Chapter 21: Rane Intervenes

For the first time since September, Harry was thankful that Hermione was tucked away safe in Bulgaria. Since the breakout at Azkaban Prison, Death Eater attacks were on the rise. Fred and George's joke shop was just the first on the list of many others to follow. Soon all the shop owners were closing their doors in fear that theirs would be the next to go. With every store closing announcement that appeared in The Daily Prophet Harry grew more grim. Voldemort was gaining power. His Death Eeaters were wreaking havoc and disrupting their daily lives, bringing the wizarding community to their knees financially. And Harry knew it was only a matter of time before they started attacking individuals, just as he knew Hermione would be on the very top of Draco Malfoy's list of prime first targets.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked over the top of his Quidditch notes. Of course there were other reasons he was glad Hermione wasn't anywhere near Hogwarts, and that reason was sitting across the room from him and Ginny. Ever since Hermione had sent Ron back to them a month ago he had been acting rather strange. He and Rane now spent more time together then ever. They spent hours revising at their usual corner table; she and her friends now joined them for every meal; and Ron had even taken the time to teach her how to play Quidditch.

Upon hearing this news Harry and Ginny had rushed down to the Quidditch pitch, as well as most of the other Gryffindors, to find a front row seat and watch. For many months now Rane had turned down every offer to join in an impromptu game, claming that she was horribly uncoordinated off the ground. If this were true Harry suspected it would have been highly entertaining to try and watch Ron keep his temper long enough to teach her. And much to his amusement, Rane really was as horrible as she claimed to be. No one could fake her awkward grip and jerky movements.

What Harry didn't find amusing was the way Ron kept at it for nearly two hours and only came close to loosing his temper once when Rane had lurched suddenly to the side and beamed him in the head with the tail end of her broom. And even that burst of anger was confined to one choice curse word before he rubbed his head and forcefully laughed it off, assuring her that it was quiet all right. If anyone else had done what she had they would have gotten more then one choice word but an entire ear full, as well as the full evidence of the famed Weasley wrath.

It wasn't until that moment that Harry realized the full extent of what was happening. Ron and Rane weren't just friends. Ron was, for the lack of a better word, courting her. And Rane seemed all to willing to let him do it. And what was worse, Harry now found himself fighting an internal battle of wills. A very strong part of him wanted to step in and intervene, to tell Ron that he was being a right prat. But then he remembered what his friend had been like before Christmas and didn't want a return of the sadder, more depressing Ron.

Ron still hadn't told him what Hermione has said to him the day she had 'summoned him', as Ron liked to call it, but Harry suspected that what ever it was it was brought about this change. And it wasn't a bad change, he had to admit, it was just a change that didn't feel right. Harry knew Ron probably better then the red head knew himself, and there was no doubt in his mind that Ron was still in love with Hermione. And Harry couldn't believe that Hermione's affections really rested elsewhere, Ron had been all to happy after all to report that Hermione was no longer seeing 'that Bulgarian git', more evidence to Harry's thinking of Ron's affection.

But there in lie the problem. Harry was fully aware of Ron's affections, he had all but told him he was in love with her. And Harry suspected that Hermione felt the same way for Ron, but she had never confided in Harry so he didn't know for fact. So he drew the only conclusion that made any sense for Ron's behavior. Hermione must not realize that she fancied him, or Harry had been wrong from the very begging and she really didn't, but he couldn't quiet make himself believe that.

As Harry watched, Ron tried unsuccessfully, once again, to casually take hold of Rane's hand only to have her move it out of reach at the last moment. He had been doing that more frequently over the past month. Harry knew it was wrong, but every time Ron failed he breathed with a sigh of relief. If Hermione did still fancy him, Harry hated to think what would happen when she came home to discover that he had moved on to another girl.

Harry felt a gentle prod in his side, and turned his head to see Ginny nodding towards the window that had just been opened by a first year. A large barn owl swooped in through the opening and made its way towards Ron and Rane. "Hermione's written again." She murmured as the owl came to land in front of the tall red head.

