A Dagger Named Draco

Sequel to 'Melancholic'

Part 1:

"I don 't understand you sometimes!" spat Hermione from across the room. She had a book in her hand and was waving it threateningly above her head. With her hair flying about and eyes narrowed, she looked curiously like some kind of Amazon, a crazed one, mind you. I always kind of liked it when she acted like this because she was most beautiful when all riled up. I guess I could pin her for being the sole reason I remained bisexual. Her tomboyish ways were alluring. She could get any man going if she wanted to, but after tonight, I know for sure that she would most likely not want to fool around with anyone, especially with someone who just slept with the infamous Draco Malfoy.

When I told her that I cheated on Ron, I tried to explain the circumstances to her. Draco had enticed me, completely obliterated all of my ethical sense, and above all, betrayed his word. He told me he would stop me, but he teased me all the same. He knew how to make me crazy, no doubt. Surely she could understand how helpless I was.

Of course, she did not. Instead, she threw a book at me. Hogwarts: A History, to be exact. Let me tell you, it is not a bit of light reading, I don't care what anyone says. And now, she was winding up again. Ancient Runes and their Hidden Meanings did not look any smaller than the previous book, so I ran behind one of the sofas.

"How could you be so completely and utterly tactless?!" she shrilled. "Ron has never, not once, been disloyal, and you... haven't you learned your lesson by now? This is your second time!! Your-second-bloody-time!!!" She whipped the book at my head. Luckily, I dodged it, and it hit the wall with a slap and a thud as it hit the floor.

"I know, I know!" I said, coming out from behind the sofa. "I am not trying to plead innocent here, I'm just trying to tell you the circumstances so maybe you would-"

"Understand? Understand? You just couldn't keep it in your pants, could you? You just had to have it right there and then, right?" she yelled, going for another book.

I put my hand on the newest weapon, holding it down and keeping it there. "I-I-I'm sorry. Apparently, there is no way for you to understand," I said very quietly. "You know I can't have meant to do it. I love Ron, I really, really, really do love him. It's just that-"

Hermione took in a few very deep breaths and said slowly and scathingly, almost lethally, "You have quite a way of showing it, don't you, Harry?"

"It was a mistake," I pleaded quickly. "It won't happen again; I mean it this time. I just need to figure out what to do. The guilt is killing me, Hermione. You are the only person I can go to for advice." I breathed deeply, the immensity of my mistake hitting me again with full force. I collapsed into the chair next to the fire, laid my head in my hands, and cried. "For Merlin's sake, what the hell do I do now?" I muttered to myself.

"You tell him, that's what," said Hermione firmly. Damn her impeccable sense of hearing to all hell. I should know by now I can't talk to myself when she is around.

"He'll break it off with me for good, this time," I said. "I know he will. Oh God, I know he will..."

I have to admit that at this point, I was truly panicking. Was I losing it? Yes, I was losing it. Fuck, I lost it. I lost it two hours ago in the Astronomy Tower, and I will never get it back. Ever. This time, it all went too far.

What was worse was the fact that Hermione's hardened shell that she seemed to form against me ever since I told her about the incident still was not the slightest bit cracked. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you went along with Malfoy."

"Damn it, Hermione, call him Draco!"

Hermione scowled and growled at me when I said that. She put her hands on my shoulders quite roughly and forced my face upwards to hers as if she were a dementor simply lusting after me, wanting to suck my soul out of my mouth. "Get Malfoy out of your head. Right. Now." Her eyes narrowed even further, and her glare was positively horrifying. I felt my lip begin to quiver. I always felt some feeling of awkwardness when girls were excessively close to me, but this time, I was fearing my life. The girl was livid, help her, and I was the not-exactly-innocent victim.

I had no choice but to lie and answer, "O.K.". It'd take a spell more powerful than anything Dumbledore could cast to get Draco out of my mind permanently. She eased up on me slightly, but still hovered over my face, still way too close for comfort. I blinked a few stray tears out of my eyes and said, "Now what? Do I just waltz upstairs and say, 'Sorry, Ron, but I accidently slept with Draco-"

"Again!" said Hermione, though she did not sound as angry as she did before. "Well, yes, that would be a start."

