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 3

The next Saturday Gryffindor managed to crush the Slytherin team in their quidditch match against each other. By the end of the game Tracey was tired, hungry, and just a little bit happy, despite the loss. In the middle of the game, as Tracey passed the goalposts, she had started talking to Ron.

"Hey, Ron," she had shouted against the sound of the crowd cheering.

"Trying to distract me, Tracey?" Ron laughed, narrowly missing a throw from one of the Slytherin chasers.

Tracey had flown a few yards out to hit a bludger in the direction of Harry before coming back to answer Ron.

"Maybe a little bit. I want to win that bet, remember?"

"I do too," replied Ron as the quaffle once again came in his direction. He had stopped it skillfully and threw it to Ginny.

"Looks like you're going to. Look at Harry. Gotta go!"

Tracey had seen Harry going into a dive. He had obviously seen the snitch. She tried to hit a bludger in his direction but it hadn't even phased him. Two seconds later the Gryffindor supporters were pouring onto the pitch laughing and cheering at their victory. Quietly, and rather begrudgingly, the Slytherins had walked back to their locker room to change. Tracey hadn't gone with them. She had picked up her broom, placed it in the shed with the rest of them, and started walking back to the castle so that she could get Ron the money he had won from her.

Tracey was emerging from the dungeons, on her way to lunch, when she spotted Ron, Harry, and Hermione coming down the stairs. She ran to meet the group before they entered The Great Hall. If her housemates saw her giving a sack of Galleons to Ron they'd never leave her alone, she knew it.

"Ron!" Tracey called, trying to catch his attention.

He turned and smiled, whispering to Harry and Hermione to go on in without him.

"I told you we'd kick your arse."

Ron was clearly not trying to be humble. Tracey ignored it, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.

"Alright, so you won. Here's your money. 10 galleons, just like I said," she handed him a bag of coins as she said this.

"You didn't have to."

"I did. We bet. I'm not going to back out on a bet. You won fair and square, no matter how many times I tried to knock Harry off of his broom or distract you by talking to you."

Ron looked at her, surprised that she had actually followed through. Noticing this he quickly attempted to change the expression on his face to one of mirth.

"So you admit to trying to cheat a little bit…"

"'Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their end,'" she quoted.

They both laughed at her use of the sorting hat's song, then Ron became oddly serious.

"You know, if you still wanted to tutor me I'd be up for it. I can't tell unicorn tail hair from boomslang skin."

"What's in it for me?" questioned Tracey.

"Uh…I hadn't thought about that. The joy of teaching me, I suppose."

"I was just joking. Of course I'm still up for tutoring you. Meet me in the library tomorrow right after lunch. We'll see if I can't get you to know bezoar from beetle eye in no time flat."

The next day Ron tried to eat lunch as fast as he could so that he could get as much study time with Tracey as possible. This behavior caused Hermione and Harry to look at him as though he was going on about seeing a real Crumple-Horned Snorkack or something. Usually it was Hermione who was cutting mealtimes short to rush off to read a book. Ron was the one who would rather eat half of the food at the Gryffindor table than pick up a textbook or study.

"Where are you going?" inquired Harry.

"'ibrary," Ron uttered through a mouth full of shepherd's pie.

He took a swig of his pumpkin juice before finishing his sentence.

"Tracey's going to help me get my Potions grade up. I need it."

"But that's what Hermione's for. Ouch!"

Hermione had hit Harry on the arm.

"Well it's true!" he continued.

She sighed and said, "Harry James Potter I am not your personal encyclopedia of magic. I think it's good that Ron is getting a tutor who isn't me. Maybe he'll actually listen to a word she says. Merlin knows he never listens to me."

"But she's a Slytherin," Harry cried as though being tutored by a Slytherin was the worse thing that could happen to a person.

"Listen guys, I'm late. I'll talk to you later in the common room," Ron said quickly before picking up his things and leaving.

"What's with him?" murmured Harry as Ron walked out the door.

