A/N - Don't ask because I don't even know. Just blame this on challenges and crazy plot bunnies that decide they are not going to leave me alone.
Written for:
Durmstrang Ship Pendulum ride at the Hogwarts Fair on HPFC - write about what happens when two enemies are locked in a room together
Pairing God Challenge on HPFC - Ron/Draco
Ron walked up the path towards the gates of Malfoy Manor, grumbling under his breath. Why, why did he have to be the one to lose the draw? He knew that if Harry were here, he would have taken Ron's place. Ron hadn't been here since…well, just since. He shuddered remembering Hermione's screams while Ron had been helpless to do anything. But Harry was off on another investigation.
The war had been over for more than two years. The Malfoys had escaped any time in Azkaban of course, able to buy their way out of it with their deep pockets and Harry's testimony on Narcissa and Draco's behalf. They had been sentenced to a house arrest of sorts. Draco had been forced to return to Hogwarts and redo his seventh year, while his parents were confined to their Manor. Draco's mother had only gotten six months, given that Harry had testified for her. Draco was free after he took his N.E.W.T.S. Lucius had been put on probation for two years, in fact his sentence had just finished two weeks previous. They also were subject to a search of their house every six months for any Dark objects they might be concealing. Ron had drawn the short straw today.
Sighing as he reached the gates, he knocked and took an involuntary step back as the face formed from the iron bars and curls.
"Yes?" a voice drawled.
"Ron Weasley here to conduct your six month inspection," he stated. The gates opened a few seconds later and Ron walked the rest of the way towards the house. The peacocks were still strutting about the grounds and he snorted.
The front door opened before he could knock, a house elf bowing and ushering him inside. Ron stood in the entry and waited until a bored looking Draco Malfoy sauntered into the hall.
"Weasley," he said in greeting.
"Malfoy," Ron returned. "I assume you know why I'm here."
"No, I'd forgotten in the three minutes it took you to announce your presence at the gate and now," he said dryly. Ron scowled, but did not rise to the bait.
"Are your parents here?" he asked instead. "I need everyone present in the house to remain in the same room."
"They're on holiday," Draco replied. "They're celebrating the end of my father's confinement."
"All right then," Ron said. "If you'd just wait here, I can get started." Draco snorted.
"If you think I'm going to let you traipse around my house unaccompanied, you're mad," the blonde said. Ron glared at him.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Let's go."
The two made their way through the first floor, Ron casting the spell to reveal any Dark objects or magic. There were a few questionable books in the library, but nothing that actually crossed the line.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor, Ron's wand held out in front of him and Draco following closely behind. The place was like a maze and Ron was actually glad that Malfoy was with him. Although he would never tell him that.
They had passed another suite of rooms when Ron's wand registered something peculiar on a small wooden door to his left. He stopped and aimed his wand at the door, casting a series of diagnostic spells. There was nothing Dark on the door, but it was warded oddly all the same.
"What's in there?" Ron asked.
"Nothing," Draco replied.
"Nothing?" Ron repeated. "That's an awful lot of wards to have on an empty room."
"It's of no consequence to me what you think Weasley," Draco drawled.
"It will be when I take you down to the Ministry for questioning," Ron retorted. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Are you registering anything Dark?" Draco asked.
"No," Ron began, but Draco interrupted him before he could continue.
"Then what's the problem?" he asked.
"The problem is that whatever wards are on this room could be interfering with the Dark detection spell," Ron said testily. He pointed his wand at the door and cast an unlocking charm. Nothing happened.
"Open it," Ron said.
"Weasley, honestly, there's nothing in there," Draco said in exasperation.
"Then it won't matter if I look, will it?" Ron replied. "Open it." Draco sighed and pulled his own wand. Ron immediately trained his on Draco. The blonde shook his head and rolled his eyes again. Pointing his wand at the door, he muttered something under his breath and the door unlocked. Draco stepped forward and turned the knob, opening the door wide and ushering Ron forward.
Ron peered inside from where he stood in the corridor. The room looked empty as Malfoy had said, but it made no sense that there would be such strong wards on it. Eyes narrowing, he turned and pointed his wand at Draco once again.
"You go first," he said. Draco smirked.
"Scared, Weasley?" he asked.
"No, but if there are some kind of traps on this room, I'd rather you be the one to get hit with them," Ron replied. Draco shook his head in amusement.
