You know, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop-everybody likes this story way too much. Not that that's not really cool and making me awfully happy, but its strange. Anyway. Seeing as you're all clamouring-even if you haven't reviewed it yet, I know you all will when you read it-for the next part I'll give it to you now. I love getting so much done at once, but it means you may have to wait a little while for the next one. So Enjoy it while its here. Ron gets really emotional in this one, but I promise it's not over the top.
The Other Way
If the note on my kitchenette table was any indication, Hermione would be back over tonight to find out what was going on. She was a teacher now, at Hogwarts. Deputy headmistress, according to Snape she was the only one with enough brains for the job, which, coming from him was high praise indeed.
I wasn't surprised she had already been round, and she would probably be here at half three exactly, as soon as classes let out and she could get over. I wasn't looking forward to her visit. Not with what I had to explain.
I made an early lunch, but Draco was too shaken to eat after everything Baldwin had said. He had made it out that it had been Draco's fault that this had happened, that it had nothing to do with Harry's own. Controlling personality.
I didn't like that. He hadn't seen what I had. It defiantly wasn't Draco's fault.
I watched him pick at his food for a while before I spoke. "Draco."
He flinched and looked over at me.
"You look like you're in need of a good long bath or shower, or something to clear your head. We can talk later." I said.
He considered, watching me for a trick before nodding hesitantly.
I had figured it for a long shot, but Draco had always been so vain in school, maybe pampering would make him feel better. At least that's what I figured. And it seemed as if I was right.
I showed him the bathroom and told him to take as long as he wanted. Then I made myself a cup of coffee and sat in the living room and stared at the wall.
I'm not sure how much time had passed before I heard a soft thump of someone landing in the fire grate. I looked over, not so surprised to see Hermione.
She had grown up to be a lot like McGonagall.
"Half three already?" I asked.
"Twelve actually, I have no more classes for the day." She said briskly dusting herself off and coming over to be. "Now what has been going on Ronald? Why is Harry in that ward? It surely has nothing to do with Malfoy, they broke up four years ago for Merlin's sake!" she cried.
"Or so we thought." I grimaced, just thinking about it what I had seen was sickening.
She sat down heavily beside me. "What?"
I blew out a breath. "Ok. Well, it seems that-" and I went on to explain what was wrong with Harry, what I had seen him do to Draco, and a brief outline of what he had done to him from what I had been told.
She heard me out, mouth gaping open. It snapped shut when I finished and I could see the wheels turning in her head. "He's ill then, it all happened because he was ill. He never meant to hurt Malfoy." She declared finally.
I stared at her, flabbergast. "What!"
She turned her stern teacher face to me. "Well from what you've told me it seems to me that he's ill. It was his other personality that took over."
"Hermione!" I burst out. "The other personality didn't really do it-Harry did it! The other personality was how he justified what he did to himself."
"Ronald-he's ill." She cried.
I gaped at her for a second, feeling my anger boil over. "How can someone so smart be so unbelievably stupid! Hermione, Harry's not ill-he's bloody sick is what he his. Anyone who could do what I saw him do is bloody sick. Why did he hide Draco from us? Why did he let us think they had broken up? He's not ill, Hermione, he did it deliberately. Over time, yes, it was that other personality, when he felt guilt he could blame what he was doing on it, he didn't do it, it wasn't his fault, it couldn't be helped. Merlin Hermione, how can you even consider anything other than that?"
"What is wrong with you Ron, why do you want to believe he did it deliberately?"
"Because I saw it Hermione! I saw him hit Draco, victimise him. I've been dealing with the aftermath Hermione and the more I think about it the more I realise it was Harry. Yes, he had problems, lots of them, but to deliberately hide someone away, keep them prisoner for four years. That's something else Hermione. And I'm not going to forgive him as easily as you!" I yelled at her.
Her face went white, then red and she yelled right back. "You're some best friend to him Ron! How do you know it's not just an illness? How do you know?"
"He's a control Freak!" I yelled back. "That's what it said in his file. He was controlling Draco, to make himself feel secure he caused somebody else pain. That's not right. That will never be right, and I never would have expected it from him. But it happened Hermione." I lost my anger suddenly. "He made someone's eyes like Ginny's Hermione, lifeless. He made Draco's eyes cold and lifeless. I can't forgive that Hermione-even if he is my best friend, I can't forgive that."
"Oh Ron." She exclaimed suddenly, softly.
It was only then I realised I was crying. I wiped the tears away quickly and shifted away as she tried to put her arms around me. "Go away Hermione. Please. I just… I want to be alone." I muttered.
She mumbled something quietly. But she left.
Leaving me sitting alone, my coffee spilling out of the fallen mug onto the floor.
Dramatic, huh? I'm getting better at this. Hope you liked.
Review, make me feel loved!