The Book of Morgan Le Fey

Chapter Seven: Ron in Denial

Hermione let go of Ron and wiped her eyes.

'I must look a mess,' she said, sniffing. 'I'll go freshen up and see you both at dinner.'

'See you later,' Harry said, waving as she hurried down the corridor and in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Ron watched her, following the movement of her hair.

'Earth to Ron ,' said Harry, waving a hand in front of Ron's face. 'Do you want to go to dinner or not?'

'Oh, uh, not yet,' said Ron, recovering himself. 'Actually, I think I'll speak to Bill. He owes Ginny and me an explanation about this.'

'Right,' said Harry.

'What did he want with you, anyway?' Ron asked.

'Oh, well, uh.' Harry's voice trailed off, and he looked very uncomfortable.

'Never mind,' said Ron quickly. 'I'll get it from Bill, if that's okay.'

'Yeah,' said Harry, sounding relieved. 'I'm starving, I'm going to dinner. See you shortly, then?'

'Sure,' said Ron, watching Harry walk away, his shoulders stooped as they had been all summer.

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

'Come in.' Bill's voice was muted behind his closed office door.

Ron opened the door slowly and entered the office. Bill had already made the office distinctly his; there were models of Egyptian tombs and miniature statues of various Egyptian gods spread out all over the place. A huge sarcophagus rested against one wall, and another wall was covered in a massive painted mural of the pyramids. Bill was sitting at his desk, his robes now draped over the back of his chair, his quill scratching over a piece of parchment.

'Hey,' said Ron, and Bill looked up.

'Ron,' said Bill, smiling. 'What's up?'

The benign look on Bill's face gave Ron a rush of indignation.

'What's up?' he demanded. 'What are you doing here, that's what's up! Why didn't you tell Ginny and me you were going to be here? Why didn't Mum and Dad tell us?'

'Relax, Ron,' said Bill, standing up and leaning forward on his desk. 'This only happened two days ago, okay? Dumbledore needed a new teacher--'

'And you volunteered?' Ron cut in. 'Are you mad? D'you know what's happened to the last five teachers who've worked this post?'

'It's just a temporary thing,' Bill said. 'Just for this year. Look, Ron, I know this is a surprise but believe me, there was nobody else who would do it. Dumbledore only came to me when the situation got desperate. In any case, I wanted to be here.'

'Why?'

'Because of what happened last term,' Bill said firmly. 'Because you and Ginny almost got killed by Death Eaters. I talked to Mum and Dad about it and they agree--'

'Oh, perfect,' Ron said acidly, flopping down in the chair opposite Bill's desk. 'I KNEW Mum had something to do with this. She's sent you to babysit us, hasn't she?'

'It wasn't Mum's decision,' said Bill firmly, sitting back down and folding his hands placidly in front of him. 'It was mine. But yes, she and Dad both feel better knowing I'm here and can keep an eye on you and Ginny. And Harry and Hermione, for that matter.'

Ron nodded, still feeling disgruntled.

'Look,' said Bill, a wry smile forming on his lips, 'I'm not going to be spying on you, if that's what you're worried about. Just think of me as your teacher first and everything will be fine.'

'Yeah,' said Ron, feeling anger bubble in him again. 'Right. Professor Weasley.'

'Ron--'

'Why didn't you give Malfoy a detention?' Ron snapped, standing up and pacing the room angrily. 'You know what happened to Hermione last year, don't you? She almost died. Had to spend a week in hospital drinking a million potions because her insides got all messed up by that Death Eater. And she's still hurting, did you know that? And Malfoy smacked her right where it hurt, and you did nothing.'

'Ron, listen to me,' Bill said in a sharp voice, standing up again and crossing in front of his desk to look down at Ron. 'Just because Malfoy's dad is in Azkaban doesn't mean Malfoy's family can't make trouble for this school, or for you, or me, or Harry, or especially Hermione. Malfoy's mother is powerful in her own right, and she has connections. And with the Dementors gone from Azkaban it's only a matter of time before those Death Eaters break out.'

'But Hogwarts is safe!' Ron said.

