a/n: don't know what happened to the beta. Am taking offers for new ones? ;) if anything confuses you, tell me and I'll try to figure out how to fix it. The italics [hopefully they show up] are flashbacks. sorry about the laggy update...i've been working on this on the labtop, but it doesn't have internet access, and I couldnt plug it in because I was on a car trip to arizona XD

Madness: I was planning onexplaining that through flashbacks.. and.. other various scenes =)

Disclaimer: don't own anything. Except my computer, and a pen.

Warning: SLASH is coming up. If not this chapter, then soon. If you don't like gay slash, DON'T read it.

Harry could be found in his study the next week, pouring over a book which looked very old and used. Hermione was with him, going through another book that was similar in size and condition. Once in a while they would scribble notes onto parchment next to the books, before returning to them and becoming immersed in the books once more. Harry did this to keep his mind off of many things he knew he would have to deal with, including Ron's betrayal.

"I'll always stand by you mate."

Harry frowned, not believing he heard Ron's voice.

"He's lying to you, Boy-who-lived. He's on the Dark Lord's side, and it's just KILLING you that you couldn't do anything to stop it."

Harry tried to block out Pansy's words, the teasing tone coming back to haunt him after half a year.

"Harry, it's not safe for you to hang out with him anymore. It doesn't matter if he was your best mate; he's going to become a death eater tonight."

Blaise's worried tone bothered him, but he had defended Ron despite his worries.

"I was under Veritaserum Harry. You have to believe me mate. I would never betray you. Even if I was on the verge of being Avada Kedavra'd."

Ron's pleading look stopped his anger from flowing out onto the redhead after the Daily Prophet article was published.

"Ronald Weasley, do you willingly accept the Dark Mark, as a symbol of your continuing servitude to the Dark Lord?"

Lucius Malfoy's voice pounded in his head, during his vision. He had woken up after Ron had uttered the two words that destroyed their friendship forever.

"I do."

"Harry" Hermione shook Harry out of his trance. "Maybe you should go get some sleep." Hermione's worried tone brought up emotions from Harry he thought dead.

"Hermione." Harry broke down as the bushy haired girl began to hug him. "Hermione...I can't....every time I try to sleep, I see him. I see the events that lead up to his betrayal, and... I see him with that power hungry look in his eyes. It hurts to sleep, because his betrayal hurt the most..."

"Harry..it isn't your fault that he betrayed you. You always knew that as the youngest Weasley boy, he always felt he had something to prove. He always wanted to overshadow his brothers in fame and fortune. Voldemort found his weakness and tried to exploit it. It's not your fault that Ron became a death eater, and it is definitely not your fault that he wanted fame that badly. Voldemort promises many things, and Ron was too thickheaded this time to see that Voldemort doesn't deliver on those promises. It's not your fault Harry. Everyone is human, and not all of us are strong enough to refuse our dreams offered to us on a silver platter." Hermione spoke softly, trying to make Harry understand.

"Did you read that Daily Prophet article 'mione? The one where he told the world every single one of my secrets, anything that could be used as an advantage to Voldemort because Voldemort offered him a job with the Chuddy Canons? Can you blame me for not being able to trust him because I watched his initiation through a vision? What about when I gave him the second chance, after he claimed he was under Veritaserum? Only to have him stab me in the back while I wasn't looking? Human weakness can be exploited, but not to the extent where people who've been your best friend for the last five years suddenly turn their backs on you and try to harm you on purpose. The list doesn't even end there. He betrayed every value he was taught as a kid by turning his back on us and joining Voldemort. He betrayed Snape, and almost had him killed for Christ sake! These actions don't happen unless the person is willing to lay his line down for his master. They don't betray their best friends on a whim, and deceive them further so they can betray them more. He knew what he was doing..." Harry closed his eyes as images began to flash across his mind of Ron. "He wanted this. I just don't understand why." he whispered, finally crying himself to sleep.

Hermione looked at Harry lovingly, before calling a house elf to take Harry to bed. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have called on the House Elves for anything, but decided that this could be her one exception. Harry's bedroom was connected to his study by a very long and narrow passageway, and she wasn't positive she could levitate him through without causing him any harm. After the house elves had taken Harry to his bedroom, she sat there thoughtfully, thinking of ways to make Ron pay for his betrayal. When he had joined Voldemort, he took the chance that he would lose all that he had found dear. He had, but he didnt know that just yet.

'when it happens Ronald Weasley, you'll know exactly what hit you. And why.' Hermione thought grimly before continuing her studies of the book in front of her.

----

Draco groaned as he rolled over in his bed, cursing the house elves for opening the curtains to let sunlight in.

