LETTERS FROM BEYOND

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, if I did Ron and Hermione would already be together.

CHAPTER 7-DÉJÀ VU AND ACCIDENTS

Instead of going directly back to their suite after the dinner with Dumbledore and McGonagall Hermione convinced Ron to swing by the Gryffindor common room first. Shortly after the meeting she had conveyed her fears to Ron about how Harry was holding up and if Ginny had blown her top yet. They hoped that both Harry and Ginny were still up either studying or playing wizards chess. However when they stepped through the opening their were only two students left in the common room. A young boy, first year by the size of him, sat nearly enveloped in Hermione's favorite chair by the fire while an equally young girl lay on her stomach on the rug in front of the fire, staring aimlessly into it.

"Are you going to read that book all night Johnnie," The young girl moaned with an extremely bored look on her face as she rolled her eyes and shook her head sadly.

"My name is John, Hazel, and what's it to you if I do, I've only read this book through two times, I need to read through it again before class tomorrow," John replied with a frustrated sigh and shaking of his head, an act that brought a bit of a smirk to Hermione's face.

"Why…you already know everything that's in it, c'mon…let's play chess," Hazel groaned with an unhappy pout on her face as she shook her head on her way to standing up, getting a low chuckle from Ron.

"Oi…you two, why are you still up, it's past curfew," Ron exclaimed with a booming and hopefully threatening tone of voice as he balled his hands up into fists and puffed out his chest just a bit, all in all a stance that very nearly drove Hermione to fits of laughter. To her credit she managed to hide her smile and turn it into a rather stern scowl as the two first years looked scared out of their wits for a moment before the young girl jumped up and confronted them.

"We weren't doing anything wrong, we're not out there wandering around the corridor's, we're in our common room…studying," Hazel countered with a very determined and impatient scowl on her face as she mimicked Ron's stance and stepped forward, positioning herself directly in between them and John.

"Well…John seems to be studying, but you on the other hand," Hermione said with a lightly skeptical tone to her voice as she walked towards the fire.

"Were far to busy watching the logs burn in the fireplace and wanting to play chess," Ron finished with a sly grin on his face as he out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a fully ready chessboard.

"So what if I wasn't studying, we only have one parchment for McGonagall due tomorrow and I'm almost done," Hazel started to say with a confidant and proud smile on her face before John stepped in with first a snort.

"You mean that parchment over there on the couch that consists of one word, sorry Hazel but if you plan to get passable marks and become a contributing member of wizard society then you're just going to have to buckle down and work at it," John interjected with a well hidden smile on his face as he quickly ducked back behind his large book so that he couldn't see the angry glare that Hazel was sending him.

"Fancy a game," Ron asked with an excited wink as he walked over to the board and gazed down at it first for a moment before looking up at Hazel, who seemed at the same time relieved to have someone to play chess with and scared that there was more to her opponent than she currently knew.

"Sure it won't be to much for you," Hazel shot back finally with a very confidant grin on her face as she slid into one of the chairs next to the chessboard.

"Oh I'm sure…ya bloody midget," Ron grumbled with a sly snicker as he slipped down into the other chair and pulled it up closer.

"Ron," Hermione exclaimed with an unhappy scowl on her face as she shook her head and began to walk towards him.

"Sorry Mione, I'll try not to swear anymore," Ron started to say with a nervous look on his face before Hazel made her first move and Hermione interrupted Ron.

"That's good to here Ron, although I was going to tell you to take it easy on her," Hermione countered with softly as she leaned up against the side of the chair that he was sitting it, crossed her arms, and then gave him an approving smile.

"Oh, right," Ron mumbled back with a cheeky smirk on his face as Hazel studied him with a quizzical look on her face before John reluctantly walked over and stood beside Hazel's chair.

"So what year are the two of you in," John asked with a very calm tone to his voice as he set his book down on one of the nearby desks.

