Darkness
By jules
Chapter Two
"Mum sent a letter with Pig. This is just bloody smashing," Ginny sighed as she shoved the battered roll of parchment into her brother's bewildered face, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her eyes rolled as she angrily dropped herself onto the nearest arm chair. "I get a bloody week to spend with Harry this summer. A goddamn WEEK, for Christ's sake," she muttered to herself.
"What the hell are you getting at?" Ron hissed as he unrolled the parchment and read the tidy print of his mother's handwriting. He very soon knew what made his sister so cross, yet his reaction was quite the contrary. A broad smile edged across his freckled face as he read:
Ron and Ginny:
I beg your pardon for the late news I'm about to tell. However, Bill has just informed your father and I of some rather important events that will occur during the summer holidays. He will visit the Burrow, as usual, directly after the two of you arrive from Hogwarts. Yet once we have spent a good week with him at home, we will be accompanying him back to Egypt for a vacation I feel we have long awaited. I know the two of you enjoyed our trip a few years ago when your father won that lottery, and we were scheduled to make another two years from now, after Ginny's schooling was over and the galleons were available. Nevertheless, Bill, being the brilliant boy that he is, recently told us that he found himself with a large sum of gold recently. I suspect Gringotts has given him a rather large bonus. Bill told us he'd be glad to provide the gold for room, board, and whatever sight-seeing needs we may have. Your father and I are swelling with pride. I believe a bit of sun will be good for all of us. Then once we find ourselves back at The Burrow you'll both have about a week before the start of the new term at Hogwarts. All in all, that makes about three months in Egypt. Do well on your exams, and be sure to send an owl to your brother to thank him for his kindness.
Lots of love to you both,
Mum
"What so bad about this, eh?" Ron asked as he looked down at his sister, watching her face grow crimson.
"What's so bad? What's so bad? What the hell do you mean, What's so bad?" Ginny swelled, her long fingernails digging into the soft down of the arm chair. "We're spending our entire holiday away! Away from England, away from civilization, away from everything. I would have thought you'd been a little more sensitive,"
"What? I have to be in tune with every single one of your bloody thoughts?! I'm more in touch with things than you think I am. And I know full well you don't give a damn whether we're away from England. You said it yourself, you're going to be away from Harry," Ron spat, Harry's name exuding from his mouth like a mortal curse. Ginny's eyes narrowed.
"Look, I don't know what the hell's wrong with you, but you better get over your shit with him fast," she spoke, her words getting stronger, more offensive. She sensed the weakness in her brother and fed off it, like kindling to the fire of her rage. "Don't think I haven't noticed the rift between you and him, and you need to fix it, now. And I'm not even going to go further and mention whatever bad tidings are going on between you and Hermione," Ginny finished, yet the minute the words had been uttered she knew she had gone too far. She braced herself for Ron's comeback, yet the event that followed was far from what she expected.
"Shove off," Ron whispered, the rage in his eyes replaced with an ill, watery gaze. "Don't assume you know what you're talking about, 'cause you don't," he muttered as he failed to meet Ginny's eyes. He turned his back quickly and attempted to walk from the room.
"Ron," Ginny beckoned, trying hard to find out what burned within her brother.
"SHOVE OFF!" he bellowed, turning around for a brief second, his face making a weak attempt to hide his pain. He continued his way to the exit of the common room, trying desperately to stalk away as rapidly as he could. He couldn't bear to face his problems; he only wanted to run.
Yet apparently his problems wanted to steal center stage, for he ran hard into Hermione just as he exited from the room. Ron tried hard to pretend as if he didn't notice it was her, to keep his exterior calm. But his judgment was clouded, his mind was numb, and he barely fought as his girlfriend seized the sleeve of his tattered cloak as the portrait that hid the common room swung shut.
"Ron?" She uttered urgently, her voice brimming with concern. Her tiny hand reached up to Ron's face as she caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Is everything okay? You look troubled."
Ron tried his best to stifle a sardonic laugh. He thought about the chasm between them, his hatred for Harry, his altercation with Ginny, the incessant ache that ate away at him when he thought of her.and she had the nerve to ask him, stupidly, if everything were okay.
"I'm fine. Honestly," he told her quickly, brushing her hand a bit too sharply from his cheek.
"But- I'm just," Hermione stuttered, gazing puzzled into his eyes. Yet Ron quickly shut her lips as he bent down and kissed her abruptly.
"I'm fine, okay? Wouldn't I tell you if something was wrong?" He pleaded, wanting desperately to simply get away.
"Well, it's just that-" she started.
"Good! It's settled. I'll see you later," Ron said, a plastic smile smeared across his face, as he jerked the sleeve of his cloak from her grasp and stormed from the common room.
"I love you," she called after him, watching his imposing form leave the room, waiting for a reply that didn't come.
