KMK: I know! In all the stories, Ron is evil! Wonder what Draco will do to him, huh? Dum dum dum ominously…

Jadecowan: Heh. Hmm… Should Draco save Hermione, or should he get there just in time to see Ron beat the crap out of her? Or, should Draco get there and Ron beat the crap out of him? We'll just have to see, huh?

Samantha Cameron: Yep, it's Draco to the rescue! A good thing, huh? Yeah, if it were real! That's be sooo cool if there was such a place!

Pyro: Thanx. I thought I actually exaggerated a little bit on Ron's reaction, but I'm glad that you find it realistic. I had trouble writing that part. Keep reading!

Yaoiloverever: Yeah, Ron is definitely a little psycho. Best DMHG story so far? I doubt it. How many have you read, cuz there are some REALLY good ones out there.

xoKaSsTeox: Thanx for your review. Hehe, I just love to have a suspenseful ending. It makes readers keep reading. But it also makes them hate me for not telling them what happens.

Lady-Delphinea: Heh, don't we all hope he'll get there on time? You know, that's an idea… I could make it so that Draco never really liked her… But I probably won't. I'm a sucker for mushy romance.

Curlyq2713: Well, you never know what Ron Weasley can do to people's minds. Keep reading!

Jonadark: Yeah, too bad it won't be what happens in Rowling's books. But, you never know. I do want Ron to end up with someone, but I don't know who. I don't really like the idea of creating a character in the story, cuz I have trouble with traits and stuff. I know that Pansy doesn't seem as bad as she should be, but she'll strike again. And the Veratiserum thing, you have to thank Orlilover16. She was the one who gave me the idea, so I dedicated that chapter to her.

Sex 4 u: Well, I didn't exactly see it. I just randomly picked a movie and used it.

Anonymous: Aww, that's so sweet, what Nate did. The Nate that I know has a crush on this girl in school, but that girl hates him. So, the girl said that she would give Nate a hug if he hugged this other boy. And Nate did it!

Orlilover16: Yay! You're back! I missed my constant reviewer :-) Bloody evil… I guess you could call me that. I just love cliffhangers… sigh… I wouldn't mind hearing more about your trip, but you'd have to email me separately instead of in a review.

Jackie: Don't worry, I hate having the idea of Ron raping Hermione. It's just too bizarre.

Bitchgoddess: Why, thank you! I especially enjoyed the part where you said that I could put J.K. Rowling out of business.

Sesshy's whore: Don't worry, I will.

Natty123: Yep, I agree, it was weird. But I didn't think it was that short. I know the Ring 2 hasn't come out on DVD yet, I just randomly picked a movie. I want to see it too, but some people say it sucks and some say it rocks.

PrOuD FrEaK: Thanks for that awesomely long review! Yeah, I always love putting songs at the end of my chaps, but some people don't like them, so I'm not sure what to do. I know, Ron's totally gonna explode! And I purposely took a long time for Draco and Hermione to get together for suspense.

Cassandra: Yeppers, Draco to the rescue! Guess Ron's not gonna be her friend anymore… I dunno… My age… Well, I'm not sure I should tell you…

Lazybum Carmela Ana Zanna: Beautiful, huh? Not exactly what I was going for, but good enough. "No one songs wa"? Wut does that mean? Yuppers, Simple Plan, Green Day, Maroon 5 and Lincoln Park rule, (but, no offense to anybody, Lincoln Park's lyrics can be so dramatic).


Chapter 18…

Hermione was lying on the floor, sobbing hopelessly. Ginny had tried to run for a professor, but Ron had frozen her. He was still ranting on about Draco.

"Please… Ron… Let me go… Why are you doing this to your best friend?" she asked pitifully. Ron scowled and sneered,

"Best friend? More like ex-best friend! I was your friend for years. We stood up to Malfoy together, and then you become his boyfriend. How am I supposed to feel? I gave you my love all these years, and you just throw it away for someone who just wants to shag you and then leave you!"

