Chapter 15

The next morning she awoke in an Irish wizard hospital, a small place in Cork that she hadn't known about, to find Moody himself sitting beside her bed, reading what looked like a weekly report.

"Must have had you worried, if the top wands are out to visit me."

"Just makin' sure ye don't croak before ye get yer report in. Can't have my Auror's slacking off; it would look bad." He put the report aside and looked over her critically, his wandering eye not focused on her at all. "How ye feelin?" He asked gruffly.

"Bit weak, but otherwise okay. How'd I end up here?"

"Ye don't know?"

"No. The last thing-" she cut off sharply as the sudden memories came flooding back to her and she gasped sharply. "Ron!" She looked around the room suddenly desperate to see another body in a bed near her. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Ron!" she glared at him, knowing he had heard her but that he'd wanted to make sure she wasn't creating notions. "Ron Weasley."

"What about him?" His tone was suddenly urgent and he focused both eyes on her intently.

"He was with me! He was there Alastor, and he was so…" what? He was wretched, in pain, looked like death on a stick, tortured, lost, alone, afraid…

"Where?" He barked out and she refocused.

"Wizard by the name of Giles McTagert. He snatched me from Bantry and took me to his house I think. Ron was there, I think he's been there for a few months at least. The man had put some kind of controlling curse on him; Ron was supposed to drain me, but he stopped it somehow. I don't know what happened, and then I was here."

"We'll find his place, and reinstate the search teams in this area." Shakelbolt suddenly spoke up and she looked over to see him standing by the door. Moody got up and left without a word, no doubt to start giving orders. Kinsgly sat beside her and looked at her critically. "How was he?"

"Not good Kings." She replied softly and looked down at her hands, not wanting to think about it. But then she looked up sharply, suddenly remembering what Ron had done to her. "What colour is my hair?" She demanded, he raised his eyebrow but answered nonetheless.

"Blue." She closed her eyes and concentrated on her hair, willing it to turn.

"Now?" He looked at it silently a moment and then back at her, as if suddenly understanding why she was so worried.

"Orange." She let out a sigh of relief. She would be okay, now all they had to do was find one Ronald Weasley.

00000

Ron had lain curled on the floor for an hour, wanting but being unable to move. His body felt like a limp noodle, stuck where it lay despite his desperation to rise. He could have found the energy much sooner he knew, but he had refused to allow his body to draw it in, afraid he would damage Tonks even more then he already had. Instead he tried to calm his breathing and slow his wildly beating heart so that the pounding in his head would hopefully abate. When he finally found the energy to move he had crawled on his knees to the witch who was bound to her odd chair, pale and still; for a cold moment he had thought she was dead. It had been her sudden snoring that alerted him to her true state, and he had been alarmed at not noticing it before in the silence of the dungeon. He leaned heavily by her legs and looked over to the far corner where he could see the body of Giles sprawled atop of his precious collection of blades.

"Guess I don't need to wield them to use them." He muttered, and looked away from the grisly sight. He was free.

He raised a hand to his forehead and tried to wipe away the congealed blood, succeeding in flaking some off and merely spreading it around and aggravating the split flesh. The copper sent surrounded him and was beginning to make him nauseous and it prompted him to move. He pushed himself to his feet roughly and staggered over to where the body lay. He did his best not to look at it as he searched the area for the felled wizards wand, finding it moments later, poking out from under the mans left leg. He pulled it out quickly and moved away as though burned. So what if it looked cowardly, he didn't want to be around the man at all, dead or alive, and there was no one else to see his fear. Even the wand felt evil in his hand but he wielded it because he knew he needed it to free his friend from her bonds.

"Diffindo" he uttered shakily and then pressed the wand to the ropes, cutting them away like butter. His right wrist ached terribly and he spared a moment to look down at the band, glaring at it. He held the wand to it, careful not to cut himself, only the simple severing charm had no effect on removing it. He pointed the wand at himself and carefully enunciated his next spell, making sure it came out correctly (it was best not to tempt incompetent charms with another wizards wand, especially one that had used the dark arts). Scourgify. The blood, dirt, sweat and other filth lifted from his body as easily as any long soak in the tub would lift it, but he felt as if it was still there. He felt as though anyone who looked at him would know exactly how foul he was. He'd just have to avoid people.

