Here is the third chapter. Enjoy boys and girls!!!

Chapter Three: Conflict with the ferret

After three "Or was it four?" hits from the bong Ron was ready to leave. Not that he didn't want to stay but he felt if he didn't go to class, Hermione would question why later. Seamus let him out, after Dean made sure to cologne charm the stoned out red head, and Ron made his way to potions. "The castle seems bigger." Ron mused as he walked down the empty corridor with a dazed grin on his face.

Eyes wandering upon the many paintings that lined the walls, until one particular painting caused Ron to stop. It was a painting of a basset hound. The dog was white with black ears and black around the brown eyes. The eyes themselves were the size of cup saucers, and glossy. Ron looked at this sad dog in confusion, with the distraught canine staring back. "I've never seen a dog with eyes that huge." Then he chuckled. Chuckling caused more giddiness. Giddiness caused more laughter. Laughter caused hysterics, and also caused the dog to whimper and sulk off to another painting. He doubled over cracking up, until he felt himself falling on his ass . "I have to stop, if I don't get a move on, I'll be late!" His body then followed his minds advice and stood up.

Ron moved on still in a light chuckle, he then turned the corner to the next corridor, and stopped laughing all together. The corridor was busy with students, keeping his head low to avoid eye contact with anyone, Ron made his way through the crowded hall. He could hear whispers of gossip as he passed by some fifth years. When he heard one of them mention his name, a wave of paranoia hit. "THEY KNOW!! How the bloody hell could they know I'm stoned !?! They must of heard me laughing at the painting like a madman." He quickened his step, keeping his head down as if he were in deep thought.

He glanced up and saw Colin Creevy staring at him. "Even Colin knows! He can probably smell it on me! That colgne charm of Dean's is rubbish!! Creevy could smell me over those chocolate frogs he carrying!" Ron stopped walking as his stomache let out a growl. "Creevy's got chocolate frogs?" Ron dazed out for a moment and then any idea formed in his hazy mind. He looked down at his robes to see if his prefect badge was on. "CHECK!"

Ron approached Colin with a very serious look plastered on his face. The elder Creevy brother gulped and immediately placed his hands behind back. "Creevy! What are you hiding there!?" Colin slowly brought his hands out and showed Ron the chocolate frogs. "Do you know that having those in class could get you detention?" Colin's eyes widened. "Oh please! Don't give me detention Ron!! I swear I'll give you all I've got on me."

"You mean you have more than this?" Colin nodded "Alright I won't give you detention or take away points....... now give me all you have and I'll make sure it gets to Filch." The fifth year Gryffindor handed over to Ron a total of fourteen chocolate frogs and five sugar quills that he had on his person."Merlin!!", exasperated Ron expecting just a few frogs. "Colin, what do need all that for, trying to bulk up for Quidditch tryouts?" Poor Colin just stared, dumbfounded. Instead of waiting for an answer Ron spun to face the other direction and left a very relieved yet confused Colin.

"Talk about easy." tossing the sweets in his bag, save four frogs, Ron headed down the stairs to the dungeons. He opened one of the "confiscated" sweets and devoured the chocolate amphibian inside. "Merlin was I hungry! I should never go so long without a meal again." Ron finished of the first frog. "I'm glad 'Mione isn't hear to see me abusing the badge to get sweets."

He was starting on the second frog when something occurred to him. "I can't sit next Harry and Hermione in class." He didn't want to make things more awkward than they were, however, sitting next to them meant he'd have to talk to either of them. He wasn't ready to talk, he hadn't had a chance to think about there two month debauchery. That was a lie, he really had forgotten everything that happened before he met with Seamus. "Finnigan, was right this stuff did make me forget my problems." But now his problems seem to have returned, for he knew he'd have to find someone else to sit with.