"B-… What? What do you mean, your love?" she stammered, taken back. Ron rolled his eyes.

"You mean you still haven't caught on? I've been in love with you for years, Hermione. You're just so oblivious to everything! Caught in your own little world. I loved you, and you didn't care. And now Malfoy puts on a little act and you're all for him!" he yelled, slapping her again. Hermione winced. More tears streamed down her face. Her skin burned from the slaps he had used against her.

"Hermione, I'm going to teach you what it's really like. Malfoy is using you, and you're going to understand that! Get it through your thick skull!" He moved forwards and slapped her again. She squeezed her eyes shut as he raised his arm again.

Suddenly, she heard a skidding of shoes. She waited for the blow, but nothing happened. A yell caused her to open her eyes.

She couldn't believe it. Draco, her Draco, was there, fighting Ron. She watched in horror as Ron punched him in the eye. "Draco!" she cried as Draco stumbled back a few steps, then caught himself. He stood back up, his left eye twitching, and struck Ron in the stomach. "Ron!" Hermione shrieked.

Draco didn't miss a beat. Immediately, he jumped on Ron and pounded the side of his head. "Draco! Stop! Ron!" Hermione screeched in terror. A thought flashed through Draco's mind. Wait a minute… Why am I fighting physically? I'm a wizard!

"FORTEGA MILIOVASO!" he hollered, knowing that his force charm was a strong one. Ron flew up, was sent hurtling back against the wall and slumped down, defeated. Draco stood there, panting hard, and then turned to face Hermione. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her, about to pick her up.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Hermione exploded, shaking with anger and fear. Draco jumped back, surprised and confused. Hermione tried inching away, but cried out as pain bolted up and down her arm like an elevator.

"Hermione, I'm going to take you up to the Madame (sp?) Pomfrey. She'll take care of you. I'm not sure what that son of a bitch Weasley did to you, but –," Draco began, trying to pick up Hermione again, but was cut off.

"I SAID, DON'T TOUCH ME!" she yelled. Draco's blue eyes flashed to a silver. He stared at Hermione, confused and slightly angry, but the silver melted as his eyes returned to a deep blue.

"It's okay, Hermione. You'll be fine. I'm just going to take you up," he said lightly.

"No, you're not," she snapped. Draco's eyes became a silver again. A mixture of emotions went through his face, as if he didn't know how to react.

"… Fine…" he muttered. Flicking his wand, he unfroze Ginny and used the levitating charm to bring Hermione up to the nurse, doing the same with Harry and Ron.

"My lord! What happened here?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed the moment she saw them.

"There was a fight. Weasley attacked Hermione, and, judging by the looks of it, Potter tried to stop him. Somewhere among the lines, Mini-Weasley got frozen, and Weasley continued to attack Hermione. That's when I showed up and I fought him off," Draco hastily explained.

"Well… That's quite a story you got there, Mr. Malfoy. 'Though I doubt you made it up. Very well. Miss Granger will have to stay the night. Morcus Delfinor," she said, waving her wand. Draco's eye immediately healed. "Very well, Mr. Malfoy. Go about your duties now… One more thing though. How did you know to save Miss Granger, here? Everybody was supposed to be in the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore had extended the breakfast because of a long speech he had…"

"Oh. Well, Hermione and I are raising a pracuer for Herbology, and it started glowing. I remembered what that meant, so I assumed that Hermione was in trouble, and I was right," Draco clarified. Madame Pomfrey frowned.

"Draco, didn't you get your pracuers just a few days ago?" she questioned. Draco nodded, not sure where this was going. "… If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to see your pracuer. Could you bring it down?"

Draco nodded. He hurried upstairs to get it. Meanwhile, Madame Pomfrey tended to the others. She laid Hermione down on a bed and poured a few drops of a potion down Ron's throat. He became conscious again, though rather slowly.

