Always the Sidekick

Chapter 12

Ron had never been to Azkaban before, and he was surprised his mother let him go now. He could hear water echoing off the stonewalls but could not find a source for the water. George was with him, and the two of them stopped in front of the Guards office where a skinny, ill looking man stood with three Dementors.

"Weasley," George said as if he'd forgotten how to use complete sentences.

The man just nodded and pointed to a door. George looked at Ron and they hesitantly walked through.

Fred stood in the center of a long dark corridor and he was almost unrecognizable. If Ron's mind weren't so clouded with dark thoughts he would be able to appreciate Fred and George's differences in appearance for the first time. But his mind kept bringing back the memory of when Harry disappeared in the maze after the Third Task in their fourth year.

Fred's face was covered with thick red hair and his eyes seemed vacant. He walked slowly toward George. "Let's get out of here," Fred's voice rasped.

Their footsteps echoed as they exited the stone castle set in the middle of an icy ocean. Ron still had no idea where they were. There were precautions put into place to have Ron and George brought there. They used Floo Powder but had to get out at a checkpoint about half a mile away. Then they walked us steep rocks and slippery grounds. How Sirius ever escaped from there as weak as he had been, Ron didn't know.

Ron had come home to the Burrow over the weekend to welcome Fred home, but after a random violent attack on a Muggle community outside Wales, the Order was summoned to investigate for Dumbledore.

"It has the work of Death Eaters written all over it," Arthur had said. "They must be getting restless. They haven't done much recently. Just a fun sport of some Muggle torture." He said this with utter disgust in his voice.

Arthur had more time now to devote to the Order since he was no longer employed. Molly, though Ginny told her she was insane for doing so, had agreed to tutor young witches and wizards at a Primary Wizarding School in Hogsmeade. They taught basic things, like how to hold a wand and what sort of potions one should never drink. But they also taught reading, writing and arithmetic. The stuff they wouldn't be getting once they went to Hogwarts.

The pay for this job was pitiful. Arthur had once or twice gone to Muggle homes and done odd jobs, but those would not last, since he became so excited to see all the Muggle artifacts the Muggles thought he was mad.

Overall, they were struggling. Ron was planning on taking a job over the summer, Bill had moved back home and was supporting the family with his money, which almost made matters worse, since Molly and Arthur felt like they couldn't provide for their family.

On this day in early February, they were to pick up Fred from Azkaban. Bill was doing some extra work for Gringotts, and Molly and Arthur had Order business to attend to. George couldn't go by himself.

So here they were, staring into the solemn face of their usually full of life brother. They slowly walked down the jagged rocks, Ron on one side, George on the other of Fred. Once they reached the bottom a while later Fred turned to George.

"Where's Angelina?" he asked. Ron could see the struggle in George's eyes. When he didn't answer, Fred said, "I know she lost the baby. I'm fuming that you didn't tell me. Charlie sent me an owl after Christmas. Said Mum didn't want to tell me until I got out of this place, but he thought I should know. Right he was, too," Fred stared fiercely at George.

"Sorry mate," was all he could say, staring down at his feet.

"So, where is she? I haven't heard from her since before Christmas." He sounded like that statement caused him physical pain.

"She's in St. Mungos," George said softly.

"What? Why?" Fred asked, now concern taking over.

George seemed to not be able to answer, or not willing to tell his twin what happened. Ron stepped forward. "After she lost the baby they took her there for, you know, routine girl stuff. Anyway, she went comatose while she was there, and they haven't been able to revive her since."

Fred was fuming. "And nobody told me?"

"What could you have done?" George exclaimed back, his pitch matching Fred's. "It would have been torturous for you to be in Azkaban and not be able to help her." George walked over and put his hand on Fred's shoulder. "There was nothing you could have done."

Fred seemed in shock for a moment. "She hasn't woken up?" he asked, the pain back in his voice. George shook his head. "Well, we're going to St. Mungos then," Fred said.

"The Dementors don't have any control over the Death Eaters," Fred was saying as they entered St. Mungos. "In fact, they seemed to be under the control of the Death Eaters. I don't think the Ministry knows, or at least they're ignoring it."

George didn't seem surprised by this. "That would make sense. I mean, Dad always said the Dementors were going to follow You-Know-Who, and so they have."

Ron felt like a third wheel, but this was all vital information. And he was included in the coup d'etat. This was the thing Bill had meant in his letter.

"But there's more," Fred went on as they walked past the desk in front to the floor George knew Angelina was on. "I heard some of the things the Death Eaters were saying. Everything echoes off those walls in there. You-Know-Who has a plan already in place that's supposed to get Harry to him. They were saying it's been in progress since August."

George led them down another long corridor. Then he looked at Ron. "How's Harry doing?"

"Fine. He doesn't seem to be any different at all. A bit lot going on, but other then that." Ron felt stupid for not really knowing what was going on in Harry's life.

