Starting Something (Draco/Ron, M)
Title: Starting Something
Author/Artist:
Characters: Draco Malfoy/Ron Weasley
Prompt number: 183
Word Count: 3181
Rating: M
Warnings: none
Summary: When Draco starts receiving death threats, he’s put into protective custody. He’s not happy about being stuck with the auror he’s assigned.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author’s Notes: Thanks to BE for the beta!
Draco tapped his foot impatiently, annoyed at being kept so long. He knew he shouldn’t have come, no matter what Pansy had to say about the matter. It was only a few letters, and he really could take care of himself.
Just as he was deciding whether to storm into the auror office or just up and leave, the door opened. Out came the auror he’d talked to when he first came in, a grizzled old wizard who was obviously more used to desk duty than field work. With him were the head auror--a witch whose name Draco couldn’t remember at the moment--and Ron Weasley. Draco had known, only through gossip of course, that Weasley had become an auror, but it hadn’t even crossed his mind that he’d see the other man here.
“Well?” Draco asked, standing to his feet and doing his best to pretend that Weasley wasn’t there.
“Mr. Malfoy, I’m Head Auror Parthalán,” the head auror--Parthalán, apparently--greeted. She gave a curt nod, which he returned. “I’ve gone over the letters you brought in. They seem, to me, to present a clear and present threat to your safety. As such, I think it would best to have someone with you at all times to prevent the threat from escalating while we investigate the source.”
A curl of dread filled Draco’s stomach. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means, Mr. Malfoy, that I’m assigning auror protection to you for the foreseeable future,” she replied. “I believe you know Junior Auror Weasley?”
“I do,” Draco said faintly, the dread settling firmly into a lump in his throat. He coughed a little, hoping he didn’t look as disturbed as he felt. “Are you sure there’s not… someone else you can assign me?”
“Junior Auror Weasley is quite good at his job, I assure you,” Head Auror Parthalán said, frowning a little. It made her already severe face seem even more intimidating, reminding him quite suddenly of McGonagall back when he was a student.
“I’ve no doubt,” he replied diplomatically, still keeping his eyes from Weasley. He did, in fact, have his doubts about that, but he also didn’t want to get into an argument in the middle of the auror offices. “But I would be more comfortable-”
“This is about your safety, not your comfort,” Weasley bit out, causing Draco to turn to him with wide eyes.
Head Auror Parthalán frowned at them both. “Thank you very much,” she said curtly, and Weasley’s mouth shut with a snap. Apparently he was trainable. “Mr. Malfoy, your safety is our concern at the moment and despite whatever history there obviously is between you, I trust Junior Auror Weasley to do his job well.”
“Of course,” Draco relented, feeling like he wanted nothing more than to just go home and sulk for a while. This was turning into even more of a mistake than he’d thought at the beginning. He was never listening to Pansy again.
“Wonderful. Junior Auror Weasley, I expect your first report on my desk first thing Monday.”
***
It turned out to be even more difficult to ignore Weasley than he’d thought it would be. When Head Auror Parthalán had said he would have protection at all times, she meant that far more literally than he’d expected. The first few days, he’d barely been able to go to the bathroom without Weasley wanting to check the room first.
To make matters worse, they butted heads at every juncture. It might have been years since they were at Hogwarts, but the rivalry there and between their families had apparently not dissipated a bit. Draco felt a little childish for arguing with Weasley over things like what to eat for breakfast or reshelving books after taking one from the library, but he couldn’t seem to help it.
The worst part, though, was how attractive Weasley had gotten. Being an auror obviously agreed with him, looking at the muscles he’d developed. And oh was Draco looking. Discreetly, of course, because he didn’t want to know what kind of spell Weasley would throw at him if he knew Draco was lusting after him.
Two weeks into Draco’s forced auror protection, there had been a few more letters, pretty much the same as the ones before. And somehow, he and Weasley were almost starting to get along. So of course that was when Pansy decided it was time to visit again.
She arrived just after breakfast, apparating into the entrance hall with a crack that had Weasley on his feet almost immediately, wand at the ready. Draco just sat back, deciding to let them just kill each other or not.
“Put that wand away before you poke your own eye out,” Pansy scoffed only seconds after Weasley left the dining room.
Draco snorted out a laugh, thankfully managing to smooth his face back to careful blandness before the two of them entered the room. Weasley was fuming, though thankfully his wand was back in its holster. And Pansy looked far too amused.
