How The Stars Fall
Chapter 8: A Bad Start
2-17-03
Campiongal
"Ron....?" Hermione was practically shaking in her boots.
"Hermione!" Ron was shaking too, out of anger, "My dad took us by flying car here, to see you! Just for you he took the trouble! All because I wanted to see you! And I saw you, yes, I saw you alright! With Malloy! The vilest scum on our campus! And you with him!"
"But, Ron! I was nothing! Were only friends!"
"Didn't I ask you not to talk to him? Didn't Harry? And you, you did! You did it! Did you want to cause me pain? Did you want to tear me apart? What made you do it 'Mione? What made you do it?" Tears of anger and sadness steamed down his flushed cheeks.
"Ron, I..." Hermione started, but was lost for words.
"Hermione! I don't even know how I can face you again! You've been acting so weird lately, and I can hardly recognize you from any other school-girl!" Ron screamed all this, then proceeded to storm out of the room.
Hermione was left crying, in Harry's arms, who, seemingly, was the only one who had any respect left for her.
======*======
Draco laid down on his bed, and thought to himself for a few minuets.
'I haven't felt this good, since I decided to not be a death-eater... since I found out the truth about Riddle, and since I decided to hate my father...'
Draco rolled over on his side, and thought of Hermione...
'This won't be how I get out. I can't hurt her... she understands me... can't Voldemort just take someone like Pansy? No... suppose not. He likes her. Well... there was always Weasley..'
That's when the door practically blasted itself down.
"What do you want with Hermione you son of a b-tch?!" Ronald Weasley was in his doorway, wand pointed... at him. ====*====
"Hermione, it's ok!" Harry was trying his best to console the teenage girl. This was not his strong suit, he had only grown up with one other girl, Aunt Petunia, who only cried when Dudley-kins was upset or angry... "This will all blow over 'Mione! Ron will go back to being himself, and we can all go back to hating Malloy-"
"Harry, Draco is really nice! Deep down he is a great guy, He showed me that! And maybe you and Ron don't see it, but have you ever really tried? It's going to be our sixth year Harry! When did we ever give him a chance? When did we take the time? We didn't! And it's not fair to him! T's not! And I can't stand for us doing something that we shouldn't have! Don't you think things would have been different? If you had tried to get to know his background a little more at the robe shop! Or if you had tried to talk to him, rather than fight him on the train! If him and Ron hadn't fought, and if you hadn't misunderstood his words...?! Think about it Harry! Just think about it! Maybe he would have turned around sooner! Maybe we could have helped!" At the end of this, she, once again, burst out into tears, and buried her tear-stained face into Harry's robes.
Harry considered this for a minute, 'It's true I never gave Malfoy the chance, and I never tried to help im out of his problems, even when I knew he had them... And Ron did need a bit of a reality check... He had become so much more possessive since his mothers death, and possessive was becoming obsessive and it was turning him into someone who was more jealous than not. Harry needed to help Ron, and in helping Ron, maybe he could help himself , if making Hermione happy by being Draco's friend would make it all better, it would be worth the trouble. In some ways it would help everyone. Hermione would be able to sort out some trust issues, Ron would be able to be brave, and wise, in helping Malfoy, and Harry. Harry would be able to push away the past, which wasn't easy. Losing Mrs. Weasley himself was traumatic. She was his secon mother, and someone he loved a great deal. He had put a lot of that behind him, but it haunted him, like Cedric, like the Dursleys, like Sirius, and... like his parents. This would be a challenge, but one they would all face together... he hoped.' harry thoug about all this, and decided. It had to be done.
"Ok.. You've got a point... and... I'm sorry I judged him so quickly. If it will make you more happy, I will try and get to know him better, so that will give you peace of mind, and me too... I never thought of all that..." Harry put one of his arms around her shoulders, and led her t the door, "Maybe, if we explain all this to Ron, He will understand that you want to be Draco's friend... and so do I.... and for good reason."
Hermione smiled up at her best friend, thankful he had at least made a some-what successful attempt at consoling her, and trying to make an effort with the whole Draco situation. Now, they had to tell Ron. This would be the hardest thing yet...
