A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far! They really made my day! I'll try to get the next chapters up soon.
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4. Draco's Secret
-Draco-
So far, Draco's tactic of not talking to anyone was working. People were ignoring him so he didn't have to talk to them. So he was glad, but also depressed at the same time. He missed having Crabbe and Goyle to order around.
Plus he couldn't make his usual remarks about the Gryffindors. He kept thinking of good insults and then not being able to say them. It was very frustrating.
Now it was Thursday night and he had to go on patrol with Ron again. Ron had been the only one who had paid any attention to Draco over the last two days. Draco had tried to get Ron to stop, but it was hard. If he got Ron too mad, then Ron would try to fight him again and then everybody would stare.
All this secrecy and stuff gave Draco a headache. So he was even more cranky than usual when he went to meet the Weasley boy for patrol.
"Hey, Malfoy," Ron said in a normal voice when he saw Draco. Draco was surprised. Usually Ron would have said an insult to him.
"Hey, Weasley," Draco said in the same tone. They started their patrol. Less students were in the hallways that night and they mostly just walked along.
Then Ron stopped walking. "Um, Malfoy, I was wondering...why are you still wearing ripped robes?"
Draco started to get mad. This was all Ron's fault. "Because I don't know how to fix them! I never learned any household charms, OK? Satisfied?"
Ron looked shocked at Draco's outburst. "But why don't you just buy some other robes?"
Draco started to feel sick inside. There was no way to keep Ron from finding out now. But he didn't answer.
"Rich Malfoy in ripped robes, it doesn't make any sense," Ron said.
Draco just snapped. He was so mad at Ron he didn't care what he said. He grabbed the redhead and slammed him up against the wall. Ron was a lot bigger than Draco, but Draco had the element of surprise. "That's because I'm not *Rich* Malfoy anymore, OK? After *someone* had my father sent to Azkaban, we lost all our money. I'm just as poor as you now. I hope you're happy."
-Ron-
Ron stared at Draco with a feeling of shock. This was the last thing he expected to hear from the blonde. He'd spent the last couple of days trying to work out what was different about Draco, but he had never thought of this.
Draco was holding Ron against the wall, with his hands pressing into Ron's shoulders. Ron could see that Draco was very upset -- angry but sad too. "I hope you're happy," Draco had said to him. Ron was surprised at how he felt. He always thought something like this would make him happy but he actually felt sorry for Draco. Maybe because he knew what it was like to be so poor. Or maybe because he could finally see that Draco was human after all.
"I'm sorry," was all Ron said. Then Draco let go of Ron and sat down on the floor, with his hands over his face. Ron hoped that Draco wasn't crying because he had NO idea what to do about that.
"Now everyone is going to know," Draco said in a muffled voice. "I'll have to leave the school." His shoulders were shaking a little.
Before Ron knew what he was doing, he had sat down next to Draco and put his arm around Draco's shoulders. The Slytherin was thin and Ron could feel the sharp bones of his shoulderblades poking into his arm. "It's OK, I won't tell," Ron said.
Draco looked at Ron. There were tears in his eyes and his face was blotchy and red. "Why not? I thought you hated me."
Ron thought about it. He still didn't like Draco much, but somehow seeing him like this made him want to help Draco if he could. "I don't know. But I won't tell."
After a minute, Draco wiped his eyes on his sleeve. They both stood up and finished their patrol. When they got to the end, Ron had an idea. "Wait," he said to Draco. He took out his wand and pointed it at Draco. "Emendo!" he said. The tear in Draco's robes sewed itself up so you could hardly even see the seam.
"Thanks," said Draco and he smiled at Ron.
~
4. Draco's Secret
-Draco-
So far, Draco's tactic of not talking to anyone was working. People were ignoring him so he didn't have to talk to them. So he was glad, but also depressed at the same time. He missed having Crabbe and Goyle to order around.
Plus he couldn't make his usual remarks about the Gryffindors. He kept thinking of good insults and then not being able to say them. It was very frustrating.
Now it was Thursday night and he had to go on patrol with Ron again. Ron had been the only one who had paid any attention to Draco over the last two days. Draco had tried to get Ron to stop, but it was hard. If he got Ron too mad, then Ron would try to fight him again and then everybody would stare.
All this secrecy and stuff gave Draco a headache. So he was even more cranky than usual when he went to meet the Weasley boy for patrol.
"Hey, Malfoy," Ron said in a normal voice when he saw Draco. Draco was surprised. Usually Ron would have said an insult to him.
"Hey, Weasley," Draco said in the same tone. They started their patrol. Less students were in the hallways that night and they mostly just walked along.
Then Ron stopped walking. "Um, Malfoy, I was wondering...why are you still wearing ripped robes?"
Draco started to get mad. This was all Ron's fault. "Because I don't know how to fix them! I never learned any household charms, OK? Satisfied?"
Ron looked shocked at Draco's outburst. "But why don't you just buy some other robes?"
Draco started to feel sick inside. There was no way to keep Ron from finding out now. But he didn't answer.
"Rich Malfoy in ripped robes, it doesn't make any sense," Ron said.
Draco just snapped. He was so mad at Ron he didn't care what he said. He grabbed the redhead and slammed him up against the wall. Ron was a lot bigger than Draco, but Draco had the element of surprise. "That's because I'm not *Rich* Malfoy anymore, OK? After *someone* had my father sent to Azkaban, we lost all our money. I'm just as poor as you now. I hope you're happy."
-Ron-
Ron stared at Draco with a feeling of shock. This was the last thing he expected to hear from the blonde. He'd spent the last couple of days trying to work out what was different about Draco, but he had never thought of this.
Draco was holding Ron against the wall, with his hands pressing into Ron's shoulders. Ron could see that Draco was very upset -- angry but sad too. "I hope you're happy," Draco had said to him. Ron was surprised at how he felt. He always thought something like this would make him happy but he actually felt sorry for Draco. Maybe because he knew what it was like to be so poor. Or maybe because he could finally see that Draco was human after all.
"I'm sorry," was all Ron said. Then Draco let go of Ron and sat down on the floor, with his hands over his face. Ron hoped that Draco wasn't crying because he had NO idea what to do about that.
"Now everyone is going to know," Draco said in a muffled voice. "I'll have to leave the school." His shoulders were shaking a little.
Before Ron knew what he was doing, he had sat down next to Draco and put his arm around Draco's shoulders. The Slytherin was thin and Ron could feel the sharp bones of his shoulderblades poking into his arm. "It's OK, I won't tell," Ron said.
Draco looked at Ron. There were tears in his eyes and his face was blotchy and red. "Why not? I thought you hated me."
Ron thought about it. He still didn't like Draco much, but somehow seeing him like this made him want to help Draco if he could. "I don't know. But I won't tell."
After a minute, Draco wiped his eyes on his sleeve. They both stood up and finished their patrol. When they got to the end, Ron had an idea. "Wait," he said to Draco. He took out his wand and pointed it at Draco. "Emendo!" he said. The tear in Draco's robes sewed itself up so you could hardly even see the seam.
"Thanks," said Draco and he smiled at Ron.