Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue, not nice to ruin a persons life like that, I'm only having fun.

Ok, chapter 21. To recap, Ron has started to develop feelings for Draco other than those of doctor patient etc. so what is he going to do? Well, here's what happens, have fun. And don't worry, there will be a confrontation with Harry very soon, in either the next chapter or the one after, I can't decide, depends on how this one goes. I've redone this chapter to slow down the relationship aspect. Go with it, it's better now, I promise.

The Other Way

For three days I had ignored it. But now it was in my head I just couldn't get it out. It made a certain kind of sense really. After guilt had come something else. Something I hadn't even considered before. But he was so different from he used to be. Maybe more likable, I don't know, but somehow, somehow, once it had been brought to my attention, I realised that I liked him… as more than a patient, more that a friend.

I'd set out disprove that theory the very next morning of course, been on the lookout for things that could be considered attractive. I mean, I did have my own view of the person of my dreams, and I have to say, a guy was never an option before, not really. Though I had had that crush on Harry for years, but that had disappeared by fifth year. And Draco didn't fit a single bill. He wasn't a woman, he didn't have wavy curly hair (yes, my ideal woman was always loosely based round madam Rosetta-she was a very attractive woman), unless of course you counted after he'd washed it. Then it was curly. He wasn't tall enough… what can I say, he's still short, it can't be helped. He didn't talk-too be expected after what he'd been through, and I did kind of miss him talking, even if it was just to critise.

Ok, ok, so I hadn't disproved anything really. I did like him. In that way. I went through a whole three days of denial-though if I'm completely honest I have to admit, I've been in denial most of my life over this one point. I am most definitely, completely and utterly attracted to Draco Malfoy. Since I was in school. They say you sometimes hate what you really love, and by god did I hate Draco during school. We always fought; I was always the one who got so worked up when he insulted my family.

It explained so much really.

And now that I thought about it, weren't Weasels and Ferrets part of the same kind of species really? Yes, for three days I had been obsessing over this, thinking of every conceivable reason how I couldn't possibly be attracted to him, but no, it all eventually came back to the fact that I did. I'd caught myself looking at him that morning, nothing unusual, I'd looked at him every morning from he came into my home, but on the morning I finally decided to talk to Ruth, I'd been watching him, and noticing all the little things I wouldn't have normally noticed had I not been thinking about it.

And the denial was over, and I knew I had to go talk to Ruth. I had barely spoken to Draco in three days. He wasn't going to get better if I couldn't trust myself to talk to him, not to lust after him. I was in command of myself enough to know that the last thing he needed was someone coming onto him. He was recovering from an abusive relationship, he was too vulnerable, he could fall into some kind of relationship with me because he thought he had to.

I was thinking of this far too much, confusing myself with every passing second. I needed to talk to Ruth, get Draco transferred and everything would be ok. Everything could go back to normal. I could sort my life out again.

I had been standing, trying desperately to think of what to say. The door to the counselling room opened and Ruth came out with one of her patients, she looked surprised to see me, after all, I was in early, when I wasn't even supposed to be in. it almost made me smile, I was never known to be early, stumbling in seconds before I was due to start was more my style. And I would have smiled, had I not been so worried.

"Yes Ronald?" she asked, frowning.

I summoned a tiny smile from somewhere. "Ruth, can we go in there and talk?" I asked quietly.

She studied me for a moment before nodding, telling her patient to go one, then she beckoned me in. I took one of the seats and started fidgeting. "What did you want to talk about Ronald?" she asked when she had shut the door and sat down opposite me.

"Draco." I said, drawing a hand through my hair.

"And what is wrong with Mr. Malfoy?" she asked.

And this was the crux really. There was nothing wrong with Draco besides the obvious. The whole problem lay with me. "Emm… there's nothing really wrong with him… it's more… well, it's more me really." I answered with a lot of difficulty, I suddenly had a very hearty admiration for Draco, having to talk about things he didn't want to but had to.

"Ronald?" she asked. She didn't prod me for an answer, she knew I'd eventually get round to it.

"Well… it's like this. I've started having… well, inappropriate feelings for him." There, I'd said it. Now all I could do was hope she wouldn't kill me on the spot.

"Inappropriate how?" she asked.

I looked at her; there was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Ruth, this isn't funny!" I complained.

"No, it's not Ronald, but you have to understand, it's hardly unexpected."

I frowned at her. "What?" I asked, suddenly feeling very stupid, was I missing something?

