Title: Realization On A Winter's Eve
Rating: Starts off PG-13 then gains an enormous R
Pairing: Draco/Ron
Summery: After much rivalry, Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley make a bet, and the loser has to be the winner's personal servant for the Winter Holiday. What slashy feelings will result from this?
Current Music: The Cranberries: Ode To My Family
Chapter Four: A Grueling Quittich Match



Within the next three days, before the Quittich match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Draco Malfoy was practicing harder than ever to perfect his playing skills. Never in his life had he wanted so badly to get the snitch first, even during the previous times when he'd been playing against the High and Mighty Potter. He knew he had to win this match. If he didn't get the snitch first, he'd be only described as completely buggered'.

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Ron Weasley went to his friend two nights before the Quittich match and pleaded with him.

Ron, I've never seen you so desperate for me to beat Malfoy before, Harry observed from his four-poster bed, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth.

But, Harry, this is really important, Ron answered with great desperation in his voice. And without Wood here, Gryffindor doesn't try nearly hard enough to practice. You've got to work harder at it so you can clobber Malfoy!

You mean, clobber Slytherin', right?

Ron suddenly realized he was pacing, stopped abruptly, and whipped around to face his friend. Please, Harry, please practice as much as you can. You have to get the snitch before Malfoy touches it.

But why?! Harry questioned loudly, starting to feel frustrated with Ron's bantering.

Ron paused; his face turned pink. I.....can't explain. I just need you to win. Okay?

Harry sighed and slid off his bed, putting his hands on the redhead's shoulders. Look, I'll do the best I can. I don't know what's going on with you, but I promise I'll try the hardest I can.

Thank you, Ron exhaled with relief, then he smiled nonchalantly and moved to pull away. But then Harry did something rather unexpected. He gripped Ron's fingers in his own, and pulled his friend violently closer to him, causing the two boys to collide, body smacked against body, lips pressed against lips.

It was over in two seconds because Ron wrenched himself away, wide-eyed, stumbling back against his school trunk. he whispered, unable to say anything else due to the jolt of confusion that buzzed through his brain.

Harry's face was scarlet, and he backed away quickly, looking at his feet. he mumbled, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Ron's eyes were still wide with shock as he ran a shaking hand through his messy hair, and replied unsteadily, It's okay! It's fine, but I just need to, er, sleep now. He wobbled over to his bed and pulled the curtains closed around him, too stunned to think.

He laid down and drew the bedsheets up to his chest, trying to calm down. What the hell just happened?! He was asking Harry to help him one moment, and the next, his best friend was kissing him- hard! On the lips! He could hear Harry slipping into his pajamas, and the candle next to Harry's bed was blown out not long after. Ron sighed. What was going on?! Why did that happen?! WHY ON EARTH did this whole thing with Malfoy happen?! Oh, right. Ron made the bet with him. Fuck. Ron didn't know what to do. He only had a feeling in the pit of his stomach, that this next match was not going to go very well.

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Saturday arrived at last, and Draco felt that he couldn't be more ready. He'd been practicing day and night, thinking during classes about strategies to avoid bludgers, and he'd also recently noticed a slight distance forming between Weasley and Potter. That gave him enough confidence.

Draco thought about all of this as he fastened his silver and green robes over his sweater and black jacket. He slipped black gloves onto his fingers and a forest green scarf around his neck to protect him from the bitter cold, fingered the label on his treasured Nimbus 2001, then swiftly followed his teammates out into the harsh winds. Onto the large Quittich field. To face his most important challenge. Oh, yeah. He was going to win this. He had to.

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Ron watched eagerly from the stands as the players took their positions. The Gryffindor wrapped his red, homemade scarf tighter around his neck and rubbed his hands furiously in the cold. Hermione sat beside him wearing two Hogworts sweaters, a blue winter coat, a pair of denim trousers, leg warmers, pink mittens and a pair of ear muffs, and yet she was shivering harder still.

Everyone gazed intently as Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the game began with a howl from the Slytherins, and a loud swish of brooms soaring through the air. Ron didn't care about who was in possession of the Quaffle, though. His eyes were only focusing on two people: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

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Draco squinted around the gray sky as the wind whipped against his face, turning his nose and cheeks a light pink colour. Where was it? Where was that snitch? Twenty minutes had gone by, and Gryffindor was already ahead by fifty points. All the blonde could see below him was a swarm of opposite coloured robes flashing past each other, and Harry Potter was no where in his sight.

But then.....