"Sixth," Ron quickly replied before Hermione as he made his first move and picked up his left knight and moved it up two spaces and then to the right one space. Hazel seemed to care less about what year Ron and Hermione were in however John's eyes lit up at the answer.

"Then that means that you know the boy who lived," John exclaimed with a look of awe on his face as even Hazel stopped staring intently at the chessboard for a few seconds.

"You mean Harry, Ron and I both know him, he's our best friend, I'm surprised that you didn't know that," Hermione replied with a startled and surprised look on her face as she leaned away from Ron's chair.

"See John, told you that the papers weren't telling us everything," Hazel muttered angrily under breath while she made a move, even though Hermione was sure that after the move had been made Hazel had looked them both over.

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Harry awoke the next morning in a foul mood. Lupin had been less than forthcoming about his reasons to return to Hogwarts to be the Defense Against The Dark Arts instructor and every time that he saw them Ron and Hermione would look at him as if he could go off at any moment. It had been three weeks since his talk with Lupin and every night Ginny would try to get him to talk about what it was that was bothering him. But every time that she asked Harry would just get angry and glare at her, never watching her long enough to see the tears that would usually begin to form in her eyes in less than a second after whatever biting remark he had used to end their conversation had left his mouth. On this particular day Hagrid had asked them to pick some berries for him to make into a thick paste to color new signs for the pens that he kept his various animals in. Breakfast was fast approaching and Harry's stomach had started to growl even before they had filled the first basket up.

"Find any more over there Harry," Ginny asked with a soft and gentle tone to her voice as she turned her head around and smiled over at Harry, who stayed still and didn't immediately answer her. After a few moments of Harry not saying anything Ginny got frustrated and decided that enough was enough. Setting her jaw, and her resolve, Ginny stood up and marched straight over to Harry, taking his basket away from him so that he would have to look at her.

"What are you doing," Harry demanded with a gruff tone to his voice as he very angrily glared up at Ginny out of the corner of his eye, a glare that made Ginny's blood run cold.

"You've barely said two words to me in a month, back in London you were all concerned about whether or not we were still friends, but ever since we got back to Hogwarts you avoid me like I have the bloody plague or something," Ginny shot back with a very frustrated and impatient scowl on her face as she hoped that she hadn't let her true feelings slip.

"Leave me alone," Harry snorted back with an almost accusing edge to his voice as he turned away from Ginny and sulked off into the forest.

"Don't walk away from me Harry Potter, you been acting like the biggest arse that this place has ever seen for weeks and I want to know why right this instant," Ginny shouted back at his retreating back and shoulders before she stormed off after him, determined to get an answer.

"Last I checked I was free to do what I pleased, I don't need a little busybody following me around like a bloody harpy, whining about every little thing that goes wrong in her pitiful little life, like you know what pain is…," Harry growled back with a ferocity and tenor that initially scared Ginny silly, before being saved by the Weasley ability to shrug of almost any insult, if only because they don't have a clue what else to do in the situation.

"I am not a bloody harpy Harry, look at me," Ginny exclaimed right back at him with an equal amount of anger in her voice as she hurried off after him until she grabbed him by the arm and spun him around, making him look her straight in the eye.

"Really now, because you sure look like one to me," Harry snapped back with a very vindictive sneer on his face before he forcefully ripped his arm out of Ginny's grasp.

"What has gotten into you Harry, you're not acting like yourself," Ginny stated with now a very worried and concerned look on her face as she took a step back and look Harry up and down.

"Oh like you'd know how I act, you're nothing but a little suck up to rest of us, a spoiled little brat that has to tag along wherever we go, a little tattle tale that…," Harry shouted back vehemently at Ginny before his line of insults was stopped by a sharp slap across the face from Ginny. A few silent moments lingered between them as Harry remained eerily silent, his mind still reeling from what Ginny had done, while Ginny desperately searched for what to say.

