Ron walked into the first DA meeting after the grand initiation to find everybody but Draco on one side of the room. None of the other Slytherins were there yet, and neither was Harry, so Draco was on his own. The blond looked up and gave him a very cautious nod.

'The others not here yet? Ron asked, walking over. He gave a very deliberate look to the rest of the DA as he sat down beside Draco.

'Not yet,' Draco answered. 'We didn't want to all leave at once.'

Ron nodded agreement. 'Good idea.' He forced himself to make small talk. Harry liked Draco. And Ron had liked him fine in that small period between realising that he wasn't a Death Eater, and thinking that he wanted Hermione. Admittedly that hadn't been long enough to get to know him particularly well, but he knew that he liked Quidditch, and Harry. Normally that was good enough in Ron's books. Still, he was grateful when Harry arrived to stop the awkward conversation.

The other Slytherins arrived one by one, followed closely by Hermione, out of breath from running after whatever homework she had been unable to finish to her satisfaction in the half-hour Ron had allotted to his.

'Okay, that's everyone.' Harry whistled loudly. 'New rules. We're practicing one pair against another today. Anyone you like as your partner as long as they're from a different house.' There was a chorus of discontent. Harry whistled again. 'No arguing. We all agreed.'

'We didn't agree to...' a voice in the back protested.

'It was implied,' Harry cut in. 'Now, everyone pick a partner.' He turned behind him to Ron and Hermione, 'Not you two.'

The unrest was louder this time. 'Why do they not have to pick partners from another house?' Zacharias Smith asked resentfully.

Harry sighed. He answered quietly, but forcefully. 'Because some day soon Voldemort will get into the school grounds. When he does, I have to go for him. Which means Ron will be in charge of whichever DA members want to fight. And I want the cleverest witch in the school to be the one at his back. Any other questions?'

They shook their heads, or muttered no. Slowly the crowd dispersed, picking partners

Ron came up beside Harry. 'You're sure about that?'

'Yeah. I need Hermione to feed you spells and make sure no one gets near enough. You're going to be too busy giving orders.'

'I meant you're sure that I'm second-in-command?'

'You're first in command really. We're only going to need a command if Voldemort gets in. And then I have to be there. And yes, I'm sure.'

'Okay then.' Ron grinned. 'You and Draco against me and Hermione then?'

'In a minute. I just need to check that everyone's matched up.' Harry looked around. As he expected, most people had simply picked a friend from another house. But at least he was breaking up the house cliques a little. And Ginny, Luna and Neville had picked Blaise, Nott and Daphne. He smiled. It was nice to know that there were some people who would support him no matter what.

The next Saturday was the first Quidditch match of the year. This time the Gryffindor-Slytherin match was going ahead as planned, although outside the DA relations were as bad as ever. But Harry wasn't too concerned - the entire Gryffindor team had been in the DA from last year after all. They all knew how important it was that things didn't get out of hand.

This didn't seem to stop Seamus in the commentary however. 'And after that outrageous move by the Slytherin chaser, Gryffindor are behind by twenty. The referees really need to put a stop to that kind of...' Seamus was cut off.

Harry guessed it was McGonagall muting him before she was forced to put him in detention, but he didn't look around to check. He was hovering around the edges looking for the Snitch. Draco was presumably around somewhere too, but for once Harry wasn't watching for him. Lucius Malfoy wouldn't dare turn up today, so he didn't need to worry. It was nice to just have to deal with the Quidditch for once. Finally he spotted the faint glistening at the side of the far posts. Harry dived, relishing the single-minded concentration.

Just as he was about to reach the snitch, he heard screams. Even as his fingers curled around the ball he was turning, reaching for his wand. It was Draco of course. He was lying sprawled on the pitch. Professors were running towards him.

Harry tuned back in to Seamus's commentary when he landed. 'The Slytherin seeker took a bludger to the shoulder, but it looks as if he'll be fine. He lost a bit of control there landing, but he's getting up, so everything looks okay. In other news, Harry caught the snitch so we...sorry, Gryffindor, win!

The Gryffindor end of the crowd were cheering uproariously and Harry was hoisted onto shoulders. He took the opportunity to look over the Professors' heads and check Draco. He seemed okay but dazed, so was probably being taken to the hospital wing.

The team went to get changed, and Harry followed them. He let the dressing-room chatter wash over him, still charged with the adrenaline of the match and then the concern over Draco. So it wasn't until the rest of the team had left for the victory party that he noticed Ron had been silent.

Harry expected that Ron would be pleased at the win, or perhaps vaguely concerned that Draco was hurt. Instead, his friend was pacing the otherwise empty dressing room furiously.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked in concern.

'Did you see what happened!'

'Gryffindor won? Draco managed not to get himself killed?'

'It wasn't an accident.'

'What?'

As soon as Harry was changed Ron walked him out of the dressing room to meet Hermione. She smiled, and then frowned. 'Is something wrong?'

