Breaking The Stone
Written By: Nox (goddess_nox@hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Rowling and Scholastic. However, this fanfic does belong to me. Please don't steal. Please don't sue.
Warnings: This story contains slash (BOY + BOY = LOVE) Meaning, a homosexual relationship. The characters will most likely be OOC (sorry...). Also, I doubt this will happen when the fifth book comes out, so I guess you'd call it AE, for alternate events. AU seems a bit much. This is my first fanfic. You've been warned. Enjoy, and please review!!
A/N: Got this chapter up sooner than I thought I would. Hope you all enjoy it. And if anyone thinks I should up the rating for some reason, just tell me. Thanks!! : )
Summary: Draco, Ron, and their misadventures during Winter Break.
Pairing: Draco/Ron
My Thanks: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the cliffhanger in the last chapter!
/...../ Denotes Thought. _ABCD_ Denotes Emphasis. ******************* Marks Scene Or POV Change
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"Erm...so, you're all right? Right?"
Ron would kill for a butterbeer.
So far, he'd had a terrible vacation. At the moment his bruise was sore, his head was pounding, and the breakfast that was sitting in front of him, waiting to be eaten, didn't look all that appetizing. This was weird, too, considering the fact that Hogwarts had an exceptional reputation when it came to food. Oh well. Even the best school kitchens had to have their days. It just figured that Ron's bad day would be one of them.
"Hey, are you listening?" Oh yeah. Her. Ginny had been hovering over him for about five minutes now, flashing nervous smiles and trying to get her older brother's attention. It seemed she'd finally gotten over her anger at the little incident that had taken place during that first day. In fact, she'd more than gotten over it. It was now Ron who was mad at her. And with good reason.
The only reply Ginny received from her brother was a glare before he turned back to his horrid looking breakfast. She sighed, tiring of the way he was ignoring her. "Come on, I said I was sorry." No reply.
/It was just a stupid joke,/ she thought, remembering the previous night as she took her leave, going to search for Harvey who'd wandered off once she'd gone to speak with Ron.
/A really stupid joke./
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Ginny Weasley had been heading up to the Gryffindor House, different pranks to play on her older brother dancing in her head (she briefly considered getting a hold of Fred or George) when the staircase she was ascending suddenly gave a loud groan.
/Oh no,/ was all she had a chance to think before gripping the banister. The large set of stairs spun over thin air, wailing loudly all the way until abruptly coming to a stop, now facing a mysterious corridor instead of the familiar way to Gryffindor House. Great. How was she supposed to pull a prank on Ron if she couldn't even _find_ him? Sometimes Ginny really disliked this school.
Realizing that the staircase wasn't planning any return trips any time soon, and that she wouldn't get anywhere without moving, the fourth year gave a great sigh and began walking down the corridor.
/Maybe I should've insisted Harvey walk me,/ the crimson haired girl thought, suddenly not so sure if she'd be okay. She wasn't even sure if she'd been in this part of the castle before. Not that she could see much in the dark, but still.... /I hope I don't get caught. Especially by-/
Ginny had planned to think Snape, but was instead shoved aside by a darkly dressed figure. She was shoved into the wall, and let out a hiss of pain when her shoulder hit stone. "Watch where you're going," said Ginny, assuming that this was a student hurrying to their House. Who else could it be? No professors that she knew of sprinted through castles.
Without even so much as a "sorry", the figure turned a corner, and disappeared from sight. And without even so much as a second thought, Ginny followed. Even if this was a rather rude student, there was a possibility that the student was headed for a House. And even if it wasn't the Gryffindor House (she was sure it wasn't), at least she'd be able to get her bearings. Not solid, but it was the only plan she had.
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"I've got you!"
Ginny had been walking for a good while, in silence, and hadn't spotted the dark-robed person who'd run into her. So, when she heard the voice of her brother, she jumped. What was he doing here? Had he gotten misdirected by a shifting staircase too?
Her heart calmed and a grin appeared on her slightly freckled face. What luck! This was an _awesome_ opportunity to get him back. She'd been rather miffed at him for all of Break so far. This was her chance. But who was he talking to? Oh well, that didn't matter.
Catching sight of him (he was at a dead end, his wand pointed at apparently nothing) the Weasley girl concealed herself in the shadows as best she could and tried to remember the words to an old spell Fred had taught her... What was it?
"Tarantallegra," Ginny whispered harshly, aiming her wand's tip at Ron. Seeing him start up a crazy dance, unwillingly and unexpectedly would be great. She just wished she could remember the charm for taking a picture...
Purplish sparks emerged from her wand. "What the-," she could hear her brother say confusedly, before noticing the dark figure from before.
