A/N: Yay! I got reviews! I must say, i was worried i wouldn't, because i
posted it on New Year's Eve, and everyone was out partying while i was
either watching Don't Say A Word (i just love Brittany Murphy) or re-
working the HTML on my site while worrying about whether or not i'd get any
reviews. Yeah, i have no life. Heh. Anywho, Rowling owns everything, don't
sue me, i live inside a watermelon, et cetera. By the way... the Clear
Hearts, Gray Flowers album by Jack Off Jill has some of the greatest self-
infliction/eating disorder lyrics i've ever seen, even if they maybe aren't
meant that way. God, i love that cd.
Thanks millions to those who reviewed, keep it up! And in response...
Bronz-- Whee! Thanky so much! I'm always really spazzy and stressed about whether or not everyone's in character, so i'm extremely happy with and complimented by your review. ^__^
WildfireFriendship-- I actually didn't even like Ron/Draco slash until i took a nap one day about a week ago while working on a Harry/Draco fic and had a dream in which i witnessed Ron and Draco doing naughty things in a bathroom (insert elementary-school-level tittering). I awoke a huge Ron/Draco shipper... i think that's one of the wierdest dream-related things that's ever happened to me. As for what's happening with Draco... Well, either you'll figure it out soon, or the shock value will be wonderful when i openly reveal it, which will probably be sometime in Three.
Mort-- Hee, thankies! I love pie. It's one of my favourite words. Apparently i make really yummy Key Lime Pie. I once tried making Boston Cream Pie, but the cakey part cooked wrong and it tasted like scrambled eggs in some places and flour in others O.o;;; The custard part was good, though. Ack, getting off the point, as usual.... Anyway, thanks!
Gisele S. Carvalho-- Thank you so much! And, yes, Ron and Draco are just too cute as a couple to not write fanfiction about them, particularly if you love them both to pieces the way i do! :D
KT the Shimmer Skank: Yay! As i've stated in other stories, reviews put me in a writey mood. ^_^
*****
CHAPTER TWO
Back In The Closet
*****
Ron burst through the hospital wing's doors (he probably would have kicked them open if he hadn't been afraid of losing his balance), panting and looking around for Madame Pomfrey. Upon her immediate absence, Ron walked as quickly as he could to one of the beds.
"Pomfrey!" he bellowed, not taking his eyes off the unconscious form in front of him.
"Stop shouting, Ron! I'm right here." She hurried over to the bedside, a look of what might have been relief crossing her worn face when she saw Draco. "Oh, good, it's just him. I was afraid it was something serious, with you yelling like that...!"
Ron's eyebrows knitted together. This WAS serious. "What's wrong with him, then? Why did he faint?"
Madame Pomfrey had just bustled into her office, and was now returning with a slab of chocolate the size of Draco's torso. Ron's eyes widened. "Draco is anemic," she informed him. "And incredibly picky-- eats like a bird, this one. Did you notice whether he ate any dinner tonight?"
Ron was salivating. He LOVED chocolate. "No, he turned his nose up at it all." Pomfrey nodded and sighed, ignoring Ron's hungry sidelong glances at the sweet dessert. Surely Malfoy couldn't eat all that...? And if Ron just HAPPENED to be waiting there when he finished...
"Can I stay here with him, Madame Pomfrey?"
The nurse gave him an odd look-- she knew how much they disliked eachother. But in the end, she nodded, telling him to make sure Draco ate the chocolate when he woke up.
Ron didn't have to wait long. Barely thirty seconds after he heard Pomfrey's office door close, the once limp form on the bed stirred. Ron straightened in his seat. For a moment, he thought that maybe the reason he felt... something (whether in his head, heart, or trousers) for the blond was that Draco was so PRETTY. Lithe and effeminate and almost cat- like, he was probably one of the most un-masculine guys he'd ever met who wasn't openly fruity. This was, of course, directly before he shook away any and all CuteDracoGiggleGiggle thoughts, then shoved them back into the closet they'd always seemed so happy in before.
The red head watched in hungry ((A/N: for chocolate, you sickos!)) and distracted fascination as ridiculously long eyelashes fluttered against baby-powder cheeks. DARK eyelashes, which made Ron think that the cocky Slytherin either dyed his hair or was wearing mascara. Knowing the Malfoy family, the former would probably get him better blackmail money.
