Disclaimer: Don't own.

I hope this installment-that came so much later than expected meets you're expectations. I wanted to look a little more at Ron and Draco's relationship, so there's not much action. I am however halfway through writing chapter 4, and it's got a fair bit to make up for the lack of it in this one. Remember to be nice and review!

Chapter 3

When Draco awoke the room was dark, but he could faintly see that he was facing the door, something that only ever happened if he was ill (rarely) or poisoned (which was more often than he cared to admit). Also, he only ever woke up with Ron draped over him and pressed up against his back after a night of excellent sex (which was of course every time they had sex) or if Ron was ill or wounded. And as he was certain neither he or Ron were sick, it meant he had been poisoned, again, and he and Ron had had an excellent night of sex.

He started to detangle his legs from Ron's, whatever time it was it, it was well after time they should have been moving on. He yawned a little and started to push himself up. Ron's arm didn't slide off him as he had expected, instead it tightened.

"Draco, your wound hasn't healed yet, a few more hours won't hurt." Ron's voice drifted from close to his ear, moving the wisps of hair that had escaped his pony tail.

Draco let himself be pulled back down, with a grumble. "You won't be saying that when we have a hoard of Chirloc breathing down our necks when we do leave." but he allowed Ron to draw him in closer.

Ron laughed lightly, his fingers began trailing down Draco's side, lightly skipping over the wounded area. He felt Draco begin to settle back to sleep. Though he knew Draco would tell him to stop being such a 'stupid irritating worry weasel', he couldn't help but be a little concerned, the Chirloc that had poisoned him hadn't been in anyway strong enough to cause the wound to heal as slowly as it was.

"The other one was." Draco breathed softly, picking up on his thoughts enough to come back from his doze, why Ron had to worry about these things he could never guess, he had merely used up a lot of his reserve magic sealing the Chirloc away. "Now stop annoying me-wasn't it you who said I should sleep?"

Ron smiled slightly, pulling Draco closer. "Mmm." he replied.

"Then let me." Draco shifted a little in the warm security of Ron's arms and settled back, drifting off to sleep easily.

This was what Harry and Hermione would never understand about Draco, because they would never see it. It was something he himself had struggled to come to terms with, seeing through the words to the meaning underneath, because, although he would never voice it, Draco had quite the caring personality, you just had to recognise it for what it was. And he knew just how to make Ron feel at ease.

Ron closed his eyes, listening to Draco's breathing until he feel into a light sleep.

The next time Draco woke up the room was light, and he was faced with the rather frightening countenance of Potter and Grangers child, standing right beside the bed by his head, staring at him. He kicked back at Ron, who was still sprawled along his back.

"Huh? Wazit Draco?" Ron asked groggily, sitting up.

"Get it out of the room Ron." Draco ordered.

Ron frowned. "Get what out of the room?" he asked before seeing Clarice. "Ah." he smiled. "Kid-" he tried to recall the name on file. "Clarice, could you go back to your parents."

The little girl looked at Ron while he spoke, but she turned her attention back to Draco almost immediately afterwards. "You have awfully long hair Mister." she said with a smile, before she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Ugh! Remind me never to have children." Draco muttered when she had gone.

Ron laughed. "Well unless you have something you'd like to tell me I don't think that will be a problem." he said, lounging back, intending to make the most of staying in bed before Draco sprang into action. "And it wasn't very nice to call her an 'it', she has a name you know."

Draco snorted. " Children are 'it's' Ron-it's just the way of life-I refuse to think of them as anything else"

"You refuse to think of a lot of people as anything else." Ron shot back.

Draco pushed back the blankets and swung his legs off the bed. "And if you haven't moved your arse from bed and brought me some tea by the time I get out of the shower, you will be one of them." he got to his feet and made his way to the little ensuite (both rooms had one), pulling the rest of his hair from the ponytail as he went.

Ron admired the view, still lounging. He had to admit, he didn't think anyone could possibly have a cuter ass than Draco Malfoy.

"Ronald-now." Draco said firmly as he reached the door.

"Fine-fine, I'm going." Ron sighed, and got out of bed as the door to the bathroom closed. He fished in the pile of clothes at the side of the bed for his own, he used a 'refreshing' spell on them before he got dressed. Now, ready to face the world, the Chirloc, Harry and Hermione, he went to the door and stepped out into the little living room space

Harry was sitting on the sofa, watching Clarice, who had come back out and was playing with some toy that Ron suppose Harry or Hermione had magicked up for her. Harry's eyes flicked to him as soon as he stepped out of the room.

