Second Chances
Chapter 15
Draco paced about restlessly. She hadn't cancelled the wedding yet, but as things were going it was only a matter of time. Nothing he had said or done had improved her disposition towards him. He was sure the Weasleys were poisoning her mind so she'd reject him.
He'd started pondering the reasons for her distant behaviour over the last month and he'd drawn a couple of conclusions.
First of all, she wasn't as in love with him as he'd previously imagined. That mysterious mind-reader had given him a clue about that when he'd approached Draco. So logically, Ginny was being cautious.
Secondly, there was the fact that he'd Apparated away when the attack began, instead of remaining in the path of danger like a stupid Gryffindor. She really hadn't appreciated that, and she'd been staying at her mother's ever since, to 'reflect on their relationship!'
He needed a solution to address both these problems at once. Putting her under the Imperius would be such a solution, but the Ministry had recently improved their magical detection methods. Whereas in the past they'd had to limit themselves to households with under aged Muggle-borns, they now had the ability to monitor wizarding households as well. However, in large wizarding households with many magical artefacts and wizards casting magic into the air, the detection method wasn't reliable. But it was sophisticated enough to detect the use of unforgivable curses despite magical interference. Indeed, that had been the primary goal in its design. So the Imperius was out of the question.
Then he had it…an enslavement collar! It worked like the Imperius but it was much more subtle. Of course, he could hardly fasten a collar around her neck. That would be too obvious. No…he had to figure something out. He needed something inconspicuous.
He smirked. There was that silly ring that Potter had given her for her sixteenth birthday…the one she refused to take off. It was a cheap thing really, and when he'd pointed that out to her, she told him that its value came from the one who'd given her the ring. All he needed to do was to fashion an exact duplicate of the ring and have it charmed and transformed into an enslavement ring. Since she always wore it, no one would ask any questions.
Draco could really appreciate the irony of the situation. Indirectly, Potter would be helping him get Ginny back. This was sort of a double irony even, for Potter's return from the dead was no doubt a third reason why Ginny had been so distant lately, and now he'd be using a gift Potter had given her to secure her obedience.
What he couldn't appreciate however, was the fact that Potter would no doubt try to kill him if he found out where Draco lived. So he had to move. And he had just the place in mind…a place Potter wouldn't dare to attack him!
*
"You want to do what?" Percy Weasley asked incredulously.
Draco suppressed a smirk with all his willpower as he looked at Amos Diggory pleadingly. He'd made sure to accidentally walk in on the Minister's meeting with Weasley, so the Minister would be present and Weasley would look really bad if he'd refuse. "I'd like to move to the Burrow," he repeated. "I'll be safe from Potter there."
"Guilty conscience, Malfoy?" Weasley smirked.
"Not at all!" Draco retorted. "I've only told your brother about this, and I made him promise not to tell anybody else because I knew it would hurt Ginny…but after I was acquitted, Harry threatened that he'd make sure I wouldn't escape my punishment. He clearly believes that I'm guilty, and that makes me a target. But I'm sure he won't blast through your family like he killed those innocent people in Petra. I think they mean too much to him!"
"How can you be sure?" Percy frowned. "I don't want to endanger my family."
"I understand." Draco nodded. "But imagine the inevitable backlash against the Ministry my death would cause if the people find out that you could have sheltered an innocent man and you didn't. We both know that I am innocent, and my death will cause everyone to panic, because they'll think no one will be safe from Potter anymore."
"He's right, Percy," Diggory said. "He needs to be sheltered."
"Why can't he go to a safe-house?" Weasley argued.
"I could go to a safe-house, if that'll make you feel better, but truth be told, I'd like to work on my relationship with Ginny. I know what I did in the attack was cowardly…in fact, what I'm doing now is cowardly as well, but I'm changing…you know I am. I'd like to live long enough to redeem myself. Besides, who is going to guard me in that safe-house? I didn't know you had any Aurors to spare at the moment."
"We don't." Diggory nodded and looked at Weasley. "Percy, I can't force your family to take him in, but for the sake of the British wizarding world it would be good if you did."
Again Draco had to suppress a smirk. That had just been too easy.
Weasley sighed. "If you can convince my mother, Amos, he can stay…because I'm sure not going to face my mother's wrath for this!"
Diggory paled. "Ah, well…I understand your mother is fond of hats these days?"
Percy smiled weakly. "Well, presenting her with a really nice hat might improve your chances a bit."
*
Ginny listlessly played with her dinner.
The house had been quiet ever since they had rushed Angelina to St. Mungo's where she'd given birth to Cassidy and Duncan, bringing the Weasley grandchildren total to nine. Thankfully, George had had the sense to return a week before the expected delivery to be present when the babies were born. Angelina would never have forgiven him if he'd missed the birth of his children.
After giving birth, Angelina had decided to return to the large manor house in a secluded area the Welsh countryside. She and George had moved there when she'd been expecting Fred. Ginny couldn't help being impressed with the house every-time she visited it. It was really a beautiful place, and no less than two resident House-elves maintained the place. There used to be three, but one of them had begged George for clothes because Susie and Millie had targeted her for the practical jokes. In the end, the situation had been resolved by assigning the elf to a different household to prevent it from being dishonoured by clothes, and a new house-elf would soon be appointed to the manor house. According to Angelina, it was a no-nonsense elf who had an excellent record for taming troublesome children…just what she needed.
