Standing in front of everyone in this room would make a normal person nervous but I'm not. My eyes are locked on Ron's as I talk and a warmth that I've never felt before envelopes me every time he flashes me his crooked smile.
"So today we are going to learn how to disarm and opponent. Isabelle… Isabelle…Isabelle…." Harry says and even though I hear my name I cannot tear my eyes away from Ron's.
"What?" I question turning to look at him after a few seconds.
"He wants to demonstrate the spell you daft girl," Hermione says.
Even since the night Ron and I kissed in the common room Hermione has absolutely hated me. Everything I do is wrong or I'm trying to hard or being too loud or being told how inappropriate it is to snog in public. I've started ignoring her which, of course, only makes her more upset with my dating Ron.
"She's not daft," replies Ron, sticking up for me.
"Oh, shut up, Ronald," answers Hermione before turning to look at Harry and I who are standing on opposite sides of the room from each other.
"Alright so what you are going to do is face your partner, flick your wand slightly and then say expelliarmus," I explain already knowing that Harry is better at the teaching that I am.
One thing that I am good at is getting spells out. I'm probably faster than Harry but I have no desire to brag today. Instead I get ready and as Harry lifts his wand I yell, "Expelliarmus!"
Harry's wand flies out of his hand, clattering to the ground. Stepping back to my place next to Ron I sigh as he takes my hand in his.
"So that's how it works. I want everyone to pair off and practice," says Harry motioning for me to stand with him in the middle of the room.
Ron has paired up with Hermione because I'm supposed to be walking around and helping people, like Neville, who are having trouble. I'm pleased to help. I'll let Hermione have her time with Ron.
Neville is facing a dummy, it's safer that way. He shouts the spell and instead of the dummies' wand, Neville's wand flies out of his hand. Both Harry and I hurry over to him.
"I'm hopeless," grumbles Neville, retrieving his wand.
"You're just flourishing your wand too much, watch Isabelle," Harry instructs.
Standing in front of the dummy I take a deep breath, "Expelliarmus!"
The dummy's wand flies out of its hand. Harry nods as I walk towards Ron who is standing in front of Hermione. They aren't doing anything. Placing my hands over his eyes I laugh as he guesses who it could be even though I am positive he knows it is me.
"Isabelle?" Ron questions finally before turning around and covering my lips with his.
A few people stare but I hardly care. Being in Ron's arms with his lips pressed to mine is so much different them being with Draco. I always felt cold and rigged with Malfoy but with Ron my entire soul is on fire and our kisses are passionate and full of desire although Ron isn't always as gently as Draco is. Ronald knows I'm not a doll that can be broken.
"Honestly you two can't you at least wait till we get back to the common room?" questions Hermione with that silly annoyed face she's been giving me since yesterday.
"Honestly, Hermione, just calm down," Ron replies before turning back to me. "You're going to get me in trouble with the boss."
"And who would that be?" I question.
"Hermione," Ron replies, his lips on my ear.
Laughing I walk away to make sure that the others are doing alright. Fred and George follow me with their eyes. I refuse to go over to them. I'll deal with their comments later, in the common room while Ron is around. He's got a better handle on his brothers than I do.
After about an hour I stop everyone, "Alright so we'll meet once a week, same place at the same time. Try not to travel in groups bigger than three or four; we don't want Umbridge on our case. Try to practice as much as possible. You're all doing really, really well."
With a few goodbyes and thanks Harry, Ron, Hermione and I are left in the room by ourselves. We can't all leave together because Umbridge suspects us. She's aware that together all four of us are dangerous to her rule over the school. We'll have to leave in pairs.
"I'll go with Isabelle if you and Hermione will go together," says Ron, looking at Harry.
"Fine," Hermione huffs before leaving the Room of Requirements, Harry following at her heels.
I feel bad for putting a wedge between Hermione and Ron. What happened was by chance and under any other circumstance this would not be happening. Ron and I would hate each other. I would be calling him a blood – traitor and he would be putting up with it out of fear of getting his nose punched in by Grabbe or Goyle. It's not that way now though. Ronald is by far the kindest person I've met so far. He really cares about me.
"I'm sorry," I announce as we enter the common room.
"Bout what?" questions Ron as he shoves a cookie the house elves has left for us into his mouth.
"Hermione is upset with you, you're brothers are going to bug you until you die and it's my fault entirely." I explain before allowing Ron to feed me a truffle.
