[Insert standard disclaimer here.]

Once again, I'm completely making this up as I go, so all the usual tolerance is in order, if you don't mind.  Thanks.

Chapter 5

"What?"

"I love you." 

"That's ridiculous." 

Ron's face fell.  "It's not ridiculous, Draco.  I really do love you."

"Stop saying that!."

"But it's true!  Why can't you understand me?  I love you!"  Ron was shouting now. 

"Stop!"  Draco let go of Ron's hands, almost pushing him as he turned away. 

"What's wrong?"

"God, Weasley, you're fucking ridiculous."  He turned to look at Ron's shocked, pain-filled face.  His voice became more sympathetic as his expression softened.  "How can you love me?  We were together for such a short time, and we sure as hell didn't spend too much time baring our souls in loving conversation.  And then you decide you love Harry and you run off for a while, and four weeks later you tell me you love me.  How can that be, Ron?  It doesn't make any sense."

"Have you been asleep?"  Ron's voice gained the strength of conviction as he spoke.  "Yes, I decided I liked Harry.  Decided.  I've been thinking about this a lot, Draco.  I'm not just speaking on a whim.  I was scared when I left you.  I could feel myself falling for you, and I didn't want-"

"You didn't want a repeat of Harry's experiences with me?"

"Well, partly, yes."  Draco sneered.  Ron rushed to his own defense.  "Hey, I'm trying to be honest here.  I was afraid of hurting Harry, too.  I wasn't ready to risk his friendship on something almost completely unknown to me."

"I can understand that.  I mean, I don't have the most shining reputation in the world."

"And, I mean, what if I wasn't good enough?  What if I couldn't cut it?  What if I couldn't keep a steady relationship with you, or with anyone?  I never really have, you know.  I couldn't stand the idea of losing Harry and then losing you as well."


"So you ran away."  Draco's emotions had retreated again behind his usual, impassive mask.  His face and voice were now devoid of emotion, completely unreadable. 

"Don't do that!  Don't just hide behind the Malfoy poise!  I know you're feeling something, and I'll be damned if I don't have a right to know what it is."

"You have no such right.  You have mercilessly dragged my emotions through the mud in the last two months, and I have had to work very hard just to keep it together while this was happening.  I personally think it's a very bad idea to tell you anything about how I feel, given the way you've treated me."

"You know, you're the one who said that you never wanted us to last.  You're the one who just wanted a fuck, okay?  I think we're pretty equally at fault here."

"Fair enough." 

They stood in silence for a while, not really looking at each other.

"You're right though," said Ron after a moment.  "I did run away.  I- I suppose I didn't know what else to do."  He took a deep breath.  "Draco, I'm sorry.  I'm sorry about the way I've treated you, I'm sorry for everything that's happened."

"It's alright.  It's understandable, in a way."  He paused.  "I suppose this is when I apologize for treating you as I did.  I'm sorry, Ron."

"Don't worry about it."

The sun was setting low over the mountains in the distance, lighting the lake with its fiery rays.  The gently rippling surface of the water reflected the orange and red lights of the sky, making them dip and sway slowly in an ancient, sacred dance.  Far away in the forest a bird called into the early twilight.

Draco broke the silence.  "Did you mean it?"  He asked.

"Mean what?"

"When you said you loved me?"

A moment's pause.  "Yeah, I think I did."

Another moment.  "Really?"

"Yes." 

"Wow.  Ron, I don't know what to say.  No one has ever said that to me before."


"Really?" 

"Well, not that I can remember, anyway.  You know... the 'Malfoy poise' and all that."

"Oh.  Well, what do you think of it?"

"I'm not sure.  I know that I like you a lot, Ron.  You can't have missed the way I've been looking at you.  I... God, I just can't stop thinking about you."

"I can't stop thinking of you, either."

"But I don't know if I love you, at least not yet.  I don't really know what love feels like, but I've been told that I'll know it when I feel it.  I don't know if I love you, Ron, but... I'd like to find out."

Ron smiled.  "What does that mean?"

"It means," Draco sighed, and stepped forward, taking Ron's hands in his own.  "That I'd like to give us another try, only a real relationship this time, not just sneaking up to the astronomy tower in the middle of the night.  I want to see if what I'm feeling is the beginning of something real."  He looked down at their feet, now inches apart, and sort of laughed.  "Damn.  I'm really scared, Ron.  For the first time in my life I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing."

Ron dropped Draco's hands and pulled the blond boy close to him.  "It's all right.  I've never really done this before, either."

Draco wrapped his arms around Ron's waist and they stood together in the fading light, feeling a closeness they had never experienced before.  Ron buried his face in Draco's silken hair and inhaled deeply.  The boy smelled clean and fresh, like a spring morning. Draco tilted his head up to look Ron full in the face.

"Did you just smell my hair?" 

Ron blushed. "Well, yeah, I guess I did.  It smells very nice, you know." 

Draco chuckled softly, and they smiled into each others' eyes for a moment.  Before he realized what he was doing, Ron's eyes had closed and his head had tilted to the side.  Suddenly his lips collided with Draco's.  It was a soft kiss, gentle and loving and sweet.  There was no heated passion, no hands running everywhere, no tongues exploring.  There was affection, simplicity, and love.  Ron broke the kiss and hugged Draco close to him, his embrace returned by the other boy. 

"Hey Ron," said Draco quietly. 

"Yes?"


"I think I love you too."

The End.

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Well, that's all, folks.  I don't know if continuation made it any better, or if it made any sense at all.  Hopefully in my next fic, Ron will be somewhat less confused.  R&R, please, as this is my debut piece, and I'm looking for comments.  Thanks a lot!

Look for my original fiction at www. FictionPress.net, same pen name.