"You again?" The persons wand shot out a sphere of bright, white light. Both spells hit the teen boy square in the chest, and he fell to the ground.
Ginny stood frozen for a moment. Her heart was beating too quickly and her breath was coming fast. What had just happened? Was Ron okay? What had she done? Something brushed against her. It was the rude student, running away. No. That wasn't right. It wasn't simply a rude student after all.
"I'm such a damn chicken." Huh? Was that _Malfoy's_ voice?
Peaking out from the shadows in which she was hidden Ginny saw the muscled form of Draco Malfoy suddenly appear, as if out of thin air. What the... had the blonde managed to learn an invisibility spell?
"Ron?" As Draco kneeled next to the unconscious redhead Ginny spotted the no-longer-invisible cloak, now pooled on the floor. Well, that certainly explained things. Ginny knew about the cloak, knew it belonged to Harry, and figured that Ron had been trying to retrieve it from the Slytherin before...Before...
/I hope he's okay/. Again, she glanced towards the dead end only to find that her brother was awake and yelling about something or another. Well, at least she knew her brother was okay. Draco looked decidedly uncomfortable.
/I guess I was in a panic longer than I thought/. That or Ron had only been unconscious for a few moments. Either way, he was safe. And that was all that mattered.
"Yes," Malfoy was saying, and Ginny decided it was about time that she went and checked on her brother for herself. Besides, she was wondering about that Figure In Robes.
"Oh. Hey...wait a second. Mouth to mouth? That's-"
"Are you okay?" She cut Ron off.
Her brother turned, Malfoy got wide-eyed, there was a pause.
"What are you doing here?"
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It was true that Ginny had revealed herself and had apologized. She could've just run off without ever saying a word, and all blame would've rested with the mysterious entity. But that still wasn't good enough. The point was that she had hit Ron with a spell. And Ron wouldn't just simply forgive her. At least, not until after Winter Break. It was payback time.
"I can't eat this," said Weasley, picking at something that might've been eggs. Ginny had left the Dining Hall a few minutes ago, and he was lonely. Lonely _again_. He was almost starting to envy the thought of school. Almost.
"OUCH, hey!" John, the aforementioned first year who'd played chess with Ron the night before, and who was now sitting semi-close to the redhead while eating, let out this cry and aimed a mean glare at the cause of it: Draco Malfoy. Then, realizing who it was he was glaring at, the boy gave a little squeak before jumping from his seat and sprinting away. His plate of food disappeared, only to quickly be replaced by another. The blonde had sat down.
"What do you want?" Ron didn't want to deal with Malfoy. He wasn't feeling well, and then there was that awkwardness that had arisen...Especially after that "mouth to mouth" fiasco. Malfoy was spending _way_ to much time with him. It was weird, and it was unpleasant.
Picking up his fork, Draco stabbed at the so-called food. "Don't eat it then."
Confusion overtook the Weasley's features. "What?"
Rolling his eyes the Slytherin gestured at their plates. "This. You said you can't eat it, so don't."
Damn could this guy get on his nerves. After all that had happened, turning Draco into a slug didn't sound bad at all. Yeah, it would be sweet revenge. Ironic, but sweet. /Where did I put my wand?/ Out loud, he said, "What are you getting at?"
Draco leaned in closer. Ron could smell peppermint on his breath. "I've got a theory." He leaned away again. What the hell was he going on about?
"Stop talking in riddles, Malfoy. Or I'm gonna' stop listening." The readhead's headache had gotten worse. Everything seemed to get worse while he was around Malfoy. Oh but that was just a coincidence. He was sure.
Without saying a word Draco grabbed at the back of Ron's shirt until the Weasley was standing, and then led him out of the Dining Hall. Still by the doors, they stopped. The blonde cast a suspicious look around before speaking. "I've got a theory on who that freak who keeps attacking us is. I don't want to talk about it here, though. It's too dangerous."
Ron sighed. "Well where do you think we should talk about it then?" A small group of Hufflepuff second and third years came by, laughing and fooling around. Draco didn't answer until they'd vanished upstairs.
"Hogsmeade."
Ron would've choked on his food, if he'd been eating any. Instead, he sputtered. "Hogsmeade?!" A pale hand flew up to cover his mouth. Well, wasn't this familiar. Angrily, he removed the hand. "Sorry, sorry, but...Hogsmeade?"
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah, the Three Broom Sticks tavern to be exact. You know, I could just kill for a butterbeer right now."
Ron's eyes bulged. "But that's off campus. We're not allowed-"
A snort cut him off. "We're nearly _adults_. Besides, what are you, scared?" That smart-ass, know-it-all, sneer found its way onto his face.
