Patronize

Part Ten

Mustn't stare, Ron Weasley berated himself as he sat with Harry and Hermione in the Common Room. He was meant to be doing his homework, but the only thing that he was able to study was Hermione's face as she poured over her many books. She was so focused and very pretty with ringlets of her hair falling down around her face. Her lips pursed as she moved her index finger down a particularly long passage. Ron wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips...He shook his head of the thought and returned his gaze to his school books where he managed to do nothing but stare blankly at the letters on the page.

There was so much that filled his head these days that it felt like there was no room for classwork. The first Quidditch game of the season was only days away now, Katie Bell had been cursed two days before in Hogsmeade, his Patronus lessons were coming along well, infrequent though they were, and he was still busy harbouring deep resentment at Slughorn for not noticing he was alive.

And Hermione's so beautiful, he thought, as he caught himself staring at her for the seventh time that night. He forced himself to look away and rested his head on his potions book with his eyes shut.

"Alright, Ron?" Harry asked from his seat beside the fire. He was flicking through the Half-Blood Prince's potions book for more spells like the one that had rudely awakened Ron several mornings ago.

"Yeah," mumbled Ron.

"You look really tired, Ron," said Hermione glancing up from her pile of books for the first time since they'd settled into homework.

"I s'pose," said Ron non-committally.

"You haven't been awake all night worrying about Quidditch again, have you?"

Not Quidditch, he thought with a smirk. He raised his head from his books and added, "just worried about Katie, I guess."

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure she'll be OK at St. Mungo's."

"Yeah. I know. It's just awful, what happened to her."

"I still reckon it was Malfoy," growled Harry.

"Now, Harry, Professor McGonagall gave him a perfectly good alibi," said Hermione curtly.

"Well, he still could've gotten someone to plant it for him," grumbled Harry.

The three of them went silent for a while before Hermione sighed and began packing up her books.

"Where are you off to?" said Ron glancing at his watch. "It's almost eight. The library will be nearly closed by the time you get there."

"I'm not going to the library," she said, pointedly concentrating on putting her Quills in her wooden pencil box. "Slughorn has another supper tonight."

Ron could feel a rain cloud forming over his head. "Oh," he managed in a gravelly voice. "Right."

"I forgot about that," said Harry getting out of his chair. "I'll walk you there if you like. I've got to be at Dumbledore's office at eight anyway."

"I'll just go put these upstairs," said Hermione, heading towards the staircase to the girls' dormitories. "I'll only be a minute."

Ron sat there watching her. His ears felt very hot. How had he forgotten that Hermione had another fancy supper to attend with McLaggen and Zambini and all those other gits?

"Sorry, mate," said Harry who had obviously noticed the downcast look on his face.

"It's fine," Ron grumbled. "I might go visit Pig or something."

"Say hi to Hedwig for me."

"Yeah. Will do."

"OK, Harry, let's get going," said Hermione reentering the Common Room. "See you later, Ron," she added with a small smile.

"Whatever," Ron grumbled as he stared into the fire to avoid her gaze.

"I'll smuggle you back a butterbeer," Hermione said as she patted him on the shoulder in passing.

"Cool," he said in a very unexcited voice. "See you."

A war waged in Ron's head as he made his way up to the Owlery with a bag of mixed Honeyduke's sweets under one arm and a scowl etched on his face.

It's not her fault that she's brilliant – of course Slughorn was going to invite her into his stupid little elitist club. He'd be mad if he didn't.

But she doesn't have to go, does she? She could be just as brilliant and stay here with me. And Harry, he added quickly.

Isn't it great that she's outclassed Malfoy in the eyes of Slughorn though? He's a Slytherin and he still thinks Hermione's better than that snot-rag.

Yeah, but Slughorn thinks McLaggen's good too, and he's a real wanker.

Doesn't Hermione deserve to do nice things like go to parties? She's bailed us out enough times, hasn't she? It must be nice for her to hang out with interesting people instead of boring old us. And it's not like she's at their mercy or anything. Gin's probably there too.

"Shaddup," Ron grumbled to himself, and a particularly blue blooded looking witch in a painting nearby huffed to herself about the rules of etiquette.