He didn't have the energy to carry her out of this place, so he was forced again to use the wand, levitating her carefully and walking slowly up the staircase towards the door that he had heard opening and closing for so long now, but never seen. It was black and he pushed it open with ease, stepping into light for the first time in what felt like years. He nearly dropped his charge as he was blinded by it, and he staggered through the door and into what he sensed was an empty hallway, carefully lowering her to the ground before collapsing himself. He needed time to adjust his sight, and his eyes watered in pain. When he cracked them open a few minutes later it still hurt, but he could make out shapes now and he wanted to get away from the dungeon. His captor was dead, there was no question in his mind; the second he had died Ron had been released, feeling the poisons as they forcefully abandoned his body in a violent outburst and left him curled in shock. Still, getting away from the door of his private hell was his top priority.

Locomotor. Tonks's floating form followed him as he stumbled half blind out of the short hallway filled with sunlight from a series of windows set high in the ceiling. The second door opened just as easily as his first but he was frozen in sudden uncertainty as he came upon a brick wall that seemed to glare at him in defiance. Oh hell no! He slammed his palm against it in frustration and then jumped as it began to vibrate and slide away until he was facing a large room that looked like a library. He pulled Tonks through just as the wall slipped back in place and a painting literally jumped back up. He was pushed out of the way a second later as a heavy looking shelf stacked full with heavy volumes shuffled past him and plunked down right under the painting. He glared at it through his blurred vision but turned his back when it became apparent that that was all that was going to happen. He placed Tonks on an overstuffed couch that sat underneath a large window and then looked out only to see trees and mountains. Great, he had no idea where they were.

Despite his confusion and fear he was beginning to feel better as his vision began to adapt quickly and his energy came back. Forests were abundant with life that was just throwing its energies away, much like the hallways of Hogwarts had been when students roamed them, and he was naturally soaking up what he could get. However, his wrist was throbbing in tune with his heart beat more then it had in months and he damned the bangle that still clung to him despite its true owners defeat.

He left the library quietly, padding softly in his bare feet and carefully keeping an eye out for other people. The house felt empty though, conveying that feeling he got sometimes when being on the quidditch field, knowing there was no one else about. He stopped and looked in each room he passed, gripping the wand tightly at his side in readiness, prepared for anything. He was far from disappointed when nothing happened. The place was light everywhere, despite the presence or lack of presence of windows, and it didn't take long for him to find the front door, cooker and main lounge. Everything was decorated in a deep mahogany wood, and where there wasn't wood there were black marble counters and glass. It was the cleanest place he had ever seen, and that was saying something considering how hard the house elves had worked back at Hogwarts.

Looking outside had produced more trees, small patches of snow and absolutely no hint at muggle transport, which meant that there must be a floo network or portkey somewhere seeing as the house was warded against apparating. He went into the cooker and tried to use a real knife on his bracelet. It didn't work and he growled in frustration before deciding that he could deal with that later. First he needed to get Tonks some help, then he could worry about himself.

The walls were made of stone and expensive looking tapestries hung everywhere, interspersed with paintings that didn't move at all. It was all muggle, which he supposed was better then a normal wizarding house at the moment as he didn't have to worry about anything popping out of the tapestries or yelling at him for trespassing. He still moved as quietly as he could and kept his eyes looking everywhere for trouble. He went back to the front hall and cautiously climbed the large set of stairs, careful to avoid two that looked suspicious. There was a large chandelier hanging from the center of the great place, its lights flickering around randomly. As he climbed higher he saw that the bulbs were in fact tiny fairies that had been attached at their feet to the hanging object. They didn't look happy to be there, and some were hanging lifelessly like large dead flies caught in a spider web.

He pointed the wand at it carefully, "Alohomora" he called, flinching as the sound carried through the hollow place, but was relieved as he saw the fairies suddenly flutter around brightly as they pulled off their tiny chains. Some rushed to help their weakened friends, others to gather the dead, and others still flew around Ron in a mass of light frenzy, dancing on his shoulders in glee and whispering happily in his ear. He smiled for the first time in over eight months, though he couldn't understand their language as some even sang in their tiny little voices. Their delicate wings tickled his face, neck and bare arms before they dashed away down to the main floor and bashed through the front entrance in their haste to leave. The large wooden door crashed heavily to the ground and chill wind swept in. Ron went up the stairs and across the landing opening the first door he came to: The master bedroom. He closed it quickly and moved on, next he found the room that housed the toilet, though it could have housed eight of them if it had wanted. Then there was the wash room that was almost as large as the master bedroom, containing a large stand up shower, an enormous claw footed bath tub, a giant mirror which he avoided looking at, and a sink that was continuously fed by a fountain that fell in stages across the wall until it finally became the water spout. The next room was the study.