=====*====
"Simmer!" Draco used a cool, soothing tone. Any person, experienced or not, was dangerous with a wand, and Draco didn't need to be dead, just as he had discovered life. "Weas... Ron.... lets just... talk... before either one of us does anything rash!" This was his best attempt at saving his ass at this point.
"Simmer? Ron? What games are you playing?! You're a dirty little death-eater, and one who hates muggles at that! How could you ever try and take advantage of my girl! Our a voldemort loving ass, and I don't want you anywhere, and I mean anywhere near her! Do you understand that Malloy? She's mine! And that's all there is to it!" Ron was screaming. He hadn't realized. This was the worst anger, and most pain he had ever felt towards anyone, since his (now even more passionate) hate for death eaters, when they murdered his mother. Then, something happened to make him even more angry. He whipped around to the sound of Hermione's voice, ringing loud and true in his ear and mind, as if he were to say th words to himself...
"I am not your girl Ronald Weasley! I am not some object to be ordered around! I'm not on a menu you know! And don't think for one minuet that I will ever be able to trust you around me, because now I know that I can't! You are selfish, and you are wrong to think that I am yours, and to think that just because he has been quite rude to us in the past, that Draco doesn't have feelings! ... I know he does! And I won't let you two talk until you both can put your differences aside, and the past behind you! Stop looking in the rear-view mirror, when you should be looking out the windshield!" Hermione strode over in between the two men. "Ron, if you do anything to Draco, it will have to be through me first."
Silence.
Ron, was utterly stunned. Hermione had never spoken to him like that. No one had. He felt all to alone. First he sees the only girl he has ever truly loved as more than a friend, with the worst enemy he ever made, now he had lost her to (he felt) the darkness. The same darkness that he had lost his mother too, that darkness that haunted Harry, the Darkness that would search for him the rest of his life. And now, Harry was betraying him. His sense of loss was devastating, and even more-so was his bitter attitude towards life, and to those he had called his friends.
His jealous feelings fled back into him. The thoughts of what he would never have, terrorizing his mind, and poisoning his thoughts. He would never have anther mother, he would never had the money that Harry and Draco had, he would never have the brain or pleasant attitude as Hermione, and he would never have the looks of Harry, nor the strength and power of Draco. And all of this made him angry, viciously angry. The voices in his head telling him he had to be better, he had to do more, and these, these were the people who had it. The people he would always fail to rise up to. And that's when he snapped, when he took all his possible anger out on the worst people to do so. His friends.
"Hermione... Move. Draco and I will duel to settle this!" Ron stated, as if it was a fact.
This is when Harry decided to step in. "Ron. We both know that we can't count on your wand to save a fly's life. We also know Draco is stronger than you. I also know, from what 'Mione has told me, that maybe we should also try and get to know Draco a bit better, before we go about trying to destroy him. I also think, that I would like to get a new start with him." Harry turned and extended it to Draco, "Hello, I'm Harry, Harry Potter... And, I'd like to put anything I've ever said wrong to you behind us. I'm not pushing anything here, but I'd like t talk with you... if that's alright..."
"Malloy, Draco Malloy. And I'd love to talk. It sound to me like we could have a good conversation. I'd like to talk with you, Ron, too, If that's alright?" Draco was trying his hardest to believe what was happening. Hermione had defended him... again. She had yelled at her Best friend for him, she had probably bribed Harry into trying to befriend him, and now he,was extending his friendship, to someone he hated, wanted to beat with a broom, and, mostly, was just plain Jealous of. Ron had grown up with everything Draco could have wanted. A solid family, had magic, had a father in the ministry, a kind and thoughtful mother, and friends. Solid good friends, who shared the virtues and beliefs, he only wished he could still learn and appl. He was trying.
"Malloy, I wouldn't touch you if it could save my family's lives!" He spat in Draco's out-stretched hand. "I'm leaving. You!" He turned to Harry, "You're a traitor, and you'd better hope that I can try and even speak o you again, and maybe mention your name, without throwing up everything I've eaten for a year." Then he turned to Hermione, already in tears. "You little slut! To think that my baby sister looks up to you, that my brothers wish you were their sister, and to tink, above all, I could have fallen in love with someone who supports the family/ society of my Mother's murder." And with that, and enraged Ron strut out of the room, with eyes colder than Draco's had ever been.