"Even if there were, do you really think they would affect me?" he questioned. "I'm a Malfoy in my own house."
"Shut up Ferret," Ron growled. He prodded Draco in the back with his wand. Draco glared at him, his jaw working, but walked forward all the same. He crossed the threshold of the room and when nothing happened, Ron released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and followed him. Draco looked over his shoulder just as Ron stepped into the room.
"Just don't let the," Draco's eyes widened and he tried to push back around Ron. Ron spun, his wand pointed at whatever the threat might be behind them, but all he saw was Draco rushing for the door and trying to grab it before it shut with a soft click.
"Door shut," Draco finished. He rested his forehead against the door and banged it lightly.
"What happened?" Ron asked in confusion.
"The door shut you dolt," Draco sneered. It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes.
"I can see that Malfoy," he retorted. "So open it."
"I can't," Draco said with a sigh.
"What do you mean you can't?" Ron demanded.
"Just what I said Weasel," Draco spat. "We're locked in here."
"The hell we are," Ron said, walking towards the door and casting every unlocking charm he knew. Nothing happened.
"I told you," Draco said. He was leaning against the stone wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
"What the hell is going on Malfoy?" Ron snarled.
"Magic doesn't work in this room," Draco explained.
"I think I figured that out already," Ron snapped.
"Wonders never cease," Draco muttered. Ron walked up to the blonde and grabbed him by the front of his robes.
"Shut your damn mouth, Ferret and tell me how we're going to get out of here," he growled.
"Which do you want me to do?" Draco said dryly.
"What?" Ron replied his brow furrowed.
"Do you want me to 'shut my damn mouth' or tell you how we're going to get out of here," Draco questioned. "Because I can't do both." Ron shoved Draco away from him. He really wanted to punch something. Namely the Slytherin in front of him.
"Just tell me already," Ron retorted.
"We can't get out of here unless we give the room a payment of a sort," Draco said.
"What kind of payment?" Ron asked. Draco snorted.
"Gods, this is the most ridiculous situation I think I've ever been in," he said with a mirthless laugh. "And I had the Dark Lord living in my house for months." Ron's eyes narrowed again.
"What, Malfoy?" Draco sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. The gesture looked distinctly foreign on the aristocratic blonde.
"My great-great-grandfather built this room," Draco began. "No one really knows why anymore except he was a perverted old bastard." Ron's stomach flipped. "If there is only one person in here, nothing happens. But once two people enter together, if the door closes behind them, it locks. There were all kinds of parties in those days, galas and balls and such. Old Hyperion was a randy git. He would lure women in here and they would be stuck until, until the payment was made."
"What. Is. The. Payment?" Ron said through gritted teeth, although he was starting to have a relatively good idea.
"Do I have to spell it out you idiot?" Draco demanded. "A kiss all right? We have to kiss to get out of here."
Regardless of the fact that he had expected it, Ron's eyes still widened and his mouth dropped open. Draco sneered at him and then leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.
"But…but we're blokes!" Ron finally spluttered. Draco opened one eye and stared at the redhead incredulously.
"What a keen observation Weasel," he sneered. "I hadn't noticed." Ron glared at him.
"You know what I mean," he muttered. "I am not kissing you."
"Then we're stuck in here," Draco said with a sigh.
"There's got to be another way, Malfoy," Ron insisted. Suddenly, his face lit with realization. "Call one of your house elves." But Draco was already shaking his head.
"I told you, magic doesn't work in here," Draco said. "No Apparating."
"But house elf magic is different," Ron maintained. "It's how Dobby could get to us when," he trailed off, shifting uncomfortably.
"House elf magic doesn't work in here either," Draco said. "It's warded that way."
"There's got to be some way," Ron contended. There was no way he was kissing Malfoy.
"The only other way is for someone to open the door from the outside," Draco said. "But my parents won't be back from the continent for two weeks."
"I'll send a Patronus to the Department," Ron suggested. Draco sighed and sat down on the floor, his back leaning against the wall.
"No magic," he said tiredly.
"Then we'll yell and bang on the door," Ron continued. "One of the elves should hear us."
