AN: Sorry once again it took me so long to write this chapter, I've been tirelessly helping Lady Eclypse with her story, which is brilliant if I may add. And also, I apologize for it not being as long as my last couple chapters, hope you enjoy!
-Mirioux
Chapter Thirteen: Quarantined
"So what's really going on Professor Lupin?" Harry asked as they left the great hall.
"We are entirely sure yet Harry, we just know that this select group of people could be in eminent danger," Professor Lupin lied to the young man, "From Niffler chemicals no less." He found it hard to keep himself from laughing as he said this, it was hardly believable.
"Professor, I've never heard of anything so strangely bazaar happening in the wizarding world…it's so…Muggle-like." Harry decided.
"Well Harry, some things just can not be explained in the magical world without being relatively Muggle," Professor Lupin explained.
"Then why Professor, are just the five of us being quarantined?" Ginny wondered.
"Because we know for sure that you five have been exposed to the chemicals, Madame Pomfrey will be looking in on you some time today," Professor Lupin continued explaining as they came to the portrait of a ballet dancer. "Ah, Marie how are you today?"
"I am doing well young Remus, and how have you been as of late?" Marie asked with a curtsy.
"I have seen better days, but I am quite well."
"And who might your even younger friends be?"
"These five outstanding students, are to be your guests for the time being, no one is allowed to enter besides the Hogwarts staff, and no one is to be let out, no post is to be entered or released in to these quarters either. These are strict instructions…"
"Yes I know from the Head Mistress, she's inside waiting for you lot, now speak the pass word and I shall let you in." Marie interrupted, a bit huffy with the reiteration of her instructions.
"Chicken Feed."
"Good day to you all, for the time being," Marie smirked as she opened.
The students filed into the common room where Professor McGonagall sat waiting for them. "Good you are all here," she greeted motioning for them to sit in the chairs that were dotted around the common room. "I'm just here to explain your rules for the duration of your stay in this set of dorms. First, no one but teaching staff will be entering or exiting through that portrait hole, second, two professors will be teaching a week's worth of material in one night, thirdly, no owls period, we cannot let anything foreign enter or exit this area, this applies to Miss Grimm and Mr. Malfoy, fourthly, the prefects will be taking over your duties until the quarantine is over. Please get along, and don't be afraid to enjoy yourselves." She left the quarantine area, as did Professors Lupin, and Grimm.
"So, what is the real story then?" Hermione found herself wondering out loud.
"Professor Lupin stone walled me," Harry told her with a sigh of frustration.
"Clearly they don't want us to know what is really going on," Draco concluded.
"Or we really are poisoned by Niffler chemicals," Blaise commented trying to stifle a rather girlish giggle.
"Why are you being so bloody stupid?" Hermione demanded of her cousin.
"Well, maybe I wouldn't be so bloody stupid if you weren't being so mean! I was just trying to lighten the mood." Blaise snapped in response. Her eyes narrowed as she scowled at him evilly.
"I will be in my room if anyone needs me," she growled as she entered the room with her name on the door.
"Nice going ass bag!" Draco muttered, smacking the back of Blaise's head.
"What, I didn't do anything wrong…" Blaise protested.
Ginny knocked on Hermione's door, and was immediately allowed to enter, "What's really bothering you Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd that Ron has been 'secretly' spying on us, being in nearly all the same places as us at nearly the same time, yet he's not here quarantined with us?" Hermione questioned, after silently thinking about it for a few moments.
"Well, yes, but loads of other students have been with us as well, and no one else is quarantined. Don't give it too much thought Hermione. I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time," Ginny assured her. "Besides, Ronald would last a day in here with those three savages," she hugged Hermione momentarily and then left her to herself.
As Ginny was leaving, Draco was entering Hermione's room, "Hey Beautiful," he said wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her intoxicating smell. "What's on you mind Lover?"
"I'm really worried about why we're here Draco. You and I both know that chemicals and Nifflers have nothing to do with this. It's Voldemort, and they don't want us involved, but I don't understand why?" She sighed as she faced him.
"You're probably right, but there's really nothing we can do about it in here. Think of it this way Love, Harry and Ginny are safe here with us, You and I are together, and you have Blaise with you here as well; Lylan is protecting you, the only one that you really have to worry about really is Weasley himself…"
"It's him!" Hermione gasped as she realized why they were separate from the main stream populous of the school.
"It's Ron, he's the danger. He is why we are here…it has to be, he must have made some sort of deal with Voldemort…but why?"
"Hermione, if that was true then McGonagall would have just taken care of him, expelled him, given him to the Aurors or Azkaban. They wouldn't let him stay here," Draco reasoned with her.
"That's what I don't yet understand," she rested her head on his chest.
"Don't think about it, when they think that we are ready to know the truth, and then they will tell us. Just enjoy the time that we have together, and the time that you have with your friends." He advised as he stroked her hair and just held her, comforting her from her fears. "I love you," he breathed.
"I love you too Draco and I don't want to lose you…" she felt her eyes well up with tears.
"Hermione, you will never lose me. No one can ever take you away from me, and if they do, I will not rest until I have you back in my arms where you belong! You just remember that…"
Ron had a scowl on his face the entire morning through breakfast, especially since Professor McGonagall's announcement about the Niffler chemicals. He had never heard of that method before, but he didn't think that the Head Mistress would idly lie to the entire school as easily as Albus Dumbledore had done on numerous occasions. In fact he knew that McGonagall was quite apt to tell the truth, even when Dumbledore had wished to keep certain things out of ear shot of the students.
'The Dark Lord is not going to be happy about this at all,' he thought angrily, as he let the Head Mistress's words sink into his brain.
"Ron, Ron, hey are you ok man?" Ron was snapped out of his train of thought by Dean Thomas shaking his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Ron expounded harshly, smacking Dean's hand off of his shoulder, 'How dare such filth touch the flesh of a servant of the Dark Lord?' he thought in disgust.
"Hey, you were spacing off, and you bent your fork in half, we were concerned is all. No need to be so bloody arrogant! Starting to act as Malfoy used to," Dean snapped in irritation.
"Well, you will do well to remember that I am nothing like that foul piece of Pureblood shit, I don't waste my time with that filthy little Mud blood wanna be anymore," Ron spat as he shoved himself away from the Gryffindor table and whisked out of the great hall in a eye hazing rage.
"What the fucking hell is his bloody problem?" Dean huffed as he sat back down and continued his chat with Seamus Finnigan.
"No idea mate, he's been mental all bloody year," Seamus replied.
"He's never called Hermione a mudblood before that's for sure. What do you think that means?"
"I don't know, mate, he's changed so much this year it's like he's not the real Ron Weasley anymore. It's almost as if he and Malfoy have switched bodies or something."
"That's what you would think. But we know better than that."
