Chapter 16

Author's Note:  My sincerest apologies for the lack of updates for so long. I had a lot of homework and stuff like that these past few weeks and I just couldn't find the inspiration for writing the chapter. But now I finally wrote it down on paper and after many bits of editing I think it's rather satisfactory. I ask all you readers out there in Fic-land to review for me. I live for reviews, they are…precious to me. Another note, I don't enjoy H/H shippers and such reading my story. 1) You wouldn't even like it, don't bother, and 2) I hate the concept of Harry and Hermione together. It sickens me. No offence of course.

I hope you like this update and please let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Insane in too many ways to count on two hands and feet?

To my faithful reviewers: (You might want to skip this section)

CurlsofGold- I know, they always are fighting aren't they? I just had to do that or they wouldn't be Ron and Hermione, would they? Tanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

Anyana- Lol! I'm glad you liked it! I can't wait for that part either, though I have a lot of work to do on it. Here's a nice bit of half-fluffiness half transition material-type chapter for you, it's a bit short but still essential for the plot. Many thanks for the review and have a great holiday!

Bumpersticker86- Awesome! I'm glad you liked it! I hope this one satisfies you also. Thank you for the great review!

Hermione Weasley- Okay, here's the next chapter for you. I really am sorry for the long torturous delay, but it was necessary for the good of the story. You see, the first review you gave me for chapter 15 brought that fact of Draco being left out to my attention and I knew I needed to do something about it. This seemed the best solution to the problem and I had been thinking on it for a while anyway. I hope you like it and I'm very sorry for the long time it took me. By the way, I like Hermione Weasley, but hey, Ginny Malfoy is pretty cool, too. Thank you for the wonderful reviews as usual!

Gigaku- Thank you so much for your awesome review! I was grinning for like a week straight. Here's the next chapter and I hope you like it, I surely do, even if it is a bit short. Please, continue to tell me what you think.

Mione Weasley- Thanks so much for the review, I really am happy about it. I got up off my arse and wrote the next chapter like you requested and I hope you like it. Please, continue to review and scold me. I deserve it. Thanks again!

Lady Russell Holmes- Thanks for the 100th review! Yay! How cool is that? It's cool. Anyway, I'm glad that you like the story, here's the next chapter for you. Please continue to review!

Chapter 16:

A Ring of Simplicity

A rosy red haze fell over the group of exhausted people who were slowly making their way through the forest towards the house of Wormtail. This haze was the result of the sunset, which, though it was usually welcoming, seemed oddly sinister and uninviting this evening. Ron and Hermione still were not speaking to each other; their only communication was to send quick and nasty glares when they knew the other wasn't looking. Harry and Draco tried to make conversation every once in a while, but it always ended up stilted and short. They had already gone through the topics of weather, opinions on generic articles in the Daily Prophet, and how they were feeling at various moments while trudging through the woods.

"It always has to be the woods, doesn't it?" Draco grumbled, pulling the hems of his cloak out of the dead leaves and mud. "I'm going to fall over if we have to go much further. Please, can't we stop and rest here for the night. If we try to go on the result will only be more harm to our bodies."

Harry thought this sounded practical enough, so he decided to consult the "silent ones" he'd taken to calling them. "Ron, Hermione, what do you two think? Shall we go on or rest here?"

"Go on."

"Rest here."

Ron and Hermione shot a look so horrible at one another that Harry was frightened himself. And after all the ordeals that Harry had been through, it was not an easy feat to frighten him.

"Okay, I think we should rest here. So I guess we'll just get an early start tomorrow. Hermione, will you start a fire for us?"

"Fine," she said shortly, and cast her special Bluebell Flame near the trunk of a large tree. The other three dropped their bags and sat down; making themselves comfortable in the dirt and twigs…it wasn't going to be fun waking up the next morning.