"Silencing charm," Draco said. Ron opened his mouth to say something else, but Draco held up a hand. "And even if someone comes here looking for you when you haven't returned to the Ministry and they somehow figure out where we are, they won't know the charm or even be able to cast it if they did. Only a Malfoy can." Ron stared at him for a moment before letting out a growl of frustration and kicking the wall.
"Damn it!" he exclaimed. He began to pace, shooting small glances at Malfoy as he passed him.
"Why the hell didn't your parents close up this room?" Ron demanded on his fifth pass. "It's not exactly safe to have around. Draco cleared his throat uncomfortably. Ron stopped and stared at him.
"My parents like to," Draco cleared his throat again, "play games." His cheeks tinged pink. Ron grimaced. He definitely did not need that mental image in his head.
"Way more information than I ever wanted Malfoy," Ron said in disgust.
"You asked," Draco said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Would you bloody stop pacing?"
"Sod off, Malfoy," Run snapped.
"Look, I want to kiss you about as much as I want to kiss Filch, but it's the only way we're going to get out of here," Draco finally said. "So let's just get it over with and then we can go about our business and never speak of it again." Ron was silent for a few moments.
"Can't we just, I don't know, kiss on the cheek or something?" he asked, not wanting to do that either, but it was better than the alternative.
"No Weasley, it has to be a real kiss," Draco said tiredly.
"How do I know that you're even telling me the truth?" Ron questioned, trying to stall.
"Yes, I'm lying because it's my life's ambition to try and get in your pants Weasley," Draco said dryly. Ron's face reddened and Draco smirked. "By all means, if you don't believe me, try your Patronus or yell at the door. I really don't care." The blonde leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes again.
Ron did not want to give Draco the satisfaction of trying to cast his Patronus, so instead he tired a simple 'Lumos'. If magic truly did not work inside the room, that wouldn't work either. Ron's stomach fell when nothing happened.
"Told you," Draco smirked, eyes still closed. Ron had never wanted to punch someone more.
"Fine, let's get this over with," Ron mumbled. Draco took his time standing and straightening out his robes. He took a step toward Ron. "And keep your tongue to yourself." Draco grimaced.
"Merlin Weasley, you are crude," he said in disgust.
"Just didn't want there to be any confusion," Ron said, smirking himself.
Draco reached him and Ron braced himself against the wall. They both looked at each other nervously for a few seconds before Draco moved his face toward the redhead. Ron shut his eyes tightly, trying to pretend he was about to kiss Hermione or Lavender or pretty much anyone but Draco.
Draco pressed his lips lightly to Ron's. They both stood stock still, neither touching the other with anything else but their mouths. Draco pulled away from Ron after only a few seconds, but still the door stayed stubbornly closed and locked. Draco snarled and with no warning, spun around and grabbed Ron by the front of his Auror's robes, pulled him forward and kissed him, hard. Ron squeaked as Draco's lips began to move over his and without his consent, his hands fisted in Draco's shirt and he kissed Draco back. Neither heard the soft click of the lock opening.
They pulled apart at almost exactly the same moment, both breathing heavily and staring at each other in surprise. Their faces were still only inches apart and Ron felt his eyes closing once again as Draco pressed another kiss to his lips.
"Master Draco," a voice called. They moved apart abruptly, Ron shoving at Draco's chest as he realized that the door was now open and wondering how long it had been so. He hurried out of the room. Draco followed, closing the door behind them once they were both in the corridor. A house elf stood waiting for Draco.
"There is a Floo call for you Master," the elf said.
"I'll be there in a moment Noddy," Draco said, still sounding a bit out of breath. The elf nodded and disappeared from the corridor. Ron's ears were bright red and he avoided looking Draco in the eye.
"I assumed you're finished with your inspection?" Draco asked his voice quiet.
"Erm, yeah, yeah, I'm finished," Ron muttered. They both walked to the stairs and Draco showed Ron to the door. He turned and glanced at the blonde who was eyeing him back warily.
"Right, well, I'll see you later then Malfoy," Ron said, his eyes darting around the room.
"Did I pass?" Draco asked. Ron startled and looked at him.
"Wh-what?" Ron questioned.
"The inspection, did I pass?" Draco said, but there was a glint of something in his eye that made Ron's stomach flip again. A small smile tugged at Ron's lips.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you passed."
"Good day then," Draco said and winked at Ron before walking into the study to take his Floo call. Ron watched him go before he walked out the door, whistling to himself.