'You-Know-Who penetrated the Ministry of Magic, Ron!' Bill snapped. 'He got inside right under Fudge's nose, remember? He nearly killed Harry again. The Ministry is one of the safest places in our world but You-Know-Who still got through. He's not going to let Hogwarts stand in his way. I'm sorry that Hermione is still hurting, and believe me, I have no love for Draco Malfoy or anyone else in his family, but you'll pardon me if I'm a bit more worried about protecting the lives of the students here than satisfying your desire to see Malfoy get punished by your older brother.'

Ron stared at Bill and a horrible shame filled him.

'I'm sorry,' Ron mumbled, looking down.

Bill put a hand on his shoulder. 'It's okay,' he said. 'I know this isn't easy for you and Ginny. And I promise I'm not going to go chasing after you, okay? No tell-all letters to Mum or anything, I swear.'

'Thanks,' said Ron, still feeling ashamed, but then he remembered something else he meant to ask. 'So, what did you want with Harry?'

Bill paused, looking uncertain.

'You might as well tell me,' said Ron. 'He'll tell me anyway if you don't.'

Bill smiled and rolled his eyes. 'I asked Harry if he would be okay with starting the D.A. up again. You know, so everyone can practice what they've learned. He's agreed to it. I also asked him to help me in lessons. I want to teach people how to repel curses, and Harry can repel the Imperius curse. I figure he can demonstrate it to the other students.'

'Right,' said Ron, not comfortable with the idea of his best mate being used as a guinea pig in lessons.

'Harry's up for it,' Bill said, reading Ron's anxious expression. 'I wouldn't have asked him otherwise.'

'Right,' said Ron, feeling only slightly better about it. 'Look, Bill. I didn't want you to give Malfoy a detention...just because of me, okay? It was because--'

'Of Hermione,' interrupted Bill. 'Yeah, I know. It's not uncommon for a bloke to lose his head a bit when his girl's getting messed with.'

'Hermione's not my girl,' said Ron, blushing to the roots of his hair. 'She's my best friend, that's all.'

'Right,' said Bill, smiling in a knowing sort of way, and Ron felt his face get very hot. 'Well, anyway, I'm sure she appreciates it. You always being there and sticking up for her.'

'Yeah,' said Ron, looking at his feet. 'So, I'm going to dinner. See you around, I guess.' He made a beeline for the door, suddenly not wanting to spend another second under the scrutinizing gaze of his older brother.

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Ron's elation at making up with Hermione lasted through dinner. No sooner had the meal ended than Eddie Carmichael had come over to talk to her again. Ron bit his lip to keep from saying something rude and quickly left the Great Hall, announcing to no one in particular that he had studying to do. He and Harry hurried off toward the Common Room.

Their homework that night was as bad as ever and Ron had his usual trouble concentrating. After a half an hour Hermione still had not turned up and Ron's temper was beginning to simmer as he waded through 1,001 Magical Herbs and Fungi, trying to read up on Carnivorous Venus Flytraps. He was just about to throw down his book in frustration and start looking for her when she climbed through the portrait hole, looking flushed.

'Hi!' she said brightly, setting her bag down on the floor and collapsing into the cushy sofa in front of the fire.

'Where have you been?' Ron asked sharply.

'Oh, just...taking a walk,' said Hermione. 'I think I ate a bit too much at dinner.'

'Uh huh,' said Ron skeptically, studying her. She looked very pretty; her hair was pulled back from her face but the back hung loose around her shoulders. Her lips looked very red, and Ron had a horrible image of her and Eddie kissing.

'So where'd you walk?' Ron asked, trying to keep his voice casual, but Harry shot him a warning look. Drop it, the look said.

'Oh, just around,' Hermione said cryptically, opening The Standard Book of Spell: Grade Six and burying her nose in it.

Ron gripped his quill tighter. He was about to open his mouth when Harry coughed and threw him another warning look. Ron swallowed, scowled, and returned to his Herbology homework, his mind swirling with images not of Carnivorous Venus Flytraps but of Eddie Carmichael smiling at Hermione in that slick, smarmy way of his.

'I'm going to bed,' he announced, feeling a bit sick.