“Pansy,” Draco greeted, kissing both of her cheeks. “Got tired of Paris?”
“Of course not, but I did so miss you,” she said with a wink and glance at Weasley, who frowned at her. “Things are getting exciting around here, hm?”
Draco smiled wryly. “You could say that.”
They spent the next few hours getting caught up, though it wasn’t like they didn’t see each other often enough. She’d come to visit every month or two, with firecalls in between for them to talk. He was pretty sure this visit was about more than just talking to him, though. She’d always enjoyed sticking her nose in other people’s business, especially his.
Weasley, true to form, stuck around the whole time. He lurked by the door to the library, close enough to watch but not quite close enough to hear their conversation. Draco still had a hard time ignoring him, especially because Pansy made it a point to talk about him. Somehow she even remembered the drunken night back in sixth year when Draco had confessed his crush. He’d rather hoped that night would have been forgotten entirely.
Pansy left just before dinner, which turned out to be an even more awkward affair than the first night Weasley had been there. That had probably been her intention, but Draco didn’t know what to do about it. Weasley was acting almost sullen, a stark change from the mostly friendly banter they’d picked up in the last few days.
Finally Draco put down his fork, sighing loudly. Weasley turned to him, frown still not leaving his face, and Draco decided something had to be done. A change of scenery perhaps. They had been cooped up in the house, big as it was, for weeks.
“I need to collect some potion ingredients from the forest tonight,” he said, then took a long sip of his gigglewater. It wasn’t the strongest drink, but at least it helped a bit in dulling his sense. “I suppose you’re coming?”
“What do you need to get ingredients tonight for?” Weasley asked suspiciously.
Draco rolled his eyes. “It is the full moon, you know. I don’t think you quite failed potions back at school, did you?”
“No,” Weasley ground out. He took a huge bite of his dinner, chewing it in what had to be an even more sullen silence. Wonderful.
So an hour before midnight, they left the manor. There was a forest not too far away which should have plenty of plants to collect. Draco didn’t need anything in particular at the moment, but it never hurt to have a little extra on hand. And of course Weasley didn’t need to know that this was just an excuse to get out and about a little.
The walk over was nice, the air cool but not too chilly yet. Draco rather enjoyed it, especially once they got under the trees. He’d been afraid of the forest for a while after that terrible detention in the Forbidden Forest. But this forest was far more open and bright, and he’d gotten used to it quickly. It had proven a good place to think when he needed it.
“Are we there yet?” Weasley asked, eying the trees with distrust.
Draco almost scoffed before he remembered that Weasley, from what he’d heard, had had even worse experiences in forests than he had. “Almost,” he replied, willing the light at the end of his wand to go just a little brighter. There wasn’t anyone else to see him being nice to a Weasley after all.
They stepped out into Draco’s favorite clearing to see the space drenched in pale yellow moonlight. The plants that ringed the area seemed to almost glow with it, becoming ethereally beautiful. Draco found himself smiling fondly, memories of coming here as a teenager resurfacing. He’d had a lot of fantasies of coming out here with someone, and with Weasley in particular.
“I always thought this place was rather romantic,” he said absently.
Weasley made a choking sound and Draco whipped around, cheeks going warm as he realized he’d said that out loud. Maybe the gigglewater was affecting him more than he realized. That was his excuse, at least, to the amused voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Pansy.
“Do you, er, take Pansy here often, then?” Weasley asked, not looking Draco in the eye. The tips of his ears were reddening, making him look even more like the awkward boy from Hogwarts.
As the implication of the question hit him, Draco found himself gaping rather unattractively. “You think I’m dating Pansy?” he managed to croak out.
He felt like his whole world was being turned upside down. Was that why Weasley had been acting so strange earlier. Was he jealous? And if so… of who?
“You’re not?” Weasley asked, and there was no way Draco could mistake the relief coloring his voice. “I just thought, you know, with the way you two were acting.”
“She’s practically my sister,” Draco replied, still feeling a little faint. “Besides the fact that neither of us is at all inclined in that direction.”
For a moment, there was silence broken only by the faint sounds of the forest at night. Embarrassment and fear twisted in Draco’s gut as he realized he might have said too much. Perhaps he’d misread the situation entirely and just humiliated himself like never before.