'Ron thinks Draco getting hit wasn't an accident.'

'I'm captain, Harry. It's my job to watch what everyone else is doing. Jack waited until you dived, until Draco was diving after you, and no one was looking. He wasn't hitting it away, he wasn't even aiming at Draco's arm. He was aiming at the head, Harry. He missed. I saw the look on his face when it hit. That wasn't the Gryffindor beater playing rough with the Slytherin Seeker. That was one member of the DA trying to take out another.'

Ron was flushed deep red and Harry and Hermione had paled.

Harry started for the castle. 'Where is he?'

'He was gone by the time I got in. I'll get him. You two check on Malfoy.' With that, he strode off.

'That was odd,' Hermione commented.

'What?'

'Ron. I didn't think he cared so much about what happened to Draco.'

'Maybe it's different when it's his team doing it,' Harry answered distractedly. 'Are you coming?'

'Of course!' she answered, although she still sounded perplexed.

Draco was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking bored. He scowled at Harry and Hermione when they entered. 'There are days, Potter, when I really don't like you.'

'The days Gryffindor wins?' Harry quipped.

'Not just those days. You didn't win at any rate. I was concussed.'

'Wonders of Quidditch. That doesn't matter. I caught the snitch.'

'Cheat,' Draco threw back.

'It wasn't me! Are you okay?'

'Perfectly fine. You can't be a good seeker if you're not prepared to be hit by a rogue bludger occasionally.'

Harry grinned at the opportunity. 'So again, I ask…'

'I hate you,' Draco muttered tolerantly.

Ron stalked in, dragging Jack Sloper behind him. Ron pushed the Gryffindor beater to the end of Draco's bed.

'Ron, I swear I didn't…' the younger boy protested.

The other three watched the exchange in confusion.

'I was watching you!' Ron exclaimed. 'You're a member of the DA. We do not attack each other.'

The boy considered protesting again, but instead stepped towards Ron and whispered, 'How can you trust him?'

'Because I do. And frankly I don't care whether you do or not. But let me make this absolutely clear.' He leant in, looming over Jack. This wasn't the typical Weasley temper – that, they were used to by now, and could ignore. This was a calm, cold rage, and all the more frightening for being unseen before. Ron didn't raise his voice, but spoke quietly and threateningly, 'If you pull anything like this again, I will let Harry kill you. Not even that – I'll just stand there and watch. Now get out of here.'

The boy nodded quickly, and then ran out of the door.

'Well…that was more than a little unnerving,' Draco observed.

'You okay?' Ron asked.

'I'm fine. Don't feel obliged to make death threats on my behalf…' Draco smiled slightly.

Ron went to the head of the bed, peering at the bandage around Draco's head in concern. 'Yeah, well.'

From the shadows at the doorway, Snape's voice came, 'Ten points, Mr. Weasley.'

'To or from?' he asked.

'Let's keep that a mystery.'

'Not the only one,' Draco murmured.

'I should report that to the Headmaster,' Snape pointed out dispassionately. 'You know that, Mr. Weasley.'

'Yes. But you won't.' Ron froze, lulled into being this casual with Snape of all people.

Snape seemed unconcerned. 'No. Although I must admit that it is slightly disconcerting that putting the fear of Potter in someone is more effective than the fear of the Headmaster.' He walked up to Draco. 'Is the potion working? You feel no further pain?'

'No.' he answered. 'My head's still a little fuzzy, but no pain.'

Snape frowned a little at that in professional concern. 'Perhaps I should refine the ingredients.' He returned to the doorway, presumably to go back the dungeons and analyze the potion. 'Go back to your dormitories soon. Be careful of that temper, Mr. Weasley.'

Ron nodded at Snape as he left, then turned back to the bed. 'Good game.'

'Until my near decapitation anyway,' Draco answered.

'Oh give over…' Ron responded, grinning for the first time since the end of the match.

Hermione took Harry's arm and steered him to one side. 'What just happened?'

'What?' Harry asked, pretending ignorance.

'Ron just defended Draco.'

'Yeah.'

'Why?'

'I pointed out that you weren't interested in Draco so he should stop being jealous. That you were only interested in a particular red-head, hot-tempered idiot or not.'

'Harry!' she shrieked. Lowering her voice to a whisper again, she continued, 'Ron and I are friends. Just friends. Like Draco and I.'

Harry just smiled.

As Hermione continued to protest, Ron trailed off in his conversation with Draco. The blond was watching Harry and Hermione intently.

Ron leant in to whisper in Draco's ear, 'If you hurt him, I will hurt you.'

'I thought you trusted me not to be a Death Eater.' Draco pointed out in quiet indignation.

'I do.' Ron smiled lopsidedly. 'That's not what I'm worried about.'

A/N: I do love Ron more and more….

Thanks to HecateDeMort for reviewing so frequently, and Cithara and Love Alchemist for lovely longer reviews. I love the end of Chapter 4 too, it was written before almost anything else of the story!