Harry sighed with relief. Four and a half weeks and the letters were still coming. Harry knew Hermione was trying to make it up to him. In all the time that had passed not a day had gone by without a letter from Bulgaria arriving. And while in the company of others Ron acted like it was no big thing, Harry knew that at night when he thought the rest of the dorm was sleeping, he would reread the letter several times before going to sleep. And that all the letters she had sent were tucked away carefully in a box under his bed in the place where another box had once sat. Harry didn't know what Ron had done with all the letters that Hermione had sent back to him since September, but he suspected Ron had binned them or burdened them.

Ron jumped with a start when the barn owl had landed in front of him. He saw the now familiar envelope bearing his name in Hermione's precise handwriting. Looking guiltily between Rane and the envelope, he moved quickly, snatching the missive free of the bird and slipping it into his pocket, hoping she hadn't seen.

Rane's quill stopped moving abruptly as she looked over at Ron, her brows furrowed in confusion. She straightened in her seat as she dabbed the remaining ink off her quill and set it beside her roll or parchment. "Ron, why do you do that?"

The tips of Ron's ears turned pink as he tried to look anywhere but at her. "Do what?"

Her eyes widened with annoyance. "Try and hide Hermione's letters from me?"

Ron's neck sank into his shoulder as he smiled sheepishly. "I thought it might bother you."

Rane sat back with surprise. "Why on earth would you think Hermione writing you would bother me?"

Ron's skin grew even more heated under her steady gaze. "Well, be…because I thought…I thought that you…I mean we…"

Rane's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly open with understanding. "Oh…oh I see. You thought…"She put out a hand and let it fall gently on his wrist. "It's all right. I understand." She tilted her head to the side and looked at him intently before giving it a slight nod. "It is time." She stood up and her hand slid free of his wrist, breaking contact making him almost immediately sorry for the loss. "Ron I think we have to talk. Would you come with me?"

Wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him whole where he sat, he looked about anxiously for something to save him from going with her. He didn't know exactly what she wanted to say to him but thought he had a very good idea, and he knew it wasn't anything that he particularly wanted to hear. It couldn't be good if they needed to leave the room for her to say it.

As if she had read his thoughts and knew he was looking for an escape, she took hold of his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Ron, I have put this off for to long. We need to talk." She cast a quick glance about the room and saw that other four sixth year boys that shared Ron's dorm were in the common room and so suggested his dormitory. Knowing that there was no chance of escape Ron followed reluctantly behind.

Ginny looked over at Harry and saw that he had noticed the same thing she had. "What do you think there going to do?"

Harry shook his head slowly, "I don't know." He met Ginny's warm coffee brown eyes. "But what ever it is I don't like the look of it."

When Ron and Rane gained the solitude of the boy's dormitory, Ron instantly sought the comfort and security of his bed. He sat down at the head, moving his pillow so that it wouldn't be crushed beneath him. Rane on the other hand turned and impervioused the door so that they would not be disturbed. Satisfied that the door was thoroughly sealed she gave her head a curt nod before she turned abruptly on her heal to find Ron watching her with an apprehensive gaze.

"It's all right Ron," she assured him. "I brought you up here to help you."

Ron sat up straighter in surprise. He watched with slightly narrowed eyes as Rane made her way to his bed and sat down across from him at the foot. She made herself comfortable crossing her legs beneath her and leaning back against one of the posts.

"To begin with," Rane tipped her head back to rest on the wooden post, her eyes never leaving him. "Why don't you tell me about her?"

"Who?" Ron asked, "Hermione?"

Rane nodded. "I've never met her so I won't hold an opinion, but from I've gathered, hearing people talk about her, she is a bossy little know-it-all."

Ron's lips twitched slightly at her words. "Yeah, I probably called her that more then anyone."

"And yet you love her anyway."

Ron bristled with aggravation. "I don't love her."

Rane's lips curved down in a frown. "You can't lie to me Ronald Weasley. I know for a fact that you love her, so don't try and deny it."

Ron felt the begging's of his temper rising inside him. "Who are you to tell me what I feel?"

"Don't get angry with me." She snapped back. "I'm just trying to help. Everyone here knows you're mad for her. And to be honest, if what they say is true, I don't understand. How can anyone as laid back as I know you can be, possibly be in love with a bossy little know-it-all like her?"