“That’s… that’s good,” Weasley said. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth and he took a step forward, getting into Draco’s space. “This might’ve been really awkward otherwise.”
Draco barely had time to suck in a breath of surprise before he was being kissed, hard and sure. It was like all of his adolescent fantasies come to life, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure how to react. When Weasley bit at his lip, big hands coming up to tangle in Draco’s hair, though, he got with the program rather quickly. No way he was going to miss out on that.
In short order, Draco found himself laying on the ground, a cushioning charm below him and Weasley a heavy weight above him as they kissed with abandon. Weasley--though Draco supposed he should be calling him Ron at this point--kissed exactly like Draco had imagined a Gryffindor would, putting his everything into the press of their lips against one another. It sent a thrill through Draco’s body, making him feel hot and breathless with desire.
When they finally broke apart, panting into each other’s mouths, Draco was afraid the awkwardness of their situation would hit him. But thankfully Ron didn’t seem inclined to say anything, more interested in peppering Draco’s neck with soft, almost playful kisses. Draco found himself smiling at that, toes curling in pleasure as Ron sucked at a particularly sensitive patch just above his collarbone.
Draco could feel Ron hard against his thigh, all too aware that his own erection was straining inside his trousers. Despite that, though, he hesitated to move things along any further. Up until a few minutes ago, they had been barely civil to one another. He worried that this was too soon, too fast, too much.
“Stop thinking so much,” Ron whispered, warm breath puffing against Draco’s ear. “Just enjoy it, yeah?”
“Easy for you to say,” Draco grumbled petulantly, but he did his best to relax. He could worry later.
Ron chuckled, leaning in to kiss him briefly again, softer, but with no less passion. Backlit by the full moon, Draco thought he looked like something out of one of the trashy romances his mother used to read, handsome and strong and almost painfully appealing. Draco felt his hips twitch up without conscious thought, brushing against Ron’s hip in a way that had him groaning, wanting more.
“Yeah,” Ron breathed out.
Suddenly his full weight was over Draco as he pressed them as close together as possible, hips already moving. Draco groaned again, barely having to crane his head at all before they were kissing again, sloppier and more desperate than before. All the worries in Draco’s mind were gone in an instant, burned out by the heat of arousal and the insistent need to come.
Draco came first, back arching off the ground. Their kiss broke apart as his mouth opened in a silent moan of pleasure that had Ron snapping his hips even harder, chasing his own completion. He bit his lip as he came just a few minutes later.
Afterward, they lay there panting. Draco felt more satisfied than he had with anyone else after sex, and they hadn’t even gotten their pants off. It was strange to think that things had changed so quickly between them, and all because Ron got jealous over Pansy. Which Pansy would take no end of delight in, so Draco made a mental note not to tell her. Ever.
Eventually Ron pushed himself up, making a face as the movement made him aware of the come drying in his trousers. Draco rolled his eyes, fondly for once, and waved his wand. There was a tingling feeling for a second, and then they were both clean.
“Thanks,” Ron said, reaching out to help Draco up as well. “I was never really very good at cleaning spells.”
“I don’t supposed they’re really so important to aurors,” Draco said. He smiled a little crookedly. “I guess you didn’t think I would be either, what with my family.”
“I didn’t say that!” Ron said, eyes widening for a moment before he realized that Draco had been joking, dryly though it was. He shook his head. “You surprise me all the time. I never thought you’d agree to me being your auror protector, for one.”
“Self preservation has always been one of my stronger Slytherin traits.”
Ron was silent for a long moment. “Well, I’m glad,” he said softly.
“Yes, well…” Draco trailed off, cheeks flushing. He was suddenly uncomfortable with the scrutiny of Ron’s gaze, too knowing, too caring. He wasn’t used to that. “I think the harvesting will have to wait until next month. Let’s… get back to the manor.”
***
Draco was the first one up the next morning, later than usual, but earlier than Ron had probably expected after their late night. The owl with the day’s mail was already waiting at the kitchen window. Draco took the mail absently, slipping a knut into the owl’s pouch through muscle memory more than any conscious thought.
He barely glanced at the paper, the headline saying something about the upcoming Wizengamot vote on the rights of magical creatures which, while interesting, was not a pressing matter. He was more interested in the letter underneath. It was thick parchment with a Ministry seal on the back, and he thought at first that it must be something from the auror office for Ron. But it was Draco’s name on the front, so he opened it with only a little hesitation.
