[FANFIC] "You Are The One" (HP; Ron/Draco)
Story Title: You Are The One
Chapter Title: Chapter One: You Should Be
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I'm sure you knew that.
Summary: 'Was Draco Malfoy really apologizing? And to Ronald Weasley, of all people? It was absurd! It was unthinkable! It was... kind of sweet, actually.'
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. Lettin' ya know. Oh, and, uh... There are a few points in this that are kind of rough and I still want to polish, but am not sure how. Constructive criticism is very welcome~
CHAPTER ONE: You Should Be
Ronald Weasley was angry. He wasn't exactly sure why he was angry, or who he was angry at, or what had caused him to be angry... But, never-the-less, he was angry.
For most people, these last few weeks since Voldemort was vanquished by his own Killing Curse had been nothing but happy... Well, apart from those who had lost friends and family... The memory of Fred Weasley's blank, unseeing eyes as Percy clung to his dead body... For the umpteenth time since that fateful day, Ron quickly pushed that memory from his mind.
Most of those who had joined on the Order's side during the Battle of Hogwarts had remained at the school for these last few weeks, helping repair the broken structures and taking care of the wounded.
Ever since the day of the battle, the whole Wizarding world was going through a period of intense reconstruction. Much like the first time they thought their Lord had been beaten, the surviving Death Eaters had either claimed to be under the Imperius Curse or disappeared altogether.
The Malfoys, on the other hand... Everyone was surprised when they willingly joined in on the renovation. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy had remained at Hogwarts, sleeping on their cots in the corner of the Great Hall with the rest of the helping families at night and parting ways to assist with different errands during the day.
"I didn't even see them during the fight," Ginny had recalled. Several others had agreed, and then Harry had explained how Narcissa had lied for him to Voldemort simply so she could save her son. Apparently Lucius and Narcissa had disregarded the battle altogether in order to find Draco and make sure he was out of harm's way. Ron still wasn't sure whether he found that touching or cowardly.
As the redhead stomped through a newly reconstructed hallway, he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of music. He paused, straining his ears to find where it was coming from before following the noise to a nearby classroom. The door was open when he got there and he couldn't help but peek his head inside.
The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom's open windows, casting an orange glow over the empty desks. With squinted eyes, Ron searched out the source of the music, which turned out to be a radio situated on a window sill. Beneath the window sat a figure with a large book propped open on his knees, blonde hair peeking over the top.
The redhead tip-toed into the classroom, a small smirk on his face.
"Need something, Weasley?" A familiar voice spoke from behind the book.
Ron stumbled, knocking his shin against the leg of a desk. He cursed loudly and glared at the stationary piece of furniture.
Draco lowered his book, raising gray eyes to look at the boy who had intruded on his alone time. "Give the desk a break; you're the one who bumped into it, not the other way around." He stood, placing his book on a nearby chair as Ron shifted his glare to the blonde.
"What are you doing in here?"
Draco smirked. "I was reading and listening to music. What are you doing in here?"
Frowning, Ron shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Wanted to see where the music was coming from... S'all."
Draco turned and flicked off the radio. "Shouldn't you be helping... fix something?"
"Shouldn't you?" Ron countered.
A sigh left the paler boy's lips as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Is it just that old habits die hard or do you really still loathe me that much?"
The question startled Ron, and he blinked in silence for several seconds. "Uh... what?"
Draco dropped his arms to his sides and walked across the room until he was a few desks away from the redhead. "Our families aren't against each other anymore, Weasley. We're working together now," he pointed out. "My parents want to help... They want to atone for all of the things they've done in the past."
Ron lowered his gaze to the floor and took his hands from his pockets. "...Oh."
"And... Well, I'm not exactly proud of everything I've done in the past, either," Draco continued. "It's... It's difficult to digest my pride, but if my parents can manage it, then surely I can as well." He took a few more steps forward until his shiny black shoes had entered Ron's line of vision. "I'm sorry."
The taller boy's anger had already subsided to be replaced with shock and confusion. Was Draco Malfoy really apologizing? And to him, of all people? It was absurd. It was unthinkable. It was... kind of sweet, actually.
A small smile appeared on Ron's face and he glanced up. "Yeah, well... You should be."
Draco's lips also curled into a smile... not the cocky, malicious smile that Ron usually associated with the Slytherin, but a small, almost shy smile... A smile that made Ron's stomach turn and not in the I-need-to-barf sort of way that Ron would have expected.
"I am. You... You are a much better wizard than I, Weasley. You're braver by far. I've... I've always thought so, deep down, but it made me jealous..." Draco's smile slowly faded and he turned his gaze away. "I've always been a bit jealous of you, actually."
And the surprises kept on coming. Ron stared, open-mouthed. "Of me? What the hell for?"
Draco tucked a small strand of platinum blonde behind his ear. "You were surrounded by love. Your family doesn't have much money, it's true, and I used that to my advantage often, but... The truth is it didn't really matter to me that much. So what if I had parents that could buy me piles of expensive presents? I would have willingly given all the money in the world if I could have had what you had..." He paused. "...a family that cared."
Ron swallowed, and then tried to casually lean back against a desk. He overturned a chair in the process, but pretended that he hadn't. "But... Well, you have that now. It's obvious that your family cares about you."
Draco's gaze returned to the freckled face. "That's true... Now the only thing I lack is a friend that cares."
"Is this your way of asking me to be your friend?" Ron questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"No!" It was Draco's turn to look shocked. "Well... maybe," he admitted with a sheepish look, which was a look Ron had never expected to see on the blonde... It was, oddly enough, kind of cute.
What the hell?! Stop thinking Draco Malfoy is cute! He's a boy! Ron reprimanded himself internally. Not only that, but he's bloody Draco Malfoy!
"Look, it's not as if I'm expecting us to suddenly become best mates, alright? All I'm asking is for you to give me a chance to prove that I can be a good friend," Draco explained hurriedly.
Ron looked thoughtful. "...And why should I?"
Draco blinked for a moment, and then his right eye twitched. "Because I'm trying to be nice, you little--!" He stopped and suddenly blushed, looking ashamed of himself.
Ron rolled his eyes. "So you don't really care about being friends, do you?"
The blonde fiddled with the sleeve of his robe nervously. "I... I do. I just... It's hard for me. You have to understand that I'm not... I'm not used to this sort of thing."
Ron snorted. "What, being nice?"
Draco winced. "Essentially, yes."
The redhead crossed his arms over his chest. "Why me, Malfoy? There are a lot of people here. You could have chosen someone who you got along with better."
The blush that had formed on the blonde’s pale cheeks suddenly darkened. "I... I know that..." He said slowly.
"So then why me?" Ron could feel his ears reddening slightly in turn... He was dumbfounded as to why, though.
Draco was silent, still fiddling with his sleeve for a few moments before finally glancing back up at Ron. "It just has to be you."
Ron stared at him, confusion written all over his face. "I... I don't understand. Why me, Malf--"
The smaller teen cut him off. "Draco, Weasley."
This made the redhead drop his question entirely, responding instead with a "Ron, Draco."
The Slytherin smiled one of those shy smiles again that made Ron's ears turn even redder until they practically disappeared against his hair. "Then you accept?"
"Yeah, okay, I accept," Ron grumbled.
"Good." Draco held out his hand and Ron took it. They both shook.
END CHAPTER ONE.
---
Chapter Title: Chapter Two: You'll See
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I'm sure you knew that.
Summary: 'This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better.'
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. And Happy!Malfoys. Beware.
CHAPTER TWO: You'll See
"Did you hit your head and receive massive brain damage at some point within the last twenty-four hours?" was not the response Ron was hoping for when he explained to Hermione and Harry that night after dinner what had happened between himself and Draco Malfoy. Harry and Ron were in the middle of a game of Wizard Chess when he brought it up, Hermione reading a book on the cot next to them.
