Ron and Shanon: Story 3
Chapter 5
PART 1: RECOVERING
Shanon had left near the end of September. All through October, Ron wanted to be alone. He'd talk to himself and at night Harry could hear him talking in his sleep about a girl with long brown hair. Harry rarely slept on nights like these. Ron's voice kept him awake and thinking about everything that was happening.
October and November were harsh for Ron, but he didn't notice. People whispered around him, and Harry and Hermione heard horrible rumors about him that people were spreading. That he was a drunk; that he took after his father, and more. Ron never noticed. He was lost in a cloud of sadness. As if stealing the thing he loved most was bad enough, Draco seemed to take pleasure in saying her name around him so that Ron's eyes would turn big and he'd shiver. The Slytherins would laugh and continue on.
December came and Ron's face was no longer pale. This was a good sign, according to Ginny. She said it meant he was less sad. Harry even managed to make Ron laugh at one point.
It was the week of Christmas. The students had it off, and Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided to go down to Hogsmeade. They took their coats and hats and made their way down to Hogsmeade. Ron shivered more then Harry and Hermione, but was in general feeling better. He talked a bit more and answered their questions, which was a good sign. Before he'd just nod and sniff and swallow. Now he'd talk back.
They were halfway there when Harry saw Draco, Crabb, and Goyle ahead, as well as a host of other Slytherin people. Harry slowed down and held back Hermione and Ron.
"I don't know if we should go.........." He nodded to the group.
"Oh." Hermione looked at Ron. "Ron, want to just go back to the common room today to drink? Uhhh cocoa???" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. That hadn't come out right.
But Ron frowned and just kept walking towards the village. Harry and Hermione ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulders.
"No! Ron, come on! You don't need to take this!" Ron pushed them both away, quite harshly. Harry and Hermione stood beside him as he walked right up to Draco. Draco sneered and spit in Ron's face.
"Back Weasley?" Ron's face turned crimson and he stayed silent. Hermione bit her lip. All was quiet, then, all of a sudden, Crabb swung at Ron's face. Hermione screamed, but Ron ducked. Crabb missed and instead, Ron punched him in the crotch when he was crouched down. Ron must have punched hard because Crabb fell to the ground immediately, wheezing. Goyle lunged for Ron's neck and grabbed it. But Ron's heart was filled with hate so big, that he threw Goyle off with his hands and kicked him in the stomach. Goyle fell back into the snow on top of Crabb.
Draco roared and ran at Ron. He jumped on him and they tossing and tumbling in the snow. Harry tried to jump in to help but Slytherins held him back.
"RON!" Harry was pulling and pushing trying to get past the Slytherins when he heard a girl scream. Then he realized it wasn't a girl, but Draco.
Draco was on the ground, bleeding. Ron was also bleeding but not as badly. Draco had a beat up nose and eye. His mouth was bleeding. His throat had red streaks down it from Ron shaking it. Draco gasped and rolled over, unconscious. The Slytherins ran over to help, and during that time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped away.
"Ron!" Hermione grabbed him by the shoulders and began to wipe his nose with a cloth. "What was that????" Harry laughed and clapped Ron on the back.
"Energy!" Harry gasped through laughs. At first Hermione glared at Harry.
"Harry!" she scolded. "What happened there was dangerous and.....and......" But Hermione also started laughing. Then, Ron did too. He laughed. He smiled. The three friends laughed.
"For Shanon." Ron smiled for the first time in a long time. "For her. All for her." He looked up and smiled into the sky. Hermione smiled kindly, and the three friends made their way down to Hogsmeade.
PART 2: VALENTINES DAY
Christmas came and went with Ron feeling generally better. But he would still talk at night by himself. He would still often gaze into space without realizing it.
Ron walked into Charms one day with Harry and Hermione to see Professor Flitwick putting up hearts and ribbons everywhere.
"What's this?" Ron flicked one of the ribbons out of the way in disgust and laughed.
"Saint Valentine's Day!" Professor Flitwick said cheerfully. Ron's heart froze. Valentine's Day? He rubbed his forehead and tried to push away the thoughts that were coming. But they came anyway. Valentines Day was for love. And Shanon loved Draco now.
Harry sat next to Ron and patted his back.
"Ron, it's ok!" Harry smiled, trying to help. "You'll be ok!" Ron groaned and let his head fall on his desk. Hermione sighed and brushed her hair out of her face.
