The next morning Harry waited for his girlfriend, Ginny, in the common room. And as she descended the stairs Harry said,
"Did you know Malfoy and Ron were friends?"
"About time! I'm sick of him complaining about Draco all the time," Ginny said, then gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek.
"So you're okay with it?"
"You aren't?"
"Well…what if Malfoy's just trying to get something out of him?"
Ginny burst into giggles. Harry blushed a bright red and exclaimed,
"Not that! I mean, information."
"What could Malfoy possibly get out of Ron? Ron wouldn't tell Malfoy anything. They probably just realized that the other acts a lot different when they aren't around their friends."
"Ron acts different when he's not around us?"
"Yes, of course."
"How?"
"He's a lot quieter. He doesn't joke as much. Um…basically, he barely talks at all."
"Why?"
"He's not really noticed. Are you going to sit down?"
Harry realized that they were in the Great hall. Down a few seats he saw Ron and Hermione sitting across form Dean, Seamus, and Neville.
"Don't be so harsh on him," Ginny said, "Aren't you happy? Ron won't be complaining about how big of a git Malfoy is."
"And Malfoy's still a git. Maybe he doesn't pick on Ron anymore, but he still does to me and Hermione and Ron acts like he doesn't even care!"
"He probably doesn't."
"Why wouldn't he, though? Why doesn't he? Aren't we still his friends?"
"Harry…do I need to draw this in a picture you'll understand?"
"Yes."
Ginny sighed and straddled the bench so she faced him better.
"Look," she said slowly, as though with the air of explaining that C-A-T spells cat, "Ron and Malfoy met because they couldn't sleep so they went out flying and eventually met up. It was nighttime and they were both tired and slightly out of it. They started talking and found that the other, like I said before, acts differently when not around their friends. They mention this to eachother and explain why. Days pass and they still meet at night. They get to know eachother and become friends. That's all. You disapproving is making Ron mad. He thought you would understand, more likely he thought you wouldn't care."
Ginny swung her left leg back over the bench and began eating.
"How do you know all that?" Harry asked, still very angry at Ron.
"He told me."
Down the table Ron was talking with Hermione,
"Why does he hate me because I'm friends with Draco? Since when does he care who I'm friends with?"
"I think Harry's feeling a bit betrayed, Ron. After all, Lucius Malfoy-"
"Is dead," Ron interjected, "And Harry doesn't want to believe that because of that Draco's changed."
"Ron, Harry just feels like your betraying him. Malfoy has been our enemy-"
"It's elementary school, Hermione! We weren't enemies we just never got along. Harry's just being overly dramatic as usual!"
"You can get that way, too, sometimes."
"I know. I just think that it's stupid that Harry doesn't want me to be friends with Draco."
"I think it's stupid, too. I'm fine with it. Just as long as you're careful what you say to him."
"Why? Because you think he's going to try and get something out of me? The war is over, Hermione. Death Eater's are dead, Voldemort is dead, no one care's anymore. Not even Draco. So why can't we just put it underneath us and start over?"
"I'm not saying we can't!" Hermione exclaimed.
"No, but Harry is."
"He hasn't said a word to you since you threatened to get him in trouble for going out on the grounds."
"Well he was being a prat."
"So are you. Ron, what Harry's looking at is that you're Malfoy's friend now, and you're not talking to him. He probably thinks Malfoy is trying to control you. If anything other than being very annoyed with you, Harry's probably worried."
"Right."
"Ron…"
"Let's just go to Transfiguration."
Ron, again, got up in the middle of the night and started out to the grounds. But once he got up into the air and saw Malfoy, he heard him say,
"Shhhhh…"
Ron flew up next to him and looked where Draco had been pointing. It was a baby unicorn. Ron could tell it was a baby because it had a golden coat. It was right in the middle of the Dark Forest, where they had a good view of.
"Why isn't it moving?" Ron asked quietly.
"I don't know."
The baby unicorn was looking from side to side, and eventually step forward very wobbly.
"Maybe it's hurt?" Ron suggested, then, without waiting for a reply, dived forward and down into the Dark Forest. Malfoy followed.
"But remember what Professor Grubbly-Plank said?" Malfoy asked as Ron dismounted his broom, leaning it against a tree, "They don't like guys."
"That's matured unicorns," Ron replied, "See? It is hurt."
It was a very small baby unicorn. Only about the size of a Labrador. And it had a deep wound on one of its front legs, blood gushed out of it. The unicorn gave Ron a withered look.
"Can you pick it up?" Ron asked Malfoy.
"I'm not getting blood all over my robes," Malfoy said.
Ron rolled his eyes, sometimes Malfoy would get Malfoyish at times. He stepped forward slowly. The unicorn did not move. He reached out and stroked its head. Malfoy walked forward and stroked it, too.
"How close are we to Hagrids cabin?" Ron asked.
"Not that far."
Ron waited for a moment or two, the unicorn seemed to enjoy the warm hands of the two boys. Ron picked it up gently. It was actually very light, at least, not as heavy as he expected it to be. Malfoy grabbed his and Ron's brooms and led the way to Hagrids cabin.
"He's probably sleeping," Malfoy said once they were outside of the forest.
"No," Ron said, "Look, his light are on, I can see him at the table."
"Oh." Malfoy walked up to the door and knocked.
They could hear the squeaking of a chair backing up and then Hagrids huge footsteps. The door opened.
"'Lo, Malfoy, Ron," Hagrid said gruffly, then noticed the unicorn, "Oh…what 'appened to 'im?"
He took the unicorn from Ron and saw the blood.
"Come in, come in," Hagrid said quickly, "Before ya get caught."
Ron and Malfoy stepped inside. Hagrid laid the unicorn onto the rug in the sitting room and examined the wound.
"What did it?" Ron asked.
"Dunno," Hagrid said, standing up. Malfoy sat tensely into a chair and avoided looking at Hagrid. Fang galloped over to the silver haired teen and begged to be acknowledged. Draco petted him slowly and then withdrew his hand.
"I'll take care of the unicorn," Hagrid said, "You two best be getting' back to the castle. Go on, be gone with ya."
"See you tomorrow, Hagrid," Ron said, and nodded to Malfoy, who stood and grabbed the brooms. He tossed Ron his and they left.
Does anyone know of any really good HP fanart sites? Email me the links or put them in your reviews, please!