Draco arrived back at Hogwarts just as the final lesson of the day began. Instead of going to whatever lesson he should be attending, Draco instead chose to head down to the dungeons to freshen up. After grabbing a refreshing shower and getting changed into fresh clothes, he consulted his timetable and found the last lesson of the day was Transfiguration. Knowing that was where he would find Hermione, Harry and his other friends, Draco headed off to the transfiguration corridor and when the bell for the end of the day rang, he was leaning against the wall opposite the classroom.
When the class filed out, Hermione was the first to see him and she rushed over to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around him as Harry and the Slytherins also gathered around him.
"How's Narcissa?"
"She's been awake a few times," Draco replied. "When I left she was sleeping again."
"But she's going to be okay?" Harry checked.
"With some rest, she'll be fine," Draco replied. "But let's not discuss this here," He added in a low voice as Ron appeared in the corridor behind them and gave them all a disgusted glare.
"Do you mind?" He spat. "Some of us want to get past."
"We're not stopping you, Weasley," Blaise retorted, gesturing to all the space there was in the corridor. Yes, there was a group of them, but they weren't blocking the corridor in any way.
"Just trying to make us all sick," Ron shot back. "Seriously, who wants to watch the ferret snogging the bushy haired traitor bitch?"
"You better watch what you're saying about my girlfriend, Weasley," Draco warned in a low voice as he whipped out his wand and pointed it at the redhead. "I'm really not in a forgiving mood at the moment."
"Why? A day off lessons not suit you?" Ron spat. "It's alright for some, skiving all day."
"I was not skiving, I was with my mother in hospital," Draco snarled. He'd arrived back at Hogwarts via Severus's office and his godfather had told them that the staff had all been told Narcissa was ill, and even though the students had just been told Lucius was dealing with a family emergency he knew word of Narcissa being ill would have spread throughout the school.
"And what? You expect me to be sympathetic?" Ron snorted. "It's just a shame she didn't snuff it during the night."
With a low growl, Draco launched himself at Ron before anyone else could react and within seconds the two wizards were rolling around on the floor. Both Draco's wand and Ron's were forgotten about as the two boys set about physically battling it out. Very quickly Draco got the upper hand and he managed to land a solid punch to Ron's nose. Although Ron wasn't one to be beaten and he kneed Draco in the groin just as Professor McGonagall swept out of her classroom to see what all the fuss was about.
"Just what is going on here?" She demanded.
"Malfoy's broke my nose," Ron wailed as blood flew everywhere from his injury.
"You're lucky it wasn't your neck," Draco snarled as he stumbled to his feet.
"Enough," McGonagall snapped. "Malfoy, Weasley, get into my classroom now and don't even think about restarting this juvenile fight. As for the rest of you, run along and find something productive to do with your time."
"But don't you want to hear what happened?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure Mr Malfoy and Mr Weasley are quite capable of sticking up for themselves, Miss Granger," McGonagall replied haughtily, giving Hermione a dismissive glare.
"Yeah, bog off Granger," Ron sneered.
"Into the classroom, now," McGonagall ordered Ron, giving him a push. "You too," She added to Draco.
"We'll be in the library when you're finished," Harry said to Draco as his friend reluctantly disappeared into McGonagall's classroom.
While Harry, Hermione and the Slytherins headed off to the library, Draco slouched into McGonagall's classroom behind Ron. McGonagall followed the two boys into the classroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
"That was disgraceful behaviour," McGonagall scolded. "You were both acting like children. Both of you will lose thirty points for fighting."
"Thirty?" Ron repeated in horror. "But that's not fair, he attacked me."
"You deserved it," Draco retorted, glaring at Ron.
"Enough," McGonagall called, stopping things before the two teenagers got embroiled in fresh fight. "Mr Weasley, tell me what happened."
"I left the classroom and Malfoy and his bitch of a girlfriend were blocking the corridor with their snogging antics," Ron began.
"I've warned you Weasley, do not call Hermione names," Draco snarled menacingly.
"Thank you Mr Malfoy," McGonagall intervened. "And Mr Weasley you've lost another five points for calling other students derogatory names. Just tell me what happened without the name calling."
"Malfoy and Granger were in the way with their little posse," Ron replied snappishly. "I tried to get past, words were exchanged and the next thing I know Malfoy jumped me."
"Liar," Draco spat. "You know exactly why I attacked you."
"So you admit, you attacked Mr Weasley?" McGonagall asked, looking almost triumphant to catch the blond Slytherin admitting to doing something against the school rules.
"I did," Draco admitted, surprising both McGonagall and Ron with how easy he'd admitted being the instigator of the fight. "And do you want to know why I attacked him?"
"Is there ever a good reason to attack another student?" McGonagall questioned.