'Now?' Harry asked. 'It's barely eight o'clock.'

'Yeah, well,' said Ron, searching for an excuse, 'I have a headache.'

Harry rolled his eyes, and Hermione, absorbed in her book, said absently, 'Feel better, Ron.'

Ron looked at her for a moment and felt that familiar hollow ache starting in his chest again. They had made up and he was pleased about that, but could she at least look like she was happy to see him? After he had defended her-again-from Malfoy? After he had FINALLY spoken the name of You- Know-Who aloud? Maybe if he stood there long enough she'd get up and hug him again.

But she didn't. Ron gave up and walked glumly up the stairs, changing slowly out of his robes and into pyjamas. The sun had just sunk below the horizon. To his annoyance, he realized that he really did have a headache. He briefly wondered if another vision would come, but none had come since a week before school had started. At least THAT was something positive. He collapsed onto his bed.

'Hey,' said Harry as he entered the dorm room. 'You okay?'

'Fine,' Ron said dully.

'Quidditch tryouts are Friday,' Harry said. 'Maybe you and me should have a fly with Katie tomorrow, just to get used to being out there together.'

'Sure,' said Ron, not caring for the moment about Quidditch.

'Ron, maybe you should just tell Hermione you fancy her and get it over with,' Harry said.

Ron sat up so fast he practically fell off the bed.

'WHAT?'

Harry rolled his eyes again. 'Oh for god's sake, Ron, don't tell me you haven't figured out yet that you fancy her.'

'That's...I...what the...I do NOT fancy Hermione!' Ron said, appalled.

'No, you just go spare every time she even mentions another bloke, you lose it when she writes to Krum and you act all miserable when she won't talk to you,' Harry said, pulling off his robes and his school jumper and unbuttoning his shirt.

'Yeah, well, we're friends, aren't we?' Ron said, his ears now very hot. 'Why shouldn't I be upset when she won't talk to me? And...and as her FRIEND I'm just looking out for her, you know. Those blokes she likes are prats and she should know about it. And Krum is a right loser. He can't even--'

'Pronounce her name,' said Harry, pulling on a pair of jeans. 'Oh no, you don't fancy her at all.'

'Look, Harry, I don't fancy Hermione, all right?' Ron said with a disbelieving laugh. He couldn't believe Harry would even suggest it.

'Sure you don't,' Harry said, in a maddening, I-know-something-you-don't type of voice.

'I DON'T!' Ron shouted.

'You don't what?' Seamus Finnigan asked as he and Dean Thomas came into dormitory.

'Nothing,' Ron said quickly, his ears still burning. He flashed a warning look at Harry, who simply grinned and shook his head.

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

Friday couldn't come soon enough for Ron. Having three Potions and Transfigurations lessons a week was turning out to be something of a nightmare. He liked McGonagall well enough--she was strict but always very fair--but the extra ninety minutes a week with Snape? Ron wasn't sure he could cope. And then he thought about Harry and wondered how he must be feeling. Ron was beginning to think he should have just chosen Muggle Liaison as a career. All he would have had to take this year were a few easy classes, like Muggle Studies.

The day of Quidditch tryouts, at least, were bright and clear and cool. Harry, Katie, Ron and Andrew Kirke headed out to the Quidditch pitch at four-thirty that afternoon to change into their Quidditch robes. Then they gathered together in the Gryffindor tent.

'So, ah,' Harry began. 'Welcome back, everyone. McGonagall gave me this captain job but I think we ought to all have a say in who joins up, yeah?'

'Definitely,' said Katie firmly, and Ron and Andrew nodded.

'I, ah, wasn't here at last year's tryouts,' Harry said, and he blushed at this, 'but I liked Angelina's idea of, you know, working with everyone to see if they meshed with the team as a whole. So let's just go with that.'

They talked for another few minutes, Harry gaining a bit more confidence as he went on. Ron wondered why he wasn't at all jealous of Harry for getting the captaincy. Of course Harry deserved it--he was easily the best Seeker since Ron's own brother Charlie, and he'd been on the team since his first year, and he'd won plenty of matches for their house. Two years ago, Ron thought, I might have been jealous. Not anymore.

