I'm really sorry about not updating in a long time. I have a really good reason, my life sucks, completely. Everything in my life has started going crazy, so I never really got the time to update sooner. Well, the chapters up now, and that's all that matters, right?

A special thank you to all the reviews out there.

Chapter 16

Draco and Ron

"I'm glad you're feeling much better." Draco said. It was about an hour before Hermione was going to be released. Harry and Ginny were still there, relaxing back in the chairs.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't have been here earlier." Draco said. "The stupid ministry had me work a lot, probably because you three weren't there."

"It's alright." Hermione said softly. "What happened with our jobs?" She wanted to make sure everything was alright, after she promised Harry that everything would be okay.

Harry suddenly sat up and leaned forward, wanting to pay a lot of attention in this conversation. He did not want to have to go and look for another job. Not since he had been working for the ministry, and had accomplished his goal to become an auror.

"Nothing, not that I know of." Draco answered vaguely. "The stupid minister wanted to fire you, both of you. I think that was basically because of what you did for me. He still has a grudge against you for that."

"Yeah, we know." Harry said.

"The Head of the Auror's Department stood up for you. He argued with Scrimgemour and told him that it wasn't either of your faults. After a lot of discussion, the minister finally said that he wouldn't fire you, but you needed to watch what you're doing more."

"Alright, good." Hermione said. She also did not want to lose her job.

"Hey where's Ron?" Draco asked, finally noticing he wasn't there. "He was at work, but he left way before me, I thought. I thought he would have made it here way before me."

"Oh," Harry said. "He must be meeting us at the house, since well be there in a little."

"Maybe," Draco said, not wanting to argue.

"Hermione, how'd this all happen anyways?" He asked, touching a subject that both Harry and Ginny were afraid to touch.

"I really don't know." Hermione said. She now started racking her brain, trying to figure out what happened. "I just really spaced out."

"Do you think someone possessed you?" Ginny asked, remembering one of her past experience with Voldemort.

"No, at least I don't think so. I doubt it."

"Well, did you have any blackouts?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "No"

"Did you feel like someone was controlling you, and making you feel like you had to do something?" Ginny asked, still thinking of some of the symptoms she had when she was being possessed.

"No, I just felt like I wanted something I shouldn't have, or normally wouldn't have."

"Plus," Harry said, having an idea pop through his head. "Wouldn't that have shown up when they examined her? The healers said they couldn't find any spells or potions in her body, wouldn't that have shown up."

"I don't know I was never tested when it was happening to me."

"Besides, who would want to possess me?" Hermione asked.

Hermione had just been released from the hospital. Ginny and Draco had decided to go with Harry and Hermione home, to make sure everything was okay. Harry wanted to apparate home, knowing that it would be a lot quicker, but Hermione said no. She did not want to; she hated the feeling, even if she was feeling fine. Harry accepted her wishes, and drove her home. Ginny and Draco, on the other hand, apparated. Ginny did not mind the intense feeling, and neither did Draco. They made it to the house way before Harry and Hermione would have. They let themselves in, since Harry had given them a key for this one time.

The house was empty; no one was in it whatsoever.

"Ron." Ginny called. There was no response.

"RON!" Draco screamed, much louder than her.

Silence, still.

"I'll go check upstairs." Ginny said. She knew her brother was there, he had to be, for Hermione. She needed his support, all of theirs.

Draco looked around the room. He walked into the living room, and noticed it was a total mess. There were tons of cans of fire whiskey on the table. There were also many torn up pieces of paper, with blobs of ink on them. He then noticed one unwrinkled paper with a quill right next to it. He picked it up and read it, unsure of what it was about.

I need it, now. You got what you wanted and now it's your turn to give me what I wanted, or else.

Draco kept reading it over and over, trying to figure out who it was to, or if Ron wrote it.

"Bloody hell, what happened here?" Ginny asked, appalled at the sight.

"I don't know I found it like this. Here, read this." He handed Ginny the paper he had just found. She too kept reading it over and over.

"Do you think Ron could have made this mess?" He asked her.

"I don't know. If he did, he didn't alone. He hardly ever drinks."

"What about the letter?"

"Doubt it. It doesn't sound like Ron. Plus, Ron doesn't write like this." She answered, reexamining the writing on the letter. "He writes sloppier."

"Oh, well then maybe he invited some of his friends over." Draco commented, coming up with a logical theory. "Well, let's at least clean this place up."

Both Draco and Ginny used a few quick spells, and got the place spotless.

"Who ever was here had a serious drinking problem," Ginny said.

Draco and Ginny had sat down on the now clean couch, waiting for them to arrive. They knew that it would take them very long to get back, having driven from there many times.

In a few minutes, the door handle slowly turned. They knew it couldn't have been them, already. Ginny turned and saw her brother coming.

"Hey guys, I didn't know we were having company over." Ron said, as soon as he opened the door. "What's going on?"

"Why weren't you at the hospital?" Ginny asked, angrily. "Hermione wanted you there."

"I'll tell her I'm sorry," Ron said seriously. "Its just I had some business to take care of."

"Work?"

"No, not exactly."

Draco had stood there silently, staring at him. There was something different about him, and he noticed it as soon as he came in. He had noticed this so quickly, because he had been in this shape quite a few times before. Ron looked like he had been beaten up, or in a very big fight. He then looked down at his hand and noticed that it was bleeding, horribly.

"What happened?" Draco asked, even though he had thought he had come to the right conclusion already.

"Huh?" Ron stared at him in confusion.

"Your hand, it's bleeding, what did you do to it?" he asked, making himself much clearer.

"Oh, this, I hurt it at work." He said.

"Oh," Draco said.

'Work was hours ago, how could it still be bleeding' he thought.

"Ron, how could that cut still be bleeding if you hurt it at work? That was hours ago." Draco said.

"Well, I ran into some nasty blast-ended skrewts. I held it in the wrong spot."

Draco chuckled. "Don't you remember, you're supposed to hold it in the middle?"

"Yes, I remember, Stupid little gits though. Would have had my whole arm off it I didn't drop it."

Ginny had now joined in on the laughing. "And that is why you're supposed to pay attention in classes, Ron, and not just copy off of Hermione the whole time.

"Yes, I know." Ron said.

Ron had now just come and sat down in the chair. He got a little more relaxed, when the door handle turned, showing them that Harry and Hermione had just arrived.

They both entered the room, to see the three relaxing. Ron automatically jumped up and gave her a huge hug, showing her he still cared.

"I'm glad you're still here," Ron said seriously.

"Yeah"

"Look, sorry I wasn't at the hospital or anything. I had to work a lot and then had plenty of other things to do."

"It's alright." Hermione said, forgivingly. She did mind that he wasn't there at first, but now she didn't want to make a big scene out of it. It was nothing.

Draco stood in the back of the room and watched the two of them. He now came up with another conclusion, and this one he knew had to be true. The golden trio wasn't as close as they use to be.

AN- Hopefully, there will be a chapter up next weekend, since it's mostly all written, and I'm completely over writers block.

Please Review

Kelly