Ron became second interest as they reached Angelina's room. Fred hurried to her bed. Then looked up at George. "They don't know what did it?"

Angelina was not moving. Her eyes were closed. It was like she was just asleep. Ron was almost surprised she didn't stir when Fred reached for her hand.

"They think it was just the pain of losing the baby and all," George said. Ron had always suspected they felt things together, and this time seemed to be true. George looked heart broken.

"Has the Ministry or the Order looked into it?" Fred was now smoothing her hair over her head.

"No, the Medi-Witches said it happens quite often," George said.

"For two months?" Fred shot him a look of ridicule.

"You think it's something else?" George asked.

"Well, I can accept she was upset about losing the baby, but not so upset it would put her in a coma. I mean we've talked about having kids, but not just yet, and she was a little upset when she found out she was pregnant, but we decided we could handle it. And then she became excited. I'm sure it was a loss, but not this much." Fred looked at her. "When she came to see me that day she looked fine. She said she felt fine. Said she was looking at places for us to rent in Hogsmeade. When she left even she looked fine. She seemed to radiate or something."

George looked questionably at Fred. "You think something happened before she left Azkaban?"

"I don't know," Fred replied.

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After the confusing weekend Ron had at the Burrow, trying to put all this new information together, he was more than happy when he and Ginny returned to Hogwarts the next day. That is, until he found out what he missed.

"A what?" Ron shouted across the Common Room on Sunday night.

Hermoine looked at him cautiously. "A knees up." She caught the expression on his face and went on, "but it will be casual. It's for Valentines Day. It won't be like the Yule Ball. It was Daphne's idea."

"They decided this at the Prefects' meeting?" Ron was amazed. They were going to have a dance at Hogwarts. A dance? He didn't think the weekend could get any worse.

"Well, yes. It was a majority rule."

"If I had been there this wouldn't be happening. 'T's what we get, having Hufflepuffs as Head Boy and Girl. I don't have to go though."

Hermione fidgeted again and said, "Um, well, since it was the idea of the Prefects, they want all of us to be there." She closed her eyes, waiting for him to start yelling again.

"I can't dance, Hermione. I'm not going."

"I can teach you," Ginny said. She looked far to amused at this new information. She briefly looked at Harry, and then quickly back at Ron.

"The Yule Ball was a nightmare. I'm not doing that again. Besides, who will I take?"

Hermione huffed as if that was obvious. Then Ron's eyes got big and he knew.

"Mina. I'll ask Mina," he said. He turned and walked out of the Common Room not noticing the look of horror on Hermione's face.

Ron only had one week to learn to dance for this knees up. He was to meet Ginny that night in the Room of Requirement and she was going to teach him to dance.

Ron met Mina the night he got back from the Burrow in the Great Hall where she was sitting alone. He wondered why she didn't seem to have friends. He walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"Hello." She smiled happily. "How's your brother?"

"He's okay, I guess." Ron really didn't want to tell her how he really was. He wanted this to be a good moment. A happy one. He leaned in closer to her. "Did you hear about the knees up they want to have?"

She put her forehead on his and said, "I heard a little about it."

"Wanna go with me?" Ron whispered.

Mina smiled and said, "Of course." Then she leaned in and kissed him gently.

But this night Ron was nervous. He hated dancing, and felt like he was the only kid at Hogwarts who didn't know how. Even Neville knew how to dance. He opened the door to the Room of Requirement and saw someone standing in the corner. It wasn't Ginny.

"Hermione?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah, Ginny had detention and so I volunteered to help." She looked nervous.

"Well, I can do this another night. I mean, you don't have to..." He noticed she looked hurt. "If you want to I mean, we can practice. I just...if you have something else to do you can do it." He just decided to stop talking. He was sounding like an idiot.

Ron stood motionless as Hermione walked toward him. The table in the corner had begun to play music. A waltz by the sounds of it.

"Put your left hand up," she said, standing in front of him.

Ron put his hand up as if he were making an oath. He was so busy reminding himself to breath he couldn't speak. Had Hermione always looked this pretty? he wondered.

She took another step toward him and put her hand in his. Then a hand on his shoulder. "Put your hand on my back," she whispered.

Ron put a hand on her upper back; it was awkward.

"No," she said, taking her hand from his shoulder and using it to place Ron's hand on the small of her back. "There." Then she started to sway. "Watch my feet."

Ron was glad to have an excuse to take his eyes away from her face. Mina, he had to remind himself. He was doing this for Mina. He watched Hermione's feet and was eventually moving with them; still not certain he could take the lead. He was afraid to take his eyes off her feet. He could feel her looking at him. But it would look strange if he didn't look up, and when he did she quickly turned her head.

"There's too much space between us. When you do this with Mina you should be a little closer," Hermione said. He was relieved she hadn't suggested they get a little closer.

