Sorry it took so long for this. I have no excuse but laziness. Will finish today, I swear. ;o) - Lady Roxyeth Dragonsbane


4: Black and Blue and Seeing Red

"Might I ah ...Ah ..." Ron pinched his nose closed and paused. After a moment, he released his nose and shook his head. "... ask you how you got sick?"

"Woke up this way," Ginny answered hoarsely.

He sneezed loudly, his hair falling into his eyes.

"My God, Weasley," a young man spat. "Can't you save that for your common room? There are others would like to use this hallway without contracting your disease."

Narrowing red, puffy eyes, Ron took a step toward the Ravenclaw. Ginny snatched a handful of her brother's robes and pulled him back.

"Ignore it, Ron," she muttered, scowling.

The young man snorted with derisive laughter, a second student beside him sneering.

"Do you have something to say, Michael?" Ginny demanded.

Glancing at his compatriot, Michael Corner scoffed, "No wonder she thinks she can tell everybody what to do ..."

"... Yeah, with her older brothers letting her step up for them," his friend finished for him.

Ron clenched his fists.

"I do no ..."

"Shut it, Ginny," the elder red-head ordered, moving forward again. They were toe-to-toe and the opposing sixth year stood firm even with Ron standing four-inches taller.

"You honestly think you're going to hit me?" Michael grinned amusedly, though his friend wasn't as cocksure.

"No," Ron said simply. Leaning as though to whisper in Corner's ear, he sneezed on his shoulder. Michael jumped back in disgust and Ron chuckled moving back to his sister.

"That was gross, Ron," she chided him.

Ron shrugged, "Let's go."

"You're as much of a nutter as your little girlfriend, you know that?" Corner's voice rang out through the hallway, and Ron spun on his heel, brow furrowed.

"My what?"

"Heard she took a fall yesterday ... pity. Those stairs are tricky," he went on, casting aside his phlegm-tainted robe, angrily.

Ron's frown deepened, but Ginny was off, marching toward the young man growling within herself words that he couldn't understand. Michael had begun to laugh again and, as Ginny approached, grabbed her by her shoulders and moved her aside.

"This isn't between you and I, love," he told her, smirking condescendingly. Shocked from being moved about, Ginny gaped at him. "What's'a matter, Ronald? We all know she's head over heels for you!"

"Luna?" Ron mumbled.

"Of course, Loony Lovegood. Who else? Hermione?" At this, he laughed loudly and Ron felt his blood begin to boil. "I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you? Problem is, Weasley: she's actually got a brain in her head. Shame, she wastes it on your lot."

Before anyone else could react, Ron had charged forward, tackling Corner, fists flying. The second Ravenclaw stood idly by, staring with wide eyes.

"Are you going to help him?" Ginny wanted to know.

To her amazement, the boy was foolish enough to try to pull the Gryffindor off his friend. Ron reared back, giving Michael a brief reprieve while he took a hard swing at the other, who promptly fell to the floor.

"Get off me," Michael said thickly, trying to scramble away with blood streaming from his nose and lip.

"Shut ..." Ron began, punching him one last time, "... up." Corner's head dropped back, eyes glassy for a moment with disorientation. Ron stood and sneezed again. "Bloody hell, I hate sneezing."

"You should go to the hospital wing," Ginny said, looking at the two boys as they struggled to stand upon shaky legs.

Glaring at her through swelling eyelids, Michael spat blood at her feet.

"Not you," she hissed, stamping heavily on his left toes. When he picked up his foot reflexively, she kicked his right shin and he toppled back to the floor. "Come on, Ron."