Winter 1992

Ronald Weasley

The last traces of the holiday clung stubbornly to Ron's thoughts as he stepped off the platform and into the narrow corridors of the Hogwarts Express, trailing just behind Daphne. Although they could have used the Floo to return to school, Tracey had suggested or more rightly demanded that they take the train instead. She insisted the day-long journey from London to Hogsmeade was a tradition that simply couldn't be broken, no matter the circumstances. Ron didn't mind too much, but he longed for the enchantingly soft mattress in the guest room at Greengrass Manor, which he already knew he would miss terribly. Daphne, on the other hand, had rolled her eyes and huffed about the decision for hours, only quieting after Tracey offered to do part of her homework in exchange.

The platform had seemed quieter than usual, with the January sky casting a dreary shadow over everything and darkening the steam rising from the single smokestack. Students shuffled about with seemingly tired faces, as if there hadn't been a holiday at all. Which, Ron guessed, was probably because nobody actually wanted the holiday to end. On the platform, they had said their goodbyes to Daphne's parents and her sister, with Ron taking an extra moment to thank Aloris and Dianna once again for their hospitality. Astoria had wished everyone well, Ron's eyes being drawn to the pin sparkling on the collar of her white dress. And before Ron could even properly come to grips with returning, the three Slytherins were left alone on the busy platform.

It didn't take Ron long to spot Blaise and, to his surprise, Hermione. Convincing her to join them had taken a bit of encouragement, but in the end, she had agreed with a slow sort of nod that still suggested to Ron that she wasn't quite yet comfortable with his is other three Slytherins didn't object to his invitation whether because they knew Ron wouldn't accept it or because they felt too bad to leave Hermione alone, Ron couldn't be sure. Not that it mattered to him; after all, Hermione had narrowly escaped death only a few months ago because of what he did and he intended to make it up to her.

Finally, aboard, they claimed a compartment near the middle, Ron settling in beside Blaise and Hermione while Daphne and Tracey took the opposite seats. The train jolted forward, pulling them away from London and into the quiet English countryside.

"Did you all have a good holiday?" Hermione asked awkwardly, causing a few looks to bounce around the compartment.

"It was good," Ron answered. "I stayed with Tracey and Daphne at Daphne's home, Greengrass Manor. Really wizard."

"And became fast friends with my sister," Daphne added almost bitterly.

"Oh you have a sister?" Hermione asked.

Daphne just narrowed her eyes and nodded once.

Ron returned Daphne's glare trying his best to match the coldness. "Her name is Astoria, she'll be starting next year with my sister. Astoria's bound to be in Slytherin," he answered the question on Daphne's behalf.

"Or Hufflepuff," Tracey giggled.

Daphne broke her glare at Hermione to instead look disappointingly at Tracey. Tracey just continued to giggle into her deserve that.

"How about your holiday, Granger?" Blaise asked. "Are your parents mad? About what happened?"

Hermione's eyes widened and grew distant. She kept her mouth shut tightly for a moment as if she had been stupefied. "Oh. Yes. That."

A wicked smile spread across Tracey's face. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "I, uh, I didn't think they needed to know. They'd only worry or worse withdraw me entirely from school. I can't not be a witch, not after already coming here."

Ron looked Hermione in the eyes and smiled reassuringly. He couldn't shake an odd well of pride that filled his chest with a small comfortable warmth. Which, he discreetly bit the inside of his cheek, he guessed was a little improper. After all, Hermione had lied to her parents for the entire break, that wasn't something to normally be applauded.I think I am a little insane. What kind of person feels proud about their friend doing something like that? I really do belong in , no guilt came to him. Hearing Hermione admit to hiding the fact she had almost died was almost a strange validation of his own behaviour; it felt oddly comforting. As if all the lies Ron kept telling were somehow lessened by someone else doing something similar.

"Sounds right," Ron said, trying his best to not sound too happy. "I wouldn't want to not be a wizard either."