"Where did you learn to dance?" he said quietly, his voice cracking. He hoped she didn't notice.

"When I was a girl my dad used to waltz with my mother in the kitchen and he would let me cut in. I had to stand on his feet to meet his waist." She smiled and Ron smiled back. He loved the look she got when remembering happy things. It started to become more natural for them to dance together. And after a few moments Ron took the lead. They had been dancing for what felt like almost an hour when he realized the table in the corner was no longer playing music. How long had it been silent, he wondered? They stopped dancing, but still stood in position. Their hands now comfortably intertwined. He never noticed before how brown her eyes were. They were like chocolate. They were coming closer to him. He turned away.

"I think that's good. We should get back to the Common Room before Filch catches us." He backed away from Hermione and crossed the room opening the door for her. She looked disappointed, or rejected, or something. He couldn't quite tell, but she forced a small smile and then walked out the door.

The night of the knees up had arrived, and Ron was so glad he didn't have to wear dress robes. This was a casual dance. At least that was one good thing.

Hermione had avoided him since the night they'd danced, and he couldn't get anyone to tell him whom she was going to the dance with. Harry, to his surprise, was taking Ginny. When Ron questioned him about it he said, "Well, she didn't have anyone else to go with." But there was something in his voice that said there were more then just that.

He walked down to the Common Room in some nice robes he had and scanned for Hermione. She wasn't there. Maybe she wasn't ready yet. Maybe she was already in the Great Hall.

He walked into the Entrance Hall and saw two dozen people standing around, probably all waiting for their dates. But one stuck out. Her blonde hair shining in the candlelight. Mina saw him and smiled.

He walked toward her and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You look brilliant," he whispered.

She giggled. "Thank you." But it seemed sort of forced. Or maybe Ron was just imagining it. He became distracted a moment later when his best friend walked down the staircase holding hands with his little sister.

Harry avoided eye contact with Ron. Why? Was he afraid Ron would do something? Ron was glad Ginny was going to the dance with Harry. He was the best so far of the boys she'd gone with.

"Are you going to take me into the Great Hall, or shall we just watch your sister?" Mina asked, but she had a cool tone to her voice. She didn't seem upset.

They entered the Great Hall and Ron was horrified. It looked like a valentine had thrown up. There was pink everywhere he looked. Even the ceiling seemed to have a bit of a pink tinge in the clouds overhead.

They just stood for a moment watching. Ron saw Seamas and Lavender getting a bit too friendly and being watched closely by McGonagall. He tried not to laugh. Parvati Patil and her sister Padma were swooning over two Ravenclaw Chasers. Ron was glad Padma didn't see him. He saw Draco Malfoy dancing with Pansy Parkinson. Ron wondered what their deal was. They went to the Yule Ball together. They always seemed to hang around each other. Could it be possible that someone like Malfoy could actually like a girl? And more importantly, what kind of a girl would like Malfoy?

Mina seemed to be thinking along the same lines when she craned her neck up and said in Ron's ear, "I don't like that Parkinson girl."

Ron laughed. "Well, join the club."

Ron looked around the room some more. Harry and Ginny seemed to be having a fine time together. They were sitting at a table in the corner and Ginny was talking animatedly.

"Are we going to dance?" Mina asked.

This was the moment Ron was dreading. He lead her out to the floor and held her the way Hermione showed him. Then he began to move his feet, and she was following. He didn't step on her toes. He didn't mess up the steps. He actually thought he danced pretty well. And Mina seemed to be enjoying herself.

When the song ended Mina said, "I need to go to the loo, I'll be right back." And she headed toward the door to the Entrance Hall.

Ron was searching for a place to sit when he spotted Hermione. She was standing alone with her back to one of the stonewalls. "Hermione," he said, coming toward her.

She looked embarrassed and then said, "Hello Ron," in a very formal tone.

"What are you doing?" he asked. His eyes scanned the floor and he saw Hermione was watching Pansy Parkinson who was now sitting at a table of other Slytherin girls, Malfoy nowhere nearby.

"Just watching. I think I'll go up to the dormitories soon," she said. Her voice was casual, but Ron could tell it held some other emotion in it.

"Where's your date?" Ron asked again. She shot him an uncouth look. Then he realized. "You don't have a date?" Ron asked surprised.

"Well, it's not a law is it? There wasn't anything that said I couldn't go if I didn't have anyone to take me?" she snapped.

"Well, no, but I mean... nobody? What about Neville."

Hermione shot him a look and then pointed to the other side of the Great Hall.

Neville was sitting happily talking to Luna Lovegood. She too looked more then happy not to be dancing. They sipped red punch and laughed at the people on the dance floor.

