a/n: I was sick, sleep-deprived, and in the company of my monthly tormentor. this was the result. as the cover for this says, i have no clue.also, here's to the people finally out of school! cheers, likewhat

Rating: K+

Words: 1,085

ron notices (finally)

"Where's Hermione?"

Oh, so Harry had finally decided to get up. Frankly, he'd missed a lot. Ron growled.

"Over there." He nodded with his nose, his hands too busy feeling for his wand in his robe pocket. He saw Harry's gaze follow, to where their friend was, at the Slytherin table.

Harry's newly acquired butter knife did not slip and clang on his plate dramatically like Ron imagined it would. Rather it scooped up the some butter for his toast. "Meh it must be nothing. Probably Head's business. Why else would she speak to Malfoy?"

Ron's shoulders eased hesitantly. "Yeah, that's probably it."

But that didn't prevent him from giving Hermione a mouthful when she came back.

Ron turned a corner then immediately went back, sticking his hand out to bar Harry from going either.

"Wha-"

"Shh."

Ron peered from his position, making sure he could barely be seen. He checked to see if what he'd just glimpsed was true.

And sure enough, it was. Hermione Granger, his best friend Hermione Granger, was talking (and blushing) to their childhood enemy Malfoy. Malfoy.

He looked at Harry to make sure he was seeing this, this atrocity. But Harry just looked awkward.

"I-I dunno know." The ever quick-witted Boy-Who-Lived responded. He shrugged. "Probably Head's business. They are planning this year's Yule Ball right?"

Ron glared at Hermione's face, which was still red at something the ferret just said. Yeah, it wasn't a blush. It was probably her getting riled up. Yeah, she was probably going to snap at him now. He relented.

"Fine, c'mon. We'll be late for lunch."

He could give her a proper interrogating then.

Malfoy's usual Potion's partner, Blaise Zabini, was absent today. Broom accident, the rumors said. Ron doubted it, but figured it didn't matter. The git could use a day on his own.

Hermione arrived, a minute after him and Harry. She'd had Arithmancy, and looked winded from all the stairs that she'd had to go through to come to the dungeons.

Ron saw Harry make room for her on the table, and figured she'd be sitting with him today. They alternated after all, and she and Ron had partnered Monday. But instead of setting her stuff down, she leaned in and whispered something into Harry's ear. Harry nodded, and started gathering his stuff into his cauldron. Ron watched as Hermione beamed at him then kept walking, putting her stuff down at-

Malfoy's table?

He heard Harry settle in the seat next to him but didn't tear his eyes away from the scene unfolding in the front of the classroom. Malfoy's head raised at the sound of the chair scraping next to him, and Ron thought, for sure, he'd explode at her. But then he did something Ron would never expected.

He smiled at her.

Ron stood up, and his chair went flying behind him. Eyes were on him now, and his face was probably as red as his hair, but he didn't care. He was about to march up to them when an arm pulled him down.

"You are making a scene." Oh, it was Harry. He was practically seething. "And for nothing."

Ron turned on him. "What did she tell you?"

"What?"

"She whispered in your ear before traipsing off."

Harry broke his cool act now, laughing. "She did not traipse off." He shook his head. "An she didn't say anything just that it was-"

"Head's business." Ron finished with him. He reluctantly turned his head back to Snape, who looked more than ready to dock points.

The final straw came the next day, during their free period.

He had gone to the loo quickly and was now making his way to the group, trying to nonchalantly pull up his zip at the same time.

He hurried back outside. They only had about ten minutes left till Transfiguration, after all. Hermione would have his head if they ended up late again.

He heard Hermione's laugh even before he saw her. Harry's familiar chuckle was amongst it, along with another, but no, it couldn't be. Ron ran to hide behind the tree that was next to the fellow students. Stealing a look, Ron nearly had an aneurysm. Merlin, it really was him.

With his arm around Hermione Granger's waist, and telling a joke to Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy was looking way too comfortable for this to be a one-time thing. Ron burst out from behind the tree without thinking about consequences.

The three of them turned around, Malfoy's arm still around Hermione, Harry frozen in mid-chuckle. Ron didn't have to check to know that his face was probably as red as his hair again. "What the bloody hell is this?"

To Ron's utter bafflement, Hermione response was laughter. "That'll be ten galleons each boys. See Harry? I told you that giving the same excuse each time wasn't going to work. He's not that daft."

Harry snorted. "Well what else was I supposed to say? Here," He reached into his robe and pulled out five large coins. "I'll give you the rest at dinner."

"You do have to admit though," The ferret was speaking. "he did catch on within two days of first realizing. That's pretty good for a Weasley."

Ron watched Hermione pocket the boys' money before cutting in. "You didn't answer my question. What the hell is the ferret doing here?" He tried for a controlled voice, but he felt his tone raise anyway.

"Draco and I have been dating for the past two weeks. Shh." She shushed him when he went to interrupt. "No, he's not a bad guy I promise. Ask Harry if you don't believe me. He's been an absolute gentleman since we were became Heads."

Ron turned on Harry. "That doesn't mean he isn't using you two for an, an ulterior motive!"

Malfoy had the audacity to smirk. "Woah Weasley no need to use big words there. Ulterior motive?"

"Shut up Malfoy." He turned on Harry. "Why'd you lie about the two of them if you knew all along? And don't dare say I'd make a scene-"

"Well you are being a bit of a diva-"

Ron ignored him, no easy feat. "-I'm only making a scene because you lot thought it'd be a better idea to make a bloody bet out of it! Why didn't you tell me?"

Harry shrugged, but grinned at him "I did. I told you, it was probably the Heads' business."

Ron put his head in his hands.

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