"Harry…I'm sorry, I just," Ginny started to say with a very embarrassed and defeated expression on her face as she stepped forward and with tears beginning to form in her eyes reached up and touched the cheek that she had slapped. No sooner had her skin touched him then a switch was turned on somewhere within Harry and for the next few seconds he felt all of his anger, frustration, and sadness explode out of him, controlling his body and making him do something that he would regret until the day that he died.

"I said…leave me alone," Harry shouted at the top of his lungs with the angriest sneer on his face that Ginny had ever seen before in an instant his hands were on her shoulders and shoving her back away from him.

"Harry," Ginny shrieked loudly in both terror and surprise as she stumbled backwards before her heel got caught on an exposed root and sent her tumbling backwards to the ground. A sickening crack snapped Harry back to reality as the back of Ginny's head struck a rather sharp rock and her world went instantly dark.

"Ginny…Ginny," Harry mumbled in a shocked silence, where for the time being time itself stood still and all sound around him was drowned away into nothingness, before he rushed forward and knelt down at Ginny's side, only then noticing the steady stream of dark red blood already covering the ancient rock and damp grass.

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Ron and Hermione had eaten their breakfast slowly, constantly expecting either Harry or Ginny to come and sit with them. But oddly enough neither did. More than once Ron had wanted to get up and go and search for the pair but Hermione had been able to persuade him to calm down, saying that the two were probably either still asleep or in her wildest dreams that Ginny had been able to finally get Harry to open up to her. Neither of course knew what was really going on out beside Hagrid's hut but all throughout breakfast Ron had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Oddly enough is was very similar to the feeling that he had gotten in his stomach just before bedtime the night that his father had been attacked by Voldemort's giant snake.

"You better watch your step now Weasel," Draco jeered with a very confidant and proud smile on his face as he started to walk by the Gryffindor table with Crabbe and Goyle close behind.

"Oh, and why is that," Hermione quickly shot back with a defiant and confrontational scowl on her face as she sat up straight in her seat and did her best to glare a hole right through Draco.

"Because once Saint Potter finishes what he started with your little sister he'll probably be coming after you next," Draco shot back, victory clearly evident in his voice as he looked to be about ready to triumphantly parade out of the room.

"What are you talking about," Ron exclaimed with a furious and confused scowl on his face as he rose up out of his seat but stayed where he was when he heard Draco's response.

"You should have seen it, there was so much blood, she'll probably die," Crabbe stammered out quickly, his double chins bouncing up and down quickly, slapping into each other making every girl at the Gryffindor table have to do their best to keep their breakfast in their stomachs.

"No, you're lying, Harry would never hurt Ginny," Hermione stated with a shaky look on her face as she rose up beside Ron and did her best to glare at Draco.

"Guess you don't know him as well as you thought you did, Madam Pomfrey's with her now…but it doesn't look good," Draco shot back with a very happy smirk on his face before he, Crabbe, and Goyle strolled out of the main hall. Hermione did not even have time to draw the breath to utter a single syllable before Ron was out of his seat and racing off down through the corridors towards the hospital wing. She did her best to try and keep up but with her shorter legs she had a hard time of it and Ron beat her there by several moments.

"Ginny," Ron shouted at the top of his lungs as he burst into the room, very disheartened to see Harry, looking like death warmed over, leaning up against a wall while there were sounds of something going on behind one of the back curtains.

"I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean to," Harry tried his best to mumble with a look of deep regret on his face before he could no longer control his emotions and a tear streamed down his cheek.

"What did…Ginny," Ron started to angrily demand before he raced behind the curtain and disappeared only a moment before Hermione, breathing heavy at the effort to try and keep up with Ron, spun around the corner and into the room.

"Hermione…I," Harry tried to say with a very defeated and self-loathing look on his face before Hermione interrupted.

"Harry, what happened, where's Ron," Hermione interjected with a worried but inquisitive look on her face as her hands slipped to her hips and she raised her eyebrows.

