Quidditch and pain
Ron watched the Quaffle as best he could. The chasers had it at the far end of the pitch and he was willing to bet Ginny was about to score again. Then he saw Harry go into a dive out of the corner of his eye.
Go get it Harry. Then we can end this before we totally embarrass the Hufflepuffs.
Somehow he managed to catch a glimpse of Hermione sitting in the stands even as he was watching Harry's dive, she was yelling and cheering Harry on.
She looks like an angel in Gryffindor colors.
Then a loud cheer ripped through the pitch.
"Harry Potter has the snitch, Gryffindor wins two hundred and fifteen to forty"
His team started to land while fans poured out of the Gryffindor stands. Ron on the other hand just floated savoring a good clean game. The next game was with Slytherin and it wouldn't be anywhere near clean. As he just sat there he noticed two people on brooms flying towards him pretty fast.
It's probably the Hufflepuff chasers coming to shake hands.
It didn't take him long to see that it wasn't the Hufflepuff chasers unless they had started wearing hoods. Just as he started to get moving a spell slammed into him and the last thing he could tell before he blacked out was that he was slipping from his broom.
As the game was going on the Death Eaters slipped into place.
"Remember cast the Emotion Confusion charm first then we will get the sample." the first one said.
The others nodded and two of them started to move around the tree line.
Once the other Death Eaters were in position, the four remaining ones stood up wands pointed at the crowd now pouring on to the field.
"Confundus Effusio" they shouted and the entire crowd was outlined in green for just a bit and then it faded. Then they use the Crucio curse once or twice before melting away as students started screaming and panicking.
Ginny had been just about to land when she saw her brother being pulled from his broom by two Death Eaters. "Death Eaters she screamed and then took off after the retreating Death eaters. As she chased them she noticed the one who had Ron slumped over his broom was moving Ron's body around as if trying to find something.
The Death Eaters started to fly lower and Ginny narrowly avoided hitting tree tops several times. After a good thirty minutes of chasing Ginny saw the Death Eater who had Ron pulled some sort of shiny silver dagger out of his pocket and reached for Ron's head. He made a quick cutting motion before Ginny could cast a spell. Then he pushed Ron's body off of his broom. Ginny managed to catch him just before they hit the ground though they both still landed hard. She rolled him over and looked at him glad to see he was still breathing. Picking her wand off of the ground she pointed it at him and cast "Ennervate."
Almost as soon as she cast the spell Ron started to stir and soon was fully awake. She told him what had happened asking "are you ok?"
"Well my ribs are broken again but other than that I should be fine."
'Well my brooms not so we will have to walk back to the school." Ginny snarled.
"Don't worry Ginny I still have all the money Sirius left me, I will buy you a much better broom."
"Have a told you how great a big brother you are lately?" she smiled up at him.
"All the students are accounted for except for the Weasleys Headmaster."
"Thank you Severus, I do have one question if you have a moment."
'Of course headmaster how can I assist you?"
"Can you think of any reason Death Eaters would try to take Mr. Weasley?"
"I can think of several but none that would be so pressing as to do it right now when the Dark Lord has so many other operations going on."
"I am of that opinion as well Severus. We need to find out what is going on."
"I will do what I can. I will be delivering the potion of Clarity tonight, perhaps I can discover what his plans are."
"Be careful Severus and know we value what you do for the Order."
"Thank you Headmaster and good night."
"Ron and Ginny will be all right Hermione."
"I know Harry I'm just scared it's been hours now and still no sign of them."
"I know what you mean. We've been though this before but this time seems worse somehow.
At that Hermione started crying "I know I have this necklace and it says he's ok but I'm still scared to death."
When Hermione started crying Harry reached out and pulled her over to him so he could wrap his arms around her. They stayed holding each other for a very long time.
Hermione buried her head in his chest. Then when she looked up at his face she saw deep blue eyes and a lopsided grin.
Ron?I thought something happened to you.
Harry buried his face in Hermiones hair.
Ginnys hair smells so different tonight, why do I feel so groggy?
Hermione lifted her head and started to kiss Harry's neck.
I'm so glad your safe Ron just having you back is making me warm and sleepy.
Harry ran his hand along her back under her shirt.
Oh god Ginny you're so warm.
Hermione felt Harry hands run along her back.
Oh Ron I love the way you make me feel.
Harry lifted Hermione chin and kissed her softly.
Ginny Weasley I love you.
Hermione sighed into his mouth.
Ron you are driving me crazy.
Ron and Ginny made it to the portrait door barely able to stand.
"I can't believe it took us that long to get back." Ginny complained.
"Yeah well we kept getting lost I think. Anyway were here and I'm dying for a shower.
"Yeah we both need one Ron."
"Well yeah but you more than me."
"I should have let you fall." she smirked.
Ginny looked at the portrait "Weasley is our king."
Ron rolled his eyes "I cannot believe that's still the password."
Ginny was laughing when she stepped into the common room. It was empty except for Harry and Hermione snogging on the couch.
Ginny screamed and Ron moved into the room beside her.
When Ginny screamed Harry and Hermione both looked at them.
"How did you get over there Ginny?" Harry asked.
Hermione just looked at Ron and then Harry and then back at Ron. "Oh no" she said and then put her hands over her mouth.
Ginny was standing there shocked and silent after her scream.
Harry looked at Hermione "Did we just....."
