A/N: For those of you that have waited patiently for this chapter, sorry it took so long. I just started school again and it being Senior year and all, I'm a bit more busy than I was when I wrote the last eight chapters. This particular chapter was a challenge for me because of lots of things. I was fighting Americanisms, writer's block, and bad, cliched writing. So, without further ado, I present chapter nine.
P.S. (A little further ado, I would like to know if juice boxes exist over in England, cause they're in here and I was unsure about it. THNAKS!)
Chapter 9
~Hermione~
I saw Ron's body slacken and Harry lowered him to the ground. But before I had time to think about it, I felt this amazing warmth ripple through me. I felt an overwhelming sense of strength and most importantly, a pumping, coursing sense of raw...power. All these pictures began to flash through my mind. Pictures of myself that ran through all of my years at Hogwarts. I saw one in particular that made my head spin. I was sitting in the fire light and I was smiling up at myself. There were several gasps in the room and I heard someone tell me to do a spell. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to do something I'd been yearning to try since I'd read about it. I slowly put my wand back into my robe and concentrated all of my energy on my outstretched hand.
I began to chant...
*Fire and flesh are one in the same...I call on the power to tame the flame*
As I chanted, there was a collective crescendo from the class. A tiny ball of white flame began to grow in my hand. It got to be a little more than a few inches tall and my arm began to shake, so I carefully closed my hand to extinguish it. The power was starting to tire me out and my eyes were drooping. I turned to Ron and tried to will his magic back to him, but nothing happened. I was trembling.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see Giddeon standing there, a look of awe concealed in an unsure smile, "Go over to him. Touch him and his magic will be restored."
I took a few weary steps over to Ron and slowly knelt on the ground next to him. Harry propped him up and I reached out to put my arms around him. At the moment we touched I felt the excess power drain out of me and pulsate back into him. Suddenly, everything stopped and a split second later, Ron took a deep, gasping breath and opened his eyes wide. I pulled back from him and swayed sitting firmly on the ground and catching my breath.
Professor Giddeon came over to us and knelt down, "Mr. Weasley, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just need some air." he rubbed a calloused hand over his freckled face.
"Well, you can get it on your way to the hospital wing. Both of you need to go and be checked over. I've never seen that spell done on such a level by any other students in all my years here at Hogwarts. Miss Granger was able to do an elemental spell that was three or four years beyond her natural ability. Go to the hospital wing at once and let Madame Pomfrey take a good look at that hand."
The only movement I could bring myself to make was a faint nod. I felt Ron help me to my feet and drag me wearily through the door out into the hall. We walked along in silence for what seemed like ages, up and down the sneaky staircases on the familiar trek to the hospital wing. Finally I broke the silence.
"Ron, I have a question and I'm not sure how to ask it." I said, trying to walk totally on my own, but finding it difficult.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"When I had your magic...I saw some pictures of myself...in my mind. Do you know where they came from?" I tried to sound casual, but failed.
He looked up at me uncertainly and let the silence stretch. I stopped on the step and turned to him.
"Did they come from you Ron?" I asked. Hoping against silly hope that my suspicions were true.
"I think they did Hermione." he said, scratching his neck and looking slightly pink.
"Why did I see pictures of myself Ron?" I asked, stepping a bit closer to him. The steady rise and fall of our chests heightening the tension.
"Because I was focusing on you. I have all these stored memories of you. At different times and places. I have this habit of committing stunning pictures to memory." his face burned crimson and I fought a smile, while inside my stomach was dancing.
"Really? I whispered, my face coming close to his and our noses barely touching.
"Really." he said, and he started to close the gap between his mouth and mine when I heard a door slam down the corridor and we sprang apart just in time to see Professor McGonagall march around the corner. When she caught sight of us she pursed her lips and sternly crossed her arms.
"Miss Granger, what are you and Mr. Weasley doing in the corridor during class?" her expression was cold, but her voice was filled with benefit-of-the-doubt.
*Nothing now* I wanted to say, but my instincts kicked in and I calmly explained, "We're going to the hospital wing. Professor Giddeon's orders."