A younger Weasley might've blown up at this comment. Might've given in and gone to Hogsmeade, in order to prove his courage. But this was a fifth year Ron, and he shook his head. "No, I've had enough of you Draco. If I'm going to talk to anyone about those attacks, it's gonna' be Dumbledore."
The platinum-haired teen shook his head, as if in disappointment. "You know, I know you're gay, Ron. But I didn't know you were _chicken_."
The Gryffindor's teeth clenched, and face reddened. "I'm not gay! And I'm not going with you to Hogsmeade, Draco." Ron crossed his arms in defiance, and stood as tall as possible.
Malfoy simply smirked.
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This time, instead of borrowing a broom from Hooch, Ron had to steal one. At first, the redhead hadn't understood why, and had flatly refused to do this. Then, he'd realized that Draco was right. The professor probably _didn't_ look kindly at students who were planning to leave Hogwarts unauthorized, during the plain day, in order to talk about mystery people while sitting in a dusty tavern.
Oh well, so the blonde had been right once so far.
"Why did I let _you_ of all people talk me into this?" The scene was familiar. Both boys had brooms in their hands as they walked. Only this time they weren't walking to the Quidditch field. This time they were walking to Hogsmeade.
"Shut up. We're almost to the Safe Point."
The Safe Point, as the evil teenage wizard liked to call it, was the spot a bit before the Gates where Draco assumed it was safe to take off at. The way Ron saw it, they wouldn't _need_ a spot if they weren't breaking the rules. Again. How did he get himself into these situations?
"Right. So you ready?" Having been too busy gazing out at the frozen lake and mumbling about certain Slytherin jerks Ron didn't notice that Draco, who was walking in the lead, had stopped until crashing into him.
"Er...sorry. Yeah, I'm ready. Let's just get this over with." Both boys straddled their brooms and flew off.
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It didn't take long for them to get the Hogsmeade train station. Before getting any further into town the boys landed and got off their brooms.
/Stupid owl, and stupid Ginny/, thought Ron, remembering that first day of Break. None of this would've happened if he'd been able to go home. None of this would've happened if Harry had been here. An anger welled up inside of him, directed at both his family and best friend. He knew it was unreasonable. His family had _tried_ to get that letter to him on time. Harry had the right to visit Sirius... Ron just couldn't help it.
Without so much as a word the two rivals began heading for the Three Broom Sticks tavern and, despite how furious he was with everyone, the youngest Weasley brother couldn't help but become curious. Who did Draco believe this dark-robed person was? Was the blonde so sure of himself that he didn't think they should tell Dumbeldore? Sure, the two teens would get in trouble for going around at night. But as for Ron,
he'd take trouble with Dumbledore over death from a mystery entity any day.
They reached the tavern, and just as Ron reached for the door he was yanked back by Draco, who'd again grabbed at his t-shirt. "Act normal. We don't want anyone knowing we're students from Hogwarts."
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Ron, straightening his shirt. "But what about you?"
Malfoy glared. "What _about_ me?"
"I mean, acting normal. You _never_ act normal, so-"
Before he could finish Draco had stormed inside, a scowl on his face. Ron gave a self-satisfied smirk before hurrying in after him.
To their advantage, the tavern was deserted with the exception of a couple of waiters, the bartender, and a group of people who looked suspiciously like some Ravenclaws Ron knew, who were sitting near the back.
"Come on," said Draco, hurrying for a shadowy corner table, and taking a seat there. Ron followed, sat down and, not wanting to make idle conversation with the blonde, stared into the flame of the little candle that sat at the center of their table until one of the waitresses (a rather plump little woman with a friendly smile) came scuttling over.
"Can I take your order?"
Before Ron could so much as open his mouth Draco had ordered two butterbeers, and two special stews. The redhead frowned. Where did that Slytherin get off, anyway? It wasn't as if he was _paying_ for Ron. It didn't matter that he would've ordered stew anyway. It was just the pointthat Draco had _ordered_.
Straightening in his chair, Ron patted the pocket where his scant amount of money was before speaking. "So what's your theory?"
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With a stomach full of stew and a head full of Draco's theory both boys soon headed back to Hogwarts, aiming for that same spot by the Gates so that they could land, then walk back into the school.
It was only a little after noon now, but the sky was gray and ugly. Yet _another_ storm was coming. The Hogwart's grounds were already utterly covered in thick layers of snow that hadn't been able to melt.
/It's a good theory,/ mused Ron, who was holding tightly to his broom while he soared. /I just can't believe it's true./
Draco was on Ron's good side at the moment. Well, as much on his good side as he'd ever get, anyway. Malfoy _had_ actually payed for the meal, and had explained that he thought the culprit they were after, the very one that continued to haunt them, was none other than Harvey Williams.
