THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH | RON WEASLEY [BOOK FIVE]

3. CONFOUNDED

It was getting rather old, how often Gene found herself unable to sleep. Only this time, she'd managed a good hour or so, before she was woken by a nightmare, but not quite. It was more like a memory, just as before.

She sat up in her makeshift bed, careful not to wake Hermione beside her as she shifted in her sleep. Gene exhaled, making her way downstairs to the kitchen, her wrists still sore as she gripped the banister, making her way downstairs as quiet as she could manage.

"Gene." Harry said from the door, almost in surprise.

Her head shot up as she passed the final step, her eyes narrowing at him; with his backpack slung over his shoulder, dressed as though he was ready to go. To make matters worse, he had her jacket in his hand.

"Harry–" her voice had a tone of warning to it, feeling as though this might have been pre-planned, "We promised." she said quietly, taking the jacket in her arms.

"I know." he said.

His hand turned the handle and opened the door, walking outside and Gene huffed, realising she had no choice but to follow him. She shrugged the jacket on, arms wrapped around herself as she winced at the slight breeze the night gave them.

She followed him out, narrowing her eyes at his figure as they walked onto the path in the reeds, hoping she could talk him down before they reached the end. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't heard the footsteps that followed them all the way outside.

"Going somewhere?" Ron's voice pulled them both to a stop.

Gene reluctantly turned to face him, finding that he did not look impressed. Harry hesitated, standing very still in his place as though he had no intention of turning back. It made Gene uneasy, until he finally did turn around, a stern expression formed on his face.

"We have to start searching for the Horcruxes." he said, "It's our only chance. And the longer we wait, the stronger he gets."

Ron stared at Harry and Harry only, barely looking Gene in the eyes at all, to her annoyance, and he remained calm and poised through it all. It was actually quite alarming.

"Tonight's not the night, mate. You'd only be doing him a favour." he returned calmly.

Harry stared back at Ron, almost incensed by his common sense, and Gene could feel it radiating from him. Finally, with a repressed sigh, the backpack dropped from his shoulder to the ground, and he turned away for a moment. Gene watched on, swallowing hard as Ron avoided her stare, but he took the backpack from the grass and brought it over his shoulder instead.

Gene was left feeling like a child that had just been scolded as she watched Harry walk ahead with Ron, trailing behind as they talked amongst themselves. Eventually, Harry walked back upstairs, taking his backpack with him to hide any signs of his attempted departure to avoid questions from Mrs. Weasley, while Gene shrugged off her coat, still feeling a presence behind her.

Ron stood a few steps away, watching as Gene wrung her wrists in discomfort. His brows were knitted together in concern as he watched her wince in pain.

"Were you just gonna leave without even saying goodbye?" he asked, closing the distance between them.

Ron took Gene's wrist in his hand to her surprise, his touch gentle and she felt goosebumps rise across her skin as he kept his eyes trained on her reddened skin.

"I was trying to stop him." Gene countered.

She couldn't help how quiet her voice had gotten, the nerves getting the best of her as Ron's thumb brushed over the indents of her wrist. They began to hurt a little less now, she found.