"Because that's the only explanation that I can think of, short of hell freezing over, for you to ever consider becoming friends with Malfoy," Harry continued, ignoring his pawn on the chessboard screaming at him to pay attention.
Hermione flipped a page in her book, not looking up. "I think the reason is obvious, Harry." Both boys turned to look at her. "The death of his brother is slowly driving him into madness."
"I'm not nuts!" Ron protested, waving both arms above his head, a terrified chess piece in each hand.
Hermione closed her book with a sigh. "Ron, why would Malfoy want to be friends with you? I mean, there are others here our age that I'm sure he'd get along with better."
Ron glared. "That's what I told him!"
Harry leaned back on the cot. "And?"
"And what?"
Hermione hit Ron over the head with a small pillow from her cot. "And what did he say?"
"Hey!" Ron tried to snatch the pillow from her, but Hermione was too fast. "I... don't remember what he said."
"Sounds dodgy to me." Harry managed to grab Hermione around the waist, and then proceeded to wrestle the pillow from her. He tossed the pillow to Ron, who quickly caught it.
Hermione sat back down on her cot, pushing her hair out of her face. "I don't know, Harry. His parents changed. Maybe that had an effect on Malfoy."
Ron threw the pillow at Hermione, who ducked just in time. The pillow continued its journey through the air until it hit the back of Neville Longbottom's head a few cots away. "Oy. Sorry about that, Neville!"
Neville laughed and tossed the pillow back, hitting Harry in the head, who had been concentrating on the chessboard to figure out his next move. Surprised by the sudden impact of the soft object to his head, Harry fell backwards off the cot and onto the floor.
"Harry Potter: yesterday vanquished the most evil and powerful wizard of our time, today conquered by a flying pillow."
The four Gryffindors turned their heads to see who had spoken. Draco Malfoy had entered the Great Hall and made his way over to their cots, a small smile on his pale face.
"Mal-- Draco! Hi!" Ron scrambled up off the cot, knocking the chessboard over in the process. Screeching chess pieces clattered to the floor.
Harry stood up, brushing himself off before exchanging a raised-eyebrow look with Hermione.
Draco walked up to Ron, ignoring the scattered black and white figures around his feet. "Hi." He turned to Harry. "Mrs. Weasley sent me to get you, Potter. My formerly-disowned aunt is visiting Hogwarts tonight and for the next week and apparently she brought your... er... son," he finished with a bit of a confused look.
Harry's eyes lit up. "Teddy, you mean? Ted Lupin?"
Draco nodded.
Hermione quickly went to Harry's side, facing Draco. "Oh! Where is he? Can we see him?" She asked, excitedly.
The Slytherin laughed. "Yes, that is why I came over here." He pointed over his shoulder at the doors leading to the entrance hall. "They're over there."
Harry and Hermione dashed off in the indicated direction, followed closely by a curious Neville. After a moment, Hermione turned back around. "Ron! Aren't you coming?"
"I'll catch you up!" The redhead yelled after them as they left the Great Hall. He turned back to Draco again. "...Hi."
Draco smiled. "You said that already."
Ron's ears reddened. "So, uh..." was all he could say, unable to think of anything else.
The blonde jumped in to fill the silence. "So Potter's a father? When did that happen?"
"He's Lupin and Tonks's kid," Ron explained. "But during the battle, they..." He trailed off.
Draco understood. "So they made Potter the godfather, then?"
The redhead nodded. "Yeah. They left him their new house too... in their will, I mean. He hasn't gone to see it yet... So Tonks' mum has been taking care of Ted until Harry feels that he's ready."
Draco bent down and began picking up the chess pieces. "A father at seventeen. That must be weird."
Ron started to help... after all, it was his chess set. "I dunno if it's really sunk in yet."
They both reached for the same piece, Ron's freckled hand colliding with Draco's thin, pale fingers. A blush sprang up on Draco's face and Ron's ears reddened further.
"Sorry!" Both teens blurted out at once, pulling their hands back as if they'd been shocked.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Come here and say hello to Mrs. Tonks!" His mother's voice shouted from the doorway, echoing in the expanse of the Great Hall.
Ron quickly stood up. "My mum-- Mrs. Tonks-- Gotta go!" Before he could dash off, a hand enclosed around his wrist and the freckled teen glanced back, confused. "Wha-?"
"After breakfast tomorrow, meet me in the classroom from before," the blonde said in a whisper.
The confused look remained on Ron's face. "Er... What if I can't find it?" He was whispering as well, though he wasn't sure why.
Draco rolled his eyes and let go of Ron's wrist, smirking slightly. "Then I'll come and find you."
"RON!"
"Now go!" Draco pushed at Ron's back, making the taller teen stumble a bit. He stopped and stared at Draco for a moment, then gave a short nod and hurried out to the entrance hall. Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his cheeks still flushed and his lips curved into a smile. "It has to be you."
After picking up the remaining chess pieces and placing them on Ron's cot, Draco left the Great Hall and veered down another hallway, listening to the sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the entrance hall, interspersed with occasional baby-talk. The noises faded as he walked further away, finding himself in the Hospital Wing a few moments later.
Several of the beds were taken up by the injured and a few adults were hovering about to help take care of them. He noticed his mother sitting at a desk near the back, writing something down in a small leather-bound book. "Mother?"
Narcissa lifted her head, tucking a few long blonde strands behind a delicate ear. She smiled. "Hello, dear. Did you need something?" She placed her quill down on the book and stood up, moving to stand before her son.
Draco shook his head. "Not really. I just didn't see you at dinner."
Narcissa brushed back the fringe from her son’s forehead, affectionately grooming him and straightening the collar of his shirt. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I got caught up in my work here."
The younger Malfoy patiently waited while his mother fussed with his hair and clothes. "Father didn't show up either. Do you know where he is?"
"I believe he left with the group checking in at the Ministry this afternoon," Narcissa answered, giving up on the teenager's tie since Draco insisted on loosening it after she'd tightened it. She turned and walked back to the desk, motioning for Draco to follow her.
Draco leaned against the edge of the desk as Narcissa sat back down and continued writing. "But it's already a quarter to nine... Shouldn't they be back by now?"
Narcissa checked the elegant silver watch around her thin wrist. "You're right, Draco." She closed the book, her quill tucked inside, and stood up once more. She placed her hand on Draco's shoulder. "Come. Let's go down to the Great Hall and see if we can find news of your father and the others," she said, leading her son out of the Hospital Wing and back down the same hallway he'd been in before. "Why don't you tell me what you've been up to in the meantime, hm?"
Draco smiled. "All right, but I haven't done anything very productive today, mother."
"And why not? I'm sure there are several people in the school who could've used your help, Draco," she said with a small frown.
The teenager looked sheepish. "I know... But I'm afraid I've just been... well, I got tired of being given the cold-shoulder every time I tried to help someone," he admitted.
Narcissa's gaze softened. "I understand, darling. It may be difficult, but you must understand that it will take time before everyone realizes we truly do want to help." She lightly pressed her hand against the back of Draco's head. "Just keep trying, Draco. Remain as polite and friendly as you can manage... eventually they'll understand. You'll see."
Draco stopped walking, causing his mother to halt as well. He turned and gave her a hug. "Thank you, mother," he said softly.
Brushing his hair back again, Narcissa placed a kiss to his forehead and responded with a smile, "What are mothers for?"
They entered the Great Hall just as the group that had gone to the Ministry was returning; men and women re-joined their families to share stories of the day's events.
Lucius hurried over to his wife and son, beaming. Draco couldn't remember his father ever looking so happy. He could feel a matching smile form on his own face. "Father!"