"Ginny's boyfriend?" It was a hard concept to grasp, but after thinking back to the glaring he'd done in the library, and the way Ginny had explained she'd left him at the stairs last night...Well, it seemed to add up. He _was_ a new student. It _did_ make sense. The only question was why. Why would he want to hurt _them_? Was he a follower of You-Know-Who? And if that was the case, why would he be after Draco?
The boys had discussed this thoroughly at the tavern, and had come up with absolutely nothing. Secretly, Ron wished they could've stayed longer. He'd been enjoying the butterbeer and stew, and believed that they should get this situation figured out, just in case of another attack. But the sky had darkened, and they hadn't wanted to be missed at Hogwarts.
So, here they were, flying towards the school.
"I've got a question for you," started Ron, hoping Draco would be able to hear him through the wind that was rushing past their ears as they flew. Absently, the redhead noted that his leg was itching.
"What?" Malfoy's civil attitude seemed to be fading. And fast.
He received no answer from Ron, which was really weird, because the weasel was the one who'd wanted to ask the question. "I said 'what'?" Still nothing. The blonde risked a glance backwards. "Shit!"
Ron was just barely managing to hang on to his broom. The strong winds seemed suddenly even stronger, and the redhead was panicking. There was a clearly terrified look on his face while he flailed about on his broom. What the heck had happened? Another attack? Had he been hit with another spell?
But Draco received no immediate answer, because Ron went tumbling down, and the magical broom was blown away.
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Ron landed hard. The air was knocked out of him and, for a moment, he stayed put while dark spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Where is he?" The voice came from nearby, and it took the redhead a moment to realize it was Draco talking. Apparently, the Slytherin had managed to get off of his broom. His vision finally clearing, Ron could make out Malfoy with his wand at hand, looking back and forth as he searched for the cryptic character in robes who always seemed to be around lately, causing trouble. But there was no one in sight.
Ron remembered the reason he'd fallen and tensed, his fingernails digging into the dirt beneath him while his eyes stared.
"What happened?" Draco walked up, glaring down at the fallen Weasley.
The Gryffindor managed to squeak out an answer through his terror. "There's a...there's a-"
"Hey look." Draco kneeled, reached over, and plucked off the large arachnid that was stuck in the material of Ron's jeans. "A spider." He laughed shortly before flicking it away.
Eyes growing huge, the fifth year shouted. "How did you do _that_?"
Malfoy was looking annoyed. This time he hadn't even _seen_ the dark figure hit Ron. "Huh? What?"
"It was a monster!"
It took a moment for Draco's brain to work, but soon enough he was thinking back to second year, and that rumor about how Weasley was afraid of spiders. So it was true. _That's_ why Ron had fallen from his broom! He broke out laughing.
"You lost a school broom and nearly killed yourself because of a little spider? You idiot."
Ron shook his head frantically. "Little! It was huge! Gigantic, even!"
Still laughing, Draco reached for the redhead. "Just hope Hooch never notices that missing broom. Come on. We're almost at the gates anyway." Malfoy grasped Ron's hand and yanked, but was stopped by a grimace of pain from the other teen. "What is it?" He quickly forgot his amusement with the situation.
"Nothing, really. Just my wrist. It hurts a little."
Anger replaced the mirth that Draco had been broadcasting, and he squinted, examining Ron's hand while he held it in his own. "Dork. See what you did?" Looking up, Draco had planned to give the weasel a belittling lecture, but instead was met with those innocent eyes. And beyond those eyes? A mouth. A rather nice mouth that he'd kissed just the night before. Yeah, kissed. /Shit,/ thought Draco, unknowingly leaning forward. /_I'm_ gay./
Ron's lips tasted of butterscotch this time.
/Who would've thought I was gay?/ Hesitantly, Ron opened his mouth to Draco's questing tongue and soon they were heatedly making out. Before long, they were embracing, the blonde nearly straddling the smaller Ron. However, after a few moments that seemed to be several, wonderful eternities, they pulled apart for air.
"Well," said Ron, noticing the way Draco was draped over him, a pale hand resting comfortably on his hip. "I guess that wasn't mouth to mouth last night."
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Both teenage wizards were in shock. As far as they knew, they'd never been homosexual before, and so weren't sureof how to go about it. Though, they guessed, frenching another guy was probably a good start.
They walked along silently, still slightly dazed, each of them tasting each other's butterbeer, until they finally reached the Gates leading into Hogwarts. At these gates, they paused. Paused because Mr. Albus Dumbledore was standing there, a frown of disapproval on his face.
"I think," he said, eyeing them suspiciously, "You've both got some explaining to do."