"Good morning Harry." Ron smiled.

Harry merely nodded. "Hermione's in the kitchen making something for breakfast. I'm assuming we'll be leaving pretty soon."

Ron nodded. "Yup-as soon as his highness has his tea we'll be going." he started towards the kitchen, but Harry's next question stopped him.

"Why Malfoy Ron?"

Ron smiled, turning to Harry, who barely recognised the expression on his face. "Just because." was the only answer Ron could give him, before he continued on to get Draco his tea. "Hermione." he said upon seeing her.

"Ron." she smiled in return, coming over to give him a hug. "I have breakfast on the go if you want some." she offered.

"I would absolutely love some, but, I have to get Draco his tea or he'll be cranky all day, and I don't want to put up with him." Ron smiled.

"Well, there's some tea in the pot if that'll do." the way she said it told Ron she already knew it wouldn't, but her smile made it less insulting. While he would tolerate teasing towards Draco, he wasn't about to let it go to far, as he had already stated, that last thing he wanted to put up with was a cranky Draco.

"Unless you've used his super special tea leaves, then no I'm afraid-he's horribly picky. Beside's, if I bring him the wrong tea he'll make me do it every morning until I could do it right." he made his way to the cupboards-all safe houses had about fifty teapots in them-he didn't know why, they just all seemed to.

"Oh, so this isn't an everyday occurance then?" Hermioned quiried.

Ron laughed, he knew what she was thinking, that he was some kind of servant to Draco, it was a preposterous idea, Draco might be able to weedle things out of him, but he wasn't that much of a pushover. "No, no. this is only because he got poisoned-kind of a little tradition we have." he smiled, thinking back to when it started-the first time he had ever felt guilty Draco had been poisoned, and had made him tea the next morning. Oh the complaints he had gotten that morning-but Draco had drunk it all none-the-less. He lit a little fire under the tea pot and waited for the water to boil.

Hermione watched him, noting the smile, but said nothing.

X

Draco peeled back the bandage on his side, hissing as the hot water from the shower hit it. It still wasn't healed fully. He would have to make sure Ron didn't realise or the stupid Weasel wouldn't let him alone for a second. He looked at it as his long fingers traced it, it was just beginning to turn the greenish yellow that meant the last of the poison was gone from his system. It should have turned this colour two hours after the potion had been taken. Perrhaps he had drained his reserves too much sealing that demon.

He sighed and pulled the bandage off completely, letting it drop to the bottom of the shower, he tiped his head back and summoned his magic to douse his hair in his favorite shampoo, he'd be damned if he was going to leave the safe house with blood in his hair. When he was satisfied both he and his hair were clean enough he stepped out if the shower, towelled himself dry before going back into the bedroom, rubbing the ends of his hair with the towell to dry them.

His trousers where still on the floor, along with Ron's hideous maroon jumper, but as Ron had ripped his shirt beyond repair yesterday he would have to make do until he could get back to his own wardrobe. He freshened them up before he pulled them on, grimacing at the thought of himself in the ill fitting jumper.

He moved to the middle of the bed to wait for Ron to get back with his tea and finished towelling his hair dry. He was halfway through braiding it over his shoulder when the door finally opened and Ron entered with his tea.

"I was thinking." Ron said, setting the mug down and turning to look at Draco, who was tying off his hair half done.

"Don't break anything." Draco said, reaching over for his tea.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Ha ha." he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I was thinking that you should take Harry and I'll take Hermione and the kid."

Draco looked at him with a sardonic smile. "Ah-looking to have one last tyrst with Granger I see- a bit risky with the child don't you think."

Ron smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why Draco-jealous?" he asked.

"Of who? You or Granger? I should think not. I do have one question however-why do I get stuck with Potter-he's insufferable enough already without me having to be stuck with him all day."

"Well, it's either take Harry, or Hermione and the kid-remember Draco-children. Do you want to be stuck with one of those all day."

Drace grimaced distastefully at the idea. "Fine-I'll take Potter."

Ron smiled. "Good-I'll go let them know about the arrangements."

Draco nodded, and stopped nursing his tea to drink it. Closing his eyes and gathering all his energy, and patience-if he was going to have to deal with Potter all day he would need it.