So, yeah, after a long time, it's Ron's turn! Hope this makes sense...

88888

Ron doesn't understand Hermione.

While that is usually the case, and would hardly surprise anyone had he said it, this time it's a little different. Usually he doesn't understand what she finds so interesting about Ancient Runes – there's a reason they're called "Ancient" and no one uses them anymore. Or "Hogwarts, a History"; two thousand pages of complete and utter boredom, and a lot of dust. Really, he can't see the appeal. Or ugly and big-nosed Bulgarian Quidditch players that are too old for her anyway, and what is she thinking, exactly? So the bloke plays international Quidditch. It doesn't mean that he'll know what's god for her, or how to – well, never mind.

Hermione confuses Ron on a daily basis. But now, well, it's something else.

"I don't like Malfoy," she tells him, one day when Harry is with Professor Dumbledore, as though confiding a great and horrible secret.

"Fancy that," he says, bemused. "And that's supposed to shock me, how?"

"No," she whispers impatiently "It's the way he looks at Harry. I don't trust him."

"Aha," he says, blinking "you mean in utter contempt? In loathing? In envy, because he's a sad little wanker that will never be as good as –"

"No!" she hisses. "Not anymore he doesn't. Just…" she makes a frustrated noise. "You're just as blind as Harry is!"

"Hermione," he says cautiously, as to not set her off "is this about the fist-fight they had a few days ago? Because you said something similar then…"

"And I'm right, aren't I?" She clings to the shred of hope he has given her, looking at him eagerly.

"You're usually right," Ron says sheepishly, and maybe he's blushing a bit, too "but, unfortunately, I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Urgh!" she exclaims, throwing her hands in the air, and she storms away, muttering to herself about the general obliviousness of teenage boys and the superiority of females compared to men.

"Mental, that one," Ron says to himself, and shrugs it off.

But it bugs him, what Hermione said, and even more, what she didn't say. How would Malfoy look at Harry, if not in hate? And he starts watching them closely, especially Malfoy. Because if Hermione says something is off, then she's almost always right.

At first he doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But then he starts to wonder; did Malfoy always stare at Harry so much? Was he always this pink around this time of the year? Ron doesn't know, he's never gave Malfoy much thought except to hurt him, but to his long nose, something smells fishy.

"You know Malfoy watches our Quidditch practices," he asks Harry, one day.

"Probably spying," Harry answers, immersed in his homework.

"You know he doesn't really taunt you anymore," he asks, frowning.

"We're all busy, he probably just doesn't have any time," Harry says, and glances at the clock before making a face. "I need to go, Shacklebolt's calling".

"I swear, if it wasn't Malfoy, I'd say he was actually being nice to you," Ron says suspiciously, after Malfoy passes them in the hall and actually gives a brief nod in Harry's direction, not that Harry notices.

"What is it with you and Hermione?" Harry demands, looking up from the Potions textbook he is trying to read while Ron steers him. "Malfoy this, Malfoy that, 'be careful, Harry', 'I don't trust him, Harry', blah blah blah".

"He's being very un-Malfoy-ish," Ron insists, flustered, but Harry's already buried back in his book.

Ron doesn't know what to think. Ron doesn't like to be confused, but he is. Usually, in a situation like this, Ron would go to Hermione, but for some reason he has a feeling he isn't going to like the answer she will give him.

Ron resolves just to wait, and see how everything plays out. And in the meantime, he'll be keeping both eyes on Malfoy.

8888

I tried to make Ron as in character as I could -- which means, he does have to be dense, and it'll be hard for him to see any other side of Malfoy, other than the "bastard" side, and harder to accept it's not some sort of plot against Harry. But on the other hand, he has facts, he sees things, so he's having a rather hard time with the whole thing.