Ginny sighed as her mind wandered to Harry. What little hunger she'd had disappeared instantly as her thoughts strayed over to him. What had possessed him to do those things? She couldn't believe that he'd done those things of his own free will…Maybe he was being controlled. That had to be it!
"Thinking about Harry again, dear?" her mother asked. "I'm sure Hermione won't let anything happen to him, you know."
Ginny nodded silently. She'd owled Hermione for information, but her friend had informed her that she wasn't allowed to discuss the situation with any outsiders. Ginny understood the need for security, but that didn't make it any less painful or frustrating.
She looked at her mother. "Do you think Harry's evil…Mum?"
"He may have done some evil things dear, but he isn't beyond redemption."
Ginny's swallowed to remove a lump from her throat, and tears began to leak out of her eyes. She'd been crying a lot lately…every time she remembered what Harry's inevitable fate would be. "But they won't give him a chance to redeem himself, Mum. They'll kill him as soon as they find him."
Molly got up, walked around the table and gave her daughter a much needed hug. "I don't know what'll happen to him, dear. I really don't. I hope Ron will be able to convince him to return to the good side." Ron had left for Concordia earlier that day, to help the Rangers bring Harry in.
"But why would he do that?" Ginny sobbed. "If he gives himself up they're just going to kill him."
"I'm so sorry!" Molly sighed. "I wish Professor Dumbledore were alive. He'd know what to do…because I don't. I hope Hermione finds a way to keep him alive. And you know, there's still a small chance that he's being controlled. If they can prove that, maybe they'll let him go. But if he survives this, his life is going to be very hard. The families of the dead won't forgive him. He'll be marked for life."
"I'll be right there beside him, Mum!" Ginny said fiercely. "I won't ever leave him alone again."
Her mother managed a smile. "Does this mean you're cancelling the wedding?"
Ginny nodded. "You were right, as usual." She sighed. "I can't marry Draco. Harry's the one for me," she added, knowing that she'd stand by Harry for better or for worse.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Molly's eyes widened and drew her wand and Ginny did the same. They weren't expecting any company, and with the magical wards in place no one could Apparate or Floo into the Burrow. "Who is it?" Molly called.
"It's Amos, Molly."
"Amos Diggory?"
"Yes!"
"How do I know it's really you?" Molly challenged.
"I thought you'd be expecting me," Diggory said. "Didn't Percy tell you I'd be coming over?"
The fireplace roared and changed colour and Percy's head floated in the flame. "Mum? Did Amos call at the house yet? I should have called you but Hannah needed me to help with the baby so she could have some sleep, and it slipped my mind, and…"
"As a matter of fact, he's at the door," Molly interrupted, putting her wand away. "You should have called, I really made quite a fool of myself just now." She sighed, and Ginny giggled. "Why is Amos here, anyway?"
Percy paled. "Ah, well…he'll tell you. Bye Mum!" Percy said quickly, and his head disappeared.
Molly sighed and removed a protection spell from the door and opened it. "Hello, Amos…" she began warmly, before she noticed somebody else. "Draco!" she said in a voice so cold that it caused the room temperature to drop ten degrees.
Ginny frowned. What was Draco doing here?
"Err, m-may we come in, Molly…I-I bought you a little something," Amos stammered, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Molly stepped aside to allow them in, glaring at Draco. Then she turned her attention to the box Amos was carrying. She took it and unwrapped it with the flick of her wand.
Ginny and Molly both gasped as they saw the contents. It was a very chic black velvet hat, and Molly couldn't hide her delight. "But what's the occasion?"
"Amos looked uncomfortable. The Ministry would really appreciate it if you could take Draco in for a while, at least until the whole situation with Harry Potter is over.
Ginny's anger rose. They were speaking about Harry as if he were some sort of criminal!
"We have reason to believe that Draco might be a target," Amos continued.
"Why?" Molly asked.
Draco looked at Ginny apologetically. "I didn't tell you this before, because I didn't want to hurt you…I know how you feel about Harry. But after my trial, he threatened me. He hadn't believed that I had nothing to do with Voldemort. I told Ron, but I made him promise not to tell you…because…I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, Ginny."
"You're lying!" Ginny snapped.
"I'm afraid it's the truth, Ginny." Amos sighed. "Ron had confirmed this before he left this afternoon."
Ginny just shook her head and ran up to her room, holding in her tears. It couldn't be true…it just couldn't be! She knew Harry too well! He'd never do that.
*
"Why should I keep him here?" Mrs Weasley snapped. "He hasn't been here for five minutes, and he's already hurt Ginny!"
"Molly, think of the consequences if Harry kills an innocent man. Lest we forget, Draco has been acquitted after a very thorough Ministry investigation. Harry's already feared. If he kills Draco, there will be panic."
Draco saw that Mrs Weasley was thinking it over. "All right…he can stay!" she then said, talking about Draco as if he wasn't there. Then she turned to look at him. "But you had better stay away from my daughter, is that understood?"
