So Much for No Strings Attached

Chapter 5 A Meeting in Hogsmeade

'I thought he was going to tail along with us,' Hermione moaned.

'I hate it how he does that,' Ron agreed.

Harry's heart dropped at Ron's apparent hatred of him. He had at least hoped that Ron would be on his side. Harry had been his friend first well before Hermione or so Harry had thought. Ron had claimed that he hated Hermione. Was that a lie too? What else was? Harry didn't want to hear anymore but he was frozen in place forced to hear every word of the betrayal that went deeper and deeper.

'I had hoped that Dumbledore had made it impossible for him to come,' Hermione groaned. 'If it hadn't been for Black and your brothers. Why did they give him the map?'

Harry's heart dropped if possible further at the idea that Fred and George could hate him too. Fred and George, funny, cool, casual, Fred and George couldn't be betraying him too could they? Harry didn't think his heart could take any more betrayal from those that he had thought of as family. Harry had never wanted Lucius more than he did in this moment.

Ron snorted, 'because they like him,' Ron said in a disgusted tone. 'And actually want to help him. It seems that mum and Ginny are the only sensible ones in our family. Even Bill and Charlie who have only met him once are loyal to the Boy Who Lived,' Ron sneered.

Harry wasn't surprised by Ron's jealously. Nor was he surprised that Ginny who practically hang off him (or tried to) had a hidden agenda beyond fancying him. No what surprised Harry most of all was the fact that Mrs Weasley who was like the mother he never had was in on whatever this was. He was glad that the rest of the family liked Harry for Harry rather than anything else.

'If only we could kill him now and get his money,' Ron said sharply.

Harry held in the gasp that was about to escape but it was a close call. Harry had always known that Ron resented being poor but he'd never have guessed that he was willing to go as far to murder someone he supposedly cared for in order to get one measly trust vault. And the way he said kill him now made it obvious they were planning to kill him later.

'We have to wait until the right time,' Hermione said softly. 'Until then we can continue to use the money Dumbledore got from his vaults.'

Harry froze up at this shock flooding through his veins. Harry had vaults in plural. Why the hell had nobody told him? Of course all his friends were in the employ of Dumbledore. So Dumbledore was behind this. Harry was furious with Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley. He know finally understood why Lucius was on the dark's side.

'Come on let's take these to the till,' Hermione said.

'Good that without Potter I don't have to pretend to be poor,' smirked Ron.