chapter 7: CONTRACEPTION - halted beginnings


"Now, having said that, there are one or two other things that I would like to discuss with you." The look on Dumbledore's face softened and Ron wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or nervous that the Headmaster might be hiding something else. "Firstly, I must say, Mr. Weasley, that I am sorry to see that you have continued to keep this a secret from your friends. Not that I can blame you," he added hastily upon seeing Ron about to protest. "This is a very difficult matter to know how to deal with, with far reaching concequences."

Ron just hung his head at this, wishing fervently once again that this wasn't happening, that it was just some long, drawn out nightmare that would end and he could just go back to being normal again. He tensed, however, at the voice that spoke from slightly behind him. "Yeah, well he better not fucking tell," Malfoy spat with an audible sneer and Ron felt anger wash over him. What did Malfoy care? It wasn't him that had to go wandering around after some annoying prick for the rest of his life, getting his blood sucked out like some pathetic goul. He was shaking so hard with repressed anger that he nearly missed Dumbledore's response to the outburst.

"Language, Mr. Malfoy. Take a hold on your temper, both of you." Dumbledore's voice was firm, comanding attention. "Now, this is precisely why I have given the orders I have. You both need to learn to see things from the other's perspective. I understand if you want to keep things a secret for right now, but you must understand that it cannot stay so forever. People are bound to learn of it eventually. However, it would probably be for the best that, when this does come out, it be by your mutual decision and not by some accident of chance. I am therefore willing to assist you in covering it up, for now. This incident will be put down as a brawl between the two of you and the consequences I have laid out as the punishment you both obviously deserve. I will ask Madam Pomfrey to keep the particulars of your stay to herself."

Ron was still angry but was calming down and beginning to be grateful for Dumbledore's help in the matter. However, if he didn't know any better he would have sworn that Draco had started muttering to himself. "Just be grateful it's not any worse," he said under his breath before turning back to see the kindly expression on the Headmaster's face. How did the man manage to switch from scarily stern to saintly compassionate so quickly?

"And I did mention one other thing, did I not? Hopefully this will brighten you up just a bit." Dumbledore didn't look like he was going to go all scary this time but appearances could be deceiving so Ron held his breath. "I have had these made so that accidents, such as the one last night, may be avoided in the future." He drew out of his robes what appeared to be two plain pocket watches and held them out towards the boys. Ron stood and took them, passing one to Draco and staring down at his own in curiosity. If this was a pocket watch then there was definitely something not quite right with it. "They're set to the phases of the moon. Precisely, so don't go fidgeting with the hands. The noon position is set to the presice moment of the new moon for the 'hour' hand and the 'minute hand cycles once around for every lunar day, noon position, high moon. I highly recommend NOT using them to get to class on time."

Ron was speechless by the gift, this would be an incredibly great help. He finally managed to mumble a thank you but was too caught up in studying the watch to catch Dumbledore's response. Draco said nothing, merely tucking the object away somewhere. He did refrain from sneering however, which was as close as Ron could figure one got to a thank you with the Malfoys.

Dumbledore stood up and patted Ron on the arm. "Well, I'd best be going now. You both should try to get some more rest and I'll inform Madame Pomfrey that you may have visitors now." Ron sighed as the Headmaster left and slumped back into his bed. As awake as he might have felt earlier he was now quite tired. Sleep sounded marvelously inviting.

It was not to be, however, as at that moment the doors to the infirmery swung open and Harry and Hermione came charging in. "Oh, Ron I'm so glad you're alright," Hermione practically sang as she rushed over to his bed. "As soon as Crookshanks came back I knew you had to be all right and we hurried over as soon as we could." Ron knew he looked slightly puzzled. He hadn't even noticed the demon cat leave. Despite this he didn't miss the derisive snort coming from the bed next to his.

Hermione pointedly ignored this. "Ron," she asked worridly, "are you okay?"

Harry looked queasy. "You were fighting? I can't believe you got put in the hospital wing."

Ron tangled his fingers in Crookshank's fur, thinking carefully. Crookshanks was proving to be more of a comfort than he would have imagined.