As Ron found himself just outside potoins class, he heard snickering behind him. He turned around to see the slick blond head of Draco Malfoy. Suprisingly enough Malfoy didn't have his two stooges with him. "Well look at the poor widdle weasel!", Malfoy drawled. Ron's clenched his fist tight, fingernails digging into his palms. "Sod off Malfoy!!", Ron exclaimed through grinding teeth, not knowing how Malfoy can just bring him to boiling rage just by standing there.

"Maybe I don't want to, Weasel King."

"Malfoy, I'm warning you don't start with me." Ron was seeing red but trying to keep his composure.

Draco went on, "Look at yourself, you're so pathetic and poor. If your family wasn't a bunch of pureblood traitors, think of where you'd be."

"And what of your family, last I heard it wasn't in good shape. Does daddy get to write often from Azkaban?"

Draco sneered at Ron. He reached inside his robes, however Ron noticed this and drew his wand before Malfoy could. Draco eyed Ron and a grin swept over his face. "Tell me Weasley. How does it feel to be left out of Granger and Potter's relationship?" Ron felt his mouth go dry the color on his face drain trying to comprehend how it was possible for Malfoy to know what's going on between Harry and Hermione. "H-how do you know about that?", Ron asked hoarsely.

"The whole school knows weasel, everyones been talking about them since breakfast. They were seen leaving the Great Hall together holding hands....... I didn't think Potter was that much of a Nancy. The things a bloke will do for a shag." Draco, seeing the anger returning to Ron's face, continued, "...you should have seen them, imagine, him and the mudblood going around making eyes at ea-" Ron didn't hear anything after mudblood, tossing his bag to the ground and his wand on top of it, he charged at Malfoy. Before Ron could get to ranting Slytherin, Professor Snape appeared from the potions room. Ron stopped in mid stride at the sight of his least favorite teacher.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, why is it that neither of you are seated in my class?" Ron wanted to answer but found he couldn't take his eyes of the potions master's nose. "That is one long nose. I've been told I have a long nose. I hope it's not the size of his. Does mine hook like that? Sometimes I wish I were a Metamorphma-"

"It's not my fault professor, I was on my way when Weasley stopped me from entering class."

Draco so spoke loud and fast, it took Ron a moment to know what he just said. He went to speak in his defense, but was cut off by Snape. "Well Mr. Weasley, that will be ten points from Gryffindor. Now I believe my class is in session, enter and sit." With that Snape turned and entered the classroom.

Draco shoved passed Ron with his shoulder. "See you around, weasel!" Malfoy said with a glare and entered behind Snape.

Ron grabbed his wand and his bag, and headed in as well. Once inside he looked around at the classroom. In the third row a pair of brown eyes surrounded bushy hair were staring at him. Hermione reached at the empty seat next to her and pushed it out as an offering. Ron then saw Harry on the other side of her, busy writing on some parchment. He glanced back at the empty seat and then back at Hermione. He shook his head and mouthed the word 'sorry', then took the first available seat in the sixth row.

"Um... not that I mind you sitting there, but I had placed my extra parchment in that seat before you took it." Lavender Brown whispered, in Ron's ear. Ron went red as he raised up for Lavender to retrieve her parchment. He sat back down and muttered an apology. "Don't worry about it." She flashed him a smile, instinctively Ron returned it.

"Mr. Weasley! Ms. Brown! I hope my lesson isn't interupting your playful banter. Perhaps you both can keep your hormones under control to learn something." Snape sneered at the young Gryffindors. Ron could see Malfoy, now sitting in the fourth row aisle seat with his stooges next to him, pointing at Lavender and himself; snickering. Laughter was erupting from the rest of Slytherin side of the classroom. "ENOUGH!!!" Snape silenced the the class and continued with the lesson.

Ron looked back at Lavender who was now blushing, while busily writing. Ron wanted to apologize, but at the same time he didn't want to give Snape another reason to humiliate her or himself. He looked down at the oak table.