A blur of red and gold whizzed past him, and he could just see his opponent off in the distance, speeding away from him. He quickly followed, feeling the wind sting his face as he accelerated. Finally, he caught up to Potter, who had abruptly stopped and was now scanning around the field with big eyes.

Draco sneered and shouted over the howling wind, Lost something, Potter? Perhaps your brain?

Harry swerved around and looked at Malfoy with a dangerous expression. Save it, Malfoy, he barked. We'll see who's lost his brain when I catch the snitch before you can even see it.

Oh, yeah? Malfoy's eyes narrowed; he was ready for a fight. Then, out of the corner of his left eye, he saw a flash of gold beside the Gryffindor viewer's box, and it didn't take him a half a second to figure out what it was. He awkwardly swooped to the left and flew at it, full force.

It was when he was within twenty feet of it that he saw Weasley, holding up the shiny object and waving it at him. It wasn't the snitch! It was a GOLD GALLEON! Draco's stomach lurched with anger, and he growled, The redhead grinned evilly up at him, tucking the galleon back into his tattered, brown jacket pocket.

Gryffindor is ahead by SIXTY POINTS!

Draco snarled venomously, and turned back to look at Potter, who was still gazing carefully around the field. Then instantly, his eyes rested on a glimmering, gold object, lazily soaring out of a cloud to his right. he exclaimed, speeding at it, against the wind. His face felt numb by now as he neared the object he wanted so desperately to get. There was a swish of robes, and he could hear Potter yelling not far behind him.

As if the snitch had eyes, it seemed to notice Draco's approach and sped up, spiraling back into the cloud. Without giving a second thought, Draco followed it in, and the mist hit his face like a glass of ice water. Every nerve in his body froze, and his eyes watered from looking through the mist. But the glimmer of gold was still there, just out of his reach, and he followed it with determination until he suddenly came out of the cloud and the swirling haze clear, leaving him a bit dizzy.

And just as his mind began to clear again, a hard object smashed against his side, and he glanced over with surprise at a very wet, eyes narrowed Potter, who was pushing hard against him, trying to throw him off course. But Draco pushed back, so hard, in fact that his shoulders ached miserably, and his eyes were still glued to the whizzing golden snitch, always a few mere feet in front of him.

Draco felt his arm start to go weak from the pressure and cold, and he knew he couldn't take this any longer, or his arm would snap. He gripped his broom tightly and yelled, , causing it to lurch ahead of Harry's broom; Draco suddenly felt dizzy again as the pressure suddenly disappeared, and he no longer had anything to lean against. He drunkenly slipped over the side of his Nimbus 2001, and felt the world spin violently as his heart stopped for an instant, and his legs reflexively hooked around the underside of his broom. He was upside down, in a whirl of gray and white and frozen cold.

And something collided with the fingers of his right hand- a hard object that made his finger muscles ache with agony. He gripped the tiny object, trying to see what it was as his eyes were still rattling with dizziness. And a loud cry arose from the judging box below him:

MALFOY NABBED THE SNITCH! DRACO MALFOY HAS JUST CAUGHT THE SNITCH!

There were cheers and yells of protest, but Draco didn't hear anything as he floated down to the ground, his legs still locked around his Nimbus 2001. When his body gently touched down, he let go, dropped the snitch onto the field beside him, and closed his eyes with relief.

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Ron was gripping the railing so hard that his knuckles had turned white. His stomach bubbled up with fury as he watched the blonde Slytherin lying there on the ground, with the snitch limply in his fingers. he hollered, burying his face in his hands. This was awful! How could Malfoy win?! Harry was so close! No No No No NO! Fuck! Bugger! Shit! God DAMNIT!!!!!

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Every bit of Draco's body was in pain. His robes were drenched with sweat and cloud matter. His eyesight was blurry. His arms ached horribly. And pieces of messy, blonde hair stuck frozen to his face. But he didn't care. He'd won. That's all that mattered. Weasley was his now, for two whole weeks! His! All his! Holy Fuck! He couldn't believe that he'd actually won!!!


A word from the author: Dun Dun Dun! Oh, yes! This bit was very suspenseful, wasn't it? First Ron gets unexpectedly kissed by his best friend, then Malfoy gets the snitch and wins! Looks like the next scene ought to be at Malfoy Manor. Muahahahaha....... Okay. I'm quite done. haha. What are your thoughts on this? Write a review, and feel free to email me if you'd like. My emails are elvenwindstorm@hotmail.com, AND vanima_ebony@hotmail.com. Pick your poison. hehe.

Delicious love, Ebony L