Undefined

Chapter 14

Detention with Ron

Draco spent the rest of the evening with Harry, the latter showing no signs of urgency to return to the castle. Instead, they snuck away to the Shrieking Shack, where they felt sufficiently isolated and safe from the world.

"Granger is too clever," Draco said as they lay side by side in the aftermath of their climax.

"We just get done and the first person you mention is Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I can see why you keep her 'round," Draco admitted grudgingly.

"I don't 'keep her 'round'; I couldn't leave her behind if my life depended on it."

"That was really classy how you let them know," Draco said, smiling. "'He's not done anything to me I haven't wanted.'"

"It just sort of slipped out," Harry said. Draco laughed. "It was an accident!"

Draco laughed harder, the memory of the look on Ron's face throwing him into further hysterics. "Weasley looked as though he could've shit a brick."

"It's not funny!" Harry protested.

"Yes, it is!"

"All right, so it happened in the worst possible way it could have, but it's done, right?"

"Right," Draco said. The Shack gave a great shudder as a blast of wind whipped through its openings. "Are you sorry it happened?"

"No," Harry said.

Draco pulled Harry to him, kissing his forehead and noticing, for the first time, the clarity of that cryptic scar against his skin. "Me neither."

The sounds of the Shack shuddering in the night soon lulled Draco to sleep. He dreamt of reading Ron's mind and trying to convince him that Dark Magic wasn't the end the world but the beginning. Then Hermione turned up and gave Draco a platter full of pumpkin pasties that disappeared every time he went to take a bite. He slept well past morning, waking to find Harry sitting at the foot of the bed.

"How long have you been up?"

"Not long."

"What time is it?" Draco asked blearily.

"No idea."

"Did we miss class?"

"It's Saturday," Harry said.

"Oh, right," Draco said, stretching. He stood and dressed in the cold, his breath escaping his lips in small clouds. "What's wrong now?" he asked more impatiently than he intended.

"Nothing."

"When you say nothing it means you have a major mental battle going on."

"I'm just thinking about Ron."

"Come on, let's go, it's a fucking ice box in here."

Draco walked Harry to the seventh floor then wandered down to the Slytherin common room, unable to keep his mind off Ron; a sick knot developed in his stomach at the thought of what was going on in the Gryffindor common room at the moment. If Ron proved incapable of dealing with everything would it be the end of their relationship? Would Harry continue on with Draco? He'd spent sufficient time with Harry to know exactly how much Ron and Hermione meant to him.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the Mudblood (a term Draco was beginning to use less and less even in his own mind) who stood in the way of his happiness, but the blood-traitor. He'd never understood how Ron could be of pure-blood and not share similar beliefs. But, as Harry had taught him, the world was not as narrow as Draco's father had made it out to be. When Draco received Harry's note later that evening asking him to meet him on the grounds, he immediately dropped what he was doing and hurried out.

"Ron and Hermione are on their way," Harry said, once they'd walked from the castle and settled near the Whomping Willow. Draco nodded and pulled the collar of his jacket up around his neck.

"You all right?" he asked Harry uncertainly, to which Harry nodded slightly. Finally, they saw two figures approach.

"Oh, I wish you wouldn't!" Hermione's voice carried easily in the wind. "Ron, don't you dare!" she said, this time more shrilly. "If you do, I swear I'll never speak to you again!" She and Ron walked to them hand-in-hand; Ron's face a very vivid crimson, the hue of which became even more pronounced with each step that brought them closer. Finally, he and Hermione stood directly opposite Harry and Draco.

"Hi," Hermione said a bit shyly. She was obviously placed in a very awkward position as Ron stood belligerently beside her. "Ron and I spent most of the night talking, and he's agreed that he can come to terms with your relationship"--at which Ron huffed loudly--"so long as you agree to give him some time to get used to it all."

"Sure," Harry said.

Ron cleared his throat and Hermione cringed. "He also insists Malfoy apologize for being...a..."--she turned to Ron and he nodded--"a...well....a stupid, filthy bastard who's made our lives hell for the past five years."

"Oh, God," Draco sighed.

"Do it please, Malfoy," Hermione begged. "So we can put this all behind us."

Draco sighed heavily, looking to Harry. "Fine, I'm sorry." It was harder to say than he'd expected.

Ron cleared his throat loudly. Hermione rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "He insists you say all of it, it's the only way he'll accept your apology."

Draco almost refused but Harry had taken a few steps closer, as though offering support. Taking in a deep, shaky breath Draco said very quickly, "I apologize for being a stupid, filthy bastard who's made your lives hell for the past five years." He suppressed a gag reflex and reached for Harry, gripping his arm very tight.

Hermione's face clearly fell in relief. "Oh thank goodness that's over. Now, Ron, won't you...Ron! You said you would!"

"Malfoy, I apologize for punching you yesterday," Ron said, looking as though it caused physical pain to utter the sentence.

"Fair enough," Malfoy said, still gripping Harry's arm.

The four stood in a singularly uncomfortable silence until a group of students passed laughing and talking animatedly on their way to Hogsmeade.

"We're going to town," Hermione said, breaking the icy silence with a bit of normality, "if you two'd like to join us."

"Go on," Harry said. "We'll catch up."

Ron and Hermione turned and left, Hermione giving them a small wave before Ron pulled her away.