Pigwidgeon swooped down from his perch excitedly as Ron entered the Owlery.

"Settle down, you twit," mumbled Ron as the small scop's owl flew erratically about his head. "I need you to send this note to Tonks."

Pigwidgeon settled himself on Ron's arm as the note was tied to his small leg. He was literally trembling with excitement.

"Be real quick and I'll give you loads of treats," Ron said with a grin. As much as he complained about the little owl, he did found his enthusiasm very amusing. Pigwidgeon bobbed his small head in understanding and flew from the window, dropped from view, then reappeared further away and continued his ascent.

Ron looked around for Harry's snowy owl. "There you are, Hedwig," said Ron looking up into the rafters. "I've got some treats for you, too."

Hedwig swooped gracefully from her rafter and alighted on the windowsill next to Ron. She clicked her beak expectantly.

"Harry says 'hi'," said Ron conversationally as he lobbed the owl a treat. "But he had to go see Dumbledore again tonight."

Ron settled himself on the windowsill beside Hedwig and to pass the time filled her in about the oncoming Quidditch match, about his envy of his sister and other mundane things. He didn't really know why he was telling all this to a bird, but she didn't seem to mind as long as he sporadically gave her more treats. He even wondered if she could understand some of what she was saying, as she tended to hoot softly or bob her head in the appropriate places.

In about ten minutes Pigwideon flew through the window and affected a skittery, clumsy landing on the windowsill between Ron and Hedwig. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and flew back to her space in the rafters.

"Stop jumping around and let's have the message." The small owl stopped moving and Ron unwrapped the note from his leg.

Meet you in five.

Tonks.

Well, at least the nights not a total loss then, Ron thought as he walked briskly down the tower to find the passage behind the One-Eyed Witch. As he excited the passage he was momentarily startled to be met by two friendly faces and not one.

"Wotcher, Ron."

"Hello, Tonks, Professor," said Ron.

"Just Remus, Ron," his old Dark Arts teacher smiled.

Ron felt himself almost bursting with questions. "Where've you been? How'd that happen?" Something certainly had happened to Remus Lupin. His face was gaunt and vertical scratches graced his left cheek.

"Nothing you need worry about," Remus said, deftly changing the subject. "Tonks tells me you are doing well with your corporeal Patronus."

"Yeah," said Ron proudly. "I'm getting there."

"I heard about the dementors at the Burrow as well," said Lupin in a lowered voice as they began walking in the direction of Tonks's flat. "Sounds like you handled yourself very well under the circumstances."

"I think he'll be much better prepared next time," Tonks added. Ron noticed that her face was fresh and bright and he wondered vaguely if this had something to do with Lupin being there.

"Hope so," Ron muttered. "If there is a next time."

Lupin sighed. "All of us hope there won't be, but the odds are against it."

"Enough of that sort of talk," Tonks chirped, patting Lupin on the arm. "Remus's come to Hogsmeade for a couple of days and when I got your owl he agreed to help teach you tonight, Ron."

"Brilliant," said Ron. What better tutors could he get than from a Dark Arts teacher and an Auror?

"Thought we'd pop up to the Shrieking Shack. Hope you don't mind going up there after last time," Lupin added. "I'm not too fond of it myself, but it will be the perfect place to practice tonight."

"Do you have a boggart or something?" asked Ron eagerly, remembering what Harry told him of his lessons with Lupin.

"Well, no. One doesn't carry them around in one's pockets, you know," grinned Lupin with a nod at Tonks. The smile on his face seemed to totally rearrange it from gaunt to friendly with a hint of faded good looks.

"Actually, Ron," said Tonks, turning her attention from Lupin to himself, "I have a wee something for you, but first we're going to practice sending messages."

"Excellent," breathed Ron. "Oh, before I forget, Tonks, this is for you." He held out the bag of Honeyduke's sweets. "To says thanks for ...you know, everything. Didn't know what ones you like best, so I just got a mixed bag."

"Thanks, Ron. That was very sweet of you," smiled Tonks warmly as she took the bag.