"Tisn't your fault, I'll deal with Hermione and we can deal with my brother's together, okay? No need to worry." Ron replies as we sit down on the couch. Fred and George sit on either side of us.
"So how is snogging Ronald?" questions George who is sitting next to me.
"Why as him that question?" Fred asks George from beside Ron.
"Cause he hasn't gotten any further than that," replies George.
"How do you know that?" I butt in unable to keep my mouth closed.
Even if they are Ronald's brothers they've got no right to make fun of him for snogging with someone. It is a perfectly normal display of affection.
"Ronald would be to shy to do anything else. We're surprised you even got him to snog," answer the twins.
"Sod off will you. I'm not going to push Isabelle into something she doesn't want to do," replies Ron, his grasp on my hand becoming tighter.
"Excuses, excuses Ronald. You'd shag him wouldn't you Isabelle?" says George, catching me off guard.
"Don't ever ask her a question like that again or…or…I'll, put you both in detention; with Umbridge," threatens Ron. His brothers just laugh.
"You're only jealous because you've never actually had someone to snog with and no one will ever shag you. The both of you are utterly ridiculous in the way that you tease him!" I explode, getting up from the couch. "So stop –" I draw out my wand pointing it between the twins – "I know worse curses than you could probably fathom and I am not afraid to use them."
Both twins look at me in a mutter horror. I'm so full of kempt up anger and they can see it in the flash of my eyes. The do not push the matter further.
"Bloody hell, Isabelle, normally my brothers would just laugh if I tried something like that." Ron says coming to stand next to me.
"They don't trust me with a wand," I reply before burying my head into the base of Ron's neck, my lips and tongue attacking the sensitive spot I'd found the other night. Ronald groans, holding my head to his neck, his fingers wound tightly in my hair. As his breathing quickens I step away, leaving my hand in his.
"We can't go any further, you know that," I state as he leans in to kiss me.
"I won't bush you," replies Ron, pulling me close to his chest.
"Alright," I reply before pulling Ron's bottom lip into my mouth.
After a few minutes of snogging I pull away. I have to get clothes out of my dormitory before Draco gets back. I do not fear him; I simply have no desire to speak with him.
"I've got to go. Snape wants to see me about skipping class those last few weeks," I say, my hands roaming over Ron's back muscles, those are bigger than Draco's.
"Be safe," answers Ron before going up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.
Walking back to the Slytherin common room I can hear footsteps behind me, but I think nothing of it. People wander the halls all the time at night, trying to get back to their house's before students are no longer allowed to roam the halls. Suddenly someone's hand is on my shoulder and I'm being pushed up against the wall, a hand around my neck. Who the Hell…?
Draco. His white – blonde hair shines in the dim lights in the dungeons of Hogwarts, his eyes a mask of anger. I'm afraid of him now. Grabbe and Goyle come out of the shadows. I can't get away and Ron thinks I'm on my way to Snape's which is on the other side of the castle. How stupid could I be?
"Draco, please, don't do this," I plead with him.
"Scared now that Weasley isn't around?" Crabbe jeers but Draco motions for him to be quiet.
"Out of all the people in Hogwarts why did you have to go to him, why Weasley?" Draco starts. "I've loved you since the day you kissed me in potions class. I thought you loved me too. I'm sorry, alright, I shouldn't have been so harsh but Potter, I hate him. I'm lost with out you Bell. I love you."
Turning my face so he can't kiss me I long for someone, anyone to come down the hall right now. "If you loved me you wouldn't have waited for me to come out of the Gryffindor common room. You knew I'd be alone and you took advantage of that. If you loved me you'd be happy for me."
"Ha. Happy for you, with the Weasley boy, that's impossible. I don't want to see you with anyone else," replies Draco.
"You're just jealous of him because you know that he is capable of treating my better than you ever did. You are a cold hearted snake, Draco Malfoy, now let me go," I demand.
Malfoy's hand makes contact with my cheek…hard. "Shut up witch!" he hollers, his body shaking. "Just shut up!"
As Grabbe, Goyle, and Draco disappear down the corridor I stand, frozen to the spot. I can feel my cheek swell, there is no way I'll be able to hide it from Ron. Tears slide down my face as I allow myself to sink to the ground. The boy I never thought could hurt me just cut my heart out of my chest…the worst pain imaginable.