**************************************************************************** ****************
NO CHARACTERS ARE MINE
A/N: Just trying to show how screwed up Ron's life really is. And yes, I DO realize that Ginny is a bit out of character, but my fic takes place a few years in the future, and I'm trying to show how the years have hardened all of them. Reviews are extremely necessary!!! Thanks. ~ jules quintessentialhappenstance@yahoo.com
By jules
Chapter Two
"Mum sent a letter with Pig. This is just bloody smashing," Ginny sighed as she shoved the battered roll of parchment into her brother's bewildered face, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her eyes rolled as she angrily dropped herself onto the nearest arm chair. "I get a bloody week to spend with Harry this summer. A goddamn WEEK, for Christ's sake," she muttered to herself.
"What the hell are you getting at?" Ron hissed as he unrolled the parchment and read the tidy print of his mother's handwriting. He very soon knew what made his sister so cross, yet his reaction was quite the contrary. A broad smile edged across his freckled face as he read:
Ron and Ginny:
I beg your pardon for the late news I'm about to tell. However, Bill has just informed your father and I of some rather important events that will occur during the summer holidays. He will visit the Burrow, as usual, directly after the two of you arrive from Hogwarts. Yet once we have spent a good week with him at home, we will be accompanying him back to Egypt for a vacation I feel we have long awaited. I know the two of you enjoyed our trip a few years ago when your father won that lottery, and we were scheduled to make another two years from now, after Ginny's schooling was over and the galleons were available. Nevertheless, Bill, being the brilliant boy that he is, recently told us that he found himself with a large sum of gold recently. I suspect Gringotts has given him a rather large bonus. Bill told us he'd be glad to provide the gold for room, board, and whatever sight-seeing needs we may have. Your father and I are swelling with pride. I believe a bit of sun will be good for all of us. Then once we find ourselves back at The Burrow you'll both have about a week before the start of the new term at Hogwarts. All in all, that makes about three months in Egypt. Do well on your exams, and be sure to send an owl to your brother to thank him for his kindness.
Lots of love to you both,
Mum
"What so bad about this, eh?" Ron asked as he looked down at his sister, watching her face grow crimson.
"What's so bad? What's so bad? What the hell do you mean, What's so bad?" Ginny swelled, her long fingernails digging into the soft down of the arm chair. "We're spending our entire holiday away! Away from England, away from civilization, away from everything. I would have thought you'd been a little more sensitive,"
"What? I have to be in tune with every single one of your bloody thoughts?! I'm more in touch with things than you think I am. And I know full well you don't give a damn whether we're away from England. You said it yourself, you're going to be away from Harry," Ron spat, Harry's name exuding from his mouth like a mortal curse. Ginny's eyes narrowed.
"Look, I don't know what the hell's wrong with you, but you better get over your shit with him fast," she spoke, her words getting stronger, more offensive. She sensed the weakness in her brother and fed off it, like kindling to the fire of her rage. "Don't think I haven't noticed the rift between you and him, and you need to fix it, now. And I'm not even going to go further and mention whatever bad tidings are going on between you and Hermione," Ginny finished, yet the minute the words had been uttered she knew she had gone too far. She braced herself for Ron's comeback, yet the event that followed was far from what she expected.
"Shove off," Ron whispered, the rage in his eyes replaced with an ill, watery gaze. "Don't assume you know what you're talking about, 'cause you don't," he muttered as he failed to meet Ginny's eyes. He turned his back quickly and attempted to walk from the room.
"Ron," Ginny beckoned, trying hard to find out what burned within her brother.
"SHOVE OFF!" he bellowed, turning around for a brief second, his face making a weak attempt to hide his pain. He continued his way to the exit of the common room, trying desperately to stalk away as rapidly as he could. He couldn't bear to face his problems; he only wanted to run.
Yet apparently his problems wanted to steal center stage, for he ran hard into Hermione just as he exited from the room. Ron tried hard to pretend as if he didn't notice it was her, to keep his exterior calm. But his judgment was clouded, his mind was numb, and he barely fought as his girlfriend seized the sleeve of his tattered cloak as the portrait that hid the common room swung shut.
"Ron?" She uttered urgently, her voice brimming with concern. Her tiny hand reached up to Ron's face as she caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Is everything okay? You look troubled."
Ron tried his best to stifle a sardonic laugh. He thought about the chasm between them, his hatred for Harry, his altercation with Ginny, the incessant ache that ate away at him when he thought of her.and she had the nerve to ask him, stupidly, if everything were okay.
"I'm fine. Honestly," he told her quickly, brushing her hand a bit too sharply from his cheek.
"But- I'm just," Hermione stuttered, gazing puzzled into his eyes. Yet Ron quickly shut her lips as he bent down and kissed her abruptly.
"I'm fine, okay? Wouldn't I tell you if something was wrong?" He pleaded, wanting desperately to simply get away.
"Well, it's just that-" she started.
"Good! It's settled. I'll see you later," Ron said, a plastic smile smeared across his face, as he jerked the sleeve of his cloak from her grasp and stormed from the common room.
"I love you," she called after him, watching his imposing form leave the room, waiting for a reply that didn't come.
**************************************************************************** ****************
NO CHARACTERS ARE MINE
A/N: Just trying to show how screwed up Ron's life really is. And yes, I DO realize that Ginny is a bit out of character, but my fic takes place a few years in the future, and I'm trying to show how the years have hardened all of them. Reviews are extremely necessary!!! Thanks. ~ jules quintessentialhappenstance@yahoo.com