Ron could feel his ears blushing. He wasn't used to being called sweet. Ron shifted his eyes in front of him and continued walking. He distinctly thought he heard a chuckle, and to his surprise he realized it was Lupin. Ron couldn't remember Lupin ever chuckling. He wasn't sure he'd even heard him laugh before. He had always been the most calm, collected and altogether conservative person he'd ever met.

"I'll apparate ahead and meet you boys at the Shrieking Shack then," grinned Tonks. "It'll be a good chance for you to practice, too, Ron. Plus I need to set up."

"Set up?" asked Ron to the swirl of dust that replaced the form of Tonks.

"Tonks and I thought you could give message sending a try. We're still about twenty minutes walk from the Shrieking Shack, so it's a reasonable distance."

"What's she setting up, though?" pursued Ron.

"All in good time," Lupin grinned.

What's with everyone tonight? thought Ron. Usually Lupin has that melancholy streak and lately Tonks has been just miserable, and now they are both giving me conspirational grins and all sorts.

"Are you going to be in Hogsmeade for long?" Ron asked his former teacher.

"Sadly no. A couple of days at best."

"Well, I think Tonks is glad you're here to visit. She's been looking really miserable lately."

Lupin looked thoughtful but said nothing to this as they continued walking through the outer streets of Hogsmeade.

"So, Ron, how's Harry coping this year... With everything," began Lupin in a soft low voice.

Ron didn't really know how to answer this question. There was so much going on with Harry. He was obsessed with Malfoy, he was on the receiving end of a lot of attention from Professor Slughorn who eyed him as he became Young Potion's Master of the Year due to a random old book he'd found, and on top of it all he was Quidditch captain.

"He's doing alright." Lupin glanced at him, as if waiting for more. "He's keeping himself busy. We have tons of homework this year and he's Quidditch captain now too. Our first game is this weekend. Actually, you should try and stay a couple of days so you can come see it. Harry would really like to see you, y'know."

Lupin smiled wearily and said, "I wish I could, Ron, but unfortunately I really must be getting back in a couple of days."

"Back where?" asked Ron again, hoping for a scrap of news from the Order.

"You know I can't tell you that. And please don't tell Harry you saw me. I wouldn't want him to think I didn't have the inclination to come see him when I had the chance."

"But you do have the chance. You could pop into Hogwarts tomorrow or something. I'm sure Slughorn wouldn't mind him being pulled out of class for a bit. He loves him," Ron rolled his eyes.

"Does he now?" smirked Lupin. "Not a surprise really. Slughorn's has always had a soft spot for the more famous students."

"It's not just that," Ron went on. "Harry's found this Potions book that has lots of tips and stuff on how to get potions right. So he's doing really well. Even better than Hermione, if you can imagine it," he grinned.

"Very curious," muttered Lupin under his breath. "Well, in any case," he went on at normal speaking volume, "please don't tell Harry I was here. I'm in Hogsmeade on special business that couldn't afford to wait, but it would be best for people not to know where I am or that I've been here."

"Oh. OK," conceded Ron lapsing into silence. What is in Hogsmeade that Lupin couldn't get in London?

When they reached the fence at the edge of a cul-de-sac that afforded a view of the Shrieking Shack they stopped.

"Right then," said Lupin, turning to face Ron. "I believe Tonks has taken you through the theory of sending a message by Patronus, but you've not really tried it. Is that correct?"

"Yeah. So I just need to focus on what I want to send and then I say the charm, right?"

"Yes. It's very important to imagine the words in your head, otherwise the message at the other end may be garbled or misspelled. In the case of sending classified information, codes or addresses, this could be disastrous."

"Right," agreed Ron. "Shall I give it a go?"

"Of course," smiled Lupin. "Just think of a message, experience it in your head, then focus on the receiver and say the charm."

"This is going to be one of those 'sounds easier than it is' things, isn't it?"

"It's true, some wizards have never had the focus to perfect this skill, but I've heard from Harry that you're very good at chess. Just use the same level of concentration."

Ron nodded, and closed his eyes, thinking of a message to send.

