Draco Malfoy's First Love

Chapter Eighteen: Ron Finds Out

Double Potions was always a nightmare for Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Then when Malfoy started to date Hermione, the nightmare had ceased, for most of the Slytherins had eased up on them. Only Snape kept up his horrible way of being. Unfortunately, in the last week Pansy went around telling all the Slytherins it was a hoax, and that 'Drakey-poo' would like it if they were mean again. Now all the Slytherins were giving them the horrid looks and the giggling and the taunts--especially to Hermione.

Hermione had chosen to ignore what the Slytherins had said about her and other muggle borns for the past four years. It wasn't any different now, except for the fact that Malfoy didn't join in when it came to taunting the Gryffindors. Why is he still being nice to me? She wondered. In fact, he had been trying to catch her eye the whole lesson, but she would just turn away. Tears started at the corners of her eyes just thinking of the loving expression still visible on his face...no! she told herself, I won't cry over the past. What's done is done, and I won't be fooled by Dr...Malfoy's lies anymore!

When the bell rang to dismiss them, Hermione hurried as fast as she could out of the classroom. Harry and Ron noticed she did this every time they had lessons with Slytherin. It seemed as though she wanted to get away from Malfoy as soon as possible. The two walked along the hall, not trying to catch up to the emotional Hermione. They knew to stay away from her when she was like this--her mood swings were violent enough for her to turn them into bats with her wand.

Suddenly Ron's bag split, and it's contents spilled onto the floor. "You go ahead to lunch, Harry," he called, "save me a seat in the Great Hall."

"Okay, bye!" Harry called as he watched Ron pick up his books and parchment while cursing under his breath.

Draco was hidden in the shadows with his wand out. He had a vague feeling of deja vu as he came out and asked, "Need some help, Weasley?"

"None from you, Malfoy, now get out of my sight before I end up doing something I'll regret while you're in the hospital."

"Temper temper," he drawled, "listen, Weasley, we need to talk...I need your help!"

* * *

Ron looked at Malfoy as they sat in Snape's empty classroom. "...and that's what happened." Draco finished explaining all that Pansy had done in the past two weeks. Ron looked skeptical.

"Why should I believe you, Malfoy? I mean, you haven't really been trustworthy in the past."

Malfoy smirked, " I had a feeling you might think that, Weasley. So here's the thing--look at the side of my head." He pointed to the bald spot above his left ear. Goyle cut my hair there to have enough to last him several transformations. The next time Goyle transforms he won't have that spot. I overheard the two talking in the common room last night, and it seems that Goyle and Pansy are going to stage a little kiss outside the transfiguration room after lunch. That's when you Gryffindors have it, right?" Ron nodded. "Okay, then when you come up to class with Hermione, look for the bald spot, because it won't--be--there. Hopefully that'll be enough proof for you.

* * *

Ron saw Pansy and Goyle leave the Slytherin table earlier than the rest. Ron had decided to not listen to what Malfoy had told him, but this looked oddly suspicious. Coincidental? I think not! He thought and quietly slipped off from the Gryffindor table and followed the pair.

Ron followed them all the way to the library and stopped and hid behind a suit of armor a few yards away. He tried not to breathe too loudly.

"Okay, Goyle, take the potion," he heard Pansy's voice whisper urgently.

"Pansy I don't want to do this no more!"

"Well you're gonna, so stick a cork in it!"

Ron peaked around and watched Goyle double up in the agony of his transformation. When he finally straightened, it was Malfoy's face he saw. "Pansy, what do we do now?" Goyle said dumbly in Malfoy's smooth drawl. It's funny to see Malfoy look stupid, Ron snickered.

"Shut up and come on!" Pansy rushed Malfoy, I mean Goyle, away from Ron and in the direction of the Transfiguration Wing. Ron heard the bell ring. Well, he thought, Malfoy was right. I better find him!

* * *

It was after dinner. Malfoy had received Ron's owl telling him to meet him in the library that evening. Come on, Weasley, don't waste my time!

Ron suddenly burst through the door, panting as if he had just ran a mile. "Sorry," he wheezed, "just managed to shake Hermione off at the door. The minute she hears the word 'library,' she chases you like a dog chasing a stick!"

