RON-
I awake to the sound of Harry murmuring in his sleep.
"Draco," he mutters. My heart stops for a moment. Draco? Draco Malfoy? Why not me? Couldn't he whisper, Ron, Ron? I'm his best friend. I'm the one who's always been there for him. Did Draco Malfoy comfort him after Cedric's death? No. He mocked him for crying in the hallway. I comforted him. I held him.
"Draco," he says again.
He's so beautiful, the way his hair sticks out at odd angles across his pillow. His eyelashes dust the tops of his cheeks just barely. I love to see him sleeping. It might be strange but last year was a long one. It's a relief to see him peaceful and sleeping. I just begin to believe that I could watch him forever when he stirs, moans softly, and jolts awake.
"Mmer Ron?" Harry mumbles sleepily.
"I'm here, Harry," I say softly.
"Why are you awake? Oh, was I talking again?" he asks.
"Don't worry about it, mate, I'm fine. Everyone else sleeps like a rock," I say.
He blushes and looks down.
"What did.. what did I say?" he asks quietly.
"Er, Malfoy's name a few times," I say.
His face becomes even more red, practically crimson and he tries to hide behind his hands.
"Harry do you.. do you like him?" I ask.
He nods and chokes out a fearful sob. Tears begin to slide down my face and I'm grateful for the cover of darkness. He's afraid to let me know and that hurts more than knowing I have chance with him. Being a sympathetic crier doesn't help much either.
"It's okay, Harry, it's okay. Just come here," I say.
He climbs into my bed and I hold him close while inhaling the scent of his shampoo. He stops crying. I stop crying.
"You don't hate me?" Harry asks.
"Why would I hate you? That's ridiculous, isn't it? You're my best mate," I say.
"You hate Draco Malfoy. I should hate Draco Malfoy," he says.
Yes. That.
"It doesn't matter. Look, just go to sleep," I say quietly.
He settles against me and closes his eyes. I try not to think.
I wake up in Ron's bed with his arm slung around my waist. How did I-? I clench my teeth when I remember how I got there. He knows. He knows about Draco, something I've been keeping a secret for over a year.
"Ron?" I whisper, "Are you awake?"
I try a few more times before he cracks open an eye and whines, "I am now!"
I bury my head in his neck. I'm glad nothing has changed and that we can still lay together like this without him being afraid that it suddenly changes me. No one else is in the room. We must be running behind.
"We've got to finish that Potions essay before class," I say.
We get up, grab our scrolls and run down to the main room to ask Hermione for help. I decide I'll brave telling her today. She isn't around. No one really is.
"D'you think we've missed breakfast?" Ron asks.
"I think we've missed a lot more than breakfast," I say.
In fact, we're late to our first class. I don't really feel like explaining why I'm late so I suggest that we don't go.
"Stories and socks?" Ron suggests.
I smile. Stories and socks time is exactly what I need right now. I pull off my shoes and summon a book from my trunk while Ron loosens his tie. Our shoes fall to the floor and we plop onto the couch, homework forgotten, as I prop the book on my lap and toss my legs over his. Ron lays his head on my shoulder to see the pictures better,
"Cinderella today? Rumplestiltskin?" I ask.
"Can we do the Wizard of Oz? It's my favorite," Ron says.
I flip the pages. This book should be ridiculously heavy but around the beginning of last year Hermione found a way to condense all of our favorite stories into one book. Ever since then we've been lounging in our socks and taking turns reading the stories out loud. It's the only thing that's kept me sane through this year and through no one believing me about Cedric. Ron is essential to my survival. I lay my head against him and sigh happily, interrupting my description of Munchkinland.
"What is it?" Ron asks.
"Oh, er...I'm just glad you're my best mate. Dorothy.." I say.
Soon enough we have to go to Potions and leave Dorothy and Toto sleeping in the field of poppies. Hermione's fury at our skipping Transfiguration almost makes me wish we'd stayed to finish the book instead.
"Why weren't you there?" she asks.
"We were sleeping and it was too late to go when we woke up. Sorry," I say.
"Have you read the Wizard of Oz? It's beautiful," Ron says.
"Of course I-" Hermione says.
She looks confused about whether to keep yelling at us or not now that she knows we were reading books instead of just lazing about. She must get over it because she starts again.
"That was irresponsible, Harry! You must keep track of time! Don't sleep in, don't skip classes. Late is better than never," she says.
Snape glides into the room, effectively stopping any response or further berating.
The lesson is fairly simple today. I wonder what has Snape in such a good mood. Ron rescues one of my ingredients.
"That's the third time today, Harry. What's so interesting about Malfoy anyway?" he asks while placing it in my hand.
I bite my lip and think. What is it that I find so fascinating about him?
"I dunno, Ron. He's got these eyes that just look so lonely. They captivate me and I find myself wondering why they're the most expressive things about him. I've watched him. Don't make that face, you wanted honesty. I know when he's going to tilt his head, to blink, smile, everything but I don't understand how or why he does it all without expression," I say.
"How d'you smile without expression?" Ron asks.
I frown.
"I don't know," I say, "but I'm going to find out. His eyes are my favorite color, you know."
"Grey?" he asks.
"They're blue. But they're the blue tinged with silver and flecks of black that happens right before it's about to rain," I say.
Ron raises an eyebrow.
"I dunno. I guess Dorothy's description of Kansas is sticking with me," I say.