The head of the Malfoy family hugged his son first, placing a kiss to his forehead just as his wife had done, then moved to hug Narcissa, pecking her on the cheek before quickly leading them both to a less crowded corner of the Great Hall. "It's marvelous, Narcissa! It's fantastic! I don't remember the last time so many people had been happy to see me!"
Narcissa looked at him curiously. "Lucius, dear, what are you talking about?"
Lucius laughed, pulling off his travel cloak and handing it to Draco, who quickly folded it and placed it on the end of his father's cot. "The list, 'Cissa, the list! The last time we visited the Ministry, I and a couple of other Reformed -- that's what we're being called now, the former Death Eaters who want forgiveness -- made a list of all the Death Eaters' names we could recall, no matter if it was a name of someone who was known to be dead or was Reformed or was already caught; we listed them all." He sat down on the cot, pulling his son down to sit next to him.
Trays laden with goblets of pumpkin juice had started floating slowly around the Great Hall. Narcissa took three goblets from one just hovering passed her. She handed one each to Lucius and Draco before sitting down on her cot opposite them. "Yes, I remember. Go on."
Lucius took a sip from his goblet before continuing. "Well, they've been caught! I don't know whether they've just lost hope and don't see the use in running any longer or what, but they've been caught."
Narcissa looked shocked. "What, all of them?"
"Of course not! Not all of them... But over half of the names that were listed have already been accounted for! It's really true this time, 'Cissa!" He stood up, apparently too excited to stay sitting down. "He's truly gone this time! He's never coming back! And better yet, they've realized it! I'll be the first to admit that swallowing my pride and asking for forgiveness was painfully humiliating--" ("Not half as humiliating as the things He did to us," Draco murmured into his goblet.) "--but it was worth it. This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better, Narcissa, just you wait and see!" Lucius put his goblet down and embraced his wife. They both laughed as he picked Narcissa up and swung her around joyfully.
Smiling brightly, Draco allowed his gaze to stray to the other families in the Hall as his parents kissed. His eyes landed on the Weasleys, the eight redheads gathered together along with Harry (who was holding a tiny thing in his arms that kept changing hair colour), Hermione, and a veela whose name Draco couldn't recall. His smile faltered suddenly, shocked to find Ron staring back at him. However, the smile returned full force, along with a persistent blush, as the other teen smiled back at him.
The voices of those around him, along with his parents’ laughter, were suddenly drowned out by the pounding of his own heart. Nervous and confused, Draco quickly tore his gaze away from Ron, instead lowering it to the floor. With the rhythm of his heartbeat, Draco heard the words of his father repeated: 'This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better.'
END CHAPTER TWO.
--
Chapter Title: Chapter Three: You're More
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related characters belong to J. K. Rowling and I'm just playing with them because I'm sick like that.
Summary: "Just a month ago, if someone had told me that I’d eventually be sitting on a classroom floor kissing Draco Malfoy, I’d… Well, I’d probably have punched them in the nose.”
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. Also, British terms! (Jumper = sweater. Trainers = sneakers.) Also, I'm a bit mean to Hermione (Bless her heart, I love her!) Includes daddy!Harry and, of course, some spacey-but-wise!Luna. ENJOY!
CHAPTER THREE: You're More
"Harry, he can't hold it himself. You have to hold it to his mouth for him to be able to suck on it," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, okay, I understand that, Hermione," Harry responded in a slightly irritated voice, holding Teddy in his arms and using one hand to position the bottle for the baby to drink.
The trio had decided to eat breakfast outside, laying down a blanket on the soft grass beneath a tree that shaded them from the sun. Harry was leaned up against the tree, Hermione occasionally hovering over him and fussing over the baby. Ron sat across from them, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of toast.
"But you keep letting go of the bottle."
"He keeps squirming, so I have to let go of the bottle to shift him," Harry explained, proceeding to shift the baby. The bottle dropped into his lap and Ted gurgled, milk dribbling down his tiny chin.
Hermione picked the bottle up and placed it to Teddy's mouth again. "Maybe you're not holding him correctly?"
"There are only so many ways you can hold a baby, Hermione, and even fewer when you're trying to feed them a bottle."
Ron finished his toast and grinned at his two friends. "Let's just face it: seventeen-year-olds aren't meant to be parents."
Hermione shot him a glare and Harry blushed, looking down at the baby in his arms. "But he's my responsibility now, Ron. I'm going to learn to take care of him."
Ron's grin softened into a smile. "I know, Harry. Just don't get in over your head, okay mate?"
Harry nodded, a small smile forming on his face as Teddy's hair changed from purple to black.
Practically beaming, Hermione leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek.
There hadn't been anymore lips-on-lips since the day of the battle, but there had been an increase in cheek-kisses from Hermione, Ron had noticed.
He wrinkled his nose and wiped his cheek with the sleeve of his robes.
Hermione instantly frowned. "What has gotten into you?"
Ron picked up another piece of toast and began chewing again. "Nuffink."
Hermione huffed, blowing hair out of her face as she stood up. "Honestly! You're impossible!"
Harry and Ron watched as she stomped back off to the castle. Ted gurgled.
The freckled teen looked at Harry, who was looking back at him with a raised eyebrow.
Ron swallowed his toast before asking innocently, "What?"
Harry shook his head. "I think you must have a skull built of metal, Ron. You're so dense sometimes."
Ron practically pouted. "I resent that!" A pause. "...what do you mean?"
"Just a month ago you were dying to have Hermione pay so much attention to you," Harry pointed out.
The redhead looked sheepish. "Oh... D'you think she likes me?"
Harry looked at him incredulously. "Do I think she likes you? Ron! I know she likes you! Hell, even Teddy knows she likes you!"
The baby burped, his blue eyes switching to green as he did.
Ron shrugged lightly. "Well... I mean... I've kinda got someone else on the mind now," he admitted quietly.
Harry blinked at him, putting down Ted's bottle since the baby kept pushing it away. "Draco Malfoy."
Ron's ears instantly turned the colour of his hair and he stared at his bespectacled friend, open-mouthed. "How did you-- I mean-- NO! Draco? NO!"
Harry smirked and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Ron. Here, hold Ted for a second and I'll clean everything up."
He handed the baby to Ron, then began putting their dishes away into the basket they'd brought with them. As Harry folded the blanket, Ron looked down at Teddy, who was sucking softly on his tiny thumb.
After they'd gathered all of the items, they returned to the castle, Ron carrying the blanket and basket now and Harry once again carrying Ted in his arms. They reached the Great Hall, where Ron put the items down on Hermione's cot.
"I have to... I mean... I have something... There's something I have to do. I'll be back later. See ya!"
Ron dashed off before Harry could respond, running a hand through his hair, confused thoughts buzzing in his head. Not that long ago I would have been thrilled to have Hermione pay so much attention to me... So why does it not even matter to me now? And why did Harry think that Draco... that I... He turned quickly down a hallway, lost in his thoughts. I did say that I had someone else on my mind... Where did that come from? ...Is it true? ...And Draco Malfoy? Is that true too?
He was suddenly and forcefully yanked out of his thoughts and into a classroom. "What the--?!"
"Fuck! I didn't even know you could run that fast, Ron!"
Draco Malfoy stared at him in awe as Ron collapsed into a chair, trying to catch his breath.
"Bloody hell! You couldn't have just called my name or something? You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack, Draco!"
The blonde smirked. "Why were you running anyway? Being chased by giant spiders?"
Ron glared at him. "Don't joke about that."
Draco laughed, walking over to the radio that was still sitting on a window sill. Ron realized now that it was turned on and spouting out an upbeat tempo with male and female vocals; something he imagined would be played for people to dance to.
The redhead got up from the chair as Draco leaned up against the window sill, the wind from outside playing with his hair.
"Your mum and dad looked really happy last night," Ron noted.