He had trouble getting in, as alohomora wouldn't work, but a well placed reducto fixed the problem permanently. He quickly stepped over the door and into the large room, and immediately noticed an enormous fireplace taking up one wall, its mantle resting at the height of his own head. Above it was a painting of Giles with the wizard that had tried to kill Harry; they both glared angrily at him and uselessly whipped their wands about in the air, wishing they could do something about his presence.

"Incinerenteno" the canvas erupted in blue flame and flaked away into ash as the fire ceased burning, leaving nothing but the frame and scorched stone behind. He didn't feel any better. He looked over at the large wooden desk, ignoring the odd, skinny rectangle sticking vertically from its surface, and he went right to the pile of mail. The address was to a local muggle post office in a town called Bantry, Ireland. He stared at it in silence. He was in bloody Ireland! At least that cleared up a few things. He rounded the desk and began opening and closing drawers until he found a local directory. He pulled it out and glared at it, as it was muggle and useless here. He looked back in the drawer and saw a much smaller volume that had a fireplace happily burning on the front. He pulled it out and flicked to the emergency pages, looking for a Hospital. St. Charms popped out at him, it was located in Cork and looked to be the closest emergency facility for wizards around. He ran to the floo, grabbing a dash of floo powder from a delicately carved wooden box and threw it in. Flames erupted instantly.

"St. Charms, Cork." He called and then stuck his head in the fire. He'd only ever fire talked once before, and hoped he did it right this time. In the blink of an eye he was looking into a large lobby area where several wizards and witches were moving about. Across the way was the registration desk and he called out loudly, garnering several startled looks and one annoyed glance.

"Oi! Ye take International emergencies?" The annoyed look disappeared as the wizard stood from the desk as if to come over.

"Ay we do. Are ye hurt boy?" Ron didn't answer as he pulled back into the study, leaving the thickly accented wizard behind. He practically flew down the stairs, landing lightly, and sprinted back the way he had come to find Tonks still snoring on the chesterfield. Now that his eyes had fully adapted he could see how pale she was, and a thin layer of sweat rested on her skin. Even her blue hair looked limp. He picked her up bodily and hurried back up to the study, surprised at how easy it was to lift her. He placed her bodily in the fireplace, grimacing as the ashes poofed around her and settled on her auror's robes. She would be filthy, but she would be safe. He quickly fished into her robes until he found her identification and placed it on her chest, then he ran to the desk and hastily scrawled a note of explanation.

Please, she is suffering from extreme energy loss within a short span of time. You can locate her directors at the Ministry in London, Auror division. Help her!

He firmly pressed the note under her identification and grabbed for the floo powder once more, pausing before throwing it in.

"Sorry Tonks. Say hello to my family for me, wish 'em well." Perhaps it was cruel to make such a request, but if she heard him then at least they would know he was thinking of them, despite everything. He threw the powder in and called firmly "St. Charms, Cork." She disappeared instantly and he sagged in relief, suddenly feeling the weight of her responsibility leave him, and feeling the loss of someone he recognized disappearing for the last time. He stood there for a moment and stared, thinking about how easy it would be to just follow her, give himself up. But what if Fudge wanted the same thing Giles had? And, despite moments where he had wished for death, he really didn't want to die. It might have made him a coward, but living alone was better then not living at all right now.

He turned away from the floo, knowing that no one would be able to trace him for a few hours at least. Giles was evil, but he was smart and had no doubt put a tracing block on his address. Ron went back to the desk and sat in the chair, going through the rest of his drawers. He didn't know what he would find and didn't care, he just wanted to make sure there was nothing important that he might need. After a few minutes he stood and began heading out, when he saw a metal box lying in the corner of the office. He could feel protective magic practically oozing off of it and, in fact, trying to deter ones notice. If he hadn't had his channeling abilities, he knew he wouldn't have seen it. He held out the wand and unlocked the unprotected box easily (maybe Giles was too confident, thinking a simple direction deflection charm would work). The heavy door swung open and he looked inside, his eyes widening. He had never seen so much money at once before.