"Well, Mr. Weasley. It seems as if you were fighting. Here is some ointment. Rub it on your bruises every twelve hours, and they should heal soon. But I'd like for you to stay here until I speak with Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey instructed, handing him a thick bottle of cream. Ron stared at his feet, embarrassed.

Draco returned just then, tossing something up and down with his right hand. Madame Pomfrey snatched it from him while it was in the air. "Watch it, Mr. Malfoy. These are living things, you know," she reminded him sternly. Draco shrugged.

Madame Pomfrey examined the pracuer closely, not noticing the death glares between Draco and Ron. "Hmm…" Draco glanced up.

"What? Is there something wrong with our pracuer? Because Hermione took care of it the most, and 'Mione never screws up," he commented. Madame Pomfrey shook her head.

"No… It's just that, normally, pracuers don't send out warning signals unless they've sprouted. And yours hasn't yet. It's supposed to be very rare… Argh! I've read about why this happens sometimes, but I can't remember. It has to do with the owners…" she mused.

"So… Does that mean that our pracuer is okay?" Draco questioned, needing to make sure. Madame Pomfrey nodded absent-mindedly. Draco sighed.

"Ahem!" Ron cleared his throat impatiently. Draco rolled his eyes. "Can I go now?" Ron questioned, sounding exasperated.

"Leave, Weasel. Nobody's asking you to stay. Nobody wants you to stay," Draco muttered. Ron glared at him and turned to leave.

"Just a moment, Mr. Weasley. I'd like you and Mr. Malfoy to go to report to Professor Dumbledore's office," Madame Pomfrey commanded sternly, giving them the "Never-Do-That-Again!" stare.

Ron muttered something under his breath, but left with Draco following. "You know, this is all your fault, Weasel," Draco said.

"My fault? I'm not the one who's using Hermione," Ron retorted. Suddenly, he found himself pinned against the wall.

"Don't you ever say that again, got it?" Draco threatened. "I love her. A real friend should accept that." Ron flushed and glanced down at his shoes, which had suddenly become quite interesting. Draco reluctantly released him.

They made it to Dumbledore's office without another argument. Ron paused in front of the secret entrance. "You know the password?" he grunted.

"Lemon tarts," Draco announced, and the passageway opened. They stepped onto the moving staircase up to Dumbledore's office. He was standing with his back to them, stroking Fawkes.

"I see you have arrived," he said, rubbing Fawkes's head. "Please. Take a seat." He waved his hand and two comfy chairs appeared. Draco sank into one nonchalantly, but Ron sat tensely, as if ready to run.

"I have been informed that you two have been fighting again." He spun around. "Judging by your looks, this cannot be mistaken. I do not know the full story, however. Mr. Weasley, I understand that you attacked a student?"

"Yes…" Ron muttered tersely.

"Who?"

"Hermione…" He hung his head in shame, his face turning bright red. Draco realized that his fists were clenched together tightly.

"Ahh… Miss Granger. One of your best friends, no? I must say, I am surprised. May I ask why?" Dumbledore politely inquired. Ron bit his lower lip angrily and muttered something. Dumbledore leaned forwards slightly.

"Surely, Mr. Weasley, you can't expect me to hear that well at this age," he joked, trying to ease the tension in the air. He waited expectantly.

"She's going out with Malfoy…"

"Oh? I suppose that's where, you, Mr. Malfoy, come into the story. Now, tell me, Mr. Weasley. Why did you feel it necessary to attack her because of her… dating preferances?"

"Because it's Malfoy! He's been our enemy for years, and then she backstabs us by choosing to date him! She betrayed us! Knowing him and his father, she's practically agreeing to go to the Dark Side!" Ron exploded.

"Hey! Cool it, Weasel! That shows how much you know. You don't know anything about me or my family, so fuck off!" Draco yelled.

"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat. Draco realized that he had leapt out of his seat and was towering over Ron, who looked ready to fight back. "Sit down, Mr. Malfoy, and allow Mr. Weasley to finish."

