To Love and Betray

"This isn't looking too good," Hermione told Harry as she sat by his bed. "Ron is so damn stubborn that he won't come and apologize. This whole thing has really got him in a state of frustration."

Harry sighed as he listened to her, for he now knew the real reason Ron was so angry. He had liked Hermione too, and had gone crazy when he had seen her making out with his friend.

Why hadn't I seen it? Harry wondered. It was fairly obvious.

But Harry had to dismiss these feelings because he knew that he loved Hermione and she loved him. Ron would just have to accept that. He took her hand in his and rubbed it gently. She smiled at him and he suddenly felt much better. Hermione's smile could heal a thousand wounds, and it always made Harry feel warm inside.

"I love you," he said. He took great joy in saying those words.

"I love you, too," she replied and kissed him, carefully avoiding his nose.

***

The following week was much like the last. Ron continued to avoid Harry and Hermione, and he took the liberty of making sure they had separate detentions each of the four times he gave it to them that week. He seemed to be doing his best to keep them apart. It did not matter, however. Harry and Hermione would always find eachother again and made up for it by spending more and more time together. Ron was soon able to avoid them without even trying. He began to grow more and more frustrated. The harder he tried to push Harry and Hermione apart, the closer they seemed to become. It was like trying to stop the rain from coming. No one can stop nature, and no one could keep Harry and Hermione apart.

***

"Well, well, the Weasel is on his own again."

Ron had just ended a round of double Potions with the Slytherins. Harry and Hermione had already left, but he was held up trying to stuff his cauldron into his bag. Malfoy had been watching him, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle as usual, and had decided to give him hell.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron snapped.

"Make me," he teased.

Ron glared up at him. For a brief moment Ron had considered making him, but the prospect of being mutilated by his two bodyguards prevented him from doing so. Instead, he returned to his packing. But Malfoy wasn't about the drop it.

"What's wrong, Weasley? Have you friends gone off and forgotten you? Or did they finally wise up and move on to someone better?"

Ron's blood began to boil. Malfoy was delighted.

"Watch it there, Weasley. Be nice or I won't help you."

Ron looked up at him curiously. "Why would you help me?"

Malfoy smirked. "I'd just like to see Potter miserable."

Ron stared at him.

"You want to break up Potter and Granger don't you?" Malfoy asked. "Because I've got a plan that will keep those two apart forever."

At that moment, Ron's frustration with his best friends overwhelmed his common sense.

"What did you have in mind?"

Malfoy's smirk widened. "Just a little something that's sure to make Granger forget all about that scum of a wizard."

"You're sure?" Ron questioned.

"As sure as my name is Draco Malfoy."

Ron looked at him for a moment and then, "You've got yourself a deal."

***

Three weeks before Halloween announced the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Harry had made reservations for him and Hermione at Kwellto's, the most expensive restaurant in Hogsmeade, to celebrate their one-month anniversary. Ron was still keeping his distance from them, but they were determined to enjoy themselves nonetheless.

They were walking toward the Entrance Hall when someone suddenly pushed Harry to the floor. Before Hermione could react, Malfoy's thugs Crabbe and Goyle grabbed Harry's wand from his pocket and ran off as fast as they could (which was about the speed of a baby snail) down the a nearby flight of stairs.

"Those bastards!" Harry cried, jumping up. "Hermione, wait for me here. Considering their speed I should be back with my wand in about thirty seconds."

"Be careful, Harry!" she said as he took off. "They're at least twice your size!"

Her boyfriend soon disappeared down the stairs. Hermione was left in the deserted Entrance Hall where the only sound was the faint noise coming from the students outside.

"Freeze, Granger!"

She heard these words a split second after someone grabbed her around the neck, strangling her with their wand pointed to her head like a gun.

"Come with me," the attacker drawled in an icy voice.

They dragged her into a nearby room where there was nothing but a cold, bare table. She was released and thrown down upon it, but she could still feel the attacker's wand on her. Turning around, she came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"You son of a bitch!" she snapped at him. "What do you want with me?"