Draco fell over in shock. His family had never been on a single raid. They were to high in the ranks. Plus the fact that Draco would never actually harm a person, unless provoked or in self defense. But he felt hurt, and saddened still, that anyone would even joke that he could do something like that.
Harry couldn't believe it, His best friend, had just broken off their nearly 5 year friendship. That had been five year of hard work, hard personal struggles, and good times. He couldn't imagine going through his sixth year without Ron. It wouldn't be right.
Hermione collapsed onto the floor. The man she loved the most, trusted the most, and needed his support the most, had just called her a slut, said she was in the wrong, and made her feel that she was the reason everything was wrong. And even if she knew that wasn't true, she sure felt that some of it must be, or he wouldn't have said it in the tone he had.
The two men, and the woman sat in a state of utter shock. Hermione didn't feel she would ever recover, Harry felt like he had betrayed, not only Ron, but the whole Weasley family, and his parents, and Draco. Draco hadn't felt this much pain. As Hermione curled herself up into his arms, and Harry lay beside them, he felt like he had caused the whole ordeal, he could have saved the happy trio, and now he was empty and alone inside, and he felt as though he would never recover, and truth be told, He never fully would.
And nothing, nothing would ever, ever be the same, no matter how hard anyone tried t make it be. Because something changed in hose minuets, something changed in all the hearts who felt it, things were changing. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.
====*====
I know, I know! It's horrible, but it will get better! Eventually. I'm going to try and post another chapter either tomorrow morning or afternoon. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but my computer wouldn't convert the file correctly, and I had to re-type much of it! :( Now I'm back up in the dorm, and Have to use my laptop, so It may be only one chapter a day from now on. On sundays, I'll probably be able to swing 2-5 but we shall see how it goes! I'm also in an RPG, am building an interactive Hogwarts, and have school, and work, and friends, and a new fish (Kronos) so things are a little bit hectic! But I will certainly try to update again really soon so you can all read & enjoy! PS. I love it when you guys review, so please if you have the time, do!
"Ron....?" Hermione was practically shaking in her boots.
"Hermione!" Ron was shaking too, out of anger, "My dad took us by flying car here, to see you! Just for you he took the trouble! All because I wanted to see you! And I saw you, yes, I saw you alright! With Malloy! The vilest scum on our campus! And you with him!"
"But, Ron! I was nothing! Were only friends!"
"Didn't I ask you not to talk to him? Didn't Harry? And you, you did! You did it! Did you want to cause me pain? Did you want to tear me apart? What made you do it 'Mione? What made you do it?" Tears of anger and sadness steamed down his flushed cheeks.
"Ron, I..." Hermione started, but was lost for words.
"Hermione! I don't even know how I can face you again! You've been acting so weird lately, and I can hardly recognize you from any other school-girl!" Ron screamed all this, then proceeded to storm out of the room.
Hermione was left crying, in Harry's arms, who, seemingly, was the only one who had any respect left for her.
======*======
Draco laid down on his bed, and thought to himself for a few minuets.
'I haven't felt this good, since I decided to not be a death-eater... since I found out the truth about Riddle, and since I decided to hate my father...'
Draco rolled over on his side, and thought of Hermione...
'This won't be how I get out. I can't hurt her... she understands me... can't Voldemort just take someone like Pansy? No... suppose not. He likes her. Well... there was always Weasley..'
That's when the door practically blasted itself down.
"What do you want with Hermione you son of a b-tch?!" Ronald Weasley was in his doorway, wand pointed... at him. ====*====
"Hermione, it's ok!" Harry was trying his best to console the teenage girl. This was not his strong suit, he had only grown up with one other girl, Aunt Petunia, who only cried when Dudley-kins was upset or angry... "This will all blow over 'Mione! Ron will go back to being himself, and we can all go back to hating Malloy-"
"Harry, Draco is really nice! Deep down he is a great guy, He showed me that! And maybe you and Ron don't see it, but have you ever really tried? It's going to be our sixth year Harry! When did we ever give him a chance? When did we take the time? We didn't! And it's not fair to him! T's not! And I can't stand for us doing something that we shouldn't have! Don't you think things would have been different? If you had tried to get to know his background a little more at the robe shop! Or if you had tried to talk to him, rather than fight him on the train! If him and Ron hadn't fought, and if you hadn't misunderstood his words...?! Think about it Harry! Just think about it! Maybe he would have turned around sooner! Maybe we could have helped!" At the end of this, she, once again, burst out into tears, and buried her tear-stained face into Harry's robes.