Ron crossed his arms and leaned back, his lips pursed as if trying to decide what to make of Rane and her upfront questions. Despite himself Ron felt the urge to confide in his friend, sensing that she could help him in a way that Harry, no matter how great a friend he was, never could.

Deciding to follow his gut instinct he closed his eyes as he conjured an image of Hermione to the forefront of his brain. "I know most people find her know-it-all ways to be infuriating, I do myself sometimes. But oddly enough," he opened his lids and pinned Rane with his penetrating blue orbs. "That is one of the things I love most about her."

"Really?" Rane seemed genuinely surprised. "Most would not find those attractive qualities."

Ron couldn't help but smile. "I thought the same thing when I first met her. But do you want to know what else I thought?" he waited for Rane's nod. "I couldn't help but think that she had to be one of the kindest people I ever met, even if she was a bit uptight and a little bit of a show off."

Rane settled onto the bed with her legs crossed, elbows propped on each knee, and chin resting on her clasped hands, sure that Ron would continue talking with very little prompting necessary.

"She cut her hair you know." He leaned his head back against the stead, lifted his knees until they were bent and rested his wrists on them so that his hands hung down in front of him. "I think I was the only person in this school who thought her hair was beautiful the way it was." His eyes drifted closed and a sad sort of smile formed on his lips. "I use to stare at her endlessly wondering what it would feel like to run my fingers through her thick hair." His eyes snapped open. "You don't think that's weird, do you?"

Rane couldn't help smiling as she shook her head no. She didn't think it was strange at all, in fact she thought it sounded rather sweet.

Ron, satisfied with her nod, continued. "I don't think I could pin down exactly what it is that made me fall in love with her. All I know is that Hermione has always been there for me. Has always had my best interest at heart. And has risked her life for Harry and me more times then I wish to count. That's not something you can say about most people."

"No." she agreed. "I don't suppose it is." She tilted her head to the side to study him, knowing full well there was more. "So what happened to change that?" Ron's eyes snapped to hers in slight surprise. "You never explained to me why you stopped talking to each other."

Sighing heavily he looked away from her penetrating amber eyes. "I said something I shouldn't have said." He answered deliberately vague knowing full well if he said anymore it would be all over the school by morning. "I've apologized several times…"

"But she refuses to forgive you." She finished for him.

Ron tilted his head from side to side. "I don't think it's that." He tapped his knee in consideration with the knuckle of his right hand. "If you had said that before Christmas Holiday, I would have agreed with you."

"Then what changed?"

Ron's lips twitched from side to side as he thought. "I went to see her before she went back to Bulgaria."

"Well?" she asked excitedly. "What happened?"

Ron shrugged dismissively. "I apologized again and I explained to her why I said what I did and I pretty much told her what I felt about her."

Rane's mouth dropped to nearly her chest. "And she still hasn't forgiven you?" she asked indignantly, offended for her friend even though she didn't know what his true offense was. The only information she had to go on was what she had seen and heard since she arrived at Hogwarts.

From what she had heard Ran had been a real laugh in previous years, not as much as his two older brothers, but funny enough on his own. From the girls she had learned that he had a right charming and infectious laugh, something that was sorely missed for he rarely laughed openly anymore, and when he did it was restrained and forced. All she knew was that Hermione's callous treatment of Ron had hurt him greatly and she took great offense to anyone hurting one of her friends.

"She's forgiven me." Ron's reply took her aback.

"I don't understand." She looked at him with confusion written plainly on her face.

Ron lowered his knees until his legs were crossed beneath him. "You have to understand. Hermione is an extremely stubborn and willful person, rivaling probably only myself." Ron ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back out of his eyes. "She spent four months convincing herself that she hated me and that what's more, I hated her. If I know my Mione, and I assure you I do, she threw herself into her homework, and meeting other people so that she wouldn't have to think about me."

Rane tilted her head to the side in consideration. "What made her change her mind?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "I don't know. I do know that she read my letters, but I don't know if they are what brought her around. "But what ever it was, that's why she summoned me to her a few weeks back. To tell me she forgave me. To ask my forgiveness for her pigheadedness and to tell me …to tell me that she loves me." Ron waited to gauge Rane's reaction and was most surprised that she didn't seem to have one. She continued to stare at him intently, her manner leading him to believe that she had expected nothing less.

