All the things on Filch's list? The ones from my brothers' store....I'm now the proud owner of two boxes of the stuff.

All taken from third years. Who knew these damn twitchy Gryffindor kids were actually that into pranks this year?

Today sucks.
That's all I've got to say, really.

( Private )

Having Thursdays off gave Ron plenty of time to get most of his work done. Having Fridays off gave him plenty of time to do nothing. Doing nothing actually took a lot more effort than you would think.

Right now, he was trying to think of something to do. He was doing rounds between classes (because McGonagall had been adament that someone needed to do it and since he had the day off it came down to him) and knew that he really should just think of something better to do with his time seeing as these daytime rounds were useless and everything was so quiet.

Maybe he'd owl Gabriella and have her find him whenever she was done with classes. Ron grinned a bit thinking about her but then his face fell when he heard something around the corner.

Life.

Is.

Good.

The only information anyone has is what's in this rag? I don't believe that.
Here we go with the panic all over again.

( Order-centric )

Detention. Prefect rounds. Can those things even go in the same sentence? Probably not. Whatever. I'm not stressing it.

( Trio-centric )

More Spinner's End rubbish. I don't get how people think it makes all that much sense. It's already got the reputation of framing innocent people for things. In case none of you caught that.

Other than that...I reckon I like this year.

Gabriella- Just because I really need a reason to talk to you You ever hear about detention?

A miracle, that's what the pitch being open after dinner on Friday was. He'd heard enough or found out personally that the captains were out for blood this year. Seemed like losing to Harry the past 7 years wasn't sitting too well with them.

Ron smirked as he started back toward the castle. He couldn't get cocky, none of them could. If the other houses got good teams and great plays they could make Gryffindor lose.

Yeah, no one really saw that happening. It was getting darker by the minute it seemed, and Ron wasn't exactly paying attention to where he was going other than the general direction.

When he heard a voice, he just hoped he hadn't jumped and looked like an idiot.

8 months.

That's it and we're done. I don't even have the motivation to start classes. I seriously don't feel like messing with those bloody NEWTs.

Doesn't matter.

Just 8 months left, period.

For once, I think I'm really glad to be going back to Hogwarts.

I'm kind of glad to be going anywhere.

You know, anywhere with a window. Those things are a lot more interesting than you'd think.

Lav- Let's go out.

Ron's trial was over and they were "deliberating." He didn't like that word very much. Davies, who had sat in on the whole thing, assured him that it was business as usual.

Yet, there he was again: staring at the same plain four walls in a locked room with bars on the door and some nameless Auror standing guard.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ron heard footsteps again. The guard was dismissed and Roger Davies smirked when he pulled the door open. "You should have bet me. I'd have enough money for drinks then."

Ron looked at him quizzically before his entire body felt lighter. He got to his feet and grabbed the couple things he had in the room (which turned out to be mostly smuggled candy). Roger slid Ron's street clothes and few posessions he'd had on him when he went into holding.

"I'm leaving it open. I'm at the end of the hall when you're done. I know how bad you want to say goodbye to this homey little thing here." Roger had barely made it to the door at the end of the corridor when Ron came jogging down to meet him.

"Let's get out of here." Ron didn't say much as he followed Roger onto the lift, up to the Atrium, and out into the morning sun. It seemed a lot brighter than before. When Ron said as much, Roger just laughed.

"That happens when you're stuck in a closed up room for a week." He had to explain that it was some sort of protocol that he had to escort Ron all the way off property. "It's not even a real rule. They're either just trying to piss you off more or give me something to do."

Minutes later and Roger had Apparated them both just outside the gate to the Burrow. "Well, thanks, mate," Ron nodded as Roger handed over his wand. Ron didn't think he could have missed it more. His fingers closed around it and he couldn't help grinning.

"Good luck," Roger gave him a sort of salute and vanished with a pop!

Ron walked into the house and realized that it was completely silent. That meant there was only one place they could all be. Not being able to stand being alone for much longer, but still not capable of keeping a grin off his face, he went straight to where every single person he talked to regularly was.

