Author's Note: Thank you to the people who have reviewed this
story! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what
you think.
6. …Ron engages in an act of perverse rebellion
The corridor outside the room was lit by torches set at intervals along the walls, burning a
sickly yellow that only narrowly escaped the label of green. The effect was to make
everything look distorted and ghostly, not at all like the cheery Gryffindor common room
that Ron was presently very much missing.
As he crept down the hallway towards the stairs, Ron pictured himself playing wizard
chess with Harry. Hermione would be at one of the tables, her brow furrowed in
concentration over some dusty old volume or other. Thinking of those two put him in
mind of his earlier suspicions and he started muttering under his breath, his fingers
rubbing absently at the device tucked in his pocket. "If you guys are listening in this late
at night that's really pathetic you know. There are better things you could be doing with
your time. Sleeping is definitely better. I sure wish I were in bed right now." Ron
paused for a moment as his mind trailed off and he nearly tripped at the head of the
stairs. Now thoroughly annoyed, Ron continued his monologue. "And that's enough
sarcasm out of you Harry. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. If I hear so
much as a peep out of you when I get back I'll make you wear those shoes. See how you
like that." Ron persisted in this vein until he came upon the doors of the council room at
which point it came into his brain that perhaps he should try being furtive.
Putting an ear to one massive, ebony door, Ron listened for the sound of any secret
meetings being conducted. After all, despite the fact that a normal seeming business type
meeting would go less remarked than some clandestine night meeting, who knew with
Death Eaters. Maybe they preferred the symbolic nature of a meeting at night. Though,
if that were the case then midnight would probably be preferable to four in the morning,
unless of course it was a particularly long meeting. Ron's mind was wandering again.
Hearing nothing, Ron quietly pushed open the door, peering through the crack before
slipping inside. He had expected the room inside to be dark, since it was apparently not
in use. However, the same eerie torches that illuminated the hallways glowed in here as
well, their pale flames dancing. The effect was like tortured souls writhing in hell. Ron
was sure it was deliberate.
Quickly, Ron surveyed the room for what might be a suitable hiding place. Hermione
had found a spell in one of her moth eaten tomes that should work to make the magical
amplifier stick to whatever surface he chose so that wasn't a problem. As long as he
could remember it, anyway. Hermione had made him practice it several times and with
several different items before she'd let him be about it. He was pretty sure he knew it but
Ron never did put much store in his memory.
Stalking stealthily around the room, Ron finally decided that the best place would
probably be somewhere under the long council table, as long as he could keep it from
being readily noticed by idle fingers. Crawling beneath the table he found that the legs
attached in a row down the center by a sort of knotted, filigreed fretwork. The device
was quite small and if Ron could place it right then it shouldn't seem more than just
another insignificant bump. Even so, Ron placed it near the center, as far out of reach as
possible and muttered the spell under his breath. He was rather surprised when it worked
but covered that with pleasure at having done something right. Now just to sneak back
up and slip into bed.
Of course, it seemed that nothing was ever going to go completely right. After carefully
closing the council room door behind him, Ron had gotten perhaps ten yards down the
hall when Lucius Malfoy rounded the corner. As soon as Ron saw him he started and
then stood frozen in place.
"Oh, I'm sorry to startled you, dear," Lucius purred, his gaze fixed intently on his victim,
false concern etching his brow. "But whatever are you doing up so late?"
Ron stammered a bit before he got the hang of lying again and remembered that the
council rooms were located conveniently near the kitchen. "I….I was hungry and
thought that I might come down for a snack," he stammered arms waving and pointing
vaguely back the way he had come.
"And did you find everything you needed?" Lucius was now directly in front at him,
staring down at him with such a fixed and predatory gaze that Ron resisted the urge to
shrink back. Any sign of weakness and the man would be on him like a hawk swooping
down on a dove and goodness new Ron was in no state to deal with such attentions right
now. One Malfoy was enough for one night. Ron was learning that when it came to
some things he had a very weak will and he was loath to test it any further.
"Yes, just fine thank you." Ron lowed his eyes and moved to step past the man looming
in front of him, formidable even in the dark dressing gown he apparently wore to bed.
Ron was surprised when he got by unscathed and did his best to hurry nonchalantly down
the hallway. Lucius stood immobile behind him refraining from further comment until
Ron reached the next turn at which a silky, "Goodnight, dear," floated past.
When he reached the stairs Ron took them two at a time, despite the impediment of his
long nightgown. Once in his room he threw off his robe and hurried to climb into bed,
snuggling next to the figure that lay there slumbering. Right now he didn't care that the
body next to his belonged to a long time school enemy. It was warm and comforting and
the contours of Ron's borrowed body fit perfectly along its length. In an act of perverse
rebellion he didn't bother to justify, Ron reached across and pulled Draco's hand over to
rest on his breast, surprised by the pleasure the slight weight gave. Feeling far more
content then he knew he should, Ron drifted off to sleep.
story! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what
you think.
