AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 37 has been delivered! Right out of the oven!
Please enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 37 – Family Meeting
Ronald Weasley's POV
January 15th, 1993 (Breakfast)
"This porridge is gross" Theo sighed as he put his spoon down. Everyone rolled their eyes, Theo had been particularly moody over the last two days. Theo's father had found out that Theo had torn a page out of one of his tomes, and he was not pleased with his son.
"What's wrong with it, Theo?" Tracey gave him smile. I don't know how she's putting up with this…
"It's too runny" Theo frowned at the porridge.
"You can have mine" Tracey offered, and Theo accepted her bowl. He had a spoonful and smiled.
"This is good, thank you Tracey" Theo turned his smile to her. Tracey had a soft blush on her cheeks, and Ron blinked at her. What is this? I know they've been getting along, but this is just odd.
"Ron, your brothers are glaring at us again" Blaise sighed. "It's ruining my breakfast." Ron looked to the Gryffindor table and spotted the twins just staring at him, and their eyes held mischief. Oh fuck! Ron then noticed Percy staring at the twins with a frown, and Ron couldn't help but smile. He knows! They're buggered!
"You're brothers are annoying me" Daphne frowned. "They keep shooting those dark looks at us, and other people are starting to join them. Some bitch named Katie Bell told me off for just being near the seventh floor…"
"What were you doing up there?" Millie asked Daphne.
"I was going up to the Sanctuary to find Ron" Daphne shrugged, and everyone turned to Ron. Thank you, Daphne! Great job as always…
"You idiot" Theo muttered. "Didn't we just agree to stick together at all times? When did you even get a chance to sneak off?"
"Was it when Snape 'summoned' you in his Office yesterday?" Pansy asked him. "And why didn't you tell us Daph?" Great… Now we're both in trouble… Stellar work, Daph!
"I just needed some space" Ron sighed. "We've been attached at the hip for the last four days."
"And I knew that he was lying so I decided to keep an eye on him" Daphne added in.
"Hmmm" Tracey hummed, and Ron could already feel the cringe coming on. "Sneaking around behind our backs, eh?" Tracey said in a suggestive tone, and Daphne flushed red. Even Ron blushed a little.
"I didn't even know she was following me!" Ron quickly exclaimed.
"Sure…" Tracey shrugged with a grin. Wow! Ron's face felt hot at the insinuation, and he could see that Daphne was about to explode. Oh Merlin…
"Hello. Can I sit with you?" came Luna's voice, she had suddenly appeared behind the girls.
"Luna!" Pansy squealed. "Come and sit with me so I can hold you!" Luna smiled airily as she sat down, and Pansy clung to her immediately. "You're so cute, Luna!" Ron couldn't help but smile at how good his friends were to Luna. The girls adored Luna, and they'd shower her with hugs whenever they could. Well, Luna is really cute. Especially how she doesn't even seem to register their hugs!
"How are you, Luna?" Ron asked his sister, and she smiled at him.
"I'm doing well" Luna hummed as she patted Pansy's arm, the girl was just holding onto Luna tightly. "How are all of you? I know that things have been a little strained between the houses."
"Aw" Daphne cooed. "Luna you're so sweet! We're doing well, don't worry about us."
"I'm not worried" Luna smiled at Daphne. "You have Ron on your side, he'll make sure everything turns out alright." Ron blushed a little at that as the girls giggled at Luna's words.
"Where would we be without our fearless leader?" Blaise smirked, and Ron frowned at him.
"Not you too, mate" Ron sighed.
"Parvati sends her greetings, Ron" Luna said softly, it sounded like she was revealing some big secret. "Not all the Ravenclaws are against you guys because many of us remember that you helped us out." Is that so?
"Really?" Millie asked Luna, and Luna nodded.
"It's true" Luna explained. "Everyone knows what Harry and his friends were trying to do, and not everyone is taking their side blindly. Some of the older Ravenclaws don't like the Gryffindors. They say that the Gryffindors think that they own this school."
"This is great news" Theo smirked. "Ron, we can use this!" Ever the opportunist, eh? Even when he's sulking about.
"What do you suggest?" Pansy asked Theo.
"We approach them, and offer them a hand in friendship" Theo suggested. "Ron, have you spoken to Carey and her friends yet?"
"No" Ron sighed. "I'll do that today."
"Make sure you do" Theo instructed. "And then tell them that you can get the Ravenclaws on our side."
"How?" Millie asked Theo.
"We can figure that out later" Theo shrugged. "Probably bribe them or something like that..."
"And you want to bring in Carey and her friends because they're older than us" Daphne mused. "The older Ravenclaws will understand that we really do want to be allies, especially if the older Slytherins are involved."
"Thanks, Luna" Ron smiled at his sister. "You've helped us a lot!"
"I know" Luna hummed, and then she smiled slyly. Wait… Hold on a second… There's no way she planned that… Did she? Luna's sly smile attracted the attention of his friends.
"The Ravenclaws don't even know that you're here, do they?" Blaise smirked.
"Of course they do" Luna hummed. "They just don't know what I told you. They don't even know that I know." Luna… Bloody Hell…
"Marry me?" Theo smirked, and Ron instantly smacked him.
January 15th, 1993 (Sanctuary)
"I'm going to fail D.A.D.A at this rate…" Ron sighed. "Fucking Lockhart!" Daphne smacked Ron's arm.
"Language Ron" Daphne frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you that cussing in front of a Lady is rude?"
"Cussing?" Ron grinned at her, and her frown deepened.
"I'm serious, Ron" Daphne said haughtily.
"What the hell is a Wampus?" came Blaise's voice.
"It's a magical cat native to the United States" Millie answered excitedly. "It is extremely powerful, fast, and almost impossible to kill! They are also rumored to be great hypnotists! The Ministry of Magic has given them a 'XXXXX' rating, which is the same as the Basilisk!" Wow… Millie sure knows a lot about this creature.
"I see" Blaise muttered. "And Lockhart wrestled one into submission?"
"What?!" Ron and Theo exclaimed.
"It is right here in his autobiography, Magical Me" Blaise sighed. "That man is full of it."
"No he isn't, don't be so jealous Blaise" Pansy huffed. The girls all narrowed their eyes on Blaise, and he cocked his eyebrow in return. Lockhart is full of shite… Wrestled a Wampus… Damn liar!
"Maybe he should help us with this Basilisk problem?" Theo chuckled.
"I'd rather get eaten" Ron frowned.
"Jealousy is not a good look on you, Ron" Daphne smirked, and Ron felt his temper flare a bit.
"I'm not jealous of Lockhart" Ron said in a low voice.
"Sure, Ron" Daphne hummed with an innocent smile. Ron was about to say something that he'd one day regret, but there was a sudden loud crack that stopped him.
"Master, Marty brings news!" Marty bowed, he was standing on the table in the middle of the group.
"You found the Chamber?!" Ron smiled widely, his excitement growing rapidly. Marty! He came through for me!
"No… Master Ronald" Marty said sadly, he looked ashamed of himself. Oh…
"That's alright, Marty" Ron said softly, it was hard to hide his disappointment.
"But Marty learned something very peculiar, Master" Marty said nervously.
"What did you learn?" Ron asked.
"The Elves are all talking about this" Marty replied. "Marty overheard them speaking of the pipes, Master."
"The pipes?" Blaise asked.
"Yes, the pipes" Marty replied. "Some of the Elves were cleaning the pipes, you see… And they found a lot of slime…"
"Slime?" Pansy pulled a face. "Ew!"
"This slime was not normal, Master Ronald" Marty said with a hopeful look. He did not want to fail Master Ronald completely… "There was so much of it, you see… None of the Elves know where it came from, but Marty overheard a few of the Elves talking about the snake scales that they found in the pipes." It all clicked in Ron's head immediately. The pipes… I thought the Basilisk was a ghost because its voice came from inside a wall… But it came from the pipes in the walls! MARTY, YOU GENIUS!
"MARTY!" Ron exclaimed happily as he stood up, and everyone was taken by surprise. "You just helped me solve a massive mystery!"
"Marty did?" Marty asked, his big blue eyes widening.
"Yes, you did!" Ron patted Marty's back sportingly, and Marty beamed as he puffed his chest out a bit. "I know why no one has seen a massive Basilisk around the school! It's using the pipes to travel around the school! It's in the damn walls!"