Written By: Nox (goddess_nox@hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They belong to Rowling and Scholastic. However, this fanfic does belong to me. Please don't steal. Please don't sue.
Warnings: This story contains slash (BOY + BOY = LOVE) Meaning, a homosexual relationship. The characters will most likely be OOC (sorry...). Also, I doubt this will happen when the fifth book comes out, so I guess you'd call it AE, for alternate events. AU seems a bit much. This is my first fanfic. You've been warned. Enjoy, and please review!!
A/N: Got this chapter up sooner than I thought I would. Hope you all enjoy it. And if anyone thinks I should up the rating for some reason, just tell me. Thanks!! : )
Summary: Draco, Ron, and their misadventures during Winter Break.
Pairing: Draco/Ron
My Thanks: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the cliffhanger in the last chapter!
/...../ Denotes Thought. _ABCD_ Denotes Emphasis. ******************* Marks Scene Or POV Change
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"Erm...so, you're all right? Right?"
Ron would kill for a butterbeer.
So far, he'd had a terrible vacation. At the moment his bruise was sore, his head was pounding, and the breakfast that was sitting in front of him, waiting to be eaten, didn't look all that appetizing. This was weird, too, considering the fact that Hogwarts had an exceptional reputation when it came to food. Oh well. Even the best school kitchens had to have their days. It just figured that Ron's bad day would be one of them.
"Hey, are you listening?" Oh yeah. Her. Ginny had been hovering over him for about five minutes now, flashing nervous smiles and trying to get her older brother's attention. It seemed she'd finally gotten over her anger at the little incident that had taken place during that first day. In fact, she'd more than gotten over it. It was now Ron who was mad at her. And with good reason.
The only reply Ginny received from her brother was a glare before he turned back to his horrid looking breakfast. She sighed, tiring of the way he was ignoring her. "Come on, I said I was sorry." No reply.
/It was just a stupid joke,/ she thought, remembering the previous night as she took her leave, going to search for Harvey who'd wandered off once she'd gone to speak with Ron.
/A really stupid joke./
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Ginny Weasley had been heading up to the Gryffindor House, different pranks to play on her older brother dancing in her head (she briefly considered getting a hold of Fred or George) when the staircase she was ascending suddenly gave a loud groan.
/Oh no,/ was all she had a chance to think before gripping the banister. The large set of stairs spun over thin air, wailing loudly all the way until abruptly coming to a stop, now facing a mysterious corridor instead of the familiar way to Gryffindor House. Great. How was she supposed to pull a prank on Ron if she couldn't even _find_ him? Sometimes Ginny really disliked this school.
Realizing that the staircase wasn't planning any return trips any time soon, and that she wouldn't get anywhere without moving, the fourth year gave a great sigh and began walking down the corridor.
/Maybe I should've insisted Harvey walk me,/ the crimson haired girl thought, suddenly not so sure if she'd be okay. She wasn't even sure if she'd been in this part of the castle before. Not that she could see much in the dark, but still.... /I hope I don't get caught. Especially by-/
Ginny had planned to think Snape, but was instead shoved aside by a darkly dressed figure. She was shoved into the wall, and let out a hiss of pain when her shoulder hit stone. "Watch where you're going," said Ginny, assuming that this was a student hurrying to their House. Who else could it be? No professors that she knew of sprinted through castles.
Without even so much as a "sorry", the figure turned a corner, and disappeared from sight. And without even so much as a second thought, Ginny followed. Even if this was a rather rude student, there was a possibility that the student was headed for a House. And even if it wasn't the Gryffindor House (she was sure it wasn't), at least she'd be able to get her bearings. Not solid, but it was the only plan she had.
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"I've got you!"
Ginny had been walking for a good while, in silence, and hadn't spotted the dark-robed person who'd run into her. So, when she heard the voice of her brother, she jumped. What was he doing here? Had he gotten misdirected by a shifting staircase too?
Her heart calmed and a grin appeared on her slightly freckled face. What luck! This was an _awesome_ opportunity to get him back. She'd been rather miffed at him for all of Break so far. This was her chance. But who was he talking to? Oh well, that didn't matter.
Catching sight of him (he was at a dead end, his wand pointed at apparently nothing) the Weasley girl concealed herself in the shadows as best she could and tried to remember the words to an old spell Fred had taught her... What was it?
"Tarantallegra," Ginny whispered harshly, aiming her wand's tip at Ron. Seeing him start up a crazy dance, unwillingly and unexpectedly would be great. She just wished she could remember the charm for taking a picture...
Purplish sparks emerged from her wand. "What the-," she could hear her brother say confusedly, before noticing the dark figure from before.