"Not a morning person, are you Draco?" an amused Blaise remarked from the open door. Draco cursed again. "Come on Draco, you have to get up today. Remember, the party you planned out so carefully? You gotta make sure the house elves don't go overboard. Especially Dobby." Draco groaned and threw his pillow at Blaise, burrowing further under the covers. Blaise chuckled, before leaving Draco alone, and went to get Harry. Harry had slept a full 12 hours the previous night, and was dressing when Blaise went into his room.

"Hey Harry?" Harry grinned,

"What is it Blaise?" Blaise grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to Draco's room.

"You gotta help me wake Draco up." He looked Harry up and down. He had grabbed Harry before he had the chance to put a shirt on. "Excellent. You're topless. That might wake Draco up." Blaise grinned, knowing that Draco was attracted to Harry, and would wake up. Harry entered Draco's room as Draco cursed again.

"Blaise, can't you leave a guy alone with his fantasies for another hour or so?" Harry grinned again, and got into the king sized bed to cuddle with Draco.

"Mmmm. Fantasies. You think you wanna put me in one?" Harry whispered into Draco's ear, and felt him go rigid with shock before relaxing into the embrace. He turned around and muttered,

"I didn't know that the boy-who-refused-to-die swung that way." Harry chuckled.

"The boy-who-refused-to-die? I think it's more of a the-boy-who-wants-you sort of thing. And yes, I do swing that way. I believe my sexual orientation is the result of a rather nice experiment between me and a Slytherin our sixth year." Harry watched as Draco opened his eyes, and realized that Harry was shirtless.

"A sixth year Slytherin?" Draco asked, before cursing himself for his husky voice.

"Yeap. Now, get up. It wouldn't do for the house elves to screw up on your perfectly planned party would it?" Harry grinned again as he left the room, leaving a very wide awake and curious Draco. Blaise, who had been outside the door listening the whole time walked with Harry back to his room, laughing.

"Oh god, now he's going to keep bugging me about the screwing around with Slytherin thing."

"Well Blaise, you could always tell him who it was. It's not like it's not your secret to reveal." Harry began laughing with Blaise, as he finished dressing for the day.

"You know, you could always give me another chance." Blaise winked as he left Harry.

------

Ron Weasley was outside the Manor in an invisibility cloak he had managed to steal from Crabbe. He sneered as he took it, thinking about the invisibility cloak Harry had gotten their first year.

He always gets everything. It was never fair with us, and this is only justice being served on him. He doesn't deserve any of his fame

He was still allowed to walk on the grounds, and because he was a Weasley, he didn't know that Pureblood family lines had always warded their property to tell them who was on it and where. Harry knew that he was there, and was waiting for more people to show up so he could make a huge scene and humiliate Ron publicly. The Harry that had revealed itself to Hermione yesterday had slowly begun to die after Cedric's death, and he was quite glad for that simple fact. He was beginning to become accustomed to the coldness; the power he had accumulated attested to that fact.

Harry seemed to be on the path towards becoming another Dark Lord and for a time, he might have been. If it hadn't been for Blaise, the only Slytherin he was familiar with during the school year, he might have turned into the next Dark Lord. They knew the truth- their relationship was just a means to an end and not something that was meant to last a lifetime, but they didn't care. Blaise was Harry's tether to the real world, the living sane, and the light until Harry was stable enough to stand on his own.

He went to tell Draco and Blaise that Ron was on the grounds, but once he reached Draco's room, he was speechless, and unable to move, all he could do was stare. Draco was changing; his thin but muscular arms pulled the black turtleneck over his head and he went through the wardrobe, looking for a pair of acceptable pants. After he had finished dressing, he noticed Harry standing there with his mouth agape.

"Enjoy the show?" Draco smirked.

"You have quite a nice ass Malfoy, if I do say so myself." Harry almost laughed at Draco's reaction. His face turned and interesting shade of pink while he tried to speak, but failed.

"Cat got your tongue Draco?" Harry smirked. "I just came up here to tell you that our beloved weasel is on the grounds. He's using an invisibility cloak, but what he doesn't know is that they don't work if you know the person, and the fact that he's in an invisibility cloak on the grounds. I believe he'll try to attack after the party begins. Until then, i want him to be left alone. But once the party starts...it's pretty much fair game as to who gets him." Harry smiled, a cold icy smile. "Ronnikins is going to get what he deserves." He walked forward and kissed Draco lightly on the cheek, before turning and exiting the room.

'Did that really just happen?'

Draco thought, confused. He shrugged, and went downstairs to tell Blaise that they were going to have fun at this party, despite the number of Gryffindors that were planning on attending.

---

one hour left. Ron checked his watch again, as he waited impatiently for the party to start. His ex-family was already in the Manor, as well as Tonks and Snape. He felt another pang of regret, and tried to suppress it.