At best, Ron was weary. He had nearly thought he'd never make it out that little holding cell, even to his hearing. Roger Davies, who Ron had just recently found out was on his way to being an Auror these days, had been down to tell Ron the hearing was moved five times. Five times, Ron had counted before he stopped. Finally, Davies had just stayed down there with him and waited to hear anything. Ron had the feeling he wasn't supposed to know what he knew now, but Davies had been fed up with Scrimgeour.

Now it was seven o'clock in the morning, well before regular business hours at the Ministry, and Davies was back looking completely pissed. "Your hearing's in ten minutes, Weasley," he said as he took the charms holding the door down. "If we get up there and they've moved it, I'm letting you go myself. It's all show anyway by now."

"If Scrimgeour keeps moving it, it's not show. He's got something going," Ron muttered and didn't bother being even the slightest bit difficult as Roger went about leading him at wand point to the lift.

"It keeps getting moved so he can try to throw everyone off. I've seen your case. There's nothing on you." Davies normally wouldn't divulge this information, but he'd spent a couple days on guard when he could have been out really doing something in Asia or France with his mentor like he'd signed up to. "It's ending today. Just don't lose your head in there. That's what they're banking on to get you. Show you're impulsive."

Ron took that to heart. He could do this. Standing up a bit straighter, Ron walked into the room and went straight to the chair like he'd been told he'd have to earlier. Once he was in the chair, arms bound like he was a Death Eater, he looked up at the people before him. He recognized a few people. Crouch, Umbridge, a handful of others. He'd only seen most of them on random visits he'd had to make to the Ministry with his father. None of them were on great terms, he remembered.

The one person he didn't see anywhere was Dumbledore. Harry had said Dumbledore was helping, his parents had said the same thing, but he wasn't there. Ron was really on his own.

Just like he had been since this whole thing started. He took a deep breath, tried to shake off the chilly feeling that seemed to bounce around the room that rather resembled a fancy basement, and waited for something to happen.

Two days. He had been there two days and the weekend was closing in. Ron was pretty sure than anyone stuck in the Ministry's holding facilities on a weekend had to stay until Monday. Which meant he was going to have to stick it out in the cold, barren little room until next week (at the earliest).

For some reason, being stuck here was doing amazing things for his clarity. He'd learned that a charm up around the cell gave you a shock if you got too close to the door, he'd realized that Aurors were all too cocky for their own good, and he foiund out that if you're framed for something everything that can possibly tie you to it means you did it.

He'd taken Veritaserum just to try to end this all, but that didn't work. What did they think? He was so important that he had people working for him from the inside? Ludacris.

He was pacing around the bed of the room (which he'd moved though he wasn't supposed to just for the hell of it). He heard footsteps and knew that the only time he heard those were when the Auror guard shift changed, Scrimgeour was back to ask the same questions and hope for a change in his story, or when someone (like his parents) actually managed to get it cleared to have ten minutes time to talk to him.

At least he wasn't in Azkaban- yet. He could stick this out- just for a couple more days. The solitude was nice really, nicer than what he had to face when people actually came back to talk to him. He didn't want to talk to anyone that couldn't fix this mess, and suddenly as he looked at who had just shown up, Ron realized he for once really, completely understood why Harry shut people out so much sometimes.

ooc: so, here's the deal. He's stuck in Ministry holding right now. He'd be allowed like...one visitor at a time. No more than three total (other than people for legal advice). yes I'm making this up as I go If you want to do more questioning or something, Kai, we can do that here.

Fuck the Prophet.

( Private )

Ron wasn't really sure what he was looking for as he walked around Diagon Alley. All right, he knew he was actually looking for something to give Harry for his birthday.

That's as far as he got, however. He was generally bad at picking out presents for anyone. Maybe if he just walked around a little bit longer he'd come up with something.

Yeah, right. Good luck, Weasley, Ron told himself as he looked in yet another random window.

"Maybe I should have tried Hogsmeade instead."

( PRivate to Self )

( Private to Harry, Marlow, the MIA Hermione )

I'm either sick or allergic to dust.
Either way, I think I need air.