In Love With A Redhead --- Ron Weasley

Chapter 20

A few weeks later the sixth years took a trip to Hogsmeade. Ron, Harry, and I walked to The Three Broomsticks and ordered three butterbeers. As soon as Madame Rosmerta brought us our drinks, Ron stood up.
"I would like to leave," he said.
"Sit down," I demanded. "What's gotten into you?"
Harry tapped my shoulder and pointed to Ginny and Dean snogging in a booth.
"Ginny's dealt with you and I, just don't look over there," I told Ron. "She's allowed to have some freedom."
I squeezed Harry's hand under the table. I knew he was having as hard a time as Ron was.
"Hello Professor!" Harry greeted someone.
"Hello Mr. Potter," a tipsy Slughorn slurred, making his way over to our table. Slugorn spilled some of his drink onto my arm. "Woah! All hands on deck Brookes," he chuckled. Ron handed me a napkin.
"Thank you," I mouthed to him.
After a few more pleasantries Slughorn walked towards a group of teachers.
"Why'd you want to talk to him?" Ron asked Harry.
"Dumbledore has asked me to get an old memory of his," Harry explained. "Something to do with Tom Riddle."
We finished our drinks and started to walk back to the castle. I hooked my arms through Harry's and Ron's as we trekked up the snowy path. Ahead of us, Katie Bell dropped a brown parcel. Her friend screamed and Katie was lifted into the air. Her body jerked back and forth, as if there were two invisible ropes tugging at her. Katie's eyes rolled back in her head and the three of us bolted to the scene.
"What happened?" Harry asked to Katie's hysterical friend.
"I don't know," she sobbed. "I-I t-told her not-t to t-touch it." She pointed to the brown box which contained an elegant blue necklace.
Katie's body fell into the soft snow. Her dark hair was splayed against the white ground, she laid motionless. Harry ran to check her pulse while I held Katie's wailing friend. Hagrid came barreling out of nowhere.
"Don't touch the necklace!" He bellowed. Hagrid grabbed the box in a gloved hand and picked up Katie. We followed him back to the castle. As Hagrid took Katie to the hospital wing, I helped Katie's friend clean up in the bathroom.
"What's your name?" I asked her as she wiped her eyes.
"Leanne," she choked out.
"Are you a good friend of Katie's?"
"Yes, she's my best friend."
Leanne started to cry again and I pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry again."
"It's f-fine, y-you've b-been so k-kind."
"Can you tell me where she got the necklace?"
"She w-went into th-the bathroom and c-came b-back with it."
"Thank you for letting me know."
Leanne nodded and announced that she was going to visit Katie in the hospital wing. When I walked out of the bathroom I saw Professor McGonagall questioning my two best friends. I hurried up to them, "I was there too Professor."
She sighed, "Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?"
"Trust me Professor, I've been asking myself that same question for six years," Ron grinned.
"It was Draco," Harry announced suddenly. "Draco gave Katie the cursed necklace, I'm sure of it."
Harry had a theory that Draco was a Death Eater. I wasn't entirely convinced, but I had seen a flash of something on Malfoy's arm a few months back. Could it have been the dark mark tattoo?
"That's quite an accusation Potter. Do you have any proof?" Asked McGonagall.
"No, but he's up to something," Harry assured her.
"That's enough. Off to your common rooms," Snape yelled. I hadn't noticed him standing in the shadows.
As I tried to fall asleep that night, visions of Katie's white eyes and jerking body filled my mind. I gave up on trying to sleep and tip-toed down to the common room. Cormac was sitting on the couch.
"What're you doing up?" I asked him.
"Struggling with Snape's assignment. You?" He asked. I noticed he had dark circles under his eyes, how long had he been up?
"I couldn't sleep." I needed something to take the horrid visions out of my mind. As much as I despised Cormac, school work always distracted me. "I could help you, if you'd like," I offered.
"That'd be great," he smiled.
I sat down next to him and began to help him with the assignment. About 30 minutes later we had put together a pretty good essay for class tomorrow.
"Thanks, and I'm sorry for what I said about Weasley," he said. He placed a hand on my arm. "But it looks like you did come crawling to me."
"Ugh, get away. I'm going back to bed."
"You'll come around eventually," he called.
In the morning I met Ron and Harry for breakfast.
"We have that thing with Slughorn tonight," Harry reminded me. "I think I'm going to stay behind and try to get the memory from him."
"That sounds good," I said.
Classes went by quickly and soon enough I was getting dressed for dinner in the dormitory. I had on a simple black skirt and a white blouse. I curled my long hair and pinned the front back. Just as I was slipping on my shoes, Ginny walked in.
"Hey, are you going to Slughorn's thing tonight?" I asked her.
"P-probably," she stammered.
