Disclaimer: The original HP characters and settings don't belong to me. I just made up the plot.
Ron was pacing. He didn't know why, he just was. He knew Ginny was worried about him as she sat there watching him wear out the rug. Harry was also there, though his face was much more passive.
Why does she never let me in?
Because she doesn't love you…Oh you shut it!
You've seen the way she is with Harry. The two are practically dating the way she hangs off of him. The way she runs to him…
We asked Harry already. Remember this morning."Harry…" Ron said hesitantly. Harry looked up from tying his shoes.
"Yeah."
"What's…what's going on with…"
"Ron spit it out!"
"Issomethinggoingonbetweenyounmione." He muttered. Harry however had known Ron way to long and understood immediately what he had said.
"What makes you think there is?" He asked quietly, waiting for the fire to burst beneath the always-simmering surface called Ron.
"Oh come on! Seriously. You two have been owling each other since you arrived at the Burrow and she's always pulling you aside to talk to you, and she's always grabbing on to you whenever that Wellington bloke comes around!" Harry was surprised.
"How did you know we were owling?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"You're only allowed to use Hedwig to owl someone in the Order or Hermione or me. I'm not thick Harry." His eyes boring in to Harry.
"Nothings going on between Hermione and I! Seriously," he added when he saw the look on Ron's face.
"Really."
"Truly… I wouldn't lie to you would I…"
"No… I guess not…" Harry had felt completely guilty after the conversation and had purposely avoided the topic of Hermione for the rest of the morning.
He could have been lying.
Why?
I…don't know…
Exactly…
It was now noon and the three were waiting for Hermione to come down so they could go to the library. She had told them that she wanted to show them something. Ron was about to call up when she appeared. Gliding down the stairs, she pushed purposefully past them and walked out of the room. They all looked at each other and decided to follow. They were just passing the Great Hall when they heard a voice call out.
"My, my, for a Mudblood you sure do clean yourself up don't you."
"Piss of Malfoy." Ginny said, glaring at the loathsome Slytherin. Malfoy's eyes shifted from Hermione, who had stopped upon hearing his voice, to the youngest redhead. His eyes ran up and down her body approvingly and Ron and Harry took a step forward.
Malfoy smiled, "For a Weasel, you look almost good enough to shag." Ron lunged.
"RON NO!" Hermione placed herself in front of him and blocked his way to Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles in anticipation, their height adding further menace to their features.
"Don't do it. He'll just get you in trouble." Ron glared at Malfoy and turned and began to head down the corridor to the library.
"Oh, what, you going to listen to that shag toy!" Hermione turned around and stared at him, a look of horror on her face. Malfoy winked at her and turned and entered the Great Hall, shoving an unfortunate third year Hufflepuff out of the way. Hermione's gaze turned to Harry. He shook his head and grabbed Ron's other arm and dragged him down the hall.
"Hermione."
"Hmm…"
"What is it that you're hiding from Ron?" Hermione looked up from her reading into the brown eyes of Ginny. She regarded her for a moment and then returned to the book.
"Nothing." Ginny rolled her eyes. Lord give me strength. Dealing with a six stubborn ass brothers is hard enough. Don't give a woman who is in denial.
"Don't lie to me, Hermione Granger. Ron might let it slide because he believes you, but I'm a little more persistent." Isn't that the truth. She closed the book after marking the page and turned to Ginny.
"I'm not hiding anything." To her horror, Ginny produce a letter that looked a lot similar to the one that had informed her of Wellington's arrival.
"Where did you get that?" she asked quietly, snatching for the letter.
"It fell out of your Herbology note book this morning… Hermione, what happened this summer?" Hermione looked away.
"You have to promise me not to tell Ron."
"Why?"
"Just do it." She hissed. Ginny was taken back but nodded anyway. Hermione took a deep breath.
"I… I was…" she looked at Ginny with tears in her eyes. When Ginny tried to comfort her she pulled away, taking many deep breaths.
"Two weeks after I arrived back home this summer… I… I was raped Ginny…" The redhead gasped, sympathy and sadness rushing over her instantly.
"Oh Hermione…" She gathered her now sobbing friend into a hug and held her until she stopped shaking.
"I…oh Ginny, it was horrible… there were so many of them. They wouldn't stop! They kept coming to me. Using me… they took my wand and blinded me with a spell. They tied me up and just…" she continued to sob, "I probably would have been dead if Kingsly and Harry hadn't have found me." Ginny pulled away.
"Harry knew." Hermione nodded.
"Kingsly was supposed to pick him up and bring him to you guys but then I managed to send a Patronus for help. It must have reached him first. He arrived with Harry and they took me to St. Mungos." Then it hit Ginny.
"That's why you didn't come when Ron had the accident on the broom, that's why you were so distant with him! That's why you've been so secretive with Harry. That's why…" Suddenly she stopped. How could I have been so stupid. Of course!She grabbed Hermione's face in her hands. "It was Wellington wasn't it." The sobs came again. She was about to answer when Harry and Seamus burst into the common room. Both were pale.
"What happened to you?" a frightened fifth year girl asked.
"Everyone is to stay in their common rooms. Dumbledore's orders!" Seamus explained while Harry ran over to the girls.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked urgently. Harry caught his breath before answering.
"There's been an attack on four students and one of them is still missing."
"WHAT! It's not even dark outside yet."
"I know…" Ginny watched him as Hermione paled.
"Harry, where's Ron?" Harry looked at her, dread in his eyes.
"Ron's missing."
A/N: Don! Don! Don! Suspence! Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I was really surprised by the reads. Speacial thanks to:
connieewing- Well I hope you got back onto your seat... or fell of it from the shock. ;-)
cucu4cocopuffs- I hope I answered some of your questions. Don't worry, in the next chappie I'll put more of Wellington in it. This chapter was just for you, even though i had it before the reviews. I must have read your mind!
rivillie- Wish come true. Thanks for reviewing.
Heres a chapter tease:
"I seem to remember you screaming out my name." She twitched slightly but kept her eyes on the book before her, though total focus on the words lost.
"That wasn't out of pleasure, I assure you." A grin reached his features.
"I'm just suprized that with all the loving we gave you, that you didn't end up with a little slut Jr. in there." The wood was at his face in an instant.
"What do you want?" she asked dangerously.
"Where's lover boy, redhead? The search was called off... what? Is he pushing up daisys?"
