Unofficial Portkey Archive

Here's a nice and long one. Ya'll are almost caught up! Than, the frequent updates won't happen as much...so enjoy while ya can.

***********

Later that night, after they ate some Mexican food with Macey's family, the four pulled into a crowded parking lot. "There's The Loon," Macey said as she pointed to the end of the parking lot.

Harry looked over towards the bar as Macey pulled into an empty spot. "That's quite a line," he said as he noticed the people waiting to get inside.

"We have to wait in line?" Ron complained as they piled out of the car.

"Don't be silly," Macey said as if it was the most absurd question in the world. Towards the end of the line, there was another door...a side door, which was guarded by a tall, but bulky black man, wearing spectacles like Harry and a rutty old baseball hat. "Macey!" he said with a smile. "Justin told me you were coming!"

"Hey Frank," Macey smiled. "Are they already in side?"

He snorted. "Justin and Parker have been here since six....as usual...the rest showed up 'bout an hour ago." He held up the door for them, letting them through. "You guys enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks sweetie," Macey said and then motioned the rest of them to follow.

Ron glanced back at the line to see some of them staring at them with envy. He had the biggest urge to stick out his tongue and say, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, you can't come in!" But...considering it would be childish and very uncool like, he refrained himself.

The bar was very dark, with the lights dimmed and crowded, noisy and very smoky. The bar was in the center of the room and was one big square while tables and stools filled out along the right side. They followed Macey through the crowd as they watched her look for his friends. "Oh, I see them, they're over there in the corner," Macey said as she reached back and grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him through the crowd.

Ron looked back and made sure Hermione and Harry didn't get lost in the crowd as they made their way to two tables cluttered together, with about seven or so different people sitting or standing around it. Macey let go of his hand and he watched her wrap her arms around the back one of the guys standing up. "Hey Ben you big, stud!" she said with a grin. Ever since they were teenagers, Macey and Ben would always recite the famous line in Top Gun.

The guy laughed and leaned back against her. "That's me hunny!"

"Take me to bed, or loose me forever!" Macey giggled.

"Show me the way, hooome, hunny!" the guy said and then turned around so he could hug her. "It's great to see you, Mace!"

"That must be, Jeff," Ron grumbled.

"No, that's not Jeff," Hermione said quietly to Ron. "I've seen a picture of Jeff."

For some reason, a feeling of relief swept over Ron. "Oh," he said as casually as possible.

"Ben, meet my friends from overseas," Macey said as she tugged him forwards.

Ben introduced himself to the three of them, while Macey said hi to all her friends. "Lina!" she exclaimed as she hugged her friend since grade school. "I've missed you! Meet my friends..."

For the next few moments, Macey took the time to introduce all her closest Muggle friends to Ron, Harry and Hermione. There was Ben of course and Carolina, but Macey called her Lina. Sarah Beth, who was one of Macey's dear friends and Ben's girlfriend. Justin, who Macey knew almost as long as Ben and Carolina, along with Chris Parker and his girlfriend, Mandy.

After introductions, everyone ordered a drink as they dispersed through the crowd, getting to know all of Macey's friends. Hermione sat between Mandy and Sarah Beth, who were having fun girl talk. Harry, who was talking to Carolina and could tell she already had a few drinks, since she was gabbing away at how guys were just assholes. "Sorry," Macey muttered to him. "Just broke up with the boyfriend."

Harry chuckled. "Ah...that explains it."

Ron was standing by the table with Macey's friend Justin, while they both sipped their dweller drinks. "So, Justin....where's Jeff?"

"Well, Ron, to be quite frank with you," Justin said casually before sipping a drink. "Don't know...don't care."

Ron grinned and liked Justin immediately. "Not a fan of him?"

"No...no, I'm not. Mace is a sweetheart and could do loads better..." He paused to get the waitress another drink. "Another bourbon and Coke...thanks darlin.'"

"Same here please," Ron said as he held up his half empty drink.

"Would you like to start a tab?" the petite blonde dressed in a white shirt and jeans asked him.

"Umm...I....a tab?" he asked confused.

"Just put his drinks on my tab," Justin interrupted and gave the waitress a drink. "You can pay me back later."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I didn't think about bringing any Muggle money."

"Muggle? Ohh, right, right, that's what you call us non magical people." He took another sip. "Back to Jeff....can't stand the guy." He then gave Ron a funny look. "Why exactly? You like Macey?"

"Huh? Oh...n-no, course I don't, I...."

"Yeah, ya do," Harry said as he joined them, catching the tail end of their conversation.

"I do not like her!" Ron exclaimed as he quickly looked over towards her, making sure she didn't hear. She was on the other side of the table talking with Parker.

"You don't like who?" Ben asked who also joined the male circle.

"He thinks he doesn't like, Macey," Justin said with amusement.

"But he does," Harry put in with a chuckle.

Ron scowled. "You guys suck....no wonder you're Macey's friends."

Ben let out a laugh. "I like this guy....sure you don't like Mace? You'd be better than, Jeff."

"Jeff not a fan aroun here?" Harry asked.

"Oh, hell no....I could kill the guy with my bare hands," Ben said.

"And he ain't lying....he's an ex-marine," Justin said.

"Yeah?" Ron asked in awe. "Well....I could always turn him into some kind of hideous animal or something."

"No, no, that wouldn't be enough," Harry said shaking his head. "We'd have to be more creative...it's Macey we're talking about......"

"Remind me never to piss either of you guys off," Ben grumbled into his drink.

"What are you guys up to?" Macey asked slyly as she slipped in between Justin and Ben.

"Aw, nothin' love," Justin said as he put a friendly arm around her. "Just telling your friends here how much we like, Jeff."

Macey eyed him. "Uh huh....I bet," she said not believing a word.

Justin just grinned before he took another drink and Ben gave her a slight bump with his hips. "Come on, Mace...can't you just dump the loser?"

She sighed. "Why do you guys hate him so much?"

"Well, it pretty much sums down to that he's a pompous ass and only cares about himself," Justin said after a moment of pondering. "Ben? Care to add?"

"No, Justin, I think you covered everything nicely," he laughed.

"You guys are....."

Ron watched Macey's face turn from playful....to down right horrible. The laughter in her eyes died, the smile she had on her face dropped and he noticed she was looking at something behind his shoulder. He turned around to the bar and saw a man leaning against the bar as he put on his charm to a woman sitting next to him. The man had short brown hair and practically had the blonde melting into putty they way he smiled and touched her face, then leaned over and nuzzled and kissed her neck. He spun back around and looked at Justin and Ben to see them scowling in the same direction. "Please tell me that's not...."

"It is," Ben growled and he slammed his drink onto the table. "I'm gonna kill him."

"No," Macey said firmly but quietly.

"Mace," Justin started.

"No....I'll handle it....guys, stay here."

"But..."

She didn't even answer, before they could say anything else she was off and made her way to the bar. "What's going on?" Carolina asked as she walked up to the guys.

Sarah Beth walked to her boyfriend and looked up at his murderous glare. "Sweetie? Why are you..." She followed his gaze and knew exactly why he looked ready to kill. "That bastard.....I'll kill him."

"No....let her handle it guys," Carolina said as she watched her best friend walk up to a very surprised and stunned Jeff. "Just let's let her handle it, but keep an eye on her."

The rest of the group stood up as well and joined them as they silently watched the two have a verbal showdown between each other from across the bar. They couldn't hear them, but by the look on Macey's face, they could tell they weren't very happy words. They saw the blonde sit there in shock and once tried to intervene, but Macey shrugged her off angrily. The guys tensed when Jeff stood up straight and loomed over Macey, waiting for him to do anything that was inappropriate. Then, they saw Macey shove him angrily as he stumbled backwards into the bar and then saw Jeff look at Macey in shock before pushing her back and watched horrified as Macey flew backwards, running into someone....a glass shattered and they saw her drop to the ground out of sight.

"Oh hell no," Carolina said. "Okay, NOW you can go kick his ass!"

************

Macey sat there on the sticky bar room floor, in a complete daze. People were trampling all over her as a scuffle started with her now ex-boyfriend and a few guys that were around during the time. She looked up to see a flash of Ben's face in the crowd...then Justin's. "You asshole!" Ben yelled.

"How dare you hit her, you mother--" Justin's voice was drowned out when she heard a girl shriek somewhere in the bar. She frantically tried to get up and it was difficult with the commotion happening all around him. She wanted to get out of here....she wanted to be home.

As soon as she was on her feet she pushed and shoved her way into the crowd and then slammed into someone's chest. "Woah," a very calm and soothing voice said as he pulled her into his arms. "Mace.....it's okay."

"Ron?" she asked shakily as she looked up to see his brown eyes looking down at her. "Get me out of here....I want to go home."

"Okay...okay, just stay near me, I'll get you out," he said as he pressed her closer against him, wrapping a protective arm around her and turned to Harry. "Let's get out of here...where's Hermione?"

"I'm here!" she said from behind Harry as she tried not to get mauled from the crowd. "I think we should go. The rest of the gang is already heading outside....Justin and Ben are still over there."

"I think Parker joined them, too," Harry said and searched the crowd and saw a glimpse of Parker trying to reach for Jeff with anger in his eyes. "Yep...he's in there."

"Let's get her outside," Ron said and then the three of them made their way through the crowd toward the side door they had used earlier to get in.

Frank looked alarmed when he saw Macey. "What happened?"

"There's a fight in the bar....Jeff, Macey's boyfriend...."

"Ex-boyfriend!" she corrected but still stayed firmly in Ron's grasp.

"Ex-boyfriend," Ron repeated. "Started a fight....he pushed her."

"Justin, Ben and Parker are still in there," Harry informed him. "You might wanna...."

"I'm on it," he said before Harry could even finish and they watched him stalk into the bar.

"Macey...Macey, are you okay?" Carolina asked urgently as she ran up to her.

"I've been better," she sniffed but then made herself pull away from Ron and stood up straight. "I just want to go home."

"Mace, why don't you let Harry drive," Ron suggested. "You're in no condition to drive."

"Fine," she said not bothering to argue and dug through her purse before tossing him the keys. "Let's just go."

Harry nodded. "You girls gonna be okay?" He asked Mandy, Carolina and Sarah Beth.

"Oh yeah, we'll be fine," Sarah Beth said. "We'll just wait for the three macho boys to come back out, then we'll head home."

"Call us later, Mace," Mandy said with a sad smile.

"I will...thanks guys."

"All right, let's head to the car," Ron said and then put a comforting arm around Macey while they walked. "You gonna be okay?"

She stiffened at his touch. "I'll be fine," she said stubbornly and quicken the pace to her car. Saying nothing she stood next to the backdoor waiting for Harry to unlock it. Once he did, she flung open the door and got inside, slamming the door hard. Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a worried look over the top of the car, before they finally got in as well. Ron took the passenger side and Hermione got in the back-seat with Macey.

Harry started the car and not a word was spoken the whole way back to Macey's house.

*************

"I'm gonna go up to bed," Macey mumbled as they walked into the door of her house. "You can stay downstairs if you're not ready for bed."

"Are you going to be okay, Mace?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Macey gave her a quick smile. "I"ll be fine...I just want to go to bed so this day will be over....night."

Harry, Hermione and Ron both watched her walk upstairs, all of them clearly worried about their friend. "Let's go in the den," Hermione whispered once she heard Macey shut her bedroom.

The guys nodded and they walked down the hallway that led to the den. Sugar, who was curled up on the couch lifted her head and wagged her tail in greeting. Harry sat next to her and patted her head, scratching her ears while she yawned and put her head back down in Harry's lap. "I've never seen her so defeated before," Hermione said as she sat next to Harry.

Ron sat down on the other couch that was perpendicular to the other couch. "That Jeff better pray he doesn't come face to face with me again."

"It really hurt her," Harry said with a sigh. "Macey is one of the strongest witches I know, it definitely takes a lot to crumble like that."

"I know," Hermione said. "We're just going to have to be there and try to keep her mind off of Jeff."

"She'll get through it," Harry assured them and himself. "She's a tough one....she'll come to realize Jeff wasn't the one for her."

"I think I'm going to bed," Ron said suddenly as he stood up. "Tired and all."

"Okay.....we'll be up in a bit," Harry said.

"Night," Ron mumbled before walking back down the hall to the front of the stairs.

"He cares for her," Hermione said as she tilted her head to rest it on his shoulder.

"Yeah. He does." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. "You tired?"

"Getting there," she said as she started to scratch Sugar behind the ears. "I'm not ready to go up yet though. This is kind of nice."

"Me either." He yawned as he tilted his head back against the couch. " I'm definitely too comfortable."

*************

Ron walked to his room he was staying at, but paused and glanced over at the closed door across the hall. He told himself to leave it alone and go to bed, but he found him not listening since he slowly began to walk over to the other door. He took a deep breath and opened the door as quietly as possible and stuck his head through the crack. The lights were out, but he could make out her figure curled up on the bed and could hear soft sniffs and whimpers. He didn't hesitate when he stepped all the way inside and closed the door behind him. Kicking off his shoes he made his way to the foot of the bed and crawled on his hands and knees towards Macey.

She didn't say anything when he laid beside her and she didn't protest when he wrapped an arm around her from behind him. She scooted closer to him, placing an arm over his and gripping his hand with her fingers. The weeping past and her breathing became slow and steady, before she finally felt peace and sleep overtook her.