A small murmur of agreement spread through the compartment, even Daphne nodded her head. This seemed to relieve Hermione slightly, who took a deep breath and rested herself against the snowy compartment window.

The trip from London to Hogsmeade was dull and far too boring. The conversation didn't stray much beyond general politeness, only briefly delving into what everyone had received for Christmas. Everyone agreed that the two standout gifts were Ron's ring and the necklace Blaise had given to Daphne; which in turn made Blaise blush so furiously his dark face looked almost like a ripe tomato. He promptly buried his nose in a textbook, pretending not to hear the sing-songy way in which Tracey teased him.

"What a pair, emeralds sparkling everywhere!"

Ron, meanwhile, spent most of the journey chatting with Hermione and Tracey. To his surprise, Tracey and Hermione bonded over their shared love of Muggle music. It was something Ron didn't entirely understand. In his opinion, there was plenty of good wizarding music, after all, and there wasn't really a need to listen to anything muggle. He earned a roll of the eyes from Tracey and a rather long tangent about the history of Muggle music from Hermione.

Thankfully, Dianna had packed a small basket of food for them to share, which provided a welcome distraction. Hard bread, cheeses, and a small glass jar of preserves were easily divided among the five of them, making the sweets from the trolley witch almost unnecessary. None of them felt much like really indulging after eating something substantial but Blaise bought everyone a liquorice wand anyway, Tracey taking the opportunity to once again tease him.

Before long, the train gave a slow, jerky lurch as it pulled into Hogsmeade. The sharp whine of steam escaped the funnel and echoed through the train cars. Blaise stood first moving to help Tracey and Hermione with their bags, avoiding whatever comment Tracey might make if he had grabbed Daphne's instead. Tracey pouted at him and muttered something that Ron didn't catch. Not to be shown up, Ron sighed and helped heft Daphne's surprisingly heavy trunk down from the overhead , what does she have in here? A house elf?Daphne raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything, just offering a small nod before she pushed her way out of the compartment.

The air outside was frigid, the northern winds sending chills that crept through their cloaks and scarves and threatened to leave their lips blue. The platform itself was slick with the evening frost, the iron railings glinting and Ron had to stop himself from slipping more than once. He wondered why there wasn't some sort of spell to make the platform always warm. He would have assumed that someone, probably a professor, would have performed the magic for free if needed. The other students disembarked with hurried chatter that seemed to be in better spirits than the chatter Ron had overheard in London. The train ride itself had broken down whatever reservations most students seemed to hold about returning for the rest of the year.

In the distance just off one end of the platform and slightly obscured by the very edge of the forbidden forest a line of carriages awaited. Ron imagined that they looked less like the princess carriages Astoria might have wanted. They were old wooden things that were probably made before muggles even had automobiles and were pulled by tall gross-looking horses that seemed more bone than flesh. Ron noted that the beasts had large leathery wings which made him a little nervous.

He shifted his grip on Daphne's trunk and bit the inside of his cheek. "Did you pack this heavy on purpose?" He huffed. "An entire library or something?"

"Or something," Daphne nodded. She brushed past him as if the cold didn't bother her at all, heading out across the platform and towards the waiting carriages.

The journey to Hogwarts was bumpy, awkward, and freezing. The group had climbed into one of the last carriages, its interior just wide enough to fit all five of them with their luggage awkwardly stacked between their feet. Tracey shivered dramatically and buried her head into Daphne's shoulder while everyone else just did their best to pretend to be warm.

"It was a bad idea," Tracey muttered. "We should have just used the Floo."

Ron snorted slightly, earning him yet another glare from Daphne.

As the towering silhouette of Hogwarts came into view, its windows glowing with warm, golden light, Ron let out a small breath. He couldn't wait to get back to the common room and sit before one of the fires. He also couldn't want to tell Sal about his holiday or show the founder the book that Hermione had given him. Ron glanced to his right at Hermione. If his cheeks weren't already red from the cold he might have blushed. Inside his trunk sitting at his feet was the scarf he had bought for her and a part of him worried that she might not like it.