Draco smiled. "I know. Father was saying how many of the Death Eaters had been accounted for."
"Yeah, my dad was talking about that too," Ron said, walking over to sit on a desk opposite of Draco.
The smaller teen turned down the volume some on the radio so they could talk. "Father thinks that the others-- your family and the other families that were on the Order's side, I mean --might be ready to forgive him."
Ron leaned back on his hands, the tips of his trainers still touching the floor as his long legs dangled off the side of the desk. "I think it's only a matter of time. My dad said the Ministry is thinking of using Veritaserum and interviewing each of the Reformed, though. Just to make sure, ya know?"
"I suppose that would be a good idea." Draco looked thoughtful. "Father hasn't mentioned about any of the other Reformed. Are there a lot of them?"
Ron shrugged. "Dunno. My dad hasn't really talked much about them, either. I think yours is the only Reformed family here at Hogwarts, though."
Draco nodded.
For the next few moments both of the boys looked around in silence, trying to think of things they could say. The music from the radio filled the room and Ron was surprised to find his foot tapping against the floor with the beat. Draco noticed this and laughed. Ron's ears reddened.
Draco smiled, moving forward to sit on the desk beside the taller boy. "Do you listen to music a lot?"
Ron looked a little confused, since there were several other desks-- and chairs, for that matter --that Draco could sit on. Still, he shifted a little to allow more room for the petite blonde. "Uh... Not really... Lots of family and only one radio in the house, which Mum usually uses when she's cleaning or cooking."
"So what do you like to do in your spare time?" Draco asked curiously.
There was another shrug from the redhead, his shoulder brushing against the other boy's due to their close proximity. "Sometimes Ginny and I will play some Quidditch... 'cept it's not really Quidditch, obviously; only the two of us tossing a ball around on our broomsticks... And the twins used to join in too sometimes, which made it more fun..." He suddenly dropped his gaze to the floor. "...Fred and George always made everything more fun."
Draco frowned, hesitating a moment before placing his hand gently on Ron's leg. "I'm sorry... I've never lost a family member, so I can't say I know how you feel, but... I'm so sorry, Ron."
Ron's ears reddened again as he brought his gaze up to Draco's face. He was a little surprised to find such concern written there on his features, along with a dusting of pink on the pale cheeks.
I've kinda got someone else on my mind now, his own voice echoed in his head, followed closely by Harry's response, Draco Malfoy.
Without a second thought, Ron leaned forward and pressed his lips to Draco's. The other teen's grey eyes widened in shock before quickly sliding shut, his body shifting on the desk to face Ron's and his hands moving up to be placed against Ron's chest. For a moment Ron was afraid the blonde was going to push him away, but this fear vanished when instead Draco pulled him closer by the front of his jumper.
Ron closed his eyes, shifting his weight a little as he hesitantly placed his hands on Draco's thin waist. He couldn't get a proper thought to form in his head; his brain was determined to focus exclusively on the feeling of lips against soft lips.
With the sound of splintering wood, the desk finally broke from the combined weight of the teenagers, and all of a sudden both boys were on the floor: Draco on his back with Ron above him.
The kiss had been broken by the fall, and now the freckled teen was gazing down at Draco with a look of concern. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.
"Fantastic," the Slytherin answered. He grabbed the front of Ron's jumper again. "But I'd be even better if you'd keep kissing me," he said, yanking the taller boy down into another kiss.
Ron slid his tongue past the eagerly parted lips while tightening his hold on Draco's hips. The smaller teen let slip an appreciative, but muffled, moan.
They were so absorbed in each other that neither boy heard the sound of hurried footsteps out in the hall nor did they notice when the maker of those footsteps entered the classroom. They did, however, hear the clearing of a throat that followed, and immediately broke apart. Luna Lovegood was standing in the doorway.
Ron quickly stood up and stumbled back across the broken parts of the desk, his ears burning red.
Draco jumped up, pressing himself back against another desk and looking away from the other two in the room.
The Ravenclaw muffled her giggling with the palm of her hand. “I thought I heard something break, so I wanted to make sure no one was hurt,” she explained after a few moments.
Ron scratched the back of his head and nodded toward the broken desk. Luna’s eyes landed on the pieces of wood.
“Oh. I see.” She pulled her wand out of her robes and pointed it at the splintered wood. “Reparo.”
The pieces immediately flew back together, appearing as if the desk had never broken.
“Er, thanks,” Ron muttered.
Luna smiled. “No problem. Just… try and be more careful, you two.” She turned to leave, placing her hand on the door frame before looking back. “Oh, and you might want to close the door next time… And maybe cast an Imperturbable Charm on it,” she suggested cheerfully and began heading out the door.
“Wait!” Ron shouted, causing Draco to jump and Luna to turn around.
“Yes?”
Ron looked at Draco nervously, who quickly looked away with a blush. The redhead cleared his throat before returning his gaze to Luna. “Uhm, Luna… You’re… you’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
Luna tilted her head. “You’d like to keep your relationship with Draco Malfoy a secret?”
Draco looked up at the other blonde, grey eyes wide on his startled face. “You can’t tell! You can’t tell anyone what you just saw! I haven’t even told my parents that I’ve made friends with Ron yet, I don’t know how they’d react to… to… to this,” he said in a rush, panic evident in his voice.
Ron felt a little crushed, even though he understood the reason for Draco’s determination to keep this a secret. He took a few steps closer to Luna. “Please… Just... Keep it to yourself, all right?”
“Of course,” the girl said with a smile. “But if you’d like my opinion, I think you make a rather cute couple.”
Instantly, Ron’s ears turned the colour of his hair as Draco’s pale cheeks flushed pink. Ron gave a lopsided, bashful sort of smile. “Uh... Thanks…”
“But we’re both boys,” Draco muttered, his gaze resting on a random spot on the floor.
“Yes, that is true… But I don’t see what difference it makes. If you’re attracted to each other, then it’s not something you can help,” Luna said. “It just happens.”
Both boys stared at her in contemplative silence. At last Luna turned and left without another word, the only sound that of her skipping down the hallway until eventually that too faded away.
Ron was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat. After that, Draco slid down to the floor, still avoiding the redhead’s gaze.
“Where did that come from?” Draco asked finally.
Ron looked at him, confused. “What?”
The blonde shifted, pulling his legs up close to his chest and running a hand through his hair. “You kissed me… Out of nowhere, you kissed me.”
Ron sat down on the floor across from Draco, his ears burning red. “I... Well, I just… I wanted to. You were being really sweet and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and even Harry can bloody tell that I’m falling for you and it just… it seemed like the right moment to do it, I guess,” he said quickly, his gaze lowered to the floor.
Draco’s blush darkened and he looked up at Ron with a small smile. He scooted closer to the other boy, hesitantly taking Ron’s hand into his own. “And what about this moment?”
Ron glanced up, a little surprised, and took in Draco’s hopeful expression. With a smile of his own, he leaned in and kissed the blonde again.
After a moment, the taller teen broke the kiss, his hands delicately holding the other’s flushed cheeks. “This is so weird,” he murmured.
Draco frowned. “Yeah?”
The redhead pulled the petite teen closer to him, pressing their lips together briefly, softly, before pulling away again. Draco gave a little whine, but Ron ignored it.
“The kissing. Me wanting to kiss you. Just a month ago, if someone had told me that I’d eventually be sitting on a classroom floor kissing Draco Malfoy, I’d… Well, I’d probably have punched them in the nose.”
Draco snorted. “And I would have jinxed them into the next millennium.”
Ron pulled away a little more. “See! It’s strange, right?”
The blonde nodded. “It is strange, but… It still feels…”
“Right?” Ron asked hopefully.
Draco nodded again.
Ron smiled.
Both boys leaned in close to one other, two pairs of lips reconnecting.
END CHAPTER THREE.
