, having decided, Hermione knelt down a few feet away from Ron and said in a voice that was completely devoid of emotion, "I'm returning to the castle… I don't want to see you for a few days." Hermione slowly stood up and after a long hard look at the boy she used to call one of her best friends, she turned and walked away.
~oOoOo~
As Ron approached the castle he noticed Harry standing by the doors, he paused to try and see what kind of mood Harry was in. It took him a little while after Hermione had left him before he could get up, let alone walk. Therefore, he was quite sure Hermione had beaten him back, but he really had no idea if she had said anything or even seen anyone yet. After just a few moments, he saw Harry laugh at something Neville had said. 'Well, there's no way Harry would be in that good of mood if she had said anything to him,' Ron thought, so he continued on into the castle. "Hey," he said with a big smirk on his face as he hurried past the group.
Harry watched him walk by but said nothing.
Like Harry, Luna didn't bother to acknowledge him either.
Neville just raised an eyebrow and gave him a curt nod. "He acts like a Malfoy more and more these days," Neville said half-jokingly after Ron had passed.
Harry didn't want to admit it, because part of him still wanted Ron as a friend, but deep down he couldn't help but feel jealous that Ron was with Hermione, 'My Hermione,' he thought sadly. Plus there was something else, something he couldn't put his finger on, 'Were Ron and Hermione really together, or were they just in on something together? Whether it was the both of them or just Hermione alone, there was something weird about the whole thing.' What, he just didn't know.
"Hey, mate, you alright?" Neville asked, bringing him back from his pondering.
"Oh… yeah sorry, just thinking… does the whole Ron and Hermione thing seem strange to you somehow?"
Neville thought for a second, he wanted to be careful about what he said. The last thing he wanted to do, was hurt their relationship any further. Neville did think Harry had something though. Nodding, he said, "Yeah… kind of."
Harry nodded back but didn't push for more. "… so anyway, yeah you guys looked like you were having a good time together today, even Moony noticed."
Luna seemed unfazed by Harry's comment or the quick change in topic, while Neville's cheeks grew warm. He was about to thank Harry and ask about Remus when his girlfriend interrupted, "Hello, Hermione, how are you, have the Blibbering Humdingers been bothering you?"
Hermione had taken a round-about way back in order to calm down a bit before returning to the castle. Still deep in thought, she didn't notice the small group just inside the door until she heard Luna. Stopping with a confused look on her face, she asked, "Hun, err what was that again?"
"Blibbering Humdingers; when you have something on your mind, they sense it and try to confuse you. You just had that look… that's all," Luna replied with a serious face, yet at the same time appearing unconcerned.
"I see, well, no I don't think so… anyway, how is everyone?" Hermione asked trying to change the subject.
Harry couldn't help but notice she was looking everywhere but at him and that she was fidgeting a lot. It was obvious to him at least she was nervous about something.
"We're fine," Neville said, "we were just talking about the day, you know, Hogsmeade and everything."
Hermione glanced at Harry and found him staring right at her. She could tell he was trying to read her. He obviously wanted to know what she was thinking or maybe what she'd been doing. Hermione quickly looked away and turned back to Neville. "Oh well, yeah, it was a nice day, wasn't it?"
Harry couldn't stop himself, "Well, Ron sure seemed happy a moment ago."
Hermione didn't have a clue as to what Ron may have said and panicked a little. "Really?" She asked as nonchalantly as possible.
"Yeah… so where did you two disappear to after you left Hogsmeade?"
To Hermione, it suddenly sounded and felt more like an interrogation than a simple question. She could tell Harry was getting mad and she didn't want to upset him any further. "Nowhere really, we just walked around a little and talked… that's all," Hermione finally said, hoping he'd let it go at that.
Harry stepped a little closer and leaned forward slightly to catch her eye, "Really… just talked?" Harry then stepped back with his eyebrows raised in question and turned to Neville and Luna, "They just talked…" He said obviously unconvinced, then turning back to Hermione, "Well, I should go, nice… talking to you."
Hermione watched him turn and leave. She knew he didn't believe her, not for one second. She could tell not only by his choice of words but by his tone as well. Worst of all, she could tell by the hurt in his eyes. After a moment she looked back at Neville and Luna, exasperated, she blurted out, "What?" to their questioning stare.
Luna came up to Hermione and started pulling twigs and leaves and even some grass out of her hair. "Maybe next time you should brush your hair before you come back… that is, if you want him to believe you."
All Hermione could do was stare at Luna in disbelief. 'How could I have been so stupid? I must have looked like a fool.' With those thoughts in her head, she sighed, "Yeah, I'll try and remember that."
~oOoOo~
AN: For all you Ron lovers out there I know this was harsh, but it will be these events that eventually turn things around for him. It will be quite unique I think. If you think you know how, let me know and I'll tell you how warm you are.
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