"Mr. Malfoy is your first… I hesitate to say meaningful-but he's your first intensive case. And not only that, you share a house with him. Being in such close quarters with someone, especially one as dependant as Mr. Malfoy is at the moment, it will spark feelings-as inappropriate as they are. But it is to be expected. You're looking after him, talking to him, seeing the real him; you're getting a feeling that you should protect him. It's your subconscious that's making you connect a lot of little things, that's telling you that maybe you want more from him. Am I right Ron?"

I considered, protectiveness I could understand, dependency I could understand, but I had actually dreamt about… well, doing it… with Draco… I knew it wasn't supposed to be like that.

"Do you intend to act on those feelings Ron?" Ruth asked, bringing me back.

"Well… no. but I think maybe he should be moved on-to Gerard or something. He's much better now Ruth, he really doesn't need it to be me."

She smiled at me, reminding me of my mother. "Ronald. You don't trust yourself nearly enough as you should. You have made excellent progress with Mr. Malfoy, and you will continue to do so. You may find that these 'inappropriate' feelings, may simply just disappear once Mr. Malfoy has stopping being so dependant."

"And if they don't?" I asked quietly.

She laughed. "Love has sprung from more disastrous beginnings than these Ronald. If it comes to that, it comes to that; there is little else you can do. But I must ask you to set aside these thoughts, for the sake of Mr. Malfoy."

I cringed at the thought really; the more I tried not to think about it the more it flitted merrily through my brain. But the more I thought about, the more I realised I didn't want to just let him go to someone else, not really. Ruth telling me that I would be staying on the case was a relief. Finally I nodded. "Ok, Ruth. Thanks."

She smiled. "Don't mention it Ronald." She got up. "You're a good man Ron. Trust yourself, and your feelings-sometimes they're all you need to deal with something like this." And on that somewhat confusing note she left me in the counselling room to think.

Later, I went to visit Percy, and told him, the imagined response from him was this "Ron, stop being an idiot, honestly, I just wonder about you sometimes. At least wait until he gets better before you proposition him." That made me laugh to myself for a while.

So by lunchtime I was ready to go home and face him, secure now in what I had to do. I was going to get Draco better, and after that… well, maybe it was best not to think about it right then. Ruth could be right; it might all just go away. But i doubted it, deep inside I doubted it.

I flooed home, he was sitting at the kitchen table, lunch set out. With only a little hesitation I went and sat opposite him. He looked up at me, then away.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. "About the other night. I shouldn't have asked… I…" he trailed off miserably.

We hadn't spoken, just kind of existed around each other for three days, he'd obviously guessed at the reason I had gone away today, to talk Ruth into moving him. I was glad she'd shot down that idea, seeing that look on his face.

"You had every right to ask Draco." I told him quietly. "You've got nothing to be afraid of here. I shouldn't have just run off like that. I owe you an explanation for that."

He shook his head and looked at me again; there was something I didn't recognise in his eyes, it was something I had never seen there. A small smile quirked the corners of his lips. "It's ok…" he ducked his head again, but it wasn't the usual fearful way I had come to recognise, this was… almost shy…

That stumped me entirely. When had he gone from afraid to shy? And why hadn't I noticed before now? Blinking, I finally lifted the fork set out for me and started to eat. I thought back, but nothing jumped out at me. Finally I had to ask. "You're not afraid of me? Of being here anymore. Why?"

He shrugged lightly, not looking up. "When… when you…" he glanced up, then down again and swallowed, hard. "You chose me over… over Ha… him. Nobodies ever chosen me over anything before… not when it counted."

I didn't speak, I couldn't find the words, but he kept talking, no prompting, nothing.

"You didn't just walk away when you found out." He paused for a second, a flicker of pain going across his face. "You said you'd have expected me to do what he did." Now he looked up, his expression unreadable. "Well, I never expected you… of all people… maybe Granger… but not you to help me. I guess I realised it these last few days, when I thought about it…"

"We've all changed." I said quietly, softly, hoping not to disturb his thoughts.

He nodded absently and folded his arms on the table top and looked at the food he had put in front of me. As he normally did, he hadn't made himself one. I smiled slightly. "Grab a plate and take some. You always make too much for me anyway."

Ok, I've redone it. I hope this makes it better. I'm suitably depressed enough at the moment for this. My internets down, I had a crap day in work-I was all tired, I have to work again tomorrow, and all next week. God only knows when this will be up-I'll probably have it finished by the time I'm back online, so yay for you.

Now that I'm in a suitably dramatic mood, I shall continue. Confrontation next up. Review every chapter folks or I won't love you anymore, and I won't write you another cute Ron/Draco (I have one in mind-this pairing is so cute really, and they really do go together so well) hell. Read the next chapter already!