"Shite…" Theo muttered as the girls went wide-eyed.
"That explains the water…" Blaise nodded to himself. "Every time there is an attack, the ground is soaked. And it's all because it comes out of the plumbing system… Ron, that's brilliant!"
"Marty just cracked this whole thing open!" Ron laughed, he felt overjoyed at this victory! We're one step closer now! The Chamber has to be connected to the plumbing system! That's how the Basilisk travels without being seen!
"Marty did not fail Master?!" Marty asked excitedly, he couldn't believe this!
"What?!" Ron smiled widely at him. "Marty, you've outdone yourself! Thank you, for everything!" Marty smiled so widely that Ron feared for his face, and then Marty bowed deeply.
"Marty is proud to serve!" Marty sniffled. Is he crying from joy?!
"Well done, Marty" Daphne smiled at him. "You never disappoint."
"Good job" Millie nodded at the Elf with a smile.
"I want a House-Elf just like him" Tracey laughed. "Daphne, help a girl out!"
"Thank you" Marty sniffled. "You are all too kind…"
"You've earned it, Marty" Ron gave his Elf another pat on the back.
"May Marty please sleep?" Marty asked with a joyous smile, and Ron blinked.
"Marty, you haven't slept?" Ron asked slowly. "How long has it been?"
"Since Master asked Marty for help" Marty smiled sheepishly. WHAT?! Marty…
"Marty" Ron gasped. "It's been like eight days! Why?"
"Because Master needed help from Marty" Marty replied like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Marty!" Ron scolded. "You're health is more important to me than the mission I gave you… Didn't I tell you not to risk your health?"
"Forgive Marty, Master… Marty wished to help as quickly as possible."
"Marty" Ron sighed. "Please eat and sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow. And… Well done. You've done an amazing job." Marty smiled proudly, and then he was gone with a crack.
"That's some loyalty" Pansy muttered. "Eight days…"
"Are all House-Elves like that?" Ron asked Daphne.
"Marty has always been like that" Daphne chuckled. "I remember when we were kids, and Tori got really sick. Marty spent five days sitting by her side, he didn't rest for even a moment."
"Bloody hell…" Ron muttered as he sat down again. "I should probably make my orders more precise for him. I don't want him running himself into an early grave…"
"But he did help us a lot" Millie smiled widely. "Now we know how the Basilisk travels around the school."
"The plumbing system" Tracey shuddered. "Imagine going to the loo, and a Basilisk pops right out of a toilet."
"Imagine if you're sitting on that toilet…" Theo grimaced, and Tracey giggled loudly.
"The Chamber itself has to be connected to the plumbing system of Hogwarts" Ron told them. "The Basilisk uses those connections to leave the Chamber, and then re-enter it."
"And the Chamber has to be big enough to hold a thirty to forty foot serpent" Theo mused. "It would need to be massive."
"Then it has to be underneath Hogwarts…" Blaise tapped his chin.
"How far underneath?" Daphne asked. "We need to find out how far the plumbing system reaches into the ground."
"Wait" Tracey jumped in. "The ground… So the Chamber is nowhere near the Slytherin common room?"
"Exactly" Blaise smirked. "The Dungeons are submerged in the Black Lake. That's why they are the coldest part of the castle, and why we see fish when we look out of the windows in the common room." Wait a minute… I might know where to start looking…
"The attacks" Ron started, and everyone looked to him. "We map out where all the attacks happened… Past and present. We find any records we can, and then we focus in on the location of the Chamber from there." Pansy got up quickly, and then she moved everything away from the table.
"We should draw a map of the school!" Pansy exclaimed excitedly. "That will help us visualize everything!" Pansy then placed a piece of parchment on the table. "Engorgio" Pansy chanted as she waved her wand in a circle. The parchment became as wide and as long as the table surface.
"Nice" Millie praised Pansy, and the raven haired girl blushed.
"Let's make a map" Ron smiled at his friends.
January 15th, 1993 (Going to Dinner)
Turns out that making a map between seven people was extremely difficult, they had spent most of their time arguing on where what should be. Ron decided to keep the Marauder's Map a secret, it was too great of an advantage to simply reveal. He knew he was hiding this from his own friends, but he knew that they would understand. They'll just say that I acted like a proper Slytherin. As Ron and his friends made their way into the Entrance Hall, they were suddenly stopped by the Golden Trio. What do they want?
"Ron, can we talk?" Hermione asked him as the Trio blocked their way into the Great Hall. Ron noticed that the students who were passing by were shooting them interested looks.
"Are you serious?" Tracey laughed at Hermione. And now we're being hostile. Bloody hell Tracey…
"What is it?" Ron asked curtly, and his own friends were shocked that he was even speaking to the Trio.
"We were hoping to talk to you… in private" Hermione smiled sheepishly.
"That is not happening" Blaise said firmly.
"Why don't you let him speak for himself, Zabini?" Longbottom shot back.
"Ron, we want to help" Hermione pleaded, she was staring right at him. They want to help me? HA!
"We all know what your help looks like, Granger" Daphne said venomously. "Tell me something, was it your idea to kidnap me and then impersonate me?" Hermione flinched a little at that, while the two Gryffindor boys flushed red. This is going to turn into a fight. I need to stop this right now, we're in public.
"What can you help me with?" Ron asked Hermione. Hermione shot quick looks at his friends, and Ron frowned at her. She thinks that they are a 'bad lot', that's what she called them.
"I'll tell you, in private" Hermione said firmly as she came to a decision. "Just you and me, no one else."
"Hermione, no!" Potter exclaimed.
"I can take care of myself" Hermione shot back at her friend in a haughty tone. "I don't need a babysitter, Harry Potter!"
"He's dangerous…" Neville warned her. Dangerous? Well, he isn't entirely wrong. Ron felt a pang of guilt over what he had done to Potter, but it left as quickly as it came.
"And now we're leaving" Theo frowned at the slightly chubby boy.
"Ron, please" Hermione pleaded again. "I just want to talk to you for one minute…" Ron looked her, and he felt his resolve break. He had a soft spot for Hermione Granger, and he did miss her.
"Fine, one minute" Ron told her, and she beamed at him.
"Ron!" Millie and Pansy exclaimed. Daphne quickly walked behind Ron and began whispering in his ear.
"You can't trust her, Ron" Daphne whispered. "Don't you remember what she did?"
"I do remember, Daph" Ron whispered back. "But she might have something important to tell me. Why else would they approach us three to seven?"
"To set up a trap" Daphne provided. "They want you to let your guard down."
"Trust me, please" Ron whispered to her, and she stared into his eyes. "I will be fine." Daphne looked at him for a few seconds, and then she nodded softly. "Thank you, Daph."
"If you try anything, Granger" Daphne told the bushy haired girl in a menacing tone. "I'll set that brown bush growing on your head on fire. That's a promise." Hermione nodded slowly while Potter and Longbottom glared at Daphne. Ron's friends and the two Gryffindor boys left slowly, and Ron saw Blaise give him a firm nod before he left.
"Let's talk in the courtyard?" Hermione asked. Open spaces, I'll have room to move and run if something goes wrong. Ron gave her a nod, and then he followed her out. As they entered the courtyard, Ron broke the silence.
"Your one minute starts now" Ron told her. "Start talking."
"The twins are coming for you" Hermione answered quickly, and Ron blinked at her.
"I already know that" Ron said, and Hermione looked a bit crest-fallen.
"Oh…" Hermione muttered.
"Anything else?" Ron asked her coldly. I don't want to be out here alone, I'm too exposed. Hermione looked down at her shuffling feet, but she didn't say anything. Ron looked at her for a few seconds, and then he turned to leave.
"I know you're not the Heir" Hermione said suddenly, and Ron stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly whilst doing his best to keep his composure.
"What did you say?" Ron asked. I need to be sure of what I just heard.
"You're not the Heir" Hermione looked up at him. "I know that…"
"Do you?" Ron seethed, his anger flaring out of control. "Tell me, Hermione… Did you know that I wasn't the Heir when you decided to stab me in the back?" Hermione flinched hard, and her eyes became watery.
"It wasn't like that, Ron…" Hermione said meekly. "I wanted to prove your innocence, that's all." Hippogriff dung!
"I heard you call my friends a 'bad lot'!" Ron shouted, and Hermione flinched at his sudden yell. "But it was you three who were betraying me! You couldn't even give me the fucking benefit of the doubt?!"
