Ron idly trailed his quill across the parchment, barely half-listening to the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, who was reading out the pairings for their end of year projects. He was always placed with Harry, so he paid little attention.
He gazed at the scene depicted outside the window, the lake frozen, and the ground paralyzed in a deep frost. He shifted slightly, and regained his focus as he heard his name. "Weasley," Miss Esson paused, her light blue eyes flicking up the register. Ron had been briefly interested in this particular teacher when he heard she was young and female, but the infatuation had gradually subsided, mainly due to the scathing comments he received from Harry and Hermione. "And Malfoy, Potter and Granger. That's it for today, you are dismissed, enjoy your lunch." The rest of the class began to slowly pack away their things.
Harry turned quickly to Ron, eyes wide in shock, and then twisted around towards the opposite end of the classroom where the Slytherins were seated. Draco, Ron and Harry stood up simultaneously, and strode to the front of the classroom, towards Professor Esson, leaving a very bewildered Hermione behind.
They all started at once. "I'm not working with that disgrace of an ignorant twat!"
"That scumbag?!"
"Not if I were dead!"
"So unfair!"
"Couldn't you just strip me naked, and parade me around the town?!"
"What would be the point Weasley? We all knew with that red hair you had to be compensating for something!"
"Shut up, Malfoy, you've no right! Unless you want me to start on the secret behind your pretty blond locks?"
This continued for some time until Professor Esson could be heard. "That is quite enough! Never have I heard such things from students! 40 points from Slytherin and Gryffindor! I can place you in whatever groups I see fit and you can and will work in them. If you fail to hand in your projects I will see that you have detention every day for the next year. Do you understand me?"
The three boys nodded meekly, although Draco still had the hint of defiance in his eyes. He turned to Ron, maintaining his dignity, though he was obviously enraged. The winter sun gleamed dangerously off his platinum hair, and he radiated a ferocious anger, that was reflected in his unnerving silver gaze. Ron returned the look just as forcefully. "I will see you on Thursday, Weasley." He spat the word as if it was the name of some deep sea animal, that's extremely slimy and unpleasant. "Third floor. Second room to the left. Until then, try and keep your freak pheromones under check. Wouldn't want my reputation to be squashed now, would I?" He gave them all a sarcastic smile, and swept out of the room like a cold draught.
Ron turned to Harry and Hermione, who, having watched the whole argument was now standing next to Harry.
"I swear," said Ron, "The rod up that boy's ass must have a rod up it's ass."
"Ten points from Gryffindor." Said Professor Esson from the corner of the room. "I need to get out of here," sighed Ron. "Before I murder someone."
Hermione and Harry followed behind him, chuckling silently, despite their sympathy.
***
Ron sat slumped in a chair in the cosy common room, refusing to go to lunch. Harry and Hermione had pleaded with him for the past twenty minutes, but their cries had fallen on deaf ears, as Ron glared at them, or rather through them, as though imagining their despairing faces to be Draco's. He snapped at anyone who said a word to him, and made violent stabbing motions at the chair with his wand. After two minutes of this, the chair protested by turning into a zebra.
Ron abruptly stood up, and walked out of the room, muttering something about 'going for a walk', leaving Hermione and Harry to figure out how to change the seat back.
Hermione looked at Harry; he nodded in response, and went after Ron.
Ron sat slumped against the courtyard wall looking resigned and profoundly exhausted. Harry approached him quietly, and perched beside him. "I wonder if he's impaled himself on the family of rods yet" commented Harry dryly. Ron let out a half hearted laugh, and turned to Harry. "It's as if that bastard sets out to ruin my life." He paused. "I don't know how I'm going to face him without beating him into a rat-faced pulp."
Harry nodded sympathetically. "Maybe Hermione can find some sort of spell to help you resist your homicidal urges?"
Ron sniggered. "Not with the state I'm in. I've got more chance of falling in love with him!" Harry laughed derisively, and the two walked off in the general direction of the Gryffindor Common room.
***