He imagined the feel of Hermione's head on his shoulder and his arm around her as they had slept that night in the Burrow. Immediately he felt tingly inside. He peaked through his eyelids to the Shrieking Shack in the distance. He closed them again and thought of Tonks standing outside it. Ron focused on a short message, held out his wand and yelled.

"Expecto Patronum!" His Patronus issued from his wand and lept off into the distance.

"That looks very good, Ron," said Lupin, beaming. "Your Patronus has a lot of magical energy."

"Thanks," Ron replied as he wiped his brow of sweat.

"We'd better keep walking, else we'll be out all night," suggested Lupin.

They had been walking perhaps five minutes when a great four legged shining beast appeared from the night.

"Is that Tonks's?" asked Ron, amazed. "It's massive." Ron looked at Lupin who seemed just as surprised as himself.

"Yes, well," struggled Lupin as he stared at the Patronus. "Take the message from it."

Ron reached out his hand to the glimmering beast that was beginning to loose it's opacity and felt a warm bit of parchment fall in his hand, and then the Patronus vanished. He opened the folded piece of parchment and read:

They do not! The Chudley Cannons haven't won a match since 1892!

"Hmph," grumbled Ron as he screwed up the note and pushed it deep into his pocket. Lupin rubbed his chin thoughtfully before suggesting that Ron should practice sending a message back to Tonks on behalf of someone else.

It was much harder to send the message Lupin related to him, especially as he didn't understand the meaning too well, but his Patronus was quick to oblige and swept off into the night. It returned shortly afterwards with a message that made Lupin smile to himself.

Ron shivered as they reached the Shrieking Shack, the last time he had been inside it he had stood in front of Harry and Hermione and faced an angry and deranged looking Sirius Black. This thought vanished as he saw Tonks stand up from the rickety stair on which she had been waiting and nearly loose her balance as she came and met them.

"That was great Patronus work, Ron," she told him warmly. "Are you ready for a bit of a challenge, then?"

"Erm, yeah," answered Ron warily. If it wasn't a boggart, what did she have in mind?

"Well, I was scouting around the outskirts of Hogsmeade the other day and I came across something that I thought would be a good test for you. Don't worry, it's nothing too dangerous, and you can just send up red sparks if you get in trouble."

"It's not an acromantula, is it?" asked Ron, horrified.

"No," smiled Lupin. Gesturing to the stairs. "But be sure to keep your guard up."

"Right," said Ron stepping up onto the creaky staircase that led into the Shrieking Shack. He'd never entered this way before. There was quite a climb through oddly shaped halls and staircases till he entered the main room. It was very dark and he fancied he heard something skittering around on the old floorboards. He lit his wand and looked about himself cautiously.

A cackling laugh was added to the sound of small feet. There was definitely something in here with him. He turned around and aimed his wand beam to the floor and around the deformed skirting boards. He could see footprints in the dust but no sign of anything yet.

Ron's heart hammered in his chest as he heard the awful laugh again. At least I know it's not a dementor this time, he thought soberly. He had just decided to back himself into a wall so as to protect his back when something hard connected to the back of his knee and he slumped to the floor on his hands and knees in pain.

"Shit," Ron muttered, "that bloody hurt." He looked through the fringe of his hair for the attacker, but only peals of manic laughter met his senses. He tried to get to his feet, his left leg, which had been broken years before in this very room was agony. Ron had almost straightened himself to full height when something landed on his back, he spun swiftly around to knock whatever it was to the ground. Aiming his wand his beam of light found the dwarf-like Red Cap in seconds. A rusty looking axe lay near it's pawing fingers as it sought it's weapon in the glare of the light.

Ron remembered then, that Red Caps lived mostly underground or in dark places and liked to bludgeon people that entered old battle fields. He felt a bit sick to think that that rusty axe was meant for his head.

He backed away from the Red Cap as it got to it's bandy legged feet. He tried to keep his band of light on the little gruesome creature, but it was very fast and soon had vanished, though he could hear it still within the room.

Right, thought Ron, time to get rid of this thing. If I can't see it to hex it, I'll have to hope my Patronus can get it.

He shuffled against the wall, so as to protect his back – he didn't think his leg could withstand another quick recovery or fall. "Expecto Patronum!"