Draco nodded.
"Good. You'll be staying in Ron's old room, under the attic."
"Under the attic? Where the ghoul lives?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose. It seemed as if Mrs Weasley planned to make his stay as uncomfortable as possible. But he smiled inwardly…because she'd have no choice but to change her attitude towards him after he was part of her family.
"Yes…unless you want to turn down the offer to stay here?" she grinned.
Draco gave a resigned sigh. "All right then."
"Good, then it's settled." Diggory clapped his hands. "I'll arrange things so that Draco can use the Floo for travel to your house." He took a little bag of Floo powder at of his pocket. Draco frowned. Apparently, it was possible for everybody to leave by Floo, but that only those allowed could arrive. "And it goes without saying that Draco's stay here should stay under wraps."
Mrs Weasley nodded, and she turned to face him after Diggory had disappeared into the fireplace. "Now you…" She couldn't finish her sentence, because he'd blown a handful of sleeping dust into her face, and she nodded off immediately and just stood there, asleep. He had to hurry, in case Charlie or George Weasley decided to call or visit, and find their mother like that.
He bounded up the stairs and knocked on the door on the second landing. "Mum?"
"Ginny, it's me, I need to talk to you. Your mum said it was okay," he said quickly.
"Go away!" Ginny snapped.
"Ginny…this is important. If we get this out of the way now, I promise I won't bother you again!"
That had done the trick. He heard Ginny get up to open the door, and he prepared himself. He blew the dust into her face as she opened the door, and once again the effect was instantaneous.
He grabbed her hand as she stood there like a sleepwalker, and pried Harry's ring off her finger. It wasn't easy, but he finally managed, and he carefully held it in his left hand. Then he took the replica out of his right pocket, and compared them…they were exactly the same! Then, carefully, so as not to mix the rings, he put the one in his left hand into the left pocket of his robes, and slid his ring on her finger instead. It briefly glowed, and then faded. She'd now obey his every whim, as if she was under the Imperius Curse. Then he grabbed the little bag with the counter agent for the powder he'd used and blew that into her face. She woke up with a start, and the hostile face took on a dreamy expression. "Hi Draco!"
Draco briefly considered taking her right there and then, but he knew it would be tempting fate. He needed to awaken Mrs Weasley as soon as possible. "Go back to whatever you've been doing, my pet!" He smirked at his own choice of words, and she complied.
Then he went back downstairs, beaming to himself. He'd rehearsed this many times in his head, as he'd met with one of his former contacts in the business of smuggling dark artefacts. It had been difficult to procure the ring and the highly illegal sleeping agent and counter agent in so little time. But he'd arranged much more in less time when he'd been planning the death of the Mudbloods. This was a piece of cake for him.
He arrived in the kitchen and took the last bit of the counter agent on his hand. Then he grabbed the bags that had contained the powders and threw them into the fire. He needed to dispose of all the evidence of course. Then he raised his hand and prepared to blow the counter agent into her face…but he changed his mind. There was something he'd always wanted to do! His future mother-in -law had lost quite a bit of weight after her no good husband died, and she now had a voluptuous bum that just invited a hearty slap, and he knew this was his only chance so he slapped her bottom fondly and chuckled. Then he blew the counter agent into her face and she woke up.
"Now you just play by the rules and I won't have to hex you into next week, are we clear?"
"Crystal!" Draco replied, before heading up to Ron's room.
***
Hermione rubbed her eyes as she walked towards the mess hall, having just pulled a double shift in command. She could sense the tension within the Citadel. Harry had been lying low ever since he'd killed Vernon Dursley, and he was nowhere to be found. The people behind the attacks on April 3rd also hadn't attracted any attention to themselves and this all contributed to a growing frustration within the Citadel.
Another point of friction was the question of whether or not Harry was being controlled. Half of the Rangers believed, or were at least willing to entertain the thought that Harry was being controlled, while the other half assumed that Harry's thirst for revenge was completely his own. That division was also clearly represented in the townhouse. Gudrun had moved in when Helga had moved out to go live with Nathan so Hermione didn't know her opinion on the matter. Hermione and Galatea believed that Harry was being controlled, while Mayumi and Clara believed that he was simply on a rampage. Lilia and Gudrun, nicknamed the twins because of their very similar attitudes, couldn't care less whether or not Harry was being controlled and said that they didn't blame Harry one bit even if he had killed Dursley of his own accord. Heidi, being a typical politician, refused to take sides and negotiated an uneasy peace between the opposing camps.
She hadn't seen Max in nearly a week in now, and neither had Galatea. Apparently, he'd been training most of the time, and spent the remainder of the time in his quarters doing god knows what. Every time Hermione had gone to visit him, he'd turned her away, and she was getting a bit worried about him. He'd been like this ever since Lei's death, nearly a month ago, spending more and more time brooding over whatever information the diary contained.
To make matters worse, Hermione had noticed that he'd started to spend more and more time with Mayumi Sakai. Galatea wasn't taking it too well, because she clearly believed that Max wasn't interested in anything beyond friendship with her. Hermione wished she could reassure her friend, but she was bound by her promise to Max not to tell anybody about his feelings for Galatea.