"Easy there you dirty little Mudblood!" he growled. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"What?" inquired Hermione, trembling.

Malfoy's lip began to curl. "They way I see it, if Potter can get something out of you than so can I."

"You keep your filthy hands off me!" she shouted, but Malfoy was not one to listen to commands.

He grabbed her and forced her mouth to his, kissing her like an animal. She kicked and screamed but could not force him off of her. He began to undo the buttons of her blouse, sinking his sharp nails into her skin. She continued to fight him to no avail. He tried to pull her top off of her but before he could get any further, the door was blown apart and Harry rushed in looking at Malfoy with nothing but pure hate in his eye.

"IMPEDIMENTA!" he bellowed.

Malfoy flew into the air and crashed against the far wall, losing his wand in the process. Harry picked it up quickly while Hermione jumped up and hid behind him.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, his eyes still on the crumpled form of Malfoy.

"F-fine," she stammered, clutching his robes.

Malfoy twitched on the other side of the room, then managed to pick himself up to kneel on one leg.

"Potter!" he breathed. "What are you doing here? I thought those two blokes had taken care of you!"

"They did," Harry returned, fire in his eyes. "But the two gits were so thick that they ran straight into Sprout's office."

Malfoy swore under his breath. Then, smirking, he drew himself up and limped over to where Harry stood. Harry kept his and pointed at him, but Malfoy had an air of confidence about him.

"Going to kill me, Potter?" he asked. "You won't be around long enough to tell anyone about it. Let me perform that curse for you."

"You're too low for that, Malfoy!" Harry said furiously. "I wouldn't let you off that easy."

Malfoy laughed deviously. "I'm low? I'll have you know that Weasley was in on this whole business. He really is a sap you know."

"You lie!" Harry defied him.

"I don't," said Malfoy. "But I can see that things didn't work out the way he planned. Take your foul Mudblood girlfriend, Potter. She's not good enough for me anyway."

Harry's anger built up in him rapidly. Remembering what Bellatrix Lestrange had once said to him, he cried, "Crucio!"

Malfoy screamed and fell to the floor, shaking with pain.

"Harry, NO!" Hermione screamed, grabbing his arm.

The curse was broken and Malfoy immediately stopped squirming. Harry stared at his body with revulsion, wishing that Hermione had not stopped him.

"Harry!" she cried. "You can't perform an Unforgivable Curse on another student! That's makes you just as bad as Voldemort!"

Harry froze in horror. Just as bad as Voldemort. He began to flash back to all the dreams in which he had been Voldemort. Had the Dark Lord possessed him to do this to Malfoy? Was Harry still being used as a puppet for him? At that moment Harry desperately wished he had taken Occlumency seriously.

From his huddled position on the floor, Malfoy began to cackle softly, growing louder as he gained strength. Harry was reminded horribly of that night in the graveyard when all the Death Eaters had been laughing at him. Draco sounded frightfully like his father.

"Yes," Malfoy said. "It looks as though Potter is destined to be the new Dark Lord, after all."

Hermione gasped in terror. Malfoy cackled again then stood straight up.

"Accio!" he uttered.

Harry's wand was torn from his hand and landed in Malfoy's hand, pointing straight at Harry and Hermione.

"Say your prayers, Potter," Malfoy sneered.

Harry merely closed his eyes and held Hermione tightly.

"Avada-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Harry's wand flew from Malfoy's hand and clattered to the ground across the room. All three of them whirled around to see who had conjured the spell.

Ron stood there, face red with rage, his wand pointed straight at Malfoy's heart.

"WEASLEY!" Malfoy shouted. "I though we agreed on this!"

"I agreed to let you try and break them up!" Ron fired back. "I never said you could hurt my friends! If I'd have known what you were up to you'd have a few broken bones right now!"

Malfoy scoffed. "You have no spine, Weasley. It doesn't matter how horrible these two damn fools are to you, you'll always come crawling back!"

"To defend them, yes!"

"Alright then, Weasley, have it your way," said Malfoy. "If you want to live in Potter's shadow forever then do it!"