"What are YOU doing here, Weasel?"
Ron jumped. Oh yeah, he'd been stirring....
"Um, Pomfrey wanted me to make sure you ate your chocolate..." The lazy gray eyes looked suddenly apprehensive, stealing a glance at the large confectionary object on the bedside table.
"I'm not eating that," he said. Ron was suprised by his tone-- not sneering and pompous, but declarative and matter-of-fact. Ron cocked his head.
"Why not?" Draco looked apprehensive again, almost to the point of being frightened, but Ron overlooked it because he immediately went back to his usual snotty demeanor.
"I don't LIKE chocolate," he declared, sticking his nose into the air. Ron scowled.
"You don't like ANYTHING, Malfoy," Ron growled. Good. Now he could be angry again, and CuteDracoGiggleGiggle thoughts just don't mix with StupidPretensiousLittleGit thoughts.
"Well, I certainly don't like YOU!" /The Malfoy protests too much, methinks,*/ said some obnoxious little voice in the back of his head. He shoved it into the closet, too.
"I don't like YOU either!" There was plenty of banging and profanities coming from the closet. Honesty tried to sneak over and set the thoughts free, but it was forced inside as well. The closet was getting crowded.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Leave, then!"
"I will!"
"I'm glad!"
But Ron didn't leave. And Draco looked anything but glad. They remained in their places, eyes locked and blazing, before Hunger came bumbling in and told Ron to ask about the chocolate.
"Can I have your chocolate, then?" he demanded, trying to sound as vindictive and intimidating as possible, which ended up not being very vindictive or intimidating at all.
Draco looked suprised, then... was that.... grateful? "You want it?" he asked, as if to make sure he weren't hearing things. Ron nodded, confused as to why taking his chocolate was such a favor to Draco. Mist-coloured eyes darted toward the candy, then to the Gryffindor, then back again.
"Take it," he said, eyes still locked on the gigantic chocolate bar. "But not all of it, or she'll know you took it. Break off a little more than half of it, then break off smaller pices along the edge so it looks like I've been breaking off small pieces and eating them."
Ron's eyebrows were currently placed in the Quizzical area of his forehead. "Paranoid much?"
Draco glared. "Do you WANT to get caught stealing my chocolate?" he spat.
"I'm not stealing it, you're giving it to me!"
"That's not what Madame Pomfrey will hear!"
Ron looked momentarily dumbstruck. What the hell was wrong with this kid...? "Malfoy, I don't know what the hell your probelm is, but it looked to me like you want me to take the bloody chocolate, which I can't figure out, and now you're threatening to get me in trouble if I don't do it perfectly, which, true to your personality as it may be, I can't figure out either. What's the big deal, anyhow?"
Malfoy scowled a moment, then looked down at the pale, bony hands folded delicately on his knees. "If... if she knows I gave you the chocolate, she'll sit here and make SURE I eat it. She'll force-feed me if I refuse long enough, it's happened..." Draco trailed off, looking ashamed. Ron gaped at him. Force-feed? He couldn't imagine anyone hating chocolate so much as to have it force-fed to them... Ron was dying to ask something, anything, but the look of guilt and complete depression on the aristocatic features stopped him. While the freckled wizard was distracted, Sympathy opened the closet door, and Ron suddenly had the overwhelming urge to gather the skinny boy into his arms and just hold him until they both fell asleep that way. But, thankfully, Embarassment and Sensibility kept him from doing so.
Still, Sympathy was nagging, so Ron settled for placing a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder. The Slytherin jumped at the sudden physical contact, and looked up quickly. Confused. Their eyes locked once more, but there was no anger present. Fear, sorrow, and possibly a trace of excitement at the warmth flowing between them.
Ron gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile before breaking the chocolate into two deliberately unequal pieces, snapping three extra palm-sized chunks off the smaller piece, then turning to leave the room.
*****
A/N: Mweet, tis done now! A little longer this time, i think. Still short, tho. More to come, but i expect summore friggin' reviews for this chapter, dammit!