She walked into a nearly deserted mess hall, and saw Max sitting at one of the tables by himself. She wondered why he was still awake, since it was past midnight. So after getting a chocolate covered doughnut for the sugar boost, and a cup of tea, she sat down next to him. He'd been so busy, absently toying with a small gold pendant, that he didn't even notice her approach. "Max?"
He jumped a little. "Hermione…what are you still doing up?"
She yawned. "I just pulled a double shift in C&C. What's your excuse?"
"Training…golems," came his usual short reply.
"Ah!" Hermione nodded. This conversation wasn't going anywhere, but she decided Max needed to practice his conversational skills, so she remained seated and took a good look at the pendant. It looked like a teardrop, and she thought she noticed some grooves in the side. It had to be one-half of a set. "That's a nice pendant. Did it belong to Lei? Where's the other half?"
"It belonged to my mother," he said slowly. "The other half…was taken…when my mother was killed…Master Lei couldn't save her."
"Your mother?" Hermione asked, utterly confused. Max wasn't making much sense, and she really started to worry about him.
Max didn't answer. He simply stared at the pendant, and he kept toying with it. "I was wondering what'll happen to all my money…if I'm killed in action."
Hermione frowned. That had been quite a drastic change of topic, but she was willing to encourage any conversation. "Why is that? Do you have so much money, then?"
Max nodded. "I've still got the compensation for my father and my grandfather…and with this inheritance, I don't really have to work anymore. I could quit right now…settle down…start a family," he said, looking like he didn't believe it possible himself.
"But you won't, will you?"
Max shook his head. "I'm a Ranger. My great-grandfather was a Ranger, my grandfather and my father were Rangers as well…my other grandfather is a Ranger." He locked his gaze with Hermione's. "I don't have a nationality. I was born in the Netherlands, and I lived there for a while…but I wouldn't call it home. I can't really call any of the places I've lived…home. You can call yourself an English witch…but I don't have a place I'd call home. My roots are spread all over the world…I'm not Dutch, nor American. I'm not Concordian either. But I am a Ranger."
Hermione reached over and grabbed his hand. He didn't tense anymore… he'd finally got used to Galatea and Hermione touching him. She understood what he was getting at. He identified with the Rangers, because he had nothing else. To stop being a Ranger would be to lose his identity. "But why are you so convinced that you'll die?"
"It isn't like I'm convinced…but I deem it likely."
"Don't be so pessimistic…Max," Hermione said giving his hand a little squeeze.
Max sighed. "The ranking officers have been formulating a plan to stop Harry in case it turns out he can't be brought in peacefully. A lot of factors still have to be worked out…but it boils down to this. He must be held in a spot, while everyone throws all they have at him…but someone has to hold him. Someone has to be sacrificed."
Hermione gripped his hand tighter, and a tried to swallow the lump that had been forming in her throat. "But why you?"
"I'm the best choice for the job," Max said evenly. "I have the best chance of accomplishing that task."
"There has...to be another way." Hermione struggled to utter these words as she felt a painful throb in her chest.
"This is the best way," Max said, and Hermione was surprised by the serene look on his face. It reminded her so much of the look Harry had worn before he went to face Voldemort. "A lot of lives will be saved."
A tear began to roll down her cheek as she shook her head again, and Max brushed it away.
"Don't cry…" he whispered. "This is all for the best…it's my destiny."
"You hold your destiny in your own hands, Max," Hermione sniffed.
Max managed a little smile. "That's what Master Lei always said." He paused. "Hermione…there's something I need you to know…"
Hermione's insides twisted. Why was this all so confusing? How could she have become so attached to Max in so little time. He was nearly as close to her as Ron and Harry had been. Maybe it was because he reminded her of them both in so many ways.
"Hermione…I have a twin sister out there somewhere."
That revelation hit her like a dozen stunners. "What?"
Max pulled the green diary out of the pocket of her robes. 'That's why Anastasiou wanted me so badly. Horatiu Chivu, a gifted Divinator…predicted that the mind-reader would have twin heirs. Anastasiou wanted our powers at his disposal…so I know my sister must still be alive…I can feel it. Anastasiou wouldn't have killed her. She's much too valuable to him."
Hermione's mouth fell open. She suddenly understood what Mrs Weasley's reaction had been all about when Max mentioned that he was Elisabeth van Ketel's only child. Molly must have recognised that Elisabeth had been about to give birth to twins, judging from the size of her belly, and she must have been surprised to hear Max telling her that it hadn't been the case.
Max swallowed continued. "If I don't live through this ordeal with Harry…Could you and my grandfather try to rescue my sister for me?"
"Yes…I'll do my best!" Hermione nodded, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "But you'll survive. I'm sure that Harry is being controlled, and I'm just as sure that we can break that control over him."
"Thanks," Max said, wiping away a tear forming in his own eyes. "You know what…even if I never get to meet my sister…I'll still have known a sister. You're like a little sister to me. The bratty know-it-all little sister." He put his arm around her and drew her to him.