"Why did you do it Ron? I thought you were supposed to be my best mate. So why'd you betray me?" Tears pooled in Harry's eyes, threatening to drop. "I would have given it all up for you Ron, my inheritance, my family, even my life. How could you betray me like this?" Ron's mouth twisted bitterly.

"I was kidnapped by Voldemort. I didn't exactly have a choice." Ron felt his conscience poke him. "I had to tell him Harry, he threatened everyone we care for, he threatened to kill my parents, my brothers, Ginny. He threatened to kill 'mione. and cho. What was I supposed to do?" Both boys knew this was false. After Ron was kidnapped by Voldemort, he had struck a deal with the Dark Lord. He was promised all of Harry's fortune, as well as his lands. Voldemort offered him the chance to be Harry, and he had accepted. He wanted to become the boy who was worshipped by all, loved by all. He didn't want to be Ron Weasley, youngest son of the Weasley line, unable to do anything for himself.

So he accepted. He turned his back on everything he was raised to believe, every friend he had made in the last six years to become a death eater.

---

The party was held outside, behind the manor under a huge white tent. The house elves had been meticulous in setting up, and it showed. Ron stood outside the tent, not knowing that he was being watched by Harry, Draco, and Blaise. He was only aware of his grumbling stomach, and of the enormous amounts of food on the buffet table to the side.

He debated with himself on whether or not to enter the tent and grab some food and as part of him argued that they couldn't see him, the other part wasn't sure. He ignored that part and walked into the tent, trying to stay silent. He was too busy stuffing his face at the buffet table to notice Harry, Draco, and Blaise walk up to him and strip him of the invisibility cloak. A hush spread throughout the group, as they watched Ron, still unaware of the fact that he was visible, stuff himself silly.

"Ronald Weasley." The icy voice, belonging to Draco, began as Ron noticed the stares. He noticed the absent invisibility cloak, and reached for his wand, but was stopped by Blaise.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our guest of honor." An icier voice cut through the air next to Ron.

"Oops, did I say guest of honor? I meant dishonorable bastard who betrayed everyone in this room." The voice belonged to Harry, as he grabbed Ron's wand and snapped it. Ron paled, as he was left powerless.

"H-H-Hary.. It's.. It's nice t-to see y-you m-m-mate." Ron trembled as Harry placed an icy glare onto him.

"RONALD WEASLEY. HOW DARE YOU." Mrs. Weasley stomped up to the boy and slapped him. "YOU BETRAYED HARRY AND GONE AGAINST ALL THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO TEACH YOU. YOU-YOU-YOU…WE DISOWN YOU RONALD WEASLEY, AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO, NO WAY TO APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE." Ron had turn bright red from embarrassment, and then when that embarrassment had turned into anger mixed with fright, he had began to back up. He turned around and ran straight into Draco, who was giving him a strange look. It was a cross between the Malfoy smirk and the disgust he felt for the redhead.

"Weasel." Draco hissed before he and Blaise dragged Ron off out of the tent to a more secluded area of the grounds.

"We're going to have a lot of fun with you." Blaise winked as they tied Ron up.

"Get your filthy hands off of me you bloody Death Eater." Ron spat, as Draco narrowed his eyes.

"So we're Death Eaters now?" He pulled Ron's left sleeve up, exposing the Dark Mark. "If we're Death Eaters, then you're Merlin." He stared at Ron coldly.

"But..but...you're the bad guys! I'm not! I'm Harry's best friend." Ron whined, trying to free himself from the bonds. The Dark Lord would not be pleased to find out about this unfortunate turn of events. The fact that Ron was Harry's best friend would grant him some clemency, but not enough to excuse him from punishment for getting caught.

He whimpered in fear as the two boys drew their wands against Ron. He never knew Draco or Blaise as well as Harry did, because he had always thought of them as "the enemy". Everything was black and white in Ron's world, and that's the way he liked it. He didnt understand how it was possible for Harry to separate from Dumbledore but not join Lord Voldemort, or how there could be people who still tried to stay out of the conflict, taking no side. He was raised with the idea that Malfoys were manipulative evil people, and could never see any way for them to turn light. Just as he believed that he wasn't working against Harry, but for Harry. He convinced himself sometime before the betrayal that he could play the superhero much better than Harry had ever played it, and wanted to prove it to the world.

Ron was snapped out of his musings when he saw a giant spider approach him. It was twice as big as Aragog, and just as hairy. He whimpered in fright as the spider stuck ou a leg to stroke his face lovingly, before spinning a web, and cocooning Ron in the silk. He began screaming, sure that someone would save him, that they'd come to his rescue. The last thing he remembered before he fainted in fright was the spiders eyes staring at him as he was cocooned in the web.