AN: Okay, this update took a week simply because I would write something and then I'd delete it thinking it wasn't what I wanted it to be. I've now written like ten versions of this one chapter and I'm still not sure if this one turned out the way that I really wanted it to, but you know it did come closest. So thank you again for all of the reviews on last chapter, it got the most reviews of all of my chapters so far, I'm glad all of you are enjoying this, and hope you like this chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I own no rights to the Harry Potter series or characters...
The next morning Ron woke up before anyone else. Ron was really nervous about today. He knew that he was going to be pretending with Theodore today, and he wasn't sure just how Draco was going to react. Slowly he dressed and walked out of the room. Ron walked lazily down the stairs not really noticing what was going on around him. He felt someone grab his shoulder and he jumped. He quickly turned around and found Theodore behind him.
"Jumpy?" He asked with a tone of amusement. Ron laughed nervously.
"I'm just…" He trailed off looking blankly at the other boy. Theodore leaned down and kissed the red head softly. Ron blinked quickly, confused. He looked up again. Theodore smiled softly and grabbed him by his hand and they walked down the stairs hand and hand. On the way to the Great Hall people turned and stared at them, then quickly turned away. They walked into the Great Hall and Theodore wrapped his arm around Ron's waist. Ron was a little taken aback for a moment, then regained his composure quickly.
He felt Theodore tug him closer. Ron cautiously looked around the hall and found many people watching them, including a very angry Draco. They stopped at the Gryffindor table next to Harry and Hermione. The other two were staring at the pair with quite the look on their faces. Just yesterday they knew he was with Draco and then all of a sudden their friend was with some new Slytherin boy. Theodore leaned down and placed a soft kiss to Ron's cheek and walked off to his own table. Everyone in the Great Hall was staring from one to the other. No one took their eyes off of Theodore as he walked over to his own table. Once he was seated everyone took their eyes off of him and immediately started gossiping. Draco on the other hand glared at him from a far where no one knew he was looking.
After breakfast it was time for double potions. The trio walked down to the dungeons, Harry and Hermione both casting questionable glances over at Ron. Ron stared down at the ground. He wasn't enjoying his performance as much as he had hoped. He noticed Draco's anger, but he was a little afraid of what was going to come afterward. The trio stopped and Ron looked up. He saw Draco staring at him with hatred in his eyes; he had turned his hands into fists by his side.
Theodore showed up behind Ron and Draco's eyes went straight to him. Ron thought it was impossible for Draco's eyes to grow darker from hatred, but the moment Draco saw Theodore and fresh red tint developed in his face and his eyes grew darker. He had to turn away in order to restrain himself from pouncing on
Theodore and beating the crap out of him.
They walked in the classroom and everyone took their seats. The Slytherins took their seats on one side of the room and the Gryffindors on the other. Normally,
Draco would sit with one of his goons but today he took a seat next to Theodore. Theodore looked over at him and shrugged. Ron sat next to Harry as always and watched closely the scene next to him.
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Nott?" Draco said grabbing a flask of liquid.
"Nothing that I'm not allowed to." Theodore said without looking at the blonde. Draco clenched the flask hard and stared intently at the other boy.
"You're not allowed to touch Ron." Draco whispered.
"I'd abide by that if the two of you were dating, but you are not his boyfriend, so I took my chance." Theodore said finally looking over at Draco.
"I know that you know I had every intention of going out with Ron. Don't touch him!"
"He can do as he pleases until someone claims him. But since you haven't claimed him as your own, I'll take him." Theodore began to stir his potion quickly.
"You want to hear me claim him? Is that what you want?"
"No, I don't want to just hear it, I want to see it." Theodore said quietly. Then looked over to Ron and back at him.
"What are you talking about?" Draco snapped.
"I want to see you claim him. In front of everyone." Theodore said. "Then, and only then, will I stop touching him or even being around him, but as of right now, I've claimed him, dare to challenge me?" He asked mockingly.
"I can't believe you. You know—"
"I know what? Draco, if you want him that badly and you don't want me touching him that badly, then take him for you own, don't just sit here and complain to me about it." Theodore snapped back.