Hermione started reading one of her books by the fire after a Weasley sandwich dinner, but after about fifteen chapters she just couldn't stay interested in it. Ron was tormenting her. Why did they always have to fight? It was completely his fault anyway, that's obvious. I'm not going to be the one to apologize; I have nothing to apologize for! But that look in his eyes when he didn't think she was looking at him…it was so sad. He seemed to want to be friends with her; he seemed to want to run up to her and hug her knees and beg for her affection. That was only in her mind, though. He would never do such a thing and even if he did, what would she do? I would tell him that he's insane and should go to see Madam Pomfrey. Exactly. She could never admit it to him, that she was in love and wanted to be his…well, his… That is enough of that, Hermione. Stop daydreaming. Silly fantasies never come true and you know it.

With that conclusion Hermione decided to talk to Draco. She felt like he was separating himself from the group and she didn't want him to be separate. He was quite important and she realized now more than ever before how much she valued his friendship. She regretted all those fights back in school, all those unnecessary fights. She sighed as she approached him. In his hands was a simple golden ring; he was smiling at it as though waiting for something delightful to happen. When he saw her he stuffed the ring away in his pocket, but she wouldn't let him get away without telling her about it.

"How are you doing, Draco?" She asked innocently, sitting down next to him.

"I'm a bit tired, but alright just the same, how about you?"

"Not so good. But I must ask, why are you so happy about that ring you have in your pocket? Is there something you haven't been telling us, Draco?"

His eyes widened slightly at the question she posed, and he gulped slightly. She could tell that this wasn't a matter to be taken lightly. Panic appeared in his stormy gray eyes and he stuttered, trying to find a suitable answer.

"Y-you see, th-the thing is th-that, Her-her-Hermione-" he sputtered, fidgeting with his cloak fastening, looking around wildly. She interrupted his anxious fit.

"What is it, Draco? Calm down, I promise I won't tell anyone. Please, what is it?"

            At this Draco caught his breath and stopped trying to talk. He looked down for a moment, as though there was a mystery in the soil of the forest where they were that he felt he was required to solve. She waited for him to answer her.

            "Do you swear you won't ever breathe a word to any living being? Not even your cat?" He finally demanded, looking most seriously at her. What could be so important?

            "I swear, as long as you aren't harming yourself or on the side of Voldemort, I'll keep your secret," she replied with the same level of somberness. He nodded.

            "When one becomes an Unspeakable," he began, "that person knows that their job description involves danger, highly magical situations, and creatures or humans that are sometimes not good in any sense. By accepting that job an automatic vow takes place. To be an Unspeakable, it is required to be isolated, not attached emotionally to anyone strongly enough for the other side to see. Attachment creates a handle for dark wizards like the Lord, well, Voldemort to seize and hold onto. That's probably why we're dealing with Ginny being kidnapped right now. Harry was openly in love with her and they knew that if they could get her; that would entice him to come and save her so they could grab him, too.

            "He isn't an Unspeakable, though. He's allowed to have emotional attachments. People- people like Ron and I- we aren't allowed to have those, because if we do, if we do then we aren't the strong and powerful units that are one of the Ministry's best defenses against Voldemort. Do you see what I mean?"

            Hermione started to realize what he was telling her. It explained a lot that had been going on in the last few months. Before Ron had become an Unspeakable, when everyone had known that she was one of the more clever witches ever to leave Hogwarts they had been attached to Harry at the hip. What better way to get rid of two of the strongest of those in the wizarding world than to capture him? It would have been killing three birds with one stone. But it didn't work…That was what they were doing now. They're trying to kill five with one stone. But how did all of this tie in with the ring he was so happy to be holding? She was so carried away with her own thoughts that she didn't even realize the simple solution.

            "Yes, I understand you perfectly, but why..?"

            "Hermione, I'm married," he said, taking the ring from his pocket and showing her that it fit on his left hand.  She gasped in shock. She had never even entertained the thought that he could be…

            "I was married in secret. That was partly because of being an Unspeakable and partly because I was working for Voldemort at the time. She's a muggleborn much like yourself. I was terrified of what my Father would think, but I loved her so much. I couldn't bear to think of living my dark, cold life all by myself, fighting those terrible forces with no source of warmth.

