Shadows

Rating: PG-13

Summery: "He painted a pretty picture for you, didn't he Ron, what with all of his colorful lies and empty promises, how could I possibly compete with that?" A series of events leads Ron to the dark side, can anyone bring him back?

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize I don't own

Chapter Two

The Worst Day

I looked around my surroundings and discovered in a panic that nothing was familiar; I had no clue as to where I was. I was in a large cold room that was covered in nothing but stones and the smell of death. I could immediately sense that I was not welcome in this rotting place and attempted to leave it.

But that proved to be attempting the impossible as there were no doors, no windows, and no opportunity for escape. I slumped down against a nearby wall in defeat and wondered what I was doing here, had I been kidnapped?

Suddenly there were two loud cracks that I instantly recognized as the sound of someone apperating. Following the disturbing noises were two hooded cloaked figures. I stood up from my position and waited for them to acknowledge me but they never did.

Confused that they were turned straight towards me and did nothing I waved a hand in front of one hood. Still nothing. Now completely frustrated I gave one a harsh kick in the shin and waited for the reaction. But since my foot went right through his leg there was none.

"Have you discovered anything new?" The taller of the two men asked.

The other shook his head slightly, "nothing more than we all ready had discovered. The best way seems to still be through his friends."

I walked closer to the men to hear them better, who were they talking about? The one that I was now referring to as tall man gave a frustrated sound and turned away from short man.

"I've told you already," he said angrily, "we need his cooperation and willing consent, blackmail is no good."

Short man turned around also so he could face his companion. "Well I do not see any other way, the boy is loyal to a fault, he will not betray."

His friend turned around and even though I could not see his face I could hear the viciousness of his slick voice. "Are you quite sure about that? I believe that given the right…circumstances the boy will come to us."

"What do you mean the right circumstances?"

"Oh my dear friend you shall find out in due time."

At this point their voices began to grow softer and felt myself being jerked away from the situation. I attempted to stay, I needed to know who they were discussing, someone was in danger! But whatever had brought me here was now taking me away and when I looked around again I was on a hard cold floor with a group of people looking down on me.

I felt reality come back with a vengeance and I jerked my body forward while roughly feeling my chest sputter with harsh coughs. I found it difficult to breath, almost how one feels when they have been underwater for too long; like you have escaped death somehow but the burning sensation all over your body serves as a reminder that you didn't escape unscathed.

Harry began to forcefully pound me on the back, "you all right there Ron?"

I nodded as my hand instinctively flew to my chest and found that it was extremely sore for some reason. Memories of a fight with Malfoy came rushing back to me and overtook my thoughts on the strange dream that I had experienced.

Through a part in the crowd that surrounded me I saw Ginny, my baby sister, sitting in a chair that was way too close to Malfoy's gently placing a piece of ice over his left eye which was now black. I saw him wince and felt my anger rise as she replaced the ice with her lips.

"Ginny," I growled loudly, "get away from him."

She looked up at me with anger clearly evident in her face. "I'm not speaking to you," she stated childishly. She then turned away from me, from her family, and I swear to God that she gave Malfoy an affectionate smile as that bastard smirked.

I tried to get up but felt a hand push me back down. I looked up with a scowl to tell off whoever was trying to keep me from going after that damn ferret again but stopped when I saw Hermione's concerned gaze directed at me.

"Ron," she said gently, "please don't try to move I think that one of your ribs may be broken."

Well, I thought reasonably, that would explain the extreme pain that I felt in my chest. I found myself unable to ignore her wishes and laid back down on the hard floor. Most of the crowd had departed as it seemed that the action was now over; the only remaining people in the area were myself, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and the git that she had the nerve to call her boyfriend.

I allowed Hermione to use various healing spells on me although she insisted that they weren't qualified enough to heal me properly and I should seek professional help at once, but I shrugged off her comments, I trusted Hermione with my life, plan and simple.

After Hermione deemed me fit to travel we left the ice cream shop, Ginny in tow. Though she did not go willingly, Harry had to stun Malfoy and then physically pick her up and carry her as though she were a child. It didn't bother me though, she was certainty behaving like one.

Once we reached the pub where we were planning on flooing home from, as we had yet to take our appariation tests, Ginny began to grow desperate. Her signature temper flared and she was yelling obscenities at Harry that would have made our mother die from the pure horror of it all. And on more than one occasion I looked behind me and saw her give Harry a swift kick in the stomach, as he had hoisted her over his shoulder.

