1Where I Belong

Wow. My first update in a long time. I'm starting to think that I own Harry Potter, but to make ya'll happy, I don't.

Chapter 3: Tears for Fears

The halls of Hogwarts were long and unpredictable. I had been here for three years, almost four, and I still managed to come upon things I had never seen. Ron was a very fast runner, and I had gone down countless halls, and now, I was lost. I stopped running, now out of breath, and leaned against the wall. Strangely enough, I heard sobs coming from the room I was next to, and entered it.

"I can't believe she chose that bloody..." My ears didn't hear what the redhead was saying. I saw a boy-not the strongest, not the bravest, not the cutest-who had lost what he desired most to the child he loathed the most. It must be the most horrible feeling. Even worse, where was Hermione? Draco was always saying, "He's fine, he has Hermione," but she was nowhere to be found.

"Ron," I said, and he immediately looked up. His eyes were not only tear stained (along with his robes), but also read and puffy, and full of pain and hurt. "I'm sorry Ron, but..."

"But what!" He snapped at me. There was a moment of silence, and his eyes glared at mine. "Have you become a slut? How much does he pay you? Or are you in it because he drugged you, or shagged you unmercifully?"

"Ron, it's not like that," I said, unscathed. It felt like my every living fiber of me being had been punched into the ground. "He told me that you were fine, that it was for the better, that he and I stay together." I stopped for a moment, holding back involuntary tears. "HE SAID YOU HAVE HERMIONE!" No longer could I holed back the tears. Were they tears of guilt, pain, sadness? I felt so horrible for Ron. He didn't even have Hermione. "Ron..."

"You, you aren't going to stay with him, are you?" Ron said, with a look of anxiety in his eyes. I took his hands.

"I... I have to, Ron. It's Draco. He has too much power-he'd kill me if I left him, especially for you." There was silence again. I fell into his arms and cried again. "I love you, Ron!" I said, plainly.

"I love you, too, Liz," He replied, to my great surprise, holding me tightly against him. He squeezed more tears out of me, and I looked up into his blue-green eyes. They were eyes so full of care, they told me to drown in them and never resurface because he had all the answers-all the problems would be solved. Draco's eyes didn't seen nearly this close. Why did I have to love him? He was from my rival house, and was the best from of Harry Potter-who Draco absolutely loathed.

"I hate you!" I yelled, pushing him away. I turned around and continued crying. "How could you think that anything between us could work? We're RIVALS! Ron... nothing's going to keep us together, so stop blubbering like a baby and realize that we can't do this." Ron seemed to try to form words, but couldn't, and I exited the room.

"There you are! What did you think you were doing? I told you so many times he has Hermione, but no! You go off and..."

"NO!" I screamed, as I interrupted Draco's words, and the lot of the Slytherin table turned towards us. "HE DOESN'T HAVE HERMIONE!" My voice was full of rage, but it calmed, seeing Draco's surprised face with mixed feelings. "He doesn't have anyone, Draco. Think about what it's like to not have your object of desire! How much would it hurt, thinking you could achieve what is miles away from you." I didn't want to cry, especially in front of Draco.

"No...nothing's happening between you, right?" Draco managed to stutter out. I had never seen him this shocked before. I sighed heavily and recalled the scene in the deserted classroom as I began to explain it.

"...And so, I left him there in the room," I finished, seeing a mixed look on Draco's face. I touched his face lightly, and felt everyone in the Great Hall staring by now at he and I. "I promised that I would try not to hurt you. I'm holding to that promise." My hand fell and he lightly grabbed it. I took a second look at his eyes, rethinking my opinion of them in relation to Ron. Draco's were a lot brighter, but he was also in a better mood.

"Here," said Draco, grabbing an apple and throwing it at me. "Eat something before the game. We need to get out to the Quidditch Pitch, though." As we took our leave, I stopped near the Gryffindor table, pretending to tie my shoe, and eavesdropped on Harry and Hermione's conversation.

"We'd better go to the field, Harry," the rather nameless girl said, tugging on Harry's hand. Curiously, I saw her hand slip up between Harry's leg, dangerously close to his...

"Why don't we wait for Ron?" Harry said, in an unusually high voice as he jumped away from his seat and spilled Pumpkin Juice across the table.

"Oh, he'll show up," Hermione said. "Besides, he's been all hormonal lately. I didn't know guys got mood swings."

"Something the great Hermione doesn't know for once," I mumbled to myself. With a flick of my wand, I raised a stone in front of Hermione's foot, and she tripped as she began to walk. Many of the Slytherins laughed loudly as Draco received me happily, and we walked out of the Great Hall.

Hope you liked it. I'm trying to change my Mary Sue-ish ways, as you'll see in later chapters. Reviews? Please?