Ch 4 -
The next week went by perfectly fine but one fateful Tuesday afternoon Draco and Hermione were talking, both sitting under a big shade tree. Now everyone had befriended Draco...to some extent anyhow.
Everyone else was outside too, except the adults and twins. Ron and Harry were sitting about 3 feet to the left of Draco and Hermione, talking about Quidditch, Lori, Melanie, and Ginny to their right.
There was a slight pause in Draco and Hermione's conversation and this is when Lance decided to make himself present in Draco's head. (( ~TEXT~ = Lance to Draco and *TEXT* = Draco to Lance))
~Draco! How are you doing?~
*Go away, Lance!*
~That's no way to treat a friend, now is it?~
*Friend? Your no friend! I don't think friends would take over another friend's mind!*
~Well...as far as that goes...your probably right...but...this is an exception~
*How?*
~I can give you power, you know? Unlimited power, the power I had before I was killed.~
*That's fine, I don't want it.*
~Then I have to do this.~
After a few seconds of silence... *Do what?*
~Malfoy!~
*Wha–* Before he could finish the word, he got a sharp pain in his head. At this point he was subconsciously holding his head in his hands from the pain.
"Draco? Are you ok?" Hermione was saying, it sounded like she was so far away.
Everyone turned to look at them.
"Kinda looks constipated" Ron said
Before Draco could even get the chance to answer his head snapped up, his eyes flashed blood red and he lunged at her and, within seconds, had her pinned down. Right hand holding her right shoulder and his left arm over her throat. After about two seconds of this, he jumped off of her and she stood up "Draco!"
He said nothing to her but muttered something under his breath and held his hand, palm towards her. A green and silver light shot towards her and knocked her against the tree.
After this, he heard Lance say, in a tantalizing tone ~Malfoy....~ again and he (Draco) dropped to his knees and held his head again.
As soon as Draco had shot the stream of light at Hermione, Ron had run to her. "Hermione?" He said.
He looked behind him at Draco "You! I knew you couldn't be trusted! I don't care what everyone else says!"
"Wha–What did I do?"
"What did you do?" Ron repeated in a mocking tone. "As if you don't know!"
"No. Ron, I really don't know what I did."
Ron ignored him "Hermione? Hermione, please wake up!" She made no movement or sound. "Hermione?" now he was sounding a lot like he did in second year when he and Harry were around all the spiders. "Please...wake up." Still no movement or sound. He was already sitting down but now he leaned against the tree. He hit his head on it about three times. "Why, Draco? Why did you do it?"
"I don't know what I did, Ron! I can't answer you!"
Lori, Melanie, Ginny, and Harry all exchanged glances. "I think he's telling the truth, Ron." Lori said, going over and sitting next to her cousin.
He had his eyes closed before but now he opened them, going back to trying to wake Hermione up. After a few minutes he looked over his shoulder "If you killed her, your going to pay. Pay with your life. I'll kill you personally."
"Umm...Ron...she's still breathing...you git!" Melanie said.
Draco actually looked a little freaked out by that. The thought of an extremely angry Ron Weasley just seemed a bit scary. He muttered to Mel "Do you think he's serious?"
"Uh....probably."
Lori, being on the other side of Draco and hearing what he said, replied "Well...he probably is serious. The only reason I think that is: One, its something to do with Hermione and two, he's a Weasley, when a Weasley says they'll do something, they'll do it."
"Really? Well...that kind of scares me."
Lori grinned "I mean, when we set our minds to something, we stick to it, but I doubt he'd actually kill you but if he tries to, someone will stop him, trust me."
~*~*~
They had taken Hermione inside to Ginny's room. She was laying on the bed, still asleep. If that's what you preferred to call it. This is, of course, what Ron preferred to refer to it as, because he didn't like the thought of her being knocked out or anything worse.
He was currently sitting in a chair next to the bed she was in, holding her hand, his forehead on her hand. "Mione...." He whimpered. "Please......wake up....."
Lori came up to Ginny's room to check on the two. She knocked on the door "Knock, knock?"
Ron looked up towards the door "Yeah?" He said, his voice cracked, as if he had been crying before.