It was from Head Auror Parthalán and the further he read, the more he felt like shouting in annoyance and frustration. This had to come just as he and Ron were starting something! Couldn’t they have had a few days at least?
“What are you reading?”
Draco turned to find Ron leaning up against the doorway of the kitchen, looking appealingly sleepy and rumpled. He felt his heart jump in his chest a little, wanting nothing more than to ensure that he saw that image again. But it seemed like that was not a given. Might not even be a possibility, since he still wasn’t sure what exactly Ron wanted from him after last night.
He handed the letter to Ron in silence, watching intently as the auror read it. His stomach was twisting itself up in knots as he waited to see what the reaction would be.
“Guess I’m headed back home,” Ron said after a moment of heavy silence. He looked up, catching sight of Draco’s probably too expressive face, and smiled a little. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to be gone forever, you know.”
“You’re not?” Draco asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much. But he could feel it in his chest, just waiting to be set free.
Ron shook his head, stepping forward until he could lean in and capture Draco’s lips in a sweet kiss. It was somehow so much more intense than last night, and Draco found himself clutching desperately at Ron’s hips, not wanting to let go. His mind was spinning with how much his feelings for Ron had changed in so little time. Maybe Pansy was right and he did need to socialize more.
“We haven’t had a proper date yet,” Ron said as they pulled apart. He made a face. “We’re doing this a little backwards, but my mum would kill me if I didn’t at least try to be a proper gentleman.”
Draco felt a little faint at the mention of Ron’s mother. His last few memories of her were from the Battle of Hogwarts and the many, many hearings that followed. He was fairly certain she would not be pleased at all to hear what he and Ron had been up to. Then again, if his mother wasn’t in Azkaban, she probably never would have let a Weasley step foot in the manor.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Us?” Draco asked, sighing a little when Ron just leaned in and kissed him again.
“Course I’m sure,” Ron replied. He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind Draco’s ear, eyes darkening in what Draco was quickly coming to recognize as lust. “But I don’t have to be back at the Ministry until this afternoon, so why don’t we make the most of it until then?”
He didn’t have to ask twice. Draco immediately turned to pull Ron along after him. There was a very comfortable bed just upstairs, and this time, Draco planned to take full advantage.
Author/Artist:
Characters: Draco Malfoy/Ron Weasley
Prompt number: 183
Word Count: 3181
Rating: M
Warnings: none
Summary: When Draco starts receiving death threats, he’s put into protective custody. He’s not happy about being stuck with the auror he’s assigned.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author’s Notes: Thanks to BE for the beta!
Draco tapped his foot impatiently, annoyed at being kept so long. He knew he shouldn’t have come, no matter what Pansy had to say about the matter. It was only a few letters, and he really could take care of himself.
Just as he was deciding whether to storm into the auror office or just up and leave, the door opened. Out came the auror he’d talked to when he first came in, a grizzled old wizard who was obviously more used to desk duty than field work. With him were the head auror--a witch whose name Draco couldn’t remember at the moment--and Ron Weasley. Draco had known, only through gossip of course, that Weasley had become an auror, but it hadn’t even crossed his mind that he’d see the other man here.
“Well?” Draco asked, standing to his feet and doing his best to pretend that Weasley wasn’t there.
“Mr. Malfoy, I’m Head Auror Parthalán,” the head auror--Parthalán, apparently--greeted. She gave a curt nod, which he returned. “I’ve gone over the letters you brought in. They seem, to me, to present a clear and present threat to your safety. As such, I think it would best to have someone with you at all times to prevent the threat from escalating while we investigate the source.”
A curl of dread filled Draco’s stomach. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means, Mr. Malfoy, that I’m assigning auror protection to you for the foreseeable future,” she replied. “I believe you know Junior Auror Weasley?”
“I do,” Draco said faintly, the dread settling firmly into a lump in his throat. He coughed a little, hoping he didn’t look as disturbed as he felt. “Are you sure there’s not… someone else you can assign me?”
“Junior Auror Weasley is quite good at his job, I assure you,” Head Auror Parthalán said, frowning a little. It made her already severe face seem even more intimidating, reminding him quite suddenly of McGonagall back when he was a student.
“I’ve no doubt,” he replied diplomatically, still keeping his eyes from Weasley. He did, in fact, have his doubts about that, but he also didn’t want to get into an argument in the middle of the auror offices. “But I would be more comfortable-”
“This is about your safety, not your comfort,” Weasley bit out, causing Draco to turn to him with wide eyes.