Hermione paled "I think so Harry."
"What do you mean you think so?" Ginny yelled "I just saw you going at each other"
Hermione looked at Ron who had gone white and whose eyes had gone from a deep blue shade to a blue ice color.
"Ron please say something, there's something really wrong here."
"You bet your ass there is. My boyfriend and my brother's girlfriend are snogging while we are running from Death Eaters." Ginny shouted.
Suddenly Ron collapsed on the floor and started having seizures. His body twisting and low growls coming from him.
"Shite" Ginny shouted 'Come give me a hand with him if either of you still give a damn what happens to him."
Both Harry and Hermione recoiled for a moment from the venom in her voice but then ran over to him.
"Ginny wake up Madame Pomfrey. Hermione and I will get him to the hospital wing."
Ginny nodded then left running as fast as she could.
Harry and Hermione lifted Ron as best they could between them and started for the hospital wing.
"Hermione did you mean to kiss me?" Harry asked as they moved quickly through the halls.
"Merlin no I thought you were Ron. Why were you kissing me?"
"I thought you were Ginny somehow."
"Harry, he's never going to forgive us is he?" Hermione said crying.
"He has to Hermione, he just has to." Harry replied, hoping he sounded convincing.
When they arrived at the Hospital wing they were surprised to see Professor McGonagall there. They put Ron on a bed and then Madame Pomfrey pulled the curtain around it and Professor McGonagall took them out into the hall.
"Ok what happened right before Mr. Weasley started having this problem?"
"Well we had I had just gotten back and we found those two snogging in the common room."
Professor McGonagll looked at Hermione and Harry "Is this true?"
"Yes professor it is but we were confused." Hermione stammered.
"You two didn't look confused from where I was standing. You seemed to know exactly what you were doing." Ginny yelled.
"Miss Weasley I understand your anger but please be quiet until I have finished."
"Yes Professor McGonagall."
"How do you mean confused Miss Granger?"
Hermione started to cry again "I thought I was kissing Ron."
Ginny snorted but didn't say anything.
"Listen to me for a second all of you. Professor Dumbledore and I believe that the Death Eaters used some sort of emotion altering charm to make the students panic even more than they normally would. If that is the case then it is understandable for that very thing to happen."
Ginny looked at McGonagall "Are you serious?"
"Yes Miss Weasley I am, of course the only way to prove it would be to use Veritaserum and I highly doubt that Professor Snape will go to the time and expense of making it for you."
"I have some.' Hermione said softly "I can go get it if you like".
"Miss Granger I am not going to ask you how you came to acquire that potion but I suggest you keep the fact that you have it quiet. Now wait here while I check on Mr. Weasley.
Ginny eyes watered "It's ok, if you are willing to take it I believe you."
Harry looked at her for a moment. "Ginny I'm so very sorry." He said crying.
Ginny ran to Harry and wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh god" Ginny said softly "Hermione there's no way Ron's is going to believe a spell did this."
Harry looked down "Why not Ginny?"
"Harry ever since he stepped into Hogwarts he has always come in second to you. Then this year he finally came into his own and even more importantly he got the one thing he really wanted, Hermione's love. Did you know he considered giving up Quidditch so they could spend more time together but then decided not to so he wouldn't demand to much of Hermione's time. Then he comes in and see's you trying to take away the one thing he wanted. Not even Veritaserum is going to convince him what he saw was wrong."
"Well then we will just have to make him forgive us." Harry said firmly.
"Forgive us..forgive us..forgive us......Oh no Harry the prophecy the, one from Egypt."
"You don't mean...." he started.
"Great Merlin, the children of the flame twice betrayed in one sad stroke." Hermione said sobbing "Harry, we are the ones who betrayed them."
Harry just looked at her.
At that moment Professor McGonagal came back. "Mr. Weasley is going to be fine he is starting the begining stages of the change."
"The change Professor?"
"It seems Mr. Weasley is indeed a Shapeshifter. The stress of tonight has started the chain of events that will lead up to his first full shifting. Though I suspect it won't happen for many days."
"Professor can we see him for just a moment?" Hermione asked.
"For just a moment then you have to let him rest."
Harry, Ginny and Hermione walked into the Hospital wing and saw Ron lying in the only bed. He looked drawn and tired, far older than his years would allow for.
Harry leaned over "Ron I'm sorry I mate. I didn't mean to do it and I'll make it up to you I swear."
When Harry finished Ginny leaned over him "I'll be here when you need me big brother. Try and understand, I really believe they didn't mean it."
After Ginny had walked back to Harry, Hermione lowered herself to lie on the bed next to him. She put her head on his shoulders and whispered "I know if you were awake you wouldn't want me to be here but this might me my last chance to hold you for a long time so I'm going to do it anyway. I don't know how all this happened but I didn't want it to. I have been waiting for years for us to be like we have been these past few months and I can't believe it's going to change. I want you to know this though Ronald Weasley, I'm not giving up. Both of us have changed and I know you can love me now. Knowing that I will never give up you hear me? No matter what, your mine now and forever. So if your dreaming about being free to have all those girls who think your so dreamy you can forget it. The prophecy says only though faith and hope will things be set right. Well I have always had faith in you and strangely even now I have hope enough for both of us."
Hermione ran her fingers along the lion tattoo on his right arm.
"I will not give you up to anyone, not even some Dark Queen."
Then she kissed him softly and walked away.