Ron had been talking to Ginny for a long time. She ran up to her room in the Burrow as soon as Harry and Hermione arrived for the summer. Ginny made her absence a quiet one. It took a while for anyone to notice she wasn't around but, it was Ron who did. She was locked in there for three days, straight, leaving only at night to use the washroom. It worried Ron, so he checked on her.
They had to have been talking for at least two hours. The whole house was quiet trying to maybe overhear their conversation but, all they heard was Ginny's hard sob every now and then. One by one the Weasleys retreated to their beds, leaving Harry and Hermione in the living room.
Hermione sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace biting her nails and thinking hard. She and Ginny were close, why was she so upset? She remembered how happy she was when Harry finally asked her out and she remembered how much fun Ginny had with him at the ball during school but, she couldn't figure out her strange behavior. Ginny told her everything and she told Ginny everything. They would ask each other questions, solve each others problems. The questions flew through Hermione's head. Ginny had her stumped.
Harry was standing with his back against the wall also in deep thought. He didn't understand what was wrong either. He cared about Ginny more than he cared about his own life. That feeling made everyone of her audible cries tear him apart. He wondered what was wrong, what could set her off like this. Was it school? Was it someone? He keep searching through all the things he knew bothered her and then ... he figured it out. He just hoped she didn't tell Ron.
@
@@
@@@
@@@@
@@@@@
@@@@
@@@
@@
@
About 30 minutes later, Ginny shrieked and her bedroom door opened very slowly. Harry and Hermione both turned to face the stairs. Someone was flying down them.
"Ron, please! Don't do this!" Ginny's cries alerted the two downstairs. They both flashed worried glances at each other. Hermione's glance was more confused then Harry's. The way her big brown eyes got wider and search for an answer showed it.
Ron pelted down the stairs. His every step seem to rattle the house. It was obvious, Ron was angry.
"What did you do to her?"Ron knew exactly what Harry did. He'd just heard every word Ginny told him, drowned in tears. Now Harry had to admit it. 'C' mon Harry, be a man.' he thought.
"What did you do to her?!" he yelled. His voice was so unforgiving , so cold.
"Ron, I didn't–"Ron didn't want explanations. He wanted the truth.
"What!" He screamed pushing Harry back. "What didn't you do?"
Harry was speechless. He had never seen Ron like this. When Harry didn't answer him, he pushed him again.
"What' d you do?!"
"Cut it out!" Hermione cried. Ron completely ignored her and Harry remained silent and kept all of his attention on Ron. Hermione eyes wandered up to the stairs where Ginny was standing. She was crying silently, lifelessly, she was just there. She suddenly looked a lot younger than 16.
Harry again remained silent and, for each second he did, Ron's anger elevated. He'd reached his limits. He gathered all the anger in one fist and hit Harry square in the face. Harry stumbled backwards holding his nose. When he removed his hand, it was spotted with his dark red blood.
"Ron, Please!" Ginny whimpered from the steps. It had no affect on Ron who advanced on Harry.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Ron yelled, "Don't want to hit me, eh?"
"Stop it! Please!" Hermione was crying now too. She didn't understand. Why was he acting like this?
Again he ignored her. He mustered all of his strength and hit Harry again, right below his ribcage. Harry doubled over. Ron's blue eyes grew colder, his breathing faster. He wanted Harry dead.
"Why won't you hit me Harry? Are you afraid of me? Hit me, Harry! C' mon, Hit me!" Ron yelled again.
"Ron, please, please, Stop." Hermione pleaded. She was afraid of Ron. He was acting so ... so strange.
"Shut up!" He yelled back at her, that cold tone making her jump. It made all those tears that had not fallen yet, rush their way out of her eyes.
Ginny stood lifeless on the steps. Her brother had Her Harry pinned in a corner. Ron was strong enough to kill him. He knew it, She knew it. There was nothing she could do. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything to Ron.
Hermione didn't understand. Her brown eyes scanned the scene for some kind of clue but, everything was happening so fast. All she knew was that Ginny made a mistake, Ron over-reacted and she was about to witness a murder.
"You afraid, Potter?" Ron laughed. Harry shook his head.
"I'm not going to hit you, Ron" That just made Ron angrier.
"Why not? Why not?!?" He was screaming louder then before. It made both Ginny and Hermione jump in fear.
Harry shook his head again. He was really pissing Ron off. He punched him again, making his head snap to the right, where Hermione was standing.
Hermione tried again to catch those tears before they fell. She looked away but, it was too late. She could not believe this was happening.
"Why!" Ron yelled again.
Harry closed his eyes and shook his head again. He would die before he hit Ron back. It took him a minute to actually process that thought. He just might die if he didn't hit Ron back. He was ready, if it was death he deserved, he was ready to accept it.
Ron closed his eyes and took a second to think about what he was doing. This whole time he hadn't been thinking. What was he doing? This was his Best friend. He was like a brother but Ginny was his real sister, his baby sister, his only sister. He felt a warm feeling behind his eye. He wasn't going to cry. Nope, not right now. He was not go to cry. He rushed on all the anger, remembered everything that Ginny told him and hit Harry one more time. A loud crack came from Harry's body. Ron must've broken something.
Ginny screamed. It was loud, for frustration, piercing, for fear. It took all the air in her lungs to scream. She wasn't breathing in the first place. She started to feel light-headed and dizzy, She couldn't think to inhale. Her knees buckled beneath her and she fainted.
Harry heard the crack but, he couldn't feel it. It hurt to much. He tripped back and head his head with loud THUD! The room spun out of focus, then back again. He wanted to say something, say anything. Instead of words slurring out of his mouth, a steady stream of blood streamed down his chin. The room blurred once more and then became black.
Hermione wanted to scream but, she couldn't find her voice. She wanted to yell at Ron but, she could find her mind. She wanted to run to see if Harry was O.K. and she could still feel her legs. She ran to where he was a crumpled heap on the floor and, kneeled beside him.
She called him but, he wouldn't answer. Hermione brushed his raven hair out of his face and wiped the small beads of sweat off his forehead. She propped his head against her lap, when she did, more of his blood dripped off of his face onto her skirt. She called his name again and again but, again, the response was negative.
Ron was lost. He was afraid. He was satisfied. He was confused. Ron was feeling to many feelings, he couldn't feel a thing. Those hot tears he had been holding back, flowed freely down his cheeks now.
Hermione looked up at him with such fear and falsity engraved in her tears, it made him feel worst. He loved her so much, he couldn't believe she would acknowledge him in such a way. Like a stranger to her, like a danger to her. He wanted to reach down and kiss her, hold her, apologize and explain why he did it but, he was frozen. He was afraid. What had he done?
*
Molly was used to chaos in her house. She was awoken by Ron's voice drifting up the stairs. It wasn't abnormal for him to have sporadic yelling fits with another one of her children but, it was Ginny's scream that got her out of bed. She checked in all the bedrooms before she got downstairs. 4 little beds where still empty.
When she was nearing the last landing, her baby girl's body came into view and her hand shot to her mouth. What is going on down here? As she looked across the banister the color drained from her face. She didn't know what to say except for,
"My God!"
A/N: Should I add more? Review please.
*@*pUrEbLoOdPrInCeSs
