Chapter 12
The Crisis Causing Decision
During the 2½ weeks that Ron and Harry had been living there, Ron had been thoroughly studying his new powers. The Enchanters helped him and guided him along. Nisym followed Ron like a hawk, her eyes, which seemed to change colors with the day, followed him everywhere he went. Ron began to think more and more about Hermione and what she was thinking at every waking moment. He tried to contact her telepathically, but knew that would do no good, because she wouldn't be able to talk back. Harry was always worried for some reason, he wouldn't talk to Ron much, and he would barely talk to anyone. He seemed jittery and uncontrollable. Ron figured it was because of the new surroundings and new life.
Dumbledore used to visit 3 times a day, but his visits became less and less. Charlie used to always come to teach the Enchanters how to feed the dragons properly, but he to began to make less frequent stops. Ron felt like he was being pushed farther and farther away from the world and knew he had to do something. So he begged the Enchanters everyday to go get Harry's owl, just to have a reason to be out there, out of that abode. Eventually they consented, if and only if Ron and Harry stayed invisible to the outside world.
They both listened and stayed invisible as they walked out of the house, past the dragons, through the forest, across the lake, through the wooden doors, and into the Great Hall. No one was there, no one except he and Harry. Ron looked at Harry, who automatically knew what he was thinking. "Go, but then come help me get my owl and other things."
Ron walked up the stairs, following his heart to find the one he knew he had to see. He decided not to use his powers to find her; he knew that if his heart could find her then all would be better. Ron went into every class room, every hall, the Gryffindor house, the Girls' dormitories, the Library, but never found her, until...
"There's only one place I haven't tried," Ron muttered. He walked slowly and cautiously down halls, not running into anyone, and trying not to breath too loudly.
"HaHa!" he laughed, "There! The girls' bathrooms," he smirked maliciously and went in. As usual, the last place you look is the first place you find it, and there she was fixing her hair in the mirror. She didn't seem to be thinking about Ron or Harry, she was smiling gaily and seemed happy, but all Ron wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her, but he didn't want to ruin her streak of happiness.
To Hermione no one else was there, she looked under each stall, checking for feet. As she did so Ron watched her without her knowing. After seeing that absolutely no one was there, or so she thought, she stood back in front of her mirror and began to mutter some words, "In this mirror I shall see, where my love awaits for me."
The mirror began to swirl with color, after a few moments there were whispers in the room.
"The one you love, no power can see, no spell you cast will set you free."
Hermione sat down on the floor and began to cry again, "WHY!?" she screamed, "Why didn't I tell him before! He might have stayed! WHY?! Come back, come back..."
Ron's heart began to hurt as he watched her in so much pain. All he wanted to do was show himself to her and comfort her, but those were the only things that he could not do. He looked at her with tearful eyes, she just sat there wanting someone to hold her, wishing that he were there to make her feel loved. Nothing could help her, but the warmth of him, Ron. They only had a little time together, when they confessed their hearts, but now it even felt like less time, and that nothing could bring them back together.
"Hermione," Ron whispered. Just then Hermione's head popped up from between her hands. "Who's there?" she cried.
"Hermione," Ron said again as he took a step forward. "Ron? Ron, if you're there please come back, please? I need you more than ever."
Ron ran to her and held her tight. Although Hermione couldn't see him, she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, she felt his breath upon her cheek, and an undying passion that Hermione thought she would never feel again. Without the sense of sight Hermione put her hands on where she felt his.
"Ron," she whispered. "Something has happened..."
"I'm here," Ron whispered and at that point he vanished. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he had to leave at that point, he had been gone too long. He apparerated back with Harry as they began on their way to retrieve Harry's owl.
In the owlery they unveiled themselves from their invisibility, but while there and revealed they saw someone unexpected. As usual it was Malfoy. "Ron! Harry! What are you both doing here? You're not supposed to be seen!"
He charged at them, "You never know who will come up here!" He looked at Ron with fear for him, "Why do you care so much, Malfoy?" Harry cut in.
"I... I.... I talked to Dumbledore. I made my decision and..."
"What decision?" Ron inquired.
"Well, you were right. My father is in cahoots with the Dark Lord."
"I know."
"Well, no matter how much my father wants me to follow in his footsteps... I don't want to.... I know I've always showed to be the one who would! But I really hate what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did, and does. You see he killed my mother," Draco looked down at his feet, not wanting to look up, "And now all I want to do is see him dead," Draco's eyes burned with fire, "I want to join you, or help you, whatever. In any way I can I want to help with his death."
"What were you doing up here then?"
