Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter...But I don't. I own Tracey's personality and history but I didn't come up with her. That was JK Rowling. I own the plot as well and any OCs but that's it.

Chapter 2

The One I'm Waiting For

"You, Mr. Whibley, are extremely lucky to have such a talented potions partner," Professor Slughorn said quietly to Ron at the start of their next Potions class. He had once again gotten Ron's name wrong.

"Ms. Davis here is second to none in this class, even Ms. Granger. In the 2 months that I have been teaching here I have yet to see Tracey fail to make a potion perfectly."

Professor Slughorn was beaming. Tracey was blushing. Ron just looked back and forth from Slughorn to Tracey. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the differences in their expressions. For some reason he found it extremely funny. Finally Slughorn left to write the day's potion ingredients and instructions on the board.

"You look like I do when I say something stupid. Are you sure you're not really a Weasley?" Ron said, trying not to laugh once more.

"Shut up," Tracey muttered as her face returned to its normal color. "I don't ask for that and yet Slughorn always manages to bring it up every chance he gets. Somehow all he can talk about his how I'm a star student, once of the best he's ever had, right up there with Lily Evans-Potter and Professor Snape. He thinks I'm brilliant and I'm not."

"Then what are you, if not really good at Potions?"

"I never said I wasn't good. I just don't think I'm as talented as he makes me out to be. Potions is just easy for me. It's like cooking. I love it, not that mum ever lets me cook. She thinks I should leave it to our house-elf, Miffy."

"I haven't seen how well you make potions yet but I'm sure you're as brilliant as Slughorn says. He's got a good eye for that stuff, it seems."

"Thanks."

The pair smiled at each other before turning to the pickled sea slugs they were supposed to be smashing. They didn't speak again until they had finished putting all of their ingredients in their cauldrons and both potions were simmering softly over the fire.

"Are we friends now?" asked Ron in an innocent voice that had just the slightest hint of hope. It was so faint that not even he detected it.

Tracey thought for a moment before responding calmly.

"I guess we are."

Their potions started to boil simultaneously before turning a deep blood red, signaling that they had reached the appropriate temperature. Slughorn saw this and congratulated them on being the first to finish.

"Well done, both of you! Perfect. Absolutely perfect potion. Since both of you are done and we don't test the potions until our next class you are both free to go back to your dormitories. But before you go, please take these phials and fill them with some of your potion."

Tracey and Ron did as they were told, gathered their books, and left the dungeon classroom. The eyes of the rest of the class followed them out the door, jealous of the opportunity to leave early. Over at her table Aurora signaled for Tracey to wait for her outside on the grounds.

"You're Keeper for the Gryffindor quidditch team, aren't you, Ron?" inquired Tracey, making conversation as they walked down various hallways towards the stairs.

"Yeah. Are you interested in quidditch at all? Support any teams?"

"First and foremost I support the Slytherin team. I have to. I'm on it now, aren't I? But my favorite professional team is the Cannons."

Ron's face lit up. Finally there was a girl, besides his sister, who he could talk to about quidditch. And not just quidditch. He could talk to her about the Cannons, his favorite team.

"You're on the Slytherin team? What position do you play? I thought they picked based on size. I've never known them to have a girl on the team."

"I'm a Beater. And things change. Actually, Slughorn made the entire team try out again, just to make sure that they were actually good enough. Half of the players on the team were replaced in the end. Lucky for me, though. It gives me a chance to beat your team."

Tracey laughed and Ron joined in.

"I'd like to see you try. We've got a very solid team, you know. 10 galleons says we beat you in the first match of the season. Wait…I haven't got 10 galleons have I? Damn."

"You're on," remarked Tracey.

"I'm what?"

"On. You're on. If Gryffindor wins I give you 10 galleons. If Slytherin wins you have to…let me tutor you in Potions."

Ron contemplated this for a few moments before saying, "But then don't I win out either way?"

"I guess you could see it like that. In that case you shouldn't complain about it, though. I've heard you muttering at the back of the classroom to Harry and Hermione how much you hate it and how bad you think you are at it. I just thought that maybe I could help. I like teaching. And like I told you, I'm decent at potions."

"Fine. I accept. We have a week until the first match. You'd better get practicing with your team. You might want to make sure Malfoy doesn't fall off his broom," joked Ron.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on falling off. You might want to be careful though. You never know what could happen," said a cold, familiar voice from behind them.

Ron stopped and turned to see none other than Draco Malfoy standing behind him on steps out of the castle. He was accompanied by Aurora Ketteridge. The two were holding hands and Aurora seemed to be rolling here eyes at her boyfriend.

"Hullo, Draco," Tracey yawned. She too was rolling her eyes at him. "Rora, how did your potion turn out?"

"It was maroon. Ghastly color, that. It's probably all wrong."

Ron had seen Aurora before but had never really paid her much attention. She always seemed to have her nose in a book. When she wasn't reading she was writing something.

Aurora pushed a strand of straight blonde hair out of her green eyes before continuing, "Draco's nearly turned pink before I realized he'd forgotten to stir it three times clockwise and two times counterclockwise."

"Thank you, Aurora, dear, for pointing out my mistake."

Draco was clearly pretending that Ron wasn't there.

"Listen, I hate to leave this cozy little party but I should probably be going. I have to put my books down before dinner," Ron muttered uncomfortably.

As Ron left Tracey looked after him. A bit of her wished that he would have stayed, that he wouldn't have gone. She wanted him to turn around and come back. Something inside wanted him to always be around.

"Hanging around with Weasley now, are we?" drawled Draco. "Tracey, I never took you as the type to go traipsing after blood traitors."

"What are you talking about Draco? He's my potions partner. That's all. We were just talking about quidditch."

"That's not what it looked like," Aurora replied rather more quietly than she would have liked.

Tracey had no idea what her best friend was going on about. How could something as simple as talking to Ron about quidditch be taken as something else? It didn't make sense to her.

"Draco, would you mind leaving us alone. We'll see you at dinner," asked Aurora.

He left, although he clearly didn't want to. Draco wasn't used to taking orders from anyone else, he was used to giving them.

"What's this you're going on about? Ron and I were just talking about the Slytherin-Gryffindor game next weekend."

"That's not what I was talking about."

"Then what were you talking about?"

"The way you two were looking at each other," she explained. "It was like you never wanted to stop looking at him. Then when he left you looked as though you'd died a bit inside."

"It was not and I did not," denied the brunette.

A part of Tracey knew that she was lying but didn't want to admit it. She barely knew Ron. She couldn't like him. It wasn't possible. It didn't make sense. Or maybe it did. Tracey couldn't tell anymore. Every time she thought of Potions her heart skipped a beat and she had to force it to keep going.

"No," she kept telling herself. "I can't like him. I won't like him. I'll just be friends with him."

Frankly, that course of action hadn't worked yet.