How Do You Choose Between What is Right and What is Easy?

Nikki__uno

Story Summary:
Harry & Hermione cheat on Ginny & Ron together. One night, Ginny catches them in the act, & she has only one person to turn to - Draco Malfoy, who she has been friends with since the beginning of the year. Draco has an idea - give Potter a taste of his own medicine & see how he likes the feeling of being betrayed by someone he trusts. Ginny agrees. The next day, Ginny reveals to Harry what she was doing the night before, & with whom. They argue about it & Harry's affair, & Ron overhears. He confronts Harry, then Hermione. Ginny leaves the common room & the traitorous Gryffindors behind. Everything quiets down & seems to come to some semblance of normalcy - until Hermione & Ginny both find out they're pregnant.

Chapter 26 - Chapter 27

Chapter Summary:
Hermione talks to Ron about the night of Ginny's rape - and the part she played in it.
Posted:
11/04/2008
Hits:
914


Chapter 27

There was silence in the common room. It seemed that was happening a lot lately between the Gryffindors. Ron was quiet, looking confused and questioningly at Hermione, who now stood only a few feet in front of him.

"What... do you mean... it's your fault?" Ron asked.

Hermione took a deep breath, before she began to speak. "I know what you're thinking... and how you've been feeling... and all about your self-guilt."

"What do you know about my guilt?" Ron asked, wrinkling his forehead in question.

"I know that's it's been driving you crazy that you weren't here in the tower that night. I know you feel guilty because you feel you gave in to temptation, when - if you had done what you originally planned - you would've been in the common room finishing up some homework. And I also know that you feel betrayed. You've finally gotten over - at least mostly - the fact that Harry and I had... intimate relations, but I know you never thought he would stoop so low as to do that to your sister. And I know you would never think I would stoop so low as to have something to do with it."

Ron took a step back from her. He looked shocked. "What are you talking about... you had something to do with it?" Ron asked.

"Harry had the whole thing planned out. I mean... I don't think he intended it to go as far as it did with everyone, but... he'd had a lot to drink, so he really wasn't in control of his actions.

Ron didn't say a word. He couldn't. Hermione continued.

"He told me everything he had planned, but he needed to ensure that everyone was out of the common room that night. Witnesses, you know. So I arranged with Professor McGonagall to schedule a weekend Hogsmeade trip, convincing her that everyone was working so hard they could use an extra day off. She agreed with me, and the date was set.

"I talked to Professor Flitwick and got him to agree to hold a Dueling Club for the younger students who couldn't go to Hogsmeade. He thought it was a great idea, since we haven't had one in five years, and we all liked it then - at least that's what I told him. He agreed with me, and the date was set for that as well.

"And then there was just you to deal with."

"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked, obviously confused.

"I heard you talking to Dean and Seamus about how you were just going to hang out in the common room because you had some last minute homework that you had to get done. I didn't know what to do. So I did the only think I could think of. I left you a note... a note that would tell you to go to a certain room where someone would be waiting for you. I changed my hair color, and I wore a mask, and you never knew it was me. Until now. I seduced you that night. By the time I was even halfway finished with you, it was already too late for you to do anything for you sister."

A deafening silence rang through the common room as Hermione finished speaking. Ron was speechless. His mouth hung open in what was unmistakably a face of shock. He stared at her in disbelief.

"That... that was... you??!"

"Yes, Ron. That was me. We had sex that night."

"We had sex that night, when if it hadn't been for your interference, I would've been in the Gryffindor common room doing my homework, and Harry would never have been able to do what he did to Ginny," Ron said. It wasn't a question. It was an accusation.

He took a moment to take a few deep breaths, before heading for the exit to the common room.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked him.

"I have to go... think about some things." He took a couple steps before turning to her again. He did not, however, look at her. His eyes stayed glued to the floor. "Don't ever talk to me again. In fact... don't ever come near me or anyone in my family. Ever again. I don't know what happened to you, but you're definitely not someone I... ever want to be around." He threw up his hands in disgust. "I'm sorry I was ever in a relationship with you."

And with that, he left the common room, leaving Hermione alone behind him.

~*~

Ron walked silently through the halls of Hogwarts, deep in thought. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. His mind was whirling with a million different thoughts and brainwaves.

As he was walking the halls, no real idea of where he was going, he had a sudden thought. Something that would really put him into his sister's good graces, but was something he didn't relish doing. But it didn't matter. His sister needed him, and as her big brother it was his duty to be there for her. Even if that did mean shaking hands with his worst enemy.

~*~

Ron entered the hospital wing silently. Madam Pomfrey no longer had the door locked as her patients were no longer in critical condition. His sister's bed was no longer surrounded by a curtain, so he could clearly see his sister and Malfoy perched together on the bed, curled up together and talking in low voices. It took all of the resolve he possessed not to go storming over and yank Draco off the bed and into a headlock. But he composed himself. Heaving a great sigh, he made his way slowly across the room, as if reaching the bed would be a death sentence instead of (hopefully) the start of a new alliance.

Ginny and Draco knew that Ron was coming over, he could see that. However, they made no effort to visibly acknowledge his presence until he was only a few feet from the bed.

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed. "How are you? I haven't really gotten to talk to you much lately."

Ron didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, Ron heaved another great sigh, held out his hand to Draco and said only six words: "I'm here to offer a truce."

Draco stared at him in absolute astonishment and disbelief. "What... exactly do you mean?" he asked, his forehead creased in question.

His hand still held out towards Draco, Ron said, "In light of... recent events... I feel it would be... er... prudent... for the two of us to come to some sort of... an understanding. I realize, of course, that we can't really be friends, but I figured - for Ginny's sake - that we should at least be decently civil to each other."

After that, he said no more, but continued to hold his hand out to the man who would, before too long, be his brother-in-law. After several deadly silent seconds, Draco Malfoy did something incredible, something that had never before been done by someone in his family (at least not willingly) - he reached out and shook a Weasley's hand. Ron beamed a genuine smile.

"Now," Ron said, sitting down at the foot of the bed after they had stopped shaking hands, "tell me - have you picked out names?"


Make sure you keep a lookout for Ch. 28: Hermione goes to the hospital wing to have Madam Pomfrey check out her 'illness', and gets shocking results.