Ron kept his eyes fixed on the table resisting the urge to look up and glare at Snape. "Slimey git! He always has it in for us Gryffindors. One of these days someone will get the better of him, and on that day I'll be the one laughing at his misfortune." Ron's gaze which never left the table now saw a single parchment being slid in front of him by Lavender.

Ron turned to her. "Uh thanks, but I don't need it I have plenty of parchment." Ron whispered. Lavender never looked back at him, nor did she acknowledge he said anything, she just continued writing. Confused by the cold shoulder he was getting, he turned his attention to retrieving his quill and ink. He was all set to write on the parchment Lavender gave him, when he saw there was writing on there that wasn't there when she gave it to him.

Don't use this for notes, we can use this to communicate with out being bothered.

cool

Yeah, Parvati and I use these all the time.

At the mention of Parvati, Ron relized she wasn't here in class.

Where is Parvati?

She felt really ill this morning. She said she was going to miss classes today.

Maybe it's best she's not here then.

Why is that?

I don't think she likes me very much, after I was such a bad date to her sister at the Yule Ball.

Ron could hear Lavender holding back laughter after he wrote that statement.

That was in forth year Ron. I would think she and Padma had gotten over that one date with you and Harry.

Well, it was pretty bad though.

True, though I wouldn't worry about that.... you know if you had asked me to the Yule Ball before Seamus had, I would've said yes. But then, I was relieved you didn't.

Why?

Because, you would've spent the whole night staring at Hermione. Not playing attention to your date.

Ron suddenly didn't feel like writing anymore. He looked up to the third row. Harry was whispering in her ear, and she started a little fit of silent giggles. "Damn it, I can't go on like this I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and be happy for them. YES!! HAPPY!! With joyous feelings running all day long, then I'll be best man at there wedding, godfather to their child and end up dying alone in this world with no one to love... just like Sirius Black." But Sirius did have someone, Harry. Once his name would have been cleared Sirius would have raised Harry as if Harry were his own son. "Sirius had died for someone, yet most of his life he'd been alone. More alone then I could imagine. Sure he had a big family, but he was an outcast. Yet I sit here wallowing in my own self pity........ I am such shite right now." Ron could see more writing appear on the parchment in front of him.

I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned her, I know it must be hard for you. I understand if you don't want to continue chatting with me.

Maybe we could do this again some other time.

He turned and gave her a reassuring smile and a chocolate frog as a show of no hard feelings. Lavender nodded and mouthed a 'thank you'. Ron turned back to Snape's lesson, but found he couldn't concentrate. So his gaze wandered around the rest of the room. He looked over at Harry and Hermione and saw they weren't as giddy as before. Hermione was try to calm Harry down for some reason Harry wasn't joking around with her as he was earlier. In fact Harry was looking down right angry, keeping his head down only to occasionally look up in scowl. Ron followed his gaze and saw Malfoy and his comrades, pelting the couple with Bertie Bott's beans.

If Ron had known the repercussions of his actions, he probably wouldn't have done it. However, between yesterday's events and his run in with Malfoy outside potions... not to mention his little excursion in the Room of Requirement, Ronald Weasley simply wasn't thinking straight. He reached in his bag, pulled out one of the boxes he got from Colin, nabbed the frog inside, and hurled the chocolate treat straight at Malfoy's head.

SPLAT!!!

Draco's once slick and well groomed hair, was now a sticky chocolate mess. He turned his livid face to see Ron, standing at his table. "MR. WEASLEY!!!! I AM OUTRAGED BY YOUR BEHAVIOUR!! I ASSURE YOU, IF YOU WERE IN MY HOUSE I WOULD TAKE THAT BADGE OF YOURS....." Ron had tuned out Snape's tirade, he kept his glare on Malfoy, as if daring him to make his move.

Draco made his move, though he didn't charge at the redhead. He simply reached in his robes for his wand, pointed it at Ron, and muttered the first spell that came to mind.