Hermione shook her head at Harry and gave him a look that very clearly said, "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"Okay, so what is a bezoar?" whispered Tracey, careful not to be too loud so the Madam Pince wouldn't kick them out of the library.

"A stone taken from the stomach of a goat that will work as an antidote for most poisons. Hey, can we take a break? We've been at this for hours."

It was true. Tracey had been asking Ron to identify and describe various potions ingredients for at least 4 hours. It was nearly dinner time. Ron looked exhausted.

"Sure. I wanted to go find a book for myself anyway. Flying with the Cannons to be precise."

The look of exhaustion was instantly wiped from Ron's face at the mention of a book about the Chudley Cannons, his favorite quidditch team. He smiled.

"Brilliant. I know exactly where that is. I've taken it out a few times. I'll help you find it."

Ron got up and Tracey followed him to the row of books labeled quidditch. After a few minutes of searching he found it at the top shelf of a bookcase and, using his height, pulled it down with ease. As he handed it to Tracey she whispered something so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

"Thanks. Can I tell you something, Ron?"

"I guess so. What is it?"

He was curious what she had to say. Tracey blushed a light pink before she went on. This time her voice was so quiet that he had to ask her to say it again.

"What was that?"

"Ilikeyou," she muttered, her words running together.

"Huh?"

"Oh, bollocks. I. Like. You. Do I have to spell it out?"

Tracey's shyness had melted away after having to say it out loud a few times. Having to repeat herself only made her more determined to say it properly.

"Oh."

"Oh? That's all you can say? Oh?"

"I like you too. A lot," Ron said, turning almost as red as his hair. You almost couldn't tell where the forehead ended and the hair began.

Without realizing what came over her Tracey leaned in, looked up at Ron, and kissed him. Ron felt as though a he had been shocked by something. There was a taste of fire on his lips, mingled with a sweetness that was something like honey. He kissed her back, drinking in the feeling of being kissed like tomorrow wasn't ever going to come. When they broke apart he longed for more.

"That was-"

"Horrible, I know. I can't kiss for my life. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," Tracey said as she turned to leave, embarrassed at what she had just done, wishing she hadn't said anything in the first place.

"I was going to say incredible," replied Ron, making her stop dead in her tracks and turn around, a look of astonished disbelief upon her face.

"You…liked it?"

"Liked it? I loved it. It was amazing. I…do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks with me next Hogsmeade trip? As…boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Tracey, realizing that Ron wasn't pulling her leg, smiled and laughed softly.

"Yes. I would love to. And I would love to be your girlfriend."

Ron's eyes widened.

"Really? Blimey… Wait. Does this mean that I have to put up with Malfoy now?

"You bet your broomstick it does. It also means I have to put up with Harry and Hermione, so I guess our 'suffering' is just about even, wouldn't you say?"

Ron nodded and they both laughed, attracting the attention of Madam Pince, who came around the corner and started scolding them for making noise, even though they were the only students in the library. Before they knew what was happening they were both kicked out of the library, Tracey still clutching Flying with the Cannons tightly in her hands.

The corridors were empty, except for the occasional ghost floating through a wall or door. Without exactly realizing what they were doing Ron and Tracey held hands all the way until they reached The Great Hall for dinner, where they had to separate, Tracey staying closest to the door at the Slytherin table and Ron moving farthest away to the Gryffindor table.

"So…you were holding hands with Weasel boy, were you?" sneered Pansy, clearly wanting to make any Slytherin who dared to interact nicely with a Gryffindor miserable. She obviously expected to have Tracey try and deny everything. What Pansy hadn't expected was for Tracey to stand up for Ron.

"Yes, I was. Do you have a problem with that? Oh, and he's not "Weasel boy." His name is Ron, but I'm sure you know that. You were just expecting to get under my skin, no doubt."

Pansy looked as though she had been hit by the tail of a dragon. Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide, making her look even less attractive than usual. She was used to the other Slytherin girls, especially Tracey and the other half-bloods, paying attention to her every word, laughing at her cruel jokes, if not because they were funny but because Pansy was the girl who controlled who was "cool" in the Slytherin common room.