"Sending an owl to my father."
"You didn't tell him that did you!?!?!" Harry asked
"Oh! No! I am not that stupid! I told him... Well, here's the rough draft."
Draco handed Ron a crumpled piece of paper that read:
Dear Father,
I know that your ambition for me was to follow in your footsteps
and become a death eater like yourself, but some things have
happened in the past couple of months of being here at this
school. I know we never really see eye to eye, but this is a
decision that you cannot change, or fight against. I have
decided not to return to you after this school year and I shall
not follow you into battle at the side of the Dark Lord. I have
chosen my side, and it is here, with Dumbledore, Harry Potter,
and the new Oracle. Although you do not know, before mother died
she left me with one parting word, and it was 'love', I cannot
love if I am with you, father. So this is goodbye, I'll see you
at the end, dead or alive.
Forget-me-not,
Draco
Ron handed Malfoy back the piece of parchment, "Wow, Draco, that was..."
"Beautiful," Harry wiped a fake tear from his eye sarcastically.
"He's going to be raging mad you know?"
"Yes, I know. But that's a chance I'm willing to take."
"Wise decision."
Draco followed back down from the owlery after getting Hedwig. Ron and Harry were invisible of course, but Draco still followed as best he could. He followed them until they reached the beginning of the Forbidden Forest, "Malfoy?"
"Yes, Ron?"
"Tell Hermione that I'm still here, and if she ever needs me, to just think of me, and that... that..."
"Tell her that he loves her," Harry smirked.
Ron blushed as he parted from Malfoy into the deep trees of the dark forest. They reached their home after Ron was stopped by three woodland creatures, who had to ask to bow to Ron before he went on his way, for some reason this caused them pleasure. It only caused Ron a headache.
"So Malfoy, huh? Draco Malfoy! Wanting to follow me... us!"
"Never would of crossed my mind," they both talked as they sat on their big couch studying books of old.
"I wonder why Voldemort killed his mother."
"Yeah."
*Masters' we have a lot to accomplish tomorrow, Sire, you have a lesson that you do not want to miss, and mister Harry Potter you have a lesson as well. Goodnight*
They went to bed with a lot on their minds, especially Ron who had a lot to think about with the singing and all. But eventually they both got to sleep and before they knew it, it was morn yet again.
The Crisis Causing Decision
During the 2½ weeks that Ron and Harry had been living there, Ron had been thoroughly studying his new powers. The Enchanters helped him and guided him along. Nisym followed Ron like a hawk, her eyes, which seemed to change colors with the day, followed him everywhere he went. Ron began to think more and more about Hermione and what she was thinking at every waking moment. He tried to contact her telepathically, but knew that would do no good, because she wouldn't be able to talk back. Harry was always worried for some reason, he wouldn't talk to Ron much, and he would barely talk to anyone. He seemed jittery and uncontrollable. Ron figured it was because of the new surroundings and new life.
Dumbledore used to visit 3 times a day, but his visits became less and less. Charlie used to always come to teach the Enchanters how to feed the dragons properly, but he to began to make less frequent stops. Ron felt like he was being pushed farther and farther away from the world and knew he had to do something. So he begged the Enchanters everyday to go get Harry's owl, just to have a reason to be out there, out of that abode. Eventually they consented, if and only if Ron and Harry stayed invisible to the outside world.
They both listened and stayed invisible as they walked out of the house, past the dragons, through the forest, across the lake, through the wooden doors, and into the Great Hall. No one was there, no one except he and Harry. Ron looked at Harry, who automatically knew what he was thinking. "Go, but then come help me get my owl and other things."
Ron walked up the stairs, following his heart to find the one he knew he had to see. He decided not to use his powers to find her; he knew that if his heart could find her then all would be better. Ron went into every class room, every hall, the Gryffindor house, the Girls' dormitories, the Library, but never found her, until...
"There's only one place I haven't tried," Ron muttered. He walked slowly and cautiously down halls, not running into anyone, and trying not to breath too loudly.
"HaHa!" he laughed, "There! The girls' bathrooms," he smirked maliciously and went in. As usual, the last place you look is the first place you find it, and there she was fixing her hair in the mirror. She didn't seem to be thinking about Ron or Harry, she was smiling gaily and seemed happy, but all Ron wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her, but he didn't want to ruin her streak of happiness.
To Hermione no one else was there, she looked under each stall, checking for feet. As she did so Ron watched her without her knowing. After seeing that absolutely no one was there, or so she thought, she stood back in front of her mirror and began to mutter some words, "In this mirror I shall see, where my love awaits for me."
