Title: A Beautiful Opening
Author: PineappleIce, aka Nicole
Summary: Draco Malfoy visits his lover in the hospital wing after he is injured in a Quidditch game. One-shot.
Pairing: DM/RW
Rating: T
Warnings: Slash, fluff
A/N: I'm not sure when this takes place. Shall we say AU to be on the safe side? Sheer fluff. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling provided the toys, I'm just having fun playing with them.

"I told you to be careful."

His words, the first words Ron heard when he woke up, were sharp and irritated, but hid a softer side that showed he cared. Ron sighed sleepily.

"Hello, Draco."

"Don't hello Draco me," came the cold reply, and Ron heard the scrape of a chair being moved closer to his bed.

Ron opened his eyes, blinking slowly, staring up at the ceiling of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. He remembered nothing- how had he landed himself in here? He remembered standing in the changing rooms, pulling on his robes, Harry's confident grin as they stepped onto the pitch-

"What happened?" Ron asked, turning his head to stare at Draco. Panic flooded through Ron's veins; he felt a sweat build up on his fair skin, felt his heart race.

Draco's pale, pinched face became less hard as he saw the fear in Ron's brown eyes. He took one of Ron's hot, damp hands in his own cool one and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's okay, Ron," he said softly. "You took a Bludger to the head four minutes in."

Ron closed his eyes and allowed a groan to escape his lips. "I'm a terrible Keeper."

"Nobody else thinks that," Draco replied, allowing some of his sharp edge to come back. "Just you, Ron."

Ron felt heavy and hot. He had let Harry down again. They must have lost the match. He sat up slowly, running a hand back through his long, tangled red hair. Draco was watching him intently, trying to read into his actions as he always did. Ron looked at him.

"What are you staring at?" he asked uncomfortably.

Draco's grey eyes stopped eating into Ron and instead turned to the window. He appeared hurt. His face pinched up tightly. Ron sighed guiltily and leaned across to slip an arm around Draco's shoulders. Draco was stiff but did not shrug it off.

"Hey," Ron said, making his voice a soft, affectionate murmur. "Draco... I'm sorry."

Slowly, Draco turned his head to face Ron's, so that their faces were mere inches apart. Ron felt his eyes half-close as Draco's hand entangled itself in his hair. They grew closer... closer...

"Urgh, you're sweaty," Draco said suddenly, his warm breath, which carried the scent of mint, tickling Ron's nose.

Laughing at the expression of irritation on Ron's face, Draco moved out of their embrace, crossing over to the window. Ron glared at his blonde head, which was shining as it caught the light. He couldn't stop a small smile crossing over his face as he watched Draco fondly. He was so perfect, every hair on his head perfect, every centimetre of smooth ivory skin perfect.

Draco spun around suddenly. "What are you staring at, Weasley?" he asked silkily, cocking his head, his grey eyes twinkling mischieviously.

Without waiting for an answer, Draco flew back towards Ron, flinging his arms around his neck. Ron cried out in shock as Draco snuggled closer into him affectionately. Then he smiled and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, stroking his blonde hair gently.

"I was staring at the guy I love," Ron whispered.

Draco raised his head, and Ron saw his pale eyes were bright with unspilled tears. His eyes said more than he could ever say; he had been so scared when Ron had fallen, he was glad to be here with Ron, and he loved Ron more than anything else in the world. He blinked, then laughed, capturing Ron's chapped lips in his own soft ones in a gentle, loving kiss. They broke apart finally, and Ron saw Draco was grinning.

"I love you too, Weasel," he said brightly.

"Git," Ron muttered, glaring at Draco. "Must you be such an annoyance?"

Draco shifted himself so that he was sitting in Ron's lap, and licked at his earlobe softly, teasingly. "Is this annoying you, Ronnie?"

Ron rolled his eyes, trying hard not to let a look of ecstacy pass over his features. Instead, he glared coldly at his lover and shuffled away uncomfortably so they were sitting apart. Finally, with as much dignity as he could muster, he said, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Draco raised and lowered a shoulder. "In a couple of minutes. Why, do you want rid of me?" He pouted.

Ron couldn't help laughing at him. He looked so pathetic, sitting there with his bottom lip sticking out. "You know I don't, Draco, but I don't want you to get into trouble." He took Draco's hand and held it tightly.

"Then I'll have to be leaving," Draco said sadly. He found his way back into Ron's arms.

"When will we next see each other?" breathed Ron into Draco's smooth neck, then pressed a kiss onto the soft skin.

Draco shrugged, sighing. "You know how unpredictable our relationship must be," he muttered. "One day- one day we will declare our love from the tops of the towers! One day we will be able to walk through corridors, hands together. One day, all of this will be a beautiful opening to some fantastic romance story." Draco moved away from Ron, looking longingly at him, heading for the door.

"I love you," Ron called.

Draco blew him a theatrical kiss. "And I you, Ron! Oh- and Weasel?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked warily.

"You need to do something with that hair- it's all over the place!" grinned Draco, laughing.

Draco Malfoy dived out of the hospital wing as a pillow was heaved full-force at him.

Fin.