"Class, settle down!" Professor Flitwick stepped up on the books behind his desk and clapped his hand. Hermione sat down next to Lavendar.
"As you know, Valentines Day is close!" Ron hiccupped. "And so today we will be learning a simple spell to change something to pink!" Seamus raised his hand. "Yes Mr. Finnigan?"
"Can you turn them back after? 'Cause I really hate pink................"
"Yes, you can." Professor Flitwick looked exasperated, probably because Seamus always had stupid questions.
"And who would invent a spell like this? I mean, it's kind of stupid....."
"THANK YOU Mr. Finnigan!" Professor Flitwick interrupted Seamus and picked up his wand. "Now, repeat after me: Pinkus Transfirmos!"
"Pinkus Transfirmos!" The class chorused.
"Good!" Professor Flitwick took his wand. "Now here's the arm motion." He flicked his wand upward. The class did so too.
"Nice everyone! Now, please try the spell on your object."
Most of the class did well. Seamus's turned into a trout and flopped of the desk. Neville's burst into flames.
Ron did everything right. He flicked his wrist right and said the spell right. Even Hermione couldn't correct him. But, still, he couldn't turn the object pink. Each time, it turned black.
"Professor!" Ron raised his hand and Professor Flitwick came over.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I can't turn mine pink." Ron demonstrated for him. "It will only turn black......" and sure enough, the object turned black.
"Hmmmmmmmmm........." Professor Flitwick frowned. "Well, you're doing it right. But the book I learned this from did say one thing though: if you're heart is seriously depressed, the spell will turn black instead. But that's only deep depression." Ron's eyes widened. "Well," Professor Flitwick shrugged. "May just be your wand! Try again!"
With that, he walked away, leaving Ron with his black spell and his apparently depressed heart.
He was glad when class ended. Harry and Hermione tried to comfort him but all he could think of were Professor Flitwick's words: deep depression. Was he really that sad? No. He thought he had been feeling better. Had he? Maybe he wasn't really better. Maybe he was just telling himself that.
Finally, Valentine's Day came. Ron was walking to his class thinking about everything. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be sad forever. But still....................
Ron scratched his forehead in exasperation and sighed. Harry patted him on the back. All of a sudden from behind, a cackle was heard. The three turned. Draco was there with a bandage on his nose. Harry laughed out loud, and Ron held back a laugh. Draco glared.
"Laugh now Weasley." Draco said with a sneer. "But I have something." He showed Ron a piece of parchment. Ron stopped laughing and his stomach dropped. Was it.............yes..............it was.
"And just in time for Valentine's Day!" Draco laughed, and he opened the parchment. Ron's heart beat fast. Draco read the parchment outloud.
"Draco, I miss you so much! I think about you every night, and I can't wait till I see you again. I love you so much. I wish I could be spending Valentine's Day with you, but, I send all my love. I miss you. I love you. Please, wait for me. I am so sad that I had to leave Hogwarts, but there was this important thing here that must be dealt with." Draco skipped the important thing with a sneer. Ron was breathing fast and he frowned. "I'll see you soon!" he continued. "I love you. Forever." Draco stopped and looked up at Ron with a grin. "Love, Shanon." Draco concluded. He wrapped up the parchment and stuffed it in his robes.
"Sorry Weasley." Draco laughed.
"YOU BASTARD." Ron yelled and took his wand out as he did. "OH YOU LITTLE ASS." He stuck his wand at Draco. "BLUEBELL FLAMES!" A blue flame shot out his wand at Draco and struck Draco in the knee. His pants burst into flames and he screamed. Ron panted and laughed.
"Fuck off Draco!" he yelled over Draco's screeches. "She doesn't really love you! Atleast I had the real one! You have some carbone copy! You little fucker! Get the BLOODY HELL AWAY FROM ME!!!" Ron shot another flame at Draco's head. His silver hair burst into flames. Ron laughed.
Crabb came with an ice bucket and dunked the ice on Draco. Draco screamed and stood up straight. He glared at Ron.
"You fucking bastard." He said. He stepped closer to Ron. "Weasley........."
Harry felt his ears erupt. What Draco was saying was so mean, his scar burned. Hermione gasped and plugged her ears. His words literally stung so they were so profane and horrible. Ron's face seemed to shatter.
"WHORE MOTHER AND DRUNKARD FATHER!" Draco yelled. "That's why you have so many children! Because your freaking mother was a whore!" Ron's eyes watered and Hermione still had her ears plugged. Harry's scar pounded. "AND YOU'RE WHOLE FAMILY ARE POOR TWITS THAT BELONG ON THE STREETS." Draco threw the bucket at Ron's face. He ducked but it hit the top of his head.