6. …Ron engages in an act of perverse rebellion
The corridor outside the room was lit by torches set at intervals along the walls, burning a
sickly yellow that only narrowly escaped the label of green. The effect was to make
everything look distorted and ghostly, not at all like the cheery Gryffindor common room
that Ron was presently very much missing.
As he crept down the hallway towards the stairs, Ron pictured himself playing wizard
chess with Harry. Hermione would be at one of the tables, her brow furrowed in
concentration over some dusty old volume or other. Thinking of those two put him in
mind of his earlier suspicions and he started muttering under his breath, his fingers
rubbing absently at the device tucked in his pocket. "If you guys are listening in this late
at night that's really pathetic you know. There are better things you could be doing with
your time. Sleeping is definitely better. I sure wish I were in bed right now." Ron
paused for a moment as his mind trailed off and he nearly tripped at the head of the
stairs. Now thoroughly annoyed, Ron continued his monologue. "And that's enough
sarcasm out of you Harry. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. If I hear so
much as a peep out of you when I get back I'll make you wear those shoes. See how you
like that." Ron persisted in this vein until he came upon the doors of the council room at
which point it came into his brain that perhaps he should try being furtive.
Putting an ear to one massive, ebony door, Ron listened for the sound of any secret
meetings being conducted. After all, despite the fact that a normal seeming business type
meeting would go less remarked than some clandestine night meeting, who knew with
Death Eaters. Maybe they preferred the symbolic nature of a meeting at night. Though,
if that were the case then midnight would probably be preferable to four in the morning,
unless of course it was a particularly long meeting. Ron's mind was wandering again.
Hearing nothing, Ron quietly pushed open the door, peering through the crack before
slipping inside. He had expected the room inside to be dark, since it was apparently not
in use. However, the same eerie torches that illuminated the hallways glowed in here as
well, their pale flames dancing. The effect was like tortured souls writhing in hell. Ron
was sure it was deliberate.
Quickly, Ron surveyed the room for what might be a suitable hiding place. Hermione
had found a spell in one of her moth eaten tomes that should work to make the magical
amplifier stick to whatever surface he chose so that wasn't a problem. As long as he
could remember it, anyway. Hermione had made him practice it several times and with
several different items before she'd let him be about it. He was pretty sure he knew it but
Ron never did put much store in his memory.
Stalking stealthily around the room, Ron finally decided that the best place would
probably be somewhere under the long council table, as long as he could keep it from
being readily noticed by idle fingers. Crawling beneath the table he found that the legs
attached in a row down the center by a sort of knotted, filigreed fretwork. The device
was quite small and if Ron could place it right then it shouldn't seem more than just
another insignificant bump. Even so, Ron placed it near the center, as far out of reach as
possible and muttered the spell under his breath. He was rather surprised when it worked
but covered that with pleasure at having done something right. Now just to sneak back
up and slip into bed.
Of course, it seemed that nothing was ever going to go completely right. After carefully
closing the council room door behind him, Ron had gotten perhaps ten yards down the
hall when Lucius Malfoy rounded the corner. As soon as Ron saw him he started and
then stood frozen in place.
"Oh, I'm sorry to startled you, dear," Lucius purred, his gaze fixed intently on his victim,
false concern etching his brow. "But whatever are you doing up so late?"
Ron stammered a bit before he got the hang of lying again and remembered that the
council rooms were located conveniently near the kitchen. "I….I was hungry and
thought that I might come down for a snack," he stammered arms waving and pointing
vaguely back the way he had come.
"And did you find everything you needed?" Lucius was now directly in front at him,
staring down at him with such a fixed and predatory gaze that Ron resisted the urge to
shrink back. Any sign of weakness and the man would be on him like a hawk swooping
down on a dove and goodness new Ron was in no state to deal with such attentions right
now. One Malfoy was enough for one night. Ron was learning that when it came to
some things he had a very weak will and he was loath to test it any further.
"Yes, just fine thank you." Ron lowed his eyes and moved to step past the man looming
in front of him, formidable even in the dark dressing gown he apparently wore to bed.
Ron was surprised when he got by unscathed and did his best to hurry nonchalantly down
the hallway. Lucius stood immobile behind him refraining from further comment until
Ron reached the next turn at which a silky, "Goodnight, dear," floated past.
When he reached the stairs Ron took them two at a time, despite the impediment of his
long nightgown. Once in his room he threw off his robe and hurried to climb into bed,
snuggling next to the figure that lay there slumbering. Right now he didn't care that the
body next to his belonged to a long time school enemy. It was warm and comforting and
the contours of Ron's borrowed body fit perfectly along its length. In an act of perverse
rebellion he didn't bother to justify, Ron reached across and pulled Draco's hand over to
rest on his breast, surprised by the pleasure the slight weight gave. Feeling far more
content then he knew he should, Ron drifted off to sleep.