Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor do I make any money.

Metal

"Um, Ron..."

"What Harry? I'm kind of busy here," Ron whispered harshly back at his best mate. He was hard at work on the tedious portion of the potion, Slughorn had assigned as part of the class practical today. Normally, he wouldn't care but Potions was going really well for him today and he wanted to see this potion through all the way. He desperately needed something to go right for him at the moment so his mind wouldn't focus on Pansy.

"It's Pansy."

Ron's head popped up quickly. He eyes went from his best mate to the spot where Pansy was sitting. Slughorn had agreed to let her sit in the back of the classroom and work on her homework instead of having to be by herself while he was in class. Ever since the nightmare last night, he could tell she had been reluctant to leave his side but wouldn't say anything about wanting to stay near him. He really appreciated that the teachers were okay if she joined him in the classes they didn't already share. It relieved some of his own stress that had been increasing since she had been released from the hospital wing yesterday.

His stomach dropped, the moment he saw her.

She was still sitting at the desk but the colour in her face was completely gone as she stared at into the unknown. Her hands were gripping the desk so hard, that even from a distance he could see the white in her knuckles as if those hands where the only thing keeping her in her chair. The fear in her face undid him completely.

"I got it," Ron heard Harry whisper stepping closer to him. "Go take care of her."

Ron moved as fast as possible to where she was now rocking, muttering 'knife' to herself with her eyes tightly closed. His movements had caused everyone's attention to stop being on their potion projects but on Pansy.

"Pansy," he whispered, squatting down beside her. He moved to touch her and she lashed out at him. She jumped back from the table quickly, causing her to send the stool she had been sitting on flying as she moved away from him – like a cornered and wounded animal.

His heart tore apart as he watched her eyes wide with terror melt into anguish as they glazed over with her tears once she recognized just who had touched her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered as her breathing picked up while the tears started to fall. Staying where he was, as she started to sob uncontrollably, he softly pleaded, "Please let me help you."

Horrified, he watched her fall to the ground suddenly, her legs unable to hold her sobbing body no longer. Slowly, he moved closer to her. Relief flooded him as she didn't make any attempt to retreat any further.

Kneeling down in front of her, he whispered, "Pansy, please let me help you."

Ron let out the breath, he hadn't realized he was holding, as she lifted her head to look at him. The terror in her eyes started to ebb away in favor of an empty look that shook Ron to his core. He had seen so much in his eighteen years but nothing had undone him more than in that moment to see her, see her soul, disappear right in front of his eyes.

"Potions knife," she told him, her voice almost gone but what was left, reeked of death. "He used his potions knife."

"Pansy," he whispered. "Let me help you. Let me get you out of here."

Biting her lip, he watched as what was left of her flee her eyes as she nodded. Ron had never been so thankful as she reached her arms out to him. He closed his eyes and muttered a silent prayer to any god that was listening as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Reaching under her legs, he brought her body close to him and stood.

Turning around as he headed to the door, Ron saw his classmates for the first time. The tears that silently ran down the girls cheeks. The stoicism etched in the other boys faces as they fought what they were really feeling..

Professor Slughorn nodded his head, his face sad and troubled. Ron took it as silent permission to leave the classroom with Pansy. Tightening his grip on her, he left the classroom and proceeded to their dorm. Hoping it could provide the shaking girl in his arms the comfort she desperately needed because he wasn't sure that he could.

A/N: Starting with this posting, I will always update this 'story' on T & Th.