Hermione soon grew irritated of all the strange glances that were being sent our way and spun around on her heal to face my sister's back. "Oh for heavens sake Ginny will you please desist in you antics?"

Ginny kicked Harry once more in response. "If you would stop treating me like a child then I would stop embarrassing you."

Harry grabbed a hold of both of her legs with his spare hand so she could no longer move them. "If you would stop acting like a child we wouldn't treat you as such."

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Eventually we all got back to the Burrow, I didn't tell either my parents, nor my brothers about the incident that had occurred. It took to much effort to recollect the events of such a long day. I never told Harry and Hermione that they weren't allowed to speak of the matter, it was simply understood.

After a few days I attempted to speak with my sister. We had been extremely close when we were young and I had always felt as though we had a connection between us; something that we shared with each other and no one else, something that made us special in a house full of overachievers. But when I walked into her room I saw with dread that that connection, the bond that had tied us, was gone. She looked at me with nothing but contempt in her eyes and I wondered what lies he had poisoned her with, what my sworn enemy could tell her that would cause her to look at her favorite brother with such hatred.

"I hate you Ronald Weasley," she spat as I entered the pink room.

I rubbed my eyes in a tired matter, too much in my life had been changing lately. "Ginny," I pleaded, "I'm not sure why you're with him, but know this, he is using you and he'll only break your heart. He's a Malfoy Gin, and people like him don't love anything but money and power."

"You don't know him," she said stubbornly. "I know him Ron and he isn't how you think, he is a wonderful person and I love him."

Love. I loathed the word at the moment. Only love could take a perfectly sensible girl like Ginny and cause her to turn away from her family. "You don't know him," I contradicted, "if you think that he is a 'wonderful' person then you don't know him at all Virginia. This is the same snake faced boy that made fun of you and I for years, the same boy who supported Umbridge and hoped that she would use an unforgivable on Harry, the same boy who's father tried to kill you."

"People change Ron…he's changed."

"People like him never change Ginny," I said darkly, "he's been promised to the dark side since before his birth and no amount of love from you is going to change that."


She got up from her position on the bed and forced me out of the room. "Even if he hasn't changed he's still a better person than you."

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A/N Sorry if you don't like that Ginny and Ron are growing to hate each other but I wanted Ginny with Draco for plot reasons and I don't think that her and Ron could ever have a good relationship if she went with him. I think that there is just too much bad blood between Ron and Draco for her to have both so don't expect them to have a reconciliation anytime soon. Well, the drama is definitely beginning and Ron's life is about to get a whole lot more horrible starting next chapter. Lol, you know that you like the angst! Drop a review and I'll buy you a shoe. (If you leave a review I promise that I will never try to rhyme again, lol!)

Word up to all of my reviewers…white girl here that can't rap or try to sound cool, lol!

Spidermonkeesrkewl (Yeah Hermione and Harry all ready knew about Ginny and Draco but Ron isn't going to figure that out until later. And I'm glad that I'm not alone on the fighting thing!), Eveningstar (I'm glad that you are liking the story even though you don't read that much about Ron and I'm totally with you on the Draco/Ginny thing, they are my favorite too! So of course I just had to sneak them into the story, lol!), keeperofthemoon (I know, the Weasley's aren't doing too good, lol! Hopefully they'll be happier next chapter but it's not likely.) S.e.a (*gives a big hug and friendly kisses* I love your story, so don't be sad! You'll get reviews, it just takes patience. And I like the fact that I'm not completely focusing on Ginny for once too, lol, I need to broaden my horizons.), E (Thank you for all of the compliments! Especially on the characterization, I'm trying really hard to not make them out of character.), Ace of Spades (Well, I didn't really put detail into the fight but I think that Draco beat Ron, being that Ron had a broken rib while Draco had a black eye. Yeah, score one for the green team. Lol, I'll shut up now and go put the pompoms away.), Hplova4eva (Sorry about the sort of slow update, but I promise a faster one next chapter since I'll actually be home, lol!), fantasy angel (Lol, I think that Draco was being cocky and didn't think that anyone would have the nerve to hit him. I just had to have him get punched though, it provided humor for me, lol!), ToykoGal90 (I'm glad that you like the story and here's your update!), Silent Bob (Ha ha, I'm so glad that you support my favorite ships! Too bad that they won't be getting along together, lol!), luckieduck (I know what you mean about getting mad about Ron being a death eater, I do the exact same thing because I would die if he was evil in the books! But don't worry, even though he is going to the dark side I won't have him be all hateful and evil.)