"I told them" Hermione replied immediately, her voice getting louder as well. She wasn't going to back down now, her friendship with Ron was on the line. "I told them that you weren't the Heir! I gave you that benefit! But even I couldn't keep defending your actions forever, Ron!"
"My actions?" Ron glared at her as he stepped right into her face.
"Yes, your actions" Hermione said firmly as she stared right into his eyes. "You sneak around the castle non-stop. You lie whenever someone finds you. You're always in the right place at the right time. You yelling at Ginny and bruising her arm were the last straw for me, Ron."
"And you three are so innocent?" Ron asked her scathingly. "You three sneak around the castle all the time. You three are also always in the right place at the right time. And don't bother denying that you wouldn't lie if you got caught whilst sneaking about. I do the exact same things you three do, but you still didn't trust me! And I know why…"
"Why?" Hermione asked firmly, she was not losing him!
"Because I'm in Slytherin" Ron said firmly, and her eyes-widened. "I'm right, aren't I?" Ron asked her, but she didn't reply. And there's my answer. "After everything I did for you three, after everything I went through for just being your friend… None of you saw me as anything more than a snake." Ron felt his own eyes sting, and he could tell that Hermione was moments away from crying as well.
"When your own house treated you like an outsider, I was there for you." Ron reminded her. "When Harry needed rescuing from his abusive Muggle family, I was there for him. When my own house turned against me for being your friend, I told them to sod off. When you three were about to be caught by Filch, I risked my own neck to come and find you. When you wanted me to spy on Snape, I agreed to help you. When you wanted to smuggle a Dragon out of Hogwarts, I helped you. When the stone was in danger, I gave myself up for your benefit. And when the Dark Lord attacked… I was the one who was left scarred for the rest of my life while you three walked away unscathed…" Hermione just blinked at him, and her tears fell down onto her cheeks. "But you three couldn't even look past the fact that I'm in Slytherin…" Ron rubbed his own eyes clear as he stepped away from her.
"Ron…" Hermione said in the meekest of voices.
"I wanted nothing more than to be your friend…" Ron sniffled as he averted his eyes from hers. "But none of you cared about that… Because at the end of the day, I'm just a snake." Ron turned around and left at that, he couldn't take it for another second. It hurt so fucking much, and he just couldn't deal with this pain. Not right now… He had too much to do… Ron made his way into the Great Hall, and he knew that she wasn't following him. She was still outside in the cold, and Ron put her out of his mind. He ignored the glares being sent his way from the Gryffindor table as he walked up to Carey Ductu and her friends. I have to do this. I've waited long enough.
"May I have a seat?" Ron asked Carey, who looked up at him in surprise.
"Of course you can, Ron" Clara Martyris smiled at him. "Come, sit down next to me." Ron put on a practiced smile and sat down. Clara scooted closer to him, and Ron felt himself blush. Why does she do this?
"Can we help you?" Samantha Selwyn asked. Ron was about to answer, but he stopped when he saw Hermione enter the Great Hall from the corner of his eyes. Stop it. Think about what you need right now.
"I wanted to talk about Slytherin" Ron smiled at Samantha, and the black haired girl cocked an eyebrow. "We're being targeted by the other houses."
"You think we don't know that?" Carey asked him bluntly.
"Carey, don't be rude to him" Clara mock-scolded her friend. Ron felt Clara put her arm around his waist, and his face began to burn. She's doing this on purpose! Scandalous wench!
"As I was saying" Ron cleared his throat. "I know that you all know about our current situation, trust me. But what you don't know is that the Ravenclaws don't really like the Gryffindors."
"We do know that" Samantha said coldly, and Ron blinked at her. "The Ravenclaws are still upset that they came in third place last year because Dumbledore gave the Gryffindors extra points for just existing. Sixty points for 'Outstanding bravery'?" Samantha scoffed. "No one knows what earned those three brats their last second points, and the Ravenclaws are still sulking about it."
"What about my last second points?" Ron asked her calmly, he didn't like her talking about the Trio that way. Ron wasn't sure why he was feeling irked… But he guessed that it was because the Trio did earn those points. They faced the Dark Lord and saved the school.
"You got your points for winning that chess tournament, Ron" Clara smiled brightly at him. "You actually earned your last second points, unlike those three." They earned those points, fair and square.
"So, anything else you want to tell us?" Carey smiled at him, it was a cold smile. Just one more thing…
"The Ravenclaws are currently split" Ron provided. "And I can get some of them on our side."
"Our side?" Samantha asked, she looked intrigued.
"Right now, it's three against one in their favor" Ron explained. "But what if it was two against two?"
"You think we haven't thought of that?" Carey asked him.
"Let him speak" Clara frowned at her two friends. The two girls rolled their eyes at Clara, but they didn't say a word. Clara is now my favorite in this group.
"The Ravenclaws still remember that I helped them out" Ron said firmly. "They know that I can get things in and out of Hogwarts at a moment's notice. It took me an hour to plan out those parties, and it took me less than three hours to get all supplies. We can use that to try and bribe them."
"Bribery?" Samantha asked. "That's your big plan? Your thinking is limited by your age, Ronald. The Ravenclaws aren't like us, they don't respond to personal gain and bribes… They respond to intellect, to sharing their knowledge and having knowledge shared with them, and most of all, they just want to be left to their books. If you try and put them in a fight, they're just going to refuse." Ron blinked at her, he hadn't even thought about that. But she has… They all have. Ron looked to his right and saw Clara smiling down at him, and her smile sent a shiver down his spine. They're much better at this than I am…
"But you are onto something, Ron" Carey said in a silky tone, and Ron looked to her. "You've shown everyone that you're not someone to be made an enemy of. And that you have powerful friends outside of the school. Instead of going after the Ravenclaws, we'll go after the Hufflepuffs. They are only acting out because they know that the other two houses will back them. Their resolve is already weak, and we can topple it with your help." Ron blinked at her and gulped, what was happening?! He was the one who was supposed to come to them with a plan… But they had just turned the whole thing on him. I really underestimated them, didn't I?
"You should eat something" Clara suddenly said, and then she pulled him in closer to her. She then took a spoon full of cherry pie and brought it to his mouth. "Open your mouth, Ron" she purred, and Ron opened it slightly. He could feel a cold sweat in his armpits, these three were on another level… Clara put the spoon in his mouth, and he ate the pie. "You got some on your face" Clara giggled, and then she cleaned it up with her thumb. Clara smiled as she put the thumb in her mouth, and Ron felt lightheaded. What am I supposed to do after she does that?! Why does she do that?!
"Clara, behave" Carey chuckled softly.
"You'll scare him away" Samantha smiled a cold smile. "We can't lose him yet. After all, we have big plans for him." Ron gulped at that. Big plans? "The perfect candidate" Samantha whispered, and Ron felt another chill run up his spine.
"What big plans?" Ron asked softly.
"Not yet, Ron" Clara hummed with a smile.
"Right now, we need to think about Slytherin house" Carey told him. "We'll go after the Hufflepuffs soon enough, but right now our biggest problem are your brothers."
"My brothers?" Ron asked as he squirmed a little in Clara's hold.
"The twins" Samantha clarified. "We want you to make peace with them."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because those two have a terrifying reputation" Carey explained. "And believe me, they've earned it. You don't stand a chance against them, and neither do we. We don't have their… skills. They can make our lives a living hell, and they'd face no repercussions."
"They are Gryffindors, after all" Samantha sighed. "So make your peace with them, and spare us all that headache." Easier said than done, the twins can be extremely vindictive. The bell rang suddenly as it signaled the end of dinner.
"Good luck, Ron" Clara said sweetly, and then she gave him a soft kiss on his right cheek. Ron was too stunned to even react, and he just sat there as everyone left. Make my peace with the twins… Fuck.
"Ron?" came Daphne's voice from behind him, and Ron flushed immediately. I hope she didn't see that kiss. "How did it go?" she asked him as he stood up. Thank Merlin, she didn't see it.
"It went… well" Ron said in an unsure way.
"Alright, what went wrong?" Theo asked him with a furrowed brow.
"They already had everything figured out" Ron sighed as they began to make their way out. "They want me to make peace with the twins."
"What?" Pansy frowned. "Ron, you can't. They've been nothing but nasty to you."