Head Auror Parthalán frowned at them both. “Thank you very much,” she said curtly, and Weasley’s mouth shut with a snap. Apparently he was trainable. “Mr. Malfoy, your safety is our concern at the moment and despite whatever history there obviously is between you, I trust Junior Auror Weasley to do his job well.”
“Of course,” Draco relented, feeling like he wanted nothing more than to just go home and sulk for a while. This was turning into even more of a mistake than he’d thought at the beginning. He was never listening to Pansy again.
“Wonderful. Junior Auror Weasley, I expect your first report on my desk first thing Monday.”
***
It turned out to be even more difficult to ignore Weasley than he’d thought it would be. When Head Auror Parthalán had said he would have protection at all times, she meant that far more literally than he’d expected. The first few days, he’d barely been able to go to the bathroom without Weasley wanting to check the room first.
To make matters worse, they butted heads at every juncture. It might have been years since they were at Hogwarts, but the rivalry there and between their families had apparently not dissipated a bit. Draco felt a little childish for arguing with Weasley over things like what to eat for breakfast or reshelving books after taking one from the library, but he couldn’t seem to help it.
The worst part, though, was how attractive Weasley had gotten. Being an auror obviously agreed with him, looking at the muscles he’d developed. And oh was Draco looking. Discreetly, of course, because he didn’t want to know what kind of spell Weasley would throw at him if he knew Draco was lusting after him.
Two weeks into Draco’s forced auror protection, there had been a few more letters, pretty much the same as the ones before. And somehow, he and Weasley were almost starting to get along. So of course that was when Pansy decided it was time to visit again.
She arrived just after breakfast, apparating into the entrance hall with a crack that had Weasley on his feet almost immediately, wand at the ready. Draco just sat back, deciding to let them just kill each other or not.
“Put that wand away before you poke your own eye out,” Pansy scoffed only seconds after Weasley left the dining room.
Draco snorted out a laugh, thankfully managing to smooth his face back to careful blandness before the two of them entered the room. Weasley was fuming, though thankfully his wand was back in its holster. And Pansy looked far too amused.
“Pansy,” Draco greeted, kissing both of her cheeks. “Got tired of Paris?”
“Of course not, but I did so miss you,” she said with a wink and glance at Weasley, who frowned at her. “Things are getting exciting around here, hm?”
Draco smiled wryly. “You could say that.”
They spent the next few hours getting caught up, though it wasn’t like they didn’t see each other often enough. She’d come to visit every month or two, with firecalls in between for them to talk. He was pretty sure this visit was about more than just talking to him, though. She’d always enjoyed sticking her nose in other people’s business, especially his.
Weasley, true to form, stuck around the whole time. He lurked by the door to the library, close enough to watch but not quite close enough to hear their conversation. Draco still had a hard time ignoring him, especially because Pansy made it a point to talk about him. Somehow she even remembered the drunken night back in sixth year when Draco had confessed his crush. He’d rather hoped that night would have been forgotten entirely.
Pansy left just before dinner, which turned out to be an even more awkward affair than the first night Weasley had been there. That had probably been her intention, but Draco didn’t know what to do about it. Weasley was acting almost sullen, a stark change from the mostly friendly banter they’d picked up in the last few days.
Finally Draco put down his fork, sighing loudly. Weasley turned to him, frown still not leaving his face, and Draco decided something had to be done. A change of scenery perhaps. They had been cooped up in the house, big as it was, for weeks.
“I need to collect some potion ingredients from the forest tonight,” he said, then took a long sip of his gigglewater. It wasn’t the strongest drink, but at least it helped a bit in dulling his sense. “I suppose you’re coming?”
“What do you need to get ingredients tonight for?” Weasley asked suspiciously.
Draco rolled his eyes. “It is the full moon, you know. I don’t think you quite failed potions back at school, did you?”
“No,” Weasley ground out. He took a huge bite of his dinner, chewing it in what had to be an even more sullen silence. Wonderful.
So an hour before midnight, they left the manor. There was a forest not too far away which should have plenty of plants to collect. Draco didn’t need anything in particular at the moment, but it never hurt to have a little extra on hand. And of course Weasley didn’t need to know that this was just an excuse to get out and about a little.