Chapter Title: Chapter One: You Should Be
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I'm sure you knew that.
Summary: 'Was Draco Malfoy really apologizing? And to Ronald Weasley, of all people? It was absurd! It was unthinkable! It was... kind of sweet, actually.'
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. Lettin' ya know. Oh, and, uh... There are a few points in this that are kind of rough and I still want to polish, but am not sure how. Constructive criticism is very welcome~
CHAPTER ONE: You Should Be
Ronald Weasley was angry. He wasn't exactly sure why he was angry, or who he was angry at, or what had caused him to be angry... But, never-the-less, he was angry.
For most people, these last few weeks since Voldemort was vanquished by his own Killing Curse had been nothing but happy... Well, apart from those who had lost friends and family... The memory of Fred Weasley's blank, unseeing eyes as Percy clung to his dead body... For the umpteenth time since that fateful day, Ron quickly pushed that memory from his mind.
Most of those who had joined on the Order's side during the Battle of Hogwarts had remained at the school for these last few weeks, helping repair the broken structures and taking care of the wounded.
Ever since the day of the battle, the whole Wizarding world was going through a period of intense reconstruction. Much like the first time they thought their Lord had been beaten, the surviving Death Eaters had either claimed to be under the Imperius Curse or disappeared altogether.
The Malfoys, on the other hand... Everyone was surprised when they willingly joined in on the renovation. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy had remained at Hogwarts, sleeping on their cots in the corner of the Great Hall with the rest of the helping families at night and parting ways to assist with different errands during the day.
"I didn't even see them during the fight," Ginny had recalled. Several others had agreed, and then Harry had explained how Narcissa had lied for him to Voldemort simply so she could save her son. Apparently Lucius and Narcissa had disregarded the battle altogether in order to find Draco and make sure he was out of harm's way. Ron still wasn't sure whether he found that touching or cowardly.
As the redhead stomped through a newly reconstructed hallway, he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of music. He paused, straining his ears to find where it was coming from before following the noise to a nearby classroom. The door was open when he got there and he couldn't help but peek his head inside.
The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom's open windows, casting an orange glow over the empty desks. With squinted eyes, Ron searched out the source of the music, which turned out to be a radio situated on a window sill. Beneath the window sat a figure with a large book propped open on his knees, blonde hair peeking over the top.
The redhead tip-toed into the classroom, a small smirk on his face.
"Need something, Weasley?" A familiar voice spoke from behind the book.
Ron stumbled, knocking his shin against the leg of a desk. He cursed loudly and glared at the stationary piece of furniture.
Draco lowered his book, raising gray eyes to look at the boy who had intruded on his alone time. "Give the desk a break; you're the one who bumped into it, not the other way around." He stood, placing his book on a nearby chair as Ron shifted his glare to the blonde.
"What are you doing in here?"
Draco smirked. "I was reading and listening to music. What are you doing in here?"
Frowning, Ron shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Wanted to see where the music was coming from... S'all."
Draco turned and flicked off the radio. "Shouldn't you be helping... fix something?"
"Shouldn't you?" Ron countered.
A sigh left the paler boy's lips as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Is it just that old habits die hard or do you really still loathe me that much?"
The question startled Ron, and he blinked in silence for several seconds. "Uh... what?"
Draco dropped his arms to his sides and walked across the room until he was a few desks away from the redhead. "Our families aren't against each other anymore, Weasley. We're working together now," he pointed out. "My parents want to help... They want to atone for all of the things they've done in the past."
Ron lowered his gaze to the floor and took his hands from his pockets. "...Oh."
"And... Well, I'm not exactly proud of everything I've done in the past, either," Draco continued. "It's... It's difficult to digest my pride, but if my parents can manage it, then surely I can as well." He took a few more steps forward until his shiny black shoes had entered Ron's line of vision. "I'm sorry."
The taller boy's anger had already subsided to be replaced with shock and confusion. Was Draco Malfoy really apologizing? And to him, of all people? It was absurd. It was unthinkable. It was... kind of sweet, actually.
A small smile appeared on Ron's face and he glanced up. "Yeah, well... You should be."
Draco's lips also curled into a smile... not the cocky, malicious smile that Ron usually associated with the Slytherin, but a small, almost shy smile... A smile that made Ron's stomach turn and not in the I-need-to-barf sort of way that Ron would have expected.
"I am. You... You are a much better wizard than I, Weasley. You're braver by far. I've... I've always thought so, deep down, but it made me jealous..." Draco's smile slowly faded and he turned his gaze away. "I've always been a bit jealous of you, actually."
And the surprises kept on coming. Ron stared, open-mouthed. "Of me? What the hell for?"
Draco tucked a small strand of platinum blonde behind his ear. "You were surrounded by love. Your family doesn't have much money, it's true, and I used that to my advantage often, but... The truth is it didn't really matter to me that much. So what if I had parents that could buy me piles of expensive presents? I would have willingly given all the money in the world if I could have had what you had..." He paused. "...a family that cared."
Ron swallowed, and then tried to casually lean back against a desk. He overturned a chair in the process, but pretended that he hadn't. "But... Well, you have that now. It's obvious that your family cares about you."
Draco's gaze returned to the freckled face. "That's true... Now the only thing I lack is a friend that cares."
"Is this your way of asking me to be your friend?" Ron questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"No!" It was Draco's turn to look shocked. "Well... maybe," he admitted with a sheepish look, which was a look Ron had never expected to see on the blonde... It was, oddly enough, kind of cute.
What the hell?! Stop thinking Draco Malfoy is cute! He's a boy! Ron reprimanded himself internally. Not only that, but he's bloody Draco Malfoy!
"Look, it's not as if I'm expecting us to suddenly become best mates, alright? All I'm asking is for you to give me a chance to prove that I can be a good friend," Draco explained hurriedly.
Ron looked thoughtful. "...And why should I?"
Draco blinked for a moment, and then his right eye twitched. "Because I'm trying to be nice, you little--!" He stopped and suddenly blushed, looking ashamed of himself.
Ron rolled his eyes. "So you don't really care about being friends, do you?"
The blonde fiddled with the sleeve of his robe nervously. "I... I do. I just... It's hard for me. You have to understand that I'm not... I'm not used to this sort of thing."
Ron snorted. "What, being nice?"
Draco winced. "Essentially, yes."
The redhead crossed his arms over his chest. "Why me, Malfoy? There are a lot of people here. You could have chosen someone who you got along with better."
The blush that had formed on the blonde’s pale cheeks suddenly darkened. "I... I know that..." He said slowly.
"So then why me?" Ron could feel his ears reddening slightly in turn... He was dumbfounded as to why, though.
Draco was silent, still fiddling with his sleeve for a few moments before finally glancing back up at Ron. "It just has to be you."
Ron stared at him, confusion written all over his face. "I... I don't understand. Why me, Malf--"
The smaller teen cut him off. "Draco, Weasley."
This made the redhead drop his question entirely, responding instead with a "Ron, Draco."
The Slytherin smiled one of those shy smiles again that made Ron's ears turn even redder until they practically disappeared against his hair. "Then you accept?"
"Yeah, okay, I accept," Ron grumbled.
"Good." Draco held out his hand and Ron took it. They both shook.
END CHAPTER ONE.
---
Chapter Title: Chapter Two: You'll See
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I'm sure you knew that.
Summary: 'This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better.'
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. And Happy!Malfoys. Beware.
CHAPTER TWO: You'll See
"Did you hit your head and receive massive brain damage at some point within the last twenty-four hours?" was not the response Ron was hoping for when he explained to Hermione and Harry that night after dinner what had happened between himself and Draco Malfoy. Harry and Ron were in the middle of a game of Wizard Chess when he brought it up, Hermione reading a book on the cot next to them.