Harry considered this for a minute, 'It's true I never gave Malfoy the chance, and I never tried to help im out of his problems, even when I knew he had them... And Ron did need a bit of a reality check... He had become so much more possessive since his mothers death, and possessive was becoming obsessive and it was turning him into someone who was more jealous than not. Harry needed to help Ron, and in helping Ron, maybe he could help himself , if making Hermione happy by being Draco's friend would make it all better, it would be worth the trouble. In some ways it would help everyone. Hermione would be able to sort out some trust issues, Ron would be able to be brave, and wise, in helping Malfoy, and Harry. Harry would be able to push away the past, which wasn't easy. Losing Mrs. Weasley himself was traumatic. She was his secon mother, and someone he loved a great deal. He had put a lot of that behind him, but it haunted him, like Cedric, like the Dursleys, like Sirius, and... like his parents. This would be a challenge, but one they would all face together... he hoped.' harry thoug about all this, and decided. It had to be done.
"Ok.. You've got a point... and... I'm sorry I judged him so quickly. If it will make you more happy, I will try and get to know him better, so that will give you peace of mind, and me too... I never thought of all that..." Harry put one of his arms around her shoulders, and led her t the door, "Maybe, if we explain all this to Ron, He will understand that you want to be Draco's friend... and so do I.... and for good reason."
Hermione smiled up at her best friend, thankful he had at least made a some-what successful attempt at consoling her, and trying to make an effort with the whole Draco situation. Now, they had to tell Ron. This would be the hardest thing yet...
=====*====
"Simmer!" Draco used a cool, soothing tone. Any person, experienced or not, was dangerous with a wand, and Draco didn't need to be dead, just as he had discovered life. "Weas... Ron.... lets just... talk... before either one of us does anything rash!" This was his best attempt at saving his ass at this point.
"Simmer? Ron? What games are you playing?! You're a dirty little death-eater, and one who hates muggles at that! How could you ever try and take advantage of my girl! Our a voldemort loving ass, and I don't want you anywhere, and I mean anywhere near her! Do you understand that Malloy? She's mine! And that's all there is to it!" Ron was screaming. He hadn't realized. This was the worst anger, and most pain he had ever felt towards anyone, since his (now even more passionate) hate for death eaters, when they murdered his mother. Then, something happened to make him even more angry. He whipped around to the sound of Hermione's voice, ringing loud and true in his ear and mind, as if he were to say th words to himself...
"I am not your girl Ronald Weasley! I am not some object to be ordered around! I'm not on a menu you know! And don't think for one minuet that I will ever be able to trust you around me, because now I know that I can't! You are selfish, and you are wrong to think that I am yours, and to think that just because he has been quite rude to us in the past, that Draco doesn't have feelings! ... I know he does! And I won't let you two talk until you both can put your differences aside, and the past behind you! Stop looking in the rear-view mirror, when you should be looking out the windshield!" Hermione strode over in between the two men. "Ron, if you do anything to Draco, it will have to be through me first."
Silence.
Ron, was utterly stunned. Hermione had never spoken to him like that. No one had. He felt all to alone. First he sees the only girl he has ever truly loved as more than a friend, with the worst enemy he ever made, now he had lost her to (he felt) the darkness. The same darkness that he had lost his mother too, that darkness that haunted Harry, the Darkness that would search for him the rest of his life. And now, Harry was betraying him. His sense of loss was devastating, and even more-so was his bitter attitude towards life, and to those he had called his friends.
