Author's Note: Ok, so the basic rundown is, I waited so long to post this chapter because I had to read the fifth book first. However, this story is not going to take the events of the fifth book into account, that would be too much for my brain, so........yeah. Anyway, here's the rest of that scene that got cut off by the last chapter. Hope you enjoy.



chapter 16: Connection: strange days





From the ensuing staring contest, Draco was the first to break eye-contact, reverting to looking out once more across the lake. "Well, Weasley. I figured you for a lot of things but I never figured you to be the kind to give up. Or is that all Potter's show and you just follow along?" He looked back to see Ron flushing an angry red and smiled to see his aim accomplished. An angry Weasley he knew how to deal with.

"What do you know about not giving up, Malfoy?" The look Ron leveled at Draco was hard and angry. "What do you know about going on, no matter what you want or are afraid of, because it's more important than you are?"

Draco smiled cruelly, not willing, yet, to ponder Weasley's words too closely. "So, you are afraid of me?" The only answer he got to this was what sounded like a growl and a frustrated gesturing of Weasley's hands, so he continued. "And what, besides, do you know about death, Weasley, which you claim to face so readily? Do you know it, really. Have you ever held it in your hands and known what it is, extinguished life?" Draco felt a calm settle over him. "I have.

"I have put it out myself," he continued intently. "I have watched that thing, whatever it is that animates us, fade away, snuff out like a used up candle, or one smothered." By now Weasley's gaze was locked intently on Draco's. He sat so still it was difficult for Draco to tell whether he still breathed. "It's fascinating, really." Draco leaned forward, dropping his voice. The wind and rain might as have well no longer existed, so thoroughly were the two boys focused on each other. "Like the birth of a child: one minute, there's a whole other person in the room, that's what they say. Except with death," by now Draco was so close he could feel the warmth of Ron's breath ghosting against his face, could count the threaded colors of his eyes, "all of the sudden, something is gone. The wings of the butterfly lie still, the beetle's legs cease to twitch and twist in your fingers. That which struggled against you is no longer there. All that's left is a shell." Draco shifted his head so that his cheek lay just barely brushing Ron's and he whispered in his ear. "What do you think it's like for a human? The eyes that once saw you staring blindly, the still hands. I bet Harry knows. He's seen it, hasn't he? Maybe you should ask him, so that you can know what you'll be, when you're dead." As close as they were, the words hung suspended between them. The only sound was the rain on the lake.

"We'll all die some day. Even you." Draco felt himself shudder at the loss of touch as Ron stood, brushing off the back of his cloak. The connection, whatever it had been, was lost and he thought he knew, for a moment he thought he knew. But it was gone, and he was wet, and annoyed.

"Ahh, a philosophical Weasley. What will they think of next? What new game to put a pretty face on poverty?" Old tricks are the best tricks and Weasley taunting had always been one of Draco's most comforting past-times. He was unprepared for what happened next. Or rather, what next hit him smack in the middle of the forehead: something soft, and mushy. The little bit that hung over his right eye appeared to have a greenish tinge.

"Go fuck yourself, Malfoy," Weasley said almost cheerfully and gave mock salute with what looked like some sort of pale green muffin before turning and heading back towards the castle, munching on his soggy pastry. Curling his lip in distaste, Draco was reminded that he was hungry. Dignity required at least a five minute wait before he followed, however, so, at a complete loss as to what else to do, he bent down to wash his face off with lake water.







"Mr. Weasley, may I ask where you have been? Do you forget your obligations so readily?" Harry paused while coming down the stairs upon hearing Professor Snape's voice echoing eerily down the hall from somewhere in the vicinity of the main entrance. Harry hadn't seen Ron at lunch and had just decided to go looking for him in the hopes that a game of chess would relieve some of the boredom of a rainy Sunday. It was lucky that he should find him so easily, though it didn't sound as though it was lucky for Ron.

Harry crept toward where he thought he had heard Snape's voice and peaked around a corner to see Ron cornered by an obviously displeased Professor Snape. Ron was soaking wet. Besides that he was mumbling and Harry couldn't make out what he was saying to the Professor.

Snape seemed to be considering something for his scowl deepened. "Yes, well I suppose it's all right this time, but I expect you to inform me before hand if you are going to do something like this in the future, though why you'd pick a day like today is beyond me."

Ron was still mumbling but Harry thought he heard something like, "Wasn't my idea," as he watched Snape give a curt nod, turn with a swirl of his robes, and stride away down a side hall.

Harry was just about to go out and greet Ron when the doors opened and another figure stumbled through, also quite wet. Harry's eyes narrowed as the figure turned around and he saw that it was Draco Malfoy. "What, back so soon?" Ron said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Malfoy answered, sounding irritated. "You didn't expect me to take your suggestion seriously, did you?" Ron made a face and glanced away, causing Harry to duck quickly back behind the corner. "Just my luck you're still moping around here. Trying to get dry by walking in circles, are you?"

"No, just ran into Professor Snape." Harry was becoming increasingly puzzled by this conversation.

"Oh, what did he have to say?"

"Just wanted to know where we'd been and said to tell him first next time."

This was greeted by a sound of disgust from Malfoy and Harry poked his head around the corner again just in time so see the blond striding off down the same hall Snape had followed a few minutes earlier. He was also just in time to get out of Ron's way before he got plowed down by the taller boy. "Ack, Ron! Watch where you're going!"

Ron jumped and looked up quickly from his careful scrutiny of the floor. "Sorry, I didn't see you there, Harry." Ron's scowl quickly smoothed itself into an easy smile.

"What were you doing out in the rain with Malfoy?" Harry tried to keep his tone light but in truth he was very confused and wondering how this bit fit into the whole Ron mystery.

"Huh?" Ron frowned again briefly. "Oh, Filch got it into his head that we should serve our detention cleaning out one of the old greenhouses. Turns out it was so old, didn't even have a bloody roof on. Be surprised if I don't catch cold from this." He started shaking the water out of his cloak to emphasize his point and Harry stepped back to avoid the flung droplets. "So, wha'ch'ou up to, Harry?"

Harry blinked and it took him a minute to remember why he had actually come looking for Ron. "Oh yeah, I wanted to know if you were up for a game of chess. This bloody rain makes the whole day seem so boring. Hermione even got me to finish most of my homework assignments."

Ron grimaced in sympathy and the two boys started off for Gryffindor tower. "Sure, chess'd be great, Harry. Just got to change out of these robes first. M'beginning to smell like a wet cat." Harry laughed at that but in the back of his mind he was thinking that Ron's explanations didn't quite add up.