Hermione's heart grew light and heavy at the same time as she heard his words. She rested her head on his shoulder.
*
Ron had really enjoyed his trip in the Cruiser. He'd been really amazed at the artefacts that these Rangers seemed to have at their disposal, and a Ranger named Hwang had explained how the ship was animated. Instead of travelling to Nomad Island instantaneously…something Ron had been told the ship was capable of, they'd flown at a blistering speed of about two thousand knots, making a few stops along the way to pick up some a few other Rangers.
Five hours of the roughly ten-hour trip had been spent in a thrilling chess game against Clara, a witch from Brazil. In the end, Ron had eagerly accepted the proposal for a draw, because he'd known that that had been a match that he wouldn't have been able to win.
He'd also chatted with some of the other Rangers and realised that they'd all avoided mentioning Harry. He could feel that Harry was a sore issue for these Rangers. He'd decided not to press the issue
He'd also spend a lot of time thinking about Malfoy. Ron really didn't like the fact that Malfoy was using his family as a human shield against Harry, and he secretly hoped that his mum wouldn't consent to Draco's staying there.
Ron had made Charlie promise to drop by and check on the Burrow a much as possible, but he doubted that his older brother would check on his mother and sister as much as Ron would have. Charlie was a bit lax about those things, and Ron was sure that Charlie would start making up for lost time by bringing a lot of witches to his flat now that Ron was away. Unwilling to move back to the Burrow, Ron had moved in with Charlie after being transferred to the Office for House-elf Relocation. Charlie hadn't dared to object, partly because he'd felt a bit guilty for transferring Ron to that office, of all places, and forcing him to work with Malfoy.
As Ron disembarked, he saw that he was standing in a cavernous place, and another ship similar to the one he'd come in, standing a few dozen yards away.
"Welcome to the Citadel, Ron Weasley," a melodious voice, coming from his right, said.
Ron's breath caught in his throat as he saw the beautiful creature who'd spoken to him, and he felt his face grow hot. With slivery-white hair that reached just below her waist, a slender yet curvy figure and blue eyes that shone like opals, she was positively stunning. For some reason, she reminded him of Fleur. "Hi…are you part Veela?" he asked, kicking himself for his stupid question. It had been a very rude way to start a conversation.
But to his delight, she answered him with a smile. "In fact, I am one quarter Veela. You're very observant. My grandmother is a Veela."
"Oh! You're one quarter Veela...my sister-in-law is one quarter Veela too," Ron said, rattling on nervously. "Her name's Fleur Delacour…d'you know her? Of course you don't…I mean, I guess it was a bit stupid of me to assume that all part Veela know each other and…"
"Fleur?" The beautiful woman started laughing. "Oh, I know Fleur! She's my cousin. I pity the man who married her. How does your brother put up with her?"
Ron's eyes widened. "You're Fleur's cousin? Didn't she invite you for their reception?" Bill and Fleur had eloped, and they had later held a reception to soothe his mother, who'd been furious. I'm sure I'd have remembered a woman like you…" He blushed as he realised that what he'd said must have sounded remarkably like a come on. "I mean…"
Fleur's cousin shook her head. "It's okay. I tend to have this effect on men" A wistful look appeared on her face. "Most men, anyway…" Then her gaze focussed on him again. "So Fleur's your sister-in-law?"
"She's not as bad as she used to be." Ron shrugged. "She and Bill are quite happy together. They've got two kids now."
The woman smiled. "Hermione's told me a lot about you and your family. But she never mentioned Fleur…I'm Galatea…Galatea Angelou!" she said brightly and stuck out her hand.
"Ron Weasley…" He blushed at his stupidity as her shook her hand. "But you already knew that," he added awkwardly.
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm used to it!" She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll take you to your room," she said, and she led Ron to a flat circle. Ron guessed it was a levitation circle, like the one on the Cruiser…and he was proven right soon afterwards. They shot up and came to a sudden halt some ten seconds later, and he followed her down a corridor lined with doors. "Um, Galatea?" he asked cautiously, unsure as how to address her.
"Yes?" she replied, and he guessed it was okay to call her by her first name.
"I don't mean to be rude…but earlier it seemed to me that the Rangers are somehow afraid to talk about Harry."
Galatea sighed, and explained how the Order of Illumination had been divided by the question of whether or not Harry was acting of his own free will. The ones who believed he was, didn't want to waste time and risk lives by trying to bring him in alive.
"I think Harry can be redeemed," Ron said, after having digested the information.
Galatea clearly seemed surprised, but nevertheless pleased by this. "I'm sure Hermione will be happy that you feel that way." Galatea smiled. "She'll be surprised to see you."
She didn't know I was coming?"
Galatea shook her head. "She told us that if you would come, it would mean that you believed in Harry's goodness."
Ron nodded. "It took me a while, but I guess that Hermione was right all along. That's why I'm here." he smiled weakly. I guess she knows me better than I know myself!"
She showed Ron to his room and he let down his trunk. The she suggested that they'd get a midnight snack and a cup of tea before going to sleep, and Ron agreed.
"So…are you going to try to get back with Hermione…if you don't mind my asking?"