"Because that's the only explanation that I can think of, short of hell freezing over, for you to ever consider becoming friends with Malfoy," Harry continued, ignoring his pawn on the chessboard screaming at him to pay attention.
Hermione flipped a page in her book, not looking up. "I think the reason is obvious, Harry." Both boys turned to look at her. "The death of his brother is slowly driving him into madness."
"I'm not nuts!" Ron protested, waving both arms above his head, a terrified chess piece in each hand.
Hermione closed her book with a sigh. "Ron, why would Malfoy want to be friends with you? I mean, there are others here our age that I'm sure he'd get along with better."
Ron glared. "That's what I told him!"
Harry leaned back on the cot. "And?"
"And what?"
Hermione hit Ron over the head with a small pillow from her cot. "And what did he say?"
"Hey!" Ron tried to snatch the pillow from her, but Hermione was too fast. "I... don't remember what he said."
"Sounds dodgy to me." Harry managed to grab Hermione around the waist, and then proceeded to wrestle the pillow from her. He tossed the pillow to Ron, who quickly caught it.
Hermione sat back down on her cot, pushing her hair out of her face. "I don't know, Harry. His parents changed. Maybe that had an effect on Malfoy."
Ron threw the pillow at Hermione, who ducked just in time. The pillow continued its journey through the air until it hit the back of Neville Longbottom's head a few cots away. "Oy. Sorry about that, Neville!"
Neville laughed and tossed the pillow back, hitting Harry in the head, who had been concentrating on the chessboard to figure out his next move. Surprised by the sudden impact of the soft object to his head, Harry fell backwards off the cot and onto the floor.
"Harry Potter: yesterday vanquished the most evil and powerful wizard of our time, today conquered by a flying pillow."
The four Gryffindors turned their heads to see who had spoken. Draco Malfoy had entered the Great Hall and made his way over to their cots, a small smile on his pale face.
"Mal-- Draco! Hi!" Ron scrambled up off the cot, knocking the chessboard over in the process. Screeching chess pieces clattered to the floor.
Harry stood up, brushing himself off before exchanging a raised-eyebrow look with Hermione.
Draco walked up to Ron, ignoring the scattered black and white figures around his feet. "Hi." He turned to Harry. "Mrs. Weasley sent me to get you, Potter. My formerly-disowned aunt is visiting Hogwarts tonight and for the next week and apparently she brought your... er... son," he finished with a bit of a confused look.
Harry's eyes lit up. "Teddy, you mean? Ted Lupin?"
Draco nodded.
Hermione quickly went to Harry's side, facing Draco. "Oh! Where is he? Can we see him?" She asked, excitedly.
The Slytherin laughed. "Yes, that is why I came over here." He pointed over his shoulder at the doors leading to the entrance hall. "They're over there."
Harry and Hermione dashed off in the indicated direction, followed closely by a curious Neville. After a moment, Hermione turned back around. "Ron! Aren't you coming?"
"I'll catch you up!" The redhead yelled after them as they left the Great Hall. He turned back to Draco again. "...Hi."
Draco smiled. "You said that already."
Ron's ears reddened. "So, uh..." was all he could say, unable to think of anything else.
The blonde jumped in to fill the silence. "So Potter's a father? When did that happen?"
"He's Lupin and Tonks's kid," Ron explained. "But during the battle, they..." He trailed off.
Draco understood. "So they made Potter the godfather, then?"
The redhead nodded. "Yeah. They left him their new house too... in their will, I mean. He hasn't gone to see it yet... So Tonks' mum has been taking care of Ted until Harry feels that he's ready."
Draco bent down and began picking up the chess pieces. "A father at seventeen. That must be weird."
Ron started to help... after all, it was his chess set. "I dunno if it's really sunk in yet."
They both reached for the same piece, Ron's freckled hand colliding with Draco's thin, pale fingers. A blush sprang up on Draco's face and Ron's ears reddened further.
"Sorry!" Both teens blurted out at once, pulling their hands back as if they'd been shocked.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Come here and say hello to Mrs. Tonks!" His mother's voice shouted from the doorway, echoing in the expanse of the Great Hall.
Ron quickly stood up. "My mum-- Mrs. Tonks-- Gotta go!" Before he could dash off, a hand enclosed around his wrist and the freckled teen glanced back, confused. "Wha-?"
"After breakfast tomorrow, meet me in the classroom from before," the blonde said in a whisper.
The confused look remained on Ron's face. "Er... What if I can't find it?" He was whispering as well, though he wasn't sure why.
Draco rolled his eyes and let go of Ron's wrist, smirking slightly. "Then I'll come and find you."
"RON!"
"Now go!" Draco pushed at Ron's back, making the taller teen stumble a bit. He stopped and stared at Draco for a moment, then gave a short nod and hurried out to the entrance hall. Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his cheeks still flushed and his lips curved into a smile. "It has to be you."
After picking up the remaining chess pieces and placing them on Ron's cot, Draco left the Great Hall and veered down another hallway, listening to the sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the entrance hall, interspersed with occasional baby-talk. The noises faded as he walked further away, finding himself in the Hospital Wing a few moments later.
Several of the beds were taken up by the injured and a few adults were hovering about to help take care of them. He noticed his mother sitting at a desk near the back, writing something down in a small leather-bound book. "Mother?"
Narcissa lifted her head, tucking a few long blonde strands behind a delicate ear. She smiled. "Hello, dear. Did you need something?" She placed her quill down on the book and stood up, moving to stand before her son.
Draco shook his head. "Not really. I just didn't see you at dinner."
Narcissa brushed back the fringe from her son’s forehead, affectionately grooming him and straightening the collar of his shirt. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I got caught up in my work here."
The younger Malfoy patiently waited while his mother fussed with his hair and clothes. "Father didn't show up either. Do you know where he is?"
"I believe he left with the group checking in at the Ministry this afternoon," Narcissa answered, giving up on the teenager's tie since Draco insisted on loosening it after she'd tightened it. She turned and walked back to the desk, motioning for Draco to follow her.
Draco leaned against the edge of the desk as Narcissa sat back down and continued writing. "But it's already a quarter to nine... Shouldn't they be back by now?"
Narcissa checked the elegant silver watch around her thin wrist. "You're right, Draco." She closed the book, her quill tucked inside, and stood up once more. She placed her hand on Draco's shoulder. "Come. Let's go down to the Great Hall and see if we can find news of your father and the others," she said, leading her son out of the Hospital Wing and back down the same hallway he'd been in before. "Why don't you tell me what you've been up to in the meantime, hm?"
Draco smiled. "All right, but I haven't done anything very productive today, mother."
"And why not? I'm sure there are several people in the school who could've used your help, Draco," she said with a small frown.
The teenager looked sheepish. "I know... But I'm afraid I've just been... well, I got tired of being given the cold-shoulder every time I tried to help someone," he admitted.
Narcissa's gaze softened. "I understand, darling. It may be difficult, but you must understand that it will take time before everyone realizes we truly do want to help." She lightly pressed her hand against the back of Draco's head. "Just keep trying, Draco. Remain as polite and friendly as you can manage... eventually they'll understand. You'll see."
Draco stopped walking, causing his mother to halt as well. He turned and gave her a hug. "Thank you, mother," he said softly.
Brushing his hair back again, Narcissa placed a kiss to his forehead and responded with a smile, "What are mothers for?"
They entered the Great Hall just as the group that had gone to the Ministry was returning; men and women re-joined their families to share stories of the day's events.
Lucius hurried over to his wife and son, beaming. Draco couldn't remember his father ever looking so happy. He could feel a matching smile form on his own face. "Father!"
The head of the Malfoy family hugged his son first, placing a kiss to his forehead just as his wife had done, then moved to hug Narcissa, pecking her on the cheek before quickly leading them both to a less crowded corner of the Great Hall. "It's marvelous, Narcissa! It's fantastic! I don't remember the last time so many people had been happy to see me!"