The walk over was nice, the air cool but not too chilly yet. Draco rather enjoyed it, especially once they got under the trees. He’d been afraid of the forest for a while after that terrible detention in the Forbidden Forest. But this forest was far more open and bright, and he’d gotten used to it quickly. It had proven a good place to think when he needed it.
“Are we there yet?” Weasley asked, eying the trees with distrust.
Draco almost scoffed before he remembered that Weasley, from what he’d heard, had had even worse experiences in forests than he had. “Almost,” he replied, willing the light at the end of his wand to go just a little brighter. There wasn’t anyone else to see him being nice to a Weasley after all.
They stepped out into Draco’s favorite clearing to see the space drenched in pale yellow moonlight. The plants that ringed the area seemed to almost glow with it, becoming ethereally beautiful. Draco found himself smiling fondly, memories of coming here as a teenager resurfacing. He’d had a lot of fantasies of coming out here with someone, and with Weasley in particular.
“I always thought this place was rather romantic,” he said absently.
Weasley made a choking sound and Draco whipped around, cheeks going warm as he realized he’d said that out loud. Maybe the gigglewater was affecting him more than he realized. That was his excuse, at least, to the amused voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Pansy.
“Do you, er, take Pansy here often, then?” Weasley asked, not looking Draco in the eye. The tips of his ears were reddening, making him look even more like the awkward boy from Hogwarts.
As the implication of the question hit him, Draco found himself gaping rather unattractively. “You think I’m dating Pansy?” he managed to croak out.
He felt like his whole world was being turned upside down. Was that why Weasley had been acting so strange earlier. Was he jealous? And if so… of who?
“You’re not?” Weasley asked, and there was no way Draco could mistake the relief coloring his voice. “I just thought, you know, with the way you two were acting.”
“She’s practically my sister,” Draco replied, still feeling a little faint. “Besides the fact that neither of us is at all inclined in that direction.”
For a moment, there was silence broken only by the faint sounds of the forest at night. Embarrassment and fear twisted in Draco’s gut as he realized he might have said too much. Perhaps he’d misread the situation entirely and just humiliated himself like never before.
“That’s… that’s good,” Weasley said. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth and he took a step forward, getting into Draco’s space. “This might’ve been really awkward otherwise.”
Draco barely had time to suck in a breath of surprise before he was being kissed, hard and sure. It was like all of his adolescent fantasies come to life, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure how to react. When Weasley bit at his lip, big hands coming up to tangle in Draco’s hair, though, he got with the program rather quickly. No way he was going to miss out on that.
In short order, Draco found himself laying on the ground, a cushioning charm below him and Weasley a heavy weight above him as they kissed with abandon. Weasley--though Draco supposed he should be calling him Ron at this point--kissed exactly like Draco had imagined a Gryffindor would, putting his everything into the press of their lips against one another. It sent a thrill through Draco’s body, making him feel hot and breathless with desire.
When they finally broke apart, panting into each other’s mouths, Draco was afraid the awkwardness of their situation would hit him. But thankfully Ron didn’t seem inclined to say anything, more interested in peppering Draco’s neck with soft, almost playful kisses. Draco found himself smiling at that, toes curling in pleasure as Ron sucked at a particularly sensitive patch just above his collarbone.
Draco could feel Ron hard against his thigh, all too aware that his own erection was straining inside his trousers. Despite that, though, he hesitated to move things along any further. Up until a few minutes ago, they had been barely civil to one another. He worried that this was too soon, too fast, too much.
“Stop thinking so much,” Ron whispered, warm breath puffing against Draco’s ear. “Just enjoy it, yeah?”
“Easy for you to say,” Draco grumbled petulantly, but he did his best to relax. He could worry later.
Ron chuckled, leaning in to kiss him briefly again, softer, but with no less passion. Backlit by the full moon, Draco thought he looked like something out of one of the trashy romances his mother used to read, handsome and strong and almost painfully appealing. Draco felt his hips twitch up without conscious thought, brushing against Ron’s hip in a way that had him groaning, wanting more.
“Yeah,” Ron breathed out.
Suddenly his full weight was over Draco as he pressed them as close together as possible, hips already moving. Draco groaned again, barely having to crane his head at all before they were kissing again, sloppier and more desperate than before. All the worries in Draco’s mind were gone in an instant, burned out by the heat of arousal and the insistent need to come.