"Very well then. Off you go." she clicked her heals and swept past us, heading in the opposite direction.
Ron looked at me and I wanted nothing more than to go back to what it seemed we were about to do, but after Professor McGonagall's interruption the moment was gone and together, Ron and I walked silently to the hospital wing, determined not to touch.
*****
~Ron~
Two more transference lessons, a dozen exams and one frantic hour of organizing (mostly by Hermione) later, Harry, Hermione, and I were packed, ready, and waiting for the Hogwarts Express to carry the three of us back to the Burrow for a Weasley family Christmas. An event that promised to be, at the very least, an interesting experience for all. Maggie was overjoyed at the idea of meeting my family. She bombarded me with useless questions, but I humored her.
"Ron, am I going to sleep in your windowsill?"
"If you want to."
"Is Harry going to sleep in your room?"
"Yes, he will."
"Is Hermione going to sleep in your room?"
I turned crimson as Harry poked me and smirked, "No, Hermione is sharing a room with Ginny."
"Why can't she sleep in your room? Don't you want her to?"
Upon hearing the last question, I tensed, Harry hid a snicker, and Hermione tried to look as though she wasn't interested in my answer.
"Uuuh...well Maggie, you see...Hermione...um.." I felt like my collar was getting tighter, "It...it would be...fun, if she could stay with me...and Harry of course, but she's a girl and..."
I was running out of excuses, so I just decided to go with the truth.
"..my mum would go mad if I even suggested it."
Maggie seemed to be digesting the information, "But, why?"
Harry couldn't even hold it in this time, he lost control of himself and cackled with unmitigated glee.
"Maggie," Hermione said, stepping next to me and putting a hand on my shoulder. I had to take a deep breath to keep from trembling, "you see, even though Ron and Harry would be perfect gentlemen if I roomed with them, Ron's parents think that it's better if I stay with another girl instead of the boys."
"Oh, okay." Maggie said, sighing and falling back into the hood of my jumper.
Hermione let out a stifled laugh and turned her face away from mine.
"What?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed.
She looked at me and I saw tears of mirth gathering in her eyes and her mouth was pinched together humourously. Suddenly she couldn't help it anymore and her husky laugh rang out sending shivers through me, "Oh Ron! You should have seen your face! It was priceless!"
Harry was doubled over and his shoulders were shaking. I, on the other hand, didn't really find the humor in my embarrassment, "Is this how it is going to be all holiday long?"
Hermione looked at me and quickly began to sober, "I'm sorry Ron, that was very insensitive. It's just that you...you looked so stuck."
She covered her mouth and snorted once more before she put on a serious expression and tried to look apologetic.
"I'm sorry." she nodded, "really."
"I forgive you." I said smiling, "really."
"Git." she punched my arm.
"Bookworm." I dodged another smack.
"Train's arrived you two." Harry said, stooping to collect his trunk. The Hogwarts express was one of the most beautiful sights that I'd ever seen. Not only was it a stunning crimson color and not only did it shine and reflect almost as clearly as a mirror, but it was also my ride back home to my own bed and my mum's cooking. I was going to enjoy this holiday if it killed me. If only I had known how close that was to the truth.
"This compartment is just fine." Hermione was saying as she opened the door to an empty compartment and swept inside to claim it for the four of us.
"Don't you have Head Girl duties now?" Ginny asked her.
Hermione stood up and straightened her badge, "Yes, I will be back shortly, " and with that she glided out of the compartment.
"You know, there are times when I think that she practices that "head girl" walk of hers." Harry said, settling down next to Ginny. I snickered.
"You know, it wouldn't surprise me."
"Ron?"
"Yes Maggie?" I asked, as she fluttered out of my hood and down to sit next to me, mimicking my position.
"I'm a girl, why can I sleep in your room and Hermione can't?"
"Not again, " I muttered under my breath, "Okay, let me try to put this is terms that you will understand. It's okay for Harry to sleep in my room because he is a boy. It would be okay for Ginny to sleep in my room because she's my sister."
"Oh! Is Ginny sleeping in your room with us?!" she clapped her tiny hands together.