Narcissa looked at him curiously. "Lucius, dear, what are you talking about?"
Lucius laughed, pulling off his travel cloak and handing it to Draco, who quickly folded it and placed it on the end of his father's cot. "The list, 'Cissa, the list! The last time we visited the Ministry, I and a couple of other Reformed -- that's what we're being called now, the former Death Eaters who want forgiveness -- made a list of all the Death Eaters' names we could recall, no matter if it was a name of someone who was known to be dead or was Reformed or was already caught; we listed them all." He sat down on the cot, pulling his son down to sit next to him.
Trays laden with goblets of pumpkin juice had started floating slowly around the Great Hall. Narcissa took three goblets from one just hovering passed her. She handed one each to Lucius and Draco before sitting down on her cot opposite them. "Yes, I remember. Go on."
Lucius took a sip from his goblet before continuing. "Well, they've been caught! I don't know whether they've just lost hope and don't see the use in running any longer or what, but they've been caught."
Narcissa looked shocked. "What, all of them?"
"Of course not! Not all of them... But over half of the names that were listed have already been accounted for! It's really true this time, 'Cissa!" He stood up, apparently too excited to stay sitting down. "He's truly gone this time! He's never coming back! And better yet, they've realized it! I'll be the first to admit that swallowing my pride and asking for forgiveness was painfully humiliating--" ("Not half as humiliating as the things He did to us," Draco murmured into his goblet.) "--but it was worth it. This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better, Narcissa, just you wait and see!" Lucius put his goblet down and embraced his wife. They both laughed as he picked Narcissa up and swung her around joyfully.
Smiling brightly, Draco allowed his gaze to stray to the other families in the Hall as his parents kissed. His eyes landed on the Weasleys, the eight redheads gathered together along with Harry (who was holding a tiny thing in his arms that kept changing hair colour), Hermione, and a veela whose name Draco couldn't recall. His smile faltered suddenly, shocked to find Ron staring back at him. However, the smile returned full force, along with a persistent blush, as the other teen smiled back at him.
The voices of those around him, along with his parents’ laughter, were suddenly drowned out by the pounding of his own heart. Nervous and confused, Draco quickly tore his gaze away from Ron, instead lowering it to the floor. With the rhythm of his heartbeat, Draco heard the words of his father repeated: 'This is the start of our new lives. From this point on, things will only get better.'
END CHAPTER TWO.
--
Chapter Title: Chapter Three: You're More
Author: Dai-chan (onekawaiibaka)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related characters belong to J. K. Rowling and I'm just playing with them because I'm sick like that.
Summary: "Just a month ago, if someone had told me that I’d eventually be sitting on a classroom floor kissing Draco Malfoy, I’d… Well, I’d probably have punched them in the nose.”
Author's Notes: SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS. Also, British terms! (Jumper = sweater. Trainers = sneakers.) Also, I'm a bit mean to Hermione (Bless her heart, I love her!) Includes daddy!Harry and, of course, some spacey-but-wise!Luna. ENJOY!
CHAPTER THREE: You're More
"Harry, he can't hold it himself. You have to hold it to his mouth for him to be able to suck on it," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, okay, I understand that, Hermione," Harry responded in a slightly irritated voice, holding Teddy in his arms and using one hand to position the bottle for the baby to drink.
The trio had decided to eat breakfast outside, laying down a blanket on the soft grass beneath a tree that shaded them from the sun. Harry was leaned up against the tree, Hermione occasionally hovering over him and fussing over the baby. Ron sat across from them, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of toast.
"But you keep letting go of the bottle."
"He keeps squirming, so I have to let go of the bottle to shift him," Harry explained, proceeding to shift the baby. The bottle dropped into his lap and Ted gurgled, milk dribbling down his tiny chin.
Hermione picked the bottle up and placed it to Teddy's mouth again. "Maybe you're not holding him correctly?"
"There are only so many ways you can hold a baby, Hermione, and even fewer when you're trying to feed them a bottle."
Ron finished his toast and grinned at his two friends. "Let's just face it: seventeen-year-olds aren't meant to be parents."
Hermione shot him a glare and Harry blushed, looking down at the baby in his arms. "But he's my responsibility now, Ron. I'm going to learn to take care of him."
Ron's grin softened into a smile. "I know, Harry. Just don't get in over your head, okay mate?"
Harry nodded, a small smile forming on his face as Teddy's hair changed from purple to black.
Practically beaming, Hermione leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek.
There hadn't been anymore lips-on-lips since the day of the battle, but there had been an increase in cheek-kisses from Hermione, Ron had noticed.
He wrinkled his nose and wiped his cheek with the sleeve of his robes.
Hermione instantly frowned. "What has gotten into you?"
Ron picked up another piece of toast and began chewing again. "Nuffink."
Hermione huffed, blowing hair out of her face as she stood up. "Honestly! You're impossible!"
Harry and Ron watched as she stomped back off to the castle. Ted gurgled.
The freckled teen looked at Harry, who was looking back at him with a raised eyebrow.
Ron swallowed his toast before asking innocently, "What?"
Harry shook his head. "I think you must have a skull built of metal, Ron. You're so dense sometimes."
Ron practically pouted. "I resent that!" A pause. "...what do you mean?"
"Just a month ago you were dying to have Hermione pay so much attention to you," Harry pointed out.
The redhead looked sheepish. "Oh... D'you think she likes me?"
Harry looked at him incredulously. "Do I think she likes you? Ron! I know she likes you! Hell, even Teddy knows she likes you!"
The baby burped, his blue eyes switching to green as he did.
Ron shrugged lightly. "Well... I mean... I've kinda got someone else on the mind now," he admitted quietly.
Harry blinked at him, putting down Ted's bottle since the baby kept pushing it away. "Draco Malfoy."
Ron's ears instantly turned the colour of his hair and he stared at his bespectacled friend, open-mouthed. "How did you-- I mean-- NO! Draco? NO!"
Harry smirked and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Ron. Here, hold Ted for a second and I'll clean everything up."
He handed the baby to Ron, then began putting their dishes away into the basket they'd brought with them. As Harry folded the blanket, Ron looked down at Teddy, who was sucking softly on his tiny thumb.
After they'd gathered all of the items, they returned to the castle, Ron carrying the blanket and basket now and Harry once again carrying Ted in his arms. They reached the Great Hall, where Ron put the items down on Hermione's cot.
"I have to... I mean... I have something... There's something I have to do. I'll be back later. See ya!"
Ron dashed off before Harry could respond, running a hand through his hair, confused thoughts buzzing in his head. Not that long ago I would have been thrilled to have Hermione pay so much attention to me... So why does it not even matter to me now? And why did Harry think that Draco... that I... He turned quickly down a hallway, lost in his thoughts. I did say that I had someone else on my mind... Where did that come from? ...Is it true? ...And Draco Malfoy? Is that true too?
He was suddenly and forcefully yanked out of his thoughts and into a classroom. "What the--?!"
"Fuck! I didn't even know you could run that fast, Ron!"
Draco Malfoy stared at him in awe as Ron collapsed into a chair, trying to catch his breath.
"Bloody hell! You couldn't have just called my name or something? You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack, Draco!"
The blonde smirked. "Why were you running anyway? Being chased by giant spiders?"
Ron glared at him. "Don't joke about that."
Draco laughed, walking over to the radio that was still sitting on a window sill. Ron realized now that it was turned on and spouting out an upbeat tempo with male and female vocals; something he imagined would be played for people to dance to.
The redhead got up from the chair as Draco leaned up against the window sill, the wind from outside playing with his hair.
"Your mum and dad looked really happy last night," Ron noted.