It took a moment of gaping before he reached in hastily and pulled it all out onto the floor, somehow amused by the way it piled up messily. He pulled out a bunch of bundles of paper, shoving them to the side (they looked pretty useless to him) and focused on the boxes that looked like rare coins. Hmm, he wouldn't be able to find a decent place to trade them, and he wasn't into the black market so he pushed those aside as well. There were a series of black velvety pouches tied carefully together with silk cord and he opened one hastily, staring as he saw what must have been five hundred galleons. His mum could have bought herself and Ginny an entire new wardrobe, plus a new owl so that Errol could retire, and maybe a proper pet for Ginny, and a broom and…he stopped smiling suddenly, knowing that they wouldn't accept the money. They were all too proud of a family. He stared at the bag and then pushed it aside, grabbing for the green bag this time. He pulled out a gold coin and looked at it carefully. It wasn't designated but had a picture of a man on one side and a strange bear on the other. It was gold, it must have been.

He frowned at it a moment and then stood up, taking it and the other two green pouches with him as he left the room. He had no money, no job, and no prospects in this life as a fugitive. After everything that Giles had put him through, he figured taking this wouldn't matter. He'd earned it with blood he supposed. He went into the master bedroom, shivering as the magic surrounded him coldly. He tossed the bags of gold on the king sized bed and headed to the closet. He needed a bag and some clothes to last him a bit before he could buy new ones. He didn't want to wear anything that belonged to the man, but he wasn't going to be stupid about it. What he wanted didn't matter, it was what he needed right now to get on. He headed for the closet and opened the black door carefully, waiting for something to jump out. Nothing did, but it was dark and he was having difficulties adjusting to the darkness with so much light behind him.

He pulled his wand to illuminate it when suddenly two tiny balls of light swooped past him and darted inside, illuminating the room brightly in their harried movements. He stared at the two fairies, startled, until they stopped in mid air and seemed to be waiting for him to come in. Well, if fairies dared to tread, then it must be okay. He went in, looking around in amazement. You hear of people owning this much clothing, but you never quite believe it until you saw it.

Along his left were a whole bunch of muggle suits in varying shades, as well as fancy shirts and a rack filled with so many shoes he didn't know how anyone could choose which pair to wear. It was a bloody shop in its own right! He looked to the other side, seeing muggle clothing that was more familiar to him: jeans and sweaters, casual button ups, even the t-shirts were on hangers.

"Which ones?" He asked himself and jumped as the two bright balls of energy flew over his shoulders and began walk/floating over several articles of clothing. Then a pair of blue jeans, that looked less then new but not old, were knocked off the hanger, along with a plain white shirt and a dull grey sweater. He raised his eyebrows as he looked down at them, but then shrugged and began changing right there on the spot. One of the little fairies wolf-whistled at him and he glared at her. She flew up close to his face and batted her eyes flirtatiously, grinning in mirth. Upon closer inspection he saw that she had traces of gold and orange in her hair, and was wearing a rather revealing dress of a paler orange. Then the other fairy flew up beside her and scolded, and Ron was startled to suddenly be looking at the first male fairy he'd ever seen, who was glaring back at him as though he was trying to steal his woman. His hair was laced with red and was dressed in a vest-like shirt and…a loin cloth? Weird.

"Relax mate, I'm not scooping on yer girl." The little man looked at him carefully, and then his glowing red eyes turned golden and he grinned, before dragging his partner off to look at more clothes. Ron finished changing quickly. His two companions were now at the back corner of the shop, and Ron headed over to see what they were doing (seeing as the pants actually fit he couldn't dismiss them as useless). Ah, it looked like they'd hit the 'wizard' corner where several robes where hung, though less neatly then the rest of the place. He looked at them, pulling out a heavy black one that had a large hood. It was too short for him, but it looked like the largest there. He threw it on as well and spotted an odd looking bag piled in the corner. He picked it up and turned it over; it was brown, ripped in places from heavy traveling, and large. It could be useful. He turned around to find a pile of things laying at his feet, the two fairies standing on it and looking up at him expectantly.

He bent quickly and looked at the pile, it had a few more shirt and sweater, some socks (one pair he put on right away), and an odd rolled up bundle of material. He stuffed the items into the bag and then prodded the last item, wondering what it was when the male made as if he were going to sleep. Oh, so it was a blanket then. Odd way to pack it but he supposed that since muggles couldn't shrink things they had to be more inventive. He wasn't sure if it would fit in the sac though, so he picked it up and headed back into the main room, throwing it on the bed with his money. There was a dresser against the opposite wall, and a leather pouch was sitting on top. He turned it upside down and an assortment of crystals fell from it, scattering on the surface. He had no interest in crystals. He dumped all the gold coins into the leather pouch and tossed it into the bag. Shoes, he needed shoes. In the end he managed to squeeze his feet into a pair of black trainers, but it wasn't comfortable at all. The second he got a chance he was replacing them.