"No, Maggie, just let me explain. You are a girl, but you aren't human, so it's okay for you to sleep on my windowsill. But, it is NOT okay for Hermione to sleep in my room with Harry and I because she is a human girl and not my sister or Harry's sister. My parents would never allow her to sleep in my room. Do you understand?" Maggie considered this while rolling onto her belly and then propping her hands under her chin.
"So, best friends who are boys, and sisters, and little Maggies can sleep in your room, but pretty girl best friends can't?" she asked, making a funny face.
"Yes, exactly." I said nodding.
"I still don't really understand, but I don't care anymore. I'm thirsty Ron, can you get me something to drink?" she asked, rolling onto her back and folding her arms under her knees so that she was curled up in a little ball. The damned thing had me wrapped around her little finger.
"Yeah, I'll go find the snack cart. Anyone else want anything?" I asked standing up and heading for the hallway.
"I'll have a pumpkin juice box please." Ginny said.
"Nothing for me thanks." Harry said, leaning over Ginny's shoulder to read the most current nonsense article in Witch Weekly.
"I'll be back in a minute." I said and then stepped out into the hall to find the lady with the snack cart.
I searched through a few of the hallways until I finally found her, wheeling that cart in the third-to-last car. I paid her for two pumpkin juice boxes and began to head back to our car when I heard some commotion coming from one of the compartments. I pushed my ear up against the door and listened.
"-you get away from me." I heard a girl's voice say, though it was so muffled it was unrecognizable.
"Come on, you know you want me." the other voice was cold, and deep.
"I would never want you in a million years you Slytherin scum." said the first voice, sounding frustrated and a little scared. It was a voice that sounded very familiar.
"You say that, but I know, deep down, you want a little piece of the glory that goes with the name Malfoy." the other voice growled. Malfoy, he was harassing some innocent girl.
"You touch me and I'll do more than report you Draco." the girl's voice trembled. It was so faint, yet so familiar.
"I'd like to see you try, Mudblood."
Hermione.
All at once an intense rage filled my body as I thrust the door open and made my presence known. What I saw made me want to retch. Hermione was backed up against one wall barely able to keep herself upright with out falling into one of the seats, and Draco had his chest pressed against hers and her had was threatening to grab her hip. I darted over to them and before I knew what was happening, I had pushed Draco to the other side of the compartment and was looming over him with anger pouring out of my very skin.
I spoke in a dangerously low voice, "If you ever look in her direction again, I'll bruise you. If you speak to her, I'll break you. And if you ever, EVER touch her again, I'll kill you. That's a promise Malfoy. No magic, no tricks, just my bare hands. Understand?"
His eyes flashed and an impossible grin stretched across his face, "Fine, take your little Mudblood slut and go, you pauper."
His insults went straight to my hand and faster than a blink of an eye, it was around his throat and his eyes were bulging out of his head.
"Ron, stop. He's not worth it." Hermione's voice was the only sound I heard, but it was enough. I withdrew my hand, picked up the two juice boxes from the floor where they had fallen, and pushed Hermione out into the corridor, snapping the door shut behind me without another look back. There was silence between Hermione and I as we made our way back to our compartment. We arrived there quickly and just as I was about to open the door, Hermione stopped my hand.
"Ron..." she looked torn, "thank you, for defending me. He would have done something awful to me if you hadn't been there."
We both knew what that awful thing was, "Are you okay? He didn't actually do anything did he?"
"No, he just touched my arm and my face. I can still feel it. I feel dirty." she rubbed at her face as if willing it to go away. I reached out with my free hand and touched her face. My hand ran down to her arm and over her hand. Somehow, I hoped that my hand might erase all the damage that his had done. She closed her eyes as I ran my palm back up her arm and to her cheek, my index finger, just brushing her earlobe. She opened her eyes and smiled a little.
"Thank you." she frowned a bit and then reached up to kiss my cheek in a chaste, friendly manner that nearly set me on fire.
"Any time." I muttered to myself as she turned around and entered the compartment.
WEEEELL! There it is! Now please, if you have any pity for this lonely writer and her story then please for the love of all that's holy.....REVIEW!!!