Ron was a bit confused by the question. He'd assumed that Galatea would know about Hermione's boyfriend. Maybe she wasn't as close to Hermione as he'd imagined, so he shrugged and heaved a sad sigh. "What's the use? She's got another boyfriend, hasn't she? Padma Patil told me. I ran into her at St. Mungo's in England, a couple of weeks ago. My brother's wife had had baby at about the same time as Padma's twin sister. She told me she'd seen Hermione kissing some bloke."
"Who?" Galatea nearly shouted the question, and she seemed unusually upset to Ron.
"His name's Wolfe!" Ron said gloomily. "Padma told me he's really handsome and brave."
When he didn't get a reply, he cast a sidelong glance at Galatea, and saw that she was looking quite upset now In fact she looked just about ready to burst into tears and he wondered if he'd said anything wrong. Then his nose caught the sweet scent of pastries, and as they rounded the corner he saw the entrance to the mess hall.
He'd been quite hungry, but all his hunger disappeared as he saw it…Hermione snuggling up to a tall, dark and handsome Ranger.
Galatea uttered an anguished sound that stuck halfway between a moan and a wail, before she briskly turned around and hurried away.
Ron didn't notice. The pain in his heart fuelled his anger, making him oblivious to anything except the foremost thing on his mind. He had to get that man away from Hermione. He whipped out his wand and aimed it at the Ranger…"You bastard…Furnunculus!" he roared.
With seemingly impossible speed, the Ranger dove out of the way and pulled Hermione down with him. Within seconds, a chair came flying straight at him from across the room. Ron knew that his adversary had expected him to banish it, giving him time to fire a follow up curse while the chair was being banished. It was a very common duelling tactic, and Ron felt insulted by his opponent's assumption that he'd fall for it…as he leapt aside, keeping his eyes open and looking for that slimy, no good, girlfriend stealing git.
The bloke who'd stolen Hermione from him finally got up and faced him. "Put that wand away before you get hurt!"
This only served to infuriate Ron even more, and he positively saw red now. "Stupefy!" he roared, using his rage to put power into the spell. A sense of smug satisfaction overflowed his mind as he saw that his opponent had no chance to evade the beam, and for a second he felt slightly disappointed for the limited duration of the duel. The fabled prowess of the Rangers was clearly overrated. But his disappointment turned to shock, as his stunner shattered on a barrier in front of the Ranger.
The Ranger blinked and shook his head a little, as if he were trying to clear it. Then he locked his gaze with Ron again. "I'll ask you again…please put that wand away. I'm running out of patience!"
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you insane?"
Hermione's voice was like a powerful breeze that blew the red mist in his vision away. He blinked. "Hermione…I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking…I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Well, you nearly did!" Hermione screamed. "That Furnunculus could've hit me as well…if Max hadn't had the presence of mind to pull me out of harm's way. What the hell is wrong with you? You show up and you start throwing hexes. You're lucky Max didn't want to hurt you! He's one of the most powerful wizards in the world. He could take on half a dozen trained duellers!"
"I may still change my mind about not hurting him!" the Ranger grumbled darkly.
Ron glared at him. "Sorry, I guess it came as a bit of a shock to see you two sitting like that," he said through clenched teeth. "I have no excuse for my behaviour." He exhaled, releasing some of the grief, anger and frustration he was feeling and looked at Hermione. "Sorry. I knew he was your new boyfriend, but I guess I wasn't ready to see you with another man."
The angry expression on Hermione's face faded a little and was replaced by an expression of surprise and confusion. "What are you talking about? Max isn't my boyfriend. He's become quite a good friend of mine…but he isn't my boyfriend." She paused as she seemed to be searching for words. "I guess he's like an older brother to me."
"So you'd snog your brothers?" Ron replied scathingly.
"We didn't…" Hermione began, but Ron interrupted her. "Don't…just don't deny it! Padma told me she saw the two of you in an alley a couple of weeks ago," he said, forcing a smile onto his face despite feeling miserable. "No one was supposed to know about you two, right? I can tell. I already shocked someone with that bit of information without meaning to. I just assumed that she knew."
"Who…Ginny?" Hermione asked, and heaved an exasperated sigh. "Well, I'd better owl her to tell her that Padma didn't know what she was talking about…"
Ron shook his head. "Not Ginny. I didn't tell Ginny. I told Galatea…and she was really shocked too, when she saw the two of you getting cosy just now. How'd you manage to keep this a secret from your fellow Rangers anyway?"
Hermione blanched and she leaned heavily on a table. "Oh, no!" She looked at the Ranger, whose scowl had been replaced by a frown. "Max…we have to tell her!"
The Ranger shook his head. "No, it's better this way. She'll surely keep her distance now."
"What are you talking about?" Ron huffed impatiently.
"I'll explain everything to you, but I'll need you to swear that you won't get involved in any way."
Ron was completely confused. What did he mean by getting involved? "I'm listening!" Ron replied, impatiently.
The Ranger shook his head. "I need you to swear it!"
"Ro…!" Hermione had started to speak, but the Ranger snapped his fingers and Hermione was bound and gagged in the blink of an eye.