"Trust me, this isn't nasty" Ron told them. "The twins will make us wish that we were never born if we don't make peace with them, if I don't make peace with them…"
"If that's what those three want you to do, then that's what you have to do" Blaise nodded to himself. "It will serve us well to keep them happy. When they become the Triumvirate, which they will, we will have a lot more leeway in the house."
"And we can actually help out Slytherin too" Tracey added in. "I want this fighting to stop…" Me too.
"Then I guess I'd better find the twins" Ron groaned as they began walking up the steps leading out of the Entrance Hall.
"Ronnie…" a voice called out to him, and Ron turned to find Ginny waiting for him around the corner. "Can we please talk?" Ron was just stunned into silence, she was talking to him… Ginny was talking to him. Ron felt someone push him forward softly, and Ron turned to see Daphne smiling at him.
"Go, Ron" Daphne whispered excitedly. "Go on." Ron turned to Ginny and walked up to her with a hopeful smile, this was it. I can win her back! I can tell her how sorry I am! Ron's friends quickly left for the common room, and then it was just him and Ginny.
"Ginny" Ron started but she stopped him.
"Let's talk somewhere else, I don't want these portraits watching us" Ginny smiled softly. Something in the back of Ron's head warned him not to do that, but he completely ignored it.
"Lead the way…" Ron smiled at her, and she turned around and walked up the steps. She led them into a deserted Hallway on the first floor, and Ron's instincts begged him to leave. But he ignored them completely. This was Ginny, after all.
"We can talk here" Ginny said as she turned around to face him. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, and Ron panicked a little. Apologize again, Ron.
"I'm sorry for shouting at you, and for bruising your wrist" Ron said softly. "Ginny, I'm so sorry. I won't ever do that again, I swear it. Please, just talk to me…"
"You made Hermione spy on me" Ginny whispered, she was looking down at her feet.
"Not spy, Ginny" Ron explained in a loving tone. "I wanted her to look out for you, just in case. I didn't want you to have any problems in your first year, I just wanted to make sure that you were happy."
"Then why did you yell at me?" Ginny asked meekly as she looked up, her eyes were watery. "Why did you twist my arm so hard?" Ron felt like a proper bastard in that moment, but he moved forward.
"I was scared, and angry" Ron whispered shamefully. "Luna told me that you had yelled at her, and she cried so much Ginny… I was so upset with you about that, but then I couldn't find you anywhere. That scared the hell out of me… And then, you just showed up out of nowhere. Your clothes were filthy, and you looked like you had seen a ghost. Then Percy told me that you were skipping classes as well, and I just lost it." Ron looked down as he finished. "I just wanted to know if you were safe… And when I couldn't get that out of you, I lost it. I'm sorry, Gin…" Ron was looking down, and so he didn't see Ginny run up and hug him tightly. Ron was just stunned for a couple of seconds, but then he held her tightly to him.
"I'm sorry, too" Ginny sniffled. "I don't want to keep fighting." That was music to Ron's ears, it was the most beautiful thing Ron had ever heard.
"Me too, Gin" Ron let out a wet laugh as he squeezed her harder. "I missed you so much, and I don't want to feel like that ever again." Ginny let out a whimper and tightened her hug.
"You won't" Ginny promised with a cracked voice. "I love you, Ronnie."
"I love you too" Ron said as he felt his tears leave his eyes. They were tears of pure joy…
January 16th, 1993 (Breakfast)
Ron had never felt so happy before… He was sitting on the breakfast table with his friends, and his two sisters. Ginny and Luna were talking to each, but they were mostly just apologizing to each other for breaking up. Ron didn't even know that he had a massive smile plastered on his face as he watched them both patch up their friendship. The only thing that he knew was that he would never lose them again. He would be the best brother that anyone could ever ask for.
"Careful, Ron" Daphne said to him. "If your smile gets any wider, I'm worried that you'll split your face open." Ron turned to her, still smiling.
"I can't help it" Ron told her, and she smiled back at him. "Thank you, Daph."
"What for?" Daphne cocked her head.
"You told me that it would all work out, and it did" Ron said as he looked back to his sisters, they were talking to each other animatedly. It's like they never had a falling out in the first place.
"Mate" Theo whispered in his ear. "Your brothers are staring at us, and they aren't alone." Ron looked to the Gryffindor table, and his smiled faltered a bit. The twins were looking gob-smacked, Percy was smiling at Ron and Ginny, Potter and Longbottom looked genuinely confused, Hermione was smiling faintly at him, and the rest of the Gryffindor watchers were just shooting quick glances at Ginny. Shite. They're probably not happy that she is associating with me and my friends. And I still need to get the twins to back down. An idea then clicked in Ron's head, he could use Ginny's help on this.
"Gin-Gin" Ron called for his sister's attention, and she smiled at him.
"Yes, Ronnie?" Ginny asked him, and Ron ignored his friends' sniggering.
"Can I get your help with something today? During lunch?" Ron asked her, and she cocked her head slightly.
"Help with what?" Ginny asked, and Ron smiled at her innocently. Time to put this feud to bed.
January 16th, 1993 (Lunch)
Ron waited patiently in the abandoned classroom, and he waited alone. His friends had argued with him all day, but in the end, he had convinced them to not come with him. This was a family meeting, and none of them were Weasleys. Ron's plan was simple, but effective. He would bring all of the Weasley siblings into one room, and they'd hash it all out. The Weasleys were an emotional lot, so Ron was sure that everything would get aired out today. And if it didn't, then Ron would at least know that he tried his best. Ron cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself when he heard footsteps coming from outside, he didn't want the twins to leave before they even entered the room.
"Ginny, where are you taking us?" came Percy's voice.
"It's lunch time" Fred moaned.
"And we're hungry" George added.
"Please… I just want to talk" Ginny pleaded, and Ron smiled to himself. His sister was as sharp as they came. Ron watched the door open, and Ginny led her brothers inside.
"Ginny?" Percy asked her softly as the door closed behind them. "Why are we in this abandoned classroom?"
"Oh no!" Fred suddenly gasped.
"I smell murderous intent!" George said in an exaggerated tone.
"Shut up…" Ginny frowned at them both, and they broke into laughter.
"Our sister has her Weasley spirit back, George" Fred laughed.
"About time, I'd say" George nodded as he chuckled. Ron couldn't help but smile at the friendly banter between the siblings, he'd missed this.
"I wanted to have a family meeting" Ginny told them as she crossed her arm defensively.
"A family meeting?" Percy asked her. "Ginny, what's wrong?"
"I'm sick of us fighting" Ginny told Percy. "We should be sticking together, we're all Weasleys."
"This is about Ron" Percy sighed. "Then I agree, we all need to talk."
"There is nothing to talk about" Fred frowned. "He's been using the Dark Arts! He's turned traitor!" Okay, time to step in. Ron lifted the Charm from himself, but no one even noticed him.
"I'm no traitor, Fred" Ron said, and everyone gasped.
"RON!" Ginny squealed. "How did you do that?!"
"Magic?" Ron smiled and shrugged, and Ginny blinked at him.
"Dark magic, you mean" Fred accused as he regained his composure.
"Fred, stop it…" George sighed. "Let's just hear him out."
"Thank you, George" Ron smiled at his brother, but George didn't smile back.
"Ron, were you using the Disillusionment Charm?" Percy asked with a furrowed brow. "That's a N.E.W.T level spell… Where did you learn it?"
"A Slytherin seventh year taught me" Ron answered truthfully.
"See, he's been learning from those snakes" Fred seethed, and Ginny glared murder at Fred.
"I'm one of those snakes" Ron sighed. "And I want us to stop fighting as well… We're blood."
"Then let's talk" Percy nodded. "It's past time we put all this nonsense to bed." Thank Merlin for Percy, and for Ginny.
"Alright, let's talk" Fred said scathingly. "When did you start learning the Dark Arts?" Ron took in a deep breath before answering, it was time to speak the truth.
"At the start of this year" Ron answered, and there was absolute silence in the room.
"So it's true…" Percy whispered to himself. "Ron, how could you?"
"I wanted to learn more about the Dark Arts, but only for my own protection" Ron answered. "If I knew what I was up against, then I could defend myself better."
"Who would use the Dark Arts against you?" George asked him.
"I live in Slytherin…" Ron sighed. "And I'm a Blood-Traitor, do the math."
"Ronnie, do they bully you?" Ginny asked softly. Don't lie, just tell the truth for once.