Ron shielded his eyes as the blinding glow of his patronus lit up the room. The Red Cap started screaming in a shrill voice, and Ron peaked to see that it was writhing in a corner close to him with it's knarled hands over it's eyes.

"Get rid of it," Ron urged his Patronus. It looked up at him, then lept at the Red Cap which vanished in a puff of foul smelling smoke. Ron smiled as his Patronus evaporated into night. "Piece of cake."

His smugness vanished as he tried to climb down the stairs with his injured leg in the near darkness and was very glad to be outside again in the cool star lit night.

"Sounds like it went well in there," said Tonks with a grin. "I found him in the belfry of the small clock tower up the road."

"Lucky you," grimaced Ron as he put weight on his sore knee.

"You alright there, Ron?" asked Lupin, his eyes flicking to Ron's leg.

"Yeah, it's just sore. The little git hit me on the back of the leg with the blunt end of his axe."

"Don't worry, Ron," said Tonks fishing about in her cloak, "we came prepared." She bought out a small porcelain jar of ointment. "Just pop some of that on now and then again before you go to bed and you'll be fine by morning."

"Cheers," said Ron.

He said goodbye to Tonks and Lupin and began making his way back through the passage to Hogwarts. He felt very good about his excursion. Finally, I'm learning something and it's starting to sink in. He also felt pretty good about the way he hadn't panicked in the Shrieking Shack.

His progress was slow but not too painful as he hobbled his way down towards the staircase that lead up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Oh, hello Ronald," said a vague voice to his left as Luna Lovegood stepped out of a small passage way and fell into stride beside him.

"Hi Luna. You're up late," said Ron glancing at his watch. "It's nearly eleven thirty. You should've been in your Common Room ages ago."

"Oh, well, you don't mind do you?" she said confidentially.

Ron began to get the bizarre feeling he always got when he spoke to Luna – that of loosing purchase on reality. He often had no clue what she was on about.

"Erm..."

"It must be nice to be a Prefect," she went on, and Ron grasped the meaning of her last sentence. "I like walking about at night. It's like a secret world." She winked at him emphatically.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I used to really fancy you last year, did you know?" she said matter of factly as if talking about the weather.

Ron didn't have an answer for that one. Luna had fancied him? Someone had fancied him?

"You are very funny," she continued in her dreamy voice, "and you have a nice smile. Care for some coconut ice?" She bought out a small paper bag of coconut ices from a handbag she was carrying. Ron noticed it was decorated with pinned on leaves and acorns.

"Erm, thanks, Luna," said Ron reaching in for a pink coconut ice.

"But you can be very mean. Especially to your friends. Does Hermione know?"

"Eh?" said Ron, finding it hard to keep up. "Does she know that I'm a prat? Yeah, I'm sure she does." He grinned at Luna.

"No, does Hermione know you love her?" asked Luna stopping to look at him.

Ron stopped walking and stared back, his mouth opening and closing, his mind choosing not to supply him with any words at all.

"You probably should tell her," Luna nodded sagely as she continued walking again.

"But, I don't..erm..who told you that?" stuttered Ron, catching up to her.

"To thine own self be true," Luna said in a commanding voice that filled the corridor.

"Shh!" Ron hissed. "You'll get Snape out here."

"It's written all over your face, you know," nodded Luna, completely ignoring him.

Ron felt dumbstruck.

"You should do something about it, or else you'll attract a lot of lint."

"What?"

"Your body gives out currents of energy. Muggles call it electricity or Chakra, but it's all the same. The energy centres around the heart, and when you're in love, your heart has more energy. And this energy can attract a lot of lint."

Ron felt like he was drowning in a sea of random facts.

"Well, I best be going," said Luna as they reached a fork in the corridor. "I need to go practice the charms Professor Flitwick just taught me. I'm doing some extras this year."

"Does he give private lessons?" Ron asked, determined to have a normal conversation with Luna, no matter how brief.

"Oh yes," she beamed. "He's a very good teacher, don't you think, and his ears are very cute."

Ron wasn't so sure about that, but he nodded and kept listening.

"He gets lonely during the week without his family and fills his evenings in with tutoring. He showed me pictures. They're really cute too."