"You again?" The persons wand shot out a sphere of bright, white light. Both spells hit the teen boy square in the chest, and he fell to the ground.
Ginny stood frozen for a moment. Her heart was beating too quickly and her breath was coming fast. What had just happened? Was Ron okay? What had she done? Something brushed against her. It was the rude student, running away. No. That wasn't right. It wasn't simply a rude student after all.
"I'm such a damn chicken." Huh? Was that _Malfoy's_ voice?
Peaking out from the shadows in which she was hidden Ginny saw the muscled form of Draco Malfoy suddenly appear, as if out of thin air. What the... had the blonde managed to learn an invisibility spell?
"Ron?" As Draco kneeled next to the unconscious redhead Ginny spotted the no-longer-invisible cloak, now pooled on the floor. Well, that certainly explained things. Ginny knew about the cloak, knew it belonged to Harry, and figured that Ron had been trying to retrieve it from the Slytherin before...Before...
/I hope he's okay/. Again, she glanced towards the dead end only to find that her brother was awake and yelling about something or another. Well, at least she knew her brother was okay. Draco looked decidedly uncomfortable.
/I guess I was in a panic longer than I thought/. That or Ron had only been unconscious for a few moments. Either way, he was safe. And that was all that mattered.
"Yes," Malfoy was saying, and Ginny decided it was about time that she went and checked on her brother for herself. Besides, she was wondering about that Figure In Robes.
"Oh. Hey...wait a second. Mouth to mouth? That's-"
"Are you okay?" She cut Ron off.
Her brother turned, Malfoy got wide-eyed, there was a pause.
"What are you doing here?"
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It was true that Ginny had revealed herself and had apologized. She could've just run off without ever saying a word, and all blame would've rested with the mysterious entity. But that still wasn't good enough. The point was that she had hit Ron with a spell. And Ron wouldn't just simply forgive her. At least, not until after Winter Break. It was payback time.
"I can't eat this," said Weasley, picking at something that might've been eggs. Ginny had left the Dining Hall a few minutes ago, and he was lonely. Lonely _again_. He was almost starting to envy the thought of school. Almost.
"OUCH, hey!" John, the aforementioned first year who'd played chess with Ron the night before, and who was now sitting semi-close to the redhead while eating, let out this cry and aimed a mean glare at the cause of it: Draco Malfoy. Then, realizing who it was he was glaring at, the boy gave a little squeak before jumping from his seat and sprinting away. His plate of food disappeared, only to quickly be replaced by another. The blonde had sat down.
"What do you want?" Ron didn't want to deal with Malfoy. He wasn't feeling well, and then there was that awkwardness that had arisen...Especially after that "mouth to mouth" fiasco. Malfoy was spending _way_ to much time with him. It was weird, and it was unpleasant.
Picking up his fork, Draco stabbed at the so-called food. "Don't eat it then."
Confusion overtook the Weasley's features. "What?"
Rolling his eyes the Slytherin gestured at their plates. "This. You said you can't eat it, so don't."
Damn could this guy get on his nerves. After all that had happened, turning Draco into a slug didn't sound bad at all. Yeah, it would be sweet revenge. Ironic, but sweet. /Where did I put my wand?/ Out loud, he said, "What are you getting at?"
Draco leaned in closer. Ron could smell peppermint on his breath. "I've got a theory." He leaned away again. What the hell was he going on about?
"Stop talking in riddles, Malfoy. Or I'm gonna' stop listening." The readhead's headache had gotten worse. Everything seemed to get worse while he was around Malfoy. Oh but that was just a coincidence. He was sure.
Without saying a word Draco grabbed at the back of Ron's shirt until the Weasley was standing, and then led him out of the Dining Hall. Still by the doors, they stopped. The blonde cast a suspicious look around before speaking. "I've got a theory on who that freak who keeps attacking us is. I don't want to talk about it here, though. It's too dangerous."
Ron sighed. "Well where do you think we should talk about it then?" A small group of Hufflepuff second and third years came by, laughing and fooling around. Draco didn't answer until they'd vanished upstairs.
"Hogsmeade."
Ron would've choked on his food, if he'd been eating any. Instead, he sputtered. "Hogsmeade?!" A pale hand flew up to cover his mouth. Well, wasn't this familiar. Angrily, he removed the hand. "Sorry, sorry, but...Hogsmeade?"
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah, the Three Broom Sticks tavern to be exact. You know, I could just kill for a butterbeer right now."
Ron's eyes bulged. "But that's off campus. We're not allowed-"
A snort cut him off. "We're nearly _adults_. Besides, what are you, scared?" That smart-ass, know-it-all, sneer found its way onto his face.