"Sometimes…" Ron nodded, and his siblings looked irked. All of them except Fred. "Do you remember when I fell down those stairs?" They all nodded slowly. "I didn't fall down the stairs, Malfoy and his goons beat me bloody. And then they left me to bleed out in the boys' bathrooms. Two Hufflepuff boys, Cedric Diggory and Max McDean, found me. They took me to Pomfrey, you can ask them this yourselves if you don't believe me."
"Merlin…" Percy muttered as he sat down on a dusty chair. "Why did you lie?"
"Because if I didn't, it'd happen again" Ron shrugged. "Turning a fellow Slytherin in would not end well for me, or my friends." Ginny walked up to Ron and hugged him, and Ron patted her back softly. "Do you have any other questions?"
"Why did you attack Harry like that?" Fred asked, he looked less angry now. It's working. Good.
"Because he betrayed me" Ron replied, his blood boiled for a second.
"What does that mean?" Ginny asked him softly as she sat down on top of a desk. "That story about Harry and his friends isn't true, is it?"
"It is completely true" Ron told her with a firm voice. "And since it was true, I was able to strong-arm Dumbledore into punishing those three."
"You mean blackmail him?" Fred spat out.
"Yes" Ron replied. "And I would do it again…"
"Ron?" George asked, he sounded appalled.
"They went after my friend" Ron told them. "They planned to drug her, and then throw her away in some cupboard. After that, Hermione would impersonate her and enter the Slytherin common room to interrogate me. They thought that I was the Heir of Slytherin, and that I was behind all the attacks." Ron noticed Ginny going pale at his words. "Ginny, I'm not the Heir. I promise."
"Why didn't you tell a teacher, Ron?" Percy questioned him hotly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"No one would believe me" Ron shot back. "I mean just look at the current situation in the school… Everyone knows what Potter and his friends were doing, but I'm still the prime-suspect of being the Heir. No one even cares what some Gryffindors were up to, and all because Slytherin was their target."
"Come off it" Fred bit out. "People suspect you because you used the bloody Dark Arts in public! And you summoned a damn snake no less… What do you expect their reaction to be?"
"I made a mistake on that" Ron admitted. "I lost my temper, and it cost me. But I am not the Heir, nor am I the one who betrayed his friends. Potter did that, and he deserves what he's getting."
"But we're suffering too, Ron" George jumped in hotly. "You're costing us the Quidditch Cup just to hurt Harry."
"It's a Cup… I'm your blood" Ron clenched his jaw.
"You haven't been acting like it" Fred snapped. "You go around making threats at us! We're your older brothers, show us some respect!"
"And when have you shown me any respect?" Ron shot back. "You humiliate me in public, and you expect me to take that lying down?"
"Wait, what is he talking about?" Percy asked the twins with a frown. "What did you do?"
"Nothing" Fred denied.
"We interrupted a small scuffle between Ron's friends and the Gryffindor second years" George admitted, and Fred looked at his twin with utter shock. "We made fun of him, and the Gryffindors laughed at him…"
"George…" Fred muttered, utterly betrayed.
"No, Fred" George shook his head. "We need to sort this out… I'm sick of this fighting."
"You two…" Percy grit out, and then he turned to Ron. "What was the fight about?"
"Dean Thomas called me a Death-Eater after I told him to piss off" Ron admitted, and Ginny gasped in horror.
"How dare he?!" Ginny fumed, and Ron had to the fight the urge to smile. Take that Dean… You will never snog my sister now, you son of a bitch.
"We didn't know about that" Fred told Percy who was just glaring at the twins.
"But even if you did, would you care?" Ron asked Fred, and Fred blinked at him.
"Of course I'd bloody care" Fred snapped, and George sighed. He knew that his twin had just walked into a trap.
"Really, Fred?" Ron said softly. "Because you were the first person to ever call me a Death-Eater…" Fred looked like he had been slapped, and he was utterly speechless.
"FRED?!" Ginny screeched. "How could you say that to him?!"
"I… I… didn't mean…" Fred stuttered.
"Mean what, Fred?" Ron asked him bitterly. "You didn't mean to hurt me, because you did. But I forgave you on the basis that it was a mistake. And now I've made a mistake… But it wasn't against you, it was against Potter. But you had no trouble turning on me, did you? So the why fuck should I show an ounce of respect?"
"Ron, mind your language" Percy warned him, and Ron did his best to calm down. Don't lose your temper, it won't help anyone.
"Fred, you're the worst!" Ginny shrieked at him, and he just stared at her slack-jawed.
"You're no saint either, Ginny" George jumped in to defend his twin, and Ginny glared at him. "You've been acting horrid to everyone around you for months, including all of us."
"I said I was sorry" Ginny snapped.
"And you think that's enough?" George snapped back.
"Don't yell at her" Ron grit out.
"That's rich coming from you" Fred glared at Ron.
"That's enough" Percy jumped in, but the twins turned on him.
"And what did you do about her behavior?" Fred asked Percy.
"Nothing" George added.
"Every time we brought it up, you'd tell us to 'Give her some space'…" Fred said venomously.
"At least I didn't scare her half to death!" Percy yelled at the twins. "You clowns ran around scaring her for an entire day!"
"We were trying to help" Fred defended their actions.
"Well, you didn't help me" Ginny said scathingly. "I'm still having nightmares about your boil covered faces!"
"What did you expect from these two?" Ron spat out. "When have they ever been anything but nasty?"
"Really, Ron?" George asked him. "And who comforted you after mum's letter?"
"A letter that she sent because of this idiot!" Ron yelled as he pointed at Fred.
"And there it is again" Fred spat out. "You're such a little shite…"
"Careful, Fred" Percy warned. "I've had it with you!"
"Oh no, don't give him a detention" George mock pleaded, and Percy flushed red.
"Maybe you should show Percy some respect?" Ron suggested. "Isn't he older than you?" The twins shook with rage. "You're both such hypocrites…"
"And you're a damn…" Fred started but stopped. Everyone knew what he was going to say, and it sickened them. It even sickened Fred, and Ron knew it because his brother just slumped down on a dusty chair. They were all quiet, and they were all angry. But they all felt better as well, they had gotten some of the poison out. Ron pulled up a chair and sat down on it, he just needed a breather. Ron was rubbing his forehead when he heard Ginny sniffle loudly. All of them looked to her immediately, and she had a stubborn look on her face. But her eyes were red, and her nose was runny. Ron smiled at her stubbornness to not cry in front of them, she always had something to prove. Ron reached into his robes and pulled out a clean, white handkerchief.
"Here" Ron said as he offered it to Ginny. She took it with a frown, and then she blew her nose loudly.
"Gross…" George said with a light chuckle.
"You're gross" Ginny shot back in a childish tone.
"Look at that George, Ginny has the same level of wit as Percy" Fred smiled.
"I wouldn't tell you that you're gross" Percy said softly. "I'd rub that handkerchief on your face instead."
"Now that's gross…" Ron smiled at Percy. Percy smiled back and shrugged his shoulders. They were all quiet again for a minute or so, and then the school bell rang loudly. There goes Lunch Break, but we made a lot of progress. They all got up to leave, but none of them left. Damn our stubbornness, no one wants to say anything.
"We're a family" Percy said suddenly. "And we need to stick together…"
"I agree" Ron said firmly. "At the end of the day, we can only rely on each other. But we can't do that if we are always fighting each other."
"I'm sorry for being horrid to you guys" Ginny said in a meek tone. "I really am."
"We know, Gin" George smiled softly.
"We were just worried, that's all" Fred added.
"Let's make a truce" Percy suggested. "From now on, we'll have each other's' backs."
"At school" Fred quickly added with an innocent smile.
"We'll have each other's backs at school" Percy amended. "Is that alright with everyone?"
"It's perfect" Ron smiled at Percy. "I'm in."
"Me too" Ginny nodded.
"Since you're all doing it" the twins said together. "We're in as well." Thank you, Merlin!
"Good" Percy smiled at his younger siblings. "Now get to class, and don't be late."
"Ugh…" Fred and George groaned.
"Really, Percy?" Ron chuckled.
"So bossy" Ginny pouted.