"Why do I have the feeling that you already knew all this?"

Rane's lips twitched into a timid half smile. "Because in a way I did."

Ron sat up with a start. "What?"

"Not all the details." She assured him. "Just the general idea, however what is a bit foggy for me is how you reacted to her declaration."

"Wait," Ron held up a halting hand. "How could you possibly know what's been going on between me and Hermione? I haven't even told Harry everything."

Rane tapped her chin impatiently with her fingers. "I'll answer all your questions after you've finished answering all mine."

Ron opened his mouth to argue but the stern look on her face was enough to silence his words before they had a chance to fully form in his brain.

When she was certain Ron would not object further she waved her hand vaguely. "You reaction?" She prompted.

Determined that he wasn't going to answer any further, he crossed his arms stubbornly in front of his chest but somehow, beyond his will, found his mouth opening and the rest of his story pouring out. "I told her that I had moved on and that I didn't know if we could be friends anymore."

Rane's mouth fell open in surprise. Despite her many abilities, she had not expected that. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, before narrowing into thin slits of annoyance. "What on earth," her hands found her way to her slender hips, "would posses you to say something as foolish as that?"

"It wasn't foolish." He charged back angrily. "She could have had my heart in the palm of her hands but she threw it back in my face." Rane straightened further, her mind racing with thought. "I've had a dull ache in my chest for months and I have no desire to have it back, thank you."

Making up her mind, Rane extended her hand towards the tall red head, "Ron, may I see your hand please." Without waiting to see what his response would be she crawled closer to him, plopped down, once again cross legged, and pulled his right hand towards her face and bent over it.

Ron frowned with confusion. "What do you want with my hand?" He tried to snatch it back but she held firm.

"I'm reading your palm." She murmured without looking up.

AS was her habit she had spoken quietly and it had been difficult for Ron to hear, but when her words clicked into place he rolled his bright blue eyes as images of Trelawney and her tower room classes came to mind. "Please tell me you don't believe in that fortune telling rubbish."

Rane glanced up at him, her eyes narrowed angrily. "I'll have you know that not all forms of divination or all practitioners are phony."

"Right." The tone of his voice spoke eloquently of his disbelief.

She released his hand to fold her arms in front of her chest. "I'll have you know," she said with a glacial edge to her voice, "that I am a descendent of a long line of gypsies?" Ron's eyes widened with surprise and admiration. "My family has been 'fortune telling' for centuries and not once have we been wrong."

"You're a gypsy? Like a real gypsy?" he asked with excitement, getting over his initial surprise. Rane nodded curtly. "Wicked!"

"Yes." Her lips inadvertently twitched at Ron's enthusiasm. "All the females in my family have the gift. My grandmother, my mother, my aunt, my cousin Ester, though she tries to fight it, and I all have the gift."

"Ester?" Ron asked with surprise. "As in Hermione's friend Ester?"

"Indeed." She reached for his hand once again and opened it up to her observing eyes. "Our mothers are sisters. When their caravan went through Bulgaria twenty years ago they met two best friends. My mother says she knew instantly she had found her one." Her nose twitched, and her eyes scrunched as she peered closer at the folds in his hand. "My mother and aunt decided to leave the caravan in favor of staying with my father and my uncle. They still practice of course, but only when it is completely necessary. And my grandmother, when the caravan comes through, always comes and teaches Ester and I different aspects of our gift." Rane frowned and glanced up at Ron for a moment. "Ester's funny about the gift though. Grandmother makes her come to the lessons but she refuses to learn all the different aspects of being a gypsy." She returned her focus to Ron's hand. "But she is incredible at divining the path and reading people. Better then I'll ever be. I'm much better at the physical things. Palm reading, tarot cards, tea leaves. My favorite is the crystal ball, but I only get to use one when I'm with my grandmother." Rane fell silent for several minutes and Ron could tell she was deep in thought by the crease that formed across the middle of her forehead. "It's strange though. For how much Ester hates being a Gypsy she refuses to deviate from the path."

"The path."

"Ummm." Rane ran her finger along one of the many lines in Ron's palm. Her touch was so soft as it skimmed across his flesh that it tickled causing his hand to jerk. Rane smirked as she glanced up at him before returning to his palm. "Did you know that gypsies have other gifts besides divining the future?"