The mirror began to swirl with color, after a few moments there were whispers in the room.
"The one you love, no power can see, no spell you cast will set you free."
Hermione sat down on the floor and began to cry again, "WHY!?" she screamed, "Why didn't I tell him before! He might have stayed! WHY?! Come back, come back..."
Ron's heart began to hurt as he watched her in so much pain. All he wanted to do was show himself to her and comfort her, but those were the only things that he could not do. He looked at her with tearful eyes, she just sat there wanting someone to hold her, wishing that he were there to make her feel loved. Nothing could help her, but the warmth of him, Ron. They only had a little time together, when they confessed their hearts, but now it even felt like less time, and that nothing could bring them back together.
"Hermione," Ron whispered. Just then Hermione's head popped up from between her hands. "Who's there?" she cried.
"Hermione," Ron said again as he took a step forward. "Ron? Ron, if you're there please come back, please? I need you more than ever."
Ron ran to her and held her tight. Although Hermione couldn't see him, she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, she felt his breath upon her cheek, and an undying passion that Hermione thought she would never feel again. Without the sense of sight Hermione put her hands on where she felt his.
"Ron," she whispered. "Something has happened..."
"I'm here," Ron whispered and at that point he vanished. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he had to leave at that point, he had been gone too long. He apparerated back with Harry as they began on their way to retrieve Harry's owl.
In the owlery they unveiled themselves from their invisibility, but while there and revealed they saw someone unexpected. As usual it was Malfoy. "Ron! Harry! What are you both doing here? You're not supposed to be seen!"
He charged at them, "You never know who will come up here!" He looked at Ron with fear for him, "Why do you care so much, Malfoy?" Harry cut in.
"I... I.... I talked to Dumbledore. I made my decision and..."
"What decision?" Ron inquired.
"Well, you were right. My father is in cahoots with the Dark Lord."
"I know."
"Well, no matter how much my father wants me to follow in his footsteps... I don't want to.... I know I've always showed to be the one who would! But I really hate what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did, and does. You see he killed my mother," Draco looked down at his feet, not wanting to look up, "And now all I want to do is see him dead," Draco's eyes burned with fire, "I want to join you, or help you, whatever. In any way I can I want to help with his death."
"What were you doing up here then?"
"Sending an owl to my father."
"You didn't tell him that did you!?!?!" Harry asked
"Oh! No! I am not that stupid! I told him... Well, here's the rough draft."
Draco handed Ron a crumpled piece of paper that read:
Dear Father,
I know that your ambition for me was to follow in your footsteps
and become a death eater like yourself, but some things have
happened in the past couple of months of being here at this
school. I know we never really see eye to eye, but this is a
decision that you cannot change, or fight against. I have
decided not to return to you after this school year and I shall
not follow you into battle at the side of the Dark Lord. I have
chosen my side, and it is here, with Dumbledore, Harry Potter,
and the new Oracle. Although you do not know, before mother died
she left me with one parting word, and it was 'love', I cannot
love if I am with you, father. So this is goodbye, I'll see you
at the end, dead or alive.
Forget-me-not,
Draco
Ron handed Malfoy back the piece of parchment, "Wow, Draco, that was..."
"Beautiful," Harry wiped a fake tear from his eye sarcastically.
"He's going to be raging mad you know?"
"Yes, I know. But that's a chance I'm willing to take."
"Wise decision."
Draco followed back down from the owlery after getting Hedwig. Ron and Harry were invisible of course, but Draco still followed as best he could. He followed them until they reached the beginning of the Forbidden Forest, "Malfoy?"
"Yes, Ron?"
"Tell Hermione that I'm still here, and if she ever needs me, to just think of me, and that... that..."
"Tell her that he loves her," Harry smirked.
Ron blushed as he parted from Malfoy into the deep trees of the dark forest. They reached their home after Ron was stopped by three woodland creatures, who had to ask to bow to Ron before he went on his way, for some reason this caused them pleasure. It only caused Ron a headache.
"So Malfoy, huh? Draco Malfoy! Wanting to follow me... us!"
"Never would of crossed my mind," they both talked as they sat on their big couch studying books of old.
"I wonder why Voldemort killed his mother."
"Yeah."
*Masters' we have a lot to accomplish tomorrow, Sire, you have a lesson that you do not want to miss, and mister Harry Potter you have a lesson as well. Goodnight*
They went to bed with a lot on their minds, especially Ron who had a lot to think about with the singing and all. But eventually they both got to sleep and before they knew it, it was morn yet again.