Draco groaned about something, then returned to his potion. Theodore returned to his. On occasion Theodore thought he saw Draco staring at him, but didn't really pay attention.
Draco huffed all through out Potions; Theodore smiled in enjoyment. Ron on the other hand shot cautious glances from Draco to Theodore. When Snape finally let them leave, Draco was one of the first people out of the room. Theodore hung back and told Ron that Draco was beginning to get jealous. Hermione gave a very disapproving look at Ron. Ron just ignored her and walked out soon after Theodore.
Lunchtime rolled around and everyone piled in. Ron was trapped against his table with Theodore hugging him. Ron played it off as if it was normal, but when he caught Draco's eyes he stopped. Theodore looked over his shoulder to find Draco staring again. He smirked at Draco, then leaned down and kissed Ron again. Apparently that was too much for Draco, he shot up from his seat and ran over to them and pulled them apart.
"I told you to get off of him." Draco said turning to Theodore. Before Draco could say anymore he was stopped by a cane he recognized quite well.
"Now Draco, if Mr. Weasley has found someone so soon you should be happy." Lucius turned to Theodore and looked at the other boy. "Apparently, Mr. Weasley has quite the liking for well accomplished Slytherins." He said turned back to Ron.
"Father."
"Draco, you told me that you'd broken up with Mr. Weasley, so what objection do you have to his finding someone new. I told you, you are better off with someone like yourself."
"But Father."
"But nothing Draco, now, let's go. I want to talk to you." Draco grumbled, but followed his father anyway. Ron watched Draco go through the Great Hall doors; he saw Draco shoot him a cold stare then left the hall completely.
Lucius and Draco entered an old classroom, Draco leaned against one of the desks and his father turned and faced him. "Draco, I'm very proud of you for getting rid of that boy, but your actions just a few minutes ago suggest that you haven't gotten rid of him."
"Father, I told you, he dumped me a few days ago…after I told him about your letter and my decision to stay with the family."
"Then stay with your family and forget about him."
"Father, I can't just forget about him. We dated for 9 months and we've shared things with each other I would never had shared with anyone. I did and part of me still does love him, and I can't deny it."
"But it is over?"
"Of course, Father."
"Good." Lucius said staring at his son. "Now, I came to speak with Severus, and I have, so now that I've seen you and I've seen that although jealous, you and Mr. Weasley have separated, I can go home and tell your mother. She will be so happy." He said turning to leave. "Oh and Draco, do remember, I will be checking in on occasion, so don't be taking up with him now that you've seen me." He left the room without another word. Draco watched him angrily.
"Damn." Draco walked out of the room and around the corner back to the Great Hall. He saw Theodore over at the Slytherin table and Ron sitting at his own table looking at the doors. Ron and Draco's eyes met and Ron quickly turned away. Draco walked over to his own table and sat down to eat.
Over the next couple of days, Ron told Theodore to lay off on the make out sessions in the Great Hall, so Theodore did. Valentine's Day was approaching rapidly, Draco still hadn't done anything to admit that he and Ron had once gone out, or that he still loved Ron.
Valentine's was the next day and Ron was becoming more and more anxious for Draco to do something, but from what he saw, nothing was going to come. The trio sat in the Great Hall passing time and doing some homework on occasion, but for the most part Hermione was trying to talk Ron out of going to the dance with Theodore. Ron, however, was ignoring anything she said.
All of a sudden there was a great commotion outside that drew everyone's attention. The three of them ran outside the big doors to see what everyone was looking at. Ron to his amazement and horror found Draco and Theodore in the middle of a fist fight in the hall. At the moment Draco was on top of Theodore punching him in the face, but Theodore was aiming for Draco's stomach, both boys connecting with their desired location. Hermione gave Ron a push toward the two on the ground, but Ron could do nothing more than stare in horror.
"Ron, they're fighting over you, or have you forgotten?" Hermione said urgently. Ron couldn't move. He heard more people moving away from the fight and looked up breifly to find teachers running towards them.