Ron spotted Mina entering the room again and he sighed. He wanted to see if Hermione would dance with him, mostly so she would at least get a chance to that night, but Mina wouldn't like that. Instead he headed toward Harry and Ginny and said, "Harry, would you mind giving Hermione a bit of a spin on the floor? I think she could use it." Harry agreed and Ron crossed the room to meet Mina.

"It was a lovely evening," Mina said smiling shyly at Ron. The Valentines Day Knees Up had just ended.

Ron noticed Hermoine leave about halfway through the dance. He also noticed she was asked to dance by more boys then just Harry. She refused them all, even Harry.

"You're a wonderful dancer," Mina said, moving in closer to Ron. They had just reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw Dormitories.

"You too," Ron said, distractedly. Mina noticed he was distracted, and she didn't seem too happy about it.

"Are you going to kiss me goodnight or not?" she asked.

For some reason Ron was nervous. He leaned in to Mina and captured her lips briefly.

She forced a smile and said, "Goodnight, then," and turned to enter her Common Room.

Ron was grateful for the long walk back to Gryffindor Tower. He needed to think. He liked Mina okay. There were things about her that made Ron mental though. She was in Ravenclaw, yet sometimes she acted so daft. She didn't appear to be herself when they were together either, granted Ron didn't know what she was like when they weren't together, so maybe she was herself. But she seemed uncomfortable. How could they keep going out together if she was uncomfortable? Did he even want that? He really didn't know.

He entered the Gryffindor Common Room, so distracted he hadn't even remembered giving the Fat Lady the password. Ron was brought out of his reverie when Hermione said, "About time. Everyone else has been back for ages."

The Common Room seemed nearly empty. There was a couple in the corner who were very interested in each other and Lavendar Brown and Parvati Patil were giggling about their experience in another corner. Hermione sat on a puffy armchair by the window.

"I had to walk her back to her dormitory," Ron said.

"You could have asked me for a dance you know. Seeing as how I was the one who taught you." Her voice sounded full of contempt.

Ron looked at her confused. "What are you on about?"

"Ron," she started, but then stopped. There was pain in her face. "I can't stand..." But still she didn't finish. She stood up and met Ron's eyes. His heart aced. He wasn't nervous at all when she brought her face closer to his. Her lips were mere inches from his when he pulled away.

"You can't just decide that one minute you don't want me and then the next minute you do, Hermione. Make up your mind." Ron was speaking in a raised tone and trying his hardest not to yell.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's so confusing. I just...I don't know..." She stopped and looked at him helplessly. He could actually see the struggle she was going through.

Ron moved in closer and kissed her forehead. "Talk to Viktor, then tell me what you want." He whispered it. She smiled at him, and a moment later he was walking to his dormitory, his head clouded with confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione avoided Ron for the next week. She ate all her meals in silence and spoke to him only about school subjects. It was starting to infuriate him. Meanwhile, Mina was constantly at his side, laughing at his jokes, complimenting him at Quidditch and generally doing all the things a girlfriend would do. So did that make her his girlfriend, Ron wondered? If she was, then what about Hermione?

Ron sat in the library staring at the same page in his Herbology book for the past ten minutes. He was vaguely aware that it was almost nine o'clock and figured it was Madam Pince whose footsteps he head behind him. She was probably coming to tell him to get up to his dorm. But when the voice spoke the ache in his heart told him it was someone else.

"Ron," Hermione said softly.

Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. He just became more aware of his pounding heart.

"It... it's over with Viktor. I got his owl today and he agrees it's for the best."

Still he didn't move. Maybe if he just acted like he couldn't hear she'd just go away.

"We need to talk," she said in a business-like tone. "I'll be in the common room waiting for you." She turned and left. Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

It was not a minute later that he heard a throat clear and then Madame Pince. "Mr. Weasley. It's nine o'clock. You need to get back to your dormitory now."

Ron didn't say anything but gathered up his books and headed toward Gryffindor Tower, half dreading the talk with Hermione, half wanting to run to her.

As he made a right turn on the fourth floor however, a frantic looking Bill met him. It struck him very odd that Bill was at Hogwarts, but the next moment the thought was drawn from his head.

"Ron, I've been looking all over for you. It's Mum. She's been hurt badly. She's in St. Mungos. We need to go to her, now."

The floor felt like it was dropping out from under him. "What about Ginny?" He asked, now following Bill back down to the Great Hall. "She already knows. She'll be meeting us outside with Dumbledore." Ron sped up his pace and in mere seconds they were at the front door. It would have seemed odd that the hall was deserted, but he didn't have time to think of that. His mother needed him.

When Bill opened the Entrance Hall doors and they were halfway across the lawn, Ron running to keep up the whole time, Bill stopped and turned to him.

"What are you doing? Why have we stopped?" Ron asked, frantically looking around for Ginny and Dumbledore.

Bill said nothing, just turned his wand to Ron. A pink smoke drifted out, and before Ron could do anything he was unconscious.