As he was leaving the room a book caught his attention, sitting neatly on the one nightstand beside the bed. It looked old and familiar: It was the book that Giles had spent hours pouring over when he had been tormenting Ron. Ron picked it up, not caring to be careful. Whatever colour the book had been originally, the leather was now a pale tan, cracked around the edges and almost falling apart. It felt heavy with dark magic, and there were no words to give a hint of its innards. He opened it to the first page, and had a hard time comprehending the words that were marked within. There was no title, but the author had left his name, in bold, black, and unfaded letters. R. Doytil. Ron hesitated, and then tossed the volume into his sack and crammed the rolled blanket into it as well before trudging back down stairs. The two fairies followed.

"Do you need something else?" He asked, trying not to be irritated by their further presence but beginning to worry that maybe they were spying on him. They just flew on past into the kitchen, and he followed, because that had been his original destination anyway.

Dropping his pack on the shiny black counter he went straight to the cupboards and began looking for canned items, finding plenty of them. Good, because he would need food, it was a part of that survival thing he was going to try out for the second time. He tossed as many as he dared, along with an opener, a spoon, and a fork into the sac. He looked at a stand of sharp knives for a second before moving past. He couldn't think of anything else to take and headed to the door, standing and taking a breath of fresh air before heading off down into the woods.

He walked a hundred yards before feeling the apparating ward lift. He thought for a moment about where he should go, thought of how his feet were hurting in the abysmally small shoes and decided that shopping was the best choice right now. Then he'd maybe grab a hotel and make plans of where to head permanently. His mini companions suddenly hovered in front of him, looking questioning. He shrugged his shoulders, sad to lose the first kind faces he'd seen in too long, but knowing he had to leave.

"Sorry guys, but I've got to move on now. Take care right? And thanks for the help." He stood still then, and thought carefully about a town he remembered reading the name of in the directory, picturing the forest outside of it. He felt a quick pressure on his skin and then opened his eyes to find himself in a meadow, not three hundred meters from the town itself. He looked behind him and saw that the grass land just stretched on, no trees in sight, but there had been no one around to see him appear, so for that he was thankful. Limping into town was painful but he tried to ignore it as he looked for the pawn shop. After finally asking for directions he found the small rundown little place tucked between a pub and a taxi house.

He went in and carefully pulled one coin from his pocket, where he'd stored it before finally leaving his prison. His feet weren't the only thing he was finding discomforting as he was finally out and about again, walking around with other people. He had thought he might be afraid of them, of being around them again after so long, but he wasn't really. Nervous, paranoid, maybe a bit twitchy but not afraid; he had been through to much to be afraid of simple muggles, and he knew his height made him less approachable then most. However, he had noticed he was getting a lot of stares, and he wondered if even normal people could pick up on his foulness. The woman behind the counter, with two chins and hair that unflatteringly reminded him of Snape, (no doubt as greasy as his own) stared at him with interest, clucking her tongue as he approached.

"What ye need lad?" She grinned at him with a surprisingly nice smile and he balked for a second at the odd picture she made, before thrusting the coin on the counter in embarrassment.

"How much ye reckon this'd get me?" She picked it up and looked at it, disinterestedly, twirling it in her hands and then biting it. She raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. "It's real." He assured her, and she smiled again at him, putting it on the counter between them.

"Reckon it's sixty quid worth." Ron looked at it a moment and moved to pick it up.

"I reckon I could get more at the spot across town."

"All right, seventy-five."

"Ninety."

"Eighty."

"Eighty-five." He looked at her and she pursed her lip, then smiled gamely, and plucked the coin from his hand, he pulled back quickly, not trusting her touch.

"Eighty-five it is, but just because I like yer style." He headed across the road to the shoe shop he'd spied on his way over, feeling watched and uncomfortable. He'd buy his shoes and then head out of town, because this was getting weird. Thank goodness he'd had the piece of mind to stuff the robe in the pack before he entered the town, because who knew how uncomfortable he'd be then. The shoe store was stuffy compared to the frigid air outside, and while he was glad to get out of the chill, this was a bit much. He hurried his purchase but was careful to make sure they fit proper. He settled for a pair of black trainers that didn't look new, but were as close as he was used too and cheaper then the rest. Next he went and purchased an old brown coat from a second hand store. The stuffing was missing in places but the thick canvas-like material blocked the wind nicely. It was stepping out of the thrift shop (escaping the unsettling glare the owner gave him) that he encountered his first serious problem since leaving his prison. It hadn't even been an hour yet.