"I was being sarcastic." What a Gryffindor-esque thing to say...

"Do I look stupid to you?" she spat, leaving the chair area and pacing around the room, clearly thinking of something.

"No," I said truthfully. "Would I have come to you for help if you did?"

Ah, finally, the shell cracked. She let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Oh, goodness, Harry. What a mess you've gotten yourself into," she said sadly. She wedged herself into the chair right next to me, threw her arms around me, and squeezed. At last, the feeling of complete and utter loneliness was dissipating. My friend, my true friend, was here to save the day.

I cried into her shoulder for some time, not realizing I was ruining her favorite sweater in the process. I kept asking myself why and how could I have done this to poor, unknowing old Ron. Ron who has always been there for me and taken me in when I had a horrible day. Ron who comforted me and loved me only with his entire being. Ron who gave me everything he had to give, even when it wasn't all that much.

That was when it hit me.

"Oh God," I muttered, "he deserves so much better than me."

Hermione was silent. I was hoping for a, "You are overreacting" or even a simple, "No", but this didn't come. Clearly this was a sign that she agreed with me somewhat.

"He does, doesn't he?" I said, peeling myself off of her and looking her in the face.

She looked away from me and answered my worst suspicions.

It felt like a Bludger hit me in the stomach when realization once again set in. The thing, the only thing I could do was tell him what I did, and that he deserved someone who could love him unconditionally. It would be up to him, though. He would decide the final verdict, and I would have to live with that, no matter what.

I pulled my sorry self away from her and the chair. "I reckon I ought to tell him," I said cheerlessly, but resolutely, "before I change my mind."

My mind made up, I turned to walk up the stairs to the dormitories when a sort of terrified yelp came from Hermione's direction. I whipped around to see if she was alright. She had paled considerably, and she was biting her lower lip. Tears were filling in her eyes. "No, Harry. You can't tell him. Oh, why do I have to be so terribly stupid!"

Well, this was news to me. "You aren't terribly stupid," I said. "Why can't I tell him now and get this over with?"

"Something terrible happened today," she said through a sniffle, "to Ron... to the Weasleys."

My mind immediately went to the one thing that was quite adept at tearing up families. "Voldemort?" I inquired.

"No," she said. "Ron received a letter from Percy, today. The first one he's written since the collapse of the Ministry."

"Is that why he is-"

"No!" she yelped through tears. "Percy wrote that he was living on the streets of London, alone, broke, and without a wand. He said that he was 'coming home'." At this, she broke into a new wave of tears.

This boggled my mind quite a lot. I figured that a few members of the family, also known as everyone but Mrs. Weasley, would detest Percy's homecoming. Would they cry, though, upon finding out that he was going to be with them shortly? If anything, they would be angry.

"What's the problem with Percy coming home?" I asked, causing her to cry even harder.

"Harry," she said, her voice squeaky because of the crying. "Percy committed suicide."

Upon hearing those words, I slumped down onto the chair adjacent Hermione's and stared at the floor in disbelief. Once again, I let my face be buried in my hands. The tears kind of came and went, as I cried for poor Ron and then cursed Percy for being such a selfish git, right to the end. I could hear Hermione sobbing, and I cried for her, too. I cried for the Weasleys' and for Percy's poor girlfriend, Penelope, who had also been anxious to see Percy return. For a few moments, I forgot all about Draco.

For a few moments.

Hermione kindly reminded me, after she had calmed down, that it had to come out sooner or later, and it ought to be after the Percy thing calmed down a bit. I half-sighed with relief. At least the Draco issue would be postponed until later. Now, I had to go take care of Ron, who would most likely be in the worst shape.

I picked myself up off the couch and went towards the stairs to the dormitories. Behind one of those doors that lined the staircase walls, a boy was sitting. Perhaps he was laying down, standing up or pacing, but I know for sure that he was hurting. My job was to help him feel better as best as I could.