"Sorry about that," the Ranger said apologetically. "But I've learned that some drastic measures are needed to keep Hermione from butting into a conversation, at times. Don't worry, I'll removed the bindings as soon as we're done talking!"
From the corner of his eye, Ron saw a red-faced Hermione staring daggers at the Ranger, and despite his lingering anger and resentment in the whole situation, he also found it a bit humorous, and he couldn't keep a smirk off his face. "Yeah, Hermione does tend to take over, doesn't she? All right…I swear!"
Hermione moaned into the gag, and she rolled back her eyes, shaking her head.
The Ranger grinned, and clapped his hands, and the bindings fell away.
"You've been suckered…Ron!" Hermione burst out immediately.
"Why, what do you mean?" Ron asked, feeling more stupid by the minute and realising that the Ranger had gagged Hermione because she'd been trying to warn him.
The Ranger sat down and raised his legs onto a table nonchalantly. "Yes…I did kiss Hermione, but not because I'm in love with her. Rest assured, I'm not your rival."
"So why did you kiss her?" Ron asked. He wasn't sure if he could believe this bloke.
"It was the day after the Order found out about Harry's survival…and Max had woken up from his coma. We weren't supposed to discuss Harry's survival outside the Citadel, because people might be listening," Hermione said, taking over the explanation. "I forgot about that, and I was about to talk, so Max kissed me to keep me quiet. He though someone had been following us and that it might could be a spy. Turns out it was Padma."
"I chose to kiss Hermione because we happened to be standing in Sensu Alley. It's a place where Concordia's young people often go to make out. I wanted the spy to think that we just sneaked off to make out," Wolfe explained. "If I'd known it was Padma…"
"Oh I can't believe she'd spy on me like that!" Hermione huffed angrily. "She's no better than Parvati!" Hermione said, eyes narrowing. "I wonder why she told you in the first place!"
"Well, the way she told it, she hadn't been following you," Ron said, feeling that he needed to come to Padma's defense. "She caught sight of you as you entered an alley, and she hurried to catch up, which was when she saw you."
"And you believe her?" Hermione asked, looking incredulous. "She had a crush on you at Hogwarts, in our seventh year, didn't you know? She kept it well hidden, but I could tell! I think she wanted to seduce you in a moment of weakness."
Ron couldn't help himself. He blushed as the memory resurfaced in his mind.
"Well, well…Ron!" the Ranger said, with a thin smile. "Looks like your lips strayed as well!"
Ron eyes widened. "How…what…I don't know what…" His mouth snapped shut. How had that Ranger known about his kissing Padma? Ron looked at Hermione to gauge her reaction, hoping that his blush wasn't giving him away and that Hermione would fail to make the connection. But that was like hoping for Malfoy to stop being a slimy git…idle hope.
"Padma kissed you?" Hermione screamed, outraged. "That bitch! Pretending to be my friend and trying to steal my boyfriend behind my back. I'll kill her!"
"She wasn't trying to steal me away!" Ron countered. "She just felt a bit lonely…and I was heart-broken. I assumed that you'd never want me back after all the mean things I said to you. It just happened…it didn't mean anything. In fact, right after the kiss, she encouraged me to try to win you back!" he added. Then, his heart suddenly somersaulted in his chest, as he belatedly understood the implications of Hermione's words. She still thought of him as her boyfriend…after all the nasty things he'd said and done. "Y…you still l…love me?"
"No…she meant her other boyfriend!" A soprano female voice interrupted.
"Of course she still loves you, you major league moron!" another voice said. Ron turned around and recognised the witch that had come to fetch Hermione for Harry's funeral. Next to her, stood the scary looking Gudrun with the bad attitude, and a short, scrawny and pasty-faced wizard who seemed vaguely familiar.
"How long have you three been there?" Hermione asked, blushing profusely.
"Long enough!" the black haired witch grinned. "We really enjoyed the show too…much better than those mediocre soap opera's my mother used to watch. Anyway, we were sent to investigate a Furnunculus Curse, followed by a stunner and a Shield Charm the size of Lieutenant Cliff's arse!"
"I'm guessing the shield was you…Wolfe?" The short wizard spoke, revealing a British accent and Ron remembered how he knew the wizard. He'd been Head Boy, just before Ron had started to attend Hogwarts. He'd seen Percy talk to him when they'd gone to Diagon Alley to get some school supplies for his first year.
"Yeah, the Shield Charm was mine."
"What in Njall's name happened here?" Gudrun inquired.
"Nothing. Mr Weasley and I were discussing the finer points of duelling," Wolfe said casually.
"Right!" the short wizard said, looking unconvinced, but not pressing the issue. "Use the Training Hall next time."
"We will!"
"On with the show, people." The black haired witch laughed and looked at Hermione. "I believe you were about to declare your love."
Hermione looked completely embarrassed. "Come on, Ron!" she grabbed him by the wrist. "We can't talk here."
"If you want my respect…remember your oath, Weasley!" Ranger Wolfe said. "Don't get involved…and don't let Hermione talk you into it."
Ron frowned. He'd forgotten what he'd sworn to do or not to do. In fact, Wolfe had never specified what Ron had sworn not to do.
