Part Two

"Hallo Weasley, hiding from your admirers are you?" Draco leaned casually against a low shelf bursting with the rolled up Quidditch flags of all four Hogwarts houses. He stretched his arms along the top, lifting his chin slightly to gaze coolly over at Ron.

Ron glared back at him, refusing to answer. Oh, he knew he was being pig-headed and childish, but Malfoy always seemed to bring out the worst in him.

Draco lifted one perfectly sculptured eyebrow at Ron's obstinate stance. He refused to be subjected to another of the boy's juvenile 'staring competitions.' Still he felt no need to leave Ron alone either. He rather fancied annoying the Gryffindor for a little longer.

Turning his head from those luminescent blue eyes, he concentrated on making patterns in the dust with his long elegant fingers. Obviously the house-elves had never been directed to clean the storeroom, he thought that rather odd as he'd always imagined Dumbledore as a stickler for cleanliness in his school.

"Why are you here Malfoy?" Ron demanded. He took a threatening step towards the blonde, but then thought better of it.

"Why do you think? Just because you're a favoured Gryffindor, don't think you have the right to monopolize every area of the school. I don't see your name over the door, do you?" Draco snapped, his eyes narrowing at the red head that looked equally as peeved.

Draco couldn't believe he'd let himself be manipulated into his old ways. Not after the past summer, it was appalling. What was it about Weasley that made his icy veneer shatter and his common sense desert him in a matter of seconds?

Before Draco could clamp a hand over his own treacherous mouth, the hot acid just rolled off his tongue, he had no control.

"Oh, I see…" he winked at Ron before smiling nastily.

Those freckled hands tightly curled into fists, that face infused with such rage that his lips actually trembled. Such restraint, he was sure Weasley would have reached for his wand before now.

"Am I intruding in your snog-fest with Kelgarr?" Draco's eyebrows rising in a flash. Oh he knew by the answering flicker that raced across Ron's face, that he'd struck a nerve. He should have backed off then, but that would have been no fun at all.

"It's really quite disgusting the way he simpers after you like you were special. The Kelgarr's and the Malfoy's have always shared a similar view in how the world should be. We move in the same circles, so I'm certain that we shall receive an invitation to the upcoming union."

Ron growled, turning his head from Malfoy. He really should just walk away, but could never manage to do just that.

"Will you be wearing white on that day" Draco paused as if in deep thought over the matter. He knew he had Ron's complete attention even if his body language said something else. "I just don't know if that would be wise. What with that shocking mop of unruly hair and those blotches all over your skin. I think that colour would clash hideously. Although I'm sure you'll make a lovely bride and be quite the homemaker for Marcus. Children though…launching another Weasley breed on the world…"

"Shut up!" Ron spluttered. Malfoy was the last person he needed teasing him about Marcus. He desperately wanted to wring the toe-rag's neck for even opening his mouth.

Draco sneered at Ron before turning his attention to the nails on his right hand, stretching out his long fingers to admire the work of his manicurist and effectively ignoring Ron in the process.

On second thoughts, when did he ever need an excuse to launch into Malfoy? Forgetting entirely about his wand, Ron tore across the space that separated them and pounced.

Only it seems Draco was a little more prepared for the attack then he had expected.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

Ron found instead of his fists being entwined in the Quidditch robes of his enemy, that they had captured empty air.

His arms flapping hysterically in midair, panic setting in as he realized Malfoy wasn't where he was supposed to be to break his fall.

Ron was vaguely aware of the broomsticks that had levitated around him, before tripping over them and smacking his head on the Slytherin cupboard, after that, all went black.

His eyes fluttered open a short time later, his vision swimming in and out of focus until his brain connected with what he was seeing. Draco Malfoy was leaning over him, his fingers gripping Ron's shoulder painfully. He swung his fist back and punched Draco on the nose.

Draco reeled back out of Ron's line of sight.

"Bloody hell, what did you do that for?" he bit out. Both of his hands had flown to his injured nose and he rocked back and forth as blood dribbled over his fingers, staining his precious robes.

Ron maneuvered himself into a sitting position with one hand plastered to his forehead and the other supporting the entire weight of his shaky frame. He blinked at Draco several times before realizing that he'd been asked a question. What had been the question?

Draco glared dangerously through steepled fingers that hid his face from Ron's eyes.

Oh…

He remembered now. He'd taken a swing at Malfoy and Ron had to grin that at last he'd wiped that smirk off the pompous gits face.

