The Enclosed Walkways Outside

[gingercannonfan]

After this, Ron runs

Comments

[hjp_gryffindor]

He runs out of the Great Hall, Hermione keeping stride next to him, and pauses, outside the doors, looking around.

"Where d'you reckon he went?"

[miss_bossyboots]

Hermione shrugs. "I don't know, he can't have got too far by now, I hope." She looks around the room anxiously.

[hjp_gryffindor]

His fists are clenched at his side, so much tha tthe knuckles are white.

"Malfoy did something besides beat him up. He had to have done something," he says furiously. "I'm going to kill him. I want to find it what it was first though, so I know whether or not I need to find some sort of dark magic to raise him from the dead so I can kill him again."

[miss_bossyboots]

"Harry!" Hermione admonishes him with a shocked expression on her face. "I agree, something else must've happened, but you don't mean that. You can't mean that!"

[hjp_gryffindor]

"I mean it," Harry says seriously. "This is my fault. Malfoy's done this to get to me. He wouldn't go after you and Ron so much if you weren't my friends. This is my fault, and I'm going to fix it--by killing him as many times as is magically possible."

He turns to her, his eyes troubled and furious and upset. "Look what he's done to him. He's--he's not even Ron anymore, that's what he's done. And I'm not...I'm going to do anything I can, give everything I can to make sure that when all this is over...that you and Ron and the people I care about are alive, and more importantly, that you're all still you. That you're not broken up."

His chest is heaving, and there's just as much hurt in his eyes as there is anger. He spots something near the door and walks over. "Snow. There's snow here."

[miss_bossyboots]

Hermione nods. "I know you're angry, Harry. We're both angry, but we've got to find Ron and get him to tell us just what's going on," Hermione says, feeling quite determined.

She looks at the snow Harry's pointing at, realising that neither of them have a cloak with them. She pulls the door open. "Let's go," she says to Harry as she walks outside.

[hjp_gryffindor]

He runs, mostly to get to Ron faster, but partly to keep warm.

"I don't think he's going to tell us. You know him."

Sometimes, he's worse than I am.

"I think I'm going to have to get Malfoy alone and beat it out of him." And I want to.

[miss_bossyboots]

Hermione runs after Harry, "I'll make him tell us," she says, shivering in the cold, hoping they find Ron soon.

Running a bit further, she spots him.

"Ron!" Hermione calls out, nearly sprinting over to him.

[gingercannonfan]

Ron doesn't look up from where his head is buried in his knees.

[miss_bossyboots]

Hermione decides to be a little more direct when he doesn't look up. She kneels down to his level and places her hands on his knees. "Ron, please talk to us," she pleads, her voice soft.

[hjp_gryffindor]

Harry crosses his arms and leans against the glass across from them.

He's mad. Not at Malfoy. He's furious at Malfoy. He's mad at Ron because he won't tell him anything

[gingercannonfan]

Ron lifts his head and stares at the both of them, his eyes red and puffy and shakes his head. "Can't," is all he says.

[miss_bossyboots]

Hermione gazes firmly into his eyes. "You can and you will Ron. He's done something that's hurt you horribly, and neither of us enjoy seeing you in pain like this. Please tell us what he did to you," Hermione pleads, refusing to back down.

[gingercannonfan]

"You can't do anything about it anyway," Ron protests.

[hjp_gryffindor]

"Yes we can," Harry argued irritably. "We can maim him for you. Or tell McGonagall and get him booted from the school. Or both."

[miss_bossyboots]

"We'll go to Professor McGonagall with whatever you tell us," Hermione assures Ron. "He is not getting away with whatever he's done to you!"