"Malfoy was talking about my family again," Ron explained. "And......" he got an evil, wonderful idea. "And then he kissed me and asked me to go to the Halloween Ball with him." Hermione and Harry stared at him, mouths open in disbelief. A sound of protest came from Malfoy's cubicle. Ron grinned, feeling more content than he had in ages.



Snape's deep, soulful voice intoned the ingredients to the Concraceptus potion mechanically, as if he were ashamed to be teaching such things to a bunch of sixteen year olds. Hemione's quill made a scratching noise as she took down the ingredients and process, only half paying attention. She had already memorized this particular potion years ago, hoping that she would have a use for it. She hadn't yet.

Hermione peeked at Ron out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting at a worktable across the room next to Malfoy. Apparently part of his detention was that he and Malfoy were partnered in almost every class now. She rolled her eyes, watching the backs of Malfoy's ears turn red as Ron tapped his foot incessantly against the table leg. Malfoy finally gave in and elbowed Ron hard in the side.

"...drain the manticore solution -- ten points from Gryffindor for that interruption, Mr. Weasley -- and then let simmer for six minutes over a low flame." Snape punctuated this statement with a comical sneer that conveyed only too well his distaste at the thought of his students putting this potion into use. "And might I remind you all -- especially you, Ms. Patil -- that this potion is not infallable. Repeated use dulls its effectiveness." Parvati Patil turned beet red and slid down further into her chair. Her exploits with the seventh year Gryffindor boys were legendary.

Hermione sucked on the end of her quill thoughfully, relishing the inky taste. She was turning the Ron issue over and over in her head once again, as she had been doing for days, and was no closer to a revelation. Clearly something was wrong with Ron. Harry bought Ron's fighting excuse, but that still didn't explain a lot of things. The spinach, for one thing. And Ron's tiredness and pale face. He hadn't even talked about Quidditch for weeks. And last night, while she had been making her rounds in the dungeon corridors, she had seen Ginny Weasley furtively ducking into a utility closet. What on earth was going on with these Weasleys? At least Fred and George had graduated. If not, she might have suspected that --

"I am waiting, Miss Granger!" Snape's voice cut into her reverie suddenly, and she started.

"Umm..." Hermione tried to speak, turning beet red. "Can you repeat the question?"

Sniggers came from the Slytherin side of the room, and a few symphetic twitters from the Gryffindors. Harry was looking at her like she had just sprouted two more ears and used them to fly away.

Snape slammed his hand down on her table, causing her and her partner (Blaise Zabini of Slytherin, who looked rather annoyed at having to share his space with a mudblood Gryffindor) to jump. Snape looked like he was angry and yet pleased to have caught a Gryffindor Prefect in a lapse.

"Detention!" he squawked. "Tonight at 8:30!"

Lavendar Brown made the mistake of whispering something to Seamus Finnegan that ended with a rather loud "sex?!"

"You two as well!" Snape pronounced angrily. "You can talk about these things with Filch during your detention tonight. Anyone else want one?" He stared at the class accusingly. Dean Thomas sucked in his breath audibly. Snape's left eye twitched.



"Can you believe that Granger got a detention?" Blaise Zabini asked gleefully, shouldering his book bag. He smiled widely, perfect white teeth flashing.

Draco shrugged. "Not really."

Blaise peered at him quizzicly. "Is everything all right? Did you not notice that the golden girl of Gryffindor is going to spend the night scrubbing cauldrons with Snape?"

"I noticed," Draco snapped. "Just because you're hot for every girl in the school doesn't mean that I don't have other things to think about!" He strode off angrily, shoving aside a pair of Ravenclaw second years along the way.

Blaise narrowed his eyes, biting back a yelled retort. He wouldn't let Draco goad him into making a fool of himself in the halls. Just then the girl in question walked by and Blaise once again marvled at how that bush she called hair had transformed itself into such lush tresses. So soft and silky, Blaise wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through her hair. Except, of course, he didn't because Hermione was a Griffindor, and annoying, and bookish. Yeah, whoever liked bookish girls? See, she had a massive volume in her arms now. "Properties and Uses of Spinach: a Practicle Guide." And not only bookish but her taste in books left something seriously to be desired.