Hermione.
"Harry!! Oh, dear! You're alright," and for the second time that day, and more times that entire summer, Harry was pulled into a suffocating hug.
"Erm-Hermione-air?" Harry gasped.
"Oh. sorry," she blushed and pulled away. She looked rather distraught and winded.
"How did you get here?!" Ginny asked, briefly hugging her friend.
"I. I got a ride from someone." she said, frowning a bit.
"Who, may I ask, rides tornados?" Harry asked, picking up a stray strand of hair from Hermione's shoulder. She batted his hand away and ran her fingers through her messy hair.
"A ride from. Ron." she said slowly, not daring to meet Harry's eyes.
"He didn't want to stay and talk?" he asked quietly.
"He needed to get back to." Hermione looked at Ginny, who stared back apprehensively. "Your Mum."
Ginny staggered and sat once more on the edge of Harry's bed. "How is she?" she whispered.
"I don't know much, but I know she isn't doing as well as she was yesterday. I think she saw Percy," Hermione looked terribly sad.
"She saw him?!" Ginny gasped. Her face had gone a sickly green color.
"That was all Ron would tell me. I came over here to warn Harry," she said, stepping forward in an urgent manner.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry's sad face shifted into a concerned expression.
"Percy is coming."
~*~
"Mother, please don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," Percy pleaded. His voice was different; it wasn't hoity and important. It was dark and evil
"My own son. In the Dark Lord's inner circle. How can I NOT be afraid of you!? After everything we have taught you!" she said airily.
"Mother, this was something I needed to do. There was no other way for me to."
"To be successful? You might have become the Minister of Magic someday! Is that not power enough for you?" she said quietly. Her mind was spinning and drawing to conclusions. she couldn't think straight.
"Never. I could never be as powerful as I want to be. As I wanted to be. The Dark Master has shown me thing so wonderous, so amazing and powerful. It's truly what I need to do! Please accept that, Mother," he walked forward and kneeled in front of her, startled when she winced in fright.
"I will never support this. You are my son, my flesh and blood and I can't let this happen. If you walk out this door right now and go back to- to your "master", then you aren't my son." She turned away from him, her heart breaking.
"Mother, no! Please." but she said not another word. He got up, his back to her. He looked over his shoulder at her, seeing her head turned. Percy then decided. he was going to leave. "Tell everyone I will be back."
~*~
When Ron stepped in the door, he found his mother in a heap on the floor, crying.
"Mum!!" he ran to her, falling to the floor and propping her head up. "What is it?" he gasped.
"Percy. was here." she sobbed.
"No! What did he do to you?!" Ron searched for any signs of pain, of wounds or anything. There was nothing. but what he couldn't see was her broken heart.
"No. He did nothing to me. physically. I just lost a son." She started to cry, a cry so sad that Ron had to pick her up off the floor and take her to her room. He was afraid that he would break down as well. but he couldn't do that. He musn't. He needed to be strong.
After he placed his mother in her room, he went up the winding, narrow staircase to his brilliant orange room. Taking out a roll, of parchment, he searched for a quill and a bottle of ink.
'Dear Hermione,
I'm coming. Be ready to go to Harry's. I think he is in danger. We need to warn him as soon as possible.
Ron.'
He looked over the short letter once more, finally deciding it was good enough and rolled it up.
"Pig. come here." He called. Pig hooted in such a way that Ron had never heard before. It was a hoot of concern. "Yes, Pig. I know." And with that, Ron broke down. He started to cry and couldn't stop. Pig took the letter from his hand and flew out the window with it in her beak. ~*~
"Ron!" Hermione breathed, scooping her terrible-looking friend into a much needed hug. "You've. been crying."
"Percy stopped by. Mum is in a fit state. And I need to talk to Ginny and Harry. Fancy a broom ride?" He asked somewhat lightly.
"Always," she smiled warmly and called to her mom. "Mum, I'm leaving for a bit. I'll be home soon!" and with a call of permission, Hermione stepped out the door and mounted Ron's old and rickety broom. As much as she hated flying, this was more than a petty fear of hers.
They flew for what seemed like hours, and never spoke once. Try as he might, Ron tried to take in the scenery. His mind wandered aimlessly, from thought to thought.
They reached Privet Drive, visible and afraid of being seen they landed with a thud.
"Oh, no! I forgot something at home. I need to do something." He got back on his broom.
"But Ron."
"No, listen to me Hermione. Tell Harry and Ginny. Whatever I told you today. Tell Harry that he is in danger and he needs to play it safe. I'll be back soon. And get that look off your face, I'm fine!" and with that, Ron set off again into the clear blue sky. Hermione had to shield her eyes from the bright blazing sun. She sighed, finally mustering up the courage to go inside the Number Four Privet Drive home.