"Back there, with Madam Pomfrey and Ginny, I don't know what happened…we were helping Hagrid, then we started fighting…she slapped me, I tried to push her away…she tripped…she fell and," Harry answered with a very stunned look on his face, as if he still wasn't sure that his memory of what had transpired was actually what happened, before both were interrupted by Ron throwing the curtain aside and rushing towards Harry.

"You bastard," Ron shouted at the top of his lungs before he grabbed Harry by the front of his robes and hauled him off of the ground before slamming him into the wall, knocking most of the air out of Harry's lungs in the process.

"Ron no," Hermione cried with a very panicked look of desperation and surprise on her face as she took a hesitant step forward, totally unsure of exactly what to do.

"Why Harry…why, why would you do that to her," Ron demanded with very angry sneer on his face as he let Harry slide down the wall but he did not let go of the front of Harry's robes, making sure that he would get an answer.

"It was an accident, I didn't mean to Ron I swear, it just happened and," Harry started to stutter out as an answer as he looked away before Ron's emotions got the better of him and he reared back and let Harry have it across his jaw with his right fight, knocking his glasses off and splitting open Harry's lip at the same time.

"Ron stop it," Hermione pleaded with a terrified and worried tone to her voice as she didn't want things to get any more out of hand than they already were. But her words fell on deaf ears as Harry's survival instinct kicked in and catching Ron by surprise his left fist caught Ron across the nose. Hermione wince badly as she heard the loud crack that Harry's punch caused, before Ron let go of Harry and stumbled back a couple of steps. Before anyone else could say anything Ron growled angrily and started to rush Harry but the latter took the initiative and lowered his shoulder and barreled into Ron's midsection, an act that sent the two backwards until they fell over one of the beds and ended up on the floor on its other side. Ron quickly recovered and landed two quick punches, one to Harry's stomach and the next to Harry's right eye, one that would undoubtedly have a nice shiner on it for days. Harry did his best to retaliate, getting a good shot in on Ron's left eye, a hit that would also leave the youngest male Weasley with a nice shiner for days, before Hermione broke it all up.

"Petrificus totallus," Hermione shouted with a terrified look on her face as she whipped out her wand and aimed it straight at Ron and Harry, with both almost instantly going rigid and unable to move.

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"How do you feel," Hermione asked with a half scolding and half worried look on her face as she sat down on the couch beside Ron in their suite. The spell that Hermione had cast had not been taken off until Ron and Harry were well separated and everyone involved had calmed down, that had ended up taking all day, with all of the teachers being briefed about what had transpired in the hospital wing so as to overlook Ron, Harry and Hermione's absence. Hermione had tried to attend a few classes but had found it impossible to concentrate and so at lunch had talked to McGonagall and retreated back to the Head Boy and Head Girl suite to tend to Ron.

"I came this close to knocking my best friend out cold because he almost killed my little sister, how do you bloody think I feel Hermione…sorry," Ron started to say back angrily, using his thumb and index finger to show a very small distance between them, before he turned and saw the fear in her eyes and sighed deeply before humbly apologizing.

"I know you are Ron, what got into you back there," Hermione asked with a concerned look on her face as she pulled the blanket up tighter around them before turning her gaze back to Ron's face.

"I don't know Mione, it's just that when I saw Ginny lying there looking half dead something snapped inside me, I couldn't take it seeing her like that, it was almost my worst fear come true, almost as bad as," Ron started to say back softly with a confused and terribly worried look on his face before he couldn't bring himself to finish his statement and turned away.

"Almost as bad as what Ron," Hermione begged with a concerned look on her face as she gently laid her hand on Ron's cheek and turned his head until she was looking at him face to face.

"As losing you," Ron whispered back, appearing as if it were a struggle just to utter those three words, with an absolutely terrified look on his face as a single tear trickled down his cheek. In response Hermione did the only thing that she could think of, leaning in closer to him she wiped away the tear before softly kissing him on the mouth and letting the fire warm them until they both fell asleep.

END OF CHAPTER 7