"Erm, who are?" Ron asked tentatively.

"His wife and children."

For some reason Ron had never thought of the teachers at Hogwarts as having families. He certainly couldn't imagine Snape having children, he could torture his students for free.

"Isn't Flitwick really old?" asked Ron bluntly.

"They are grown up children," nodded Luna. "Here, hold out your hand."

Ron did so, whilst wondering how grown up Professor Flitwick's children could possibly be.

"There," beamed Luna, closing his large hand around what felt like a sticky mass.

"Night then," she whispered and turned from him and set off up the steps to the Ravenclaw Common Room.

Ron opened his hands to reveal a sticky coconut ice molded into a heart shape. An 'H' was etched into the surface of the ice.

By the time Ron reached the Gryffindor Common Room it was nearly midnight. He couldn't wait to fall into bed. His leg and back were aching and he felt tired and drained from both the night's activities and trying to get around the strange musings of Luna Lovegood.

Ron was just about to hobble up the boys' staircase when he noticed that Hermione was sitting by the fire in the armchair he usually coveted. On closer inspection he saw that she had fallen asleep waiting for him, a bottle of butterbeer leant against her curled up feet. His homework was strewn all over the table where he'd left it in his foul mood. She must've thought I was coming back to finish it, he thought guiltily.

He wondered whether to leave her there, but decided that if it was him fallen asleep in a chair he'd preferred to be woken up so as to go to sleep in a real bed.

Ron knelt down in front of the armchair, his knee smarting, and just looked at her. Her breathing was even and her right cheek was slightly flushed from the heat of the fire. Her hands were folded loosely across her chest and her head rested on one of the armrests. Some of her hair was falling across her face and the urge to gently pull it back behind her ear was nearly irresistible.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Time to go to bed." Her eyelashes fluttered but she barely stirred. "'Mione, wake up," he said in a soft voice just louder than a whisper.

"What is it, Ron?" she mumbled back, obviously asleep.

Ron blushed. Was his voice that familiar to her, even in her sleep? "'Mione, it's time to go to bed..."

"We are in bed, Ron. Go back to sleep. It can't be time to get up," she mumbled, bringing one arm across her face as if to block his words.

We? Ron's mind reeled, but he swallowed down the thought and reached out and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hermione, wake up. You can't sleep here all night."

"What is it?" said Hermione groggily as she opened her eyes at last. "What's happened?"

"Nothing's happened," said Ron in what he hoped was a comforting voice. He hadn't meant to startle her. "I just came back and you were asleep. I thought you'd rather be woken than sleep here all night."

"Oh, right," she said, stretching her legs. The bottle of butterbeer thudded onto the plush burgundy carpet. "That's for you, Ron. I came to give it to you, but I must have fallen asleep by the time you came back. What is the time?"

"Just passed midnight," Ron replied as he managed to stand.

"Midnight? But I came back before ten! Where have you been all that time, Ron? And what happened to your leg?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm fine. I just went for a walk to the...erm...to the Owlery to see Pig and Hedwig. Then I met Luna Lovegood on the way back, and you know what she's like."

"Yes," Hermione replied, somewhat coolly. "I do. Did you have a nice talk, then?"

Ron felt confused. She looked rather grumpy with him at the mention of Luna. She didn't know Luna had fancied him, did she? Though with Luna, she could have told anyone and everyone that she had at one point liked him.

"We talked about her extra classes mainly," Ron replied, hoping schoolwork was a safe bet. "And some other random stuff. I still think she's a bit of a nutter."

"What's in your left hand?" Hermione asked suspiciously with a nod to his fisted hand.

"Oh, that..want a coconut ice, Hermione?" He held out the squished pink heart to her. "Sorry, it's a bit melty and gooey," he added. He wasn't sure if she was disgusted or amused. He decided it was a mixture of both.

"Um...thanks, Ron. It was a really nice thought," she said, looking from the coconut ice that sat in the palm of his hand to his eyes with a sweet smile on her face. "But I don't think my parents would approve of all that sugar."

"Oh, right," said Ron blushing. He knew it had been a long shot.