Ron quickly bent down and pulled Draco off of Theodore and pushed him into the closest classroom, then ran back outside and pulled up Theodore and pushed him into the other classroom. Then he turned to face the teachers as if nothing had happened. The teachers, who were still to far away at the time to see Ron put both boys in separate rooms didn't know what the fuss was about and stared at the other kids for answers, but no one spoke. Finally the teachers gave up and walked back to where they had been minutes earlier. Hermione went into the room with Theodore after ordering Ron to go to the care of Draco.
Ron slowly opened the door to the classroom and found Draco looking out the window solemnly. He turned away at the sound of the door closing. Ron saw him reach up and wipe away some blood from his lips. It was the worst Ron had ever seen Draco look. He knew Draco wasn't one to get into fights, he was one to have others fight his battles. Draco's hair was ruffled and stuck up everyway, he had the beginning of a black eye and his lip was busted. His robe had apparently been disregarded before hand, but his shirt was ripped and his pants dirty from the floor. Draco just stared at the red head hatefully.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked quietly.
"You know damn well what it was about." Draco spat back at him, he never took his eyes away from the red head's. "You think you're innocent of this fight?" Ron quickly looked away from Draco. "Don't look away from me when I'm talking to you." Draco said dangerously. Ron looked up apprehensively. "I'll ask again. Do you think you're innocent from this?" Ron shook his head quickly. "Then why ask a stupid ass question like, 'What was that about?'?" Ron shrugged. "You amaze me, you really do." Draco said. "You think of no one but yourself, do you?"
"Me? You're the one thinking of no one but yourself."
"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you I am doing this for the both of us, not just me."
"Really? I don't see it that way, all I see is you dumping me so that you can stay in your family, and--"
"Shut the hell up." Draco said quickly. "Listen to yourself. I mean honestly. Ron, I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone.I wouldn't have gotten into a fight with Nott if I didn't. Ron, I don't want anyone touching you, other than me, butI just can't let my father disown me. As long as I appease him for now I can get my money and a job like his and you will never have to worry about money ever again. Ron, I want to take care of you, now please, let me take care of you." Draco moved closer to Ron and Ron instinctively moved backward. Draco reached out and touched the other boy's cheek softly. "Don't go to the dance with him."
"Draco, I want to go to the dance, and since you're not going to take me..." Draco was looking at him angrily again.
"Ron, just don't go to the dance with him. Go with someone else, somone from your own house." Although Draco had looked mad his voice was soft and compassionate.
"There's no one else. Everyone in my house already has a date."
"I don't trust him." Ron looked up at Draco. Draco looked away without another thing to say. "I'm going to the hosptial wing, get fixed up, I'll see you around."
Ron went around for the rest of the day sulking. He didn't talk to anyone, he just walked around or sat in class and did what he was suppose to mindlessly. Lunchtime came around and Ron barely ate anything, he was lost in thought of what Draco had told him and what had happened earlier that day. During lunch someone tapped Ron on the shoulder and when Ron turned around he found a still battered Theodore. Theodore gave him a look of regret and went to say something but he saw Ron wasn't really listening so walked off to his table without a word. Ron left the Great Hall early.
He hadn't seen Draco since the fight and wasn't expecting to see him for the rest of the day, but when Ron went to take a bath he opened the prefect bathroom to find Draco soaking in the tub already. Draco looked up at him and then back down to the bath. Ron saw that Draco was going to have a black eye in a few hours, but everything else Madam Pomfrey had fixed. Ron debated on leaving for a while and returning when Draco was done, but Draco stopped him.
"Get in." Ron obliged and sunk into the tub across from Draco. After a few minutes of silence Draco reached up and grabbed his towel and began to dry himself off. He took one last look at Ron then got dressed. "I'll see you tomorrow." Without another word Ron heard the door open and close. He sank further into the bath water just wanting to drown in it.
AN: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now Ron is kicking himself for what he's done, but still they are not together. The real question is, will Ron follow Draco's request and not go to the dance with Theodore? You'll just have to wait and find out.