"Tell me about it! Why just last week when we were..." Draco stopped; the painfulness of he and Hermione's last rendezvous before the 'incident' still choked him up. Ron could see Malfoy trying to fight back the tears. "Are you all right, Malfoy?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, fine Weasley," Draco sniffed and pulled himself together. "So now that you've seen it, can you trust me?" he sneered.

"Yeah Malfoy. But I'm only doing this for Hermione's sake, not because we're friends or anything like that!"

"Weasley, if we're going to work together, I won't have you uttering my name like a disgusting swear word. Please call me Draco." He gave Ron a pleading look that clearly said But I do want us to be friends!

"Okay, Draco." Ron involuntarily shuddered as he said the name. He paused, "Then call me Ron," he said finally and stuck out his hand in friendship.

"Okay, Ron." He said as he shook it.

* * *

The plan was simple: Draco was to find out the next time Pansy and Goyle arranged a 'meeting.' Then he would inform Ron of the date and time anonymously by owl and bring Hermione there. Then when they arrived, Ron would act very angry and start a fight with 'Malfoy.' Then Draco would walk in on the scene and ask what was going on. Hermione would probably faint in horror, and Draco would perform a stunning spell on both Pansy and Goyle. He would then explain, with Ron to back him up, all that Pansy had done. Hermione would then watch Goyle transform back into himself as the hour was up. Then Draco and Hermione would live happily ever after.

Chapter Nineteen: Putting the Plan in Action

Ron opened the anonymous letter at Gryffindor table.

The spot is the Gryffindor locker rooms after quidditch practice tonight at 8:00.

Ron nodded to himself as Harry looked at him from across the table. "Whose that from, Ron?" he inquired.

"No one." Ron crumpled the paper and stuck it in his robes. "So Hermione," he said, changing the subject, "are you gonna come and watch quidditch practice tonight?"

"Oh, I don't know, Ron," Hermione sighed, "I think I'm gonna go to sleep early tonight. It's been a long week."

"NO!" Harry and Hermione jumped as Ron exclaimed this, " I mean," he blushed, "you have to come see our strategy for the match against Slytherin this weekend! I'll give you a hint, it involves the Wronski Feint, Fred and George, and a large bag of Dungbombs!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, "All right, as long as it doesn't involve throwing the dungbombs on an unsuspecting spectator with, say...long curly brown hair!"

* * *

Quidditch practice ended at 8:00 sharp. All the Gryffindors headed towards the locker rooms, and Hermione dragged along by Ron.

"Ron, why are you dragging me?"

"Because I need to talk to you about something!"

But before Ron got another word out, they stopped in front of the locker rooms. There was Draco and Pansy, embraced in a passionate kiss.

Ron smiled to himself, but quickly stopped when Hermione looked at him. "Ron, let's get out of here, I don't want to see..."

It was time for Ron to turn on his mock anger. "Malfoy!" he roared, "why don't you take your whore somewhere else to snog and stay away from the Gryffindor area!"

Draco looked up, the spell gone. "Wait, Ron, don't..."

"Stupefy! Stupefy!"

Pansy and Draco fell to the ground, stunned.

"Ron, what did you do?" Hermione screamed in horror.

"Relax, Herm, that's not Malfoy."

"Yes it is, Ron what's wrong with you?"

Ron couldn't wait for Draco to show up any longer. Where is he? Oh well, I'll just tell Hermione myself. Ron explained the whole thing to a confused and upset looking Hermione.

"So, so Draco never did any of that stuff? Does he still love me?" Hermione questioned Ron anxiously.

"Yes, unfortunately." Ron couldn't help but grin, "I don't know where he is, though. He should be here when Goyle transforms in about...three minutes."

The trio waited out the minutes (Harry had been there the whole time too) and the clock ticked away, four minutes...five minutes, why wasn't he changing?

Finally ten minutes passed. Hermione was looking worried; Harry looked puzzled. Ron sat there thinking about what was going on. He noticed there was a bald spot above Malfoy's left ear. Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Lying on the ground in front of him was the real Draco Malfoy!