Ron grinned as he walked, jogged no – skipped away down and out of the entrance of Hogwarts, destination: Hogsmeade.

He was so happy he felt he would burst and nothing could get him down.

Looking on after the boy with raised eyebrows, Severus scratched his head absently and sighed as he turned to Potter and Granger."Is Mr. Weasley...skipping?" Severus mused out loud to himself, his gaze lingering on the pair.

"Yes Sir I believe he is...why though is anyone's guess..." Hermione looked thoughtful in her reply, while Harry just shrugged.

Taking his seat at a reserved table in Madame Puddifoots, Ron waited nervously for his date.

Adjusting the collar of his top, noticing a small crease there, a nervous grin spread across his face.

Looking around the interior or Madame Puddifoots a few times before gazing down at his cup of coffee he'd ordered, he wondered how he'd been so lucky as to get a date to begin with...

Thinking back on the past few days, he let his mind wander.

While he was excited, he was still feeling apprehensive and not for the first time, wondered why he'd agreed to letting Pansy, Luna and Neville persuade him into going on what he'd heard was a "blind date". He didn't even know whether it was a girl, or even a guy who would be turning up today. Hmm.

Trying to compose himself, he took another sip of coffee, only to then hear the sweet tinkling of the bell and his date walked in.

He nearly spat out his drink as he saw who was approaching the table, looking somewhat unsure.

The Ferret!? He was going to kill them...

"Weasley?" Well at least he wasn't the only one who felt awkward, clearly.

Casting furtive looks around the cosy cafe, Malfoy looked at him and took a seat, leaning his head against his clasped hands.

"I take it you didn't know who'd be here today either..." Sighing, Ron looked right into Malfoys' eyes, he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, I had no idea, I was pretty much forced to come here today by Neville, Luna and Pansy...what?" Draco looked rather surprised at the mention of Pansy and shook his head, muttering to himself resignedly.

Half an hour later and it was clear that once they each got past their misconceptions of half-bloods and purebloods respectively, that they rather...liked talking to each other. Yes, liked, Draco mused.

Ron and Draco both nicely came to that conclusion.

"Well We-Ron...it's been nice. Uh, today..." Ron blushed lightly and smiled.

He couldn't help but think how Draco had a nice smile...

"Y-yeah." Ron swallowed thickly.

"...do it again sometime?"

"Huh wha'? Oh yeah, yeah sure. I'd like that I think, Mal-Draco." He grinned and abruptly stood shock still, as if petrified, his grin still in place, somewhat eerily.

Oh hell no.

In place where Malfoy's head was now the head of a massive tarantula, the legs stuck out in random areas. Fuck.

Meanwhile, Severus was teaching the Gryffindors and Slytherins, Harry and Hermione included.

"Potter! What do you get if..."

He was rudely and suddenly interrupted as a loud scream could be heard all across Hogwarts.

Dumbledore looked pensive while he petted Fawkes, and then looked up, feeling very confused. "Great Merlin's balls!"

"Merlin- Hermione that sounded like Ron...do you think?"

"Silence!" Severus sighed, and carried on with teaching the class, feeling very unsure what to make of what that was all about. He was getting too old for this.

For the rest of the school year it was wondered by most if not all of the school body why Ron would run for the opposite direction every time he came within 20 feet of Malfoy, often more than not, screaming and yelling about spiders - Draco would always be left every time scratching his head in confusion and wondering just what went wrong.