"She provides me with all the happiness I'll ever need, but our lives are so secret that it's painful. I wish that all of this could be over. I want to quit my job and go home to her. Whenever something bad happens or I feel helpless all I have to do is remove myself from the situation and go to her in my mind. All I have to do is think of her. I'm still sad…I'm continually sad, but knowing that she will be there for me is a tremendous comfort. I know that I need her and she needs me."

            Hermione was crying. She smiled and gave him a big hug and told him in incoherent words how much she was proud of him and how much she knew he would be okay.

            "Oh Draco," she said, pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's the most wonderful thing I've heard for a long time. What's she like? Do you have any children?"     

She took his cold hand and held it tightly in her own. A burden seemed to fly from her shoulders as she realized how much she had worried about him and how much she was relieved now that she knew there would always be someone there for him. It left a dark pit at the bottom of her gut, though. Her conscience was haunting her. There's no one for me.

"Well," he answered, a slight smile apparent on his usually morose features, "we don't have any children yet. I'm hoping we'll have the opportunity for some, though. Genevieve, that's her name, is the most beautiful, generous, and kind woman you could ever meet. Her eyes are a beautiful aqua color; her hair is not long, in fact, it's rather short and blondish-brown and it makes her look like one of those mischievous muggle pixies, not the real things. She's always cheerful and smiling and she wouldn't take no for an answer when we first met. She was determined to make friends with me and once I let my guard down we immediately fell in love." He sighed in the bliss of imagining her smiling face.

"She sounds wonderful," Hermione responded, feeling more melancholy.

"May I share an observation I've made?" Draco asked slyly, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"Go ahead," she urged him, curiously.

"I think that Ron has the same system I do for relieving his stress, or at least it is greatly similar to mine. There's just one exception for him, and I fear that if it isn't resolved soon, it will be his undoing. I see it in his face…especially at this particular point in time. He has never really minded breaking rules, has he?" Draco asked, but only to confirm what he already knew.

"Oh no. He's never had a problem with that," Hermione said stiffly.

"Good. Well, that was a bit of a rabbit trail off from what I was originally saying. I just wanted to say that the problem with his system is that he can think all of the time about the woman he loves and wants to share his life with, but he doesn't have that security that I do. You see? He doesn't know whether or not she loves him as well."

Hermione blanched. Did Ron love her? Could he? Perhaps I should just go make amends with him. It was only a silly little disagreement anyway, she reasoned with herself.

"I'll talk to you a bit later," she told Draco, releasing his hand and getting up. She glanced over to where Ron was sitting. He was poking around in the fire with a stick with that hopeless, Sirius Black-ish look in his eyes again. Those eyes should not have to hold that expression, she thought with a spurt of anger, and quickly confronted Ron with her presence, sitting down right next to him and looking straight at him. He turned to face her confusedly.

"Yes?" He asked, seemingly a little startled.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry about the argument we had earlier today. I was being irrational. I should have been thanking you. Will you forgive me?"

He looked taken aback. "I, well, yeah! Of course I forgive you, but it wasn't only your fault. I shouldn't have heard what they were talking to you about. It was very nosy of me. So…" he continued slowly, poking at the fire again, "where's Hermione and what have you done with her?" He grinned at her to show that he was teasing. She smiled back at him and leaned closer into him, sighing.

"It's so much better to be on civil terms with you, Ron," she said enjoyably, pulling her cloak more tightly around herself. He nodded.

"Same with you. I hate arguing with you, you know. I don't know, I think that I used to enjoy seeing you get all riled up and feisty like I had somehow betrayed human nature. It was just so easy to get at you. But I realize now that doing that was pretty stupid of me. It never helped our relationship at all."

Hermione didn't say anything to this, but she knew that he knew what she meant…it was one of those things understood only through friends. She took a peek at her watch. It was 1:48 AM and she was very tired and chilled to the core.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" She asked meekly. "It's freezing."

Ron put his arm around her and pulled her closer to keep warm. "I thought that was a given," he said grinning, "but, sure, anytime."

She knew he was making a joke, but somehow, she didn't want it to be. How could she have fallen in love with her best friend? It was simply a mystery.