A/N: text in italics taken from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Chapter Nine, Pages 166-167
When Ron woke up on the morning of the 2nd of September and saw the bed next to his was empty he panicked. Harry had spent the last few weeks of the summer at The Burrow and it was clear to everyone who saw him that he was not coping well with the death of his godfather; his mood had fluctuated wildly between bouts of deep depression and anger but he had seemed to improve a little as the time to return to Hogwarts had approached.
Ron hadn't needed Fred and George to take him aside and tell him to keep an eye on Harry and make sure he didn't do anything stupid, he had already resolved to do so, but the twins' claiming of Harry as family reassured something inside him he had not realised even existed.
So, when he saw Harry was gone, he worried; the revelation that Sirius had had a son and that he had hidden his son, even from Harry, could not have been easy. Then he saw that Aries was also missing and, far from soothing his worries, it only made them worse. He stumbled out of bed, padding hastily over to the bathroom and peering in but it was empty.
The dorm room floor was cold on his bare feet as he returned to the middle of the room and inspected the empty beds. As far as he could see, both Harry's and Aries' uniforms were undisturbed so they had not gone down to breakfast. A little more awake now, his mind no longer sleep fuddled and blurry with panic but still on edge, he headed down the spiral staircase towards the common room.
It was early but a group of forth year girls were climbing out the portrait hole on their way to an early breakfast when Ron emerged from the bottom of the stairs. The girls threw one last look over their shoulders at the armchairs by the fire, sighing and giggling, as the portrait shut behind them. Ron followed the direction of their gaze and headed over to his, Harry's and Hermione's favourite group of chairs.
The fire had long ago burnt down to embers but the huge black Grim-like dog curled in front of it lifted its head to watch his progress. It was Aries dog, Ron remembered, and it really was remarkable how much like Padfoot it really looked.
Two figures slept uncomfortably in the chairs in front of him. Harry was sprawled across his chair but in sleep his carefully composed mask slipped and Ron could read the grief and exhaustion written clearly across his face. Opposite him sat Sirius' son, curled up into a foetal position as though to protect himself from something, a grimace of pain on his face but no sound escaping him.
The deep shadows under their eyes confirmed Ron's suspicions: they had stayed up most of the night talking. And he hadn't been invited. Immediately he felt a deep resentment start to roil in his stomach. This wasn't fair! He, Ron, was Harry's best friend, not this interloper, and if anybody should have been staying up for hours talking it should have been them (and maybe Hermione as well but she liked obeying the rules too much).
Ron's earlier worry turned to anger as he gazed at the pair of sleeping boys. How dare Harry make him worry like that? How dare he sneak off to spend time with the new boy who wasn't even his friend! Who even was the new boy? Ron had heard Aries' answers to his housemates questioning at the feast and afterwards but it had not really revealed much about the boy beyond some superficial facts. He wanted to know where exactly this boy had been hiding, who he was hiding from, who his mother was and why Sirius had never told them about him. It was only fair; after all, his very existence hurt Harry, showing him that he did not know his godfather at all.
Ron cleared his throat loudly, waking both boys. Harry woke quickly as ever, conditioned from years at the Dursleys' to rise immediately, he looked blearily up at him, smiling slightly. Aries on the other hand stiffened, flicking his wand from a holster on his wrist as he crouched as though expecting attack. Cold grey eyes stared at Ron assessing before Aries relaxed slightly, returning his want to its holder.
"What was that?" asked Ron suspiciously. Aries mumbled something inaudible in reply. "Afraid a Death Eater's going to appear out of nowhere and attack you?" he said with a sneer worthy of Malfoy.
Aries turned abruptly, his shoulders held stiffly, head high, and strode back up the stairs to the dorm but as he did Ron could have sworn he heard the smaller boy mumble "Well, look what happened last time I let my guard down…"
Ron watched the smaller boy walk off, glaring at his back "What's his problem?" he asked indignantly. Harry glared at him "You're a real bastard you know that Ron". His best friend just gaped at him "You don't know anything about him" Harry continued tersely before following Aries up to the dorm room, leaving a bewildered Ron gazing after him.
Aries followed Harry down to the great hall for breakfast in brooding silence. He didn't know what Ron's problem was, Aries hadn't done anything wrong, he'd never even met the boy before, so why this hostility? Sometimes he just didn't understand people. The sixth year Gryffindors made a loose group as they walked down yet another flight of stairs on their way to the Great Hall.
Ron and Hermione trailed along at the back of the group, Ron flinging resentful glares at the new boy as he walked at Harry's side, lost in his own thoughts. "I don't know who he thinks he is. Trying to make Harry his best friend. Being so rude to me. Arrogant, stuck up prat. He's as bad as Malfoy. In fact, that must be it! He's related to Malfoy, isn't he?" Ron kept up a constant litany of complaint for the next several minutes.
"Oh Ron," Hermione sighed "I thought after last year, maybe a tablespoon, but apparently not." Ron just looked at her in confusion. "Think about it. His Dad has just died. He's got nobody left. He gets sent to Hogwarts when he's probably never even been to school before. He meets Harry, who was his father's godson. Sirius was supposed to raise Harry; they would have grown up like brothers. And then he has to deal with you, being so hostile. I'm sure it's all very overwhelming."
The scowl did not shift from Ron's face as he replied indignantly "Brothers? What would he need that git as a brother for? He's got me and my brothers! Or does Black not think the Weasley family is good enough for Harry?" Hermione gave him up as a bad job, at least for now, as they entered the hall and settled opposite Harry and Aries on the Gryffindor table.
Aries mumbled a greeting to Hermione as he picked at his toast but Harry was awake enough to maintain a conversation about NEWTs. Aries pointedly ignored the unfriendly glances Ron shot at him as he attempted to follow his yearmates' conversations, occassionaly contributing something but mostly observing them.
McGonnagall strode along the table to them as they finished eating and started handing out their schedules, checking as she did so that everyone had gained the required OWL scores for their chosen courses. "I must say, I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark, Potter, very pleased. Now, why haven't you applied to continue with Potions? I thought it was your ambition to become an Auror?"
"It was, but you told me I had to get an 'Outstanding' in my O.W.L., Professor"
"And so you did when Professor Snape was teaching the subject. Professor Slughorn, however, is perfectly happy to accept N.E.W.T. studets with 'Exceeds Expectations at O.W.L do you wish to proceed with Potions?"
"Yes," said Harry "but I didn't buy the books or any ingredients or anything-"
"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be able to lend you some," said Professor McGonagall.
"So hang on, if Slughorn is teaching Potions then who is the new Defence professor?" Ron asked, confused.
"Professor Snape" McGonnagall replied.
"SNAPE?! SNAPE'S THE NEW DEFENCE PROFESSOR! WHAT THE HELL IS DUMBLEDORE THINKING?!" roared Ron.
Their Head of House's glare silenced the redhead and convinced Harry that speaking his mind would not be advisable at that point in time.
"I suggest you all collect your books from your dormitory now in order to be on time for class, I believe you have Transfiguration with me first" she suggested, her mouth a thin line, eyes stern. The sixth years mumbled in agreement and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower.
A/N: did anyone get my teaspoon/tablespoon reference? i thought it might be a bit obscure but one of my best friends said they thought it'd be fine, anyway, hope people enjoyed the chapter :)