* "The lady protests too much, methinks." -- Hamlet: III, ii by Willy Shakespeare. Ron probably hasn't read any Shakespeare, as he's a Muggle writer (as far as i know o.o;;), but i'm sure Hermione has, and probably quotes him often. I love using that quote, along with my best shit-eating grin. ^_^
Thanks millions to those who reviewed, keep it up! And in response...
Bronz-- Whee! Thanky so much! I'm always really spazzy and stressed about whether or not everyone's in character, so i'm extremely happy with and complimented by your review. ^__^
WildfireFriendship-- I actually didn't even like Ron/Draco slash until i took a nap one day about a week ago while working on a Harry/Draco fic and had a dream in which i witnessed Ron and Draco doing naughty things in a bathroom (insert elementary-school-level tittering). I awoke a huge Ron/Draco shipper... i think that's one of the wierdest dream-related things that's ever happened to me. As for what's happening with Draco... Well, either you'll figure it out soon, or the shock value will be wonderful when i openly reveal it, which will probably be sometime in Three.
Mort-- Hee, thankies! I love pie. It's one of my favourite words. Apparently i make really yummy Key Lime Pie. I once tried making Boston Cream Pie, but the cakey part cooked wrong and it tasted like scrambled eggs in some places and flour in others O.o;;; The custard part was good, though. Ack, getting off the point, as usual.... Anyway, thanks!
Gisele S. Carvalho-- Thank you so much! And, yes, Ron and Draco are just too cute as a couple to not write fanfiction about them, particularly if you love them both to pieces the way i do! :D
KT the Shimmer Skank: Yay! As i've stated in other stories, reviews put me in a writey mood. ^_^
*****
CHAPTER TWO
Back In The Closet
*****
Ron burst through the hospital wing's doors (he probably would have kicked them open if he hadn't been afraid of losing his balance), panting and looking around for Madame Pomfrey. Upon her immediate absence, Ron walked as quickly as he could to one of the beds.
"Pomfrey!" he bellowed, not taking his eyes off the unconscious form in front of him.
"Stop shouting, Ron! I'm right here." She hurried over to the bedside, a look of what might have been relief crossing her worn face when she saw Draco. "Oh, good, it's just him. I was afraid it was something serious, with you yelling like that...!"
Ron's eyebrows knitted together. This WAS serious. "What's wrong with him, then? Why did he faint?"
Madame Pomfrey had just bustled into her office, and was now returning with a slab of chocolate the size of Draco's torso. Ron's eyes widened. "Draco is anemic," she informed him. "And incredibly picky-- eats like a bird, this one. Did you notice whether he ate any dinner tonight?"
Ron was salivating. He LOVED chocolate. "No, he turned his nose up at it all." Pomfrey nodded and sighed, ignoring Ron's hungry sidelong glances at the sweet dessert. Surely Malfoy couldn't eat all that...? And if Ron just HAPPENED to be waiting there when he finished...
"Can I stay here with him, Madame Pomfrey?"
The nurse gave him an odd look-- she knew how much they disliked eachother. But in the end, she nodded, telling him to make sure Draco ate the chocolate when he woke up.
Ron didn't have to wait long. Barely thirty seconds after he heard Pomfrey's office door close, the once limp form on the bed stirred. Ron straightened in his seat. For a moment, he thought that maybe the reason he felt... something (whether in his head, heart, or trousers) for the blond was that Draco was so PRETTY. Lithe and effeminate and almost cat- like, he was probably one of the most un-masculine guys he'd ever met who wasn't openly fruity. This was, of course, directly before he shook away any and all CuteDracoGiggleGiggle thoughts, then shoved them back into the closet they'd always seemed so happy in before.
The red head watched in hungry ((A/N: for chocolate, you sickos!)) and distracted fascination as ridiculously long eyelashes fluttered against baby-powder cheeks. DARK eyelashes, which made Ron think that the cocky Slytherin either dyed his hair or was wearing mascara. Knowing the Malfoy family, the former would probably get him better blackmail money.
"What are YOU doing here, Weasel?"
Ron jumped. Oh yeah, he'd been stirring....