Ron groaned loudly, smiling just aggravated the pounding in his skull. Damn it, why did Malfoy have to be here. He should be at the Gryffindor party right now, dodging the wandering hands of one Marcus Kelgarr, but instead he was here.

He moaned again, squeezing his eyes shut as if he could block out the agony "I wish I was home. I wish I was home," he whispered.

Draco slid up beside him. "What are you going on about?" he drawled

Ron's eyes glowered threateningly, a warning for the Slytherin not to come any closer. Draco of course ignored it. Rolling his eyes in a dramatic fashion, he reached over and pried Ron's fingers off the weeping gash on his forehead.

Ron struggled "Get off me, Malfoy." he screamed.

Draco pursed his lips and scowled "Do you want it to stop hurting or not?"

Ron slapped away the heavenly cool fingers poking at his wound.

"I'm fine Malfoy. Just stop touching me and go away!!" he howled as shooting pain lanced through his skull. "Okay, please do something, hurry."

Draco raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. He inched forward so that he sat in front of Ron, reaching into his robes he extracted his wand.

The pain was throbbing relentlessly in his brain now "Hurry, please…" Ron whimpered.

A gentle breeze blew against his face, just before a warm pressure collided with his skin and seemed to burrow inside his head. He had heard Malfoy recite some incantation, but the words escaped him. He felt dizzy, emotions Ron could not define washed through him. Oh… he felt really, really good.

"Wow, what is this Malfoy? I feel giddy…this is amazing," Ron laughed breathlessly.

Draco had to grin at the sappy expression on Ron's face. He remembered just how it felt to have the spell cast on him. Everything had been bliss and you could forget for awhile the things that you had been told. How those same things blew apart your treasured place in this world.

He lurched back "What are you…looking at?" Draco stuttered. Weasley was practically sitting in his lap; he was way to close for comfort.

Ron began to laugh, no to giggle "I'd have sworn I hit you, there was all this blood, your blood, but there's nothing, its all gone poof" he was in hysterics now. Ron reached out to experimentally pinch Draco's nose.

"Ow! Don't do that Weasley. How dare you… its still tender!" Draco growled, placing a hand over his nose to protect it from roaming fingers.

Ron's giggles turned into hiccups as he juggled all this confusion. It felt like those muggle balls of cotton, had been stuffed into his head. It was nice, but frustrating him no end.

Draco had helped him; he shouldn't be doing that, it was wrong. Then Ron realized Draco had just told him something important.

Ron's eyes went wide "So I did hit you then, socked you one right in the…" he pouted at the anger in those grey eyes "I'm sorry" he mumbled, not meeting Malfoy's steady gaze.

Draco frowned, why was the Gryffindor looking all sheepish and contrite? Weasley should be gloating, not responding to his small act of compassion with his own. Still he couldn't help, but watch Weasley with a quiet amusement.

Unfortunately, or depending on how you looked at it, his impatience got the better of him. "Are you finished?" he retorted.

Ron turned his face towards Draco, tears of mirth making his eyes water hopelessly. Cheeks flushed, he panted slightly…all of this was rounded off with the most pure and dare he say, sweet expression. It was as if Ron was thinking really hard on what he'd asked of him. Draco almost felt like laughing himself.

"Yes, I think so," Ron pondered, straightening from his hunched over position. He had clamped a hand over his side, he had the stitch he'd been laughing so hard.

Draco nearly asked Ron what was wrong, but stopped himself before those fatal words could be spoken. He stared at Ron a moment before stating.

"Well, it's been fun. I have to go."

Ron shrugged; his voice had a faraway dreamy quality. "Okay, see you."

Draco frowned in concern "You should leave, don't you have a party to attend?"

Ron perked up "Yes…yes I do," he grinned.

Draco nodded absentmindedly, shuffling his feet. "Well then bye," he muttered and stepped around Ron's frozen form. He was at the entrance when he heard Weasley's whispered "Bye Draco."

He hesitated, but kept moving. As he pulled the door open and the rain pelted down on his expensive shoes. He uttered "By the way, congratulations on winning. You must have trained hard over the summer." He faltered for a moment, realizing he'd never said a kind word to Weasley in his life. "I just wanted to say you deserve your place on that team and I think they should make you captain." and he was gone, the door slamming into place.

Ron just stood there with his mouth gaping stupidly. What had Malfoy just done? He'd complimented him and Ron was completely flabbergasted.

It took blinking some twenty, thirty times before his brain absorbed every detail of what Malfoy had said to him. In two strides he had made it to the door, yanked it open and ran out into the torrential rain, lightening cracked open the sky all around him in a spectacular show of power.