He made for the exit.

"I don't think so!" Ron shouted. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Malfoy's arm's and legs snapped together and he fell to the floor, facedown and stiff as a board.

"I'll deal with you later," Ron muttered to the stiff form and then turned to Harry and Hermione, who were still holding eachother and trembling.

"I had no idea," he said calmly to them as the color drained from his face. "But you have every right to be mad at me. I did tell him to try and break you two up, but I didn't know he was going to do this."

Harry let go of a still shaking Hermione and stood up to face his friend. Ron was about an inch taller, as he always was, but both of them boys were equally strong and fierce. Anyone watching the scene right then would have bet you all the gold in Gringotts that Harry would have laid into Ron right then, but he did not. Instead, to Ron's complete surprise, Harry hugged him.

"Thanks, mate," he said. "You saved our lives."

"No problem," he said, as Hermione came to hug him too. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

"And for that, I am eternally grateful," Harry said.

Ron smiled weakly.

"What's going on here?"

The trio turned to face the door, which Ron had left standing open. Severus Snape stood there, looking at them all in disgust. Upon seeing Malfoy's stiff body, his lip began to curl.

"Potter," he said. "Have you been attacking students again? I'm afraid I'll have to take fifty points from-"

"Severus!"

Snape turned to see Dumbledore standing there, staring at all of them over his half-moon spectacles.

"Headmaster!" Snape exclaimed. "I'm glad you're here! It seems that Potter has been-"

"Attacking no one," Dumbledore interrupted. "Do you see a wand in his hand?"

Snape glanced momentarily at Harry.

"No sir, but I do believe Weasley has one."

Ron quickly tried to hide the wand.

"So he does," Dumbledore smiled. "But what proof do we have that he attacked anyone?"

"Malfoy was attacking us," said Hermione. "Ron was trying to stop him and petrified him."

"Ah, I see," said Dumbledore. "In that case, I see no fault with Mr. Weasley, Severus. Now, would you mind taking Mr. Malfoy back to his dormitory and reviving him?"

Snape stared at him, looking very angry and defeated. He opened his mouth as if to object, but the look on Dumbledore's face stopped him.

"Very well then," he said. "Locomotor Body."

Malfoy rose into the air and Snape guided him out if the room with his wand. Dumbledore then turned to face the others.

"Well," he said. "I do believe today is a Hogsmeade weekend is it not? Off you go then."

Slightly surprised, the trio obeyed.

They walked out of the castle in quiet. It wasn't until they had reached the gates leaving the grounds that Ron finally spoke.

"Listen," he said. "I'm sorry I acted like such a jerk for so long. I wasn't really mad at you, Harry. I was just frustrated and jealous. Is your nose all right?"

Ron was now looking guilty as he said this.

"It's fine," Harry replied. "And I forgive you."

Ron grinned.

"Ron," said Hermione, hugging him. "I want you to know that I love you too, but as a friend. You will always be important to me, but I am in love with Harry. So please don't ever think I don't care about you."

He blushed. "Thanks."

Hermione," said Harry. "I wonder if I could have a word alone with Ron?"

Hermione looked at him curiously, but complied.

"Ron," Harry whispered. "When you said that you liked Hermione, were you serious?"

Ron turned slightly pale and nodded.

"I see," said Harry. "But do you love her?"

Ron stopped walking for a moment. He had never been asked a question like that before. Did he love Hermione? But what was love anyway?

"I guess not," he answered.

"Then it was probably just a crush," Harry said. "I know how it feels. I had a crush on Cho for two years, but I fell in love with Hermione. When you fall in love, you'll feel the difference."

Ron turned to look at him. "Perhaps you're right, Harry."

"I'd better be," Harry joked. He then took off to catch Hermione, but Ron stayed behind.

Ron watched his two best friends kiss as they entered Hogsmeade and smiled. They really were the perfect match. Feeling much better than he had that morning, he followed them.

***

Somewhere far across the country, a snake-like figure let out a high, cold laugh.