The castle looked the same as Ron remembered it, with no obvious holes or smouldering ruins. Its familiar spires rose against the dark sky and the air buzzed with latent magic. The carriage came to a jerking halt, and the group filed out onto the icy path, the snow crunching under their boots as they made their way into the castle.

- SS -

The hours between arriving back at Hogwarts and dinner passed with regular routine. Despite the days Ron had spent away from the castle he didn't find things to be so different. Although he welcomed the sight of his dormitory, unpacking his bags and sticking his things away, the same familiar anxious feeling nestled its way again into the back of every thought. He couldn't help but think about his list and the person he was trying to find. Whatever pressure the holiday had taken away hit him again with full force as he imagined opening the door to the common room and finding pools of his friends' blood.

The common room was not covered in blood. In fact, it looked the same as when Ron had just passed through, which was cleaner than he had remembered before. Everything to do with Christmas and the holidays had already been packed away and it seemed that either the students who remained behind, or the house elves, had taken to tidying the room. The warm flickering lights of the multiple fireplaces felt far better than the cold wind of the Scottish winter.

It didn't take Ron long to find himself at Blaise's side again, the two of them walking to the Great Hall and talking idly about which students had stayed at the school and which had gone home. Ron was rather surprised to know that only two Slytherins had stayed at Hogwarts, Lucian Bole, and Zoe Accrington. The corridors otherwise were filled with a low murmur that wasn't quite as loud as the days preceding the holidays. As Ron and Blaise rounded one corner towards the Great Hall, a voice suddenly hissed at them from the shadows.

"Ron, wait!"

Both Blaise and Ron stopped. The corridor seemed to be empty aside, the noises of chatter only echoing down from somewhere up ahead.

"Did you…"

"Hear something?" Blaise asked and nodded. "Sounded like someone said your name."

So I didn't make that up? Thank both stood still and glanced around. Ron's palms filled with sweat as he imagined that someone had discovered Sal. He imagined someone from his list suddenly appearing before him and murdering both him and Blaise. He flicked his arm slightly forward and pulled his wand from its new spot under his sleeve. He held it out in front of him.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," someone said. Out of nowhere, as if she had been standing there the entire time, Hermione appeared.

"Did you just apparate?" Ron asked, looking aghast at Hermione. He knew she was smart, but aparating at eleven was an entirely different level.

Hermione rolled her eyes as if the answer was completely obvious. "No, I did not." She turned back around and stared blankly at the empty space from which she had appeared. A second later, Harry's head appeared in the same spot.

Blaise looked between them and raised an eyebrow. "Lost your body, Potter?"

"Oh, right," Harry said quickly, his body appearing beneath him along with a star-speckled piece of fabric.

Ron looked at them both, his words catching in his chest. "Is that a…"

"An invisibility cloak," Blaise answered, looking more interested than Ron had ever seen him.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, it's great, isn't it? It used to belong to my father, Professor Dumbledore returned it to me for Christmas."

Ron couldn't help but smile. He had never seen an invisibility cloak in person before. He knew they were exceptionally rare and expensive. "Really, great," he agreed.

Blaise on the other hand tilted his head slightly. "Returned it to you? For Christmas? Wasn't it already yours? That doesn't seem like a real gift."

Hermione nodded. "That's what I said, I told him that he should have asked the headmaster if it was really a gift from him or from his father."

"It's a gift from my father either way," Harry defended. "I've never owned something that was his before, and I don't care if Dumbledore didn't buy me something new. This is the best gift I've ever gotten."

Ron was hit with a wave of guilt. He had gotten Hermione, who he knew was relatively well off by muggle standards, a gift but he hadn't gotten Harry anything at all. He looked between his friends and laughed a little nervously. "So, uh, what's with the surprise."

