Disclaimer: No, there not mine. I only want Ron anyway - and perhaps Hermione - don't forget the twins. I could do with Harry though.

Chapter Four: Are We Falling Apart?

By Stacey Leonie Kendall ~*~

Ron was visibly fuming as he marched through the corridors in search of his best friend. His freckled face was beat red with anger and his fists were clenched tightly at each side of his shaking body. It had been over an hour since he had left Hermione in the dungeons. He was still no closer to finding Harry and he didn't know where else to look.

Ron had been down to the Quidditch pitch where Harry normally spent a vast amount of time thinking or else flying alone. With no sign of him there, he went to Hagrid's cabin, which was empty as Hagrid was away on important business. Ron had been there many times himself. Although Hagrid wasn't there to welcome you into his tiny cabin and offer you rock cakes, Ron still thought it was one of the places Harry would head for first if he wanted to be alone. However, Harry hadn't been there either and so Ron had kicked something really hard in anger and hurt his foot quite badly.

Not wanting to give up, Ron had marched round the castle, checking the Owlery and empty classrooms as he went. Thinking that at least Hermione might have found him, Ron headed back to the Gryffindor common room defected and not in the best of moods. He mumbled the password as he reached the Fat Ladies portrait.

"What on earth are you doing out of class, young man?" The Fat Lady questioned

"None of your business, you nosy old bag." Ron muttered to himself.

"What, dear?"

"I said the passwords Dragon Hide." He said brightly, putting on a fake smile.

The Fat Ladies portrait swung open and Ron claimed inside. "Stupid old bag." He said.

"Well I never!" the Fat Lady spoke up, but Ron wasn't listening. Hermione was walking towards him with a worried look on her face. He rolled his eyes and started to brush her away as she tried to hug him.

"Hermione relax," he said flicking his long red hair away from his eyes. "I wasn't gone that long, you know. I take it you didn't find Harry?"

"Ron -"

"Look, never mind. I couldn't either," Ron looked over Hermione's head and noticed for the first time that they weren't alone. "Mum? What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Ron, dear -" His Mum looked very worried and tearful, but Ron didn't seem to notice.

"Harry hasn't been missing for long and you've already sent out a search party, Hermione?" Ron mused as he walked over to his mother and gave her a quick hug. "And I thought I was over reacting."

"No, it's not that," Hermione spoke up nervously. However, Ron cut her off. He had just noticed his siblings sitting on the settee, looking rather shaken.

"Family reunion?" he asked George, who didn't look at all in the mood for jokes. Fred was sitting beside him, supporting a very tearful Ginny.

"Ron -" Hermione tried.

"Look," Ron said rather loudly. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"It's Bill." Mrs. Weasley squeaked. "Honey, he's, Bills dead."

Ron just starred across the room as if he hadn't taken in a word of what Mrs Weasley had just said.

"He was attacked by Death Eaters on his way back into the country," Mrs. Weasley tried to explain through her tears, but her youngest son didn't appear to be listening. "It was the killing curse. I don't think it was painful -"

"STOP!" Ron shouted. Everyone jumped including Mrs. Weasley. Ginny began to cry harder and Hermione didn't know what to do.

"I don't want to hear it," he said, backing out of the common room and towards the boy's staircase. "I don't want to know."

"Please Ron," Mrs. Weasley begged, but Ron shook his head and ran up to his dormitory without another word.

"Oh, dear." Mrs. Weasley managed. She sat down next to Ginny, placing an arm around her shoulder. "What a mess. I wish Arthur were here. Ron would listen to his father." She looked up at Hermione. "Will you go and talk to him dear. I have a feeling that he'll listen to you."

"I'll try." She answered, trying to remember the last time Ron had ever listened to her about anything. As she made her way up the staircase she heard a banging noise and a yelp of pain come from Ron's room.

"Ron." She said feeling quite out of breath, having run half way up the stairs. She pushed his door open, letting it bang loudly on the operate wall.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" His voice was thick with anger. "I don't need a shoulder to try on if that's what you think!"

"It's okay -" Hermione started, entering the room.

"And don't you dare say it's okay to cry." He managed to say as he took off one over large shoe and threw it across the room.

"What have you done?" Hermione asked, kneeling down in front of her friend, who was sitting on his four-poster bed.

"Nothing."

"Let me look." And to Hermione's surprise, he let her look at his rather swollen foot.

"I kicked a rather hard trunk - twice." He smiled down at her.

"Ron," she sighed, placing his foot back on the floor and looking up at him, starring right into his rather troubled eyes. "How can you smile?"

The smile left his face within a second and Hermione moved to sit next to him on the bed.

"I don't know what else to do." He admitted, still looking at her.

"You have to stop doing this, you know," Ron looked at her questionably. "Letting your temper get the better of you."

Ron looked as though he was going to argue, but he simply shook his head and moved closer to Hermione.

"I can't help it, Hermione." Ron whispered. He fell back onto his bed and let out a rather large sigh. "I can't believe he's dead."

"Maybe you should go down stairs," Hermione offered. "Be with your family."

"I'd rather stay here," He looked up at her. "Can you, um, stay with me?"

Hermione smiled. "Of course." And with that Hermione lay back on the bed with him, neither of them speaking another word.

*SLK*

That was a bit longer for you. I hope I got Ron's mood right. It's hard to write Ron's reaction to things. I don't think he would start crying because that isn't Ron. If I have the time, I'll update today, if not the next chapter will be up in about two days. Please remember to review. Thank you.