"There is if he tells you your seriously ill mother should have died," Draco answered through clenched teeth. He was still smarting from Ron's crack and he knew the second he got another chance the redhead would pay for his vile insults about Narcissa.
McGonagall turned to Ron, her anger and disappointment clear for both him and Draco to see. "Tell me you didn't say such a thing."
"I can't remember what I said," Ron said with a shrug.
"Let me jog your memory," Draco supplied. "You said it was a shame my mother hadn't snuffed it during the night."
"How is your mother?" McGonagall asked, although Draco could hear that it was merely a polite enquiry, there was no concern in her voice. "Professor Snape said she was taken ill late last night."
"It got a bit dicey when she was first taken to hospital, but she's pulled through," Draco replied. "She'll be fine with some rest."
"That's good," McGonagall replied with a nod. "But even so, I cannot excuse the fighting. Both of you are to come to my office after dinner and we can discuss detentions. And I'm warning you both, another incident like todays and I'll be taking you both to the headmaster. Fighting is frowned upon at Hogwarts, and if I catch you brawling again I'll recommend suspension for you both. Is that clear?"
"Yes Professor," Ron replied.
"Yes," Draco bit out, when McGonagall turned her stern expression on him.
"Mr Weasley, go up to the hospital wing to get your nose fixed," McGonagall ordered. "And Mr Malfoy, you leave via my office and stay away from Mr Weasley."
"With pleasure," Draco muttered as he shot Ron once last glare before turning and heading to McGonagall's office.
Passing through the office, he made his way to the library, where he found his friends gathered around one of the large tables at the back of the room. Settling down in the seat beside Hermione, he answered all their questions as they asked what had happened with Ron.
"Someone should pick another fight with him just to get the bugger suspended," Hermione muttered as she double checked Draco was okay.
"Just say the word and I'll take him out," Blaise said, winking at Hermione.
"Did you just wink at my girlfriend?" Draco queried.
"I was just offering my services," Blaise replied innocently.
"Well she doesn't need your services, she's got me," Draco replied territorially as his placed an arm around Hermione's shoulder and gave Blaise a warning stare.
"Boys, don't be so childish," Hermione tutted, although secretly she found Draco's possessive attitude quite sexy. Not that she was going to tell him that as she was still fiercely independent and she didn't need him thinking he could act like a jealous cave man every time Blaise, or any other wizard for that matter, flirted with her.
"Tell us about Narcissa," Harry urged.
"Is it safe?" Draco asked, looking around. Even though he couldn't see anyone else, he didn't want anyone to overhear some of what he had to say.
Quickly Harry and Hermione erected a privacy spell around the table, ensuring that no-one was approached them could hear what they were saying. Once their privacy was ensured, Draco set about telling his friends about his mother. He shared the good news that aside from some heavy scarring she would make a complete recovery. He then dropped the bombshell that Narcissa had been the one to kill Bellatrix as she saved Beth's life.
"If she was still around, I would skin the bitch alive," Hermione swore.
"Definitely scary," Theo muttered, eyeing Hermione warily.
"Calm down Hermione, you're scaring Theo," Draco joked.
"Too right she is," Theo agreed, although he gave Hermione a smile to let her know he wasn't totally running scared of her. "Remind me to never upset you, Hermione."
"I'm sure you won't get on my bad side, Theo," Hermione said with a smile of her own. "And Bellatrix is lucky she's already dead. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would want to hurt her. Does Father know about Bellatrix?"
"Father's going to tell him the full story," Draco answered.
Hermione nodded, and as the others changed the subject she sat quietly contemplating that if it hadn't been for Narcissa, she would be sitting here without a mother. She would have to find a way of thanking Narcissa for saving her mother's life.
C.O.T.D.
After visiting the hospital wing, Ron returned to Gryffindor Tower where he'd had a full on rant about Draco and the fight they'd gotten into. When he initially returned to the common room, sympathies had been with him, but as he ranted people had drifted off and once again Ron found himself standing alone. His attitude was rapidly turning people against him, and any chance he had of helping Ginny gaining some support for the light was rapidly diminishing.
By the time dinner rolled round, Ron was well and truly on his own and he stomped down to the Great Hall by himself. Unluckily he arrived at the same time as Harry, Hermione and the Slytherins and he was forced to witness Harry and Hermione exchanging kisses with their respective Slytherin partners before he could enter the Great Hall. Making sure he sat as far away from Hermione and Harry as he could, Ron slouched down at the Gryffindor table and waited for the food to appear.
A few minutes later the food appeared, but before Ron had even had a chance to pick up his plate everyone was distracted by an owl swooping into the Great Hall. Post generally arrived at breakfast time so there was an air of curiosity as the bird soared into the room. Like everyone else, Ron had stopped to check out the owl and he nearly dropped his plate in surprise as he recognised the bird as Hermes, Percy's owl.
