Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series. That credit goes to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Go Jo! I also do not own some of the material used. Again, that belongs to Jo and Warner Brothers.
Chapter 4 The Betrayal
Ron couldn't believe what was coming out of Draco's mouth right now. Did he actually think he'd go with him to witness the headmaster's death?
"You can't be serious," Ron said, though he was getting up.
He knew deep inside that he had to. The Death Eaters had to also be coming. Ron then got out of bed and started dressing as Draco did, too, who was looking exceedingly tense. He would be, too, if he was being made to murder someone.
"Draco…" Ron began before Draco turned angrily at him and said, "Either you're in or you're out."
Ron sighed and followed Draco out the door quietly.
As they turned a corner, Ron ran into someone. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Hermione. Draco gave them a look and took off without another word.
"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione asked as he helped her get back up, looking around nervously.
"I'm so sorry," Ron apologize, his eyes threatening to water.
He then took Hermione in his arms and kissed her deeply, knowing this was probably the last time he could ever see her again. She looked absolutely horrified as Ron looked at her sadly.
"Ron," Hermione gasped as he left her standing there alone.
He knew what he had to do. If he wanted to protect Hermione, he had to leave her.
Ron finally caught up with Draco a while later, though he wished he hadn't.
"Did you…" Draco began.
"Shut it," Ron snapped.
He knew that Draco was talking about Hermione.
xxx
Harry was running down the stairs from the Astronomy Tower when he saw Hermione leaning against the wall, wand in her hand and cuts all over her face like she had been fighting. He had gone back up there to make sure he hadn't been dreaming about what had happened.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked her, knowing that something was wrong, and that it didn't have to do with fighting Death Eaters.
"Ron left," she said with a sniff.
Harry put a hand on her shoulder, looking all around him as he did this, and asked, "What do you mean he left?"
"He… he's with them," Hermione said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Harry's eyes grew, knowing what she had meant by 'them'.
"No," he gasped. "He wouldn't."
"Yeah, I thought so, too," Hermione said, giving a grim laugh.
"I'm sorry," Harry apologized.
Hermione wiped her eyes and straighten up. She looked into Harry's eyes and said, "So, what about you and Dumbledore?"
Hermione gasped when Harry's head fell.
"No," she yelled.
Harry didn't want to believe that Albus Dumbledore was dead either.
They started moving along to the hospital wing. Harry hadn't told Hermione this yet, but Ginny had told him that Professor McGonagall was there because she had been visiting a friend that was in there.
"I saw it. Snape did it," Harry said.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked in shock.
"It was always him," Harry said with a nod, "and Dumbledore didn't want to hear anything bad about him."
"Harry, we have to find…" Hermione began.
"I know, I'm going to tell Professor McGonagall," he said.
Neville and Luna then came running up to them.
"Harry, what do you need us to do?" Neville asked, thinking that the battle was still going on.
"Neville, their gone," he told them.
Luna smiled and immediately threw her arms around Neville, who developed an uncomfortable look on his face.
"Oh good," Luna declared in her dreamlike voice.
Harry and Hermione smiled and walked on.
xxx
Ron gasped when he ran into a familiar face.
"Mr. Weasley," the cool voice said.
He couldn't believe who he was seeing. Ron had thought Lucius Malfoy was still in Azkaban. Obviously, he had been completely wrong.
"Mr. Malfoy, you escaped," he said with a small gasp, attempting to sound happy about this.
Ron looked around him, but he didn't see Draco anyway.
"Naturally," Mr. Malfoy said with his cool smile.
Ron took a deep breath and asked Mr. Malfoy, "What's going to happen now?"
All the while, he was still looking around to make sure no one was coming. This also made Ron think of why Mr. Malfoy was waiting for him.
"Nothing will happen if Harry surrenders," Mr. Malfoy said.
Ron couldn't help but give a laugh. He had known Harry since he was eleven, and knew Harry would do no such thing. Harry would fight.
"You know he won't," Ron replied, trying to insinuate what had happened last year at the Ministry of Magic.
He would have thought Draco's dad would've learned his lesson.
"Follow close behind me," Mr. Malfoy said, turning and beginning to walk.
"Broke out of Azkaban I see," a voice then said.
Ron gasped and almost hid behind Mr. Malfoy. The sound of Harry's voice scared him more than anything.
"Don't act so surprised, Potter," Mr. Malfoy said.
"I wasn't," Harry replied.
"What do you want?" the haunting voice of Hermione asked.
Ron didn't think he could keep quiet after hearing her voice.
Mr. Malfoy gave another calm laugh and said, "I thought that much was obvious."
"He wants me," Harry said.
"Someone's thinking straight I see," Mr. Malfoy replied.
Ron wished he could see what was going on when Harry said, "You're mental if you think you're taking me to Voldemort."
"How dare you…" Mr. Malfoy began to yell.
Ron took a deep breath and stepped out from behind Mr. Malfoy.
"Ron," Hermione gasped.
And Ron wanted to be no more.