She led him through a series of corridors, and they ended up on the battlements of the Citadel. The sight of Concordia in the distance impressed Ron tremendously, and they just stood there for a while…side by side, before Ron couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Hermione, I'm sorry for all the awful things I put you through, and that I have been too caught up in my own…self pity. I know you can't just forgive me, but I'll earn your forgiveness!"
"You need to change, Ron." Hermione nodded. "You can't keep losing control like you did when you found Max and me in the mess hall." Then she smiled warmly. "But you're here…You believe Harry can be redeemed, don't you?"
Ron returned her smile. "You were right…as usual. You were right about everything." His insides burned with guilt. This all wouldn't have happened if he hadn't condemned Harry like that. "I, Harry's best friend, said he was evil…and they all followed my lead. It's entirely my fault! If I'd just been tougher and smarter, none of this would've happened."
Hermione took his hand, and Ron felt his heart beat faster, like the first time she'd held his hand. Her other hand cupped his cheek and turned his face to hers. He was quickly losing himself in her eyes. "It isn't your fault. These things happen!" she whispered. "You can't change it, but you can remember your mistake and prevent yourself from making it again...we can prevent ourselves from making the mistakes that drove us apart."
"So are you willing to give us another try?" he asked…and held his breath.
Hermione offered him a girlishly mischievous smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's good to see that a bit of the old Ron is still in there…the one too dense to see that I'm still in love with him!"
He leaned down and carefully planted a kiss on her lips at first…wanting to make sure that she was really there…that it wasn't a dream. The gentle kiss turned into a kiss bursting with the passionate urgency of lost lovers reunited, and neither had any idea how long it lasted. It took a while for Ron's mind to clear after they broke apart to breathe, but when it did he saw everything with a clarity that seemed almost alien to him. "Hermione…I want you to know that I love you more than you can imagine. We'll probably still disagree violently at times, but there's no one I rather disagree with," he said, giving her a roguish grin.
"Let's take things one step at the time, okay?" Hermione said, and kissed the tip of his nose.
"What's the first step?"
Hermione grabbed the collar of his robes and pulled him down into a kiss again, stopping only to breathe once in a while. Every time her lips left his, it felt like torture, and he nearly thought suffocating would be worth it if he could just go on kissing her forever.
They sat down on the wall, and Ron was grateful to be off his feet. The wall seemed less prone to buckling than his knees were right now.
"Hey, Hermione…what did Wolfe make me swear?"
Hermione sighed, and explained the situation between Wolfe and Galatea to Ron, and he listened patiently. When she was done, he shook his head in disbelief. "What a prat!" he winced. "But now Galatea will probably hate you because she thinks you took away her chance with him. The promise be damned. I say we tell her!"
"We can't. We promised."
"Yeah?" Ron was wracking his brain for an answer. "Well, what if we told a third person, and have that person tell her?"
"We can't!" Hermione sighed. "We promised that we wouldn't interfere in any way! He takes theses things very seriously. If we break our promise, he'll lose respect for us."
"But Galatea's your friend…and now she'll hate you! How can he do this to you? Forget about him. If he wants to be alone and miserable is say we let him be. Let's just tell Galatea. I'd rather be friends with her than with Wolfe. Well, he only made you promise not to tell Galatea how he feels about her…he didn't make you promise not to tell her the truth about the kiss. He only made me promise…that sneaky bastard!"
"What's the use?" Hermione groaned. "She won't believe me."
"Offer to submit yourself to Veritaserum. That'll convince her that you're telling her the truth."
Hermione obviously wasn't thrilled by the idea, but she had the steely glint of determination in her eyes, and she nodded. "If that's what it takes…I'll do it."
"Excellent!" Ron grinned. He was rather proud of himself. If Galatea's line of questioning didn't take Hermione to Wolfe's feelings about her, there wouldn't be a problem. And if she did…well, then Wolfe couldn't really blame Hermione, because Hermione would have been compelled to tell the truth.
Now that that had been settled, he wanted to voice the question that had been nagging at the back of his mind. "Hey, Hermione?"
"Hmmm?" she mumbled lazily.
"What's up with Wolfe? He's the one who hinted at the fact that Padma and I kissed. Is he a mind-reader or something?"
"As a matter of fact, he is!" Hermione replied.
Well, that certainly explained a lot. "It was a cheap shot though…for him to rat on me like that."
"I think he was getting back at you for that surprise attack," Hermione mumbled.
Ron hugged her tighter. "Yeah…that was stupid. I wasn't thinking. I was just…"
"I know, Ron!" Hermione mumbled. "C'mon, let's go inside. I'm getting sleepy," she said, as she got up and pulled him to his feet.
"I thought you lived in Concordia now."
"I'll stay in your room."
"What happened to 'taking it slow'?" Ron teased.
"Time is a relative concept," Hermione said, giving him her most seductive smile.
"I love it when you're brainy!" Ron said, kissing her neck, and Hermione purred.
"I thought you hated it…"
"Not all the time…Mione"
"You're just saying that to argue…and don't call me Mione."
***