A younger Weasley might've blown up at this comment. Might've given in and gone to Hogsmeade, in order to prove his courage. But this was a fifth year Ron, and he shook his head. "No, I've had enough of you Draco. If I'm going to talk to anyone about those attacks, it's gonna' be Dumbledore."
The platinum-haired teen shook his head, as if in disappointment. "You know, I know you're gay, Ron. But I didn't know you were _chicken_."
The Gryffindor's teeth clenched, and face reddened. "I'm not gay! And I'm not going with you to Hogsmeade, Draco." Ron crossed his arms in defiance, and stood as tall as possible.
Malfoy simply smirked.
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This time, instead of borrowing a broom from Hooch, Ron had to steal one. At first, the redhead hadn't understood why, and had flatly refused to do this. Then, he'd realized that Draco was right. The professor probably _didn't_ look kindly at students who were planning to leave Hogwarts unauthorized, during the plain day, in order to talk about mystery people while sitting in a dusty tavern.
Oh well, so the blonde had been right once so far.
"Why did I let _you_ of all people talk me into this?" The scene was familiar. Both boys had brooms in their hands as they walked. Only this time they weren't walking to the Quidditch field. This time they were walking to Hogsmeade.
"Shut up. We're almost to the Safe Point."
The Safe Point, as the evil teenage wizard liked to call it, was the spot a bit before the Gates where Draco assumed it was safe to take off at. The way Ron saw it, they wouldn't _need_ a spot if they weren't breaking the rules. Again. How did he get himself into these situations?
"Right. So you ready?" Having been too busy gazing out at the frozen lake and mumbling about certain Slytherin jerks Ron didn't notice that Draco, who was walking in the lead, had stopped until crashing into him.
"Er...sorry. Yeah, I'm ready. Let's just get this over with." Both boys straddled their brooms and flew off.
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It didn't take long for them to get the Hogsmeade train station. Before getting any further into town the boys landed and got off their brooms.
/Stupid owl, and stupid Ginny/, thought Ron, remembering that first day of Break. None of this would've happened if he'd been able to go home. None of this would've happened if Harry had been here. An anger welled up inside of him, directed at both his family and best friend. He knew it was unreasonable. His family had _tried_ to get that letter to him on time. Harry had the right to visit Sirius... Ron just couldn't help it.
Without so much as a word the two rivals began heading for the Three Broom Sticks tavern and, despite how furious he was with everyone, the youngest Weasley brother couldn't help but become curious. Who did Draco believe this dark-robed person was? Was the blonde so sure of himself that he didn't think they should tell Dumbeldore? Sure, the two teens would get in trouble for going around at night. But as for Ron,
he'd take trouble with Dumbledore over death from a mystery entity any day.
They reached the tavern, and just as Ron reached for the door he was yanked back by Draco, who'd again grabbed at his t-shirt. "Act normal. We don't want anyone knowing we're students from Hogwarts."
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Ron, straightening his shirt. "But what about you?"
Malfoy glared. "What _about_ me?"
"I mean, acting normal. You _never_ act normal, so-"
Before he could finish Draco had stormed inside, a scowl on his face. Ron gave a self-satisfied smirk before hurrying in after him.
To their advantage, the tavern was deserted with the exception of a couple of waiters, the bartender, and a group of people who looked suspiciously like some Ravenclaws Ron knew, who were sitting near the back.
"Come on," said Draco, hurrying for a shadowy corner table, and taking a seat there. Ron followed, sat down and, not wanting to make idle conversation with the blonde, stared into the flame of the little candle that sat at the center of their table until one of the waitresses (a rather plump little woman with a friendly smile) came scuttling over.
"Can I take your order?"
Before Ron could so much as open his mouth Draco had ordered two butterbeers, and two special stews. The redhead frowned. Where did that Slytherin get off, anyway? It wasn't as if he was _paying_ for Ron. It didn't matter that he would've ordered stew anyway. It was just the pointthat Draco had _ordered_.
Straightening in his chair, Ron patted the pocket where his scant amount of money was before speaking. "So what's your theory?"
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With a stomach full of stew and a head full of Draco's theory both boys soon headed back to Hogwarts, aiming for that same spot by the Gates so that they could land, then walk back into the school.
It was only a little after noon now, but the sky was gray and ugly. Yet _another_ storm was coming. The Hogwart's grounds were already utterly covered in thick layers of snow that hadn't been able to melt.
/It's a good theory,/ mused Ron, who was holding tightly to his broom while he soared. /I just can't believe it's true./
Draco was on Ron's good side at the moment. Well, as much on his good side as he'd ever get, anyway. Malfoy _had_ actually payed for the meal, and had explained that he thought the culprit they were after, the very one that continued to haunt them, was none other than Harvey Williams.