"What's wrong?"
"We're fighting," she said, starting to cry. "Dean and I."
I pulled Ginny into a hug and she cried into my shoulder.
"I'm going to make you late, go on," she said, sniffing and sitting up. "I'll be there in a little while."
"No, I'll stay with you," I argued.
"That's alright, I need some time alone."
I nodded in understanding and walked down to the common room. I found Ron standing by the fire.
"You look pretty," he complimented.
I blushed, "Thank you."
I stood beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder. He put an arm around my waist.
"Ginny and Dean are fighting. Don't go kill Dean, but you should probably talk to Ginny," I advised.
"I'm gonna kill him," Ron roared.
"No! Just... talk to Ginny."
Ron angrily agreed as Harry walked down the steps.
"Ready?" He asked. I nodded.
We arrived at Slughorn's room and took a seat around the table.
"Ms. Brookes and Mr. Potter! Thrilled you could make it!" Slughorn greeted.
Slughorn went around the table asking the students about their accomplishments and their parent's achievements.
"And what about you Ms. Brookes? What do your parents do in the muggle world?"
"My dad's a lawyer and my mum's an ophthalmologist. She's an eye doctor."
"Is that considered a strange profession? Looking at people's eyes?"
"No, it's very important to muggles. Although, there was this one time, when a man came in with a fork in his eye. My mum does not care for things like that." I laughed to myself.
"Oh." Said Slughorn, looking amused, disgusted, and intrigued all at once.
Cormac sat across from me, licking his spoon and staring intently at me. I looked away uncomfortably.
Just then Ginny walked in, her eyes were red and puffy. She looked pretty though, she wore a purple dress and her red hair hung down around her shoulders.
I nudged Harry, "They've been fighting, her and Dean."
Dinner was soon over and Harry stayed behind to talk to Slughorn. I waited outside the door for Harry.
"I talked to him a bit, didn't get much out of him though," Harry sighed.
We walked back to the common room laughing about how Slughorn was so desperate to befriend promising students. We arrived at the common room doubled over in laughter. Ron peered at us from the couch. He narrowed his eyes, "Him too?"
"What're you talking about?" I asked, wiping tears from my eyes.
"You've taken interest in Harry," Ron said accusingly. "I saw you with Cormac."
"What? How?" I spluttered.
Ron stood up, "So you didn't want me to know?!"
"Ron, no! I couldn't sleep and school work always helps distract me. You're being ridiculous!"
"I'M BEING RIDICULOUS? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ACTS LIKE THEY WANT TO SNOG EVERY BOY THEY SEE!"
Tears pooled in my eyes. "Why are you acting so jealous?"
"At least I don't freak out whenever a boy talks to you. One girl actually shows some interest in me, and you act horribly towards her!"
"WHAT ABOUT ME? I HAVEN'T SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN YOU? Lavender was horrible to me! She wondered why you liked me and then told me I always had my nose in a book."
"MAYBE BECAUSE YOU DO."
"FINE. THEN GO BE WITH LAVENDER."
"What's that?" A voice said cheerily. "I heard my name."
"This doesn't concern you," I spat.
"It sure does!" Ron grabbed Lavender by the shoulders and kissed her. Lavender pulled away with a huge smile on her face.
"I knew you didn't really like her!" She giggled.
"H-how c-could you?" I stammered, trying to hold myself together.
"YOU TOLD ME TOO!" Ron yelled.
I ran out of the common room and to a random corridor. I sat down against the wall and sobbed into my arms.
"Liz?" A voice said.
"Harry?" I asked, looking up.
Harry came and sat down beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. I cried as he stroked my hair and soothed me.
"Is th-this how it f-feels when you s-see him with h-her? Dean w-with Ginny?" I asked quietly.
"Just like this. I'm sure it's worse for you though. He's an awful git for doing that," Harry said angrily.
"Th-the aw-awful thing is that I-I s-still like h-him."
Harry pulled me tighter to him.
"I know," he whispered.
He helped me stand up and we walked back to the common room.
"I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."
I trudged up the stairs and met a crying Ginny in the dormitory.
"I ended it," she said.
"Me too," I whispered.
"What happened?" She said, looking shocked. I told her the story and began to cry again. We hugged each other and cried, cursing boys.
Lavender came into the dormitory, "Ohhhh." She looked awkwardly at me. I ignored her and squeezed Ginny's hand.
"I'm going to bed."
"OK, goodnight," she whispered.
I laid in my bed and slept a troubled sleep.
~~~~~
A/N: This actually hurt me. Oh whale.
I've been updating so often because I've had nothing to do. Welcome to summer break!
Shout out to Londonwisher for the help. You should go read their James Potter fanfiction. It's wonderful.
Thanks for reading! (: