Black Truth [READ DESCRIPTION]

chapter thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-Six: Marked as His, Marked as Mine

Hermione and Ron found Harry almost immediately after he and Draco stepped onto the school grounds. During their enthusiastic greeting, Draco slipped into the throng of students escaping from their last class of the day and Harry found himself guided to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So what happened Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Draco won."

"What!" Ron sputtered. "How?"

Harry started to explain what had happened, but Hermione interrupted him.

"Harry, what's that on your finger?"

Harry looked down at the ring that sat on the ring finger of his left hand. The gold glinted and the diamonds sparkled in the afternoon light.

"Um… it's a ring?" Harry answered her question awkwardly.

Ron's hand shot out and grabbed Harry's, bringing it closer so that he could look at it more closely.

"This is an engagement ring," Ron said at length. When Harry didn't respond, Ron continued. "This is how Malfoy won, isn't it?"

"Yes," Harry said simply.

Hermione was watching Ron carefully, as if unsure of what the redhead's reaction would be. But she was surprised when Ron smiled cheerfully and leaned back in his seat with an almost wistful expression.

"Gotta give Malfoy credit for that idea, although I still would rather he lost. Did he mention yet when you'll be breaking it off?"

"No."

Ron shrugged. "Oh well. Can't do it that soon anyway. You'll have to keep up appearances for a while. Guess this is where we come in, right 'Mione?"

Hermione was still confused, looking between Ron's carefree expression and Harry's sullen one. "What Ron?"

"With your idea. Listen Harry, Hermione had this idea in order to keep all the other reporters off your back."

……………………………..

Hermione carefully watched Ron and Harry walk down to dinner. Harry was almost ignoring Ron's words, which at the moment focused on the question of what Malfoy had bribed Harry with in order to get him to go along with the appearance of engagement. But Hermione noticed that while Harry hadn't told Ron his idea was wrong, he hadn't enforced it either.

Hermione frowned slightly as they entered the Great Hall. She would have to talk to Harry soon and find out what was really going on.

Draco was surprised to see that Harry left dinner before him that evening. Then again, something had been off with Harry ever since they had gotten back to school from the trial. But the rest of the Golden Trio had looked the same as they normally did, so Harry couldn't have told Granger and Weasley about the engagement yet. Not that Draco blamed him. After all, his own ring lay under four or five concealment spells at the moment.

Pushing the rest of his dessert in Crabbe's direction, Draco stood up from the Slytherin table and followed Harry.

Harry walked down to the lake, completely unaware of the Veriae following him at a distance. He was torn between several emotions which were battling for control anger at Ron assuming that his engagement with Draco wasn't real, worry because maybe Ron was right, fear that Ron was right, self-loathing for being upset at Ron because there was no way Ron could have known Harry's feelings about the engagement. It wasn't as if Harry had told him. But how could he? From his reaction that afternoon, it was obvious that Ron was not ready to understand how his feelings for Draco had changed. Ron hadn't gone through what Harry had, so of course he couldn't understand this shift of emotion.