January 24th, 1993 (Library)
Ron sat alone in the library, and he enjoyed the peace and quiet. It had been a busy month for him, but things were finally getting better. The twins had backed off from their vendetta against him, Ginny and Luna ate breakfast with him every morning, Percy was doing his best to keep Gryffindor in check, and Ron's friends had finally allowed him some alone time. He wanted to do some reading on the Great War, and they had allowed him to go alone because he'd be in the library. No one would make a move in Madam Pince's domain.
Things were still tense between the houses, but not as much as before. The Heir hadn't struck for over a month now, and most people were guessing that the Heir lost their nerve. Ron didn't believe that for a second, he knew that the Heir was lying in wait. They had done the same thing with Justin Flinch-Fletchley, after all. Ron and his friends had no intention of letting their guard down just yet. The map that Ron's friends made had helped them quite a lot, and they were sure that the Chamber was located somewhere near the Great Hall. The majority of attacks, past and present, had happened near there.
Ron shot quick looks around himself, and then he stuffed a few Flavored Beans into his mouth. He loved sneaking food into this place, it gave him a thrill like nothing else did. He knew that if Madam Pince caught him, he would killed on the spot. But that's what made it so fun! As Ron shot another look around, he spotted a student with a big bushy mane sitting all by herself. Hermione… Ron's gaze lingered on her as she studied intensely with her back to him. Ron would be lying if he claimed that he hadn't thought about their recent talk lately. He had told her about his scars during his angry and hurt rant, and he had no idea what she had done with that knowledge.
But in all honesty, he didn't care if she told Potter or Longbottom. Even he knew that they wouldn't stoop so low as to tell everyone in Gryffindor about his scars. But that odd feeling in his chest was still there. He'd dropped such a massive truth about himself on her, and then he had just walked away before she could even respond. And then there was the fact that the Trio had tried to warn him about the twins, even if he already knew about it, it was still a sweet gesture. Talking with Hermione had flipped a switch in his head, and he wanted to talk to her again. He did miss her company, their sneak snacking, their banter, and their love off getting correct answers. Ron looked down at the Muggle watch he was wearing, her Christmas gift to him, and he felt his chest tighten. Why am I still wearing it? But he already knew why, it was a link to his former friendship with Hermione.
Ron looked back up at Hermione, and she was writing something down furiously. She has broken so many quills because of that habit. She was sitting all by herself, but Ron knew that she preferred it that way. Potter and Longbottom would only disturb her, and even Ron sometimes felt like he disturbed her. She was extremely intelligent, and logical. And she hated it when Ron just gave her the answers. She liked coming to her own conclusions… Is that why she helped Potter and Longbottom? She told me that she wanted to prove my innocence. But why didn't she just come to me? Ron immediately knew the answer to that question. What if I really was the Heir? I'd kill her on the spot. Would I act any different in that situation? No, I wouldn't.
Ron sighed to himself, and then he made a decision. He stood up and approached her from behind, she didn't even hear him coming. He sat down right by her side, and she looked at him with an annoyed look. But when she saw him, her brown eyes went as wide as dinner plates. When Ron didn't say anything, Hermione looked back down at her books.
"Hello" Ron said lamely. Hello? Really?
"Hi…" Hermione muttered.
"I see you're studying for Potions" Ron whispered.
"Professor Snape gave us a lot of homework" Hermione nodded softly. They were quiet for a few seconds, and then an idea came to Ron.
"Do you want some snacks?" Ron asked her as he showed her the box of Flavored Beans under the table. Hermione smiled softly at the box.
"You shouldn't bring food in here" Hermione scolded in a soft whisper.
"I know" Ron shrugged. "But you can't study without something fueling your brain. Go on…"
"Just a few" Hermione smiled as she took a few Beans out of the box. She then quickly put them in her mouth.
"I'm sorry… for everything" Ron whispered to her as she was chewing. She stopped chewing and looked to him with swollen cheeks. Don't laugh at her!
"I'm sorry too" she said after she swallowed the beans. Did she even chew them?
"Alright then" Ron smiled at her. "We're both sorry."
"And what does that mean?" Hermione asked him. "For us?" What do I want it to mean? Ron thought about her question for a few seconds, and then he had his answer. Ron showed her the watch around his left wrist. "You didn't throw it away?" Hermione smiled at the watch.
"A certain blonde told me that it would be the wrong thing to do" Ron smiled. "And I'm glad I listened."
"She did that?" Hermione asked in amazement.
"She did" Ron nodded softly. "I want us to be… friends… again." Hermione beamed at that.
"Me too" she said immediately, but then her excitement ebbed. "Harry and Neville won't like that…"
"Why?" Ron asked. "I'm not asking to be their friend, I want to be your friend."
"They think that you're the Heir…" Hermione sighed.
"Then help me prove them wrong" Ron offered. "I'm… I'm hunting the Heir down." Hermione's eyes widened at that.
"You are?" she asked softly.
"People are blaming me for their crimes, I have no choice" Ron shrugged.
"What do I tell Harry and Neville in the mean time?" she asked softly. "They're my best friends, I don't want to lie to them."
"Tell them whatever you want" Ron smiled. "They can't force you to be my enemy, and if they do, then they aren't good friends to have. That reminds me… I told you something when we fought in the courtyard, something about my scars…"
"I didn't tell anyone" Hermione quickly said. "I… I'm not even sure what you meant by that."
"I meant that I was left scarred after…" Ron stopped for a second. "I was left scarred by the Dark Lord. I have them all over my body…" Hermione gasped at that.
"Is that why you wear a glove?" she asked with a whimper. Ron nodded at her, and she gave him a pitiful look. "Ron, I'm so sorry. I didn't know anything about that."
"Don't worry, not many people do" Ron gave her a reassuring smile. "Not even my siblings know…"
"And you told me?" Hermione asked, her expression was both sad and happy.
'I want us to be friends" Ron nodded. "And I want you to understand why I could never be this Heir of Slytherin. I hate Blood-Supremacy, and I always will." Hermione smiled widely at him, her eyes were getting wet.
"I won't tell anyone about them, I promise" Hermione promised. "And I'd love to be friends again…"
"Good" Ron smiled. "Then we're friends again."
"YOU TWO!" came a shrill voice from behind them. "OUT OF MY LIBRARY! HOW DARE YOU BRING FOOD IN HERE?!" Madam Pince shrieked, and Hermione and Ron grabbed their things and bolted out.
"I just got kicked out of the library" Hermione said in utter horror. "That's never happened to me before!"
"Sorry" Ron laughed. "Side-effects of being friends with Ron Weasley, I suppose." Hermione lost her look of disappointment immediately, and she beamed at him.
"I missed you, Ron" Hermione said with a wide smile.
"I missed you too, Hermione" Ron replied. Hermione moved forward a little, but then she stopped.
"Ron…" Hermione shuffled her feet. "Can I hug you? Like we used to?" Ron rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Come here" Ron said as he opened his arms, and Hermione hugged him quickly. It was a short hug, but it was a start. Ron gave her a squeeze before he let her go, and she looked extremely happy.
January 26th, 1993 (Common Room)
"I can't believe you told her" Tracey muttered.
"Ron, that was incredibly stupid of you" Blaise frowned.
"You didn't even ask us what we thought" Daphne sighed.
"I have to agree with them, Ron" Millie added on.
"You're a twat" Theo put in.
"Alright, ease up there" Ron frowned at Theo. They're taking it better than I thought they would.
"Ron, what if she tell her friends?" Pansy asked him.
"Then the Trio will lay off of us" Ron replied. "They want this Heir captured, just like we do."
"If you think Potter will help you after what you did to him, you're insane" Blaise shook his head.
"I didn't ask for Potter's help" Ron told them. "I asked Hermione for hers because she's insanely intelligent. We could use her help…"
"What is she going to tell us that we don't already know?" Theo frowned. "We know pretty much everything except for who the Heir is, or where the Chamber's entrance is."
"Then she may help us with that" Ron shrugged. "Not to mention that having her in our corner will help us keep tabs on the Gryffindors. If she finds out anyone is coming after me, she'll warn me."
"And what does she get out of this deal?" Tracey asked him.
"My friendship" Ron smirked, but his friends just blinked at him. They don't understand that, do they?
"So you're telling me that she will do all of that for you, and all you have to do is be friends with her?" Millie asked slowly. Ron nodded at Millie.
"Clearly she isn't very smart to make a deal like that" Pansy frowned deeply.
"She is smart, even smarter than me" Ron told them. "She just isn't… conniving like us."