Draco came first, back arching off the ground. Their kiss broke apart as his mouth opened in a silent moan of pleasure that had Ron snapping his hips even harder, chasing his own completion. He bit his lip as he came just a few minutes later.
Afterward, they lay there panting. Draco felt more satisfied than he had with anyone else after sex, and they hadn’t even gotten their pants off. It was strange to think that things had changed so quickly between them, and all because Ron got jealous over Pansy. Which Pansy would take no end of delight in, so Draco made a mental note not to tell her. Ever.
Eventually Ron pushed himself up, making a face as the movement made him aware of the come drying in his trousers. Draco rolled his eyes, fondly for once, and waved his wand. There was a tingling feeling for a second, and then they were both clean.
“Thanks,” Ron said, reaching out to help Draco up as well. “I was never really very good at cleaning spells.”
“I don’t supposed they’re really so important to aurors,” Draco said. He smiled a little crookedly. “I guess you didn’t think I would be either, what with my family.”
“I didn’t say that!” Ron said, eyes widening for a moment before he realized that Draco had been joking, dryly though it was. He shook his head. “You surprise me all the time. I never thought you’d agree to me being your auror protector, for one.”
“Self preservation has always been one of my stronger Slytherin traits.”
Ron was silent for a long moment. “Well, I’m glad,” he said softly.
“Yes, well…” Draco trailed off, cheeks flushing. He was suddenly uncomfortable with the scrutiny of Ron’s gaze, too knowing, too caring. He wasn’t used to that. “I think the harvesting will have to wait until next month. Let’s… get back to the manor.”
***
Draco was the first one up the next morning, later than usual, but earlier than Ron had probably expected after their late night. The owl with the day’s mail was already waiting at the kitchen window. Draco took the mail absently, slipping a knut into the owl’s pouch through muscle memory more than any conscious thought.
He barely glanced at the paper, the headline saying something about the upcoming Wizengamot vote on the rights of magical creatures which, while interesting, was not a pressing matter. He was more interested in the letter underneath. It was thick parchment with a Ministry seal on the back, and he thought at first that it must be something from the auror office for Ron. But it was Draco’s name on the front, so he opened it with only a little hesitation.
It was from Head Auror Parthalán and the further he read, the more he felt like shouting in annoyance and frustration. This had to come just as he and Ron were starting something! Couldn’t they have had a few days at least?
“What are you reading?”
Draco turned to find Ron leaning up against the doorway of the kitchen, looking appealingly sleepy and rumpled. He felt his heart jump in his chest a little, wanting nothing more than to ensure that he saw that image again. But it seemed like that was not a given. Might not even be a possibility, since he still wasn’t sure what exactly Ron wanted from him after last night.
He handed the letter to Ron in silence, watching intently as the auror read it. His stomach was twisting itself up in knots as he waited to see what the reaction would be.
“Guess I’m headed back home,” Ron said after a moment of heavy silence. He looked up, catching sight of Draco’s probably too expressive face, and smiled a little. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to be gone forever, you know.”
“You’re not?” Draco asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much. But he could feel it in his chest, just waiting to be set free.
Ron shook his head, stepping forward until he could lean in and capture Draco’s lips in a sweet kiss. It was somehow so much more intense than last night, and Draco found himself clutching desperately at Ron’s hips, not wanting to let go. His mind was spinning with how much his feelings for Ron had changed in so little time. Maybe Pansy was right and he did need to socialize more.
“We haven’t had a proper date yet,” Ron said as they pulled apart. He made a face. “We’re doing this a little backwards, but my mum would kill me if I didn’t at least try to be a proper gentleman.”
Draco felt a little faint at the mention of Ron’s mother. His last few memories of her were from the Battle of Hogwarts and the many, many hearings that followed. He was fairly certain she would not be pleased at all to hear what he and Ron had been up to. Then again, if his mother wasn’t in Azkaban, she probably never would have let a Weasley step foot in the manor.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Us?” Draco asked, sighing a little when Ron just leaned in and kissed him again.
“Course I’m sure,” Ron replied. He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind Draco’s ear, eyes darkening in what Draco was quickly coming to recognize as lust. “But I don’t have to be back at the Ministry until this afternoon, so why don’t we make the most of it until then?”
He didn’t have to ask twice. Draco immediately turned to pull Ron along after him. There was a very comfortable bed just upstairs, and this time, Draco planned to take full advantage.