"I…yes…well…"Pansy stuttered, trying to get over the initial shock of how Tracey had spoken to her.

"Pansy, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go sit somewhere else, thanks," Tracey said, rather defiantly as she got up and moved to the other end of the table, next to Draco.

"What was that all about?" muttered Aurora as she turned to face them from the Ravenclaw table behind them.

"Uh…Well, I stood up to Pansy a little bit," Tracey replied looking down a little bit.

"So that's why she looks as though she's been hit with something," smirked Draco.

"Doesn't she always look like that?" Aurora joked.

All three students laughed heartily at Pansy's expense. It was not as though she didn't deserve it. There were hundreds of times when she had made fun of other people, especially people not of her house. She had even taken to making fun of Draco lately, although not to his face. Pansy always kept her insults about Draco to herself until late at night in the Slytherin 6th year girl's dormitory. That was when she would attack his choice of dating Aurora. She despised the fact that he wasn't dating her and that he had instead chosen to date a girl who was not of pure wizarding blood.

At first Pansy had begged him to date her once more. When he refused she had taken to insulting Aurora. Not even that had worked so she had decided that she was better suited to insult Draco behind his back. It was all a bit pathetic.

"Why did you have to stand up to Pansy, though?" Aurora asked after they had gotten control of their laughter.

"Aurora, didn't you see her walk in holding Weasley's hand? Obviously Pansy spotted them."

There was a loud clang as Aurora dropped her fork onto her golden plate.

"You were doing what?"

"Well, Ron and I were in the library earlier. And then I told him that I liked him…and then I kind of kissed him."

Clang. This time it was Draco who dropped a utensil.

"You kissed Weasley?" they said together in astonishment.

"Did he kiss you back?" Aurora asked.

When Tracey nodded she squealed loudly, attracting the attention of several of the other Ravenclaw students.

"Uh…how about we go somewhere else to discuss this? Like out onto the grounds. Everyone keeps looking at us. I don't like it."

The sun was setting as they got out onto the grounds, near the lake. The giant squid was sticking a few of it's tentacles up into the sky trying, it seemed, to catch a bird that was flying above it. A few seconds later the bird was gone and the giant squid was withdrawing it's tentacles from the surface of the cold lake.

"So what happened? Did he kiss you back?" Aurora again again.

Tracey blushed, giving Aurora her answer.

"Weasley kissed you." drawled Draco. He was looking around, trying not to sound too interested.

"And?"

"And what?" asked Tracey. Her friends were looking at her intently and she was getting a bit unnerved by it.

"What else happened?" pressed Aurora.

"He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him…and to be his girlfriend. And before you ask, yes I said yes."

"I hope you know that even if you are dating him I don't plan on hanging out with him at all," Draco said carelessly.

"I don't expect you to. I just hope you'd stop making fun of him quite so much. Please try," she added, seeing the look on Draco's face that clearly said "Are you kidding me?"

"Fine. I'll try. But I can't promise anything."

Tracey hugged him, catching him off guard and nearly knocking him flat on his back.

"Thank you. And one more thing. Could you guys please not mention this to anyone?"

"Sure…"

"And that's what happened," finished Ron.

He had been telling Harry and Hermione exactly what had happened in the library that afternoon.

"That's unexpected," said Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No it's not, you're just oblivious to when someone likes someone else."

"I'm not. I knew Cho liked me."

"Yeah, mate, after you kissed her."

"Whatever," Harry said as he shrugged it off. "You're dating a Slytherin. You can't tell me that's going to end well."

Ron looked at Harry angrily and then stalked off up the stairs to the boys dormitories. Harry was definitely not the person who should be warning Ron about relationships. Besides, the only reason he didn't like Tracey was because she was in Slytherin. He hadn't even met her properly yet.

Ron changed quickly into his pajamas and got into bed. He was going to sleep early, or at least pretending to go to sleep. Behind his closed bed hangings he heard the door open and Harry say his name. Ignoring the noise, he went back to staring at the ceiling as though he hadn't heard anything.