Chapter 5
"My Happy Ending"
Harry and Hermione walked down the corridor and searched every classroom, nook and cranky they could possibly find.
"He really didn't say where he was going?" asked Harry.
"No", Hermione said simply. Every now and then when they walked passed an open or broken window they could hear Dean, Seamus, or Neville calling out for him. Ron… Ron where are you…Ron… this isn't fucking funny mate where the bloody hell are you! ... Ron… I swear if you come out now, I'll only hurt you a little bit!
"Last time he disappeared like this he was mad…" before he could say anything else Hermione interjected.
"You think I did something to upset him?"
"Well… you two do fight all the time." Said Harry cautiously, Hermione glared at him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's alright. I lost all since of tact." She paused, "I didn't even think about how he would be feeling about Fred. All I thought about was me. I was just so happy that we were both upfront about our feelings towards each other. He said that he liked me but needed to be alone and just left."
"I hope you don't think Ron running off was your fault." Harry tried to console her, "he probably would have run off no matter what. I don't know how it feels to lose someone in the capacity Ron has but he probably really just needs to get some distance to come back again."
"You're probably right," Hermione agreed, "but why in the middle of our kiss."
Harry chuckled, "we both know that Ron is not the smoothest person but he means well."
"So you think we can insure the Weasley's that Ron is safe", asked Hermione.
"I don't think we can assure them of anything due to the events that unfolded here tonight", said Harry.
_HOSPITAL WING_
Harry and Hermione were entering the Hospital wing in time to hear, "The clock says he's at home. But I checked the entire house including the gardens", Ginny was explaining to her parents worriedly.
"How can that possibly be?" Mr. Weasley scratched his head.
"I'm sending a missing persons report to the Daily Prophet", said Mrs. Weasley through tears.
"Molly dear, Luna already said she would get her father to print one in the Quibbler." Said Mr. Weasley
"Yes I know but no one reads that rubbish." Mrs. Weasley was searching for a quill and some parchment.
"You know", they all turned to look at Harry; "maybe he really is home."
"But he wasn't in the house", persisted Mr. Weasley.
"Yes I know but perhaps he found somewhere else to call home." Harry concluded. "Perhaps he just needed space."
"Ron could be dead somewhere", snapped Mrs. Weasley, she was beginning to lose her mind at the idea of losing another child.
"Send the missing person's report to the prophet, Mum. Maybe Ron will see it and let us know he's okay." Ginny urged wishing she would calm down.
"Distance maybe good", it was the first noise George made other than his sobs, "Although the ability to unleash mayhem and hilarity from a distant land could be hard." He said mostly to himself without lifting his head from Fred's chest.
"We couldn't find him anywhere", Seamus said bursting into the hospital wing with Dean and Neville and immediately sinking down onto one of the beds.
"Yeah, I even wandered into the forbidden forest", stated Neville trying to not look terrified at the thought.
"Mum is sending a missing persons report to the Prophet", informed Ginny
"Maybe Bill, Charlie, and Percy will have found him", suggested Dean as the door to the hospital opened and in walked Charlie and Bill.
"We checked Hogsmead and Diagon Alley. No one has seen him", said Charlie.
"But, Tom at the Leaky Cauldron said a young frizzy haired girl flooed there", they all looked at Hermione, "followed by the young Malfoy boy." Bill raised an eyebrow.
"Hermione what were you doing in the Leaky Cauldron with Draco Malfoy!" Demanded Harry
"I thought you were with Ron?" said Mr. Weasley rising from his seat.
"Well-"Hermione said dragging out her word, as her face turned bright red.
"Well what!" Shouted Harry
"Calm down Harry", said Bill, "Lucius was also seen coming from the fireplace seconds after Draco and Hermione left the pub."
"WHAT," shouted Harry, "You could have been killed"
"Well," she was hopping no one would ever find out about what happened with Draco so then she wouldn't have to be standing here thinking of a way to defend herself.
"What happened?" asked Neville concerned.
"I was with Ron. We were in Snape's office…" She started.
"What the bloody hell were you doing in Snape's office?" questioned Harry angrily.
Neville placed his hand over Harry's mouth to silence him, "Go on", he said softly to Hermione.
She took a deep breath. "After Ron left, I was there alone. I was just sitting there when I heard footsteps. Draco came bursting in…" Harry bit Neville's hand and he quickly removed it from over his mouth and Harry cut off Hermione.
"Draco", Harry emphasized with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes! Draco!" Hermione snapped, "Please let me finish." Harry didn't say another word as he crossed his arms and scowled, "He grabbed me by the arm and pushed me towards the fireplace and threw in some floo powder. His father came rushing in took one look at me and threw a few spells", she paused, "Draco put up a shield so it wouldn't hit me and pushed me into the fireplace. I flooed to the Leaky Cauldron completely perplexed about what had happened, then Draco came out of the floo forced me out of the pub just as Lucius came out of the fireplace. We hid and when the coast was clear I came back here", she finished quickly.
Dean cocked his head to the side and said, "Draco Malfoy saved your life?"
Hermione nodded her head yes.
"Wait. Did you hear what I said? Draco Malfoy saved your life." Repeated Dean
"Yes he did", answered Hermione.
"Why?" asked Seamus.
"No idea", Said Hermione truthfully.
"Malfoy" Harry stressed, "Saved your life and you have no idea why?"
"Didn't I just say that", said Hermione annoyed, "I wasn't expecting anyone to come into Snape's office."
"YOU WERE IN SNAPE'S OFFICE," yelled Harry, "Up until a few hours ago we all believed him to be evil, didn't it ever cross your mind that something evil could happen there!"
Hermione was getting ready to retort but Mrs. Weasley spoke first, "Where's Percy", she said looking around terrified.
"Calm down Mum", said Charlie, "He went to the Ministry."
"Leave it to Percy to go to work at a time like this", said George not looking away from Fred.
"ANYWAY!" shouted Harry.
"ANYWAY NOTHING," Hermione shouted back, "The worst thing that ever happened in Snape's office is telling an unsuspecting student that they are going to get a troll in Potions! I told you what happened and you will just have to accept it." She turned on her heel and marched out of the hospital wing.
"My Happy Ending" Avril Lavigne
