Story: Stress
Chapter: 24
Rating of Chapter: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: In this chapter, Ron talks to Susan, Draco gets the cash, and Harry and Hermione discuss their relationship.
Chapter 24: A War Of Good And Evil
Harry pondered over the mysterious clues for the next two weeks, although he still hadn't discovered any new ones.
He was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room playing Ron at Wizard's Chess. As usual, Ron was creaming him.
"So, how are things with you and Susan?" asked Harry.
Ron moved another piece on the chessboard. "Checkmate. And things are…ok."
"Ok… in what way?" They moved over to the table where Hermione was sitting with her head buried in a textbook.
"Well, I haven't really spoken to her since the Yule Ball. I don't know why, I just guess I don't know how to start."
"Hello would be good," said Hermione, just before Harry could speak.
"I thought you were studying?" he said, smirking.
Hermione turned her attention back to her book.
"Your right of course," added Harry. Hermione snapped the book shut and beamed at Harry.
"Thank you," she replied. "Now Ron. Go and see Susan, say hi. That's the first step. Then ask her how she's feeling, or tell her she looks pretty."
Ron looked positively sick at the thought. "Are you sure?"
Hermione sighed. "I'm a girl aren't I?"
"Ok…I'll try…later."
"No! You'll try now," insisted Hermione.
"Bu-"
"Now!" she ordered.
***
Draco Malfoy had just got back from Gringotts Bank. He had received special permission to go because it was about his father. What the Professors didn't know was that he was selling his father's mansion. He made his way to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, where Eric Sullivan, the shapeshifter, pulled him in.
"You got the money?" he hissed.
"Yeah," answered Draco casually. "Here," he opened up his bag and pulled out a briefcase. He passed it to Eric who opened it cautiously. "Five hundred grand."
The money was there all right. "Why are you so cool about this?" Eric asked.
"I have my reasons," he answered coolly.
Eric grabbed him by the shirt. "If I fund out you are conning me, I will kill you in a second. Got it?"
"Ok, well first, let go of my robes, you're creasing them." Eric released him. "Second of all, you have your money do you not?" Eric nodded. "Well then, why would I be conning you?"
"I must say Draco, you are a much better businessman than your father." Eric put out a hand to Draco, which Draco shook.
"I know," he answered.
***
Ron walked down a corridor towards the Hufflepuff common room and saw Susan sitting on a bench outside, reading. He suddenly felt his forehead get wet. Get it together Weasley; it's only a girl for crying out loud, he thought. He approached Susan and stood in front of her as though he expected her to instantly notice him. When she didn't he knew he had to speak. "Err…hi…Susan," he forced out. She looked up at him.
"Ron? Hi," she answered.
"Hi," he said back.
"Hi," she said again. There was a few minutes of silence between the two. "Do you want to sit down?" she asked.
"Oh…ok." He sat down slowly, as far away from her as the bench would allow. "I'm…I'm sorry about what happened a few months ago…at the Yule Ball."
She shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. It's not like you sent the Dementors in to wreak havoc is it?"
"No," he said quickly. As though she was accusing him.
"That was a joke Ron," she added.
"Oh," he said in a small voice. Come on, you're a Weasley; you're a walking joke, his thought continued in his head.
"So, did you want to go out again?" she asked. Ron felt his stomach feel suddenly loose; he nodded quickly and ran to the boys' bathroom.
When he got there he opened a toilet door, leaned over the toilet and let his nerves out. He had never been sick like this before. About five minutes later he heard the door open outside and he went out to see who it was. It was Draco Malfoy.
"Weasley," said Draco coldly.
"Malfoy," answered Ron, just as coolly.
"Did you eat one too many chocolate frogs?" Draco asked.
"No, I said too many words to a girl," he answered.
"It happens to us all. I, on the other hand have other issues."
"Like what?" asked Ron, suddenly intrigued.
"A Shapeshifter."
"A what?"
"A shapeshifter, I met some guy who can transform into anybody he likes, whenever he wants. I had to pay him some money."
"Why?"
"Suddenly nosey aren't you?" asked Draco.
"No, just curious," recovered Ron.
"My father used his laboratory to create Potions, he never paid him."
"Well it can't be that much money, after all who would want to use a toilet to create potions?"
