A/N: Thank you guys SOO much for the reviews! I know the last chapter left a few of you really confused or even upset, but you haven't seen ANYTHING yet. I'm hoping for a lot of twists and turns in the future chapters, and remember: NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS! And I'm going to try to make Draco less-OOC - I'm not good at writing him, I admit, and I've never really tried before...Anyway, on to the chapter!
Ron and Harry stumbled in from an afternoon of playing Quidditch, both covered from head to foot in mud. "Great game, mate," Ron laughed, clapping him on the back. The two had been out for hours, and both were very tired.
"Same here!" Harry said, making his way up to the Common Room. "I need a shower desperately...I'll let you use the Prefect's Bathroom this time..."
"Thanks," Ron replied as Harry left him. He walked down a darkened corridor near the kitchens when a voice stirred the silence.
"Think it's funny to try to rape women?"
"What?" Ron turned and saw Malfoy standing against the wall, his arms crossed. He looked devious.
"I said, do you think it's funny to try to rape women?"
"Look, Malfoy, I don't know what you're on about," Ron said seriously, "but I haven't tried to rape anyone."
"Liar," Draco breathed, stepping out from the shadows.
"I'm not lying!" Ron insisted, pushing past him to go to the Prefect's Bathroom. Draco grabbed his shoulder.
"You will not touch her again."
"What 'her'? You've gone mad - not that you weren't before, but now it's just obvious -" Ron tried to pull from Malfoy's grasp but a sharp blow landed on the side of his face, sending him to the floor.
"What the fuck was that for!"
"You know what it was for!" Draco bellowed, kicking Ron in the stomach. Ron's broom had gone sailing across the floor and hit a coat of armor, which made a resounding BOOM. Ron coughed and gasped for air, but Malfoy wasn't finished.
"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH RAPE, YOU BASTARD!" Draco kicked him again. "ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN IT CONCERNS HERMIONE!" Draco grabbed Ron by the throat and threw him against the wall violently.
"I...h-haven't..."
"You lie!" Draco punched him hard, causing blood to spurt from Ron's nose. Draco threw him across the corridor and picked up Ron's broom.
"N-no...p-please..." Ron choked.
"I bet that's what she said to you," Draco growled, lifting the broom high above his head. "When you tried to fuck her - touch her...HURT HER!" Draco brought the broom down hard on Ron, again and again. He hit him so many times he lost count. Suddenly, he realized Ron wasn't moving anymore.
"Oh...oh God..." Draco lowered the broom and looked at Ron in horror. Blood was trickling out his mouth and from a wound in his head. The broom fell from Draco's grasp with a sickening clatter onto the stone floor.
"Weasley...Weasley!" Draco nudged Ron with his foot but nothing happened. He pulled out his wand and cast the reviving spell several times, but nothing happened.
Draco had killed Ron.
An hour later, when the scene was vacated, a horrified scream echoed through the castle. Ginny Weasley was found sobbing over Ron's body, her body shaking with gasps and howls, by several teachers. The area soon filled with students and teachers alike, all shocked by the sight. Harry Potter had come down soon after and pushed his way through the crowd and stared at his best friend's body, not fully registering what happened.
The noise from downstairs roused Hermione, who had been sleeping peacefully. She put on her robe and walked down, thinking, What's going on? I bet someone's pulled a prank, oh Lord...and I'll have to help the teachers clean it all up...
But Hermione didn't expect to see Ron lying on the floor, dried blood having matted his hair, with Ginny and Harry on either side of him. Hermione clasped her hand to her mouth when she saw him - not only him, but what he was wearing. He hadn't been wearing that earlier...
"Harry..." Hermione whispered. He turned and looked at her with tears in her eyes, then nearly tackled her with a grevious hug.
"Oh God Hermione I was just with him!" Harry sobbed into her shoulder, "I told him to take the Prefect's bathroom...Hermione it's all my fault..."
"No, it's not Harry. Shh, calm down..." Hermione tried to comfort her weeping friend.
"How can you be so calm? RON WAS MURDERED!" Harry bellowed, falling to the ground. Ginny and Hermione flanked him and tried to calm him down but it was no use.
"What...how...did this happen?" Hermione asked, slowly raising her head.
"We believe he was bludgeoned with his broomstick," McGonagall said nasally; she had clearly ben crying as well. Hermione sucked in her breath.
"H-He's been out p-playing Quidditch with me al-all day," Harry gasped. Hermione's face turned pale.
"All d-day?" She echoed. Harry nodded.
"He didn't go inside once?" Harry shook his head.
"All day," Hermione repeated. The sobs of students filled the hallway as Professor McGonagall had Madam Pomfrey levitate Ron's body away. Soon, Harry was taken to the hospital wing for his own safety - Ginny, too. They were both in such a state McGonagall thought it would be best if they were kept under surveillance. When Hermione still didn't show any emotion, she looked at her queerly and told her she could return to her dormitory.
"The initial shock hasn't set in, I guess," Hermione said quietly. McGonagall nodded, then hugged her close to her.
"Miss Granger...I can understand if you do not wish to attend lessons tomorrow," McGonagall sniffed, "you, Mr. Potter, and Miss Weasley may take the rest of the week off. We will notify Ronald's parents shortly - they'll want to plan a memorial service."
"Yes...they will," Hermione said hollowly.
"Take care, Miss Granger," McGonagall hugged her tightly once more and left. After she was out of earshot, Hermione collapsed to the floor in tears.
Ron didn't try to rape me, she thought, he'd been out with Harry. He was murdered...murdered...murdered...