Ron shook his head dumbly. "I don't really know much about gypsies. I'm sure Hermione could rattle off any fact you could possibly want. But I'm afraid I'm hopeless."

"That's all right." She assured him, "Not many people do. We like to keep our secrets within our people. A long time ago we use to offer our gifts freely, but then outsiders started to take advantage of us. That is why we started our caravans. That way we would never be in one place for to long and there wouldn't be a chance for our secrets to slip out."

"What kind of secrets?"

For a minute Ron thought she wasn't going to answer. She was staring at his palm so fixedly, her eyes scrunched in the middle. "I know things." She responded without looking up.

"You know things?"

"Umm." She nodded again. She pushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes and behind her right ear. "For instance, at the start of term I knew that you had gotten into an argument with a loved one and that you were hurting because of it. I also know that Harry is being forced to carry a heavy burden." She glanced up at Ron "a burden that could change the course of the world as we know it."

Ron's mouth dropped open. "You know about that?" He was clearly astonished. How could Rane know of the prophecy when Harry had only told him what it had said a few months ago?

"Not as much as you do." She finally looked up from his palm, but still held it firmly in hers. "It's hard to explain really. I can…sense things." She screwed up her eyes as she tried to find a way to better explain her gift to him. "Have you ever heard of women's intuition?" Ron nodded in the affirmative. "It's kind of like that." She explained. "I know things I shouldn't know. I can sense feelings and thoughts. I know when people are heading in harms direction and when I need to intervene." She turned her focus back to his palm. "It's because of my gift that I knew I never had a chance of winning your affection for myself."

"Wha… If you fancy me why are you doing this?" he asked one of the most intelligent and insightful questions of his life.

She directed his sight to his hand, "The answers are all right here in your palm." With her index finger she traced a long, thick and deep set line that ran the length of his hand. "This line means you will love once, you will love deep and you will love forever." Ron leaned in closer momentarily blocking her view. "Do you see this?" she pointed to another identifying mark in his palm that he couldn't see in the dim light. "This means that you will find the one very young in life." She scrunched up her nose as she brought his hand closer to his face, smoothing his fingers across her palm. "You have a long road ahead of you, Ron. There are many barriers in your path to true happiness. Many trials you will have to face. There will be times when you will feel like giving up." She looked up as her hand tightened painfully around his wrist. "But you mustn't. Believe me when I say that in the end all the heartache you go through will be worth it, and you and the one will be happy. Blissfully so. So don't give up." She said curling his hand into a tight fist, squeezing her own around it for emphasis.

When Rane finally released his hand they sat there feeling a bit awkward in the silence that followed her emphatic speech. Finally he lifted his hand and spread his fingers wide as possible, holding it up until it was just in front of his nose, barley brushing against its long tip. "It said all that in my palm?"

The serious mood evaporated and the pair grinned at each other as Rane started laughing followed quickly by Ron. Rane's lips spread into a bright smile. They were right. Ron really did have an infectious, charming laugh.

"So," he turned his palm over in his lap "you think my hand says all that?"

"No." she swung her legs over the side of his bed, and rose to her feet. "I know it says all that." She turned around, her hands on her hips, and looked down at him sternly. "So, have we had enough of this nonsense?"

"What nonsense?" he asked being purposefully obtuse.

Rane knew that a part of him was trying to poke fun, but she also knew that a greater part of him was not completely convinced with all she had said. "You believe me, don't you?"

"About what?" He turned his hand over so that it cold grip his knee. "You being a gypsy or what you said you read in my palm?"

"Both."

Ron's face scrunched in concentration as he too threw his legs over the side of the bed, however he remained seated, looking up at her from where he sat. "I believe you on being a gypsy. I knew there was something different about you."

She nodded, mildly satisfied. "And what I read in your palm?"

Ron looked away. "I haven't made my mind up." He could feel her disapproving glare without looking up. "It's just that…so much has happened. And I don't see how after everything that's happened things can be as perfect as you say." He looked down to where his hands were gripping his knees so tight that his knuckles were turning white. "It's just too hard."