Lori opened the door and came in. "Hey." She said softly. "How you doing?" She asked as she sat down in a chair next to his.
He looked at her, tears in his eyes. That was all she needed for an answer. He leaned into his cousins shoulder, sobbing."Why? Why her?" he said, his question muffled since he was crying into her shoulder.
"I don't know, Ron. I just don't know." She said, gently rubbing his back in an sympathetic manner
He lifted his head "I don't get it...I don't understand! Why Hermione? Why?"
"I'm sorry Ron...I don't know."
"Do you think–do you think he actually did anything to–to really truly harm her?"
"I"m not going to say yes and I'm not going to say no for sure but ...as far as what I think, no."
"What if he–he–" He cut himself off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"No, Ron. He wouldn't do that."
"How can you say that? He's destined to be a Death Eater, if he's not already!"
"Maybe so, and maybe he doesn't like Hermione but...he wouldn't kill her right in front of you. Even Malfoy is that cold hearted."
"No? You don't think so? Well I do."
"I know you don't like him, Ron, but really, he's not all bad. Especially now that he's been dating Mel and all. He's changed..."
"I don't care, Lori. If Mione doesn't wake up, I'm going to hurt him in so many ways...."
Lori looked at her watch: 2:58am. "Ron, sleep is in need you know?"
He shook his head "No. Not now."
"Ron." she said in warning tone, as if she were older even though she was only by about two months.
"You can't make me do anything."
"I'm older than you, I've got authority over you."
"Your only two months older than me."
"I still have authority."
"You shouldn't."
"Aunt Molly said that if you started getting too worked up about it all....I have authority over you."
"I'm not getting worked up about anything."
"Yes you are, Ron. This whole ordeal with Hermione, your getting too worked up about it."
"No I'm not!" he said already getting infuriated with her.
"See?"
"Lori! For Merlin's sake! She's my girlfriend! I have reason to get worked up!"
Lori took her cousin by the shoulders and shook him viciously. As she did he was glaring at her."Ron! Stop! Snap out of it!"
He stared at her then the shield he had formed to keep himself from crying broke. He sat back down, face in his hands. "I'm sorry...I don't know....what happened. Its just..."
Lori shook her head "You don't have to explain, I understand."
"How?"
"Well...I mean....I can't really begin to understand what your going through but I know why you leashed out like that."
He stayed silent for awhile.
"Well...you know, you could always just sleep on the floor in here."
"Yeah...I may as well cause I know this is where I'm going to end up falling asleep."
"I'll go get some blankets and pillows and junk."
"Ok."
Lori got up and left for the said things and was back within three minutes with two pillows and two sleeping bags.
Ron frowned "Two?"
"I'm staying to."
"Why?"
"To watch over you, your not exactly yourself now."
~*~*~
The two cousins had fallen asleep around 3:30am on the floor. Now it was about five o'clock in the morning and Hermione woke up. "Mmmm....what's going on?" She whispered to no one in particular.
Even though he was asleep, Ron heard her and sat up immediately "Mione?"
"Ron?"
No one would have been able to tell because it was so dark but Ron grinned "Mione."
"Ron...wha–what happened?"
"What do you remember last?" He asked, getting up and sitting in the chair.
"Malfoy muttering something and then a green and silver light...after that...its all blank."
"Well...you didn't miss much...except me saying something to him..."
"What did you say?" She asked.
"Nothing really...just that....if he had done anything to really truly harm you then I'd....I'd kill him."
"Ronald Weasley!"
"What?"
"I can't believe you!"
"I didn't know what he did to you!"
"Still!"
"I was just...."
"I don't care, Ron!"
"But I thought he had seriously hurt you Mione."
"Well, I'm fine, aren't I?"
"Yeah...I guess..." he said weakly.
"I just don't understand you sometimes, Ron!"
"What's to not understand? Tell me and I'll explain it."
"Its just...your always doing stuff like that! And I don't understand why. I mean...you even when we were just friends..."
"Its....Its just...I'm...I don't know...defending you, I guess is what you'd say."
"Defending me?"
"Y-Yeah."
She sighed.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Mione.."
"Its nothing, Ron. I'm just tired. I'm going to go to sleep now, k?"
"Alright."
