Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related sadly...Only this plot! :D
Professor Horace Slughorn stood at the front of the Potions classroom, looking excitedly at all of his N.E.W.T. students. This particular class was his favorite, for it contained four members of his Slug Club. A Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Blaise Zabini, Miss Katie Dunne, and the famous Harry Potter. This class was Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Horace had decided to mix up the Gryffindors and Slytherins into partners for a small project he had been planning. They wouldn't be happy about it at first, (that would be a miracle) but hopefully by the end of the class today, things would be different.
Clapping his hands to get the attention of his class, Horace pulled out a piece of parchment that had the list of partners he had assigned. "Good afternoon students! Today, I have assigned a small class project! This project will require you to go into the Forbidden Forest with a partner and and retrieve an ingredient needed to make a special potion. Now this potion is greatly needed by the Healers at St. Mungo's! Now, don't worry! You won't be going too far into the forest today ladies and gentlemen."
Students began looking around the room for their friends, silently making partners amongst themselves. Before they could get too excited, Horace began speaking again, "I have made a list of partners here—Now now! None of that!" The students had groaned. "I have decided that we should work on a little House unity! Each pair of students will contain a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. You have one hour to complete this task. Once you have settled into your pairs, I will give you your ingredient and you'll be off!"
Horace grinned widely at his students while they all looked disgruntled. Clearing his throat Horace held up his list and began to read.
"Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson!"
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy!"
"Blaise Zabini and Dean Thomas!"
"Ronald Weasley and Katie Dunne!"
Once Professor Slughorn had finished reading of the rest of his list, Harry and Ron looked at each other. Shaking his head and chuckling, Ron said, "Ahhh, rotten luck mate. Stuck with Parkinson! I'll pray for ya. " He clapped Harry on the back teasingly earning him a slap on the arm.
Harry just smiled at him. "I don't see you complaining about being with Dunne." As soon as he said this, it was Harry's turn to laugh. "I know you like her Ron. You're not very deceit about it. Even 'Mione knows! Now go have fun with her." Harry then pushed Ron right into Katie, who had been looking for him.
"Oh Merlin, Katie I'm sorry!" Ron said quickly. Cursing Harry under his breath he steadied Katie, making sure she was steady on her feet before letting her go gently.
"It's fine Ron, honestly," Katie said with a smile. When she had heard that she would be partners with Ron, her heart had started to race a mile a minute. She'd had a crush on Ron for about two years now but since they were in rivaling Houses, she had tried to forget about him. That had turned out to be, of course, impossible. Slughorn had immediately come over to her and told her that she and Ron would need to collect four Preffalou flowers. She could easily recognize them, as they were bright purple and larger than the average flower. "We better get going, or we'll be the last ones! We need to collect seventeen Preffalou flowers, then we're done!" Katie laughed as she tugged Ron's arm out the door and lead them outside to the edge of the forest.
Ron was smiling to himself as Katie pulled him down the slope of Hogwarts grounds. Her brown hair seemed to look golden in the sunlight. She had looked back at him smiling, and her beautiful and unique eyes sparkled. He wish he had the guts to ask her out. That wasn't how he worked though. He knew that because of him being in Gryffindor and her being in Slytherin that it probably wouldn't ever be. Shaking his head, Ron rid his mind of these nasty thoughts. He didn't want to think about that now. He just wanted to enjoy his time with Katie.
Looking around, Ron saw Harry and Parkinson walking side-by-side, not speaking to each other. In front of them were Blaise and Dean talking quietly. Easily, the funniest pair were Hermione and Malfoy. They were at the edge of the forest, but Ron could hear them bickering from here.
"Granger I know what a Bowtruckle is. There is NO need for you to be a constant insufferable know-it-a—"
"Please, Malfoy, I'd rather be a know-it-all than a whinny, rude, selfish, arrogant git that—"
Ron chuckled and shook his head. It would be a miracle if Malfoy came out of that forest without loss of limb. Katie and Ron reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and entered along a narrow path.
It took about ten minutes to find the bright purple Preffalou flowers. Katie thought those were the best ten minutes of her life. She was having a great time with Ron. Not only was he attractive, he was also funny and sweet; something she hadn't really known.
When they exited the forest, Ron suddenly grabbed a hold of Katie's hands and pulled her to him. He then, with a vast amount of the Gryffindor courage he knew he had, he kissed her full on the lips.
Katie was shocked. She hadn't been expecting Ron to kiss her. At all. For a few seconds, Katie was unresponsive, but moments later, she started to kiss him back. Putting her hands around his neck, she ran her fingers through the soft hair there. Ron pulled her even closer than before and—
"Mr. Weasley! Ms. Dunne!"
Jumping apart, Ron and Katie both looked wide-eyed over at the surprised face of Professor Slughorn. Blushing madly, Katie started to smooth her hair and clothes. She couldn't believe that Professor Slughorn caught her snogging Ron! Oh, what would he think of her now?
"Professor, I-I can explain—" Ron started, but Slughorn was already walking away, talking to himself.
"When I said that I wanted to see some House unity between Gryffindor and Slytherin, this is certainly not what I meant'" Slughorn mumbled more to himself than to the two students in front of him. "...First Harry and Miss Parkinson...then Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, and now this...not what I meant...not what I meant at all," and he disappeared from sight.
Ron was shocked. Beyond shocked actually. Harry and Parkinson? HERMIONE AND MALFOY!? Honestly, what was the world coming to? Taking Katie's hand he smiled and said, "C'mon Katie. I would like to go have a very serious conversation with Hermione...and then Harry after that..." He then whisked her off to find his friends.
A/N: Please Review! :D It would mean the world to me!