Hermes dropped a letter on Ron's empty plate, before swooping over to the Professors table and dropping a second letter in front of McGonagall. With that Hermes exited the Great Hall, leaving it in deathly silence. The owl's actions had captured everyone's attentions and they were all waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Ron glanced over at McGonagall, and finding her looking at the unopened letter with a frown on her face, he turned his attention to his own. The writing on the front of the envelope, which was addressed to both him and Ginny, was in his mother's writing. Praying it wasn't bad news about the family, Ron tore into the letter and quickly scanned the contents.
As he read, Ron's heart was in his mouth and he was horrified to discover that the Order headquarters had been raided. Molly assured them that while both Bill and Charlie had been at Grimmauld Place at the time they'd both escaped unhurt. However, the same couldn't be said for everyone. Tonks, Moody and Kingsley had been found in the house, all dead, along with a couple of lesser members of the Order. Then there was the fact Sirius had gone missing and was somehow back in the custody of the Ministry and back in Azkaban, a story which Molly reckoned would reach the papers the next day. And finally Remus was missing, with the Order assuming the dark had him and were torturing him for information.
Ron re-read the letter two times before slamming it down on the table in anger. With fury clouding his judgement, he pulled his wand from his pocket and jumped to his feet. Of all the people in the school he could associate with the attack, he was focused on two people, the two people who had betrayed the Order. In his eyes the people to blame for the attack were Hermione and Harry.
"You bastards," Ron stormed. "You're going to pay for this. Crucio!"
The spell took everyone by surprise, and Harry wasn't prepared when it hit him full in the chest. With a cry he fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Instantly, Hermione had her wand out but Ron was already in action and she hadn't even managed to point her wand at him before he blasted her with the same curse. Hermione's cry reverberated around the Great Hall as she also collapsed in agony.
Hermione had no sooner fallen than several wands were aimed in Ron's direction. Draco was the first to shoot a spell at the redhead, causing him to drop his wand as a searing pain ran through his fingers. Next came Beth and Severus in a combined effort and before he knew where he was, Ron found himself magically pinned to the wall as a fuming Severus advanced on him.
"You're going to pay for that, Weasley," Severus hissed menacingly.
"You can't do this to me, I'm a student," Ron protested, trying to free himself from the spell Beth and Severus had placed on him.
"Right now, I couldn't care less," Severus spat. "You've just shot an unforgivable curse at my son and my sister. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now?"
"Severus," Beth said softly from beside him. "This isn't the way. Hermione and Harry aren't badly hurt. It was a weak version of the curse."
"Weak or not, it was still an unforgivable," Severus retorted.
"And he'll be punished," Beth said. "Using an unforgivable curse is unacceptable and as such can lead to a suspension or even an expulsion from Hogwarts."
"You're right," Severus said with a smirk as he backed off and dropped the spell on Ron, causing the redhead to fall to the floor in a heap. "Professor McGonagall?" He called over his shoulder. "I want you to take your student to my office. I'll be there shortly and we'll discuss Mr Weasley's suspension with a view to permanent exclusion."
"No, you can't," Ron whispered in horror as the headmaster turned and strode away from him. "They attacked the Order," He shouted as he got to his feet. "They killed innocent people."
"Stop it now," McGonagall hissed as she came up beside Ron and hauled him out of the Great Hall.
"But Professor, you got a letter, you know what they did," Ron protested as McGonagall steered him towards the stairs.
"I do know," McGonagall said with a weary sigh. "But I know better than to attack in public. I'm sorry Ron, but I can't save you here. Like it or not, you're going to end up suspended. And given who you attacked, I think expulsion is also on the cards. It's certainly what Professor Snape will push for."
"Can't we fight it?" Ron asked in despair.
"A suspension will be active immediately, but an expulsion needs a full hearing with the student, their parents, staff and the governors. It'll take a few weeks to put into place, and in that time I can try and calm Professor Snape down," McGonagall said. "Although, it might help if you apologised to Harry and Hermione."
"Never," Ron hissed. "I will never apologise to them, not after what they've done. "I'd rather die first."
McGonagall wearily shook her head as she took the redhead up to the headmaster's office. She really couldn't see any way out for Ron, it was more than likely he'd spent his last night at Hogwarts. She just hoped his rash actions didn't have other consequences. After all, it wasn't Ron's finest hour attacking the daughter and grandson of The Dark Lord. It looked like they would just have to wait and see if Voldemort retaliated and hope that if he did strike back the Weasleys were ready for him and that Ron didn't end up as another casualty of the war.