Harry and Hermione's faces both darkened. "We needed to speak to you… about something that happened over the break." Harry said. "I wore the cloak, I didn't want to be followed."

Ron's heart thumped fast. "Followed?"

"Is it that prick again?" Blaise sighed. "Malfoy… or Theo…"

"No, it's not him," Harry shook his head. "It's… something worse." He looked to Ron and then to Blaise.

"It's alright," Ron said. "You can say whatever it is in front of Blaise, I'll probably just end up telling him anyway."

Hermione seemed to frown and then glanced away quickly. Harry just nodded.

"I think Professor Snape is trying to steal something from the school, something powerful," Harry said carefully. "But keep your voices down, I don't want anyone to overhear us."

Piss drinker? Isn't he already rich?

"Which was why we used the cloak," Hermione nodded.

"Do you remember the first Quidditch game of the year?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, he remembered Gryffindor completely annihilating Slytherin and pretty much putting an end to any hope that any other team but Gryffindor might win the season. Ron also remembered how Harry had almost fallen off his broom.

"Well, Harry was being cursed," Hermione added, biting her lip. "I didn't tell anyone at the time, because I was afraid of being wrong… but… I saw Professor Snape muttering a curse… so I set his robes on fire."

Both Ron and Blaise looked at her with wide eyes and open mouths.

"You did that?" Blaise asked. "I was nearly pushed out of the tower!"

Hermione looked away a little uncomfortably. "I didn't know what else to do," she defended. "And anyway, it worked. After Professor Snape stopped muttering, the curse was broken and Harry was free to win the game. He was trying to kill him, I just know it."

Or he's just a really big fan of Quidditch…Ron frowned.

"And that's not all!" Harry said. "I saw Professor Snape limping after what happened on Hallowe'en. I think he let the troll into the school."

Ron's face flushed and he felt his veins run …

"Why would that make him limp?" Blaise asked.

Harry looked to Hermione and then back at them. "There's a really big dog, a three-headed one. It's guarding something, and I think whatever it's guarding is the thing that Snape is trying to steal. It's something that Hagrid took out of Gringotts when I went with him to Diagon Alley."

"Gringotts…" Blaise shook his head. "Merlin, they were broken into recently. My mother took all of her money to Italy."

"It has to be Professor Snape!" Hermione said. "It's terrible, Ron, but he's trying to kill Harry and take whatever the school is protecting!"

Ron looked between Harry and Hermione and then bit his lip. "Um… are you sure… that it's Snape…"

Hermione and Harry shared confused looks while Blaise looked somewhat sympathetic.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "I just told you, he was cursing Harry!"

"And he was limping!" Harry added.

"I think, what Ron means, is that this is a pretty big accusation. You need real proof if we want to go to the Headmaster for help," Blaise said. Ron thanked him quietly because that was not at all what he meant. What he really meant was: 'Professor Snape is a potion's master with probably a lot of money why would he want to kill students and steal something from Gringotts? He's a piss drinker but I don't know if he's a murderer.'It was better left unsaid.

"Right," Harry nodded. "That's a good idea, we need to gather real evidence."

Hermione frowned at Harry. "How are you going to do that? You can't just ask him?"

"No…" Harry thought for a moment. "But I do have this, maybe there's something in Snape's office that can help me? I'll sneak in with the cloak and take a look around."

"Best do it while he's at dinner," Blaise suggested. "All Professors have to attend the feast but lots of students will take the night off. It won't be too suspicious."

"Alright," Ron nodded. "Just let us know what you find, okay? I mean, if you're correct… this is really… fucked up."

"Ron!"

"He's right," Blaise shrugged.

"I'll keep you informed," Harry said. "Thanks, I knew I could count on your help, Ron."

"Yeah…" Hermione's voice trailed for a moment. She looked into Ron's eyes and he looked back at hers. They were just as large and as brown as he remembered, like there was an entire forest behind them.