His jealous feelings fled back into him. The thoughts of what he would never have, terrorizing his mind, and poisoning his thoughts. He would never have anther mother, he would never had the money that Harry and Draco had, he would never have the brain or pleasant attitude as Hermione, and he would never have the looks of Harry, nor the strength and power of Draco. And all of this made him angry, viciously angry. The voices in his head telling him he had to be better, he had to do more, and these, these were the people who had it. The people he would always fail to rise up to. And that's when he snapped, when he took all his possible anger out on the worst people to do so. His friends.
"Hermione... Move. Draco and I will duel to settle this!" Ron stated, as if it was a fact.
This is when Harry decided to step in. "Ron. We both know that we can't count on your wand to save a fly's life. We also know Draco is stronger than you. I also know, from what 'Mione has told me, that maybe we should also try and get to know Draco a bit better, before we go about trying to destroy him. I also think, that I would like to get a new start with him." Harry turned and extended it to Draco, "Hello, I'm Harry, Harry Potter... And, I'd like to put anything I've ever said wrong to you behind us. I'm not pushing anything here, but I'd like t talk with you... if that's alright..."
"Malloy, Draco Malloy. And I'd love to talk. It sound to me like we could have a good conversation. I'd like to talk with you, Ron, too, If that's alright?" Draco was trying his hardest to believe what was happening. Hermione had defended him... again. She had yelled at her Best friend for him, she had probably bribed Harry into trying to befriend him, and now he,was extending his friendship, to someone he hated, wanted to beat with a broom, and, mostly, was just plain Jealous of. Ron had grown up with everything Draco could have wanted. A solid family, had magic, had a father in the ministry, a kind and thoughtful mother, and friends. Solid good friends, who shared the virtues and beliefs, he only wished he could still learn and appl. He was trying.
"Malloy, I wouldn't touch you if it could save my family's lives!" He spat in Draco's out-stretched hand. "I'm leaving. You!" He turned to Harry, "You're a traitor, and you'd better hope that I can try and even speak o you again, and maybe mention your name, without throwing up everything I've eaten for a year." Then he turned to Hermione, already in tears. "You little slut! To think that my baby sister looks up to you, that my brothers wish you were their sister, and to tink, above all, I could have fallen in love with someone who supports the family/ society of my Mother's murder." And with that, and enraged Ron strut out of the room, with eyes colder than Draco's had ever been.
Draco fell over in shock. His family had never been on a single raid. They were to high in the ranks. Plus the fact that Draco would never actually harm a person, unless provoked or in self defense. But he felt hurt, and saddened still, that anyone would even joke that he could do something like that.
Harry couldn't believe it, His best friend, had just broken off their nearly 5 year friendship. That had been five year of hard work, hard personal struggles, and good times. He couldn't imagine going through his sixth year without Ron. It wouldn't be right.
Hermione collapsed onto the floor. The man she loved the most, trusted the most, and needed his support the most, had just called her a slut, said she was in the wrong, and made her feel that she was the reason everything was wrong. And even if she knew that wasn't true, she sure felt that some of it must be, or he wouldn't have said it in the tone he had.
The two men, and the woman sat in a state of utter shock. Hermione didn't feel she would ever recover, Harry felt like he had betrayed, not only Ron, but the whole Weasley family, and his parents, and Draco. Draco hadn't felt this much pain. As Hermione curled herself up into his arms, and Harry lay beside them, he felt like he had caused the whole ordeal, he could have saved the happy trio, and now he was empty and alone inside, and he felt as though he would never recover, and truth be told, He never fully would.
And nothing, nothing would ever, ever be the same, no matter how hard anyone tried t make it be. Because something changed in hose minuets, something changed in all the hearts who felt it, things were changing. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.
====*====
I know, I know! It's horrible, but it will get better! Eventually. I'm going to try and post another chapter either tomorrow morning or afternoon. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but my computer wouldn't convert the file correctly, and I had to re-type much of it! :( Now I'm back up in the dorm, and Have to use my laptop, so It may be only one chapter a day from now on. On sundays, I'll probably be able to swing 2-5 but we shall see how it goes! I'm also in an RPG, am building an interactive Hogwarts, and have school, and work, and friends, and a new fish (Kronos) so things are a little bit hectic! But I will certainly try to update again really soon so you can all read & enjoy! PS. I love it when you guys review, so please if you have the time, do!