Disclaimer: Characters, anything to do with Harry Potter, etc. all belong to JK Rowling. Plot, however, is mine, and mine alone.
A/N: A few ppl have told me Draco is out of character, and since I've already written the next few chapters (I have no time to type and my typing isn't fast either) I'll just leave his character. . .um, out of character. I will try to make him more Draco-ish though.
Chapter 6: In which Ron steps into the driver's seat for a while
"Ouch!" Ron cried, withdrawing his hand quickly. "Your owl just bit me!"
Draco looked up from his Potions essay. "Could you be a bit more quiet?" he snapped. Then seeing Ron's hand, he asked, "Did Pandora just bite you?"
"What do you think?" Ron snapped. "I was just going to pet her and she immediately attacked me. Did you ask her to do that?"
"No," Draco said as Pandora spread her wings and knocked over his inkbottle, spilling ink all over his neat, almost finished Potions essay. "Now look what you've done, Pandora. I had almost finished that, you know," Draco scolded her lightly, not really minding that Pandora had just ruined his homework.
If either of us had done that Draco would have been furious, Harry thought. He must be really fond of his owl.
"What about my hand?" Ron demanded.
"What about it?" Draco asked. "Look, it's not my fault. Pandora doesn't allow anyone to handle her. The only reason my parents can is because I give her strict orders to let them touch her."
"You mean you're the only person who can pet her?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah. She was a nightmare in the pet shop, I was told, but I liked her. She took to me so I can train her, pet her, that sort of thing."
"That's sort of like Gandalf and Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings," Hermione mused.
"Gandalf and who in Lord of the what?" Draco was confused.
"Never mind," Hermione said. He wouldn't know about it, she thought. It's a Muggle book.
"Isn't anyone going to ask me about my hand?" Ron asked. It was bleeding rather badly.
"Um, how's your hand?" Harry enquired. "Seriously, though, it looks quite bad."
"I'll go see Mum," Ron sighed, and he left the room.
Ron nursed his hand all the way to his parents' bedroom. It hurt, but it was not as bad as the time when the Slytherin Beater Derrick had "accidentally" hit him in the face with the Bludger. Amazingly Ron had not blacked out, but it had hurt like hell.
Ron raised his left hand to knock on the door.
"---it would be dangerous---" it was his mother's voice.
Ron's hand stayed suspended in mid-air for some unexplained reason.
"It's dangerous here, Molly, it's dangerous everywhere," Arthur Weasley said.
"But in public. . .oh, Arthur, most of the time he will only be in the company of Ron."
Ron raised his eyebrows, hand still suspended in mid-air. Are they talking about Harry?
"Most of the time here he is anyway. But this is a very rare opportunity! The kids will all enjoy it, trust me. It's a trip of a lifetime!"
"Yes, but it's not safe, Arthur."
"We can't keep him cooped up in the house all the time. Besides, don't you think his father will think it odd of him not to go? He gave us the tickets, he will expect us to use them."
"Yes, but it isn't safe. If we told him he would be more careful at least."
"Yes, but how would he react?"
"Perhaps it would not be that bad. Harry took Sirius' supposed murderous urge very well---"
"That was Sirius. This is You-Know-Who we're talking bout here."
Ron gasped. Was his father saying what he thought he was saying? That You-Know-Who was after Draco Malfoy? Impossible. . .Lucius Malfoy had to be a Death-Eater, why would You-Know-Who be after Mr. Malfoy's son?
"I can't bear to think of what would happen if he. . .if he. . .but why Draco?"
"Who knows?" Ron's father sighed. "Who knows what You-Know-Who's purposes are?"
"I don't believe this. You-Know-Who is after Draco Malfoy?" Ron clapped a hand over his mouth. That had really given himself away.
The door was opened quickly and Mr. Weasley pulled Ron into the room.
"Ow!" Ron yelped as his father caught hold of his injured hand.
"What happened?" Mrs. Weasley gasped before cleaning and repairing the wound with two flicks of her wand.
"Owl attack." Ron explained. Then he turned to his father. "You-Know-Who is after---"
"yes, yes, he is," Arthur Weasley said, frowning. "You were eavesdropping, Ronald."
Ron's ears turned red. "I'm sorry. It's just---I heard you say my name. . ." he trailed off, and the three of them were silent for a while. "How do you know this?" Ron asked finally.
Arthur's eyes found his wife's, asking if he should tell his son. His wife gave a slight nod. Ron was old enough to understand and, on reflection, it was better. Ron could keep an eye on Draco.
"One of our spies found out that You-Know-Who was after Draco." Arthur was careful not to say whom. "We don't know why. Dunbledore came up with the summer program so that I could keep an eye on Draco."
"I was wondering about that program," Ron said.
"Ron, you mustn't tell anyone about this, not even Harry or Hermione, and especially not Draco. Do you understand?"
Ron nodded. Wow. . .imagine if You-Know-Who was after me. . .I'd completely freak. I can understand why Dad doesn't want to tell him. . .
Ron walked up to his room, mind whirling from what he had just heard. He wondered if Draco's parents knew. Probably not. If they had known they would not have let Draco out of their sights. They would probably have performed the Fidelius Charm. It would have most definitely been their best bet.
Hermione looked up from her Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7 when Ron walked in. "How's your hand?"
"Fine. Mum mended it in about a second," Ron said nonchalantly. Then he noticed that someone was missing. "Where's Malfoy?"
"Fred and George needed him to help them with some new trick of theirs," Hermione answered. "Are you going to start watching him like a hawk now?"
"No, why should I?" Ron said.
After about ten minutes Draco entered the bedroom. He stopped to look at the game of chess Ron and Harry were playing. He grinned to himself. Harry was two moves from checkmate. Sure enough, five minutes later. . .
"Checkmate!" Ron announced triumphantly. "Beaten again, Harry."
Mr. Weasley knocked on the door and popped his head into the room. He was grinning widely.
"Guess what, kids? Tomorrow we'll be going to the Dragon Fair!"
A/N: Wow, I have. . .5 reviews for this chapter!! Thank you so much!!
Gwendolyn M. WarlowTopaz: You're too nice! Thanks for the review!
Different Perception Diana Malfoy Stryfemrys
Again, if you review, I put your name here, so. . .review! :P