"That went better than it could have," Harry said, clearly relieved. "Thanks."

Draco nodded, not needing Harry to explain what he meant; he knew full well Harry'd never heard the words 'I'm sorry' tumble from Draco's mouth before.

Draco felt profoundly relieved knowing there was no longer anything to hide from Ron and Hermione, and Harry seemed singularly more relaxed when they were alone, which made their time together all the more enjoyable. Up until the Whomping Willow, Ron and Draco had not spoken to one another, though Ron did make a point to glance at him in classes and when they passed in the corridors. Hermione seemed quite keen on keeping Ron's temper under control, and Draco knew she worked tirelessly to make Ron understand Harry's point of view. Harry admitted that he didn't know where he and Ron would stand without Hermione, and Draco felt a surge of warmth towards her, not knowing if he'd ever be able to adequately thank her.

Draco and Ron's relationship would unknowingly take a different turn when, in Transfiguration the following Wednesday, Draco inadvertently hit Ron with an Engorgement Charm he'd been aiming at Nott. Ron responded by hexing Draco with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, upon which McGonagall descended on the pair of them.

"Finite Incantatum," she muttered. "Have you two no self-control within this classroom?" she fumed. Draco and Ron glanced at one another. "I have no more patience for this pettiness! Detention for a week, the pair of you! Starting tonight!" She turned on her heel and stormed to the front of the classroom.

Draco and Ron took their seats miserably, Draco knowing Snape would ream him endlessly for having landed detention yet again.

Ron was already sitting in front of McGonagall writing out lines when Draco arrived. McGonagall motioned Draco to the empty seat beside Ron, and Draco sat, tiredly picking up the quill and writing I will not hex my fellow classmates on the empty parchment. An hour later there was a loud bang somewhere down the corridor and McGonagall immediately rose.

"No talking," she said as she walked briskly out, her emerald robes billowing behind her.

Neither spoke, their quills scratching lightly on the parchment, Draco glancing at Ron every now and again. He realized his moods were much easier to read than Harry's as Ron wore his on his sleeve.

Finally, when it seemed Ron were about to burst he whispered, "Don't think we're going to be bosom chums."

"I don't," Draco said, not taking his eyes of his parchment.

"I still have a hard time not believing you used the Imperius Curse on him..."

"I didn't," Draco said, still writing.

"You'd better not have," Ron said threateningly.

They both jumped when McGonagall stormed back in, muttering something incoherent under her breath. "I have an urgent matter I must discuss with Professor Snape. I expect you to stay put and no talking."

Draco and Ron both nodded in agreement, looking as though they had no intentions of speaking. Draco turned to make sure she'd gone before saying, "You can believe what you'd like, but I didn't trick him into it."

"That's what Hermione keeps saying," Ron said, his hand shaking. Draco felt another surge of gratitude towards her before Ron continued. "But she has a brighter outlook on things than I do."

"Obviously," Draco muttered.

"I wouldn't care so much if it weren't you," Ron said belligerently.

"So you'd rather Harry fancy you?" Draco said slyly at which Ron turned a bit pink.

"No!" Ron cried, looking rather revolted at the thought. "And that's completely off the point."

"Is it?" Draco asked.

"Yes!"

"What if it were Thomas or Finnigan?" Ron said nothing and dipped his quill in ink, splashing a bit on his hand in the process. "Or any other ruddy Gryffindor? Or Ravenclaw? Or Hufflepuff?" Draco pressed. "Would you still be throwing a tantrum?"

"I'm not throwing a tantrum!" Ron said loudly.

"You honestly wouldn't care that your best friend prefers blokes as long as he doesn't prefer me?"

"Of course I'm not thrilled with it, but it's not my decision," Ron said, looking at Draco. Using all his Legilimency skills, he knew Ron was being completely truthful.

They said no more for the remainder of their detention, McGonagall eventually returning and collecting their parchment as they left.

"Same time tomorrow evening," she said as they left.

Snape was, as Draco suspected, furious at his having landed a weeklong detention, but Draco was quite relieved to be free of nightly lessons. In that week, Ron seemed to have forged a silent acceptance of the circumstances, although he was far from friendly with Draco inside and outside of class. Draco's Legilimency lessons continued until the Christmas holiday, by which time he had advanced well beyond Snape's expectations.

"When you return we will begin Occlumency," Snape said.

Draco nodded, knowing full well he intended to practice while away in order to block Snape completely from his mind, terrified of his reaction if he were able to see what lay behind Draco's eyes.

The night before holidays began, Draco and Harry spent the night together, knowing it would be their last for several weeks.

"Occlumency's vile," Harry said. "I think Snape gets off on reading my thoughts."

"How do you keep us from him?" Draco asked.

"Hermione administers a forgetfulness charm before my lessons," Harry said. "So Snape can't access those memories if I don't have them to begin with."

"I see," Draco said, clearly impressed. He knew Harry'd been having private Occlumency lessons with Snape for a little over two weeks, but had avoided inquiring into the matter as his own Legilimency lessons took up too much of his thoughts.

"I wish you'd stay," Harry said.

"I can't," Draco replied. "Father expects me home and he'd be suspicious if I insisted on staying here."

"It's too long."

"It's only a couple of weeks." Draco said, feeling exactly the same as Harry on the matter.

"It's still too long," Harry said.

"I know," Draco admitted.