~*~
"Harry!! Oh, dear! You're alright," and for the second time that day, and more times that entire summer, Harry was pulled into a suffocating hug.
"Erm-Hermione-air?" Harry gasped.
"Oh. sorry," she blushed and pulled away. She looked rather distraught and winded.
"How did you get here?!" Ginny asked, briefly hugging her friend.
"I. I got a ride from someone." she said, frowning a bit.
"Who, may I ask, rides tornados?" Harry asked, picking up a stray strand of hair from Hermione's shoulder. She batted his hand away and ran her fingers through her messy hair.
"A ride from. Ron." she said slowly, not daring to meet Harry's eyes.
"He didn't want to stay and talk?" he asked quietly.
"He needed to get back to." Hermione looked at Ginny, who stared back apprehensively. "Your Mum."
Ginny staggered and sat once more on the edge of Harry's bed. "How is she?" she whispered.
"I don't know much, but I know she isn't doing as well as she was yesterday. I think she saw Percy," Hermione looked terribly sad.
"She saw him?!" Ginny gasped. Her face had gone a sickly green color.
"That was all Ron would tell me. I came over here to warn Harry," she said, stepping forward in an urgent manner.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry's sad face shifted into a concerned expression.
"Percy is coming."
~*~
"Mother, please don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," Percy pleaded. His voice was different; it wasn't hoity and important. It was dark and evil
"My own son. In the Dark Lord's inner circle. How can I NOT be afraid of you!? After everything we have taught you!" she said airily.
"Mother, this was something I needed to do. There was no other way for me to."
"To be successful? You might have become the Minister of Magic someday! Is that not power enough for you?" she said quietly. Her mind was spinning and drawing to conclusions. she couldn't think straight.
"Never. I could never be as powerful as I want to be. As I wanted to be. The Dark Master has shown me thing so wonderous, so amazing and powerful. It's truly what I need to do! Please accept that, Mother," he walked forward and kneeled in front of her, startled when she winced in fright.
"I will never support this. You are my son, my flesh and blood and I can't let this happen. If you walk out this door right now and go back to- to your "master", then you aren't my son." She turned away from him, her heart breaking.
"Mother, no! Please." but she said not another word. He got up, his back to her. He looked over his shoulder at her, seeing her head turned. Percy then decided. he was going to leave. "Tell everyone I will be back."
~*~
When Ron stepped in the door, he found his mother in a heap on the floor, crying.
"Mum!!" he ran to her, falling to the floor and propping her head up. "What is it?" he gasped.
"Percy. was here." she sobbed.
"No! What did he do to you?!" Ron searched for any signs of pain, of wounds or anything. There was nothing. but what he couldn't see was her broken heart.
"No. He did nothing to me. physically. I just lost a son." She started to cry, a cry so sad that Ron had to pick her up off the floor and take her to her room. He was afraid that he would break down as well. but he couldn't do that. He musn't. He needed to be strong.
After he placed his mother in her room, he went up the winding, narrow staircase to his brilliant orange room. Taking out a roll, of parchment, he searched for a quill and a bottle of ink.
'Dear Hermione,
I'm coming. Be ready to go to Harry's. I think he is in danger. We need to warn him as soon as possible.
Ron.'
He looked over the short letter once more, finally deciding it was good enough and rolled it up.
"Pig. come here." He called. Pig hooted in such a way that Ron had never heard before. It was a hoot of concern. "Yes, Pig. I know." And with that, Ron broke down. He started to cry and couldn't stop. Pig took the letter from his hand and flew out the window with it in her beak. ~*~
"Ron!" Hermione breathed, scooping her terrible-looking friend into a much needed hug. "You've. been crying."
"Percy stopped by. Mum is in a fit state. And I need to talk to Ginny and Harry. Fancy a broom ride?" He asked somewhat lightly.
"Always," she smiled warmly and called to her mom. "Mum, I'm leaving for a bit. I'll be home soon!" and with a call of permission, Hermione stepped out the door and mounted Ron's old and rickety broom. As much as she hated flying, this was more than a petty fear of hers.
They flew for what seemed like hours, and never spoke once. Try as he might, Ron tried to take in the scenery. His mind wandered aimlessly, from thought to thought.
They reached Privet Drive, visible and afraid of being seen they landed with a thud.
"Oh, no! I forgot something at home. I need to do something." He got back on his broom.
"But Ron."
"No, listen to me Hermione. Tell Harry and Ginny. Whatever I told you today. Tell Harry that he is in danger and he needs to play it safe. I'll be back soon. And get that look off your face, I'm fine!" and with that, Ron set off again into the clear blue sky. Hermione had to shield her eyes from the bright blazing sun. She sighed, finally mustering up the courage to go inside the Number Four Privet Drive home.
~*~