With another round of nods, Harry and Hermione turned to leave.

"Oh, one more thing," Ron said suddenly. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the box of pins. Blaise raised an eyebrow at him as he did so, his fingers coming up to brush his own pin which he wore on his tie. Ron held the box out for Harry and Hermione to see.

"I bought these," Ron said, "over the break. I know they're not very Gryffindor, but I've been giving them out to my friends. I'd like you to take one, even if you don't want to wear it."

Harry gave a small awkward smile and peered down at the box while Hermione smiled more genuinely. Ron flipped up the lid and held the pins out for them.

"This is… very thoughtful, Ron," Hermione said, offering a smile. She reached in and took the pin that most resembled Astoria's except the Rose was replaced with a tulip. She rolled it gently between her fingers.

Following her lead, Harry reached in and took the next one, a rattlesnake with two square green gems for eyes. It wasn't the one that Ron would have picked for Harry, but he found that the eyes of the snake almost matched the eyes sunken in Harry's head. If ever there was a wizard with truly emerald eyes, it was Harry Potter.

Hermione attached the pin to the centre of her tie in the same way that Ron and Blaise had done. Ron offered her a small smile, happy to see that she would wear it. Harry instead went to pin his to the outside of the invisibility cloak.

"Probably a bad idea," Blaise said gently.

Harry stopped what he was doing and smiled at them sheepishly. "Right, sorry. Sometimes it's so comfortable that I forget it's not just a regular cloak." Instead, he moved his pin to the lapel of his black robes.

There was something else, something that Ron intended to do after dinner. He cleared his throat a little. "Er, would you two mind going to the Great Hall without us?" he asked Blaise and Harry. "I'll only be a minute. I just want to ask Hermione something, privately."

Hermione gave him a strange look, Harry nodded, and Blaise just smiled thinly letting a small breath out of his mouth. Blaise walked towards the Great Hall whilst Harry went in the opposite direction, turning invisible just as he reached the far corner. Ron and Hermione stood alone.

"Thank you," Ron muttered awkwardly. "For the Christmas gift. I, um, I didn't send you anything."

"That's alright," Hermione smiled back at him. "I thought you wouldn't, Ron. I just wanted to let you know how much what you did meant to me. I mean, everything."

"Everything?"

"Not just saving my life, but that's a big part of it. I mean, you've kind of changed my whole life here at Hogwarts. In a good way."

"Oh."

She looked away, her cheeks growing a little red. "Before Hallowe'en… I didn't really have any friends here. I was… I was almost thinking about going to my parents and begging to go to France… or anywhere else."

Ron stared at her with wide eyes. "Really?"Why didn't I notice she had no friends? Ugh, I'm the worst.

"Really," Hermione nodded. "But, since Hallowe'en things have been so different. I have you now, as my friend, and Harry and Neville too." She reached up and touched her pin lightly. "And I know your other friends don't like me yet, but it's good that they're trying, even if it's just for you."

"They'll be your friends too," Ron said, "Once they get to know you."Well, maybe not Theo, but I'm about three words away from burying my fist in his stomach.

"You also punched Malfoy for calling me… you know." She sniffed slightly and wiped a tear from her eye. "So, the present was to thank you. For everything."

Whatever guilt Ron had been feeling about not getting Harry a gift was instantly wiped away. At that moment, he knew it was Hermione who needed it most.

"I got something for you," Ron said, "after Christmas." He reached back into his pocket depositing the pin box and taking out the scarf which was wound in a tight ball. "I thought it would match your eyes." He handed it over to her.

Hermione smiled at him widely and wiped yet more tears away from her eyes. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he nodded.

Before Ron knew what was happening, Hermione wrapped her arms around his chest in a hug. Then just as quickly as it happened, she stepped away putting three paces between them.

"Thank you," she said again. "For everything."