Draco walked away. Ron stood there. He let his head droop. Hermione came over, crying. Harry wanted to do something. For the shortest fleeting moment, Harry heard someone yell in his head "The Avada Kedavra curse! Use it! Kill him! KILL HIM NOW! DO IT!!" But before Harry could reach for his wand, he shook himself to sense and Draco was gone.
PART 3: HEALING THE NEW WOUND
Ron had spent the rest of the day in the common room not talking, not eating, and not going to classes. He was like that for days after. He spent time in Madame Pomfrey's more often, who was getting tired of him coming so often. In the end, she learned to expect him and kept a bed for him.
One night, Ron finally decided to speak to Harry and Hermione. He approached them in the common room and sat next to Harry.
"You guys." They looked up.
"I..........I was just healing. And he opened a new wound." Ron rubbed his arm, as if literally hurt.
"Ron....." Hermione leaned forward. "Draco is a pompous ass who likes using big words to see people's reactions." Ron chuckled a bit. "His words so cruel, they even made me cry." Ron sniffed and rubbed his nose at the thought of the words. "But, you need to ignore him. He's going to be mean. And that can't get you down."
"Exactly." Harry put his quill down. "Hermione is right. Plus I think your words affected him even more!"
"What?" Ron looked puzzled.
"When you said 'She doesn't really love you! Atleast I had the real one! You have some carbone copy!', I think it really affected him. I could see it." Harry grinned. "And plus, you were right when you said that. Shanon doesn't even really love him. She loves you."
Ron made a noise with his tongue and laughed.
"Not really." His eyes watered. "Not anymore." Hermione sighed and reached into her bag. She brought out a photo album.
"Look." She held up one of the pages in front of his face. "See that?" It was a picture of him and Shanon on the Quidditch Field, laughing and hugging eachother. "Does that look like a girl that can be so easily changed by one potion?" Ron looked at the picture, then at Hermione, then slowly shook his head.
"Exactly. Shanon can't be changed by this." Hermione smiled kindly. "Her love for you is too strong." Ron nodded. Harry looked at him.
"Ron, do you understand?" Ron looked at Harry.
"Yes." Ron nodded. "I need.......to think." He got up and left the common room. He walked all the way down to the Quidditch Field. It was where he and Shanon would always go. No one had ever bothered them there.
But he felt better.
PART 4: A RETURN
The school year was close to finishing. It was May. Ron felt better. He smiled. He laughed. Harry and Hermione had helped tremendously. They were his best friends, after all.
Of course, a very important event for the seventh years was coming up. The Hogwarts Prom. It was called "The Seventh Year" dance. People were very excited. Everyone seemed to be getting couples. Hermione worried about Ron.
"Are you sure you're ok without a date?" she asked nervously.
"I'm sure." He nodded and smiled at her. "I know I can go on. I have to." Hermione smiled.
"I'm glad." She grinned.
It was two weeks before the Seventh Year dance, when they were walking to class. People in the hallway were talking about the dance, but Ron seemed to not be phased by it all.
"Ron, you're taking this all very well." Harry leaned over to his friend and punched him lightly on the arm. "You ok? Drugged?" Ron laughed.
"No!" he said snickering. "But, Shanon's not here." It seemed hard for him to say her name. "So, I don't get her, but neither does Draco." He smiled. Harry laughed and Hermione grinned.
"Well then!" Harry continued to read from his Transfiguration book. Ron smiled. All of a sudden, he felt a cold chill go down his back. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. Only one person, alive, brought on this reaction.
"Hey Weasley!"
Ron groaned and turned around. It was Draco.
"What do you want, you bastard?"
"Easy Ron." Ron frowned. Why did he call him by his first name? Draco smiled. "I just thought you'd want to see this too."
Draco pulled a piece a paper out of his pocket.
"This just came." He grinned. Ron stepped forward a bit and glared. Draco cleared his throat.
"Dear Draco," he read. "I am coming back to Hogwarts."
Author's Note: I have two reviewers now! Yay! Thank you guys! This means a lot to me. I also want to thank Linkin Park. They're my background music when I write this. It had a lot to do with how well the story turns out.
Next chapter soon everyone! Atleast this chapter was pretty long. Seven pages on Microsoft word! Just review if you can. Please don't review if you totally hate the story.