Chapter 3:
Ron's Plight
Ronald Weasley trudged through the field. He had left for a few hours, just a few hours! He had just wanted to cool off after that fight with Ginny. How could he have gotten lost?
Ron looked up. At the end of the field was an everlasting line of trees. He decided that he'd sleep under those trees, but he had to get their first.
He pulled some of the raspberries he had picked earlier out of his pocket, and gobbled them up. Ron had never really known what hunger was until now. He vowed that when he got back to civilization he would never say he was starving.
Ron thought about his family. Were they okay? Were they even worried? He thought about Ginny the most. They had been having a stupid fight; one of those where you by the time it's over you've forgotten what it was about. So he had left the house to cool off.
One of the things he pondered about the most was why he hadn't brought his wand. He would've been allowed to use magic under these circumstances. Ron sighed and continued towards the woods.
* * *
It was late and the afternoon, the sun would soon set on Ron's left. He had no idea which way the Burrow was, so he just kept going this was, hoping to find another wizard.
Ron was at the edge of the forest by then, resting and wondering what he was going to eat for dinner. What wouldn't I give for Mum's fried chicken? He thought. How many days had it been since he had decent, cooked food? Three days? Four? Five? He had lost count. He hadn't had food fit for a human since breakfast the day he left.
The sound of running water reached his ears. Ron jumped up. Clean water had become a luxury, so he was willing go investigate any lake, pond, stream, creek, river, or other body of water. He ran in the direction of that refreshing sound.
In a large clearing Ron came upon a beautiful sight. A fresh, babbling brook flowed through, with wildflowers growing from the banks. Wild raspberries, blueberries, and grape vines. Ron went for the berries, then for the brook. He finished when he was completely full (a wonderful feeling, finally decent food!) which took until twilight had come and gone and night had settled.
Ron left the clearing for a little while, trying to find a good place to sleep. He didn't want to go too far away, because he wanted to come back for breakfast.
He had found a narrow opening in the trees, which he could walk through, it was almost like a path. The vines had been chopped and the weeds had been removed from the ground, which looked as if it had been worn by feet.
Very abruptly, Ron halted. He sensed that someone or something was watching him. He glanced around him, but nothing moved or made a sound. He walked forward a few more paces.
Suddenly something jumped from the trees in front of him. It landed, crouched, the slowly rose, forming the shape of a person. A cloud moved from in front of the moon, and Ron saw what was blocking his path.
A beautiful girl about his age was staring back at him. She had wavy gold hair that went all the way down to her ankles. She was dressed in a flowing white dress that fluttered in the breeze, but it was her eyes that captivated Ron, They were a clear, icy blue. Looking into their infinite depths was like looking into a very deep, crystal clear pond. Now Ron understood why one's eyes are considered to be the window to the soul.
"Hello," said Ron stupidly.
"Are you a-a human?" she asked in a breathless voice. What kind of a question was that? Unless, of course, she was some rare kind of vela.
"Yes, why, aren't you?" Ron asked in the same stupid sounding voice. The girl shook her head. Then she took the right side of her hair and lifted it back slightly, revealing her right ear. The top was long and pointed. The whole ear was slightly larger than any human ear. Ron should've known it was too good to be true.
* * *
Ginny sat up in bed, just having awoken from a very vivid dream in which she had seen Ron in a forest. Ginny wasn't sure how she knew that it was Ron and not one of her other brothers, she just knew. She turned over, remembering the dream.
"Ron," Ginny muttered, "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."
Ron's Plight
Ronald Weasley trudged through the field. He had left for a few hours, just a few hours! He had just wanted to cool off after that fight with Ginny. How could he have gotten lost?
Ron looked up. At the end of the field was an everlasting line of trees. He decided that he'd sleep under those trees, but he had to get their first.
He pulled some of the raspberries he had picked earlier out of his pocket, and gobbled them up. Ron had never really known what hunger was until now. He vowed that when he got back to civilization he would never say he was starving.
Ron thought about his family. Were they okay? Were they even worried? He thought about Ginny the most. They had been having a stupid fight; one of those where you by the time it's over you've forgotten what it was about. So he had left the house to cool off.
One of the things he pondered about the most was why he hadn't brought his wand. He would've been allowed to use magic under these circumstances. Ron sighed and continued towards the woods.
* * *
It was late and the afternoon, the sun would soon set on Ron's left. He had no idea which way the Burrow was, so he just kept going this was, hoping to find another wizard.
Ron was at the edge of the forest by then, resting and wondering what he was going to eat for dinner. What wouldn't I give for Mum's fried chicken? He thought. How many days had it been since he had decent, cooked food? Three days? Four? Five? He had lost count. He hadn't had food fit for a human since breakfast the day he left.
The sound of running water reached his ears. Ron jumped up. Clean water had become a luxury, so he was willing go investigate any lake, pond, stream, creek, river, or other body of water. He ran in the direction of that refreshing sound.
In a large clearing Ron came upon a beautiful sight. A fresh, babbling brook flowed through, with wildflowers growing from the banks. Wild raspberries, blueberries, and grape vines. Ron went for the berries, then for the brook. He finished when he was completely full (a wonderful feeling, finally decent food!) which took until twilight had come and gone and night had settled.
Ron left the clearing for a little while, trying to find a good place to sleep. He didn't want to go too far away, because he wanted to come back for breakfast.
He had found a narrow opening in the trees, which he could walk through, it was almost like a path. The vines had been chopped and the weeds had been removed from the ground, which looked as if it had been worn by feet.
Very abruptly, Ron halted. He sensed that someone or something was watching him. He glanced around him, but nothing moved or made a sound. He walked forward a few more paces.
Suddenly something jumped from the trees in front of him. It landed, crouched, the slowly rose, forming the shape of a person. A cloud moved from in front of the moon, and Ron saw what was blocking his path.
A beautiful girl about his age was staring back at him. She had wavy gold hair that went all the way down to her ankles. She was dressed in a flowing white dress that fluttered in the breeze, but it was her eyes that captivated Ron, They were a clear, icy blue. Looking into their infinite depths was like looking into a very deep, crystal clear pond. Now Ron understood why one's eyes are considered to be the window to the soul.
"Hello," said Ron stupidly.
"Are you a-a human?" she asked in a breathless voice. What kind of a question was that? Unless, of course, she was some rare kind of vela.
"Yes, why, aren't you?" Ron asked in the same stupid sounding voice. The girl shook her head. Then she took the right side of her hair and lifted it back slightly, revealing her right ear. The top was long and pointed. The whole ear was slightly larger than any human ear. Ron should've known it was too good to be true.
* * *
Ginny sat up in bed, just having awoken from a very vivid dream in which she had seen Ron in a forest. Ginny wasn't sure how she knew that it was Ron and not one of her other brothers, she just knew. She turned over, remembering the dream.
"Ron," Ginny muttered, "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."