"She was pretty conniving when she wanted to kidnap me and wear my skin" Daphne glared at Ron.
"And I caught them, didn't I?" Ron argued. "If I think that she's trying something like that again, I'll cut her off immediately."
"I just wish that you'd told us before you acted" Tracey sighed.
"It just happened, I swear" Ron muttered. "I didn't plan it, it just happened. But I know that it was the right move. You didn't see how happy she was to be my friend again, she won't betray me again."
"I bet she was happy" Daphne spat out. I expected that.
"Well, what's done is done" Blaise sighed. "Make sure you put that brain of hers to work."
"I will" Ron promised.
"There you are!" came Clara Martyris' voice, and Ron immediately blushed. Oh Merlin, not her! "I've been looking for you, Ron. Come with me for a second." Ron smiled at her, she looked amazing with her medium length hair in a ponytail. Stop it! That's how she get you, Ron! Ron got up and followed after her. She led them to the shared Potions Lab, and Ron saw that Carey and Samantha were working on a potion. "I found him" Clara told her friends.
"Ron, it's good to see you again" Carey said, but she didn't even look at him. She was too busy with her potion.
"How can I help you three?" Ron said with a practiced smile, he wouldn't be caught off guard this time.
"Do you remember our conversation about the Hufflepuffs?" Samantha asked him, her tall figure was rather intimidating.
"I do…" Ron said slowly. "Are we making a move on them?"
"So quick on the draw" Clara giggled as she leaned against a table. "And yes, we are."
"And more importantly, you're the messenger" Carey said as she added a bat spleen to her potion.
"Messenger?" Ron asked. What's their plan?
"Yes, we want to keep everything civil" Samantha said coldly. "Which is why you're perfect for this job."
"Cedric Diggory and Max McDean will be leaving the library in twenty minutes" Carey said as she stirred the potion. How does she know that?
"We keep our eyes open, Ron" Clara hummed at him, it was like she read his mind. She was smiling at Ron, and he couldn't help but blush. She's really pretty, and her chest is huge… Stop it, you pervert!
"We know they helped you when you had that terrible fall" Samantha said. "We want you to talk to them. We've learned that it's just the younger Hufflepuffs who are acting out. The older students are far too busy with their studies to bully others, not that they even could. Hufflepuffs…"
"And why Cedric and Max?" Ron asked.
"Well, that's quite simple" Carey said as she finally turned around to face him. "The younger Hufflepuffs listen to them. They're both handsome boys, they're polite, they're kind, and they're fair. The younger Hufflepuffs idolize them. If they tell those brats to leave our little ones alone, they will listen. And both boys will be more inclined to listen to you, considering your history with them."
"Play on their softer sides" Clara said with a bright smile. "Tell them how much it 'hurts your feelings', or something like that."
"People think that I'm the Heir" Ron told them. "Why would they even talk to me?"
"Are you?" Samantha asked, a sharp glint in her eyes.
"No" Ron frowned. "And if I knew who it was, I'd turn them in."
"Why?" Carey asked him in her silky voice.
"Multiple reasons" Ron sighed. "And I bet you would too." I might as well try and get them to help me.
"Would we?" Clara giggled. "Why?"
"Because if they aren't caught" Ron smirked at her. "Then they will close the school down, just like they almost did fifty years ago…" All three girls gave him serious looks at that. "That's right, you wouldn't even make it to seventh year. No Triumvirate, no N.E. , nothing…" The girls exchanged quick looks, and then they all smiled slyly.
"Look at you" Carey smiled. "You're trying to give us an incentive to help you. You really are something else, aren't you?"
"Yes, he is" Clara hummed as she eyed him in a way that made Ron feel uncomfortable.
"You're definitely perfect for this job" Samantha smiled at him. "You help us with this, and we'll make some inquiries for you. How about that?"
"Deal" Ron agreed. Thank Merlin that worked.
"Then you have less than fifteen minutes to get to the library" Carey told him. "And take Theodore Nott with you, he has a mind for these things." Ron nodded and left the Potions Lab. He made his way to his friends, and they all turned to face him.
"What was that about?" Theo asked Ron.
"I'll tell you on the way, you're coming with me" Ron told Theo. Theo nodded and stood up.
"What about us?" Daphne asked him.
"Actually you come with me as well" Ron told her. "You're good at negotiating."
"Negotiating?" Blaise asked him.
"Ron, what are you up to?" Tracey asked him.
"Helping the future Triumvirate" Ron smiled at her. And then he turned on his heel and walked out of the common room, Theo and Daphne followed after him.
"So what's the plan?" Theo asked him as they made their way out of the dungeons.
"We need to convince Cedric Diggory and Max McDean to help us" Ron replied. Which I doubt will be easy.
"Convince them of what?" Daphne asked.
"The younger Hufflepuffs listen to those two apparently" Ron told his friends. "And it's the younger Hufflepuffs who are bullying our first years, the older ones are too busy for such nonsense."
"This won't be easy, Ron" Daphne told him. "People think that you're the Heir."
"I know" Ron sighed. "But the girls asked me, and I need to get this done. They've agreed to make some 'inquires' about the Heir if we succeed."
"You told them as well" Theo frowned.
"I told them that the school would be shut down if they didn't help me" Ron told Theo.
"And they decided to help you because they want to be the Triumvirate" Daphne summarized. "That's quite clever of you, Ron." Ron gave her a smile at that.
"It's known to happen" Ron chuckled.
"Not often…" Theo smirked, and Ron frowned at him. "Where are we going?"
"The library, and we have to be subtle when we run into them" Ron answered.
"Subtle?" Daphne asked. "Why did they pick you for this job then?" Really?
"Can we just concentrate on the task at hand?" Ron asked them scathingly. "You can poke fun at me after."
"Okay" Daphne hummed with a happy smile. She loves taking the mickey out of me too much… The trio got to the library's entrance, and then they waited. When they spotted Cedric and Max leaving the library together, Ron slowly walked into them. Their books fell down on the ground.
"I'm so bloody sorry, guys" Ron apologized as he bent down to pick their books up.
"Honestly, Ron" Daphne scolded him. "What's the point of you having eyes?" Ron got up and handed the books back to the Hufflepuffs.
"Sorry again" Ron smiled sheepishly.
"It's alright" Cedric chuckled. "It was just an honest accident."
"Don't worry about it, mate" Max smiled at Ron. That worked. Excellent.
"Hey, it's you two" Ron smiled at them, and both boys smiled back. "I never thanked you properly for helping me, you know, after my 'fall'."
"It's alright, mate" Max told him. "We couldn't just leave you there."
"Well, thank you" Ron told them sincerely, at least that much was true. "You two didn't have to help me, but you did. I owe you guys."
"It is fine, Ronald" Cedric chuckled, his smile made him look dashing. "You don't owe us anything."
"You remember my name?" Ron asked them.
"Everyone knows your name" Max replied, his demeanor had changed a little. "Well, we'd best be off. Right, Cedric?"
"Um… yeah" Cedric said, suddenly mirroring Max's attitude. They think I'm the damn Heir. Great…
"Well, I'd like to thank you two as well" Theo told them, garnering their attention. "You helped my friend out, and I ran off instead of thanking you."
"Like we said, it's fine" Cedric smiled at Theo, it looked rather forced.
"Actually, can you guys help me with something?" Daphne asked them in a meek tone.
"Um… sure" Max replied. "What do you need?"
"There's a couple of Hufflepuff boys in third year who have been…" Daphne started but stopped. "No… Never mind…" Daphne shuffled her feet.
"What's wrong?" Cedric asked her with a charming smile, and Ron saw Daphne's cheeks turn rosy.
"No, it's okay" Theo told them. "It's just a small issue we're having with some older kids…"
"Some Hufflepuff boys?" Max asked them, he was suddenly concerned. They really are nice blokes. I actually feel guilty about using them like this.
"One of them had brown curly hair, and the other wore thick glasses" Daphne smiled sadly. "They've been… sort of hounding me… and some of the other girls in Slytherin."
"What?" Cedric asked in shock.
"Tom and Mathew have been bullying you guys?" Max asked them.
"It's mostly my fault…" Ron smiled sadly. "People think that I'm the Heir, and so they're picking on my friends and the first years… You guys shouldn't worry too much about it. Again, sorry for bumping into you guys. Let's go you two, we have to find that Potions book." Ron and his friends made to leave, but Cedric and Max stopped them.
