Previously:
John was instantly blindfolded, crying out in surprise as Draco continued, "Confundo!"
John's struggling stopped instantly as he became confused and wondered, "What was I doing?"
Draco knew this spell wouldn't last long, but it was just enough time for him to think of a spell that he could use to cause the twerp to submit.
John's struggling suddenly began a new, his momentary forgetfulness fading away as he reached up to rip off his blindfold and he didn't seem to appreciate Draco's choice of spell in the least from the pure anger the coated his face.
"Stupefy!" screamed John, wand pointed at his opponent. Draco realized almost too last that he was focused too much on trying to find appropriate spells and not enough on the American.
"Ennervate!" Draco cried out, protected form the spell as he thought, "I was too slow, and that was too close. Why am I not thinking clearly?"
"Deprimo!" Draco yelled before John could react, and sudden wind appeared, throwing John's body into the air.
The body was thrashing about, a terrified look on his face as Draco strained under the effort of keeping John in the air and not being blown away too soon. Draco watched, waiting for the right moment to drop him so he would fall unconscious but not die - that would waste all the trouble of humiliating him – when he noticed the boy seemed to calm, suddenly searching his body for something, and then ripping off his outer dress robes impatiently and throwing it to the ground.
Draco couldn't hold the spell any longer and dropped him; the small robe might be enough to protect him so he didn't die. Resulting in Draco being the victor, unless the red head still wished to fight him.
John's eyes widened again as he felt himself falling, but he then redirected his wand to focus downward. Draco watched as he mouthed something, wand pointed at the fallen robe and watched as the robe grew.
Draco fumed as he realized the boy used engorgio to make the robe bigger and cushion his fall, preventing any harm except for maybe some slight discomfort. He was hoping it would be over quickly, apparently not.
John landed, gasps coming from the crowd of surprise and worry but the American was quickly on his feet, giving Draco a superior smirk at having thwarted the older wizard's plan. What Draco wouldn't give to be able to go over – and by physical means – punch that smirk off his face.
John raised his wand again and he shouted, "Petrificus totalus!"
Draco's eyes narrowed in distaste and he calmly said, "Protego." Rebounding the spell. It was now his turn to smirk as John gaped as the spell suddenly returned to him, John's limbs instantly snapping together as he became bound, inevitably falling to the ground.
A loud crack was heard and Draco was pleased to see it was the boy's head, finally having fallen unconscious. So, had he used the body-bind curse sooner would he have won sooner? He gave a mental shrug, just pleased to have won.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, calling attention away from a few of the students and a teacher that rushed to take John to the infirmary.
"The first round has been won by Draco Malfoy. Mr. Weasely, would you still wish to step up to second and continue the duel?" Dumbledore asked with his brow furrowed in displeasure, as he had to watch his students fight.
Ron jerked his chin up higher, seemingly insulted that Dumbledore even had to ask as he replied, "I'll fight."
Draco refrained from sighing, he didn't intend to let this red head win, but he didn't want to fight. The last duel already made him a bit tired, but he knew he could take the Weasel any day, so he would.
"Draco Malfoy, do you accept?" Dumbledore asked, shaking Draco from his thought.
Draco eyes Ron with disapproval and responded in a drawl, "I accept, though you're going to lose Weasel so you might as well quit so you don't make a total fool of yourself."
"Shut up Malfoy," Ron spat, whipping out his wand and stalking into the opening for the duel.
Draco sneered at him, raising his wand and waited for Dumbledore's command.
"Wizards take your places. Get set…and begin!"
Another of head jerks that might be considered bows and they glared at one another.
This time Draco would not be on the defensive, he shouted, "Sectumsempra!"
Draco then relaxed a moment, extremely smug for the spell which could slash like a sword, a specialty of Snape's, had also become one of his specialties after he demanded that he be taught it when he was younger.
Ron didn't seem to recognize the spell faster enough, all but frozen as it sped towards him. Finally he gasped, ducking as the spell slowly seemed to fall apart.
As he stood, Draco watched Ron reach up to touch his cheek, blood coming onto his hand. Draco outwardly smirked but inwardly hid his frustration. True it was good that he didn't kill him, granted he was annoying but he most certainly didn't want to kill anyone, yet could he not have ducked a little later and gotten a deeper cut? A wound that was more painful or at least not so small that it caused more damage? Apparently not.
Ron's face scrunched up, a gleeful expression at some thought that was unknown to Draco, but it seemed to mean that he felt happy about something.
A green light erupted from his wand, which Draco recognized as the slug-vomiting charm that the red head had tried to cast on Draco so many years before.
Draco felt smug at the memory of the charm having backfired on him once, and he intended to make it back fire once again.
Draco quietly murmured, "Protego." The spell once again rebounded to the caster as it had done, albeit in a different manner, so many years before. The red head had, unfortunately learned from his mistakes though, as Ron deflected the spell.
Draco recalled that Hermione had once told him about the other time Ron had gone out with Lavender and how she had made some paper birds to attack him. It might be enjoyable to have Ron experience that again, since they were bringing up old memories, why not?
"Avis oppugno," Draco said in a calm voice, and then as though it was an after thought, he added, "Duro."
Ron's eyes widened comically, and Draco watched in amused satisfaction as Ron was left with only one option. To run.
Everyone watched as Ron's red head became all but a blur; they were shocked into silence at the way Ron had fled the battle. Did that mean…it was over?
Dumbledore cleared his throat; "I believe that would count as a forfeit on Mr. Weasely's part, making Mr. Malfoy the victor. My kudos Mr. Malfoy, though I insist that this does not occur again."
Draco bowed his head in agreement and then turned to the crowded who had burst into applause, the once enemy now see as champion of the night.
Draco stepped forward, quickly reaching his friends' and, more importantly, Hermione's side.
Her arms flung into the air, wrapping themselves around his neck and happily hugging him. He chuckled, gently returning the embrace as he tried to move into the center of his friends, still not trusting the others with their knowledge of his and Hermione's relationship status. Better safe than sorry.
"I'm actually disappointed," Hermione whispered in his ear.
He raised an eyebrow though he knew she could not see it so he asked, "And why is that?"
"I actually wanted to beat up the halfwit myself," she told her in a conspiring tone, she giggled slightly before adding, her hold on him tightening slightly, "But I'm glad you didn't get hurt."
He hummed in agreement, enjoying holding her. A smile was tugging at the corner of his lips as he replayed the image of Ron running out of the duel like a scared little boy.
Author's note: I know that I took a long time, and I'm sorry about that, but I finally got the chapter up! Not one of my personal favorites but I still enjoyed typing it, as I hope you did. Don't worry, the story's not over yet, but it's getting closer. Any ideas on what you think should happen next would be greatly appreciated to keep this story rolling, so please, please, please review!