“It’s weird, he doesn’t usually stay,” Harry commented, stating the obvious in Ron’s opinion. They had just heard that Malfoy and his cronies were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas too. This was most unusual because the trio had often been ridiculed by Malfoy for staying at Hogwarts over the holiday instead of returning home.
“I wonder why,” said Hermione thoughtfully, turning a quill over and over in her hands. She gazed into the fire as if searching for the answer to her question.
Ron couldn’t help but notice how stunning she looked when she was thinking; especially when she bit her lower lip, like she was right now.
Ron cursed himself. Ever since Hermione had shrugged him off outside Defence Against the Dark Arts, he had been trying to get her off his mind. It was proving much more difficult than he had anticipated. Hermione, however, was acting as if nothing had happened, and had in fact cheered up considerably in the last few days. Ron took this as further evidence that she didn’t like him. What else could it be, if she was more cheerful now that he was being more distant with her? Ron couldn’t come up with any other answer.
“His family is probably just…busy…or something,” Ron hazarded a guess. He didn’t feel too interested in the subject. It had been a depressing enough blow without them dwelling on it.
Ron looked around to see his two best friends staring at him, open mouthed. He threw them a questioning look.
“I bet that’s exactly what it is,” Hermione said darkly, and laid the quill gently down on the table, before sighing, long and low.
Then suddenly Ron understood what they were thinking. When Lucius Malfoy was imprisoned at the end of last term, it had been reported to the Order that his wife, Narcissa, had replaced him as Voldemort’s servant. Now Draco’s father had been released, it meant that they both were Death Eaters now, and were no doubt performing some horrific errand over Christmas.
A feeling of dread suddenly threatened to engulf Ron. For some reason, he was now worried that these plans would somehow involve Hermione.
Ron had spent some time trying to understand why Voldemort had attacked the Grangers, and had only one theory. They were trying to intimidate or provoke Harry. Ron was actually quite proud of this theory, he thought it made perfect sense. Of course, if it was true, it was horrendous, so he hadn’t dared to share his theory with either of his friends. Harry didn’t need another reason to feel guilty and he was not keen to break Hermione’s new found cheer; no matter how much it hurt him.
Despite attempting to put some distance between himself and Hermione, Ron found that he couldn’t leave her alone for too long. He grew anxious about her. Ron was fully aware that he still loved the girl and that he would protect her against everything and anyone. But he had to protect his own heart too, for it was breaking more and more each time he saw her.
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“My god, I am never going to get this,” Ron huffed, screwing up his millionth piece of parchment and throwing it angrily into the fireplace. He was absolutely sick of potions, why he had taken it was absolutely beyond him.
“Ron, just calm down,” Hermione soothed.
How can she be so patient with me? Ron pondered. He had been trying to work out the method for this potion for about two hours now. Needless to say, Hermione had finished it about an hour ago.
“I just can’t…” Ron began to say before he was cut off.
“Ronald Weasley. If you say that one more time I will hex you into oblivion. Now, do you want to become an Auror?” Hermione demanded, staring intently into his eyes.
Ron nodded mutely, feeling his face begin to flush. His high ambition still embarrassed him. Ron was confident that a lot of people thought that he was dreaming, that he wasn’t clever enough for such a demanding profession.
“Right then. You need to do this then, don’t you?” her voice had softened now, as had her gaze. She didn’t look at Ron like that often, but when she did, he just wanted to grab her and kiss her and…
“Ron?” Hermione interrupted his train of thought.
“Um, err…” Ron desperately tried to focus on the matter in hand, “Yes, potions, I mean, I do need to do it. Yes. Okay. Right.”
Hermione looked at him curiously, shook her head and launched into yet another explanation of the potion.
After about half an hour, Ron had made far more progress with his essay, and was actually beginning to understand it. However, he was once again unpleasantly interrupted by his other friend clambering through the portrait hole with a face like thunder.
Ron looked at Hermione who shrugged in response as Harry stormed over to them, his jaw set and his eyes glinting dangerously.
“Blimey mate, what’s wro…” Ron trailed off in amazement as he watched Harry punch the stone wall in fury, loudly cursing.
Hermione sat curled up in her seat, watching Harry with a mixture of concern, astonishment and fear. Ron couldn’t blame her. He had never seen Harry in such a rage before. Both were completely dumbfounded.
Harry had thrown himself into a seat next to Ron and began to nurse his now bleeding knuckles, when Ron finally found his voice.
“Explain,” Ron said hoarsely, for want of anything better to say. He hadn’t thought “nice punch” was appropriate, especially seeing as now Harry was now looking like he regretted that action while he mopped up the blood with his robes.
Harry scowled at his rapidly bruising hand and muttered fiercely, “Malfoy,” along with some other words which Ron knew his mother would never approve of.
Neither Ron nor Hermione were particularly surprised. Malfoy had definitely grown worse this year, and Harry’s temper was more close to the surface than ever before, which was saying something when you looked at how bad he was last year.
Harry looked up slowly to see Ron and Hermione gazing at him expectantly. Ron wanted to hear this. No, he needed to hear this.
“He just…well…he’s just being a Malfoy,” Harry finished lamely. Hermione looked daggers at Harry. Ron eyed Harry with confusion. That isn’t all, Harry is keeping something from us, Ron thought.
Hermione continued to stare angrily at Harry for a few moments, but when it became clear he was saying no more she stood up and ran towards her dormitory, audibly sobbing. Ron watched her go, and wished desperately that he could follow her and comfort her.
Instead, he returned his gaze to Harry who was now watching him seriously.
“I couldn’t tell her. She’s got enough to worry about,” Harry said wearily, the wrath gradually ebbing away. Ron gulped. He thought it might have been something to do with Hermione.
“He said, amongst many things,” Harry added bitterly, “that 'we had better watch out over Christmas.' That we, as he put it, 'shouldn’t let the Mudblood stray too far.' I wanted to knock that bloody smirk off his face.”
Whilst Harry had been talking, the anger had been building up in Ron. He took a deep breathe to steady himself, now shaking with rage.
“If he so much as touches Hermione, I’ll kill him,” Ron threatened, deadly calm. He could see he had frightened Harry. But Ron was serious. No-one would harm Hermione, he had promised her that, and he intended to keep that promise, no matter what he had to do.
A/N; Sorry it’s taken so long to update, I know it’s annoying but I’ll try not to be so slow in future. Thanks again to Shawna for beta reading and everyone for reviewing.