Two aurors, one large man and another of average height, came strolling up the path, headed directly towards him. Panic swelled in him, because he knew that they were probably after him, but he forced himself to keep walking and hope that they would simply pass him by. There was no such luck, and the few people out in the streets were looking at them funny. These guys were wearing their robes in broad daylight, unconcerned by people's stares as they stopped directly in front of Ron, blocking his path.

"Allo, ye 'ave a moment to answer a few queries?" The shorter one asked, a polite smile on his face as his partner stared at Ron in interest.

"Suppose." He tried for the accent that the pawn shop owner had carried, but he wasn't sure if it worked well. He was surprised his voice worked at all really, because in a few minutes he was sure he was going to be running away from the wizards as they finally put his red hair, freckles and face to the 'Wizard Most Wanted' poster in the ministry's lobby. He swallowed hard.

"Right, 'ave ye seen this lady then?" Suddenly a flat muggle photo of Nymphadora Tonks was passed to him, her blue hair making her features seem almost snow white. He blinked at it, trying hard to look like he didn't recognize her.

"Naw, can't says I 'ave, she's got great 'air though." He handed it back casually and quickly hid his hand, hoping they didn't notice the shaking. The auror who matched Ron in height laughed at that.

"We figured you'd think that, seeing as you two seem to have identical tastes." Ron grinned weakly, not understanding what he was blithering about. "Have we met before? You look right familiar to me?"

"I was just thinkin' along the same line." The shorter man grinned merrily, a twinkle in his eyes that Ron suspected was used to throw off his targets; a friendly man was often mistaken for an unawares man. Ron shrugged stiffly and felt his stomach drop nauseatingly.

"I get that a lot." He replied, trying again for his grin. The taller wizard seemed happy with that answer though, as he turned to his partner and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Right then Willard, we best be off, seeing as our friend is still missing."

"I 'ope ye find her safe." Ron intoned as he stepped past them, walking slowly down the street. He turned the corner, looked over his shoulder to check that they weren't following and ran, wanting to get out of town as fast as he could. When he reached the meadow he was out of breath despite all his training, and the strap of his extremely heavy sack was biting painfully into his shoulder. He dropped it and sat on it a moment to catch his breath, leaning forward. His hair, which had been behaving itself surprisingly well so far, fell in front of his blinking eyes and he stared a moment at it, unseeing. Until its colour registered in his brain.

"What!" He squeaked, grabbing at a bang and pulling it straight so he could see it better. It was as blue as the sky, no wonder everyone had been giving him such strange looks. Oh hell, it was the same colour as Tonks's had been; he'd taken more of her then he'd thought and hadn't released it. Damnit! He hit himself hard on the leg, and then did it again for good measure. He couldn't keep it, that was for sure, but he didn't know what to do to change it back.

He remembered seeing her at the dinner table, scrunching up her face in concentration and changing her nose as easily as his brother Charlie could change his temperment. Ron closed his eyes and willed his hair to be normal again, then he willed it even harder for good measure before checking. He sighed in relief as he saw the familiar red falling in front of his eyes. Well, that was certainly interesting. He looked up at the town then and jumped up as he saw the two wizards sprinting from the road onto the grass, headed right for him. Oh Merlin! They knew who he was! He stood hastily and grabbed his bag, thinking hard. Where should I go, where should I go? He couldn't think of anywhere and they were getting closer. He could see concentration on both their faces as they approached, wand no doubt in their hands at the ready. He didn't think, he just apparated.

TBC

Ron tends to apparate away a lot doesn't he! I suppose it's that fight or flight instinct, and since he's not to keen on hurting people flight is the only answer ;)

I'm glad that Tonks seemed in character, she's a terrific character and I wanted her to be in this story!

Kamonkey…there's three full moons in a month? I thought there was only one…I will do some research about that now that you've brought it up. For this story however, let's go with the assumption that there is only one full moon a month :) I'm glad you're still enjoying this!

Also thanks to Kassidy, catc10, Noompjuh and jo for the excellent comments!

Harry Lvr, I had to delete a few pages of material here and there for the characters to remain as proper as I could keep them. Thanks for noticing!

Next Update: August 19, 2005