"Um, Pomfrey wanted me to make sure you ate your chocolate..." The lazy gray eyes looked suddenly apprehensive, stealing a glance at the large confectionary object on the bedside table.
"I'm not eating that," he said. Ron was suprised by his tone-- not sneering and pompous, but declarative and matter-of-fact. Ron cocked his head.
"Why not?" Draco looked apprehensive again, almost to the point of being frightened, but Ron overlooked it because he immediately went back to his usual snotty demeanor.
"I don't LIKE chocolate," he declared, sticking his nose into the air. Ron scowled.
"You don't like ANYTHING, Malfoy," Ron growled. Good. Now he could be angry again, and CuteDracoGiggleGiggle thoughts just don't mix with StupidPretensiousLittleGit thoughts.
"Well, I certainly don't like YOU!" /The Malfoy protests too much, methinks,*/ said some obnoxious little voice in the back of his head. He shoved it into the closet, too.
"I don't like YOU either!" There was plenty of banging and profanities coming from the closet. Honesty tried to sneak over and set the thoughts free, but it was forced inside as well. The closet was getting crowded.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Leave, then!"
"I will!"
"I'm glad!"
But Ron didn't leave. And Draco looked anything but glad. They remained in their places, eyes locked and blazing, before Hunger came bumbling in and told Ron to ask about the chocolate.
"Can I have your chocolate, then?" he demanded, trying to sound as vindictive and intimidating as possible, which ended up not being very vindictive or intimidating at all.
Draco looked suprised, then... was that.... grateful? "You want it?" he asked, as if to make sure he weren't hearing things. Ron nodded, confused as to why taking his chocolate was such a favor to Draco. Mist-coloured eyes darted toward the candy, then to the Gryffindor, then back again.
"Take it," he said, eyes still locked on the gigantic chocolate bar. "But not all of it, or she'll know you took it. Break off a little more than half of it, then break off smaller pices along the edge so it looks like I've been breaking off small pieces and eating them."
Ron's eyebrows were currently placed in the Quizzical area of his forehead. "Paranoid much?"
Draco glared. "Do you WANT to get caught stealing my chocolate?" he spat.
"I'm not stealing it, you're giving it to me!"
"That's not what Madame Pomfrey will hear!"
Ron looked momentarily dumbstruck. What the hell was wrong with this kid...? "Malfoy, I don't know what the hell your probelm is, but it looked to me like you want me to take the bloody chocolate, which I can't figure out, and now you're threatening to get me in trouble if I don't do it perfectly, which, true to your personality as it may be, I can't figure out either. What's the big deal, anyhow?"
Malfoy scowled a moment, then looked down at the pale, bony hands folded delicately on his knees. "If... if she knows I gave you the chocolate, she'll sit here and make SURE I eat it. She'll force-feed me if I refuse long enough, it's happened..." Draco trailed off, looking ashamed. Ron gaped at him. Force-feed? He couldn't imagine anyone hating chocolate so much as to have it force-fed to them... Ron was dying to ask something, anything, but the look of guilt and complete depression on the aristocatic features stopped him. While the freckled wizard was distracted, Sympathy opened the closet door, and Ron suddenly had the overwhelming urge to gather the skinny boy into his arms and just hold him until they both fell asleep that way. But, thankfully, Embarassment and Sensibility kept him from doing so.
Still, Sympathy was nagging, so Ron settled for placing a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder. The Slytherin jumped at the sudden physical contact, and looked up quickly. Confused. Their eyes locked once more, but there was no anger present. Fear, sorrow, and possibly a trace of excitement at the warmth flowing between them.
Ron gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile before breaking the chocolate into two deliberately unequal pieces, snapping three extra palm-sized chunks off the smaller piece, then turning to leave the room.
*****
A/N: Mweet, tis done now! A little longer this time, i think. Still short, tho. More to come, but i expect summore friggin' reviews for this chapter, dammit!
* "The lady protests too much, methinks." -- Hamlet: III, ii by Willy Shakespeare. Ron probably hasn't read any Shakespeare, as he's a Muggle writer (as far as i know o.o;;), but i'm sure Hermione has, and probably quotes him often. I love using that quote, along with my best shit-eating grin. ^_^