At five minutes to five they trooped outside, carrying their broomsticks. A thin layer of cloud had rolled in, just enough to obscure direct sunlight without affecting visibility.

A long line of students were milling around the pitch, some looking anxious, others eager. Ron saw Ginny at once, and she waved cheerfully at them. He was surprised to see Parvati Patil and Seamus Finnigan in the group as well.

'I'm tryin' for Beater,' Seamus said with a grin. 'Me mam encouraged me to go. Figure I'm pretty good at hitting things.'

The tryouts began. They started with the Chasers, of whom there were over a dozen. Ginny was easily the strongest one and Ron immediately put a vote in for his younger sister, hoping that Harry and the others went along, too. Several other students tried out, none of them brilliant, but then Parvati Patil joined in, and she proved to be a very capable flyer. Ron was surprised--he'd always figured Parvati as rather frivolous and completely uninterested in sport. Colin and Dennis Creevey were there. Harry told Ron Dennis would make a good Seeker if the spot was open, but poor Colin wasn't much of a flyer.

The Beater tryouts were next, and it quickly became apparent that Seamus was indeed the strongest candidate there. He struck the Bludger hard, but his hits were accurate, unlike Colin Creevey (who apparently wanted to play Quidditch so badly that he was trying out for every position available), who kept sending his Bludgers at Ron.

After about two hours the try-outs ended. Harry thanked everyone and promised to post the results the following morning. He, Ron, Katie and Andrew gathered in the tent again to discuss their choices, but it seemed everyone was on the same page.

'Ginny Weasley's a definite,' Harry said firmly. 'She was the best we saw today. How about Parvati Patil?' Everyone nodded their agreement. Seamus was named the other Beater, and the Gryffindors had their new Quidditch team.

'First practice next Monday night, okay?' Harry said, as they trooped off to the showers and to get changed.

The following morning they ate breakfast and agreed to visit Hagrid, who looked to be fully recovered from his rather awful second term of last year.

Fifteen minutes later they were inside Hagrid's hut, drinking tea and trying to politely avoid another batch of his teeth-breaking rock cakes. Fang, Hagrid's massive boarhound, attacked them all happily, drooling on their trousers.

'Grea' to be back 'ere, it is,' said Hagrid happily. ''Bou' thought las' year was it fer me, with tha' Umbridge woman an' all. But Dumbledore sorted it all out. Grea' man, Dumbledore.' Hagrid sniffed and wiped his face with his enormous sleeve.

They passed a friendly hour with Hagrid, who reported that Grawp, his younger half-brother, was thus far enjoying life inside the forest, but that it had been hard to keep him away from the centaurs, who were still furious with Hagrid for bringing Grawp there in the first place.

'Those centaurs know how to hold a grudge, don't they?' Ron said, shaking his head.

'Are they still angry at Firenze?' Hermione asked, taking a sip of tea.

'Oh, yeah,' said Hagrid. 'Ron's righ', centaurs don't ferget wrongdoing. Far as they're concerned Firenze is a traitor. Feel bad fer him, I do--not bein' able to return to his home. But at least he's got a safe place in the castle.'

'Wonder how he's getting on with Trelawney,' Harry muttered. 'Her being a fraud and him thinking humans are idiots.'

They talked a bit more and the subject turned to their upcoming Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Their first two lessons had been devoted to fire lizards, small fire-breathing reptiles that were positively benign by Hagrid's standards. But their hearts sank when Hagrid gleefully promised then 'an unforgettable year' of lessons. That almost certainly meant Hagrid's choices of magical creatures would range from the dangerous to the deadly.

They left around lunchtime, hungry (having turned down Hagrid's rock cakes), and went back up to the castle for the afternoon meal, then returned outside afterward to take advantage of the fine weather. They sat under the beech tree near the lake, and Ron and Harry engaged in a lazy game of wizard chess while Hermione continued to read Romeo and Juliet.

'So what's so special about this Shakesboot bloke, anyway?' Ron asked, as one of his knights smashed Harry's pawn.

'Shakespeare,' Hermione corrected. 'He's just a wonderful poet, that's all.'

