Chapter 19- Like Family

Like Family

"Stop it, Ronald!" I shrieked for the hundredth time. "You are acting like a child!"

Draco had made the mistake of giving me a peck on my forehead before leaving for his own room that night, although, I have my suspicions that he intentionally did it in front of Ron. Ron had flew out of his chair and smacked Draco with a couple curses before Harry could disarm him and calm him down a bit. He'd been surprisingly calm while everyone conversed, but he was letting his fury fly now. Thankfully, Draco had escaped with only a coupled bruises and was now safely in his room.

"I can't let him touch you like that!" He yelled back.

I was afraid we'd get kicked out of the hotel so I put a silencing charm on the room because I knew there was going to be more yelling.

"I decide how he touches me! Not you!" I felt uncomfortable saying those words, but I had to make Ron realize that he didn't have control over me.

"So now you don't care what I think?!"

Harry and Ginny looked uneasily between us and I think Analiza was deciding whether or not to defend me.

"Of coarse I do!" I said.

"No you don't!" He bawled his fists, but I wasn't worried for myself. I knew he would never hurt me. It was Draco I was worried about. "If you cared you would have told us where you were going! You would have told us before you left! You would have told us about Malfoy and his information and sneaky ways! You would have told us, Hermione. You would have told me." His voice faltered.

It grew scary quiet as we glowered at each other. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ginny grab Harry's hand and Analiza start to nibble her nails. I could feel myself go red in the face and I started shaking in fury.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you would act just like this." I said between clenched teeth.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Ron asked sincerely. "Or were you going to keep me in the dark? Was I ever going to know that you had gone to find your parents and about you and Malfoy and about the Deatheaters?" His voice was hoarse like he was holding back tears.

I felt them start to crawl out of my eyes too. Had I planned on telling Ron? I knew he would eventually find out, mostly because Analiza can't keep her mouth shut, but did I ever actually plan on telling him?

"Ron," I whispered, but he didn't give me time to finish.

He pushed past me hurriedly and slammed the door behind him. I sprang into tears and plopped down on the bed next to Analiza with my face in my hands. Harry stood and headed to the door.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything foolish." He said.

Ginny rubbed my back as I cried. I was so angry at Ron! Why couldn't he get it?

"It's okay." Ginny said. "He'll come 'round."

I hoped so.

"Let's do something to get your mind off it." Analiza suggested.

I nodded. "Like what?"

"Do you have any cards?"

"So, what are you going to do when you find your parents?" Ginny said slapping down a card on the deck and picking up two more. She obviously knew what she was doing, but none of the rest of us did. Apparently it was a game from her childhood, so Harry, Analiza, and I, growing up with mostly muggles, had never heard of it.

I'd wiped the tears from my eyes about twenty minutes ago and Harry had come back from making sure Ron was in his own room and calm.

"Well," I put down a card and hesitated before taking another and then giving one to Harry. "I'm going to restore their memories, obviously."

"That's a pretty difficult spell, Hermione. Are you sure you can do it?" Harry asked, taking a card from the pile and making a face.

"I've been practicing it ever since the war ended. I just needed to find them was all."

"What are you going to tell them?" Ginny asked, taking three cards from Analiza and laying two of them on the pile.

"The truth, I guess." I bit my lip in frustration. I didn't understand the game, but I could tell I was loosing.

Ginny threw down her two cards that were left and raised her fists in the air. "I won!" She exclaimed.

Analiza smacked down her cards and huffed. "Ginny, this game sucks!"

"You just don't like it because you lost." She said gathering the cards and stacking them.

"Actually, Ginny, Love, It's a little difficult to understand." Harry said placing a hand on her shoulder.

I smiled at them. They were cute together. And I was happy for Ginny, she'd had a major crush on Harry for years after all. I felt dread in my stomach as my mind wandered back to Ron and his anger towards me right now. I knew I should talk to him and try to make him understand, try to make him see that I did care about him and what he thought.

I stood up and straitened my shorts. "I need to talk to Ron." I said. "What room is he in, Harry?"

He swallowed and looked up at me, nervously. "Hermione, I don't think that's a good idea. I think you should leave-"

"Harry, the room." I interrupted and sighed.

Harry glanced at Ginny who shrugged. "302" He said.

"Thanks." I breathed and headed to the door.

"Hermione?"

I turned around.

"He's just worried about you." Ginny said.

I smiled weakly and nodded. I knew. I knew Ron was worried about me. I loved him so much for it, but I needed him to understand that he shouldn't be and that Draco was different and that I would still be there for him.

Walking down the hall, I went over what I was going to say to him in my mind. I would tell him that I was sorry I didn't tell him. And that I was wrong for getting mad at him. And that I cared very much about what he thought.

I got to his door and rapped lightly at it. There was a shuffling from inside and then silence.

I sighed. Was he really going to be immature enough to give me the silent treatment? Calm down Hermione. I thought.

"Ron?" I called out.

"Hermione, I'm not in the mood." His muffled voice floated from beyond the door.

"Please Ron? I just want to talk."

Silence.

Looking around, I took out my wand. "Alohamora." I pointed it at the knob and heard the lock unlatch.

"Ron?"

More silence.

I pushed the door so it would lightly swing open. I stepped inside to find Ron hunched over on the bed with his face in his hands.

Please don't be crying. I thought. He looked up at me with his eyes bloodshot and the skin red and moist. Now I wanted to cry. Ron's not supposed to cry!

I sat down next to him awkwardly. "Ron, I-"

"I'm not mad at you Hermione." He whispered. "I'm just... hurt."

I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say.

"I'm upset about you and Malfoy, and I just wish you would have told us where you were going. Do you realize how worried I was when Harry told me? I couldn't sleep the entire time we were looking for you. I felt so relieved when we found you and you were okay. And then I saw you with Malfoy and I wasn't so sure you were okay again." He looked at me with his big sad eyes.

"Ron, I'm so sorry." I said, tears leaking from my eyes again. "I should have told you. I'm sorry." I place my hand on his shoulder and then he was wrapping his arms around me in a crushing hug.

"Just promise me that you won't do that again." He said.

I nodded. "I promise."

"And promise me that you will be careful."

I wasn't sure if he was talking about Draco and I or the Deatheaters or everything but I nodded again. "Promise."

"Your like my family 'Mione. So I will crusio that slimy git's throat if you does anything to hurt you."

I chuckled. "Thank you."