To his surprise she reached forward and slipped her hand inside his pocket and pulled loose the letter from Hermione he had tucked away. "She's making an effort, Ron. Why aren't you?"

Ron snatched the letter angrily out of her hand. "Because I tried since August and she rejected my every attempt. If things were meant to be between us, it wouldn't be this hard. It wouldn't have hurt so much."

"No Ron, you have it backwards. It's because it's meant to be that it hurt so much. If it wasn't you wouldn't care so much."

Feeling defeated, Ron dropped his head into his hands. Instantly Rane reached out and ran her fingers through his hair with a mother's tenderness. At her touch he looked up at her with tear filled eyes. "I just can't. Not again."

Sensing his need for comfort Rane wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, still running her fingers through his fiery red hair. She would let it be for now. She had never been wrong before and wouldn't start now.

When Ron finally pulled free of her hug the tears were gone from his eyes. A dull pink tone spread from his ears to cover his face and travel down his neck. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Rolling her eyes and chuckling merrily she jabbed his in the shoulder with her fist. "Ron, you are such a prat."

He smiled wickedly up at her. "I see I've had a good influence on you. English swear words and all."

"Yes, well." She stepped back. "One can hardly spend time with you without picking up a few." Once again she sank onto the bed beside him, sitting cross legged and watching him intently. "So why don't you open the letter and see what it says?"

Ron looked over at her sheepishly for he just now realized that he was still clutching the letter in his hand. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Rane rolled her amber eyes. "Must I go through this all again?" She held out her hand with an exaggerated sigh. "Here give me your hand."

"That's all right." Ron ignored her small hand in favor of breaking the wax seal on the envelope. "I only needed to hear that once."

Smirking to herself Rane settled into a more comfortable position so that she could watch Ron as he read his letter. He could deny his feelings all he wanted, but it took one glance at him while reading her letter to know that he was deluding himself. His eyes lit up and sparkled merrily, his lips settled into a soft half smile. Every once in a while he would chuckle or roll his eyes but the smile never left his face.

When Rane thought he was reaching the close of the letter, which took a while considering Hermione had written on a good length of parchment and had miniscule, precise handwriting, his eyes scrunched in thought and then relaxed. His face morphed into a thoughtful expression as he folded the parchment and tucked it back in its envelope.

"Well," Rane asked, barely able to suppress her curiosity. "What did it say?"

"What? Do you mean you don't know?" His face was a mask of sarcastic surprise. "But I thought you knew everything."

"Ha ha. Very funny, Ron." She elbowed him in the side. "What did it say?"

The same tender smile that came over his face while he read her letter appeared now. He looked down to where he was continuously turning the paper over in his hand. "Nothing really at first. Just telling me what she and her friends, you're friends as well I suppose, were getting up. She spent half the letter telling me about this book she found in the library that she's been reading. I now have no need to read it myself." Rane chuckled alone with him. "And then she asked me if I still had the letter that she wrote to me four weeks ago. See she's coming back to England for the Easter Holiday and she wants to see me and she thinks that would be the best way?" He looked over at her with the same thoughtful expression as before on his face. "I still have the letter. But I don't know if I should go and see her."

"Well," she gave him a contemplative look. "I won't tell you what to do. I know what I think you should do, but then again I've already told you haven't I?"

"What are you muttering?"

Rane smiled brightly. "Nothing." She assured him. "Just thinking out loud. You have three weeks to decide. You can go and see her, or you can not. The choice is up to you."

There was the abrupt sound of the handle trying to be turned as well as the thud of a body hitting the door. "Oh no!" Came Neville's distraught voice. "Don't tell me I have to remember another password."

Ron and Rane shared a pained expression before the both burst into fits of laughter, practically falling over each other.

"Of course there hasn't." Came Seamus aggravated voice. "They've imperviated the door. But look its wearing off."

"What do you think there doing in there?" Dean questioned next.

"Nothing I want to see." Came Neville's panicked voice followed by feet fleeing down the stairs.

"Oh dear." Rane flopped back on the bed still chuckling. "I suspect there will be rumors about us all over school by morning."

Ron shrugged as he fell back on the bed. "Oh well." He tilted his head to the side to look at her. "Let them talk. I don't really care."