Draco smiled. "I know. Father was saying how many of the Death Eaters had been accounted for."
"Yeah, my dad was talking about that too," Ron said, walking over to sit on a desk opposite of Draco.
The smaller teen turned down the volume some on the radio so they could talk. "Father thinks that the others-- your family and the other families that were on the Order's side, I mean --might be ready to forgive him."
Ron leaned back on his hands, the tips of his trainers still touching the floor as his long legs dangled off the side of the desk. "I think it's only a matter of time. My dad said the Ministry is thinking of using Veritaserum and interviewing each of the Reformed, though. Just to make sure, ya know?"
"I suppose that would be a good idea." Draco looked thoughtful. "Father hasn't mentioned about any of the other Reformed. Are there a lot of them?"
Ron shrugged. "Dunno. My dad hasn't really talked much about them, either. I think yours is the only Reformed family here at Hogwarts, though."
Draco nodded.
For the next few moments both of the boys looked around in silence, trying to think of things they could say. The music from the radio filled the room and Ron was surprised to find his foot tapping against the floor with the beat. Draco noticed this and laughed. Ron's ears reddened.
Draco smiled, moving forward to sit on the desk beside the taller boy. "Do you listen to music a lot?"
Ron looked a little confused, since there were several other desks-- and chairs, for that matter --that Draco could sit on. Still, he shifted a little to allow more room for the petite blonde. "Uh... Not really... Lots of family and only one radio in the house, which Mum usually uses when she's cleaning or cooking."
"So what do you like to do in your spare time?" Draco asked curiously.
There was another shrug from the redhead, his shoulder brushing against the other boy's due to their close proximity. "Sometimes Ginny and I will play some Quidditch... 'cept it's not really Quidditch, obviously; only the two of us tossing a ball around on our broomsticks... And the twins used to join in too sometimes, which made it more fun..." He suddenly dropped his gaze to the floor. "...Fred and George always made everything more fun."
Draco frowned, hesitating a moment before placing his hand gently on Ron's leg. "I'm sorry... I've never lost a family member, so I can't say I know how you feel, but... I'm so sorry, Ron."
Ron's ears reddened again as he brought his gaze up to Draco's face. He was a little surprised to find such concern written there on his features, along with a dusting of pink on the pale cheeks.
I've kinda got someone else on my mind now, his own voice echoed in his head, followed closely by Harry's response, Draco Malfoy.
Without a second thought, Ron leaned forward and pressed his lips to Draco's. The other teen's grey eyes widened in shock before quickly sliding shut, his body shifting on the desk to face Ron's and his hands moving up to be placed against Ron's chest. For a moment Ron was afraid the blonde was going to push him away, but this fear vanished when instead Draco pulled him closer by the front of his jumper.
Ron closed his eyes, shifting his weight a little as he hesitantly placed his hands on Draco's thin waist. He couldn't get a proper thought to form in his head; his brain was determined to focus exclusively on the feeling of lips against soft lips.
With the sound of splintering wood, the desk finally broke from the combined weight of the teenagers, and all of a sudden both boys were on the floor: Draco on his back with Ron above him.
The kiss had been broken by the fall, and now the freckled teen was gazing down at Draco with a look of concern. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.
"Fantastic," the Slytherin answered. He grabbed the front of Ron's jumper again. "But I'd be even better if you'd keep kissing me," he said, yanking the taller boy down into another kiss.
Ron slid his tongue past the eagerly parted lips while tightening his hold on Draco's hips. The smaller teen let slip an appreciative, but muffled, moan.
They were so absorbed in each other that neither boy heard the sound of hurried footsteps out in the hall nor did they notice when the maker of those footsteps entered the classroom. They did, however, hear the clearing of a throat that followed, and immediately broke apart. Luna Lovegood was standing in the doorway.
Ron quickly stood up and stumbled back across the broken parts of the desk, his ears burning red.
Draco jumped up, pressing himself back against another desk and looking away from the other two in the room.
The Ravenclaw muffled her giggling with the palm of her hand. “I thought I heard something break, so I wanted to make sure no one was hurt,” she explained after a few moments.
Ron scratched the back of his head and nodded toward the broken desk. Luna’s eyes landed on the pieces of wood.
“Oh. I see.” She pulled her wand out of her robes and pointed it at the splintered wood. “Reparo.”
The pieces immediately flew back together, appearing as if the desk had never broken.
“Er, thanks,” Ron muttered.
Luna smiled. “No problem. Just… try and be more careful, you two.” She turned to leave, placing her hand on the door frame before looking back. “Oh, and you might want to close the door next time… And maybe cast an Imperturbable Charm on it,” she suggested cheerfully and began heading out the door.
“Wait!” Ron shouted, causing Draco to jump and Luna to turn around.
“Yes?”
Ron looked at Draco nervously, who quickly looked away with a blush. The redhead cleared his throat before returning his gaze to Luna. “Uhm, Luna… You’re… you’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
Luna tilted her head. “You’d like to keep your relationship with Draco Malfoy a secret?”
Draco looked up at the other blonde, grey eyes wide on his startled face. “You can’t tell! You can’t tell anyone what you just saw! I haven’t even told my parents that I’ve made friends with Ron yet, I don’t know how they’d react to… to… to this,” he said in a rush, panic evident in his voice.
Ron felt a little crushed, even though he understood the reason for Draco’s determination to keep this a secret. He took a few steps closer to Luna. “Please… Just... Keep it to yourself, all right?”
“Of course,” the girl said with a smile. “But if you’d like my opinion, I think you make a rather cute couple.”
Instantly, Ron’s ears turned the colour of his hair as Draco’s pale cheeks flushed pink. Ron gave a lopsided, bashful sort of smile. “Uh... Thanks…”
“But we’re both boys,” Draco muttered, his gaze resting on a random spot on the floor.
“Yes, that is true… But I don’t see what difference it makes. If you’re attracted to each other, then it’s not something you can help,” Luna said. “It just happens.”
Both boys stared at her in contemplative silence. At last Luna turned and left without another word, the only sound that of her skipping down the hallway until eventually that too faded away.
Ron was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat. After that, Draco slid down to the floor, still avoiding the redhead’s gaze.
“Where did that come from?” Draco asked finally.
Ron looked at him, confused. “What?”
The blonde shifted, pulling his legs up close to his chest and running a hand through his hair. “You kissed me… Out of nowhere, you kissed me.”
Ron sat down on the floor across from Draco, his ears burning red. “I... Well, I just… I wanted to. You were being really sweet and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and even Harry can bloody tell that I’m falling for you and it just… it seemed like the right moment to do it, I guess,” he said quickly, his gaze lowered to the floor.
Draco’s blush darkened and he looked up at Ron with a small smile. He scooted closer to the other boy, hesitantly taking Ron’s hand into his own. “And what about this moment?”
Ron glanced up, a little surprised, and took in Draco’s hopeful expression. With a smile of his own, he leaned in and kissed the blonde again.
After a moment, the taller teen broke the kiss, his hands delicately holding the other’s flushed cheeks. “This is so weird,” he murmured.
Draco frowned. “Yeah?”
The redhead pulled the petite teen closer to him, pressing their lips together briefly, softly, before pulling away again. Draco gave a little whine, but Ron ignored it.
“The kissing. Me wanting to kiss you. Just a month ago, if someone had told me that I’d eventually be sitting on a classroom floor kissing Draco Malfoy, I’d… Well, I’d probably have punched them in the nose.”
Draco snorted. “And I would have jinxed them into the next millennium.”
Ron pulled away a little more. “See! It’s strange, right?”
The blonde nodded. “It is strange, but… It still feels…”
“Right?” Ron asked hopefully.
Draco nodded again.
Ron smiled.
Both boys leaned in close to one other, two pairs of lips reconnecting.
END CHAPTER THREE.