"That's a lavatory you idiot!"
"Oh, right. So how did you raise the money?"
"I sold Malfoy Mansion."
"Really! Why are you being so cool about this?"
Draco sniggered. "Hey, it's in my personality. And, I only owed him five hundred grand."
"Only?" said Ron, mouth open.
"Well Malfoy Mansion went for two million. I can buy my own place."
***
Harry was up in the prefect common room; he was sitting in an armchair awaiting Hermione. She had been at the library for a while, and he was starting to worry. His worry was lifted however when she walked in through the door. She looked tired out; she dropped her bags and collapsed onto his lap, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I'm shattered," she mumbled. "I got a little caught up in my Arithmancy book…" She trailed off as Harry started placing gently kisses on her neck. She started to melt into his kisses but pulled away when her thoughts came back. She got up abruptly from his lap. "I'm sorry Harry."
"What is it," he asked, getting up to face her.
"It's not that I don't want to kiss you, and it's not that I don't want to do…it. But whenever we kiss we always nearly do…it. I'm just not ready, and when you kiss me like that it is hard for both me and you to stop ourselves. We both know that."
Harry just smiled at her. "Hermione, you trust me don't you?"
"Yes, but…"
"Then trust me when I say, that I promise we will not go any further than kissing. I perfectly understand the way you feel, because I don't think that I am ready for that yet either. But when the time is right for both of us, we can consider it. Ok?"
Hermione nodded. "Ok, where were we?" Harry sat back down on the chair and she jumped onto his lap, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Did you find anymore clues while I was gone?" Harry sighed deeply. "I'll take that as a no shall I?"
"Yeah. I know that these clues could be good, but it's starting to get to me now. At first it was just interesting, but the longer it's going on the more I'm thinking about it. I just want to get these clues and solve them."
"Remember what the letter said Harry, it's something that you desire. So what do you desire?" she asked.
Harry thought for a moment. "A family, your safety, Voldemort dead. The list could go on," said Harry in deep thought.
"Well if it is one of those, at least it will be a good thing won't it?"
Harry smiled and gave her a long but gentle kiss.
***
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office listening to some of his Aurors. "Albus, what do you want to with him?" asked Mad-Eye Moody, who was pointing at Viktor Krum who was trapped inside a magic cell. "We can either send him to Azkaban or free him, the choice is yours."
"Send him to Azkaban. Now that the Dementors are gone I will happily send him. I just didn't want to send him there while there was a chance of Dementors appearing. He didn't deserve that at such a young age."
"Right, come on lad, let's teach you a lesson," snarled Moody, who seemed ecstatic at escorting a Death Eater to Azkaban. They released Viktor from the cell, and Moody, Tonks and two unknown Aurors grabbed him. He tried to fight them off a little but his attempts were in vain.
Once they had left, another person appeared in the office, Severus Snape. Dumbledore peered up over his glasses. "Ah, Severus, I am glad that you are here," he said softly.
"What can I do for you Headmaster?" he asked.
"First, you may take a seat," suggested Dumbledore. But Snape shook his head.
"I prefer to stand."
"Fine." Dumbledore answered calmly. "Now Severus, I am here to talk to you about what happened at Christmas. When you killed Lucius Malfoy. I understand that you were only doing what you could to help, but I am unhappy that you have killed."
"I was only doing it out of goodness," answered Snape, coldly.
"I know, and I understand that there will be Deaths in this war…"
"Not to mention the fact that those Death Eaters would kill any of us in a second."
"Quite true Severus, quite true. But if we can keep Deaths down to as few as possible, excusing Voldemort of course, then we will be doing even more good for this world. After all, this is a war of good and evil is it not?"
"Quite right sir, is that all?" asked Snape.
"Yes, you may leave."
"Thank you," answered Snape, who left with a cold look on his face.
Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, you've probably noticed that I have started to break characters off a little into their own adventures, with Harry and Hermione sticking together. Obviously, Harry, Hermione and Ron will still be the trio, and Malfoy may help out at times too. But I hope you like what I am doing with the story. The only character that I am unsure about the future of is Eric Sullivan. However, I have a few ideas in my head. Now, REVIEW! I want to try and get 100 reviews after this chapter, I currently have 89.