Chapter 3:
"I never thought I would be saying this, but welcome to my home, Draco." Ron smiled as he pulled his key back out of the door, swinging it open. Draco took a cautious step inside and slid off his jacket, glad to be out of the cool September air. He looked around him with wide eyes. Ron's flat was much better than Draco's.
"I never thought I would say this to you, but I think your house is much better than mine." Draco chuckled a bit, smirking. Ron smiled at Draco from the kitchen, where he poured them both a butterbeer. Draco sat on the sofa and spotted a picture on the coffee table. Potter, Ron's sister, Hermione, Zabini, Longbottom, and Loony Luna Lovegood posed, waving at them from inside the frame, the moving photo showing off their flashing smiles. Turns out Zabini got his girl. Draco smiled sadly. In an odd way, he missed them all.
Ron handed Draco the butterbeer and followed his gaze to the picture. "They all went on a trip without me. Told them I would prefer to stay home than be a 7th wheel." He gave Draco a crooked smile. Why is it that my old enemy's best friend is so adorable? Draco thought to himself, unable to pull his eyes away from Ronald's face.
He felt a bit awkward so he mustered up the courage to actually speak. "Do you still speak to them?" Ron nodded, gulping his butterbeer down.
"I'm sure they'd all be interested to hear that I met Draco Malfoy at a Muggle gay bar and brought him home…" Ron's voice trailed off, and he bit his lip, looking at Draco with marvelous blue eyes. Draco swallowed nervously.
"Why did you bring me here, Weasley?" Draco took a drink out of his butterbeer, trying to act more casual.
Ron gave him a once over. "Firstly, you look like a skeleton, and secondly you sounded sad. Last but definitely not least, you don't seem like you're the prat you used to be." Draco smiled slightly and downed the last bit of his butterbeer. Ron finished his as well and reached for Draco's hand. Draco nervously intertwined his fingers with Ronald's. "I think I like you, Draco Malfoy."
"And I you, Ronald Weasley." Draco shyly peeped. Ron smiled warmly and stroked the back of Draco's hand with his thumb.
"Why?"
"Well, because I'm not as much of a prat as I seemed to be." Draco smiled. "And you are very kind, more kind than I expected you to be."
Ron nodded, looking at the ground. "Being the underdog for so long changed me." Draco gave Ron's hand a tender squeeze.
"If it makes you feel any better, I like you more than Lightning Head any day." Ron gave a light chuckle and headed to the kitchen again, bringing a bag of chips with him.
"Eat these. I'm hungry, as usual, but you really should eat something." A wave a nausea hit Draco, who shook his head.
"No thanks, Ronald. You can eat them." Ron shook his blaringly red head and handed Draco the bag, watching him to make sure he ate. Draco sighed and ripped open the package, picking up a crisp and eating it slowly. He picked up another and another, gradually eating the salty chips faster and faster like it was an addiction. Soon enough, the bag was empty. He had forgotten how good food could taste.
Ron looked at Draco, astonished. "You act like you haven't eaten in a week!" Draco looked guilty at the joking comment, which made Ron purse his lips. "You haven't, have you?" Draco shook his head slowly. "Accio butterbeers!" Two glass bottles zoomed into Ron's hands, one of which he handed to Draco, the other he placed on the table. He made another large bag of chips come to him, which he promptly handed to Draco. "Eat these fats and carbs. Then we'll move onto proteins and vegetables."
Draco gave Ron a look that was a mixture of astonishment, gratitude, and confusion. How long does he plan to spend time with me? Why does he want to help me? Why do I want to be with him so badly?! The blonde's mind was a storm of emotions. It was like his thoughts were apperating and they couldn't seem to find their destination. He just looked into the ginger's calm blue eyes. They looked like an ocean, and that was definitely one ocean Draco wouldn't mind drowning in.
He shook his head and ate the chips as Ron had instructed, and drank his second butterbeer. He was feeling much better, but very sleepy. "I should get going, I'm feeling pretty tired."
Ron smiled, looking very warm and kind. "Nonsense. You'll sleep here tonight. You know how dangerous it is to apperate while tired, and how dangerous it is to walk the streets alone at night." Draco balked a bit.
"I-I would greatly appreciate it b-but I simply can't! You've b-been far too kind and-" Ron cut him off.
"I was raised to be kind. Go ahead and sleep in the master bedroom. It's down the hall, last door on the left. I have pajamas you can wear, although they would be tents on you, although I prefer to sleep in my knickers personally…" Both men blushed slightly, and Draco's stomach was full of butterflies. Butterflies! He felt like a giddy schoolgirl.
"It's your bedroom, I couldn't kick you out of your own bed and-" Ron interrupted again, giving Draco a mischievous smirk that made his body tingle.
"We could both sleep back there. It gets a tad cold on nights such as these." Draco gave him a puzzled look, until, as if on cue, he heard the heavy strains of rain in the roof and the dark booms of thunder. Draco bit his lip, nervous and unsure of Ron's intentions. "We can make a wall of pillows, if you feel uncomfortable." Ron laughed teasingly.
Draco chuckled shakily. Why are you so nervous, Draco! he inwardly shouted, giving Ron just as mischievous as a smile as the one he had flashed moments ago. "Let's do it." Ron laughed, looking very attractive in the process. Draco's eyes went wide in realization. "I didn't mean… I… What I meant was…" Draco's pale cheeks went bright red. Ron stood, and, taking his hand, led him into the back bedroom.
"I'll change in the bathroom if you wish." Ron looked at Draco, eyebrow raised in a question.
Malfoy, in a sudden burst of courage, shook his head and slid off his shirt. Ron eyed his physique but the yellowing bruises caught his eye. "Bloody hell, mate, what happened to you?"
"Same thing as with the cut." Draco mumbled and slid off his pants as well. With a shiver, he slid under the covers. Ron did the same. Grabbing a small silver lighter from the nightstand, he flicked it and an orb of light zoomed into it, extinguishing the light in the room. Draco looked at Ron's face in the moonlight coming in from the window. He's perfect.
Ron observed Draco in the faint glare as Draco was observing him. His eyes were like liquid silver, his hair nearly the same color as the moon outside the window. He found Draco's hand and held it, giving it a slight squeeze every time thunder would rumble or lightning flashed outside. Suddenly, the moon was blotted out by a cloud, plunging them into darkness except for lightning's near blinding flashes. Draco pulled closer to Ron.
It appeared they both had their own fears. Ronald Weasley, afraid of storms. Draco Malfoy, afraid of the dark. And now the two were holding each other, helping each other get through the night. Draco stroked Ron's hair until Ron fell asleep. Draco fell asleep not soon after.
And fell straight into another nightmare.
Draco found help in an old enemy, and more. Will Ron Weasley be just what he needs to get back on his feet?