"Just wait, you have to tell us what's happening" Max said passionately. "Are the Hufflepuff boys giving you trouble?"
"They're just joining in on the fun…" Theo sighed. "Everyone is looking for reasons to corner us lately, it's alright. We're getting used to it."
"No" Cedric shook his head. "No one should get used to bullying. Tell us what's happening, we'll put a stop to it."
"We appreciate that" Ron smiled. "But it would only make things worse. People will say that we're rats…"
"No one will know that you told us" Max assured him with a smile. "Right, Cedric?"
"Definitely" Cedric smiled down at the trio. "We will just tell them that we've seen their actions, and we'll tell them to stop it. They'll listen to us, trust me."
"We should tell them" Daphne turned to Ron and Theo. "Please… I'm sick of people slapping the books out of my hands, or shoving me for no reason…" Max and Cedric looked utterly horrified at that. Damn Daph. That was a nice touch.
"I don't know…" Ron rubbed the back of head.
"They can help us, mate" Theo nudged Ron.
"We can" Cedric told Ron. "Look, none of us know for certain if you're the Heir. And people are also saying that it's Harry Potter… I don't think either of you are the Heir… You clearly care about your friends, let us help you."
"And no one will know, we promise" Max added on.
"Alright…" Ron nodded softly. "Daph, tell them…"
"It's just the younger Hufflepuffs" Daphne said softly. "They've seen the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors excluding us from everything, and they've sort of joined in recently… It's mostly the first years they pick on, but sometimes they go after us second years as well. But the older Hufflepuffs don't do that, I swear."
"That's good" Cedric smiled at her. "Look, you guys just go about your business okay? Max and I will talk to them… and to Professor Sprout. She specifically told us to not bully anyone, she'll put a stop to it."
"And no one will know that it was us who talked?" Theo asked them slowly.
"No one" Max smiled as he put a comforting hand on Theo's shoulder. "I'm sorry about the younger Hufflepuffs bullying you, it isn't right. You guys shouldn't be paying for the Heir's crimes…"
"Thank you guys, I owe you again" Ron smiled at them.
"Think nothing of it, Ronald" Cedric said in a kind voice.
"Please, call me Ron" Ron said softly. "All of my friends do…"
"Alright then, Ron" Cedric nodded with a smile. "Take care you three, and we promise to stop this behavior. At least on our end." The two Hufflepuff boys left after that, and Ron released a long breath.
"Nice touch with the visual image of bullying, Daphne" Theo smiled at her.
"Thank you" Daphne did a small curtsy.
"You know, I actually feel bad about that" Ron sighed. "They're nice blokes…"
"Just admit it" Theo smirked at Ron. "You enjoyed that."
"I did…" Ron replied. But it was still wrong. Though it does help the first years a lot, considering that they're actually being bullied. This was for the greater good…
Hermione Granger's POV
January 27th, 1993 (Gryffindor Common Room – After Dinner)
Hermione fretted with her hands as she saw Harry and Neville playing a game of Exploding Snap. They were sitting by the fire, and they were quite isolated. Most of the Gryffindors were socializing quite loudly, and Hermione thought that this was the best time to tell her best friends. She couldn't keep it in any longer, she felt like she was betraying them by not telling them. C'mon Hermione, just tell them. They'll understand, I know it.
"Guys, can I talk to you?" Hermione asked the two boys in a meek tone, she quickly cleared her throat to fix that.
"Of course, Hermione" Harry smiled at her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong" Hermione smiled back. "I just have something important to tell you two."
"Oh" Neville said. "Sure, Hermione. We're all ears."
"Is this about the Heir?" Harry asked her, his voice getting excited. Sort of…
"Um… yes, and no" Hermione squeezed her own hands. "I spoke more with Ron…" Harry and Neville blinked at her.
"When?" Harry asked, his expression becoming dark.
"Three days ago" Hermione admitted. "He sat down next to me in the library, and we talked…"
"You talked?" Neville asked her slowly, he looked more concerned than angry. Harry was the one who looked angry, and Hermione felt her palms getting sweaty.
"Yes, we talked" Hermione nodded. "And we're… we're friends again."
"Are you kidding me?" Harry asked her in a shocked voice. "You're friends again? With him?" Harry seethed.
"Yes, Harry" Hermione replied, she could feel her own temper flare. He has no right to talk to me like that! "I didn't know that I needed your permission?"
"You're supposed to be our friend, not his" Harry argued.
"Harry, just wait a second" Neville told him. "Hermione, what's going on? What did Weasley say to you?"
"He told me that he wasn't the Heir" Hermione put her nose in the air. "And I believe him."
"After what he did to me?" Harry asked her. "Hermione, how could you?"
"He's really sorry about that, Harry" Hermione defended Ron. "He lifted our punishments, he's wearing the watch I got him, and even his siblings are back on his side. The twins haven't said a word about him in days, Ginny and Luna eat breakfast with him every morning, and they both look so much happier. He's trying to change, he's trying to do better. And he came to me… He told me that he wanted to be my friend."
"Hermione…" Neville sighed. "That's what he does. He says things that he knows people want to hear…"
"He is tricking you, Hermione" Harry implored. "What if you're his next victim?"
"His next victim?" Hermione grit out. "Harry James Potter, how dare you? You are making him guilty of a crime that he hasn't even committed, and we have no proof that he is the Heir. And guess what? He told me that he is hunting the Heir down himself." Harry blinked at her like she was stupid.
"He wants you to put your guard down" Harry argued. "Neville, back me on this."
"Harry's right, Hermione" Neville sighed. "Don't you remember him using the Dark Arts? Or how he laughed while attacked Harry? What kind of person does that? Most of the school already knows that he's the Heir… Please don't put yourself in danger like this." I'm not some dainty flower.
"I can take care of myself" Hermione glared at her best friends. "Look, I told you two because you're my best friends. But you can't tell me who I should be friends with… You're not my parents."
"We want what's best for you, Hermione" Neville said softly. "And being friends with Weasley is not a good idea."
"He is a bad person" Harry said bluntly. Hermione's mind wandered back to Ron's rant, and she felt righteous anger on his behalf. He did so much for us, and we never even gave him a chance to defend himself.
"He saved my life in first year" Hermione said firmly, and both boys sighed. "He saved our lives… When no one wanted to be my friend, including you two, he chose to be my friend. Harry, he saved Sirius from prison. He saved you from the Dursleys… He helped us with the Dragon, and he took the blame for it. And he was there when we went to save the stone. Those are not the actions of a bad person…"
"He chose to be your friend because you're intelligent" Neville said softly, and Hermione felt her blood boil. "He saved Sirius simply because he discovered his rat to be Peter Pettigrew. He saved Harry because Harry is a well-known and powerful wizard. He helped us with the Dragon because he knew that it would benefit him. And as for the stone, why was he there before us? For all we know, he wanted the stone for himself. Hermione, he's in Slytherin for a reason! Unlike his siblings, he actually has agendas and plans…"
"Enough…" Hermione shook with rage. "You have no right to talk about him like that, Neville." Hermione felt her eyes burn as she remembered Ron telling her about his scars. "You keep making up reasons to not like him, and I'm done listening to your conspiracy theories. You have no facts, whatsoever. I want to be his friend, and if you two don't like that, then you two aren't who I thought you were." Hermione stood up and marched away to her dorm, she couldn't stand to look at them for another moment. Ron was right. They don't like him just because he's in Slytherin! That's so… so unfair!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: So that was a big chapter, huh? A lot happened during it! Ron's made some new allies, and they'll definitely be key players during 3rd year! Hermione and he are back on the same side, and both of them couldn't be happier about it! It's just their friends now who are upset... Hmmm, care to guess where I'm taking all of this?
Now, a small announcement that might displease some of you. My posting speed will slow down from now on. I have Uni on, and I volunteer for three days during the week as well. Plus weekend stuff with my mates. So I'm really busy. So instead of a chapter ever 2 days, expect a chapter 5 days at the latest.
This project is very important to me, and I will not be putting it on the shelf. It will be a continuous thing, and I will make sure to keep it that way. I love writing this story for you guys, I've had nothing but amazing support for it! So thank you all!
Also, I had a look at the word count and we are getting up there! After evaluating some numbers with Arcs I have planned, I now know that this story will not be 1.5 million words. It'll be around 2.5 million, shiet!
See you soon!