~*~*~
The next week went by perfectly fine but one fateful Tuesday afternoon Draco and Hermione were talking, both sitting under a big shade tree. Now everyone had befriended Draco...to some extent anyhow.
Everyone else was outside too, except the adults and twins. Ron and Harry were sitting about 3 feet to the left of Draco and Hermione, talking about Quidditch, Lori, Melanie, and Ginny to their right.
There was a slight pause in Draco and Hermione's conversation and this is when Lance decided to make himself present in Draco's head. (( ~TEXT~ = Lance to Draco and *TEXT* = Draco to Lance))
~Draco! How are you doing?~
*Go away, Lance!*
~That's no way to treat a friend, now is it?~
*Friend? Your no friend! I don't think friends would take over another friend's mind!*
~Well...as far as that goes...your probably right...but...this is an exception~
*How?*
~I can give you power, you know? Unlimited power, the power I had before I was killed.~
*That's fine, I don't want it.*
~Then I have to do this.~
After a few seconds of silence... *Do what?*
~Malfoy!~
*Wha–* Before he could finish the word, he got a sharp pain in his head. At this point he was subconsciously holding his head in his hands from the pain.
"Draco? Are you ok?" Hermione was saying, it sounded like she was so far away.
Everyone turned to look at them.
"Kinda looks constipated" Ron said
Before Draco could even get the chance to answer his head snapped up, his eyes flashed blood red and he lunged at her and, within seconds, had her pinned down. Right hand holding her right shoulder and his left arm over her throat. After about two seconds of this, he jumped off of her and she stood up "Draco!"
He said nothing to her but muttered something under his breath and held his hand, palm towards her. A green and silver light shot towards her and knocked her against the tree.
After this, he heard Lance say, in a tantalizing tone ~Malfoy....~ again and he (Draco) dropped to his knees and held his head again.
As soon as Draco had shot the stream of light at Hermione, Ron had run to her. "Hermione?" He said.
He looked behind him at Draco "You! I knew you couldn't be trusted! I don't care what everyone else says!"
"Wha–What did I do?"
"What did you do?" Ron repeated in a mocking tone. "As if you don't know!"
"No. Ron, I really don't know what I did."
Ron ignored him "Hermione? Hermione, please wake up!" She made no movement or sound. "Hermione?" now he was sounding a lot like he did in second year when he and Harry were around all the spiders. "Please...wake up." Still no movement or sound. He was already sitting down but now he leaned against the tree. He hit his head on it about three times. "Why, Draco? Why did you do it?"
"I don't know what I did, Ron! I can't answer you!"
Lori, Melanie, Ginny, and Harry all exchanged glances. "I think he's telling the truth, Ron." Lori said, going over and sitting next to her cousin.
He had his eyes closed before but now he opened them, going back to trying to wake Hermione up. After a few minutes he looked over his shoulder "If you killed her, your going to pay. Pay with your life. I'll kill you personally."
"Umm...Ron...she's still breathing...you git!" Melanie said.
Draco actually looked a little freaked out by that. The thought of an extremely angry Ron Weasley just seemed a bit scary. He muttered to Mel "Do you think he's serious?"
"Uh....probably."
Lori, being on the other side of Draco and hearing what he said, replied "Well...he probably is serious. The only reason I think that is: One, its something to do with Hermione and two, he's a Weasley, when a Weasley says they'll do something, they'll do it."
"Really? Well...that kind of scares me."
Lori grinned "I mean, when we set our minds to something, we stick to it, but I doubt he'd actually kill you but if he tries to, someone will stop him, trust me."
~*~*~
They had taken Hermione inside to Ginny's room. She was laying on the bed, still asleep. If that's what you preferred to call it. This is, of course, what Ron preferred to refer to it as, because he didn't like the thought of her being knocked out or anything worse.
He was currently sitting in a chair next to the bed she was in, holding her hand, his forehead on her hand. "Mione...." He whimpered. "Please......wake up....."
Lori came up to Ginny's room to check on the two. She knocked on the door "Knock, knock?"
Ron looked up towards the door "Yeah?" He said, his voice cracked, as if he had been crying before.