"No need. I'm done. If you don't mind, I'm out of here," Ron replied through gritted teeth, standing up to leave.

"I do mind, Mr. Weasley. Sit down. Mr. Malfoy, tell us your story," Dumbledore ordered. Ron unwillingly slumped into his seat and glowered at Draco.

"There's nothing to tell. Weasley attacked Hermione, and that's all the there is to hear. This bas… guy calls himself her best friend. Some friend…" Draco then directed the rest of it to Ron. "And then you try to cover it up by saying it's my fault? That I'm using her? I love her, all right? How dare you accuse me of using her!"

"It seems that we have struck a new chord. I would like you, Mr. Malfoy, to sort it out with Mr. Weasley. I will give you twenty minutes to yourselves, and then I will be back. We will continue on after these twenty mintues are over. Goodbye," Dumbledore said, leaving.

The next thirty seconds were filled with silence. The tension was so thick, you could have pierced a knife through it. Draco and Ron were glaring at each other.

"Tell me one thing about yourself, Malfoy, that would prove to me that you're not using or cheating on Hermione," Ron said, breaking the silence.

"Easy. I love her," Draco instantly responded, never taking his eyes off of him. Ron snorted and rolled his eyes.

"That's easy to say. Any fool could say that, and they wouldn't have to mean it. You obviously don't. I bet that at the same time you're pretending to actually be all kind and soft-hearted, you're having sex with Parkinson or somebody," Ron snickered, looking disgusted at the thought.

"PARKINSON? What does she have to do with this!" Draco exclaimed, appalled.

"EVERYTHING? TELL ME, HONESTLY, MALFOY, HAVE YOU EVER HAD SEX WITH HER?" Ron screeched.

"Yes…" Draco's voice was barely a whisper. Ron grinned triumphantly, his eyes flashing with determination and pride.

"See! Exactly! How can we be so sure that you're not just using Hermione for sex, or that this isn't some sort of bet?" Ron asked.

"That was ages ago! I haven't had sex with her since before I started dating Hermione! Ages ago, Weasley!" Draco protested.

"Tell me, Malfoy. How long is ages ago?" Ron sneered. Draco turned bright red. He stared at the floor, clearly unwanting to answer, but there was no backing out of what he had gotten himself into.

"The beginning of the year… It was just a fuck to get my mind off of Hermione," he mumbled. Ron smirked and leaned back into the chair.

"Yep, and this is just a way to have sex with someone new," Ron sarcastically added. Draco glared at him and swallowed hard.

"That's not true, Weasley. How can you even think about something like that. I swear to God, I swear on heaven, I swear on hell that there is only love between me and Hermione. I'm not using her for sex, okay? You're Hermione's friend… at least, you were, so I'm asking that you believe me, R-ron." Draco forced himself to maintain a clear, polite voice, but he faltered when it came time to say his name.

At that moment, Dumbledore walked in. "Time's up, and, seeing that you two aren't screaming your lungs out, I assume that things are, at least, more decent that it was before. So, we may continue. Mr. Weasley, attacking a student is serious. You will be given two weeks suspension and one week of detention when you come back. You'll leave the day after tomorrow. I trust you'll never do this again?"

"Yes, sir…"

"Good. Mr. Malfoy, I still need to clarify a few facts with some people, and then we'll see if a punishment is required. After all, defense is always necessary. You two may leave," Dumbledore said, nodding curtly.

Draco and Ron trudged out of his office. They started to part, but Ron stopped him. "And, Malfoy?" he began uncertainly. Draco lifted his head. "I… I believe you. And I'm sorry I attacked Hermione."

Draco forced a smile. "Thanks. You don't know how much it means to me, to have Hermione's friend's trust. S-sorry for all that shit and crap these last six, almost seven, years…" he apologized. He paused, wanting to stay more, but Ron nodded good-night and left.


A/N: Yay! They're kinda friends now! Not really, but at least they're not enemies. Review and tell me what you think! Can you guess why Hermione's not letting Draco touch her?