…befriend was the wrong word…

Hermione couldn't believe it when Ron had sat at the same table as Malfoy in the library. True there were few other spaces left and people did tend to want to ask them a hundred and one questions about Harry, but to sit with the son of Harry's torturer went a little beyond the pale as far as she was concerned. Ron had strolled to the table that the blonde prefect had occupied in solitary state, muttered 'do you mind?' in Malfoy's direction and then sat down, calmly unpacking his bag when he should have been jinxing the other teen at the very least.

Malfoy hadn't known what to make of it either, which would have been amusing to watch if she hadn't been so busy hating him. Neither teen had spoken to each other, simply getting on with their homework in a business like manner. Several first years had entered not long after and gone to sit at that table as well, evidently feeling protected from the son of a torturer by Ron's inexplicable presence.

Try as she might, she had not been able to convince Ron in the weeks that followed that Harry would not have approved of this latest outcome. They'd had several discussions about the matter, which usually resulted in her leaving in a huff and not speaking to Ron for days on end. She would forgive him eventually and they would get along quietly for a while, before he did something else that showed acceptance of Draco Malfoy and then she'd have to fight with him again.

Ron simply would not see that Harry needed to be rescued from Snape or that their best friend would consider any kindness towards Malfoy a betrayal of the worst kind. Ron had not reacted well to that statement and Hermione had been put in the awkward position of having to apologise to him for their fight. He'd been cool towards her all through the half term break, choosing to spend his time in the library, working on assignments at the same table as Malfoy. There were several other Muggleborns who had been seen around the school and in the library talking to the Slytherin prefect and Hermione had wondered how on earth they could stand his racist rhetoric.

Malfoy was suffering a decrease in popularity with his former set, in fact he seemed to avoid them whenever he could, which meant that he had to be pretty lonely at the moment. She assumed that his 'slipping standards' were the reason for this and was glad that he was isolated from his House. Slytherin had become fairly withdrawn with the absence of their Head of House, though Professor Sinistra had taken over his duty to them. The new Potions teacher was someone called Drater, and he had a thorough knowledge of the subject, which he delivered in dry little lectures followed by short practicals. They hadn't brewed a full potion all year, and as nasty as he was she was almost missing Snape's supervision of the Potions lab. Thankfully the man was only filling in until Christmas. It seemed that the Dark Arts Curse had transferred itself to Potions: they would be having a new teacher after Christmas.

To Hermione's surprise, Ginny was supportive of Ron's efforts to … well befriend was the wrong word but she couldn't think of another … Malfoy. His little sister had pulled him aside, hissed some very pointed questions at him, in response to which he had leaned in and whispered a very short sentence. Ginny had looked surprised, then approving and had said no more about the matter, not even to Hermione. It was all very frustrating.

Things came to a head when she rowed with Ron one too many times. Harry usually played peace keeper between them, or at least was skilled in diverting them away from actual conflict, and without that buffer they were just that much quicker to go from bickering to full blown arguments. Ron's grip on his temper was becoming shorter and shorter and Hermione had to admit that she disliked seeing the cavalier fashion that he treated her concerns. He kept exhorting her to 'think about it', which implied that she hadn't thought things through at all. If there was nothing Hermione Granger hated more it was being told that she hadn't thought something through properly.

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Ron was actually relieved that the Room of Requirement was so near to hand when the inevitable screaming match erupted. It was a moment's work to hit Hermione with a silencing charm and then drag her through the corridors to the Room, slamming the door shut with an echoing bang behind them.

Hermione wrenched her arm free and spun on the spot to glare at him, and was evidently surprised when he didn't wince and look away. Only last term that glare had the power to make him want to apologise, even if it had taken him time to do so, now all it did was fuel his own anger, and he ratcheted up his own glare in response.

"What is your problem?" never one to back down from an exchange of views, Hermione's voice could have etched glass.

"You!" Ron shouted, the words such a relief to say that he felt light headed, "You are my problem! You and your blind hatred!"

"What!" Hermione actually shrieked, going red with anger, her bushy hair seeming to crackle with static in response to the flush of emotion, "How dare you! I'm not the one going behind our best friends back to make friends with the son of the man who tortured him!"

"I'm not going behind his back!" Ron roared, "Harry knows all about it! He understands!"

"Oh sure," she scathed, "He understands that now he's not here with his money and fame you're sucking up to the next person in line!"

It felt as if the top of his head had floated away on a sea of rage. How dare she! She who had not seen Harry, had not spoken to Harry, had not held his bleeding and broken body and cared for his wounds, had not bathed and comforted him, dared to assume that he was only Harry's friend because of the reflection it was on him! He had waited for Malfoy to approach him, and when the blonde had not made any move to do so, had gone back to the Headmaster. He had not made any effort to sabotage Malfoy's attempts to reach out, but they had not gone well at all, and he and the Headmaster had a long talk about what he could do to further the blondes progress towards the Light.

This had resulted in a very long and torturous letter exchange with Harry. Between the two of them they had cleared the air about Malfoy and how Harry felt about the blonde. Harry wanted nothing to do with him, but at the same time could see that anything that prevented the son from following the father's footsteps was a good thing. In the end he had given Ron permission to aid the Slytherin in his efforts to reach out to those he had once labelled as inferior, and in return Ron had promised not to progress any further than a nodding acquaintance with Malfoy. It had been a very easy promise to make. He didn't like the teen, mainly because he had always gone out of his way to hurt, belittle or embarrass the Gryffindor Trio, and had no interest in forming any sort of friendship with him whatsoever.

"How dare you," Ron breathed, so furious that he was actually white in the face, "How dare you say that to me. Harry knows what is going on, and he has given his permission for me to do this. Do you honestly think I would make this move, no matter who requested it of me, without Harry's proper consent?"

Hermione took a step back, paling in shock at his expression, and Ron took a few steps back too, his face twisting into a snarl of pure disgust. He could not believe that she would think him so shallow and selfish as to base his friendships solely upon what the other could give to him. He may have been from an impoverished family, but that didn't mean he was so desperate he would sink to such a level.

"Well, now I know what you really think of me," Ron continued, feeling as if she had slapped him, then yanked out his heart. He'd once thought that she and he could have had something together, though lately his feelings and thoughts had all been centred around their absent friend, "I suppose you thought I only befriended you for the homework help? Well just so we're clear Miss Granger, there is more to the situation than meets the eye. Someone I trust asked me to perform a specific task in relation to Malfoy. He wasn't too keen to join the Death Eaters after what happened to Lucius and I've agreed to assist with his turn to the side of Light. Harry has full knowledge of this, and we've corresponded over the limits to my actions, so we're both comfortable with the idea. I've been asked not to reveal specifics, and you will have to promise not to say anything to anyone either. Now if you'll excuse me Miss Granger, I have to leave before I forget my manners. I won't bother you again."

"Ron," there were actually tears in her eyes, but he hardened his heart to them. He couldn't bear it any more, to stand there knowing that she thought him capable of betraying Harry to enhance his own social standing in the school. He gave her a small mocking bow and stormed from the room, stalking along the corridor with such an expression on his face that people actually got out of his way and let him pass.

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