Lori opened the door and came in. "Hey." She said softly. "How you doing?" She asked as she sat down in a chair next to his.
He looked at her, tears in his eyes. That was all she needed for an answer. He leaned into his cousins shoulder, sobbing."Why? Why her?" he said, his question muffled since he was crying into her shoulder.
"I don't know, Ron. I just don't know." She said, gently rubbing his back in an sympathetic manner
He lifted his head "I don't get it...I don't understand! Why Hermione? Why?"
"I'm sorry Ron...I don't know."
"Do you think–do you think he actually did anything to–to really truly harm her?"
"I"m not going to say yes and I'm not going to say no for sure but ...as far as what I think, no."
"What if he–he–" He cut himself off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"No, Ron. He wouldn't do that."
"How can you say that? He's destined to be a Death Eater, if he's not already!"
"Maybe so, and maybe he doesn't like Hermione but...he wouldn't kill her right in front of you. Even Malfoy is that cold hearted."
"No? You don't think so? Well I do."
"I know you don't like him, Ron, but really, he's not all bad. Especially now that he's been dating Mel and all. He's changed..."
"I don't care, Lori. If Mione doesn't wake up, I'm going to hurt him in so many ways...."
Lori looked at her watch: 2:58am. "Ron, sleep is in need you know?"
He shook his head "No. Not now."
"Ron." she said in warning tone, as if she were older even though she was only by about two months.
"You can't make me do anything."
"I'm older than you, I've got authority over you."
"Your only two months older than me."
"I still have authority."
"You shouldn't."
"Aunt Molly said that if you started getting too worked up about it all....I have authority over you."
"I'm not getting worked up about anything."
"Yes you are, Ron. This whole ordeal with Hermione, your getting too worked up about it."
"No I'm not!" he said already getting infuriated with her.
"See?"
"Lori! For Merlin's sake! She's my girlfriend! I have reason to get worked up!"
Lori took her cousin by the shoulders and shook him viciously. As she did he was glaring at her."Ron! Stop! Snap out of it!"
He stared at her then the shield he had formed to keep himself from crying broke. He sat back down, face in his hands. "I'm sorry...I don't know....what happened. Its just..."
Lori shook her head "You don't have to explain, I understand."
"How?"
"Well...I mean....I can't really begin to understand what your going through but I know why you leashed out like that."
He stayed silent for awhile.
"Well...you know, you could always just sleep on the floor in here."
"Yeah...I may as well cause I know this is where I'm going to end up falling asleep."
"I'll go get some blankets and pillows and junk."
"Ok."
Lori got up and left for the said things and was back within three minutes with two pillows and two sleeping bags.
Ron frowned "Two?"
"I'm staying to."
"Why?"
"To watch over you, your not exactly yourself now."
~*~*~
The two cousins had fallen asleep around 3:30am on the floor. Now it was about five o'clock in the morning and Hermione woke up. "Mmmm....what's going on?" She whispered to no one in particular.
Even though he was asleep, Ron heard her and sat up immediately "Mione?"
"Ron?"
No one would have been able to tell because it was so dark but Ron grinned "Mione."
"Ron...wha–what happened?"
"What do you remember last?" He asked, getting up and sitting in the chair.
"Malfoy muttering something and then a green and silver light...after that...its all blank."
"Well...you didn't miss much...except me saying something to him..."
"What did you say?" She asked.
"Nothing really...just that....if he had done anything to really truly harm you then I'd....I'd kill him."
"Ronald Weasley!"
"What?"
"I can't believe you!"
"I didn't know what he did to you!"
"Still!"
"I was just...."
"I don't care, Ron!"
"But I thought he had seriously hurt you Mione."
"Well, I'm fine, aren't I?"
"Yeah...I guess..." he said weakly.
"I just don't understand you sometimes, Ron!"
"What's to not understand? Tell me and I'll explain it."
"Its just...your always doing stuff like that! And I don't understand why. I mean...you even when we were just friends..."
"Its....Its just...I'm...I don't know...defending you, I guess is what you'd say."
"Defending me?"
"Y-Yeah."
She sighed.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Mione.."
"Its nothing, Ron. I'm just tired. I'm going to go to sleep now, k?"
"Alright."
~*~*~