"Ginny's boyfriend?" It was a hard concept to grasp, but after thinking back to the glaring he'd done in the library, and the way Ginny had explained she'd left him at the stairs last night...Well, it seemed to add up. He _was_ a new student. It _did_ make sense. The only question was why. Why would he want to hurt _them_? Was he a follower of You-Know-Who? And if that was the case, why would he be after Draco?
The boys had discussed this thoroughly at the tavern, and had come up with absolutely nothing. Secretly, Ron wished they could've stayed longer. He'd been enjoying the butterbeer and stew, and believed that they should get this situation figured out, just in case of another attack. But the sky had darkened, and they hadn't wanted to be missed at Hogwarts.
So, here they were, flying towards the school.
"I've got a question for you," started Ron, hoping Draco would be able to hear him through the wind that was rushing past their ears as they flew. Absently, the redhead noted that his leg was itching.
"What?" Malfoy's civil attitude seemed to be fading. And fast.
He received no answer from Ron, which was really weird, because the weasel was the one who'd wanted to ask the question. "I said 'what'?" Still nothing. The blonde risked a glance backwards. "Shit!"
Ron was just barely managing to hang on to his broom. The strong winds seemed suddenly even stronger, and the redhead was panicking. There was a clearly terrified look on his face while he flailed about on his broom. What the heck had happened? Another attack? Had he been hit with another spell?
But Draco received no immediate answer, because Ron went tumbling down, and the magical broom was blown away.
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Ron landed hard. The air was knocked out of him and, for a moment, he stayed put while dark spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Where is he?" The voice came from nearby, and it took the redhead a moment to realize it was Draco talking. Apparently, the Slytherin had managed to get off of his broom. His vision finally clearing, Ron could make out Malfoy with his wand at hand, looking back and forth as he searched for the cryptic character in robes who always seemed to be around lately, causing trouble. But there was no one in sight.
Ron remembered the reason he'd fallen and tensed, his fingernails digging into the dirt beneath him while his eyes stared.
"What happened?" Draco walked up, glaring down at the fallen Weasley.
The Gryffindor managed to squeak out an answer through his terror. "There's a...there's a-"
"Hey look." Draco kneeled, reached over, and plucked off the large arachnid that was stuck in the material of Ron's jeans. "A spider." He laughed shortly before flicking it away.
Eyes growing huge, the fifth year shouted. "How did you do _that_?"
Malfoy was looking annoyed. This time he hadn't even _seen_ the dark figure hit Ron. "Huh? What?"
"It was a monster!"
It took a moment for Draco's brain to work, but soon enough he was thinking back to second year, and that rumor about how Weasley was afraid of spiders. So it was true. _That's_ why Ron had fallen from his broom! He broke out laughing.
"You lost a school broom and nearly killed yourself because of a little spider? You idiot."
Ron shook his head frantically. "Little! It was huge! Gigantic, even!"
Still laughing, Draco reached for the redhead. "Just hope Hooch never notices that missing broom. Come on. We're almost at the gates anyway." Malfoy grasped Ron's hand and yanked, but was stopped by a grimace of pain from the other teen. "What is it?" He quickly forgot his amusement with the situation.
"Nothing, really. Just my wrist. It hurts a little."
Anger replaced the mirth that Draco had been broadcasting, and he squinted, examining Ron's hand while he held it in his own. "Dork. See what you did?" Looking up, Draco had planned to give the weasel a belittling lecture, but instead was met with those innocent eyes. And beyond those eyes? A mouth. A rather nice mouth that he'd kissed just the night before. Yeah, kissed. /Shit,/ thought Draco, unknowingly leaning forward. /_I'm_ gay./
Ron's lips tasted of butterscotch this time.
/Who would've thought I was gay?/ Hesitantly, Ron opened his mouth to Draco's questing tongue and soon they were heatedly making out. Before long, they were embracing, the blonde nearly straddling the smaller Ron. However, after a few moments that seemed to be several, wonderful eternities, they pulled apart for air.
"Well," said Ron, noticing the way Draco was draped over him, a pale hand resting comfortably on his hip. "I guess that wasn't mouth to mouth last night."
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Both teenage wizards were in shock. As far as they knew, they'd never been homosexual before, and so weren't sureof how to go about it. Though, they guessed, frenching another guy was probably a good start.
They walked along silently, still slightly dazed, each of them tasting each other's butterbeer, until they finally reached the Gates leading into Hogwarts. At these gates, they paused. Paused because Mr. Albus Dumbledore was standing there, a frown of disapproval on his face.
"I think," he said, eyeing them suspiciously, "You've both got some explaining to do."