'Let me guess,' said Ron, his eyes still fixed on the chess board. 'He writes romantic mushy stuff that girls wish their boyfriends would recite to them.' Harry chuckled.

'That's about right, Ron,' Harry said, trying not to think about how badly he was losing the chess game to Ron again.

'The chances of a boy here talking as beautifully as Romeo does to Juliet are about equal with my chances of failing my Charms exam,' said Hermione loftily.

'Are you saying boys here don't have poetry?' Ron asked in mock indignation.

'Yes, as a matter of fact, I am,' said Hermione, returning to her book.

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron moved one a bishop over.

'So what sort of stuff does Rodeo say?' Ron asked, waiting for Harry to make the next move.

'Romeo, and I'm not saying,' said Hermione. 'You'll either laugh at it or you won't understand it.'

'We won't laugh at it!' Harry protested.

'And we're not stupid!' Ron said hotly.

'Well, all right,' she said. 'The most famous is just after Romeo and Juliet have met. They fall in love at first sight but their families are mortal enemies, so of course Romeo and Juliet are doomed. It's all very beautiful and tragic--'

Ron gave a hearty snort and started to laugh out loud, but quickly shut up when Hermione shot him a contemptible look.

'Anyway,' she said, in a tone that showed her patience was wearing thin, 'Romeo meets Juliet at a party thrown by her father--he sneaks in wearing a mask, of course, so he doesn't get caught--and later on he sneaks over to Juliet's balcony and sees her up there, and he gives this really famous soliloquy all about Juliet.'

'A solilo-what?' Ron asked.

'So-lil-o-quy,' Hermione pronounced. 'It's like a serenade, except it's spoken. And Romeo isn't really trying to get Juliet's attention, he's just talking to himself.'

Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

'This Romeo sounds like a right nutter,' said Ron, as he check-mated Harry's king. The king collapsed and broke apart into pieces.

'Damn,' Harry muttered.

'So this Romeo bloke just stands around this bird's window and talks to himself about her?' Ron asked, sweeping up the chess pieces and putting them back into his bag. 'And he says, what, how much he loves her or something?'

'Yes, and how beautiful she is, and how he wishes she weren't the daughter of his enemy,' said Hermione, and a wistful, dreamy look came over her face. Ron and Harry exchanged looks again. Girls, they both thought.

'So, let's hear this,' Ron said, sitting up and brushing grass off his trousers.

'Okay,' said Hermione, looking very pleased. She sat up as well and her hair, which she'd worn loose again today, caught the sunlight. Ron swallowed and felt his ears get hot. She began to read.

'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

'It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.

'Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

'Who is already sick and pale with grief

'That thou, her maid, art more fair than she.'

There was a long silence in which Harry and Ron stared at her. Ron had no idea what she had just read, but he assumed it must be very romantic, judging by the starry look in Hermione's eyes. To him it sounded like a bunch of rubbish. He looked at Harry again, and they burst into laughter.

'I KNEW you'd laugh!' she said angrily.

'Come on, Hermione,' Harry said, sitting up and leaning against the trunk of the beech tree. 'That stuff is...it's lurid. Sounds like something Lockhart would say.'

'It's beautiful!' Hermione said indignantly.

'It's sick,' Ron said. 'What's all that rot about killing the moon? What's that mean? I mean, if a bloke likes a girl why can't he just tell her does and tell her she's pretty or something?'

'Oh, Ron!' Hermione huffed in exasperation. 'Telling a girl she's pretty or that you like her is so...so common. Everyone does that!'

'Yeah, well,' Ron said, feeling his face get hot again. 'I'd never tell the girl I like that Shakespoo stuff. It would sound really stupid.'

'Coming from you, maybe,' Hermione snapped.

'Don't start up again,' Harry warned as Ron got ready to retort. 'And you like someone, Ron?'

'What?' Ron was taken aback. 'No,' he said quickly. 'I mean, I was just speaking hypothetically.' His ears were burning. He glanced at Hermione, who still looked disgruntled but very pretty nonetheless, and looked away.

'Right,' said Harry, and Ron got the distinct impression Harry didn't believe him.