A/N: Hi all, it's been a busy weekend...and week! (so far) This chapter's a little short (it's kind of a filler, in a way), but I hope you like it...and I CAN'T WAIT to put up the next chapter (it's already written; I have to type it out though)!

Quick shouts to:

PaulaS:Thanks for reviewing: you receive 1000 brownie points!

Kagome: Sadly, I didn't write that poem (I can dream, though). That was another Melody Carlson masterpiece (fabulous writer, by the way). The Voldy thing-you'll just have to wait and see!! ; )

Crystal: HAHAHA ain't it the truth...those stupid jocks...

Alice: Ron's the coolest!!! haha

Orli-enthusiast: Ha, I like the look of realization! And I'm SUPER GLAD the suspense is killing you! ....wait...that wasn't quite how I meant it...oh well...you know what I mean.

WAY too much rambling on my part...on with the story!

Chapter 14: Christmas Visits

Weeks passed quickly. Snow soon covered the Hogwarts grounds in a thick, white blanket. The students would venture out, decked in thick scarves, gloves, and coats, to play and socialize in the winter wonderland.

"Hi, Ron!" Hermione greeted him at breakfast with her arm-candy in tow. "Harry, Hunter, Ginny, and I fancied a walk; want to come along?"

"Er…" Ron tried to think of an excuse. Despite Hunter and Hermione's "relationship", she still invited him to go in "the big group" to Hogsmeade. Ron had jumped at the chance at first, but soon learned that it was an unpleasant experience. Being surrounded by two couples constantly attached by the lips wasn't his idea of fun. It was very awkward, on the contrary.

"I have to work on that Transfiguration essay McGonagall assigned us," was what he finally came up with. Lame, Weasley, he told himself. She'll see through that one in a minute.

Maybe that was what he wanted…

But she didn't.

"Okay," she answered, looking a bit disappointed. "If you need help with it, I could stay…"

"No, you promised!" said Hunter indignantly.

"Ooooookay," she sighed heavily, walking toward the door. Harry and Ginny followed, but stopped to say a few words to Ron.

"We'll be back as quick as possible," Ginny whispered.

"Yeah, that Hunter's so needy and clingy; it's annoying," Harry said darkly, throwing Hunter an openly disgusted look. The couple walked away.

Ron stared sadly at his bacon and eggs. What had happened to the Hermione he used to know? She would have nagged at him until she finally let him copy her essay.

Suddenly, Bianca appeared by his side, looking extremely worried.

Many people found it strange and humorous that a sixth year boy had befriended a first year girl (Malfoy, in particular, had shouted, "A baby! Isn't it against the law to do an eleven year old, Weasley?"), but Ron didn't care much about what people thought anymore. Now he had a taste of what Harry's life was like, and he definitely preferred his own.

After Bianca's first conversation with Ron, she broke out of her shell and talked nonstop about her friends and things she was learning, but the one subject she carefully avoided was family. Regardless, Ron had "adopted" another little sister.

"What's up, Bee?" he asked, stabbing a bite of egg with his fork.

She fidgeted and looked around the Great Hall suspiciously, saying nothing.

"Will you tell me later?" he continued. "In the common room?"

She nodded slightly.

"Okay, see you in a bit." He abandoned the eggs and headed to get his Transfiguration essay and book.

He was just settling down to begin writing when Bianca came and sat in the armchair next to him, fidgeting even more than she had been at breakfast.

"Come on, Bee, you can trust me," he coaxed gently.

She stared at her shoes. "My mom's coming here for Christmas," she blurted in one breath, as if saying the words caused her pain.

"Oh…Is that a bad thing?" Ron inquired suspiciously.

She nodded.

"Why? Do you guys fight about grades? I know my mom and I do," he replied, laughing to himself.

"Yes-I mean, no!" Bianca stuttered. "Well," she began slowly, trying painfully to explain herself, "we fight, but not about school…"

He looked up sharply. "What do you fight about, then?"

Silence.

"Bianca? What do you fight about?"

He noticed a red scratch across her left cheek.

She took a deep breath, then started, "We-"

She was cut off by a noisy group of third year boys entering Gryffindor Tower from a snowball fight. Amidst all the commotion, Bianca figured she could run for it. She stood and scampered up to her dormitory, knocking Ron's Transfiguration book off the table it was resting on.

"OY!" he bellowed in frustration. "Shut it, you idiots!" he yelled at the boys. He picked up his book and noticed a piece of parchment that had fallen out. It was the parchment Bianca had left on her armchair when they first met. He read:

Bianca-I'm coming for Christmas. I would like to speak with you and your brother about something very important. It pertains to his first mission. Meet me in dungeon 35 on December twenty-sixth at 8:00 P.M. Don't be late-that's an order.

Much love-XOXOXO,

Mom

"Ugh," groaned Ron, crumpling the letter and throwing it into the fire. No wonder Bianca didn't discuss her family-her mom was a control freak, and by the looks of it, just like her son.

One thing was sure-he had to witness that meeting.

A/N: Okay PLEASE PLEASE review so I feel motivated to post the next chapter (which happens to be one of my favorite one's I've written so far)! Thanks in advance-Pepstepper